Computer interface for navigating graphical user interface by touch

• US 8,599,147 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2008
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vortant Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Vortant Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Schaefer, Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang, Regina
• Application Number:
  US12/126,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20090000829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,020 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/168, 345/169, 345173-179, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 341/22, 341/23
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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 system for enabling a user to navigate a graphical user interface by touching pads on a touch surface. The arrangement of the pads on the touch surface is static, but the functions associated with each pad dynamically change in correspondence with functions in the graphical user interface. The functions are automatically and dynamically extracted from the software that creates the window display. Certain pads are regularly used for certain user options found in windows.

Claims

1. A system that interfaces with a user via touch comprising:

a touch device comprising an array of pads configured to be engaged by a user;

at least one processor configured to execute software applications, the software applications comprising;

a user interface software application configured to generate a graphical user interface for presentation on an electronic display, the graphical user interface including a plurality of user-selectable options arranged in an array at separate positions within the graphical user interface; and

a touch software application configured to identify the user-selectable options, to identify the positions at which the individual user-selectable options are arranged in the graphical user interface, and to map individual ones of the user-selectable options to individual ones of the pads in the touch device based on the positions of the user-selectable options in the graphical user interface and the positions of the pads on the touch device such that a user can navigate the graphical user interface by touching the pads.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a an electronic display, wherein the user interface software application displays the graphical user interface on the electronic display and individual user-selectable options are represented as separate windows in the graphical user interface.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the user-selectable options are dynamically associated with one or more pads responsive to a window being made active.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the touch software application is configured to sound a cue responsive to a different window being made active.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the touch software application is configured to map individual ones of the user-selectable options to individual ones of the pads dynamically at the time of display of the graphical user interface.

6. A system that interfaces with a user via touch, the system comprising:

a touch surface having an array of individually engageable pads;

at least one processor configured to execute computer software applications including;

a first software application configured to generate a graphical user interface for display on an electronic display, the graphical user interface comprising a plurality of separate windows, wherein individual ones of the windows comprise separate sets of user-selectable options, the user-selectable options within a given set being arranged in an array at separate positions within the corresponding window, and wherein the first software application is configured such that one of the windows is made active responsive to user selection of the window;

a second software application in communication with the first software application and with the touch surface, the second software application being configured to identify the user-selectable options for the currently active window, to identify the positions at which the individual user-selectable options are arranged in the currently active window, and to map individual ones of the user-selectable options to individual ones of the pads in the touch device based on the positions of the user-selectable options in the currently active window and the positions of the pads on the touch surface.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the second software application is configured such that identification of the user-selectable options, identification of the positions of the user-selectable options, and mapping of the user-selectable options is performed responsive to a different window being made active.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein the second software application is configured such that identification of the user-selectable options, identification of the positions of the user-selectable options, and mapping of the user-selectable options is performed responsive to the user-selectable options changing within the currently active window.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein the first software application and/or second software application are configured to sound a cue responsive to a different window being made active.

10. The system according to claim 6, wherein the first software application and the second software application are configured such that responsive to a user stroking a subset of pads serially a different window is made active, thereby simulating the feel of turning a page in a book.

11. The system according to claim 6, wherein the first software application and the second software application are configured such that responsive to a user touching one or more of a subset of pads the contents of the currently active window scroll.

12. The system according to claim 6, wherein the first software application and the second software application are configured such that responsive to a user touching one or more of a subset of pads the user-selectable options scroll.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein the second software application is further configured to obtain descriptive information describing the user-selectable options of the currently active window, and wherein the mapping of individual ones of the user-selectable options to individual ones of the pads on the touch surface is further based on the descriptive information.

14. The system according to claim 6, further comprising:

an electronic display, and wherein the first software application is further configured to present the windows on the electronic display.

15. The system according to claim 6, further comprising an audio transducer, and wherein the second software application is further configured to cause, responsive to a pad mapped to a user-selectable option being touched by a user, the audio transducer to emit an audible message indicating the user-selectable option.

16. The system according to claim 6, wherein the second software application is further configured to cause, responsive to a pad mapped to a user-selectable option being touched by a user, a label of the user-selectable option in large type to be displayed on the electronic display.

17. The system according to claim 6, further comprising a refreshable Braille device, wherein the second software application is further configured to cause, responsive to a pad mapped to a user-selectable option being touched by a user, a label of the user-selectable option to be presented on the refreshable Braille device.