Abstract:
A touch control method is implemented in an electronic system. A calculation of the product of a pressure value and the area over which pressure is applied are included in touch input data packets representing a touch operation, the values of net force associated with the touch input packets are thus obtained. A signal of a short press, if recognized, with a value of net force greater than a net force threshold can be recognized as a signal of a long press, thus simulating an operation of long press and triggering the selection of an object, where the selection of the object would otherwise require a long press operation. The touch control method operates to significantly speed up selection of an object.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a computer technologies, and more particularly to a touch control method and an electronic system utilizing the same. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Smart mobile phones and tablet computers have become increasingly popular. These kinds of mobile devices are typically equipped with a touch device rather than a mouse. Some mouse operations, such as selecting and dragging of icon and/or text, however, are not easy to be replaced by touch operations. Since moving operations, such as swiping or sliding, on capacitive or infrared touch device are typically defined to move screens or menus, a tap or a touch operation that initiates a moving touch operation is usually interpreted as the beginning of a swiping or a sliding action rather than selection of an object that initiates dragging of the object. When a drag operation is utilized to select a group of text, for example, a press down operation is required to select a first part or a first word of the text, then held to select a last word, and the action is released to complete the selection of the text. Alternatively, when a drag operation is utilized to move an icon, a press down operation is required to select the icon, then held and moved to a destination of the icon, and released to complete the move of the icon. 
         [0005]    A time threshold is typically required to distinguish between a swipe and a drag operation. A press operation on an object with an operation time greater than the time threshold is referred to as a long press and interpreted as a selection of the object that initiates dragging of the object. A press operation on an object when terminated on the object with a shorter operation time is referred to as a short press and interpreted as a selection of the object that initiates execution of an application represented by the object. A press operation on an object when held and moved to leave the object with an operation time less than the time threshold is interpreted as a beginning of a swipe operation that moves a screen of a smart mobile phone rather than the object. 
         [0006]    In some applications, the time threshold utilized to distinguish between a swipe and a drag complicates user operations and affects application fluency. For example, selecting an object in a computer game according to the time threshold may cause loss of opportunities in the game. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1A  is a block diagram of one embodiment of an electronic system in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0008]      FIG. 1B  is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a remote control application; 
           [0009]      FIGS. 2A-2G  are schematic diagram showing curves of pressure, curves of pressed area, and curves of net forces associated with touch operations; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram showing software and hardware layers of a mobile device and a media player device; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart showing a process of determination as to whether a selection or a dragging operation is initiated by touch operation signals; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5A  is schematic diagram showing a greeting screen first displayed on a display, upon initialization of a remote control application; 
           [0013]      FIGS. 5B ,  5 C, and  5 D are schematic diagrams showing show alternative screens displayed on a display in a locked mode of a mobile device; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is schematic diagram showing a framework indicating effectiveness of a heavy press. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in  FIGS. 1-5  of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. Various embodiments illustrate different features of the disclosure. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references can mean “at least one.” Descriptions of components in the embodiments are given for the purpose of illustrating rather than limiting. 
         [0016]    Embodiments of a touch control method and an electronic system utilizing the same are given as follows, thus providing user friendly and intuitive controls to electronic systems such as smart mobile phones, tablet personal computers, set-top boxes, and smart televisions. The embodiments of this touch control method and an electronic system utilize a short press to simulate a long press. 
         [0017]    With reference to  FIG. 1A , an electronic system  10   a  comprises mobile device  40  and media player device  50 . Units and modules in the electronic system  10   a  may be realized by computer programs or electronic circuits. A processor  41  in the mobile device  40  is in communication with a memory  42 , a display  43 , a touch device  401 , and a wireless communication unit  402 . Embodiments of the mobile device  40  may comprise personal digital assistants (PDAs), laptop computers, smart mobile phones or tablet personal computers. The memory  42  in the mobile device  40  may comprise an operating system and applications, such as ANDROID™ operating system and a remote control application  440  and a target application  450 . 
