Patent Application
20180217748
The present invention relates generally to the field of computing, and more particularly to touch input detection.
As mobile device use continues to be integral in the daily life of many people, mobile devices adapt to provide an efficient user interface (UI) in the multitude of situations mobile devices are used. Mobile device UIs and functions may be adapted to suit landscape or portrait orientation of the mobile device, single-handed use, and so on to provide a consistent and efficient experience to a user.
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer system, and a computer program product for adapting a user interface (UI) with a touchscreen. The present invention may include receiving, from the touchscreen, an input from a finger. The present invention may also include determining an orientation of the finger based on the received input. The present invention may then include adapting the UI based on the determined orientation. The present invention may further include displaying the adapted UI on the touchscreen.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings. The various features of the drawings are not to scale as the illustrations are for clarity in facilitating one skilled in the art in understanding the invention in conjunction with the detailed description. In the drawings:
Detailed embodiments of the claimed structures and methods are disclosed herein; however, it can be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely illustrative of the claimed structures and methods that may be embodied in various forms. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of this invention to those skilled in the art. In the description, details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the presented embodiments.
The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computer program product at any possible technical detail level of integration. The computer program product may include a computer readable storage medium (or media) having computer readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of the present invention.
The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that can retain and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but is not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of the computer readable storage medium includes the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such as punch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. A computer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construed as being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulses passing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmitted through a wire.
Computer readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computer readable storage medium or to an external computer or external storage device via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprise copper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing/processing device receives computer readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer readable program instructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium within the respective computing/processing device.
Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations of the present invention may be assembler instructions, instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, configuration data for integrated circuitry, or either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++, or the like, and procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages. The computer readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example, programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or programmable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readable program instructions by utilizing state information of the computer readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry, in order to perform aspects of the present invention.
Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer readable program instructions.
These computer readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can direct a computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the computer readable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises an article of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects of the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computer implemented process, such that the instructions which execute on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.
As described previously, as mobile device use continues to be integral in the daily life of many people, mobile devices adapt to provide an efficient user interface (UI) in the multitude of situations mobile devices are used. Mobile device UIs and functions may be adapted to suit landscape or portrait orientation of the mobile device, single-handed use, and so on to provide a consistent and efficient experience to a user.
In the situation of single-hand interaction with a mobile device, adapting the UI displayed on a mobile device, as well as the detection of and response to interaction from the user, may be beneficial to provide an intuitive UI. Determining which hand (right or left) is used for interaction with the mobile device traditionally employs additional hardware, such as one or more cameras, scanners, proximity sensors, and so on. These additional sensors and parts may require bulkier phone designs which are aesthetically undesirable. Furthermore, the additional sensors create increased power demands, thereby impacting battery life and increased processing to, for example, capture images of the finger of a user and compare the captured images with existing data. Any additional sensors also increase costs and create additional points of failure in the mobile device.
Therefore, it may be advantageous to, among other things, provide a way to determine which hand is interacting with a mobile device that is lightweight and responsive by leveraging the touchscreen already integrated into the mobile device and adapting the UI accordingly.
The following described exemplary embodiments provide a system, method and program product for adapting a UI based on the hand used for interaction with a mobile device. As such, the present embodiment has the capacity to improve the technical field of touch input detection by using a self-capacitance touchscreen (or similar floating-capable technology) to determine if a left hand or a right hand is used for input and adapting the UI accordingly. More specifically, a mobile device using a self-capacitance touchscreen may be used to detect the presence of the portion of the user's finger that is not touching the touchscreen in addition to detecting the point where the fingertip touches the touchscreen. By detecting the angles of the finger with respect to the touchscreen, whether the left hand or the right hand is used may be determined. Thereafter, the UI may be adapted to suit operation by the left hand or right hand.
According to at least one embodiment, a self-capacitance touchscreen, Floating Touch™ (Floating touch and all Floating touch-based trademarks and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Mobile Communications, Inc. and/or its affiliates) screen, or similar floating-capable technology may be used that can detect a finger that is not directly touching the screen (with or without additionally detecting the fingertip touching the screen) to provide data indicating the orientation of the user's finger. Such touchscreens may detect a finger within a threshold distance from the touchscreen with, in some cases, varying degrees of signal strength corresponding to different distances from the touchscreen. For example, a stronger signal may be generated from the touchscreen at a given screen coordinate for a portion of a finger that is closer to the screen than a portion of the finger that is farther away. A mobile device may use such a touchscreen without the aforementioned deficiencies accompanying additional sensors, as a touchscreen is already included in many mobile devices. Furthermore, less processing may be required versus comparing images of fingers, finger vein structure, or fingerprints to determine if the user's left hand or right hand is being used to interact with the touchscreen.
