Electronic device including a touchscreen and method

• US 8,279,184 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2009
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Lowles, Robert J., Ma, ZhongMing, Tong, Kuo-Feng
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, MY CHAU T
• Application Number:
  US12/360,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20100188371A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• 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 handheld electronic device having a touchscreen and a method of using a touchscreen of a handheld electronic device are provided. In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a method of input using a touchscreen display of a handheld electronic device, comprising: displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) on the touchscreen display, the graphical user interface comprising a plurality of selectable user interface elements, each having an area of the touchscreen display associated herewith and each generating a respective input signal in response to selection thereof; detecting a touch input on the touchscreen display having a touch point; determining an orientation of the handheld electronic device; determining a touch offset in accordance with the orientation of the handheld electronic device; determining an adjusted touch point on the touch-sensitive input surface in accordance with the touch point and the touch offset; and generating an input signal associated with a respective user interface element displayed at the adjusted touch point when the adjusted touch point is associated with one of the plurality of selectable user interface elements in the graphical user interface.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a touch input on a touchscreen display of an electronic device;

determining a current orientation of the electronic device;

adjusting a location of touch input by a touch offset based on the current orientation.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising identifying a first orientation of a plurality of predetermined device orientations that is closest to a current orientation.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising

determining when the first orientation matches a first position of a plurality of reference positions, and identifying a value of the touch offset based on the first position.

4. The method of claim 2, comprising

identifying a previously utilized value of the touch offset when the first orientation does not match one of the plurality of reference positions.

5. The method of claim 2, comprising identifying a default value of the touch offset when the first orientation does not match one of the plurality of reference positions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch offset is

a predetermined value stored in memory of the electronic device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch offset is 2 mm to 3 mm.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising identifying the touch offset during calibration of the electronic device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch offset is selectable.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting is based on at least one of an active application, an operation mode of the electronic device, and a screen displayed on the touchscreen display.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch offset is based on a detected location of the touch input.

12. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable code executable by at least one processor of the electronic device to perform the method of claim 1.

13. An electronic device comprising:

a touchscreen;

at least one processor coupled to the touchscreen and configured to detect a touch input on a touchscreen of an electronic device, determine a current orientation of the electronic device, and adjust a location of the touch input by a touch offset based on the current orientation.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is configured to identify a first orientation of a plurality of predetermined device orientations that is closest to the current orientation.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine when the first orientation matches a first position of a plurality of reference positions, and identify a value of the touch offset based on the first position.

16. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is configured to identify a previously utilized value of the touch offset when the first orientation does not match one of the plurality of reference positions.

17. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is configured to identify a default value of the touch offset when the first orientation does not match one of the plurality of reference positions.

18. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the touch offset is a predetermined value stored in memory of the electronic device.

19. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is configured to identify the touch offset during calibration of the electronic device.

20. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein a location of the touch input is adjusted based on at least one of an active application, an operational mode of the electronic device, and a screen displayed on the touchscreen display.