Intelligent touch display

• US 6,310,610 B1
• Filed: 12/04/1997
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Beaton, Brian Finlay, Smith, Colin Donald, Blouin, Francois, Comeau, Guillaume, Craddock, Arthur Julian Patterson
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, FRANCIS N
• Application Number:
  US08/985,264
• Time in Patent Office: 1,426 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 345/358-359, 345/326, 345/179, 345/180, 345/433, 345/352-353, 345/356, 345/354, 345/357, 345/355, 345/975, 345/348, 345/146, 345/339, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178/18.04
• 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

The system and method consistent with the present invention provides a touch-responsive graphical user interface for electronic devices. The graphical user interface determines a pointer size of the object making contact with a display and activates a function corresponding to the pointer size. The graphical user interface may invoke a wide array of functions such as a navigation tool, draw function, an erase function, or a drag function. The graphical user interface of the present invention may be especially useful in portable electronic devices with small displays.

Claims

1. A method of providing a touch-responsive user interface comprising the steps of:

detecting an object making contact with a physical viewing area;

determining a pointer size of the object, based on a rate of change in the amount of pressure imposed by the object on the physical viewing area; and

activating a function corresponding to the pointer size,

wherein the determining step includes the substep of;

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determining the pointer size corresponding to a finger; and

wherein the activating step includes the substep of;

activating a navigation tool in response to the determined pointer size.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step further includes the substep of:

determining the pointer size corresponding to a pen, and

wherein the activating step further includes the substep of;

activating a draw function in response to the determined pointer size corresponding to a pen.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step further includes the substep of:

determining the pointer size corresponding to several fingers, and

wherein the activating step further includes the substep of;

activating a drag function in response to the determined pointer size corresponding to several fingers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the rate of change in the amount of pressure imposed by the object on the physical viewing area indicates that the amount of pressure changed gradually over a predetermined range of time.

5. A method of providing a touch-responsive user interface comprising the steps of:

detecting an object making contact with a physical viewing area;

determining a pointer size of the object, based on a rate of change in the amount of pressure imposed by the object on the physical viewing area; and

activating a function corresponding to the pointer size,

wherein the determining step includes the substep of;

determining the pointer size corresponding to a pencil eraser; and

wherein the activating step includes the substep of;

activating an erase function in response to the determined pointer size.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the rate of change in the amount of pressure imposed by the object on the physical viewing area indicates that the amount of pressure changed sharply over a predetermined range of time.

7. An apparatus for providing a touch-responsive user interface comprising:

means for detecting an object making contact with a physical viewing area;

means for determining a pointer size of the object, based on a rate of change in the amount of pressure imposed by the object on the physical viewing area; and

means for activating a function corresponding to the pointer size,

wherein the means for determining includes;

means for determining the pointer size corresponding to a finger; and

wherein the means for activating includes;

means for activating a navigation tool in response to the determined pointer size.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the determining means further includes:

means for determining the pointer size corresponding to a pen, and

wherein the activating means further includes

means for activating a draw function in response to the determined pointer size corresponding to a pen.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the determining means further includes:

means for determining the pointer size corresponding to several fingers, and

wherein the activating means further includes;

means for activating a drag function in response to the determined pointer size corresponding to several fingers.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the rate of change in the amount of pressure imposed by the object on the physical viewing area indicates that the amount of pressure changed gradually over a predetermined range of time.

11. An apparatus for providing a touch-responsive user interface comprising:

means for detecting an object making contact with a physical viewing area;

means for determining a pointer size of the object, based on a rate of change in the amount of pressure imposed by the object on the physical viewing area; and

means for activating a function corresponding to the pointer size,

wherein the means for determining includes;

means for determining the pointer size corresponding to a pencil eraser; and

wherein the means for activating includes;

means for activating an erase function in response to the determined pointer size.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the rate of change in the amount of pressure imposed by the object on the physical viewing area indicates that the amount of pressure changed sharply over a predetermined range of time.

13. A method of providing a touch-responsive user interface comprising the steps of:

detecting an object making contact with a physical viewing area;

determining a pointer size of the object; and

activating a function corresponding to the pointer size,

wherein the determining step includes the substeps of;

determining points of contact of the object, by using points of contact data, wherein the points of contact data is generated by an analog controller that generates at least 150 points of contact per second based on the contact made by the object on the physical viewing area,

computing a centroid of the points of contact,

computing a standard deviation of the centroid, and

computing the pointer size based on the centroid and the standard deviation.

14. An apparatus for providing a touch-responsive user interface comprising:

means for detecting an object making contact with a physical viewing area;

means for determining a pointer size of the object; and

means for activating a function corresponding to the pointer size,

wherein the determining means includes;

means for determining points of contact of the object, by using points of contact data, wherein the points of contact data is generated by an analog controller that generates at least 150 points of contact per second based on the contact made by the object on the physical viewing area,

means for computing a centroid of the points of contact,

means for computing a standard deviation of the centroid, and

means for computing the pointer size based on the centroid and the standard deviation.

15. A method of providing a touch-responsive user interface comprising the steps of:

detecting an object making contact with a physical viewing area;

determining a pointer size of the object, based on the amount of change in the pressure imposed by the object on the physical viewing area as a function of time; and

activating a function corresponding to the pointer size,

wherein the determining step includes the substeps of;

determining points of contact of the object, by using points of contact data, wherein the points of contact data is generated by an analog controller that generates at least 150 points of contact per second based on the contact made by the object on the physical viewing area.

