Input control on a touch-sensitive surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10168895-B2
Application number	US-201514817326-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2015
Priority date	Aug 4, 2015
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes detecting a gesture on a touch-sensitive surface of a device, and determining whether the gesture is performed with respect to a predefined region on the touch-sensitive surface. The computer-implemented method further includes, in response to determining that the gesture is performed with respect to the predefined region, controlling an interaction focus on the touch-sensitive surface based on the gesture. A corresponding electronic device and computer program product are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
identifying, by one or more processors, an area on a touch-sensitive surface of a device corresponding to a concentration of received touch inputs on the touch-sensitive surface;
displaying, by one or more processors, a graphical representation of a predefined region at the area;
detecting, by one or more processors, a gesture on the touch-sensitive surface of a device;
determining, by one or more processors, whether the gesture is performed with respect to the predefined region on the touch-sensitive surface; and
in response to determining that the gesture is performed with respect to the predefined region, controlling, by one or more processors, an interaction focus on the touch-sensitive surface based on the gesture, wherein:
the interaction focus is located outside the predefined region; and
controlling the interaction focus on the touch-sensitive surface based on the gesture comprises:
moving, by one or more processors, the interaction focus on the touch-sensitive surface based on the gesture; and
operating, by one or more processors, a scroll wheel based on the gesture, the interaction focus being put on the scroll wheel, wherein operating the scroll wheel comprises:
in response to the gesture being a circling gesture on a boundary of the predefined region in a first direction, locking, by one or more processors, the interaction focus on the scroll wheel; and
in response to receiving a subsequent gesture with respect to the predefined region, rotating, by one or more processors, the scroll wheel.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a dimension of the predefined region is determined based on a dimension of the touch-sensitive surface.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein moving the interaction focus on the touch-sensitive surface comprises:
in response to the gesture being a tap gesture on a boundary of the predefined region, moving, by one or more processors, the interaction focus according to a direction from a center of the predefined region to a position of the tap.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the graphical representation of the predefined region comprises:
arranging, by one or more processors, the graphical representation of the predefined region within a reachable area of a finger of a user performing the gesture.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying, by one or more processors, a second area of the touch-sensitive surface of the device corresponding to a second concentration of subsequently received touch inputs on the touch-sensitive surface;
moving, by one or more processors, a position of the graphical representation of the predefined region to the second area.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined region is an ellipse.

7. An electronic device comprising:
a touch-sensitive surface; and
at least one processing unit configured to:
identify an area on the touch-sensitive surface corresponding to a concentration of received touch inputs on the touch-sensitive surface;
display a graphical representation of a predefined region at the area;
detect a gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;
determine whether the gesture is performed with respect to the predefined region on the touch-sensitive surface; and
in response to determining that the gesture is performed with respect to the predefined region, control an interaction focus on the touch-sensitive surface based on the gesture, wherein:
the interaction focus is located outside the predefined region; and
controlling the interaction focus on the touch-sensitive surface based on the gesture comprises:
moving the interaction focus on the touch-sensitive surface based on the gesture; and
operating a scroll wheel based on the gesture, the interaction focus being put on the scroll wheel, wherein operating the scroll wheel comprises:
 in response to the gesture being a circling gesture on a boundary of the predefined region in a first direction, locking the interaction focus on the scroll wheel; and
 in response to receiving a subsequent gesture with respect to the predefined region, rotating the scroll wheel.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein a dimension of the predefined region is determined based on a dimension of the touch-sensitive surface.

9. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to perform the step of:
in response to the gesture being a tap gesture on a boundary of the predefined region, moving the interaction focus according to a direction from a center of the predefined region to a position of the tap.

10. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to:
in response to the gesture being a circling gesture on the boundary of the predefined region in a second direction, unlock the interaction focus with respect to the application component, the second direction being different from the first direction.

11. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to:
arrange the graphical representation of the predefined region within a reachable area of a finger of a user performing the gesture.

12. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to:
identify a second area of the touch-sensitive surface corresponding to a second concentration of subsequently received touch inputs on the touch-sensitive surface;
move a position of the graphical representation of the predefined region to the second area.

13. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the predefined region is an ellipse.

14. A computer program product being tangibly stored on a non-transient machine-readable medium and comprising machine-executable instructions, the instructions, when executed on an electronic device, causing the electronic device to:
identify an area on the touch-sensitive surface corresponding to a concentration of received touch inputs on the touch-sensitive surface;
display a graphical representation of a predefined region at the area;
detect a gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;
determine whether the gesture is performed with respect to the predefined region on the touch-sensitive surface; and
in response to determining that the gesture is performed with respect to the predefined region, control an interaction focus on the touch-sensitive surface based on the gesture, wherein:
the interaction focus is located outside the predefined region; and
controlling the interaction focus on the touch-sensitive surface based on the gesture comprises:
moving the interaction focus on the touch-sensitive surface based on the gesture; and
operating a scroll wheel based on the gesture, the interaction focus being put on the scroll wheel, wherein operating the scroll wheel comprises:
in response to the gesture being a circling gesture on a boundary of the predefined region in a first direction, locking the interaction focus on the scroll wheel; and
in response to receiving a subsequent gesture with respect to the predefined region, rotating the scroll wheel.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein a dimension of the predefined region is determined based on a dimension of the touch-sensitive surface.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Feng Yicheng
• Liao Jun
• Wang dan dan
• Xu ming jun
• Yan Wanfei
• Yin Wen Bao

Classifications

• G06F3/04883 Primary

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• G06F3/04886

  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 title

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• G06F3/0484

  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 title