PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE HAVING TOUCH-SENSITIVE DISPLAY WITH VARIABLE REPEAT RATE

• US 20110258542A1
• Filed: 02/15/2011
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: KENNEY, Jeffrey Brent, JAIN, Deepankar Banshilal
• Granted Patent: US 9,285,988 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• 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 method of controlling the repeat rate of a button displayed on a touch-sensitive display of a portable electronic device is described. In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a method of controlling touch input on a touch-sensitive display of a portable electronic device, the method comprising: displaying a user interface screen having at least one button on the touch-sensitive display; activating a variable repeat control mode in response to activation input; and repeating an action associated with the button at a rate in dependence on predetermined control input.

Claims

1. A method of controlling touch input on a touch-sensitive display of a portable electronic device, the method comprising:

displaying a user interface screen having at least one button on the touch-sensitive display;

activating a variable repeat control mode in response to activation input; and

repeating an action associated with the button at a rate dependent on predetermined control input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the rate is proportional to the predetermined control input.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined control input is a touch gesture detected by the touch-sensitive display, and the rate is dependent on a speed of the detected touch gesture or a travel distance of the detected touch gesture.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the rate is dependent on a travel distance of the detected touch gesture, wherein the action is repeated each time a centroid of the touch gesture moves a threshold distance.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the threshold distance is 10 linear pixels, wherein the action is repeated each time the centroid of the touch gesture moves 10 linear pixels from a previous location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the activation input is a touch input coincident with the button for a duration which is greater than or equal to a threshold duration.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the activation input is multiple touch inputs coincident with the button which are received within a threshold duration of each other.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the activation input is a touch input coincident with the button for a duration which exceeds a threshold duration and the predetermined control input is a touch gesture detected by the touch-sensitive display, wherein the rate is proportional to a distance of a centroid of the touch gesture from a location of the button.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the location of button is an edge of the button.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the location is a centroid of the touch input activating the button.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the rate is increased in response to movement of the centroid in a first direction and decreased in response to movement of the centroid in a second direction generally opposite to the first direction.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

repeating the action at a default interval in the absence of the predetermined control input.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the action is not repeated in the absence of the predetermined control input.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the button in a first visual state when the variable repeat control mode of button is not activated;

displaying the button in a second visual state different from the first visual state when the variable repeat control mode of the button is activated.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein a visual indication of the predetermined control input for varying the rate of repeating the action is displayed on the touch-sensitive display when the variable repeat control mode is activated.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein a variable repeat control mode area is defined for receiving the predetermined control input.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a visual indication of the variable repeat control mode area is displayed on the user interface screen when in the variable repeat control mode.

18. A method of controlling touch input on a touch-sensitive display of a portable electronic device, the method comprising:

displaying a user interface screen having at least one button on the touch-sensitive display;

varying a repeat rate of an action associated with the button in response to received input; and

repeating the action associated with the button at the repeat rate.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the repeat rate is varied by an amount proportional to the received input.

20. An electronic device, comprising:

a processor;

a touch-sensitive display having a touch-sensitive overlay coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor is configured for;

causing displaying of a user interface screen having at least one button on the touch-sensitive display;

activating a variable repeat control mode in response to activation input; and

repeating an action associated with the button at a rate dependent on predetermined control input.