System and method for altering interactive element placement based around damaged regions on a touchscreen device

• US 9,207,804 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2014
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Enterprise Solutions (Singapore) Pte., Ltd. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hardee, Christopher J, Weinstein, Philip L, Cudak, Gary D, Rodriguez, Adrian X
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): McLoone, Peter D
• Application Number:
  US14/149,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20150193074A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/07 Responding to the occurrence of a fault, e.g. fault tolerance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0736 in functional embedded systems, i.e. in a data processing system designed as a combination of hardware and software dedicated to performing a certain function testing or monitoring of automated control systems G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0751 Error or fault detection not based on redundancy power supply failures G06F1/30; network fault management H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0793 Remedial or corrective actions recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/22 Detection or location of defective computer hardware by testing during standby operation or during idle time, e.g. start-up testing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An apparatus for avoiding a damaged region on a touchscreen is disclosed. A method and a computer program product also perform the functions of the apparatus. The apparatus includes a damage location module that determines a location of an area of damage on a touchscreen of a computing device. The area of damage includes damage to the touchscreen. The apparatus, in one embodiment, includes a display location module that determines a location of one or more display items commanded to be displayed on the touchscreen. Each display item includes a location to be displayed on the touchscreen. The apparatus includes, in one embodiment, a rearrangement module that alters a location of a display item to be displayed in the area of damage where the display item is moved to a location on the touchscreen outside the area of damage on the touchscreen.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a damage location module that determines a location of an area of damage on a touchscreen of a computing device, the area of damage comprising damage to the touchscreen, the damage location module further comprising

a photograph module that receives a photograph of the touchscreen; and

a photo damage module that determines from the photograph the area of damage on the touchscreen;

a display location module that determines a location of one or more display items commanded to be displayed on the touchscreen, each display item comprising a location to be displayed on the touchscreen; and

a rearrangement module that alters a location of a display item to be displayed in the area of damage wherein the display item is moved to a location on the touchscreen outside the area of damage on the touchscreen,

wherein at least a portion of the damage location module, the display location module, and the rearrangement module comprise one or more of hardware and executable code, the executable code stored on one or more computer readable storage media.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the photograph module further comprises taking a photograph of the touchscreen in response to a user positioning the computing device in front of a mirror and pressing a photograph button.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display item to be displayed in the area of damage comprises one or more of an icon and a screen element and wherein the rearrangement module further comprises an icon rearrangement module that moves one or more of an icon and a screen element to be displayed in the area of damage to a location on the touchscreen outside the area of damage.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the icon or screen element to be displayed in the area of damage comprises an icon or screen element used more than an icon or screen element outside the area of damage and the icon rearrangement module moves one or more of an icon and screen element used less than the icon or screen element to be displayed in the area of damage to the area of damage.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rearrangement module further locates a display item to the area of damage wherein the display item moved to the area of damage comprises a display item that operates without user interaction through the touchscreen.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rearrangement module further comprises a display resize module that resizes information to be displayed on the touchscreen to avoid the area of damage.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display item to be displayed in the area of damage comprises a window and the rearrangement module further comprises a window resize module that resizes the window to avoid the area of damage.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rearrangement module further comprises a rotation module that rotates a display on the touchscreen independent of an accelerometer of the computing device wherein after rotating the display, the display item to be displayed in the area of damage is located in an area outside the area of damage.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a distortion module that lowers an output resolution of a display item in the area of damage to a level to decrease distortion of the display item due to the damage.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a damage display correction module that changes one or more of a font size and a color of a display item displayed in the area of damage to adjust for distortion due to the damage.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a damage warning module that sends an alert in response to one or more of a user and an application attempting to locate a display item in the area of damage.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

the computing device;

a processor in the computing device; and

the touchscreen, wherein the processor is operable to display the display items on the touchscreen.

13. A method comprising:

receiving a photograph of the touchscreen;

determining, using the photograph, a location of an area of damage on a touchscreen of a computing device, the area of damage comprising damage to the touchscreen;

determining a location of one or more display items commanded to be displayed on the touchscreen, each display item comprising a location to be displayed on the touchscreen; and

altering a location of a display item to be displayed in the area of damage wherein the display item is moved to a location on the touchscreen outside the area of damage on the touchscreen.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein altering a location of a display item to be displayed in the area of damage further comprises one or more of:

wherein the display item to be displayed in the area of damage comprises one or more of an icon and a screen element and further comprising moving one or more of an icon and a screen element to be displayed in the area of damage to a location on the touchscreen outside the area of damage;

resizing information to be displayed on the touchscreen to avoid the area of damage;

wherein the display item to be displayed in the area of damage comprises a window and further comprising resizing the window to avoid the area of damage; and

rotating a display on the touchscreen independent of an accelerometer of the computing device wherein after rotating the display, the display item to be displayed in the area of damage is located in an area outside the area of damage.

