Touchscreen user interface: bluetooth™ stylus for performing right mouse clicks

• US 20030128195A1
• Filed: 01/08/2002
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dutta, Rabindranath, Kamper, Robert J., Banerjee, Dwip
• Granted Patent: US 6,952,203 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

A method, program and system for enabling alternate input commands by means of a stylus associated with a personal digital assistant (PDA) are provided. The method comprises applying pressure to a pressure sensor on the stylus, which invokes an application on the PDA that interprets stylus input as equivalent to a right mouse click on a computer. In response to the stylus being touched to an object displayed by the PDA, the application opens a menu associated with that object, wherein the menu allows a user to initiate specified object functions and to change specified properties of the object. Invoking the application on the PDA is accomplished via a Bluetooth™ signal between the stylus and PDA.

Claims

1. A method for enabling alternate input commands by means of a stylus associated with a personal digital assistant (PDA), the method comprising:

detecting activation of a pressure sensor on the stylus; and

in response to the activation of the pressure sensor, invoking an application on the PDA, wherein the application, in response to the stylus touching an object displayed by the PDA, opens a menu associated with that object, wherein the menu allows a user to initiate specified object functions and to change specified object properties.

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

in response to the stylus drawing a perimeter around a plurality of objects displayed by the PDA, opening a menu of object functions and object properties associated with all objects in the perimeter.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of invoking the application on the PDA is accomplished by means of a BlueTooth™

signal between the stylus and the PDA.

4. A method for enabling input commands by means of a stylus associated with a personal digital assistant (PDA), the method comprising:

detecting activation of a pressure sensor on the stylus; and

in response to the activation of the second pressure sensor, invoking an application on the PDA, wherein the application opens at least one of the following function on the PDA;

e-mail, wherein e-mail messages can be hand written by means of the stylus; and

calendar, wherein annotations to the calendar may be hand written by means the stylus.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the step of invoking the application on the PDA is accomplished by means of a BlueTooth™

signal between the stylus and the PDA.

6. A method for enabling input commands by means of a stylus associated with a personal digital assistant (PDA), the method comprising:

detecting activation of a pressure sensor on a Bluetooth™

-enabled stylus; and

in response to the activation of the pressure sensor, invoking an application on the PDA via Bluetooth™

.

7. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for use in a data processing system, for enabling alternate input commands by means of a stylus associated with a personal digital assistant (PDA), the computer program product comprising:

instructions for detecting activation of a pressure sensor on the stylus; and

instructions for invoking an application on the PDA in response to the activation of the pressure sensor, wherein the application, in response to the stylus touching an object displayed by the PDA, opens a menu associated with that object, wherein the menu allows a user to initiate specified object functions and to change specified object properties.

8. The computer program product according to claim 7, further comprising:

instructions for opening a menu of object functions and object properties associated with a plurality of objects displayed by the PDA, in response to the stylus drawing a perimeter around said plurality of objects.

9. The computer program product according to claim 7, wherein the instructions for invoking the application on the PDA are executed in BlueTooth™

.

10. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for use in a data processing system, for enabling input commands by means of a stylus associated with a personal digital assistant (PDA), the computer program product comprising:

instructions for detecting activation of a pressure sensor on the stylus; and

instructions for invoking an application on the PDA in response to the activation of the second pressure sensor, wherein the application opens at least one of the following function on the PDA;

e-mail, wherein e-mail messages can be hand written by means of the stylus; and

calendar, wherein annotations to the calendar may be hand written by means the stylus.

11. The computer program product according to claim 10, wherein the instructions for invoking the application on the PDA are executed in BlueTooth™

.

12. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for use in a data processing system, for enabling input commands by means of a stylus associated with a personal digital assistant (PDA), the computer program product comprising:

instructions for detecting activation of a pressure sensor on a Bluetooth™

-enabled stylus; and

instructions for invoking an application on the PDA via Bluetooth™

in response to the activation of the pressure sensor.

13. A system for enabling alternate input commands by means of a stylus associated with a personal digital assistant (PDA), the system comprising:

a pressure sensor on the stylus;

a module on the stylus which invokes an application on the PDA in response to activation of the pressure sensor, wherein the application, in response to the stylus touching an object displayed by the PDA, opens a menu associated with that object, wherein the menu allows a user to initiate specified object functions and to change specified object properties.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the module that invokes the application on the PDA is a BlueTooth™

module.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein the module that invokes the application on the PDA is a BlueTooth™

module.

15. A system for enabling input commands by means of a stylus associated with a personal digital assistant (PDA), the system comprising:

a pressure sensor on the stylus; and

a module on the stylus which invokes an application on the PDA in response to activation of the pressure sensor, wherein the application opens at least one of the following function on the PDA;

e-mail, wherein e-mail messages can be hand written by means of the stylus; and

calendar, wherein annotations to the calendar may be hand written by means the stylus.

17. A system for enabling input commands by means of a stylus associated with a personal digital assistant (PDA), the system comprising:

a pressure sensor on a BlueTooth™

-enabled stylus; and

a BlueTooth™

module on the stylus which invokes an application on the PDA in response to activation of the pressure sensor.