Controlling a cursor on a touch screen

• US 9,110,584 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2013
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bao, Sheng Hua, Chen, Jian, Lu, Chengen, Ma, Rui, Su, Zhong, Wang, Rui
• Primary Examiner(s): Moon, Seokyun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Acha, III, Josemarie G
• Application Number:
  US13/943,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20140002398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345173-178, 345/157, 345/159, 345/160
• 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

In one embodiment, a method for controlling a cursor on a touch screen includes, in response to having entered a pointing mode, displaying the cursor on the touch screen; in response to a touch on the touch screen, calculating a movement velocity of a touch point of the touch; and controlling the movement of the cursor according to the movement velocity of the touch point; wherein at any moment in the pointing mode, an input area of the touch point is any area within the touch screen.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a cursor on a touch screen, the apparatus comprising:

a display module configured to, in response to having entered a pointing mode, display the cursor on the touch screen;

a calculating module configured to, in response to a touch on the touch screen, calculate a movement velocity of a touch point of the touch, and calculate a touch force of the touch based on one or more of;

feedback from a pressure sensor on the touch screen, and a contact area with the touch screen, wherein the touch force is in direct proportion to the contact area with the touch screen; and

a control module configured to control the movement of the cursor according to the movement velocity of the touch point, and also control the movement of the cursor based on the touch force by setting the movement velocity of the cursor to be in direct proportion to the touch force;

wherein the control module is further configured to control the movement of the cursor according to the movement velocity of the touch point by determining a location of the cursor according to the movement velocity of the touch point of the touch, refreshing the cursor at the location, and setting a proportion factor to adjust a relationship between the location of the cursor and the movement velocity of the touch point, such that the location of the cursor is determined using the formula;

P_T=P₀+∫

₀^taW_tS_t{right arrow over (v)}_tdt

where P₀ represents a previous location of the cursor, a represents the proportion factor, w_t represents the feedback from the pressure sensor at moment t, S_t represents the contact area with the touch screen at moment t, and {right arrow over (v)}_t represents the movement velocity of the touch point to the touch screen at moment t; and

wherein at any moment in the pointing mode, an input area of the touch point is any area within the touch screen.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a click module configured to, in response to having clicked on the touch screen, activate an item which is displayed on the touch screen and at which the cursor points.