16. An apparatus for providing a touch-responsive user interface comprising:

means for detecting an object making contact with a physical viewing area;

means for determining a pointer size of the object, based on the amount of change in the pressure imposed by the object on the physical viewing area as a function of time; and

means for activating a function corresponding to the pointer size,

wherein the means for determining includes;

means for determining points of contact of the object, by using points of contact data, wherein the points of contact data is generated by an analog controller that generates at least 150 points of contact per second based on the contact made by the object on the physical viewing area.

17. A system for providing a touch-responsive user interface comprising:

a touch screen device having a viewable area for receiving an object that makes contact with the viewable area;

a controller device connected to the touch screen device for detecting contact by the object on the viewable area and for generating at least 150 points of contact per second based on the detected contact;

a computer-readable medium storing a touch screen program; and

a processor connected to the controller device and computer-readable medium, for executing the touch screen program, wherein the touch screen program is configured, when executed by the processor, to perform the steps of;

determining points of contact of the object, using the points of contact generated by the controller device;

determining a rate of change in the amount of pressure imposed by the object on the physical viewing area;

computing a pointer size based on the rate of change in the amount of pressure.

18. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for providing a touch-responsive user interface, the instructions when executed by a processor, perform a method comprising the steps:

detecting an object making contact with a physical viewing area;

determining points of contact of the object, by using points of contact data, wherein the points of contact data are generated by an analog controller that generates at least 150 points of contact per second based on the contact made by the object on the physical viewing area;

determining a rate of change in the amount of pressure imposed by the object on the physical viewing area;

computing a pointer size based on the rate of change in the amount of pressure; and

activating a specific function corresponding to the pointer size.

19. A method for providing a touch-responsive user interface comprising:

scanning a physical viewing area for contact by an object;

detecting an object making contact with a physical viewing area;

generating contact points associated with the contact made by the object on the physical viewing area at a rate of 150 points per second;

determining points of contact of the object, using the generated contact points;

determining the amount of pressure imposed by the object on the viewable area;

determining the amount of time the object makes contact with the viewable area; and

determining a pointer size based on the determined amount of pressure as a function of the determined time.

20. A method for providing a touch-responsive user interface including a touch screen device comprising a physical viewing area, the method comprising the steps of:

presenting a first application tool on the physical viewing area;

presenting a second application tool on the physical viewing area, wherein the second application tool is superimposed on top of the first application tool;

detecting an object making contact on the physical viewing area, wherein the contact is located on the second application tool superimposed on top of the first application tool;

determining the pointer size of the object making contact on the physical viewing area;

activating either the first application tool or the second application tool, based on the determined pointer size of the object.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the first application tool is a drawing tool, the method further comprising the steps of:

determining that the pointer size correlates to a stylus pointer; and

activating the first application tool based on the determination that the pointer correlates to a stylus pointer.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the second application is a navigation tool, the method further comprising the steps of:

determining that the pointer size correlates to a finger; and

activating the second application tool based on the determination that the pointer correlates to a finger.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of determining the pointer size of the object further includes the steps of:

determining the amount of pressure imposed by the object on the physical viewing area;

determining the amount of time the object makes contact with the physical viewing area; and

determining the pointer size of the object based on the amount of change in the pressure imposed by the object as a function of a range of time the object makes contact with the physical viewing area.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of determining the pointer size of the object further includes the steps of:

determining points of contact of the object, by detecting at least 150 points of contact per second by the object on the viewing area,

computing a centroid of the points of contact,

computing a standard deviation of the centroid, and

computing the pointer size based on the centroid and the standard deviation.

25. A method for providing a touch-responsive user interface including a touch screen device comprising a physical viewing area, the method comprising the steps of:

presenting a first application tool on the physical viewing area;

presenting a second application tool on the physical viewing area, wherein the second application tool is superimposed on top of the first application tool;

detecting an object making contact on the physical viewing area, wherein the contact is located on the second application tool superimposed on top of the first application tool;

determining points of contact of the object, by using points of contact data, wherein the points of contact data is generated by an analog controller that generates at least 150 points of contact per second based on the contact made by the object on the physical viewing area;

determining the amount of pressure imposed by the object on the physical viewable area;

determining the amount of time the object makes contact with the physical viewable area;

determining a pointer size of the object based on the determined amount of pressure as a function of the determined time; and

activating either the first application tool or the second application tool, based on the determined pointer size of the object.

26. A method of providing a touch-responsive user interface comprising the steps of:

detecting an object making contact with a physical viewing area;

determining a pointer size of the object; and

activating an application tool corresponding to the pointer size,

wherein the determining step includes the substeps of;

determining a rate of change in the amount of pressure imposed by the object on the physical viewing area;

computing a pointer size based on the rate of change in the amount of pressure.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of determining a rate of change in the amount of pressure includes:

determining whether the pressure imposed by the object on the physical viewing area changes gradually or sharply over a predetermined range of time.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the computing step includes:

associating the pointer size with a stylus pointer when the pressure imposed by the object changes sharply; and

associating the pointer size with a finger when the pressure imposed by the object changes gradually.

29. An apparatus for providing a touch-responsive user interface comprising:

means for detecting an object making contact with a physical viewing area;

means for determining a pointer size of the object; and

means for activating an application tool corresponding to the pointer size,

wherein the means for determining includes;

means for determining a rate of change in the amount of pressure imposed by the object on the physical viewing area;

means for computing a pointer size based on the rate of change in the amount of pressure.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the means for determining a rate of change in the amount of pressure includes:

means for determining whether the pressure imposed by the object on the physical viewing area changes gradually or sharply over a predetermined range of time.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, Wherein the means for computing includes:

means for associating the pointer size with a stylus pointer when the pressure imposed by the object changes sharply; and

means for associating the pointer size with a finger when the pressure imposed by the object changes gradually.