Method, system, and program product for no-look digit entry in a multi-touch device

• US 8,542,204 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2010
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation, ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DeLuca, Lisa Seacat
• Primary Examiner(s): Edun, Muhammad N
• Application Number:
  US12/819,192
• Publication Number:
  US 20110310027A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,193 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 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, device, and program product are provided for no-look entry of digits in a multi-touch device. A multi-touch screen of the multi-touch device senses an initializing combination of at least one touch. A no-look digit entry application assigns a binary value to each touched location. The multi-touch screen detects at least one combination of at least one touch of the touch screen. The no-look digit entry application determines the locations touched and enters digit inputs corresponding to the sum of the binary values assigned to the locations for each detected combination of touches.

Claims

1. A method for no-look entry of digits in a multi-touch device, comprising:

sensing an initializing combination of at least one touch on a touch screen;

creating a target location at a location of each touch of the initializing combination, wherein each target location lacks a corresponding on-screen indicator;

assigning a binary value to each target location;

detecting at least one combination of at least one no-look touch of the touch screen;

determining the target locations touched; and

entering a predetermined digit input corresponding to the sum of binary values assigned to the target locations for each detected combination of no-look touches.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the target locations are target areas creating at the initializing locations and determining the target locations touched comprises determining the target areas touched areas.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the target locations are coordinates touched by the initializing touches and determined target locations touched comprises calculating the nearest target location to each detected touch.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein sensing an initializing combination of touches comprises sensing simultaneous touches at a predetermined number of locations.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined number of locations is four, the first binary value is two to the power of zero (2⁰), the second binary value is two to the power of one (2¹), the third binary value is two to the power of two (2²), and the fourth binary value is two to the power of three (2³).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one combination of at least one entered digit is entered as a letter.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one combination of at least one digit is entered as a function from the group:

delete last digit, finish, and switch to text.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising issuing a non-visual feedback signal indicating the digit entered.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein sensing an initializing combination of touches comprises sensing touches for a predetermined period of time.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein sensing an initializing combination of touches comprises sensing that the plurality of locations are touched in a predetermined sequence.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein binary values are assigned to the initializing touches according to a predetermined pattern based on the position of each touched location relative to each other.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined digit input is to be used to execute one or more user operations.

13. A multi-touch device configured for no-look entry of digits, comprising:

a multi-touch screen;

a processor operably connected with the multi-touch screen; and

a memory operably connected with the processor and having encoded thereon a no-look digit entry application executable by the processor to;

sense an initializing combination of touches on a touch screen at a plurality of locations to create one or more target locations that lack a corresponding on-screen indicator;

assign a binary value to each touched location according to a predetermined pattern;

detect combinations of no-look touches of the touch screen;

determine the locations touched; and

enter predetermined digit inputs corresponding to the binary values assigned to the locations for each detected combination of no-look touches.

14. A program product, comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having encoded thereon a computer executable program of instructions, comprising:

program instructions for sensing an initializing combination of at least one touch on a touch screen to create one or more target locations that lack a corresponding on-screen indicator;

program instructions for assigning a binary value to each touched location;

program instructions for detecting at least one combination of at least one no-look touch of the touch screen;

program instructions for determining the locations touched; and

program instructions for entering predetermined digit inputs corresponding to the sum of the binary values assigned to the locations for each detected combination of no-look touches.

15. The program product of claim 14, further comprising:

program instructions for creating target areas at the locations of the initializing touches; and

wherein the program instructions for determining the locations touched determine the target areas are touched.

16. The program product of claim 14, wherein the program instructions for determining the locations touched determine the locations by calculating the nearest initializing location to the detected touch.

17. The program product of claim 14, wherein the program instructions for sensing an initializing combination of touches comprises sensing simultaneous touches at a predetermined number of locations.

18. The program product of claim 17, wherein the predetermined number of locations is four, the first binary value is two to the power of zero (2⁰), the second binary value is two to the power of one (2¹), the third binary value is two to the power of two (2²), and the fourth binary value is two to the power of three (2³).

19. The program product of claim 14, wherein the program instructions for sensing an initializing combination of touches comprise sensing touches for a predetermined period of time.

20. The program product of claim 14, wherein the program instructions for sensing an initializing combination of touches comprise sensing that the plurality of locations are touched in a predetermined sequence.