VIRTUAL INPUT DEVICE PLACEMENT ON A TOUCH SCREEN USER INTERFACE

• US 20070171210A1
• Filed: 04/04/2007
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chaudhri, Imran, Christie, Greg, Ording, Bas
• Application Number:
  US11/696,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20070171210A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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 display is generated on a touch screen of a computer. The display includes an application display, associated with an application executing on the computer, and a virtual input device display for a user to provide input to the application executing on the computer via the touch screen. In response to a virtual input device initiation event, initial characteristics of the virtual input device display are determined. Based on characteristics of the application display and the characteristics of the virtual input device display, initial characteristics of a composite display image are determined including the application display and the virtual input device display. The composite image is caused to be displayed on the touch screen.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a processor configured to execute instructions retrieved from a memory to control reception and manipulation of input and output data between components of the computing system.

a touch screen operable as a display device to display a graphical user interface and operable as an input device to allow manipulation of the graphical user interface using one or more virtual input devices;

wherein the processor'"'"'s control of the reception and manipulation of input and output data comprises;

providing a composite display on the display device that has characteristics intelligently selected based on an application display and based on a virtual input device.