         [0018]      FIG. 1B  shows a schematic view of the remote control application  440 . A detector  442  detects touch operations of the touch device  401 . A touch operation comprises a user operation on a touch sensitive device such as the touch device  401  and the event is detected by the touch sensitive device. Various gestures applied to the touch sensitive device are detected by the touch sensitive device as different touch operations such as press-down, release, short press, long press, light press, heavy press, drag, move, swipe, and other operations/events. A short press on the touch device  401  with a net force greater than a net force threshold is referred to as a heavy press. A command generator  444  generates the consequences of a long press signal upon receiving a short press on the touch device  401  with a net force greater than a net force threshold. A signal encapsulating unit  445  encapsulates signals generated by the command generator  444  in a unit of data, such as a frame of a packet. The command generator  444  generates and transmits wireless touch signals of touch operation signals  90  associated with the touch device  401  through the signal encapsulating unit  445  and the wireless communication unit  402  to the media player device  50 , to exert overall control of the media player device  50 . The wireless touch signals represent net force measurements representative of touch operation signals  90  associated with the touch device  401 . The remaining units and module in the remote control application  440  are detailed as follows. 
         [0019]    A processor  51  in the media player device  50  is in communication with a memory  52 , a display  53 , an input device  501 , and a wireless communication unit  502 . Embodiments of the media player device  50  may comprise smart televisions or set-top boxes.  FIG. 1  is provided for an example. An embodiment of the media player device  50  which comprises a set-top box may not comprise the display  43 . Embodiments of the mobile device  40  may also comprise a media player device, such as a smart television. 
         [0020]    The memory  52  in the media player device  50  may comprise an operating system and applications, such as Android™ operating system, an input service application  540  and a target application  550 . 
         [0021]    The processors  41  and  51  respectively constitute a central processing unit of the mobile device  40  and of the media player device  50 , operable to process data and execute computer programs, and may be packaged as an integrated circuit (IC). 
         [0022]    The wireless communication units  402  and  502  establish wireless communication channels to facilitate wireless communication between the mobile device  40  and the media player device  50  through the wireless communication channels, connection to an application store on the Internet, and downloading of applications, such as the remote control application  440  and the input service application  540 , from the application store. 
         [0023]    Each of the wireless communication units  402  and  502  may comprise antennas, base band and radio frequency (RF) chipsets for wireless local area network communications and/or cellular communications such as wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA) and high speed downlink packet access (HSDPA). 
         [0024]    Embodiments of the touch device may comprises capacitive, resistive, or infrared touch devices. The touch device detects touch operations and generates electrical touch operation signals based on the touch operations, and generates digital touch operation signals based on the electrical touch operation signals. The digital touch operation signals comprise a sequence of touch operation packets representative of the touch operations. Each packet within the touch operation packets comprises a pressure field, area field, and coordinate field respectively operable to store a pressure value, a pressed area, and coordinates representing a touch operation represented by the packet. 
         [0025]    The touch device  401  may comprises a touch panel overlaid on a display, and may be integrated with the display  43  to be a touch display. The input device  501  may comprises functional control keys, alphanumeric keyboards, touch panels, and touch displays. 
         [0026]    In the remote control application  440 , the detector  442  detects user operations on the touch device  401 . A counter  441  counts and signifies to the processor  41  a initiating time, a termination time, and duration of each of various user operations on the touch device  401 . A selection recognition unit  443  determines whether a press on the touch device  401  is a heavy press to represent a long press. A long press comprises a press with an operation period greater than a time duration threshold, and a short press is a press with an operation period less than the time duration threshold. A heavy press is a press on the touch device  401  with a net force greater than a net force threshold. A value of net force of a touch operation on the touch device  401  is the product of a pressure value and a pressed area associated with the touch operation with respect to a point in time. The heavy press is recognized based on the net force threshold rather than on the time threshold, so a heavy press may be a short press. 
