Interacting with application beneath transparent layer

• US 9,733,826 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2014
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Jianbang, Kelso, Scott E., Nicholson, John W., Perrin, Steven R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORALES FERNANDEZ, BENJAMIN
• Application Number:
  US14/570,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20160170632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

An approach is provided for directing input received at a touch-enabled device to an intended input layer. User inputs are received at a touch-screen of a device. Each user input includes a set of one or more input properties. The touch-screen includes different interaction layers that include a transparent layer and an application layer. The approach analyzes the input properties associated with the received user inputs. Based on the analysis, the approach identifies an intended interaction layer as being either the transparent layer or the application layer. The approach then directs the user inputs to the identified intended interaction layer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving one or more user inputs at a touch-screen of a device, wherein each user input includes a set of one or more input properties, and wherein the touch-screen includes a plurality of interaction layers that include a transparent layer and an application layer;

identifying an intended interaction layer from the plurality of interaction layers based on an analysis of the input properties, wherein the analysis selects the intended interaction layer corresponding to a previous intended interaction layer that was based on a previously received set of weighted user inputs; and

directing the user inputs to the identified intended interaction layer.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

comparing the received user inputs to the plurality of sets of previously received user inputs, wherein each of the sets of previously received user inputs corresponds to the previous intended interaction layer;

selecting, based on the comparison, one of the sets of previously received user inputs; and

weighting the intended interaction layer towards the previous intended interaction layer associated with the selected set of previously received user inputs, wherein the identification of the intended interaction layer is based upon the weighting applied to the transparent layer and the application layer.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying an amount of time during which the one or more user inputs were received at the touch screen, wherein the one or more user inputs included a plurality of user inputs; and

weighting the intended interaction layer towards the application layer in response to the amount of time being a predetermined amount of time, wherein the identification of the intended interaction layer is based upon the weighting applied to the transparent layer and the application layer.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving one or more user configuration settings that indicate a first user preferred interaction layer for pen-like inputs and a second user preferred interaction layer for finger-like inputs, wherein the first and second user preferred interaction layers are selected from the group consisting of the transparent layer and the application layer;

identifying an input implement used to create the user inputs, wherein the identifying is based on a detected surface area width of the user inputs on the touch-screen;

weighting the intended interaction layer towards the first user preferred interaction layer in response to identifying that the input implement is a pen-like implement; and

weighting the intended interaction layer towards the second user preferred interaction layer in response to identifying that the input implement is a finger implement, wherein the identification of the intended interaction layer is based upon the weighting applied to the transparent layer and the application layer.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying one or more sets of coordinates on the touch-screen, wherein each of the sets of coordinates corresponds one of the one or more user inputs;

retrieving an application layer set of coordinates on the touch-screen, wherein the application layer set of coordinates correspond to a screen area where the application layer is displayed;

comparing the sets of coordinates with the application layer set of coordinates; and

weighting the intended interaction layer towards the application layer in response to comparison revealing that the sets of coordinates are proximate to the application layer set of coordinates, wherein the identification of the intended interaction layer is based upon the weighting applied to the transparent layer and the application layer.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving a plurality of common application gestures that correspond to the application layer;

comparing the received user inputs to the plurality of common application gestures; and

weighting the intended interaction layer towards the application layer in response to comparison revealing that the received user inputs match one or more of the common application gestures, wherein the identification of the intended interaction layer is based upon the weighting applied to the transparent layer and the application layer.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

saving a state of the identified intended interaction layer prior to the directing;

within a predetermined time interval after directing the user inputs to the identified intended interaction layer, receiving a user response at the device indicating an incorrect identification;

in response to receiving the user response within the predetermined time interval;

retrieving the saved state of the identified intended interaction layer; and

reverting the intended interaction layer back to the saved state.

8. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a touch-screen accessible by at least one of the processors;

a memory coupled to at least one of the processors; and

a set of instructions stored in the memory and executed by at least one of the processors to;

receive one or more user inputs at a touch-screen of a device, wherein each user input includes a set of one or more input properties, and wherein the touch-screen includes a plurality of interaction layers that include a transparent layer and an application layer;

identify an intended interaction layer from the plurality of interaction layers based on an analysis of the input properties, wherein the analysis selects the intended interaction layer corresponding to a previous intended interaction layer that was based on a previously received set of weighted user inputs; and

direct the user inputs to the identified intended interaction layer.

9. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the set of instructions further comprise instructions to:

compare the received user inputs to the plurality of sets of previously received user inputs, wherein each of the sets of previously received user inputs corresponds to the previous intended interaction layer;

select, based on the comparison, one of the sets of previously received user inputs; and

weight the intended interaction layer towards the previous intended interaction layer associated with the selected set of previously received user inputs, wherein the identification of the intended interaction layer is based upon the weight applied to the transparent layer and the application layer.

10. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the set of instructions further comprise instructions to:

identify an amount of time during which the one or more user inputs were received at the touch screen, wherein the one or more user inputs included a plurality of user inputs; and

weight the intended interaction layer towards the application layer in response to the amount of time being a predetermined amount of time, wherein the identification of the intended interaction layer is based upon the weight applied to the transparent layer and the application layer.

11. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the set of instructions further comprise instructions to:

retrieve one or more user configuration settings that indicate a first user preferred interaction layer for pen-like inputs and a second user preferred interaction layer for finger-like inputs, wherein the first and second user preferred interaction layers are selected from the group consisting of the transparent layer and the application layer;

identify an input implement used to create the user inputs, wherein the identifying is based on a detected surface area width of the user inputs on the touch-screen;

weight the intended interaction layer towards the first user preferred interaction layer in response to identifying that the input implement is a pen-like implement; and

weight the intended interaction layer towards the second user preferred interaction layer in response to identifying that the input implement is a finger implement, wherein the identification of the intended interaction layer is based upon the weight applied to the transparent layer and the application layer.

12. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the set of instructions further comprise instructions to:

identify one or more sets of coordinates on the touch-screen, wherein each of the sets of coordinates corresponds one of the one or more user inputs;

retrieve an application layer set of coordinates on the touch-screen, wherein the application layer set of coordinates correspond to a screen area where the application layer is displayed;

compare the sets of coordinates with the application layer set of coordinates; and

weight the intended interaction layer towards the application layer in response to comparison revealing that the sets of coordinates are proximate to the application layer set of coordinates, wherein the identification of the intended interaction layer is based upon the weight applied to the transparent layer and the application layer.

13. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the set of instructions further comprise instructions to:

retrieve a plurality of common application gestures that correspond to the application layer;

compare the received user inputs to the plurality of common application gestures; and

weight the intended interaction layer towards the application layer in response to comparison revealing that the received user inputs match one or more of the common application gestures, wherein the identification of the intended interaction layer is based upon the weight applied to the transparent layer and the application layer.

14. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the set of instructions further comprise instructions to:

save a state of the identified intended interaction layer prior to the directing;

within a predetermined time interval after directing the user inputs to the identified intended interaction layer, receive a user response at the device indicating an incorrect identification;

in response to reception of the user response within the predetermined time interval;

retrieve the saved state of the identified intended interaction layer; and

revert the intended interaction layer back to the saved state.

15. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium comprising a set of computer instructions, the computer instructions effective to;

receive one or more user inputs corresponding to at a touch-screen, wherein each user input includes a set of one or more input properties, and wherein the touch-screen includes a plurality of interaction layers that include a transparent layer and an application layer;

identify an intended interaction layer from the plurality of interaction layers based on an analysis of the input properties, wherein the analysis selects the intended interaction layer corresponding to a previous intended interaction layer that was based on a previously received set of weighted user inputs; and

direct the user inputs to the identified intended interaction layer.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the set of instructions comprise additional instructions effective to:

compare the received user inputs to the plurality of sets of previously received user inputs, wherein each of the sets of previously received user inputs corresponds to the previous intended interaction layer;

select, based on the comparison, one of the sets of previously received user inputs; and

weighting the intended interaction layer towards the previous intended interaction layer associated with the selected set of previously received user inputs, wherein the identification of the intended interaction layer is based upon the weight applied to the transparent layer and the application layer.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the set of instructions comprise additional instructions effective to:

identify an amount of time during which the one or more user inputs were received at the touch screen, wherein the one or more user inputs included a plurality of user inputs; and

weight the intended interaction layer towards the application layer in response to the amount of time being a predetermined amount of time, wherein the identification of the intended interaction layer is based upon the weight applied to the transparent layer and the application layer.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the set of instructions comprise additional instructions effective to:

retrieve one or more user configuration settings that indicate a first user preferred interaction layer for pen-like inputs and a second user preferred interaction layer for finger-like inputs, wherein the first and second user preferred interaction layers are selected from the group consisting of the transparent layer and the application layer;

identify an input implement used to create the user inputs, wherein the identifying is based on a detected surface area width of the user inputs on the touch-screen;

weight the intended interaction layer towards the first user preferred interaction layer in response to identifying that the input implement is a pen-like implement; and

weight the intended interaction layer towards the second user preferred interaction layer in response to identifying that the input implement is a finger implement, wherein the identification of the intended interaction layer is based upon the weight applied to the transparent layer and the application layer.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the set of instructions comprise additional instructions effective to:

identify one or more sets of coordinates on the touch-screen, wherein each of the sets of coordinates corresponds one of the one or more user inputs;

retrieve an application layer set of coordinates on the touch-screen, wherein the application layer set of coordinates correspond to a screen area where the application layer is displayed;

compare the sets of coordinates with the application layer set of coordinates; and

weight the intended interaction layer towards the application layer in response to comparison revealing that the sets of coordinates are proximate to the application layer set of coordinates, wherein the identification of the intended interaction layer is based upon the weight applied to the transparent layer and the application layer.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the set of instructions comprise additional instructions effective to:

retrieve a plurality of common application gestures that correspond to the application layer;

compare the received user inputs to the plurality of common application gestures; and

weight the intended interaction layer towards the application layer in response to comparison revealing that the received user inputs match one or more of the common application gestures, wherein the identification of the intended interaction layer is based upon the weight applied to the transparent layer and the application layer.