Touch screen with user interface enhancement

• US 7,730,401 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2002
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Gillespie, David W., Grate, Leslie R., Hsu, Andrew C., Trent, Ray
• Primary Examiner(s): Theriault; Steven B
• Application Number:
  US10/125,066
• Publication Number:
  US 20020191029A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,967 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104.1, 715/702, 715/733, 715/764, 715856-862, 715/767, 250/221, 399/185, 348/14.03, 345/666, 345/156, 345/157, 345173-178
• US Class Current: 715/702
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

The present invention is a graphical user interface in a computing device having a processor running an operating system and a display. The graphical user interface comprises a touch screen and a driver coupling the touch screen to the operating system. The driver can display a plurality of icons on the touch screen, or a plurality of screen images having at least one icon, with each of the icons associated with operations on the display and/or the touch screen. Other embodiments include the touch screen having unactivated and activated states, as well as the presence of an application programming interface that enables an application to display at least one image on the touch screen.

Claims

1. In a computing device having a processor running a program configured to perform a plurality of actions and a first display, said first display displaying an interface to said program, a graphical user interface, comprising:

a touch screen, said touch screen including an object position sensor stacked with a second display, said touch screen configured to display at least one icon on said second display when said at least one icon is activated and when said icon is inactivated; and

a driver coupling said touch screen to said program, said driver capable of activating and inactivating said at least one icon, and wherein said object position sensor will cause one of said plurality of actions on said program corresponding to said at least one icon in response to contact by an object on said at least one icon when said at least one icon is activated, and wherein said object position sensor will provide for cursor positioning of a cursor on the first display instead of said one of said actions in response to contact by said object on said at least one icon when said at least one icon is inactivated.

2. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein said touch screen will cause an action on said first display and not on said second display in response to contact by said object on said icon when said at least one icon is activated.

3. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein said touch screen will cause an action on said first display and not on said second display in response to contact by said object on a first one of said at least one icon when said first one of said at least one icon is activated and said touch screen will cause another action on both said first display and said second display in response to contact by said object on a second one of said at least one icon when said second one of said at least one icon is activated.

4. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the processor drives a default screen image onto said touch screen.

5. The graphical user interface of claim 4, wherein said default screen image identifies at least one cursor positioning region on said touch screen for moving a cursor on said first display in response to said object touching said touch screen.

6. The graphical user interface of claim 4, wherein said default screen image includes at least one of a vertical scroll bar icon and a horizontal scroll bar icon identifying regions on said touch screen for scrolling displays in a window on said first display screen in response to said object touching said touch screen.

7. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein a visual characteristic of said at least one icon is modified when said at least one icon is activated.

8. The graphical user interface of claim 7, wherein said visual characteristic is a change in coloration.

9. The graphical user interface of claim 7, wherein said visual characteristic is an outline surrounding said at least one icon.

10. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein said at least one icon is activated or inactivated by pressing a key on a keyboard.

11. The graphical user interface of claim 10, wherein said key is on a standard keyboard layout.

12. The graphical user interface of claim 1, further comprising a secondary pointing device.

13. The graphical user interface of claim 12, wherein said secondary pointing device is chosen from the group comprising an isometric joystick and an external mouse.

14. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein said at least one icon is reduced in brightness when inactivated.

15. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein at least one of said at least one icon is located at an edge or a corner of said touch screen.

16. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein said at least one icon is sensitive to a tapping motion when said at least one icon is activated.

17. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein said at least one icon is sensitive to motion by said object when said at least one icon is activated.

18. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein said at least one icon is activated and inactivated by pressing a button.

19. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein said at least one icon is activated and inactivated by touching a touch sensitive part of said computing device.

20. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein one of said at least one icon is activated and inactivated by touching another of the at least one icon on said touch screen.

21. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein said at least one icon is activated and inactivated by touching at least two objects at once to said touch screen.

22. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein said at least one icon is activated and inactivated by tapping two or more times in rapid succession in a region on said touch screen.

23. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein said at least one icon is activated and inactivated by hovering over said at least one icon on said touch screen without touching said touch screen.

24. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein said at least one icon is activated and inactivated by holding said object steady on the icon for a specified duration.

43. The graphical user interface as in any one of claims 25, 1, and 26, wherein said touch screen displays a manufacturer'"'"'s logo when said driver is not loaded.

44. The graphical user interface as in anyone of claims 25, 1, and 26, wherein said at least one icon displays a manufacturer'"'"'s logo.

45. The graphical user interface as in any one of claims 25, 1, and 26, wherein said at least one icon displays a keyboard lock state.

46. The graphical user interface as in any one of claims 25, 1, and 26, wherein said at least one icon displays battery status.

47. The graphical user interface as in any one of claims 25, 1, and 26, wherein said at least one icon is enlarged in response to said object touching at least one of said icons.

48. The graphical user interface as in any one of claims 25, 1, and 26, wherein said at least one icon is displaced in response to said object touching said at least one icon.

49. The graphical user interface as in any one of claims 25, 1, and 26, wherein said at least one icon is selected by said object touching proximate to said at least one icon.

50. The graphical user interface as in any one of claims 25, 1, and 26, wherein said object is chosen from the group comprising a finger, a pen, a pencil, and a pointer.

51. The graphical user interface as in any one of claims 25, 1, and 26, wherein said at least one icon displays disk drive activity.

52. The graphical user interface as in any one of claims 25, 1, and 26, wherein said at least one icon is situated so as to be visible when a cover of the computing device is closed.

25. In a computing device having a processor running a program configured to perform a plurality of actions and a first display, said first display displaying an interface to said program, a graphical user interface, comprising:

a touch screen, said touch screen including an object position sensor stacked with a second display, said touch screen configured to display at least one icon on said second display when said at least one icon is activated and when said icon is inactivated; and

a driver coupling said touch screen to said program, wherein said driver will cause said at least one icon to be inactivated in response to a first action by a user, and wherein said object position sensor will cause cursor positioning of a cursor on the first display in response to contact by an object on said at least one icon when said at least one icon is inactivated, and wherein said driver will cause said at least one icon to be activated in response to a second action by a user, and wherein said object position sensor will cause at least one of said plurality of actions on said program corresponding to said at least one icon in response to an contact by an object on said at least one icon when said at least one icon is activated.

26. In a computing device having a processor running a program configured to perform a plurality of actions and a first display, said first display displaying an interface to said program, a graphical user interface, comprising:

a touch screen, said touch screen including an object position sensor stacked with a second display, said touch screen configured to display supplementary information from said program and to display at least one icon on said second display when said at least one icon is activated and when said icon is inactivated; and

a driver coupling said touch screen to said program, said driver coordinating display of said supplementary information from said program on said touch screen with said interface on said first display, said driver capable of activating and inactivating said at least one icon, and wherein said object position sensor will cause one of said plurality of actions on said program corresponding to said at least one icon in response to contact by an object on said at least one icon when said at least one icon is activated, and wherein said object position sensor will provide for cursor positioning of a cursor on the first display instead of said one of said actions in response to contact by said object on said at least one icon when said at least one icon is inactivated.

27. The graphical user interface of claim 26, wherein said program comprises a media player and wherein said supplementary information comprises controls for said media player.

28. The graphical user interface of claim 26, wherein said program comprises a presentation program for displaying a plurality of slides, and wherein said supplementary information comprises descriptions of a slide in the plurality of slides.

29. The graphical user interface of claim 26, wherein said supplementary information comprises a find/replace dialog.

30. The graphical user interface of claim 26, wherein said supplementary information comprises a magnified portion of said first display.

31. The graphical user interface of claim 26, wherein said supplementary information comprises at least one of a vertical scroll bar icon and a horizontal scroll bar icon identifying regions on said touch screen for scrolling displays in a window on said first display screen in response to said object touching said touch screen.

32. The graphical user interface of claim 26, wherein said program comprises a document viewing program and wherein said supplementary information comprises a table of contents.

33. The graphical user interface of claim 26, wherein said program comprises a document viewing program and wherein said supplementary information comprises smaller images of pages in a document.

34. The graphical user interface of claim 26, wherein said supplementary information comprises help information regarding said program.

35. The graphical user interface of claim 26, wherein a visual characteristic of said at least one icon is modified when said at least one icon is activated.

36. The graphical user interface of claim 35, wherein said visual characteristic is a change in coloration.

37. The graphical user interface of claim 35, wherein said visual characteristic is a change in brightness.

38. The graphical user interface of claim 35, wherein said visual characteristic is an outline surrounding said at least one icon.

39. The graphical user interface of claim 26, wherein said at least one icon is activated or inactivated by pressing a key on a keyboard.

40. The graphical user interface of claim 26, wherein said driver further comprises an application programming interface, the application programming interface displaying said at least one icon in coordination with said program.

41. The graphical user interface of claim 26, wherein an image on said second display assists an input method for ideographic characters.

42. The graphical user interface of claim 41, wherein said input method uses handwriting entry on said touch screen.