         [0027]    A oscillator  44  provides clock signals to the processor  41  and other components in the mobile device  40 . A oscillator  54  provides clock signals to the processor  51  and other components in the media player device  50 . A controller  45  and/or a driver of the touch device  401  generates data packets of touch operations with respect to time with reference to clock signals provided by the oscillator  44  or the counter  441 . Each packet within the touch operation data packets comprises a pressure value, a pressed area, and coordinates of a touch operation on the touch device  401  represented by the packet respectively stored in a pressure field, an area field, and a coordinate field of the packet. 
         [0028]    The signal encapsulating unit  445  inputs as many touch operation packets of the sequence of touch operation packets as the duration of a certain time interval allows to a converter  446 . The converter  446  generates a net force value of each input packet selected from these touch operation packets via the calculation of the product of a pressure value and a pressed area of the input packet, and thus generates net force values of the touch operation packets as a net force measurement of the touch operations, which may be rendered as a net force curve on a coordinates system. 
         [0029]    In alternative embodiments, the converter  446  multiplies a pressure value and a pressed area associated with each input touch operation packet to obtain a product value for each input touch operation packet, and averages product values of a plurality of input touch operation packets over a specific period of time to obtain an averaged product value as a net force value of the input touch operation packet. 
         [0030]    The signal encapsulating unit  445  or the converter  446  stores the net force of the input touch operation packet in the pressure field of the input touch operation packet to replace a pressure value in the pressure field. With reference to  FIG. 2G , the specific period of time is illustrated as a time interval T 1 , and may be defined as a time interval smaller than T 1 , such as segment of time interval T 1 . 
         [0031]    The processor  41  displays an object  71  on the display  43 . The mobile device  40  comprises a target program which requires a long press to initiate selection of the object  71  and terminates the selection upon receiving a release event associated with the object  71 . The target program of the mobile device  40  continues to receive coordinates of touch operations represented by touch operation signals  90  and may realize the commencement of a drag operation of the object  71  according to the received coordinates. Examples of the target program may comprises a target application  450  or an operating system. The target application  450  of the mobile device  40 , for example, requires a long press to initiate selection of the object  71 . The long press comprises a press with an operation period greater than a time duration threshold, and the mobile device  40  counts the period of operation from the onset of the long press to release or termination of the long press. 
         [0032]    The processor  51  displays an object  72  on the display  53 . The media player device  50  comprises a target program which requires a long press to initiate selection of the object  72  and terminates the selection upon receiving a release event associated with the object  72 . The target program of the media player device  50  continues to receive coordinates of touch operations represented by touch operation signals  90  and may realize a drag operation of the object  72  according to the received coordinates. Examples of the target program may be a target application  550  or an operating system. The target application  550  of the media player device  50 , for example, requires a long press to initiate selection of the object  72 . The long press is a press with an operation period greater than a time duration threshold, and the media player device  50  counts the period of operation from the onset of the long press to release or termination of the long press. 
         [0033]      FIG. 2A  shows a curve of pressure  21  and a curve of pressed area  22  associated with the touch operation signals  90  received by the processor  41  from touch device  401 . The touch operation signals  90  comprises a sequence of touch operation packets. The sequence of touch operation packets comprises a plurality of touch operation packets. A horizontal axis in  FIGS. 2A-2G  represents sequence numbers of packets receive by the processor  41  with respect to time, and a vertical axis in  FIGS. 2A-2G  represents values in the pressure fields and area field of the received packets. The curve of pressure  21  is obtained from pressure values of the touch operation packets stored in the pressure fields of the touch operation packets. The curve of pressed area  22  is obtained from pressed area of the touch operation packets stored in the area fields of the touch operation packets. 
         [0034]      FIG. 2B  shows curves of net force  23  and  24  associated with the touch operation signals  90  received by the processor  41  from touch device  401 . The curves of net force  23  and  24  are obtained from net force values of the touch operation packets stored in the pressure field. The curve of net force  23  is obtained from a multiplication calculation. The curve of net force  24  is obtained from the multiplication and the averaging calculation. 