By using a self-capacitance touchscreen (i.e., floating-capable touchscreen), the angle of the finger in relation to the touchscreen may be determined. The self-capacitance touchscreen may be used to detect the angle of a finger in relation to the plane of the touchscreen surface by sensing a part of the finger (or stylus) that is within the threshold distance from the touchscreen and observing a gradual decrease in input signals as the finger is angled farther away from the touchscreen. If, for example, the self-capacitance touchscreen may only detect a portion of a finger that is 20 millimeters or closer to the screen, the point on the screen where the weakest signal is registered may be where the portion of the finger is 20 millimeters from the screen. The X and Y coordinates on the screen where that point is may be compared with the X and Y coordinates of where the fingertip, stylus, or other finger portion is contacting the screen. Based on the height of a point along the finger (e.g., 20 millimeters) and the distance between the point and the fingertip, using trigonometric relations, the angle of the finger relative to the plane of the touchscreen may be determined. Additionally, by determining the difference and direction between the X and Y coordinates of the point along the finger and the X and Y coordinates of the fingertip, the orientation of the finger (e.g., if the finger is coming from right-to-left or left-to-right) may be determined. Based on the determined angles of the finger, the finger may be determined to be from a left-hand or right-hand perspective.
Based on the determination of which finger is used, a system on the mobile device may perform different actions or interpret user interactions differently to adapt to the hand being used. For example, the system may adjust the layout of the UI (for the operating system or applications) to adapt to the determined usage mode, where the mode may be a right-hand mode or a left-hand mode. Alternatively, the system may automatically reorient the screen of the mobile device according to the detected direction of the finger. Other functions may also be performed based on the direction of the finger or the angles between the finger and touchscreen.
Referring to
The client computer 102 may communicate with the server computer 112 via the communications network 116. The communications network 116 may include connections, such as wire, wireless communication links, or fiber optic cables. As will be discussed with reference to
According to the present embodiment, a user using a client computer 102 or a server computer 112 may use the finger mode adaptation program 110a, 110b (respectively) to determine which hand is used to interact with a mobile device touchscreen and alter a UI based on that determination. The finger mode adaptation method is explained in more detail below with respect to
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At 602, the finger mode adaptation program 110a and 110b determines that a finger (e.g., right index finger 304) is interacting with the touchscreen 206 of a mobile device 202. Known touchscreen 206 input detection methods may be used to determine that a finger is interacting with the touchscreen 206. For example, an interrupt may be generated, a particular memory address may be polled, or a system call may be used to determine that there was touchscreen 206 input. Furthermore, the determined interaction may indicate the contact point 210 where the finger touches the touchscreen 206. It may be appreciated that according to other embodiments, a substitute point may be determined instead of the contact point 210 if a finger or stylus has not contacted the touchscreen 206. The substitute point may be the point where the strongest signal is generated from the floating-capable touchscreen 206 indicating, for example, that the fingertip is closest to the touchscreen 206 at that point; however, the fingertip is not in contact with the touchscreen 206 yet. Thus, instead of finger interaction occurring when a finger touches the touchscreen 206, finger interaction with the touchscreen 206 may be determined when the finger produces a threshold signal from the touchscreen 206 (e.g., the finger is within a millimeter of the touchscreen 206).
Next, at 604, an angle between the user's finger and the touchscreen 206 is determined. As described previously with respect to
Then, at 606, the orientation of the user's finger is determined. As described previously with respect to
At 608, a UI is adapted based on the finger being from the user's left hand 204 or right hand 302. Once the hand that is used by the user to interact with the mobile device's 202 touchscreen 206 is determined at 606, then the UI of an operating system, application, and the like may be adapted to suit a left-handed mode, a right-handed mode, or some other mode (e.g., landscape or portrait). For example, a left-handed mode may rearrange certain UI elements, such as on-screen buttons, to be more optimally placed within the UI for someone using a left hand 204. Elements that may accidentally be activated may be moved to the right side of the UI displayed on touchscreen 206 since the user may not easily reach the right side of the UI while using a left hand 204. Additionally, more commonly used UI elements may be placed to the left side of the touchscreen 206 for quicker and easier activation by the user. According to at least one other embodiment, the screen display may be reoriented based on the determined finger orientation. For example, if the determined finger orientation is from a top-to-bottom orientation (when viewing the mobile device 202 from a portrait perspective), this finger orientation may indicate that the mobile device 202 is being used in a landscape orientation with the user holding the narrow sides of the mobile device 202. Thus, if the touchscreen 206 is displaying in portrait mode, the UI may be adapted by switching to landscape mode.
