Patent Publication Number: US-2011074827-A1

Title: Electronic device including touch-sensitive input device and method of controlling same

Description:
FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY 
     The present disclosure relates to electronic devices including but not limited to portable electronic devices having touch-sensitive input devices and their control. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Electronic devices, including portable electronic devices, have gained widespread use and may provide a variety of functions including, for example, telephonic, electronic messaging and other personal information manager (PIM) application functions. Portable electronic devices include several types of devices including mobile stations such as simple cellular telephones, smart telephones, wireless PDAs, and laptop computers with wireless 802.11 or Bluetooth capabilities. 
     Portable electronic devices such as PDAs or smart telephones are generally intended for handheld use and ease of portability. Smaller devices are generally desirable for portability. A touch-sensitive input devices such as a touch-sensitive display, also known as a touchscreen display, are particularly useful on handheld devices, which are small and have limited space for user input and output. The information displayed on the touch-sensitive displays may be modified depending on the functions and operations being performed. 
     Improvements in touch-sensitive input devices are desirable. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a portable electronic device in accordance with the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a flowchart illustrating a method of facilitating manipulation and interaction with displayed information at a portable electronic device in accordance with the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4  illustrate examples of a touch-sensitive display of a portable electronic device before and after a gesture in accordance with the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates an example of a display of another example of a portable electronic device, before and after a gesture in accordance with the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following describes a method of controlling a portable electronic device. The method includes displaying information on a display of a portable electronic device, detecting, by a touch-sensitive input device, a gesture, performing a first function in response to detecting the gesture, and performing a zooming function on the information on the display when the gesture comprises a curved gesture. 
     For simplicity and clarity of illustration, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. Numerous details are set forth to provide an understanding of the embodiments described herein. The embodiments may be practiced without these details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail to avoid obscuring the embodiments described. 
     The description is not to be considered as limited to the scope of the embodiments described herein. 
     The disclosure generally relates to an electronic device, which is a portable electronic device in the embodiments described herein. Examples of portable electronic devices include mobile, or handheld, wireless communication devices such as pagers, cellular phones, cellular smart-phones, wireless organizers, personal digital assistants, wirelessly enabled notebook computers, and so forth. The portable electronic device may also be a portable electronic device without wireless communication capabilities, such as a handheld electronic game device, digital photograph album, digital camera, or other device. 
     A block diagram of an example of a portable electronic device  100  is shown in  FIG. 1 . The portable electronic device  100  includes multiple components, such as a processor  102  that controls the overall operation of the portable electronic device  100 . Communication functions, including data and voice communications, are performed through a communication subsystem  104 . Data received by the portable electronic device  100  is decompressed and decrypted by a decoder  106 . The communication subsystem  104  receives messages from and sends messages to a wireless network  150 . The wireless network  150  may be any type of wireless network, including, but not limited to, data wireless networks, voice wireless networks, and networks that support both voice and data communications. A power source  142 , such as one or more rechargeable batteries or a port to an external power supply, powers the portable electronic device  100 . 
     The processor  102  interacts with other components, such as Random Access Memory (RAM)  108 , memory  110 , a display  112  with a touch-sensitive overlay  114  operably connected to an electronic controller  116  that together comprise a touch-sensitive display  118 , one or more actuators  120 , one or more force sensors  122 , an auxiliary input/output (I/O) subsystem  124 , a data port  126 , a speaker  128 , a microphone  130 , short-range communications  132 , and other device subsystems  134 . User-interaction with a graphical user interface is performed through the touch-sensitive overlay  114 . The processor  102  interacts with the touch-sensitive overlay  114  via the electronic controller  116 . Information, such as text, characters, symbols, images, icons, and other items that may be displayed or rendered on a portable electronic device, is displayed on the touch-sensitive display  118  via the processor  102 . The processor  102  may interact with an accelerometer  136  that may be utilized to detect direction of gravitational forces or gravity-induced reaction forces. 
     To identify a subscriber for network access, the portable electronic device  100  uses a Subscriber Identity Module or a Removable User Identity Module (SIM/RUIM) card  138  for communication with a network, such as the wireless network  150 . Alternatively, user identification information may be programmed into memory  110 . 
