Touch-sensitive user interface

• US 20040204129A1
• Filed: 08/14/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Payne, Richard Lee, Payne, David M.
• Application Number:
  US10/218,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20040204129A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for facilitating interface of a user with an electrical device. In one arrangement, a system and method include providing a touch-sensitive screen to the user and presenting at least one selectable feature to the user with the touch-sensitive screen, the selectable feature having associated therewith multiple functions, wherein a first function is performed when the feature is selected using a detected relatively light touch and wherein a second function is performed when the feature is selected using a detected relatively firm touch.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating interface of a user with an electrical device, comprising:

providing a touch-sensitive screen to the user; and

presenting at least one selectable feature to the user with the touch-sensitive screen, the selectable feature having associated therewith multiple functions, wherein a first function is performed when the feature is selected using a detected relatively light touch and wherein a second function is performed when the feature is selected using a detected relatively firm touch.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first function pertains to non-visually identifying a device operation associated the selected feature to the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of non-visually identifying a device operation comprises audibly identifying the operation to the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of audibly identifying the device operation to comprises describing the feature to the user in words.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of non-visually identifying a device operation comprises identifying the operation to the user using one or more vibrations that the user can sense.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first function comprises performing a first basic device operation and the second function comprises performing a second basic device operation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second function comprises performing a basic device operation.

8. A method for facilitating interface of a user with an electrical device, comprising:

providing a touch-sensitive screen to the user;

presenting selectable features to the user with the touch-sensitive screen;

detecting whether a feature has been selected using a relatively light touch or a relatively firm touch;

non-visually identifying the feature if it was selected using a relatively light touch; and

initiating performance of a basic operation associated with the feature if it was selected using a relatively firm touch.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of presenting selectable features comprises presenting one or more graphical buttons to the user.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of detecting comprises determining whether a relatively large number or a relatively small number of touch-sensitive screen sensors have been activated.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of detecting comprises determining whether sensors from at least two arrays of sensors have been activated.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of non-visually identifying the feature comprises audibly identifying the feature to the user in words.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of non-visually identifying the feature comprises identifying the feature to the user using one or more vibrations that the user can sense.

14. A user interface incorporated in an electrical device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive screen;

means for generating selectable features for presentation in the touch-sensitive screen;

means for detecting whether a feature has been selected using a relatively light touch or a relatively firm touch; and

means for non-visually identifying the feature to the user if it was selected using a relatively light touch and for initiating a basic device operation associated with the feature if it was selected using a relatively firm touch.

15. The user interface of claim 14, wherein the means for detecting comprise means for determining whether a relatively large number or a relatively small number of touch-sensitive screen sensors have been activated by the user.

16. The user interface of claim 14, wherein the means for detecting comprise means for determining whether sensors from at least two arrays of sensors have been activated.

17. The user interface of claim 14, wherein the means for non-visually describing the feature comprise a speaker.

18. The user interface of claim 14, wherein the means for non-visually describing the feature comprise a vibration generation device.

19. A user interface for an electrical device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive screen; and

a user interface control system stored on a computer-readable medium, the system including logic configured to detect whether a feature presented in the touch-sensitive screen has been selected using a relatively light touch or a relatively firm touch and logic configured to control the electrical device in a first or a second manner depending upon whether a relative light touch or a relatively firm touch was detected.

20. The user interface of claim 19, wherein the logic configured to detect comprises logic configured to determine whether a relatively large number or a relatively small number of touch-sensitive screen sensors have been activated by the user.

21. The user interface of claim 19, wherein the logic configured to detect comprises logic configured to determine whether sensors from at least two arrays of sensors have been activated.

22. The user interface of claim 19, wherein the logic configured to control the electrical device in a first manner comprises logic configured to provide a verbal identification of the selected feature to the user.

23. The user interface of claim 19, wherein the logic configured to control the electrical device in a first manner comprises logic configured to generate a vibration that can be sensed by the user and which identifies the selected feature.

24. An electrical device, comprising:

a processing device;

device operation hardware;

a user interface incorporating a touch-sensitive screen; and

memory including a user interface control system, the system including logic configured to detect whether a feature presented in the touch-sensitive screen has been selected using a relatively light touch or a relatively firm touch and logic configured to control the electrical device in a first or a second manner depending upon whether a relatively light touch or a relatively firm touch was detected.

25. The electrical device of claim 24, wherein the logic configured to detect comprises logic configured to determine whether a relatively large number or a relatively small number of touch-sensitive screen sensors have been activated by the user.

26. The electrical device of claim 24, wherein the logic configured to detect comprises logic configured to determine whether sensors from at least two arrays of sensors have been activated.

27. The electrical device of claim 24, wherein the logic configured to control the electrical device in a first manner comprises logic configured to provide a verbal identification to the user.

28. The electrical device of claim 24, wherein the logic configured to control the electrical device in a first manner comprises logic configured to generate a vibration that can be sensed by the user.