Then, at 610, user interaction is processed based on the finger being from the user's left hand 204 or right hand 302. Certain interactions, such as gestures, may be handled differently based on the hand being used for interaction. For example, a left-to-right finger swipe on the touchscreen 206 may trigger a page forward function within a web browser application in left-hand mode while the same left-to-right finger swipe may trigger a page backward function within a web browser application in right-hand mode. Furthermore, based on the finger angle determined previously at 604, the angle of the finger may produce different input values. For example, if using a pinching gesture with two fingers on the touchscreen is recognized as a screen zoom (or image magnification) input, then the finger angle may be determined and used to alter the rate of zooming that may occur. As such, if the fingers used to pinch zoom are at a shallow angle, the zoom rate may be less than if the fingers are at steep angle.
It may be appreciated that
Data processing system 902, 904 is representative of any electronic device capable of executing machine-readable program instructions. Data processing system 902, 904 may be representative of a smart phone, a computer system, PDA, or other electronic devices. Examples of computing systems, environments, and/or configurations that may represented by data processing system 902, 904 include, but are not limited to, personal computer systems, server computer systems, thin clients, thick clients, hand-held or laptop devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, network PCs, minicomputer systems, and distributed cloud computing environments that include any of the above systems or devices.
User client computer 102 and network server 112 may include respective sets of internal components 902a, b and external components 904a, b illustrated in
Each set of internal components 902a, b also includes a R/W drive or interface 918 to read from and write to one or more portable computer-readable tangible storage devices 920 such as a CD-ROM, DVD, memory stick, magnetic tape, magnetic disk, optical disk or semiconductor storage device. A software program, such as the software program 108 and the finger mode adaptation program 110a and 110b, can be stored on one or more of the respective portable computer-readable tangible storage devices 920, read via the respective R/W drive or interface 918, and loaded into the respective hard drive 916.
Each set of internal components 902a, b may also include network adapters (or switch port cards) or interfaces 922 such as a TCP/IP adapter cards, wireless wi-fi interface cards, or 3G or 4G wireless interface cards or other wired or wireless communication links. The software program 108 and the finger mode adaptation program 110a in client computer 102 and the finger mode adaptation program 110b in network server computer 112 can be downloaded from an external computer (e.g., server) via a network (for example, the Internet, a local area network or other, wide area network) and respective network adapters or interfaces 922. From the network adapters (or switch port adaptors) or interfaces 922, the software program 108 and the finger mode adaptation program 110a in client computer 102 and the finger mode adaptation program 110b in network server computer 112 are loaded into the respective hard drive 916. The network may comprise copper wires, optical fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/or edge servers.
Each of the sets of external components 904a, b can include a computer display monitor 924, a keyboard 926, and a computer mouse 928. External components 904a, b can also include touch screens, virtual keyboards, touch pads, pointing devices, and other human interface devices. Each of the sets of internal components 902a, b also includes device drivers 930 to interface to computer display monitor 924, keyboard 926, and computer mouse 928. The device drivers 930, R/W drive or interface 918, and network adapter or interface 922 comprise hardware and software (stored in storage device 916 and/or ROM 910).
It is understood in advance that although this disclosure includes a detailed description on cloud computing, implementation of the teachings recited herein are not limited to a cloud computing environment. Rather, embodiments of the present invention are capable of being implemented in conjunction with any other type of computing environment now known or later developed.
Cloud computing is a model of service delivery for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, network bandwidth, servers, processing, memory, storage, applications, virtual machines, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or interaction with a provider of the service. This cloud model may include at least five characteristics, at least three service models, and at least four deployment models.
Characteristics are as follows:
On-demand self-service: a cloud consumer can unilaterally provision computing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, as needed automatically without requiring human interaction with the service's provider.
Broad network access: capabilities are available over a network and accessed through standard mechanisms that promote use by heterogeneous thin or thick client platforms (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, and PDAs).
