Method and device of deactivating portion of touch screen to prevent accidental activation

• US 9,658,716 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2013
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shenzhen Seefaa Scitech Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Shenzhen Seefaa Scitech Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ma, Zhigang
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lu, William
• Application Number:
  US13/765,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20140225857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Upon receiving a certain type of signal in a touch screen device, deactivate a portion of the touch screen, and position the deactivated portion on a edge of the touch screen such that a user can hold the touch screen device with the thumb resting on the deactivated portion, without accidentally activating icons or active links on the touch screen. The deactivated portion can be moved, cloned, and cancelled after non-use.

Claims

1. A method for deactivating part of a touch screen of a device, comprising:

providing a processor module controlling the touch screen;

deactivating a portion of the touch screen by the processor module upon a condition that a first signal is received by the processor module; and

creating another deactivated portion separate from the deactivated portion upon a condition that a combination of a sliding touch being performed on the deactivated portion and a concurrent pressing and holding touch being performed on the deactivated portion is recognized by the processor module as a signal for creating the another separate deactivated portion while the deactivated portion remains at a same position, thus the deactivated portion and the another separate deactivated portion co-existing, wherein the another separate deactivated portion has a same size, a same shape, a same color and same opacity as the deactivated portion.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a signal receiving module connected to the touch screen and the processor module;

receiving a touch signal from a touch on the touch screen by the signal receiving module;

determining by the processor module whether the touch signal is the first signal; and

positioning the deactivated portion covering a point of the touch.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

rendering a first touch-sensitive area on the touch screen; and

determining that the touch signal is the first signal upon a condition that the touch is on the first touch-sensitive area and a duration of touch reaches a predetermined first period of time.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

upon a condition that the first touch-sensitive area overlaps a second touch-sensitive area of the touch screen, and the point of touch is located at an overlapping point of the first and the second touch-sensitive areas, determining that the touch signal is a second signal to activate the second touch sensitive area upon a condition that the duration of the touch is less than the predetermined first period of time.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

rendering the deactivated portion to cover an area on the touch screen extending from an edge of the touch screen closest to the point of touch to the point of touch.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

upon a condition that another touch signal is received from a portion of the touch screen other than the deactivated portion while the deactivated portion is being touched, treating the deactivated portion as in use, and processing and responding to the another touch signal.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining that the touch signal is the first signal upon a condition that the touch is a sliding touch originated from the edge of the touch screen and moving away from the edge.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

cancelling the deactivated portion upon a condition that the deactivated portion has not been touched for a predetermined second period of time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the deactivated portion is semi-transparent such that content under the deactivated portion and on the touch screen can be seen.

10. The method of claim 1, the step of creating another deactivated portion comprising:

moving the another deactivated portion along a trace of the sliding touch such that the another deactivated portion is separate from the deactivated portion.

11. A method for deactivating part of a touch screen of a device, comprising:

providing a processor module controlling the touch screen;

deactivating a portion of the touch screen by the processor module upon a condition that a first signal is received by the processor module; and

creating another deactivated upon a condition that a combination of a sliding touch being performed on the deactivated portion and a concurrent pressing and holding touch being performed on the deactivated portion is recognized by the processor module as a signal for creating the another deactivated portion, thus the deactivated portion and the another deactivated portion co-existing;

keeping the deactivated portion at a same position; and

moving the another deactivated portion along a trace of the sliding touch such that the another deactivated portion is separate from the deactivated portion, wherein the another deactivated portion has a same size, a same shape, a same color and same opacity as the deactivated portion.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

positioning the deactivated portion on an edge of the touch screen.

13. A device, comprising:

a touch screen;

a processor module comprising a processor, and controlling the touch screen; and

a cloning module to be executed by the processor,

wherein, upon a condition that the processor module receives a first signal, the processor module deactivates a portion of the touch screen and positions the deactivated portion at a predetermined position of an edge of the touch screen; and

wherein, upon a condition that a combination of a sliding touch is being performed on the deactivated portion and a concurrent pressing and holding touch being performed on the deactivated portion is recognized by the processor module as a signal for creating another separate deactivated portion, the cloning module, controlled by the processor, creates the another deactivated portion of a same size, a same shape, a same color and a same opacity as the deactivated portion and the processor module moves the another deactivated portion along a trace the sliding touch, while keeping the deactivated portion at a same position, thus the deactivated portion and the another deactivated portion co-existing and separate from each other.

14. The device of claim 13, further comprising a signal receiving module connected with the touch screen and the processor module,

wherein the processor module renders a first touch-sensitive area on the touch screen;

the signal receiving module receives a touch signal from a touch on the first touch-sensitive area and sends the touch signal to the processor module; and

processor module determines that the touch signal is the first signal if a duration of the touch reaches a predetermined first period of time, and further renders the deactivated portion covering a point of the touch in response to the first signal.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein, upon a condition that the signal receiving module detects that the deactivated portion has no longer been touched for a predetermined second period of time, the processor module cancels the deactivated portion.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein processor module further renders a second touch-sensitive area on the touch screen which overlaps the first touch-sensitive area;

upon a condition that the touch is on an overlapping point of the first and the second touch-sensitive areas, the processor module determines that the touch signal is a second signal to activate the second touch area if the duration of the touch is less that the predetermined first period of time, and performs a function corresponding to the second touch-sensitive are in response to the second signal.

17. The device of claim 13, further comprising a storage unit accessed by the processor module and storing a plurality of parameters related to the deactivated portion, wherein the parameters comprise:

the predetermined first period of time;

sizes of the deactivated portion;

opacity of the deactivated portion;

shape of the deactivated portion; and

the predetermined position of the deactivated portion, and

wherein the processor module renders the deactivated portion according to the parameters stored on the storage unit, and positions the deactivated portion according to the predetermined position.

18. The device of claim 13, wherein sizes of the deactivated portion are such that one of the phalanges of a human thumb can rest on the deactivated portion without activating the touch screen.