Overlay for electronic device and method of identifying same

• US 8,416,065 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Pasquero, Jerome, Fyke, Steven Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fan, Hongmin
• Application Number:
  US12/494,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20100328052A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,379 Days
• Field of Search: 340/407.2, 345172-175, 400/472, 400/479.1, 341/21, 341/22, 341/27
• US Class Current: 340/407.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72481 for visually impaired users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

An overlay includes a sheet corresponding to a plurality of keys that are associated with an application for a portable electronic device. An identifier is associated with the application. The identifier is identifiable by the portable electronic device, such that the application is opened upon identification of the identifier.

Claims

1. An overlay comprising:

a sheet corresponding to a plurality of keys associated with an application for a portable electronic device and including an identifier associated with the application, wherein the identifier is identifiable by the portable electronic device, such that the application is opened upon identification of the identifier, wherein the identifier comprises a plurality of sections, wherein each section has one of at least two different thicknesses, wherein a touch-sensitive display detects a different capacitance for each different thickness when touched, and wherein when at least one touch is detected along the plurality of sections, the application is identified.

2. The overlay of claim 1, wherein the identifier comprises a plurality of magnets disposed in a plurality of first locations on the sheet, and wherein the plurality of first locations are aligned with a plurality of second locations on the portable electronic device.

3. The overlay of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of magnets is disposed in one of at least two different orientations.

4. The overlay of claim 2, wherein the at least two different orientations comprise magnetic north and magnetic south.

5. The overlay of claim 2, wherein the plurality of magnets hold the overlay in position with respect to the plurality of keys.

6. The overlay of claim 1, wherein the identifier comprises a visual indicator.

7. The overlay of claim 6, wherein the visual indicator comprises a bar code.

8. The overlay of claim 6, wherein the visual indicator comprises a camera-readable shape disposed in the sheet.

9. The overlay of claim 6, wherein the visual indicator comprises a translucent colored segment disposed in the sheet.

10. The overlay of claim 1, further comprising at least one tactile identification related to the application.

11. The overlay of claim 1, wherein the plurality of keys comprises mechanical keys or images displayed on a touch-sensitive display.

12. A method comprising:

receiving, by a portable electronic device including a touch-sensitive display, a first overlay for a plurality of keys, wherein the first overlay corresponds to a first of a plurality of applications that run on the portable electronic device;

identifying a first identifier associated with the first overlay and comprising a plurality of sections, wherein each section has one of at least two different thicknesses, wherein a different capacitance is detected for each different thickness when a touch is detected, wherein identifying comprises detecting, by the touch-sensitive display, a touch associated with each of the plurality of sections, yielding a plurality of capacitance values associated with the first identifier;

determining which of the plurality of applications is associated with the first identifier, yielding a first identified application;

opening the first identified application on the portable electronic device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein identifying comprises reading a tactile barcode disposed on the first overlay by detecting at least one touch along the tactile barcode.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein a unique set of capacitance values is associated with each of a plurality of overlays, and wherein identifying the first identifier comprises detecting a first set of capacitance values from touches detected on a touch-sensitive display.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

detecting a touch on each of a plurality of sections of the first overlay;

identifying a capacitance value for each of the plurality of sections, yielding a first set of capacitance values;

determining the first application from the first set of capacitance values.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

identifying a capacitance value for each of a plurality of touches on a touch-sensitive display, yielding a first set of capacitance values;

determining the first application from the set of capacitance values.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, by a portable electronic device, a second overlay, wherein the second overlay corresponds to a second of the plurality of applications;

identifying a second identifier associated with the second overlay;

determining which of the plurality of applications is associated with the second identifier, yielding a second identified application;

opening the second identified application on the portable electronic device.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein identifying comprises ascertaining an orientation for each of a plurality of magnets aligned with the portable electronic device, yielding a set of magnet orientations.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein determining comprises ascertaining which of the plurality of applications is associated with the set of magnet orientations.

20. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable code embodied therein, the computer-readable code executable by a processor of a portable electronic device to perform the method of claim 12.

21. An overlay comprising:

a sheet corresponding to a plurality of keys associated with an application for a portable electronic device;

a tactile barcode associated with the application, wherein the portable electronic device detects at least two touch values from at least one touch along the tactile barcode and associates the at least two touch values with the application, such that the application is opened upon detection of the at least two touch values, wherein the tactile barcode comprises a plurality of sections, wherein each section has one of at least two different thicknesses, wherein a touch-sensitive display detects a different capacitance for each different thickness when a touch is detected, and wherein the at least two touch values comprise capacitance values for each of the plurality of sections.

22. The overlay of claim 21, wherein the plurality of keys comprises mechanical keys or images displayed on a touch-sensitive display.

23. A method comprising:

receiving, by a portable electronic device, an overlay for a plurality of keys, wherein the overlay corresponds to a first of a plurality of applications that run on the portable electronic device;

reading a tactile barcode associated with the overlay, yielding a set of touch values, wherein the tactile barcode comprises a plurality of sections, wherein each section has one of at least two different thicknesses, wherein a touch-sensitive display detects a different capacitance for each different thickness when a touch is detected, and wherein the set of touch values comprise capacitance values for each of the plurality of sections;

determining which of the plurality of applications is associated with the set of touch values, yielding an identified application;

opening the identified application on the portable electronic device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein reading comprises detecting at least one touch along the tactile barcode.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein reading comprises detecting at least one touch along a plurality of sections of the tactile barcode and identifying a capacitance value for each of the plurality of sections, thereby yielding the set of touch values.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein a unique set of touch values is associated with each of a plurality of overlays.

27. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable code embodied therein, the computer-readable code executable by a processor of the portable electronic device to perform the method of claim 23.

28. A portable electronic device comprising:

a plurality of keys;

a touch-sensitive display configured to identify an identifier associated with an overlay, wherein the identifier comprises a plurality of sections, wherein each section has one of at least two different thicknesses, wherein the touch-sensitive display detects a different capacitance value for each different thickness when a touch is detected, and wherein an application is associated with capacitance values for each of the plurality of sections;

a processor arranged and constructed to open the application associated with the identifier when the identifier is identified when the overlay is aligned with the portable electronic device.

29. The portable electronic device of claim 28, wherein the plurality of keys comprises at least one of mechanical keys and images displayed on a touch-sensitive display.