     The portable electronic device  100  includes an operating system  146  and software programs or components  148  that are executed by the processor  102  and are typically stored in a persistent, updatable store such as the memory  110 . Additional applications or programs may be loaded onto the portable electronic device  100  through the wireless network  150 , the auxiliary I/O subsystem  124 , the data port  126 , the short-range communications subsystem  132 , or any other suitable subsystem  134 . 
     A received signal such as a text message, an e-mail message, or web page download is processed by the communication subsystem  104  and input to the processor  102 . The processor  102  processes the received signal for output to the display  112  and/or to the auxiliary I/O subsystem  124 . A subscriber may generate data items, for example e-mail messages, which may be transmitted over the wireless network  150  through the communication subsystem  104 . For voice communications, the overall operation of the portable electronic device  100  is similar. The speaker  128  outputs audible information converted from electrical signals, and the microphone  130  converts audible information into electrical signals for processing. 
     The touch-sensitive display  118  may be any suitable touch-sensitive display, such as a capacitive, resistive, infrared, surface acoustic wave (SAW) touch-sensitive display, strain gauge, optical imaging, dispersive signal technology, acoustic pulse recognition, and so forth, as known in the art. A capacitive touch-sensitive display includes a capacitive touch-sensitive overlay  114 . The overlay  114  may be an assembly of multiple layers in a stack including, for example, a substrate, a ground shield layer, a barrier layer, one or more capacitive touch sensor layers separated by a substrate or other barrier, and a cover. The capacitive touch sensor layers may be any suitable material, such as patterned indium tin oxide (ITO). 
     One or more touches, also known as touch contacts or touch events, may be detected by the touch-sensitive display  118 . The processor  102  may determine attributes of the touch, including a location of a touch. Touch location data may include an area of contact or a single point of contact, such as a point at or near a center of the area of contact. The location of a detected touch may include x and y components, e.g., horizontal and vertical components, respectively, with respect to one&#39;s view of the touch-sensitive display  118 . For example, the x location component may be determined by a signal generated from one touch sensor, and the y location component may be determined by a signal generated from another touch sensor. A signal is provided to the controller  116  in response to detection of a touch. A touch may be detected from any suitable object, such as a finger, thumb, appendage, or other items, for example, a stylus, pen, or other pointer, depending on the nature of the touch-sensitive display  118 . Multiple simultaneous touches may be detected. 
     The actuator(s)  120  may be depressed by applying sufficient force to the touch-sensitive display  118  to overcome the actuation force of the actuator  120 . The actuator  120  may be actuated by pressing anywhere on the touch-sensitive display  118 . The actuator  120  may provide input to the processor  102  when actuated. Actuation of the actuator  120  may result in provision of tactile feedback. 
     A mechanical dome switch actuator may be utilized. In this example, tactile feedback is provided when the dome collapses due to imparted force and when the dome returns to the rest position after release of the switch. 
     Alternatively, the actuator  120  may comprise one or more piezoelectric (piezo) devices that provide tactile feedback for the touch-sensitive display  118 . Contraction of the piezo actuator(s) applies a spring-like force, for example, opposing a force externally applied to the touch-sensitive display  118 . Each piezo actuator includes a piezoelectric device, such as a piezoelectric (PZT) ceramic disk adhered to a metal substrate. The metal substrate bends when the PZT disk contracts due to build up of charge at the PZT disk or in response to a force, such as an external force applied to the touch-sensitive display  118 . The charge may be adjusted by varying the applied voltage or current, thereby controlling the force applied by the piezo disks. The charge on the piezo actuator may be removed by a controlled discharge current that causes the PZT disk to expand, releasing the force thereby decreasing the force applied by the piezo disks. The charge may advantageously be removed over a relatively short period of time to provide tactile feedback to the user. Absent an external force and absent a charge on the piezo disk, the piezo disk may be slightly bent due to a mechanical preload. 
     A gesture begins at an origin point and follows a path while touch contact is maintained. A gesture may be long or short in distance or duration or both distance and duration. A gesture may also be detected by the touch-sensitive display  118 . Points of a gesture are obtained at regular intervals in time or distance along the path of the gesture. The points along the path of the gesture are utilized to determine attributes of the gesture including, for example, direction, and duration. These attributes may be utilized in a panning operation or in zooming. 