15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therein, the program code readable/executable by a processor for:

receiving a photograph of the touchscreen;

determining, using the photograph, a location of an area of damage on a touchscreen of a computing device, the area of damage comprising damage to the touchscreen;

determining a location of one or more display items commanded to be displayed on the touchscreen, each display item comprising a location to be displayed on the touchscreen; and

altering a location of a display item to be displayed in the area of damage wherein the display item is moved to a location on the touchscreen outside the area of damage on the touchscreen.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a damage location module that determines a location of an area of damage on a touchscreen of a computing device, the area of damage comprising damage to the touchscreen;

a display location module that determines a location of one or more display items commanded to be displayed on the touchscreen, each display item comprising a location to be displayed on the touchscreen; and

a rearrangement module that alters a location of a display item to be displayed in the area of damage wherein the display item is moved to a location on the touchscreen outside the area of damage on the touchscreen, the rearrangement module further comprising a rotation module that rotates a display on the touchscreen independent of an accelerometer of the computing device, wherein after rotating the display, the display item to be displayed in the area of damage is located in an area outside the area of damage;

wherein at least a portion of said modules comprise one or more of hardware and executable code, the executable code stored on one or more computer readable storage media.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the damage location module further comprises:

a photograph module that receives a photograph of the touchscreen; and

a photo damage module that determines from the photograph the area of damage on the touchscreen.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the photograph module further comprises taking a photograph of the touchscreen in response to a user positioning the computing device in front of a mirror and pressing a photograph button.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the damage location module further comprises a damage sensor module that determines the area of damage using one or more sensors in the touchscreen, the one or more sensors detecting damage to the touchscreen.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the damage location module further comprises a manual damage module that receives input from a user defining the area of damage.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the display item to be displayed in the area of damage comprises one or more of an icon and a screen element and wherein the rearrangement module further comprises an icon rearrangement module that moves one or more of an icon and a screen element to be displayed in the area of damage to a location on the touchscreen outside the area of damage.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the rearrangement module further locates a display item to the area of damage wherein the display item moved to the area of damage comprises a display item that operates without user interaction through the touchscreen.

23. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the rearrangement module further comprises a display resize module that resizes information to be displayed on the touchscreen to avoid the area of damage.

24. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a distortion module that lowers an output resolution of a display item in the area of damage to a level to decrease distortion of the display item due to the damage.

25. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a damage display correction module that changes one or more of a font size and a color of a display item displayed in the area of damage to adjust for distortion due to the damage.

26. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

the computing device;

a processor in the computing device; and

the touchscreen, wherein the processor is operable to display the display items on the touchscreen.

27. A method comprising:

determining a location of an area of damage on a touchscreen of a computing device, the area of damage comprising damage to the touchscreen;

determining a location of one or more display items commanded to be displayed on the touchscreen, each display item comprising a location to be displayed on the touchscreen; and

altering a location of a display item to be displayed in the area of damage wherein the display item is moved to a location on the touchscreen outside the area of damage on the touchscreen, wherein altering the location of the display item to be displayed in the area of damage further comprises rotating a display on the touchscreen independent of an accelerometer of the computing device, wherein after rotating the display, the display item to be displayed in the area of damage is located in an area outside the area of damage.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising receiving a photograph of the touchscreen and determining from the photograph the area of damage on the touchscreen.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising one or more of:

determining the area of damage using one or more sensors in the touchscreen, the one or more sensors detecting damage to the touchscreen, and

receiving input from a user defining the area of damage.

30. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therein, the program code readable/executable by a processor for:

determining a location of an area of damage on a touchscreen of a computing device, the area of damage comprising damage to the touchscreen;

determining a location of one or more display items commanded to be displayed on the touchscreen, each display item comprising a location to be displayed on the touchscreen; and

altering a location of a display item to be displayed in the area of damage wherein the display item is moved to a location on the touchscreen outside the area of damage on the touchscreen, wherein altering the location of the display item to be displayed in the area of damage further comprises rotating a display on the touchscreen independent of an accelerometer of the computing device, wherein after rotating the display, the display item to be displayed in the area of damage is located in an area outside the area of damage.