TOUCH-SCREEN DEVICE HAVING SOFT ESCAPE KEY

• US 20100083108A1
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Rider, Douglas Clayton, Yerxa, Barry Fraser, Dolbec, Jean
• Application Number:
  US12/238,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20100083108A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/702
• 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 touch-screen device has a processor operatively coupled to a memory for storing and executing an application, and a touch-sensitive display screen for receiving a touch input for triggering a displaying of an escape key on the display screen. The displaying of the escape key can be triggered by touching the screen for a predetermined period of time, by swiping a stylus over the screen or by any other recognizable gesture. This soft escape key can thus be used to close, or escape from, an application.

Claims

1. A method of closing an open application or window on a touch-screen device, the method comprising steps of:

receiving a touch input on a touch-sensitive display of the touch-screen device; and

in response to the touch input, displaying on the touch-sensitive display an escape icon that can be tapped to cause the device to close the open application executing on the device.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of receiving the touch input comprises touching the touch-sensitive display in a substantially fixed location on the display for a period of time that exceeds a predetermined time threshold as a precondition for triggering the step of displaying the escape icon.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of receiving the touch input on the touch-sensitive display comprises receiving a stylus swipe that traverses a length of the touch-sensitive display exceeding a predetermined length as a precondition for triggering the step of displaying the escape icon.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of receiving the touch input on the touch-sensitive display comprises receiving a user-predefined gesture on the screen as a precondition for triggering the step of displaying the escape icon.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a step of causing the escape key to disappear after a predetermined period of time has elapsed without the escape key being touched.

6. A computer program product comprising code which when loaded into memory and executed on a processor of a handheld electronic device is adapted to perform steps of:

receiving a touch input on a touch-sensitive display of the touch-screen device; and

in response to the touch input, displaying on the touch-sensitive display an escape icon that can be tapped to cause the device to close the open application executing on the device.

7. The computer program product as claimed in claim 6 wherein the code for performing the step of receiving the touch input comprises code for processing data from a step of touching the touch-sensitive display in a substantially fixed location on the display for a period of time that exceeds a predetermined time threshold as a precondition for triggering the step of displaying the escape icon.

8. The computer program product as claimed in claim 6 wherein the code for performing the step of receiving the touch input on the touch-sensitive display comprises code for processing data from a step of receiving a stylus swipe that traverses a length of the touch-sensitive display exceeding a predetermined length as a precondition for triggering the step of displaying the escape icon.

9. The computer program product as claimed in claim 6 wherein the code for performing the step of receiving the touch input on the touch-sensitive display comprises code for processing data from a step of receiving a user-predefined gesture on the screen as a precondition for triggering the step of displaying the escape icon.

10. The computer program product as claimed in claim 6 further comprising code to automatically cause the escape key to disappear if a predetermined period of time has elapsed without the escape key being touched.

11. A touch-screen device comprising:

a processor operatively coupled to a memory for storing and executing an application; and

a touch-sensitive display screen for receiving a touch input for triggering a displaying of an escape key on the display screen.

12. The device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the escape key is displayed only after the touch-sensitive display screen has been touched for a period of time exceeding a predetermined time threshold.

13. The device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the escape key is displayed only after the touch-sensitive display screen has been touched by swiping a stylus across a portion of the screen that exceeds a predetermined threshold.

14. The device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the escape key is displayed only after the touch-sensitive display screen has been touched by applying a predefined customized gesture to the screen.

15. The device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the escape key disappears after a predetermined period of time has elapsed representing a time window for exiting the application.