     Several points of the gesture are utilized to determine if the gesture comprises a curved gesture by determining if the path, or a part of the path, forms at least a partial circle, i.e., not a full 360 degrees, utilizing a curve fitting process on the points. A maximum and minimum radius of the curve as well as a minimum number of radians or degrees or a percentage of the circle may apply to the curve fitting process. For example, to determine that the points fit a curve, within a tolerance level, the curve fitting process may be limited to a partial circle between 8 mm and 30 mm in diameter, where the path follows at least 15 degrees or π/12 radians. A path that falls outside these constraints is not determined to fit a curve and not determined to comprise a curved gesture. When the path is determined to fit a curve, the gesture is determined to comprise a curved gesture. The chronological order of the points of the gesture is utilized to determine the rotational direction, i.e., clockwise or counterclockwise, for a curved gesture. 
     The touch-sensitive display  118  is configured to display information such as text, characters, symbols, images, pictures, icons and other items that may be displayed or rendered in an application. 
     A flowchart illustrating a method of displaying information based on a detected gesture is shown in  FIG. 2 . The method may be carried out by software executed, for example, by the processor  102 . Coding of software for carrying out such a method is within the scope of a person of ordinary skill in the art given the present description. Information is displayed  202  on the display  112  of the portable electronic device  100 . When a touch comprising a gesture is detected  204 , the direction of the gesture is determined  206 , and a panning operation is performed  208  by scrolling or moving the displayed information based on the direction, as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     Optionally, a short delay may be utilized before the panning operation is performed at  208 , to first determine whether or not the gesture is a curved gesture and to inhibit panning when a zoom is quickly detected. 
     When a curved gesture is detected  210  within the gesture, the panning operation is discontinued and the rotational direction of the curved gesture, e.g., clockwise or counterclockwise, is determined  212 . When the curved gesture is detected to be formed in a first rotational direction, a zooming function is performed by zooming in  214 , and the process continues at  212 . Zooming may be performed to magnify or shrink the image based on the extent of the gesture along a circular path. For a curved gesture that forms a full circle where the origin point and the end point are at approximately the same location, further zooming is performed compared to a curved gesture that forms a partial circle. For example, zooming may be performed to increase to 200% of the original size when the gesture path forms a full circle. Alternatively, zooming may be performed based on the time the gesture follows a curved path. Further zooming may be performed with a greater gesture duration. 
     When the curved gesture is detected to be formed in a second rotational direction, a zooming function is performed by zooming out  216 , and the process continues at  212 . Zooming out may be performed to shrink the size of the image based on the extent of the gesture along a circular path. For a curved gesture that forms a full circle where the origin point and the end point are at approximately the same location, further zooming out is performed compared to a curved gesture that forms a partial circle. For example, zooming out may be performed to decrease to 50% of the original size when the gesture path forms a full circle. Alternatively, zooming out may be performed based on the time the gesture follows a curved path. Further zooming out may be performed with a greater gesture duration. 
     Detection of whether the gesture comprises a curved gesture may be repeated while the touch is maintained. A gesture may be detected  210  to comprise a curved gesture after an earlier determination  210  that the gesture does not comprise a curved gesture. For example, a user may pan information with a single gesture that comprises, at first, relatively straight path to find a desired part of the information, at which time the user changes the gesture to a curved gesture to zoom in on the relevant information. 
     Optionally, the process may continue at  210 , instead of  212 , after a zooming operation is performed at  214  or  216 , as indicated by the dotted line. By returning to  210 , zooming may be performed while the gesture comprises a curved gesture. Zooming may be followed by panning when the touch continues until the gesture is no longer curved. This optional return point provides for more extended and complicated gestures. For example, a single gesture may be utilized to pan information to find specific information, zoom in on that specific information, zoom out, pan again to another part of the information, and zoom again, all without having to discontinue the touch to change modes between panning and zooming. 
     An example of a display before and after a gesture is shown in  FIG. 3  and another example of a display before and after a gesture is shown in  FIG. 4 . In these examples, an image is displayed  202  on the touch-sensitive display  118 . The image may be displayed, for example, in a image viewing application, in a web browser application, or any other suitable application. In the example of the display shown in  FIG. 3 , a gesture is detected  204 , the direction of the gesture is determined  206 , and the image is panned  208  based on the direction of the gesture. As shown in the upper display of  FIG. 3 , a curved gesture is detected  210  following the path  306  beginning at the origin point  302  and finishing at an end point  304 . The direction of the gesture is  212  in a first rotational direction, which in this example is clockwise, and the image is zoomed in  214  based on the extent of the gesture along a circular path. The gesture extends 25% of a full circle, and the displayed size of the image is zoomed or magnified to 125% of the previous size in this example. As shown in the lower display of  FIG. 3 , a circle  308  is rendered on the touch-sensitive display  118  after the curved gesture is detected to provide a visual confirmation that a zooming function is being performed. An indication of the percentage of zoom  310 , which in this example is 125%, is also displayed. 
     In the example of  FIG. 4 , a gesture is detected  204  and the direction of the gesture is determined  206 , beginning at the origin point  402  and finishing at the end point  404  as shown in the upper display. The direction is  208  downward in the orientation shown in  FIG. 4 , and the image is panned  210  in the same direction by a distance that is substantially equivalent to the length of the gesture as shown in the lower display of  FIG. 4 . A curved gesture is not detected  210  in the gesture. The process ends when the touch ends. 
     Another example of a display before and after a curved gesture is shown in  FIG. 5 . In this example, the portable electronic device  500  includes a keyboard  502  and an optical joystick  504 , also referred to as an optical input device, for controlling, for example, a cursor on the display  506 . The remainder of the features of the portable electronic device  500  may be similar to those described above. 
     A touch may be detected by the optical joystick  504  and processed by the processor, for example, to determine attributes of the touch including the touch location. A gesture may also be detected by the optical joystick  504 . Touch locations, referred to as points of the gesture, may be taken at regular intervals in time or distance along the gesture. 
     A touch is followed by the optical joystick  504  and points of a gesture are taken at regular intervals in time or distance along the path of the gesture. The points along the path of the gesture are utilized to determine attributes of the gesture including, for example, direction, and duration. These attributes are utilized in a panning operation. 
     Several points of the gesture are utilized to determine if the path forms at least a partial circle by curve fitting utilizing the points of the path. The process of curve fitting may be subject to constraints including a maximum and minimum radius of the curve as well as a minimum number of radians or degrees or percentage of the circle. For example, to determine that the points fit a partial circle, within a tolerance level, the curve fitting process may be limited to fitting to a circle that is sufficiently large for detection by the optical joystick  504  and sufficiently small to fit on the optical joystick  504 . Thus, the size may be dependent on the optical joystick  504 . 
     In the example shown in  FIG. 5 , a picture is displayed  202  on the display  506 , and a gesture is detected  204  by the optical joystick  504 . The direction is determined  206  and the picture is panned  208  based on the direction of the gesture. A curved gesture following the path  512  is detected  210  beginning at the origin point  508  and finishing at the end point  510 . The direction of the gesture is  212  in a second rotational direction, which in this example is counterclockwise, and the image is zoomed out based on the extent of the gesture. The gesture extends 25% of a full circle, and the image is zoomed out to decrease the displayed size of the image to about 75% of the previous size. An indicator  514  of the level of zoom is also displayed on the display  506 . 
     A method includes displaying information on a display of a portable electronic device, detecting, by a touch-sensitive input device, a gesture, performing a first function in response to detecting the gesture, and performing a zooming function on the information on the display when the gesture comprises a curved gesture. 
     A computer-readable medium has computer-readable code executable by at least one processor of a portable electronic device to perform the above method. 
     An electronic device includes a display configured to display information, a touch-sensitive input device configured to detect a gesture, a processor configured to perform a first function in response to detecting the gesture, and perform a zooming function on the information on the display when the gesture comprises a curved gesture. 
     Advantageously, manipulation of displayed information including panning and zooming functionality is facilitated without requiring additional actions such as tapping, double-tapping, or menu selection to enter different modes of operation. Thus, zooming and panning may be provided without requiring additional actions, menus, or other selections. Fewer screens may be rendered and/or device use time may be reduced, decreasing power consumption and increasing time between charging of the battery. 
     The present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present disclosure is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.