Apparatus and method for touch screen user interface for handheld electric devices Part II

• US 20100253620A1
• Filed: 06/10/2009
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tara Chand Singhal
• Original Assignee: Tara Chand Singhal
• Inventors: Singhal, Tara Chand
• Granted Patent: US 9,213,477 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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

A system of touch screen user interface in a touch screen equipped handheld electronic device has a bounded control area on a touch screen that is used for touch control in lieu of the entire touch screen surface. The control area is able to provide touch control user interface functions of scroll, zoom, action item selection, and other control functions. The control area may be minimized enabling the entire touch screen to resume its touch screen control function in lieu of the control area control and maximized enabling only the bounded control area to be used for touch screen control depending upon a user'"'"'s preference. The bounded control area for selection control functions may be used in conjunction with unique type of hop-cursors, for different types of displays that change automatically when the display content changes.

Claims

1. A system of touch screen user interface in a handheld device comprising:

a. a function that displays a bounded control area on a touch screen display equipped handheld device, where the bounded control area is used for touch control in lieu of the entire touch screen surface of the device;

b. the function enables the bounded control area to provide touch control user interface functions, thereby enabling the device to be touch controlled from the bounded control area alone.

2. The system of touch screen user interface in a handheld device as in claim 1, comprising:

a. a size of the bounded control area is substantially 7.5% to 15% space from the entire touch screen surface;

b. the bounded control area, operated by a thumb tip touch actions of slide and touch, provides touch control user interface functions of scroll, zoom and action item selection.

3. The system of touch screen user interface in a handheld device as in claim 1, comprising:

a. the function minimizes the bounded control area enabling the entire touch screen to resume a touch screen control in lieu of the bounded control area control;

b. the function maximizes the bounded control area enabling only the bounded control area to be used a touch screen control, thereby enabling switching between these modes of touch control.

4. The system of touch screen user interface in a handheld device as in claim 1, comprising:

the bounded control area is positioned on the touch screen display based on user preference, and is operable from either the left hand or right hand thumb while the handheld device is held in either hand.

5. The system of touch screen user interface in a handheld device as in claim 1, comprising:

the bounded control area is transparent that enable the display screen content to be visible under the bounded control area.

6. The system of touch screen user interface in a handheld device as in claim 1, comprising:

a. a hop-cursor function displays a cursor from a group of, an icon highlight cursor, a list item highlight cursor, a map area highlight cursor, a webpage link highlight cursor, and a blank-space highlight cursor;

b. the hop-cursor function changes the cursor automatically from the group of this cursors to match the display contents from a group of, icons, list items, a map, a webpage with links and a document with blank-spaces.

7. The system as in claim 6, further comprising:

a. the hop-cursor function hops the cursor to rest on a icon, a list item, a map area, a webpage link and a document blank-space, when the cursor is scrolled

b. the hop-cursor function adjusts the size of the cursor to match the scaling of the display contents.

8. The system as in claim 6, further comprising:

a. a webpage cursor function that detects a webpage display, for a link cursor hops from link to link and rests only on a link and highlights the link location by size on a web page when the cursor keys are scrolled, enabling a link to be quickly selected;

b. the function that hops a space cursor from embedded space to space and rests only on a blank space and highlights the space location on a web page when the cursor keys are scrolled, enabling location on a webpage to be selected for enabling a scaling operation.

c. the function switching back and forth from the display of the link cursor to display of the blank space cursor on a user action.

9. A system of touch screen user interface in a handheld device that has a display screen overlaid with a touch screen, comprising:

a. a touch screen logic partitions the touch screen into a bounded control area set aside for touch screen control, the bounded control area provides for multiple touch control commands;

b. the touch screen logic enables touch commands on the bounded control area to provide touch control types to include slide and touch, thereby enabling only the bounded control area of the touch screen to provide user interface functions of the handheld device.

10. The system as in claim 9, further comprising:

the logic positions the bounded control area on any part of the display screen, to include, a top, a bottom, a left and a right of the display screen based on a user preference.

11. The system as in claim 9, further comprising:

the logic minimizes display of the bounded control area and maximizes the bounded control area when the display screen contents requires user interface functions using the bounded control area.

12. The system as in claim 11, further comprising:

the logic activates the entire touch screen control when the bounded control area is minimized enabling switching between the control area control and entire touch screen control.

13. The system as in claim 9, further comprising:

the logic segregates the bounded control area into multiple touch control areas that may be used for functions of scroll, action, zoom, mode control, and home.

20. The method as in claim 11, further comprising:

a. positioning the bounded control area on any part of the display screen based on a user preference.

b. segregating the control area is into multiple touch control areas that may be used for functions of scroll, action, zoom, mode control, and home.

14. A method of cursor display and control on a display screen of a handheld device, comprising the steps of:

a. displaying a cursor from a group of, an icon highlight cursor, a list item highlight cursor, a map area highlight cursor, and a webpage highlight cursor;

b. changing automatically the cursor from this group of cursors to match the display contents from a group of, display of icons, list of items, a map, and a webpage.

15. The method as in claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

adjusting the size of the cursor to match the scaling of the display contents.

16. The method as in claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

hop-positioning the cursor to one of the selectable, icons, list items, map areas, webpage for the embedded links and blank spaces on the display by scroll function keys.

17. A method of touch screen user interface navigation in a handheld device that has a display screen overlaid with a touch screen for touch screen control, comprising the steps of:

a. partitioning the touch screen on a handheld touch screen equipped handheld device into a bounded control area set aside for touch screen control on the display screen and using the bounded control area for touch control commands;

b. positioning a window-cursor on the display screen that is overlaid on the display content as a transparent window, and varying the shape and size of the window to the format of the display content;

c. using scroll navigation functions on the bounded control area to scroll the display screen contents, until the desired display choice is inside the window cursor and activating the item in the window cursor by touching the control area, whereby enabling only the bounded control area for user interface functions of the handheld device.

18. The method of user interface as in claim 17, further comprising:

a. making the window-cursor shape, a square for icons, a rectangle for a list of items, a circle for graphical displays that are displayed on the display screen, and a highlight for webpage links and spaces;

b. changing the shape and size of the window based on the display contents.

19. The method as in claim 17, further comprising:

a. minimizing, by the user, the display of bounded control area when the display screen has display of information only and maximizing by the user when the display screen contents requires user interface functions.

b. switching between using the bounded control area for user interface functions and the entire touch screen, based on user preference.