Touch control method and electronic device

• US 10,126,843 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2015
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Company Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Company Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Chen, Yingbiao, Li, Fenglang, Zhang, Xiangying, Liang, Runsheng, Wang, Ning
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung, David
• Application Number:
  US14/752,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20160231835A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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

A touch control method is provided, which includes obtaining a first input operation from a first touch-sensitive area of an electronic device; in response to the first input operation, controlling a second touch-sensitive area of the electronic device to switch from a first state to a second state, the first state is a non-operating state, the second state is an operating state; obtaining a second input operation through the second touch-sensitive area in the second state, a starting position of the second input operation is located within the first touch-sensitive area, an operation of the second input operation in the starting position includes the first input operation; and in response to the second input operation, generating an operation instruction corresponding to the second input operation.

Claims

1. A touch control method, comprising:

obtaining a first input operation from a touch-sensitive area of an electronic device, wherein the touch sensitive area comprises a first touch sensitive area corresponding to a first portion of a touch sensor and a second touch-sensitive area corresponding to a second portion of the touch sensor, and when the second portion of the touch-sensitive area is in a non-operating state, the first portion of the touch-sensitive area is in a working state;

determining whether a first operating trajectory of the first input operation starts within the first touch-sensitive area;

in response to a determination that the start of the first operating trajectory of the first input operation starts within the first touch-sensitive area, controlling the second portion of the touch sensor to switch from a first state to a second state, the second state being an operating state;

obtaining a second input operation through the second touch-sensitive area in the second state, wherein a second operating trajectory of the second input operation and the first operating trajectory of the first input operation is coherent;

in response to the second input operation, generating an operation instruction corresponding to the second input operation, wherein the operation instruction comprises an image movement on a display screen of the electronic device in real time according to the second operation trajectory of the second input operation in response to the second input operation,

wherein, when a display screen of the electronic device is unlighted, the first portion of the touch sensor is in the second state and the second portion of the touch sensor is in the first state and when the second portion of the touch sensor is switched from the first state to the second state, controlling the first portion of the touch sensor to switch from the second state to the first state.

2. The touch control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

obtaining the first input operation from the touch-sensitive area of the electronic device comprises when the first portion of a touch sensing array of a touch sensor of the electronic device is in an operating state and a second portion thereof is in the first state, obtaining the first input operation through the first portion of the touch sensing array of the touch sensor in the operating state;

the first touch-sensitive area and the second touch-sensitive area are corresponding to the touch sensing array of the touch sensor, the first touch-sensitive area corresponding to the first portion of the touch sensing array, the second touch-sensitive area corresponding to the second portion of the touch sensing array; and

controlling the second touch-sensitive area of the electronic device to switch from the first state to the second state comprises controlling the second portion of the touch sensing array of the touch sensor to switch from the first state to the second state.

3. The touch control method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first input operation and the second input operation are different input portions of a single input operation.

4. The touch control method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first touch-sensitive area is an area first contacted by an operator when inputting the single input operation.

5. The touch control method as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

generating the operation instruction corresponding to the second input operation comprises;

generating a movement command for moving a cursor on a display screen of the electronic device in real time according to an operation trajectory of the second input operation; and

controlling movement of the cursor on the display screen based on the movement command.

6. The touch control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

obtaining the first input operation from the touch-sensitive area of the electronic device comprises when a first sensor of the electronic device is in an operating state and the touch sensor of the electronic device is in the first state, obtaining the first input operation by the first sensor;

the first touch-sensitive area corresponding to a sensitive area of the first sensor, and the second touch-sensitive area corresponding to a sensitive area of the touch sensor; and

controlling the second touch-sensitive area of the electronic device to switch from the first state to the second state comprises controlling the touch sensor to switch from the first state to the second state, and controlling the first sensor to switch from the operating state to the non-operating state.

7. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing having a touch-sensitive area for touch input;

a display screen; and

a processor configured to;

obtain a first input operation from a touch-sensitive area of the touch-sensitive area, wherein the touch sensitive area comprises a touch sensitive area corresponding to a first portion of a touch sensor and a second touch-sensitive area corresponding to a second portion of the touch sensor, and when the second portion of the touch-sensitive area is in a non-operating state, the first portion of the touch-sensitive area is in a working state;

determining whether an first operating trajectory of the first input operation starts within the touch-sensitive area;

in response to a determination that the start of the first operating trajectory of the first input operation starts within the touch-sensitive area,

control the second portion of the touch sensor to switch from a first state to a second state;

obtain a second input operation through the second touch-sensitive area in the second state, wherein a second operating trajectory of the second input operation and the first operating trajectory of the first input operation is coherent; and

in response to the second input operation, generate an operation instruction corresponding to the second input operation;

wherein, when a display screen of the electronic device is unlighted, the first portion of the touch sensor is in the second state and the second portion of the touch sensor is in the first state and when the second portion of the touch sensor is switched from the first state to the second state, the first portion of the touch sensor is switched from the second state to the first state.

8. The electronic device as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

a touch sensor having a touch sensing array;

wherein the touch sensing array is corresponding to the touch-sensitive area of the housing;

the touch-sensitive area is corresponding to a first portion of the touch sensing array, and the second touch-sensitive area is corresponding to a second portion of the touch sensing array;

wherein the processor is coupled with the touch sensor, the processor is further configured to;

obtain the first input operation through the first portion of the touch sensing array of the touch sensor, when the first portion of the touch sensing array is in an operating state and the second portion thereof is in the first state; and

control the second portion of the touch sensing array to switch from the first state to the second state in response to the first input operation.

9. The electronic device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second touch-sensitive area surrounds the touch-sensitive area.

10. The electronic device as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a keyboard having a keyboard input area, the keyboard input area and the touch-sensitive area being located on a same surface of the housing.

11. The electronic device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the touch-sensitive area of the touch sensitive area is an area not contacted by an input gesture during inputting through the keyboard input area.

12. The electronic device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate a movement command for moving a cursor in real time according to an operation trajectory of the second input operation; and

control movement of the cursor on the display screen based on the movement command.

13. The electronic device as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

a first sensor having a sensing area corresponding to the touch-sensitive area;

a second touch sensor having a sensing area corresponding to the second touch-sensitive area;

wherein the processor is coupled with the first sensor and the second touch sensor, the processor is further configured to;

obtain the first input operation by the first sensor, when the first sensor is in an operating state and the second touch sensor is in the first state;

control the second touch sensor to switch from the first state to the second state; and

control the first sensor to switch from the operating state to the non-operating state.