Touchscreen virtual track control

• US 8,830,194 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2012
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: VanBlon, Russell Speight, Mese, John Carl, Peterson, Nathan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): OLSON, JASON C
• Application Number:
  US13/421,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20130241828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

For performing touchscreen virtual touch control, a display module displays a control interface in response to detecting a finger touch of a finger on a touchscreen. A detection module detects a finger roll of the finger on the touchscreen and performs an action in response to detecting the finger roll.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a storage device storing machine-readable code;

a processor executing the machine-readable code, the machine-readable code comprising;

a display module that displays a control interface in response to detecting a finger touch of a finger on a touchscreen, wherein the control interface displays icons within a specified radius of the finger touch as enlarged icons with each icon disposed in a unique direction relative to a specified point of the control interface; and

a detention module that detects a finger roll of the finger on the touchscreen and activating a first icon in a direction relative to the specified point most parallel to a finger roll direction in response to detecting the finger roll.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, detecting the finger roll comprising detecting a first finger portion remaining in a first position relative to the touchscreen while a second finger portion changes relative to the touchscreen.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, detecting the finger touch comprising detecting touching and holding the finger on the touchscreen for a minimum time interval.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control interface is an enlarged window displaying a magnified portion of the touchscreen.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, the detection module further detecting a finger confirmation by detecting a finger tap and activating a first icon in response to the finger confirmation.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the action activates a first icon in a first unique direction parallel to a direction of the finger roll.

7. A method for touchscreen virtual track control comprising:

displaying, by use of a processor a control interface in response to detecting a finger touch of a finger on a touchscreen, wherein the control interface displays icons within a specified radius of the finger touch as enlarged icons with each icon disposed in a unique direction relative to a specified point of the control interface;

detecting a finger roll of the finger on the touchscreen; and

activating a first icon in a direction relative to the specified point most parallel to a finger roll direction in response to detecting the finger roll.

8. The method of claim 7, detecting the finger roll comprising detecting a first finger portion remaining in a first position relative to the touchscreen while a second finger portion changes relative to the touchscreen.

9. The method of claim 7, detecting the finger touch comprising detecting touching and holding the finger on the touchscreen for a minimum time interval.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the control interface is an enlarged window displaying a magnified portion of the touchscreen.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising detecting a finger confirmation by detecting a finger tap and activating a first icon in response to detecting the finger confirmation.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the action selects a first icon in a first unique direction parallel to a direction of the finger roll.

13. A program product comprising a non-transitory storage device storing machine-readable code executed by a processor to perform the operations of:

displaying a control interface in response to detecting a finger touch of a finger on a touchscreen, wherein the control interface displays icons within a specified radius of the finger touch as enlarged icons with each icon disposed in a unique direction relative to a specified point of the control interface;

detecting a finger roll of the finger on the touchscreen; and

activating a first icon in a direction relative to the specified point most parallel to a finger roll direction in response to detecting the finger roll.

14. The program product of claim 13, detecting the finger roll comprising detecting a first finger portion remaining in a first position relative to the touchscreen while a second finger portion changes relative to the touchscreen.

15. The program product of claim 13, detecting the finger touch comprising detecting touching and holding the finger on the touchscreen for a minimum time interval.

16. The program product of claim 13, wherein the control interface is an enlarged window displaying a magnified portion of the touchscreen.

17. The program product of claim 13, the operations further comprising detecting a finger confirmation by detecting a finger tap and activating a first icon in response to detecting the finger confirmation.

18. The program product of claim 13, wherein the action selects a first icon in a first unique direction parallel to a direction of the finger roll.