KR20070050949A - A method for using a pointing device - Google Patents

Abstract

A device is provided comprising a touch sensitive screen 6, a pointer element 62 on the touch screen and at least one pointing means 8 which can interact with the touch screen. The apparatus also comprises a detector for detecting the active mode of the pointing means 8 and means for making the pointer element at least partially invisible when the active mode of the pointing means is detected. The invention also relates to systems, touch screen modules, computer programs and computer program products as well as methods.

Description

A method for using a pointing device}

The present invention relates to a method by the preamble of the appended claim 1 for forming a display of a device. The invention also relates to a device by means of the preamble of claim 4, a system by means of the preamble of claim 9, a touch screen module by means of the preamble of claim 10, and a preamble of claim 11. And to a computer program product according to the preamble of claim 12.

As attention is focused on the compactness of electronic devices, displays in particular in portable electronic devices are becoming increasingly smaller in many cases. Popular electronic devices with a small display area include mobile phones, communication devices, electronic organizers, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and graphical display-based phones. Touch screens are often used in portable devices, which are often becoming increasingly popular. Also available today are communication devices that facilitate various types of communication, such as voice, fax, short messaging service (SMS) messages, email and Internet-related applications. In the same way, these products may only include a relatively small display area.

Since most functions can also be implemented through keys modeled on the screen, the touch screen substantially reduces the number of mechanical keys needed. Since the purpose is to make portable devices as small as possible, the touch screens used here are also small. Moreover, the functions of the applications in the devices are more flexible, and the screen can be provided with many elements for selection. For example, QWERTY-keyboard buttons can be modeled on the touch screen to enable input of text.

Since the screen is small and some elements to be selected are displayed on the screen at the same time, the elements are substantially small. Elements displayed on the screen may be buttons, keys or text fields, for example. In addition to the modeled keys, another frequently used input mechanism is handwriting recognition. Thus, due to small keys and handwritten character recognition, touch screens are often used by small writing devices, ie stylus, such as small pen-shaped objects.

The function associated with the element is the action performed by the device. Possible functions include, for example, launching an application, creating a new file, entering selected characters into a text field and displaying these characters on the screen or connecting a call to the desired number. Indeed most of the features and operations of the device may be functions.

Several methods have been developed to improve the usability of touch screens. For example, US Patent Application No. 2003 / 0146905A1 describes a method of selecting a function for use with touch screens of small portable devices, using a virtual stylus or cursor, in the form of a handle attached to a pointer. The basic idea underlying the application is that a cursor (virtual cursor) is displayed on the touch screen, including a handle portion and a pointing portion. When the user instructs the screen by pointing means, which may be for example a finger, the handle portion of the virtual stylus moves to the indicated point. The pointing portion moves with the handle portion, but is located at a point substantially different from the handle portion so that the point indicated by the pointing portion can be seen from below the pointing means. The pointing part shows, for example, at which point and at which element the activation of the virtual stylus is concentrated. After the user makes his or her selection, the element indicated by the pointing portion is activated and the device performs a function associated with the element.

However, the displayed cursor frees up screen space, so the active visible screen space is smaller and even distracting to some people.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a dynamic user interface designed for touch screen displays to enable more efficient use of the available screen space.

In order to achieve the above object, the method according to the invention is mainly characterized by what is presented in the characterizing part of the independent claim 1. According to the device according to the present invention, the main features are those which are presented in the characterizing part of the independent claim 4. The system according to the invention is mainly characterized by what is presented in the characterizing part of the independent claim 9. The touch screen module according to the present invention is characterized in that it is presented in the features of the independent claim 10. In turn, the computer program according to the present invention is mainly characterized by what is presented in the characterizing part of the independent claim. The computer program product according to the invention, in turn, is characterized by what is presented in the characterizing part of the independent claim. Other dependent claims will provide some exemplary embodiments of the invention.

The idea of the present invention is that the type of pointing device being used is detected and this information is used to control the shape of the virtual cursor (later referred to as "cursor"). In one embodiment, the cursor is displayed on the screen when any pointer other than a touch screen pointer is used (eg, keyboard, navigation keys, joystick and / or mouse or finger). When the touch screen pointer (such as a stylus) is used, the cursor becomes at least partially invisible to the user.

In another embodiment, inductive touch screen technology is used. This means that an inductive stylus can be used as a pointer. Currently, the stylus can be pointed at a distance of several centimeters from the screen (typically an inductive stylus can be perceived 5 cm away from the display. The interface is optimized for direct controlled touch screen use (the cursor becomes at least partially invisible to the user), and if the stylus is not perceived, the user interface (with visible virtual cursors) relies on traditional pointing device use. Is optimized.

In one embodiment the position of the stylus is detected by the touch screen when the stylus is pointing to the screen. This creates an interruption and the control unit can perform its task, for example changing the interaction method being used and optimizing the user interface for touch use. When the stylus is moved away and the stylus is no longer perceived, a separate, opposite interruption can be created. The user interface change may then be performed to support a control key, joystick and / or mouse or some other pointing device.

In some embodiments there may also be other means and methods for detecting the position of the stylus and optimizing the user interface based on the information. These means can be manual switches for detecting, for example, whether the stylus is in its mounting position. It is also possible to use other methods such as RFID detection to detect the position of the stylus.

An advantage of the method and apparatus of the present invention is that these two very different input methods can be supported on one device and the user interface can be optimized for both methods based on usage and user preferences.

Another advantage of the method and apparatus of the present invention is that small elements can also be selected on the touch screen, for example when the stylus is used as the pointing means. It may be easier for a user to select targets by placing the pointing means directly at the correct point with respect to the target to be selected without having to perform any readjustment to bring the pointing portion to the target. This makes the device more convenient to use and also reduces the number of wrongly selected targets.

The following detailed description of the invention using examples will more clearly explain to those skilled in the art the advantages achieved with the invention in connection with the background as well as exemplary embodiments of the invention.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 and 3 illustrate a user interface according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a flowchart showing the operation according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a flowchart showing the operation according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device 1 that may be, for example, a mobile phone or a personal digital assistant (PDA), a communication device, a computer, or the like according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The electronic device 1 comprises a central processing unit 2, a memory module 3 and an input / output system 4 (later referred to as an I / O system). The necessary information is stored in the memory module 3 of the device. The memory module 3 comprises a read-only memory part, which can be, for example, a ROM memory, and a read / write memory part, which can be composed of, for example, RAM (random access memory) and / or flash memory. Through the I / O system 4, the device communicates with other devices, networks and users. The user interface 5, which is part of the I / O system 4, includes the necessary interfaces such as screens, keys, loudspeakers and / or microphones for communication with the user. The screen of the device 1 is a touch screen. Information received from the other elements of the device is passed to the central processing unit 2, which processes the received information in a desired manner. It should be appreciated that the device 1 may include more elements such as a transceiver unit, a power supply, card readers and / or other memory devices. This feature should only be considered as a typical example.

Although the present invention can be applied with respect to virtually all touch screen types, the touch screen type used essentially is irrelevant to the implementation of the present invention. Implementation of the touch screen may be based, for example, on one of the following techniques: electrical methods, infrared based technology, technology based on sound waves or pressure recognition. Some touch screen types require a stylus with an integrated electronic circuit, such as a resonant circuit. The operation of such a screen needs to be used with a stylus, which cannot be used for example by pointing with a finger.

2 and 3 illustrate a user interface according to an embodiment of the present invention. The screen 6 is a touch screen with several elements 61 modeled therein. The element 61 displayed on the screen 6 may be, for example, a button, a key or a text field. The function associated with element 61 is the operation performed by device 1. Possible functions include, for example, launching an application, creating a new file, entering selected characters into a text field and displaying these characters on the screen 6 or connecting the call to the desired number. Indeed, almost all features and operations of the device 1 may be functions.

In this embodiment the device 1 also comprises at least two different types of pointing devices. The first pointing device is a touch screen pointer 8 (such as a stylus) and the second pointing device is a cursor control device 7. In this embodiment the cursor control device 7 consists of navigation keys 7 provided in the housing of the device. The cursor control device 7 may also be a user using, for example, a keyboard, a button, a joystick and / or a mouse or finger.

2 shows the situation when the stylus 8 is used as a pointer. As can be seen the cursor is not displayed on the screen 6. In this case, the user directly points with the stylus 8 where he or she wishes to operate. "Hidden" of the cursor 6 can be implemented in many ways. In one embodiment the cursor 6 is prevented from being displayed on the screen 6. In other embodiments the cursor 6 is essentially transparent and in other embodiments the cursor is essentially similar to the background.

3 in turn shows the situation when the stylus 8 is not used as a pointer. The cursor 62 is now displayed on the screen 6. The steering of the cursor 62 is controlled by the cursor control device 7.

By comparing FIG. 2 with FIG. 3, it can be appreciated that in FIG. 2 the user can see more active screens than in FIG. 3. Since the cursor 62 is not displayed, the view is not corrupted and the view can transmit the information in a more efficient way.

4 is a simple flowchart showing the operation of the apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The central processing unit 2 detects what type of active pointing device is (for example the stylus 8 or the cursor control device 7). The central processing unit 2 loads cursor (pointer element) parameters by the active pointing device. The cursor parameters may include many different variables. In this embodiment the cursor parameters include at least "show / not show" information. If the status is "indication", the cursor 62 is displayed on the screen 6 (as can be seen, for example, in FIG. 3). If the status is "not displayed," the cursor 62 is not displayed on the screen 6 (as can be seen, for example, in FIG. 2).

FIG. 5 shows another flow chart illustrating the operation of the apparatus 1 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The central processing unit 2 first detects what type of active pointing device is (for example the stylus 8 or the cursor control device 7). In this embodiment it is detected whether the stylus 8 (or other touch sensitive screen pointer) is used. In one embodiment the touch screen 6 of the device 1 identifies the presence of the stylus 8. When the stylus 8 is identified, the cursor 62 is not displayed on the screen 6. Otherwise it is determined that the stylus 8 is not active and therefore the cursor 62 is displayed on the screen.

The identification of the active stylus 8 can be performed in many ways. In one embodiment, the device 1 can identify whether the stylus 8 is present in its storage holder. If the stylus 8 is in its holder, the device 1 knows that the cursor control device 7 is used to select elements. On the other hand, when the stylus 8 is removed from the holder, the device 1 knows that the stylus is used.

The technology in the more advanced screens 6 in turn allows the position of the stylus 8 to be already identified before the actual touch. In this case, the stylus 8 can be used as a pointer when the stylus is close to the surface of the screen 6 without touching the screen. In one embodiment, the identification information may be used to control the hiding of the cursor 62. For example, inductive touch screen technology can be used.

The touch screen 6 may also support the use of some other touch sensitive input means, such as a pen-shaped stylus 8 and / or a finger. In this case, the device 1 must know how to use the user in a given situation. In one embodiment the touch sensitive pointing device 8 is identified by contact area. Since the contact area of the finger is obviously larger than the contact area of the stylus 8, the identification of the input means changes different user interface parameters, for example the size of the control areas / buttons 61 on the screen. Can be used as the basis for / control. Depending on the type of touch sensitive input means, it is possible to use different parameters for controlling the device 1.

In addition to the above mentioned methods, the user may be provided with the opportunity for him or her to manually select which pointing device 7, 8 the device 1 would like to use. This can be implemented, for example, by using a settings menu or a mechanical key. Other methods can also be used together. If the device 1 assumes that the stylus 8 is used instead of the pointing device 7, the cursor 62 is not displayed on the screen 6.

By various combinations of the methods and apparatus structures presented in connection with the different embodiments of the invention presented above, it is possible to provide various embodiments of the invention in accordance with the spirit of the invention. Therefore, the examples presented above should not be construed as limiting the invention, and embodiments of the invention may be freely modified within the scope of the inventive features set forth in the claims below.

Claims (12)

Providing a touch sensitive screen 6; Providing a pointer element (62) on the touch screen; And A method for adapting a display of an electronic device 1 comprising the step of providing at least one pointing means 8 for providing input to the touch screen. Detecting an active mode of the pointing means (8); And Making the pointer element at least partially invisible when an active mode of the pointing means (8) is detected. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the touch sensitive screen (6) is an inductive touch screen. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the pointing means (8) is a stylus. Touch sensitive screen 6; A pointer element (62) on the touch screen; And In an apparatus comprising at least one pointing means (8) for providing input to the touch screen, A detector for detecting an active mode of the pointing means (8); And Means for making the pointer element invisible at least partially when an active mode of the pointing means is detected. 5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the touch sensitive screen (6) is an inductive touch screen. 5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said pointer element (62) is a virtual cursor. 5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the pointing means (8) is a stylus. The device of claim 4, wherein the device is at least one of a mobile terminal, a mobile phone, a communication device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld computer, and a laptop. Touch sensitive screen 6; A pointer element (62) on the touch screen; And In a system comprising at least one pointing means (8) for providing input to the touch screen, A detector for detecting an active mode of the pointing means (8); And Means for making the pointer element invisible at least partially when an active mode of the pointing means is detected. Touch sensitive screen 6; A pointer element (62) on the touch screen; And A touch screen module of an electronic device 1 comprising means for receiving an input from at least one pointing means 8, A detector for detecting an active mode of the pointing means (8); And Means for making the pointer element invisible at least partially when an active mode of the pointing means is detected. Touch sensitive screen 6; A pointer element (62) on the touch screen; And A computer program for adapting a display of an electronic device 1 comprising means for receiving input from at least one pointing means 8, When the program is executed by a processor, it causes the processor to: Urging to perform detecting the active mode of the pointing means 8, And instructions for prompting the pointer element to perform at least partially invisible when an active mode of the pointing means is detected. Touch sensitive screen 6; A pointer element (62) on the touch screen; And A computer program product readable by a computer for adapting a display of an electronic device 1 comprising means for receiving input from at least one pointing means 8, When the program is executed by a processor, it causes the processor to: Urging to perform detecting the active mode of the pointing means 8, Computer program product comprising instructions for performing the at least partially invisible of the pointer element when an active mode of the pointing means is detected.

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