         [0035]      FIGS. 2C ,  2 D,  2 E, and  2 F respectively show curves of net force  25 ,  26 ,  27 , and  28  associated with the touch operation signals  90  received by the processor  41  from touch device  401 . The curves of net force  25 ,  26 ,  27 , and  28  represent different touch operations on the touch device  401 . The curve of net force  25  represents a press down operation/event. The curve of net force  26  represents a touch movement operation/event. The curve of net force  27  represents a press and move operation/event. The press and move operation/event comprises a drag operation wherein a touch movement operation/event follows a press down operation/event. The curve of net force  28  represents a light press operation/event. A light press comprise a press operation with a net force less than a net force threshold. A heavy press comprise a press operation with a net force equal to or greater than a net force threshold. 
         [0036]      FIG. 2G  show a combined view of curves of net force  25 ,  26 ,  27 , and  28  for convenience of comparison. A discernable difference exists between curves  25  and  27  representing at least a press down operation/event and curves  26  and  28  representing at least a light press operation/event. The selection recognition unit  443  may determine that curves  25  and  27  both represent a heavy press and that curves  26  and  28  do not represent a heavy press based on a net force threshold. The selection recognition unit  443  may interpret a portion of the curves  25  and  27  within time period T 1  as being touch signals representing a heavy press which may be utilized to trigger selection of the object  71  or  72 . 
         [0037]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , if a heavy press is applied to an object  73 , a framework may be displayed to enclose the object  73  upon selection of the object  73 , thus indicating the selection of the object  73 , referred to as a first selection operation, during a period of first selection operation. The electronic system  10   a  may utilize various visual effects to indicate a heavy press on the object  73 . Examples of the object  73  are the object  71  or  72 . 
         [0038]    The left end of each curve near the origin represents an onset point of a touch operation represented by the curve. An interval between the left end of each curve to the right limit of the time period T 1  is smaller than the time threshold. In  FIG. 2G , for example, time intervals between the origin to the left limit of the time period T 1  and between the origin to the right limit of the time period T 1  are substantially 0.1 seconds and 0.5 seconds respectively. 
         [0039]    With reference to  FIG. 3 , the mobile device  40  receives touch operation signals  90  via the touch device  401  of the hardware layer  400 . The processor  41  of the mobile device  40  delivers and converts the touch operation signals  90  between the software and hardware units of the mobile device  40  in the sequence indicated by a path P 1 . The mobile device  40  then utilizes the wireless communication unit  402  of the hardware layer  400  to transmit the touch operation signals  90  to the media player device  50  through the wireless network  60 . 
         [0040]    The media player device  50  receives the touch operation signals  90  via the wireless communication unit  502  of the hardware layer  500 . The processor  51  of the media player device  50  delivers the touch operation signals  90  between the software and hardware units of the media player device  50  in the sequence indicated by the path P 2 . The media player device  50  thus transmits the touch operation signals  90  to the target application  550  via a point function  521  in the system library  520 . The target application  550  utilizes the touch operation signals  90  as the control signals to the object  72 , or to a cursor, to perform a specific function. 
         [0041]    Software and hardware units of the mobile device  40  include a hardware layer  400 , an operating system kernel  410 , a system library  420 , a virtual system framework  430 , and a remote control program  440 . The system library  420  comprises a pointer function  421 . The hardware layer  400  includes an touch device  401 , a wireless communication unit  402 , and other hardware components. 
         [0042]    The operating system kernel  410  is Linux™ or other operating system kernel such as WINDOWS™, MAC OS™ or IOS™. The virtual system framework  430  may comprise an Android™ operating system or may comprise an instance of any other virtual machine. The wireless communication unit  402  is a wireless network device compatible with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard or other wireless communication standard such as BLUETOOTH™ or ZIGBEE™ 
         [0043]    The delivery and conversion of the touch operation signals  90  along the path P 1  between the software and hardware units of the mobile device  40  (and then to the wireless network  60 ), as executed by the processor  41  of the mobile device  40 , is shown in Table 1 as follows: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Sequence 
                 Transmitting Unit 
                 Receiving Unit 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 1 
                 Touch device 401 
                 Operating System Kernel 410 
               
