Method for distribution wear for a touch entry display

• US 20040222973A1
• Filed: 05/06/2003
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Singer-Harter, Debra L., Stanhope, David W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,116,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 method for distribution of wear for a touch display, includes: providing at least one graphic at a first location on a touch display, where the display includes at least one target area corresponding to the graphic; registering a first touch within the target area; and moving the graphic to a second location on the touch display, where the target area moves in accordance with its corresponding graphic. By moving the target area in this manner, the wear of the touch display is distributed to avoid accelerated wear of particular target areas due to repeated use.

Claims

1. A method for distribution of wear for a touch display, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing at least one graphic at a first location on a touch display, wherein the display comprises at least one target area corresponding to the graphic;

(b) registering a first touch within the target area; and

(c) moving the graphic to a second location on the touch display, wherein the target area moves in accordance with its corresponding graphic.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(d) registering a second touch within the moved target area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing step (a) comprises:

(a1) providing the graphic at the first location on the touch display, wherein the first location is offset by a first predetermined distance from a first edge of the touch display, wherein the touch display comprises the target area corresponding to the graphic.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the moving step (c) comprises:

(c1) moving the graphic to the second location on the touch display, wherein the second location is offset by a second predetermined distance from a second edge of the touch display, wherein the target area moves in accordance with its corresponding graphic.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing step (a) comprises:

(a1) providing the graphic at the first location on the touch display, wherein location offsets of graphics proximate to the graphic at the first location are stretched, wherein the touch display comprises the target area corresponding to the graphic.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the moving step (c) comprises:

(c1) moving the graphic to the second location on the touch display, wherein the location offsets of the graphics proximate to the graphic at the second location are stretched, wherein the target area is moved in accordance with the graphic at the second location.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the location offsets of the graphics proximate to the graphic at the first or second locations vary linearly such that any graphic nearest an edge of the display is offset a least amount.

8. A method for distribution of wear for a touch display, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a graphic at a first location on the touch display, wherein the first location is offset by a first predetermined distance from a first edge of the touch display, wherein the touch display comprises a target area corresponding to the graphic;

(b) registering a first touch within the target area; and

(c) moving the graphic to a second location on the touch display, wherein the second location is offset by a second predetermined distance from a second edge of the touch display, wherein the target area moves in accordance with its corresponding graphic.

9. A method for distribution of wear for a touch display, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a graphic at a first location on the touch display, wherein location offsets of graphics proximate to the graphic at the first location are stretched, wherein the touch display comprises a target area corresponding to the graphic;

(b) registering a first touch within the target area; and

(c) moving the graphic to a second location on the touch display, wherein the location offsets of the graphics proximate to the graphic at the second location are stretched, wherein the target area is moved in accordance with the graphic at the second location.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the location offsets of the graphics proximate to the graphic at the first or second locations vary linearly such that any graphic nearest an edge of the display is offset a least amount.

11. A computer readable medium with program instructions for distribution of wear for a touch display, comprising the instructions for:

(a) providing at least one graphic at a first location on a touch display, wherein the display comprises at least one target area corresponding to the graphic;

(b) registering a first touch within the target area; and

(c) moving the graphic to a second location on the touch display, wherein the target area moves in accordance with its corresponding graphic.

12. The medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions for:

(d) registering a second touch within the moved target area.

13. The medium of claim 11, wherein the providing instruction (a) comprises instructions for:

(a1) providing the graphic at the first location on the touch display, wherein the first location is offset by a first predetermined distance from a first edge of the touch display, wherein the touch display comprises the target area corresponding to the graphic.

14. The medium of claim 13, wherein the moving instruction (c) comprises instructions for:

(c1) moving the graphic to the second location on the touch display, wherein the second location is offset by a second predetermined distance from a second edge of the touch display, wherein the target area moves in accordance with its corresponding graphic.

15. The medium of claim 11, wherein the providing instruction (a) comprises instructions for:

(a1) providing the graphic at the first location on the touch display, wherein location offsets of graphics proximate to the graphic at the first location are stretched, wherein the touch display comprises the target area corresponding to the graphic.

16. The medium of claim 15, wherein the moving instruction (c) comprises instructions for:

(c1) moving the graphic to the second location on the touch display, wherein the location offsets of the graphics proximate to the graphic at the second location are stretched, wherein a size of the target area is changed in accordance with the graphic at the second location.

17. The medium of claim 16, wherein the location offsets of the graphics proximate to the graphic at the first or second locations vary linearly such that any graphic nearest an edge of the display is offset a least amount.

18. A computer readable medium with program instructions for distribution of wear for a touch display, comprising the instruction for:

(a) providing a graphic at a first location on the touch display, wherein the first location is offset by a first predetermined distance from a first edge of the touch display, wherein the touch display comprises a target area corresponding to the graphic;

(b) registering a first touch within the target area; and

(c) moving the graphic to a second location on the touch display, wherein the second location is offset by a second predetermined distance from a second edge of the touch display, wherein the target area moves in accordance with its corresponding graphic.

19. A computer readable medium with program instructions for distribution of wear for a touch display, comprising the instructions for:

(a) providing a graphic at a first location on the touch display, wherein location offsets of graphics proximate to the graphic at the first location are stretched, wherein the touch display comprises a target area corresponding to the graphic;

(b) registering a first touch within the target area; and

(c) moving the graphic to a second location on the touch display, wherein the location offsets of the graphics proximate to the graphic at the second location are stretched, wherein a size of the target area is changed in accordance with the graphic at the second location.

20. The medium of claim 19, wherein the location offsets of the graphics proximate to the graphic at the first or second locations vary linearly such that any graphic nearest an edge of the display is offset a least amount.