Computer device with touch screen and method for operating the same

• US 9,104,304 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2012
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Yu, Ying-Chen, Yen, Jacqueline Li-Ling, Chuang, Po Ya, Wang, Wendy Ping Wen
• Primary Examiner(s): JOSEPH, DENNIS P
• Application Number:
  US13/464,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20120218212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345173-179
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A method for operating a computer device incorporating a touch screen is provided. The method includes pre-defining a first pointing device command and a second pointing device command, which are not related to directional pointing control, in the computer device. In response to a first touch, the touch screen generates a first touch signal. The first pointing device invokes a command in response to the first touch signal. In response to a second touch different from the first touch, the touch screen generates a second touch signal. The second pointing device command is invokes in response to the second touch signal.

Claims

1. A method of initiating a command on a computer device having a touch screen, the method comprising:

receiving different pointing device operations by a user;

generating, in response to the different pointing device operations by the user, a first pointing device signal, a second pointing device signal and a third pointing device signal;

predefining a first command in response to the different pointing device operations by the user of the pointing device that generates the first pointing device signal, the second pointing device signal and the third pointing device signal, wherein the first command includes a first pointing device command, a second command includes a second pointing device command, and a third command includes a third pointing device command;

in response to a first touch on said touch screen, invoking the first pointing device command;

in response to a second touch on said touch screen, invoking the second pointing device command;

in response to a third touch on said touch screen, invoking the third pointing device command;

wherein said first pointing device command, said second pointing device command, and said third pointing device command, are invoked in response to the first touch and the first pointing device signal, in response to the second touch and the second pointing device signal, and in response to the third touch and the third pointing device signal, respectively, and by application of unequal pressure and duration of time on said touch screen, wherein said first pointing device command is a browsing command in a first browsing mode, said second pointing device command is a switching command to switch said first browsing mode to a second browsing mode, and said third pointing device command is a browsing command in the second browsing mode, wherein the first browsing mode is a vertical read mode, the second browsing mode is a horizontal read mode and the third pointing device command jumps to a particular page.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing an application;

in response to the first pointing device command, the application running a first process; and

in response to the second pointing device command, the application running a second process.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first touch and the second touch both target to a same position on the touch screen.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein a graphic object is presented on the touch screen, and the first touch and the second touch both target to the graphic object.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing a multimedia file browsing application to present a multimedia file on the touch screen and provide the first browsing mode and the second browsing mode;

in the first browsing mode, in response to a first touch on the multimedia file, invoking the first command; and

in response to a second touch on the multimedia file, invoking the second command.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

in response to the third touch on the multimedia file, invoking a second browsing command to browse the multimedia file in the second browsing mode.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first touch and the second touch both target to a same position on the touch screen.