               
                 2 
                 Operating System Kernel 410 
                 Pointer function 421 
               
               
                 3 
                 Pointer function 421 
                 Virtual system framework 430 
               
               
                 4 
                 Virtual system framework 430 
                 Remote Control Program 440 
               
               
                 5 
                 Remote Control Program 440 
                 Virtual system framework 430 
               
               
                 6 
                 Virtual system framework 430 
                 System Library 420 
               
               
                 7 
                 System Library 420 
                 Operating System Kernel 410 
               
               
                 8 
                 Operating System Kernel 410 
                 Wireless communication unit 
               
               
                   
                   
                 402 
               
               
                 9 
                 Wireless communication unit 
                 Wireless Network 60 
               
               
                   
                 402 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0044]    Software and hardware units of the media player device  50  include a hardware layer  500 , an operating system kernel  510 , a system library  520 , a virtual system framework  530 , an input service  540 , and a target application  550 . The input service  540  is an application. The system library  520  comprises a pointer function  521 . The operating system kernel  510  has an input control function  511 . The hardware layer  500  further includes a wireless communication unit  502  and other hardware components of the media player device  50 . 
         [0045]    The operating system kernel  510  is LINUX™ or other operating system kernel such as WINDOWS™, MAC OS™ or IOS™. The virtual system framework  530  may comprise an ANDROID™ operating system or may comprise an instance of another virtual machine. The input control  511  may comprise a Uinput function of LINUX™. The wireless communication unit  502  and the wireless network  60  may respectively be a wireless network device and a wireless network compatible with the IEEE 802.11 standard or with another wireless communication standard such as BLUETOOTH™ or ZIGBEE™ The wireless network  60  may be one or more network devices which establish wireless network and communication channels. 
         [0046]    The wireless communication unit  502  receives the touch operation signals  90  from the wireless network  60 . The delivery and conversion of the touch operation signals  90  along the path P 2  between the software and hardware units of the media player device  50 , as executed by the processor  51  of the media player device  50 , is shown in Table 2 as follows: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 2 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Sequence 
                 Transmitting Unit 
                 Receiving Unit 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 1 
                 Wireless network 60 
                 Wireless communication unit 
               
               
                   
                   
                 502 
               
               
                 2 
                 Wireless communication unit 
                 Operating System Kernel 510 
               
               
                   
