METHOD, APPARATUS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR FACILITATING DATA ENTRY VIA A TOUCHSCREEN

• US 20090002326A1
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Pihlaja, Pekka
• Granted Patent: US 8,009,146 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for facilitating data entry into an electronic device via a touchscreen. As a user places his or her finger on the touchscreen, a cursor may be displayed at a location relative to other items displayed on the touchscreen that is proximate the physical location where the user touched the touchscreen. Because the cursor is likely now obscured by the user'"'"'s finger, the items displayed on the touchscreen, including the cursor, may then be shifted or scrolled so that the cursor is offset from the physical location where the user touched the touchscreen. At the same time, the items displayed on the touchscreen may be magnified in order to further facilitate data entry. At this point, the user may shift or tilt his or her finger in order to achieve the desired cursor placement.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a tactile input from a user at a physical location on a touch sensitive input device;

displaying a cursor at a relative location on the touch sensitive input device proximate the physical location; and

translating, without further user interaction, one or more items displayed on the touch sensitive input device such that the relative location of the cursor is offset from the physical location of the detected tactile input.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a distance between the one or more items displayed on the touch sensitive input device, wherein the items are only translated if at least one distance is less than a predetermined threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined threshold comprises a predefined portion of the width of an average fingertip.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining in which vertical half of the touch sensitive input device the physical location falls, wherein translating the one or more items displayed comprises shifting the one or more items upward or downward depending upon the determined vertical half.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining in which horizontal half of the touch sensitive input device the physical location falls, wherein translating the one or more items displayed comprises shifting the one or more items left or right depending upon the determined horizontal half.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining in which quadrant of the touch sensitive input device the physical location falls, wherein translating the one or more items displayed comprises shifting the one or more items upward or downward and left or right depending upon the determined quadrant.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

magnifying the one or more items displayed on the touch sensitive input device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein translating the one or more items displayed comprises shifting the one or more items at least one of downward or to one side, if the physical location of the tactile input is proximate a top edge of the touch sensitive input device, otherwise translating the one or more items displayed comprises shifting the one or more items upward.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of items are displayed on the touch sensitive input device, and wherein translating one or more items displayed comprises shifting all of the plurality of items at least one of upward, downward, left or right.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to;

detect a tactile input from a user at a physical location on a touch sensitive input device;

display a cursor at a relative location on the touch sensitive input device proximate the physical location; and

translate, without further user interaction, one or more items displayed on the touch sensitive input device such that the relative location of the cursor is offset from the physical location of the detected tactile input.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a distance between the one or more items displayed on the touch sensitive input device, wherein the one or more items are only translated if at least one distance is less than a predetermined threshold.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the predetermined threshold comprises a predefined portion of the width of an average fingertip.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine in which vertical half of the touch sensitive input device the physical location falls, wherein translating the one or more items displayed comprises shifting the one or more items upward or downward depending upon the determined vertical half.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine in which horizontal half of the touch sensitive input device the physical location falls, wherein translating the one or more items displayed comprises shifting the one or more items left or right depending upon the determined horizontal half.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine in which quadrant of the touch sensitive input device the physical location falls, wherein translating the one or more items displayed comprises shifting the one or more items upward or downward and left or right depending upon the determined quadrant.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

magnify the one or more items displayed on the touch sensitive input device.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein in order to translate the one or more items displayed, the processor is further configured to shift the one or more items at least one of downward or to one side, if the physical location of the tactile input is proximate a top edge of the touch sensitive input device, otherwise in order to translate the one or more items displayed, the processor is further configured to shift the one or more items upward.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein a plurality of items are displayed on the touch sensitive input device, and wherein in order to translate one or more items displayed, the processor is further configured to shift all of the plurality of items at least one of upward, downward, left or right.

19. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion for detecting a tactile input from a user at a physical location on a touch sensitive input device;

a second executable portion for displaying a cursor at a relative location on the touch sensitive input device proximate the physical location; and

a third executable portion for translating, without further user interaction, one or more items displayed on the touch sensitive input device such that the relative location of the cursor is offset from the physical location of the detected tactile input.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the computer-readable program code portions further comprise:

a fourth executable portion for determining a distance between the one or more items displayed on the touch sensitive input device, wherein the one or more items are only translated if at least one distance is less than a predetermined threshold.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the predetermined threshold comprises a predefined portion of the width of an average fingertip.

22. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the computer-readable program portions further comprise:

a fourth executable portion for determining in which vertical half of the touch sensitive input device the physical location falls, wherein translating the one or more items displayed comprises shifting the one or more items upward or downward depending upon the determined vertical half.

23. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the computer-readable program portions further comprise:

a fourth executable portion for determining in which horizontal half of the touch sensitive input device the physical location falls, wherein translating the one or more items displayed comprises shifting the one or more items left or right depending upon the determined horizontal half.

24. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the computer-readable program portions further comprise:

a fourth executable portion for determining in which quadrant of the touch sensitive input device the physical location falls, wherein translating the one or more items displayed comprises shifting the one or more items upward or downward and left or right depending upon the determined quadrant.

25. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the computer-readable program code portions further comprise:

a fourth executable portion for magnifying the one or more items displayed on the touch sensitive input device.

26. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the third executable portions is configured to shift the one or more items at least one of downward or to one side, if the physical location of the tactile input is proximate a top edge of the touch sensitive input device, otherwise the third executable portion is configured to shift the one or more items upward.

27. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein a plurality of items are displayed on the touch sensitive input device, and wherein the third executable portions if configured to shift all of the plurality of items at least one of upward, downward, left or right.

28. An apparatus comprising:

means for detecting a tactile input from a user at a physical location on a touch sensitive input device;

means for displaying a cursor at a relative location on the touch sensitive input device proximate the physical location; and

means for translating, without further user interaction, one or more items displayed on the touch sensitive input device such that the relative location of the cursor is offset from the physical location of the detected tactile input.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 further comprising:

means for determining a distance between the one or more items displayed on the touch sensitive input device, wherein the items are only translated if at least one distance is less than a predetermined threshold.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the predetermined threshold comprises a predefined portion of the width of an average fingertip.

31. The apparatus of claim 28 further comprising:

means for determining in which vertical half of the touch sensitive input device the physical location falls, wherein the means for translating the one or more items displayed comprises a means for shifting the one or more items upward or downward depending upon the determined vertical half.

32. The apparatus of claim 28 further comprising:

means for determining in which horizontal half of the touch sensitive input device the physical location falls, wherein the means for translating the one or more items displayed comprises a means for shifting the one or more items left or right depending upon the determined horizontal half.

33. The apparatus of claim 28 further comprising:

means for determining in which quadrant of the touch sensitive input device the physical location falls, wherein the means for translating the one or more items displayed comprises a means for shifting the one or more items upward or downward and left or right depending upon the determined quadrant.

34. The apparatus of claim 28 further comprising:

means for magnifying the one or more items displayed on the touch sensitive input device.