Resource pooling: the provider's computing resources are pooled to serve multiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physical and virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according to demand. There is a sense of location independence in that the consumer generally has no control or knowledge over the exact location of the provided resources but may be able to specify location at a higher level of abstraction (e.g., country, state, or datacenter).
Rapid elasticity: capabilities can be rapidly and elastically provisioned, in some cases automatically, to quickly scale out and rapidly released to quickly scale in. To the consumer, the capabilities available for provisioning often appear to be unlimited and can be purchased in any quantity at any time.
Measured service: cloud systems automatically control and optimize resource use by leveraging a metering capability at some level of abstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g., storage, processing, bandwidth, and active user accounts). Resource usage can be monitored, controlled, and reported providing transparency for both the provider and consumer of the utilized service.
Service Models are as follows:
Software as a Service (SaaS): the capability provided to the consumer is to use the provider's applications running on a cloud infrastructure. The applications are accessible from various client devices through a thin client interface such as a web browser (e.g., web-based e-mail). The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, storage, or even individual application capabilities, with the possible exception of limited user-specific application configuration settings.
Platform as a Service (PaaS): the capability provided to the consumer is to deploy onto the cloud infrastructure consumer-created or acquired applications created using programming languages and tools supported by the provider. The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure including networks, servers, operating systems, or storage, but has control over the deployed applications and possibly application hosting environment configurations.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): the capability provided to the consumer is to provision processing, storage, networks, and other fundamental computing resources where the consumer is able to deploy and run arbitrary software, which can include operating systems and applications. The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure but has control over operating systems, storage, deployed applications, and possibly limited control of select networking components (e.g., host firewalls).
Deployment Models are as follows:
Private cloud: the cloud infrastructure is operated solely for an organization. It may be managed by the organization or a third party and may exist on-premises or off-premises.
Community cloud: the cloud infrastructure is shared by several organizations and supports a specific community that has shared concerns (e.g., mission, security requirements, policy, and compliance considerations). It may be managed by the organizations or a third party and may exist on-premises or off-premises.
Public cloud: the cloud infrastructure is made available to the general public or a large industry group and is owned by an organization selling cloud services.
Hybrid cloud: the cloud infrastructure is a composition of two or more clouds (private, community, or public) that remain unique entities but are bound together by standardized or proprietary technology that enables data and application portability (e.g., cloud bursting for load-balancing between clouds).
A cloud computing environment is service oriented with a focus on statelessness, low coupling, modularity, and semantic interoperability. At the heart of cloud computing is an infrastructure comprising a network of interconnected nodes.
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Hardware and software layer 1102 includes hardware and software components. Examples of hardware components include: mainframes 1104; RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) architecture based servers 1106; servers 1108; blade servers 1110; storage devices 1112; and networks and networking components 1114. In some embodiments, software components include network application server software 1116 and database software 1118.
Virtualization layer 1120 provides an abstraction layer from which the following examples of virtual entities may be provided: virtual servers 1122; virtual storage 1124; virtual networks 1126, including virtual private networks; virtual applications and operating systems 1128; and virtual clients 1130.
In one example, management layer 1132 may provide the functions described below. Resource provisioning 1134 provides dynamic procurement of computing resources and other resources that are utilized to perform tasks within the cloud computing environment. Metering and Pricing 1136 provide cost tracking as resources are utilized within the cloud computing environment, and billing or invoicing for consumption of these resources. In one example, these resources may comprise application software licenses. Security provides identity verification for cloud consumers and tasks, as well as protection for data and other resources. User portal 1138 provides access to the cloud computing environment for consumers and system administrators. Service level management 1140 provides cloud computing resource allocation and management such that required service levels are met. Service Level Agreement (SLA) planning and fulfillment 1142 provide pre-arrangement for, and procurement of, cloud computing resources for which a future requirement is anticipated in accordance with an SLA.
Workloads layer 1144 provides examples of functionality for which the cloud computing environment may be utilized. Examples of workloads and functions which may be provided from this layer include: mapping and navigation 1146; software development and lifecycle management 1148; virtual classroom education delivery 1150; data analytics processing 1152; transaction processing 1154; and finger mode adaptation 1156. A finger mode adaptation program 110a, 110b provides a way to determine which hand is used to interact with a mobile device touchscreen and alter a UI based on that determination.
The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application or technical improvement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15420711 | Jan 2017 | US |
| Child | 15718073 | US |