                 502 
               
               
                 3 
                 Operating System Kernel 510 
                 System Library 520 
               
               
                 4 
                 System Library 520 
                 Virtual system framework 530 
               
               
                 5 
                 Virtual system framework 530 
                 Input service 540 
               
               
                 6 
                 Input service 540 
                 Virtual system framework 530 
               
               
                 7 
                 Virtual system framework 530 
                 System Library 520 
               
               
                 8 
                 System Library 520 
                 Input control 511 
               
               
                 9 
                 Input control 511 
                 Point function 521 
               
               
                 10 
                 Point function 521 
                 Virtual system framework 530 
               
               
                 11 
                 Virtual system framework 530 
                 Target Application 550 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0047]    Touch operation signals received by the pointer function  421  are thus transferred and interpreted as touch operation signals dedicated to the pointer function  521 , and are transferred to the target application  550  according to a connection or a relationship between the pointer function  521  and the target application  550 . The connection or relationship may be based on function call or other control mechanism between the pointer function  521  and the target application  550 . The target application  550  accordingly regards the touch operation signals  90  as user operation signals, such as pointer signals or others, to perform a function. 
         [0048]      FIG. 4  shows a processing flow of the touch operation signals  90  by the mobile device  40  and the media player device  50 . One or both of the processors  41  and  51  may execute the steps in  FIG. 4 . One or both of remote control application  440  and the input service  540  may process the touch operation signals  90  according to the steps in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0049]    A determination as to whether a touch operation conveyed by the touch operation signals  90  has been terminated is executed (step S 2 ). If the touch operation has been terminated, the process of  FIG. 4  is ended. If the touch operation has not been terminated, a determination is made as to whether the touch operation has endured for at least 0.1 seconds (step S 4 ). If the touch operation has not lasted for at least 0.1 seconds, step S 2  is repeated. If the touch operation has continued for at least 0.1 seconds, a determination is made as to whether the touch operation has lasted for at least 0.5 seconds (step S 8 ). If the touch operation has not lasted for at least 0.5 seconds, touch operation packets comprising current coordinates of the touch operation are continuously delivered (step S 6 ). If the touch operation has last for at least 0.5 seconds, a determination is executed as to whether the touch operation has spanned or moved across at least 15 pixels (step S 10 ). If the span of the touch operation has not exceeded 15 pixels, touch operation packets comprising current coordinates of the touch operation are continuously delivered (step S 22 ), and another determination as to whether a touch operation has been terminated is executed (step S 24 ). If the span of the touch operation has exceeded 15 pixels, a determination is executed as to whether a net force measurement of the touch operation exceeds the net force threshold (step S 12 ). If the net force measurement of the touch operation does not exceed the net force threshold, step  22  is repeated. If the net force measurement of the touch operation does exceed the net force threshold, signals signifying a press-down event/operation or a long press event/operation are delivered (step S 14 ), and touch operation packets comprising current coordinates of the touch operation continue to be delivered (step S 16 ). A further determination as to whether the touch operation has been terminated is executed (step S 18 ). If the touch operation has not been terminated, step S 16  is repeated. If the touch operation has been terminated, a release signal representing release of the touch operation action is delivered (step S 20 ). 
         [0050]    One or both of the processors  41  and  51  generate a first instance of the press-down signal or a long press signal to initiate selection of the object  71  or  72 . 
         [0051]    One or both of the processors  41  and  51  performs the following steps for recognition of a dragging operation: a drag recognition unit  448  is utilized to determine whether the measurement of the net force of the touch operation signals  90  is sufficient to trigger a first dragging operation of the object  71  or  72 . One or both of the processors  41  and  51  utilize the drag recognition unit  448  to determine whether the touch operation signals  90  comprise a span or movement exceeding n pixels, wherein the number n is an integer. If the span of the touch operation exceeds n pixels, the first dragging operation of the object  71  or  72  is thus triggered following the first selection operation and is later terminated in response to termination of the first selection operation. 
         [0052]    In an alternative embodiment of the electronic system  10   a , the processor  41  display a graphical user interface to receive a heavy press on the touch device  401  and generates the net force threshold according to the heavy press. 
         [0053]      FIG. 5A  show a greeting screen first displayed on display  43  upon initialization of the remote control application  440 . The greeting screen is a graphical user interface component  31  which requires a press-down event/operation to allow the remote control application  440  to take control. The remote control application  440  generates the net force threshold according to net force values of the touch operation signals of the press-down event/operation. 
         [0054]      FIG. 5B  shows a screen displayed on display  43  in a locked mode of the mobile device  40 . The screen comprises a graphical user interface component  32  which requires a dragging event/operation towards the right of the display  43  to unlock and wake up the mobile device  40  from the locked mode. The mobile device  40  may then receive normal touch operations. The remote control application  440  generates the net force threshold according to net force values of the touch operation signals of the dragging event/operation. 
         [0055]      FIG. 5C  show another screen which may be displayed on display  43  in the locked mode of the mobile device  40 . The screen comprises a graphical user interface component  33  which requires a dragging event/operation downward towards the bottom of the display  43  to unlock and resume full service of the mobile device  40  from the locked mode. The mobile device  40  may then receive normal touch operations. The remote control application  440  generates the net force threshold according to net force values of the touch operation signals of the dragging event/operation downward. 
         [0056]      FIG. 5D  show another screen which may be displayed on display  43  in the locked mode of the mobile device  40 . The screen comprises a graphical user interface component  34  which requires a touch movement travelling in the correct order through circles in the component  34  to unlock and resume full service of the mobile device  40  from the locked mode. The mobile device  40  may receive touch operations in addition to the touch movement after exiting the locked mode. The remote control application  440  generates the net force threshold according to net force values of the touch operation signals. 
         [0057]    Touch operation signals for the heavy press, press-down, and a long press event/operation may be generated in series or in parallel, or in a selective way. When the touch operation signals are generated in series, for example, the electronic system  10   a  generates signals of a long press operation/event according to signals of a heavy press operation/event, and generates signals of a press-down operation/event according to signals of a long press operation/event. When the touch operation signals are generated in parallel, for example, the electronic system  10   a  generates signals of a long press operation/event and signals of a press-down operation/event in parallel according to signals of a heavy press operation/event. When the touch operation signals are generated in a selective way, for example, the electronic system  10   a  generates signals of a long press operation/event or of a press-down operation/event according to signals of a heavy press operation/event. 
         [0058]    The remote control application  440  may generate signals of a long press operation/event or of a press-down operation/event based on the touch operation signals  90  and transmit the generated signals to the target application  550 . Alternatively, the remote control application  440  may generate and transmit the touch operation signals  90  to the target application  550 , and the target application  550  in turn generates signals of a long press operation/event or of a press-down operation/event based on the touch operation signals  90 . 
         [0059]    The touch control method coexists with the long press operation/event to provide additional options in controlling an object. The touch control method generates signals of a long press operation/event according to signals of a heavy press operation/event, which allows simulation of a long press operation/event by a heavy press operation/event. The generated long press operation/event may be utilized to trigger subsequent operations, such as generating a press-down operation/event for selecting an object. The touch control method thus reduces the time required to trigger selection of an object. 
         [0060]    The foregoing disclosure of various embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Many variations and modifications of the embodiments described herein will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the above disclosure. The scope of the disclosure is to be defined only by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents.