Method and system for touch screen keyboard and display space sharing

• US 7,768,501 B1
• Filed: 05/01/1998
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Maddalozzo, John Jr., McBrearty, Gerald Francis, Shieh, Johnny Meng-Han
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar; Vijay
• Application Number:
  US09/071,189
• Time in Patent Office: 4,477 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-168, 345173-179, 361/680, 361/682, 361/683, 178 1801- 1807, 178 1901- 1905
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 and system in a portable computer having a display screen for increasing portable computer compactness. Data is displayed initially within the display screen. The display screen is then partitioned into a touch-sensitive input area and a display area, wherein data input at the touch-sensitive input area may be simultaneously displayed in the display area, in response to a particular user input. A test is performed to detect if a user'"'"'s hands are positioned at the touch-sensitive input area. A touch-sensitive pad is thereafter graphically displayed at the touch-sensitive input area within the display screen, in response to detecting a user'"'"'s hands positioned at the touch-sensitive area, wherein a user may enter data that may be simultaneously displayed in the display area. An additional test may then be performed to detect if the user'"'"'s hands are no longer positioned at the touch-sensitive input area. The touch-sensitive pad is subsequently concealed from view, in response to detecting if the user'"'"'s hands are no longer positioned at the touch-sensitive input area. The touch-sensitive pad graphically displayed at the touch-sensitive input area within the display screen may be composed of a touch-sensitive keyboard, which may in and of itself be an ergonomic keyboard.

Claims

1. A method in a portable computer having a display screen for supporting increased portable computer compactness, said method comprising the steps of:

displaying data within said display screen;

partitioning said display screen into a touch-sensitive input area and a display area;

detecting if a user'"'"'s hands are positioned at said touch-sensitive input area; and

graphically displaying a touch-sensitive pad at said touch-sensitive input area, in response to detecting a user'"'"'s hands positioned at said touch-sensitive area, such that a user may utilize said touch-sensitive pad to enter data to be displayed in said display area.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

detecting if said user'"'"'s hands are no longer positioned at said touch-sensitive input area; and

concealing said touch-sensitive pad from view, in response to detecting that said user'"'"'s hands are no longer positioned at said touch-sensitive input area.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of graphically displaying a touch-sensitive pad comprises the step of:

graphically displaying a touch-sensitive keyboard at said touch-sensitive input area, in response to detecting a user'"'"'s hands positioned at said touch-sensitive area, such that a user may utilize said touch-sensitive keyboard to enter data to be displayed in said display area.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of graphically displaying a touch-sensitive keyboard comprises the step of:

graphically displaying a transparent touch-sensitive keyboard at said touch-sensitive input area, in response to detecting a user'"'"'s hands positioned at said touch-sensitive area, such that a user may utilize said transparent touch-sensitive keyboard to enter data to be displayed in said display area.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of displaying data in said display area within said display screen, in response to user data entry at said transparent touch-sensitive keyboard.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of graphically displaying a touch-sensitive keyboard comprises the step of:

graphically displaying a touch-sensitive ergonomic keyboard at said touch-sensitive input area within said display screen, in response to detecting a user'"'"'s hands positioned at said touch-sensitive area, such that a user may utilize said touch-sensitive ergonomic keyboard to enter data to be displayed in said display area.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

analyzing physical characteristics associated with said user while said user is entering a particular sequence of data utilizing said touch-sensitive keyboard; and

in response to analyzing said physical characteristics, configuring a sensitivity level for said touch-sensitive keyboard according to said physical characteristics.

8. A portable data processing system comprising:

a display screen and means for displaying data within said display screen;

means for partitioning said display screen into a touch-sensitive input area and a display area

means for detecting if a user'"'"'s hands are positioned at said touch-sensitive input area; and

means for graphically displaying a touch-sensitive pad at said touch-sensitive input area, in response to detection of a user'"'"'s hands positioned at said touch-sensitive area, such that a user may utilize said touch-sensitive pad to enter data to be displayed in said display area.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

means for detecting if said user'"'"'s hands are no longer positioned at said touch-sensitive input area; and

means for concealing said touch-sensitive pad from view, in response to detecting that said user'"'"'s hands are no longer positioned at said touch-sensitive input area.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said means for graphically displaying a touch-sensitive pad comprises:

means for graphically displaying a touch-sensitive keyboard at said touch-sensitive input area within said display screen, in response to detection of a user'"'"'s hands positioned at said touch-sensitive area, such that a user may utilize said touch-sensitive keyboard to enter data to be displayed in said display area.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said means for graphically displaying a touch-sensitive keyboard at said touch-sensitive input area comprises:

means for graphically displaying a transparent touch-sensitive keyboard at said touch-sensitive input area within said display screen, in response to detection of a user'"'"'s hands positioned at said touch-sensitive area, such that a user may utilize said transparent touch-sensitive keyboard to enter data to be displayed in said display area.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising means for displaying data in said display area within said display screen, in response to user data entry at said transparent touch-sensitive keyboard.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said means for graphically displaying a touch-sensitive keyboard comprises:

means for graphically displaying a touch-sensitive ergonomic keyboard at said touch-sensitive input area, in response to detection of a user'"'"'s hands positioned at said touch-sensitive area, such that a user may utilize said touch-sensitive ergonomic keyboard to enter data to be displayed in said display area.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

means for analyzing physical characteristics associated with said user while said user is entering a particular sequence of data utilizing said touch-sensitive keyboard; and

means for configuring a sensitivity level for said touch-sensitive keyboard according to said physical characteristics, in response to analyzing said physical characteristics.

15. A program product that supports increased portable computer compactness, said program product comprising:

data display instructions for displaying data within a display screen of a portable computer;

partition instructions for partitioning said display screen into a touch-sensitive input area and a display area;

detection instructions for detecting if a user'"'"'s hands are positioned at said touch-sensitive input area;

pad display instructions for graphically displaying a touch-sensitive pad at said touch-sensitive input area within said display screen, in response to detection of a user'"'"'s hands positioned at said touch-sensitive area, such that a user may utilize said touch-sensitive pad to enter data to be displayed in said display area; and

a computer usable medium encoding said data display instructions, said partition instructions, said detection instructions, and said pad display instructions.

16. The program product of claim 15, wherein said computer usable medium further encodes:

instruction means for detecting if said user'"'"'s hands are no longer positioned at said touch-sensitive input area; and

instruction means for concealing said touch-sensitive pad from view, in response to detecting that said user'"'"'s hands are no longer positioned at said touch-sensitive input area.

17. The program product of claim 16 wherein said pad display instructions comprise:

keyboard display instruction for graphically displaying a touch-sensitive keyboard at said touch-sensitive input area, in response to detection of a user'"'"'s hands positioned at said touch-sensitive area, such that a user may utilize said touch-sensitive keyboard to enter data to be displayed in said display area.

18. The program product of claim 17 wherein said keyboard display instructions graphically display a transparent touch-sensitive keyboard at said touch-sensitive input area within said display screen, in response to detection of a user'"'"'s hands positioned at said touch-sensitive area, such that a user may utilize said transparent touch-sensitive keyboard to enter data to be displayed in said display area.

19. The program product of claim 18 wherein said data display means displays data in said display area within said display screen, in response to user data entry at said transparent touch-sensitive keyboard.

20. The program product of claim 19 wherein said keyboard display instructions graphically display a touch-sensitive ergonomic keyboard at said touch-sensitive input area, in response to detection of a user'"'"'s hands positioned at said touch-sensitive area, such that a user may utilize said touch-sensitive ergonomic keyboard to enter data to be displayed in said display area.

21. The program product of claim 20, wherein said computer usable medium further encodes:

analyzing instructions for analyzing physical characteristics associated with said user while said user is entering a particular sequence of data utilizing said touch-sensitive keyboard; and

means for configuring a sensitivity level for said touch-sensitive keyboard according to said physical characteristics, in response to analyzing said physical characteristics.