Patent Application
20130285929
The present disclosure relates generally to electronic devices and more particularly to touch-sensitive surfaces that operate in conjunction with a stylus.
Many electronic devices include a touch-sensitive surface. Many such touch-sensitive surfaces respond to fingertip touches, some require the use of a specific stylus, and some will support both interface modalities. A stylus typically comprises a pencil-like hand-held implement having at least one of its ends shaped to have a (typically) small point-of-contact with a touch-sensitive surface. In some cases the stylus is a very simple device (such as an elongated plastic shaft) while in other cases metals or a variety of materials may be utilized. By one approach the stylus (or at least its tip) is comprised of a material and electronics that are capacitively detectable by a properly-configured surface.
Many users prefer an implement-free approach to interacting with a touch-sensitive surface. That said, a stylus can permit improved contact resolution as compared to a human fingertip. Working with a stylus can also resonate strongly with many users who find they can draw with a stylus using the same training, experience, and mechanical memory they have developed using traditional handheld writing instruments such as pencils and pens. Accordingly, as noted above, some electronic devices will support both a stylus-based interface modality and a non-stylus-based interface modality.
Switching between such modes of operation, however, can lead to problems. At worst, a dual-mode of operation can lead to confusion and error regarding what features are selected and how, in fact, one switches between such modes of operation.
The following describes an apparatus and method pertaining to detecting an initial interaction between a touch-sensitive surface and a stylus and responsively automatically displaying a corresponding fresh electronic ink writing façade. By one approach that initial interaction can comprise a non-touching interaction (as may occur, for example, when a portion of the stylus is within a predetermined distance of the touch-sensitive surface but not actually touching the touch-sensitive surface).
By one approach the aforementioned fresh electronic ink writing façade comprises a representation of an unmarked sheet of paper. The relative size of this paper representation as compared to the size of the touch-sensitive surface can vary as desired but can, for example, occupy substantially all of the touch-sensitive surface if desired.
If desired, upon detecting that aforementioned initial interaction, the corresponding control circuit can first determine whether an electronic ink writing façade already exists for the presently-displayed content. When true, the control circuit can automatically display at least a portion of the already existing electronic ink writing façade (along with some or all of the previously entered user content that might appear on that writing façade). Otherwise, the control circuit can provide the aforementioned fresh electronic ink writing façade.
These teachings are highly flexible in practice and will accommodate a wide variety of different types and sizes of touch-sensitive surfaces and styli. The concepts set forth herein are also easily implemented and can readily serve to further leverage the continued utility of numerous existing designs in these regards. So configured, the intuitive ease by which a user utilizes a stylus from time to time when working with an electronic device having a touch-sensitive surface can be greatly improved. This, in turn, can lead to greater user satisfaction and also improved productivity.
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.
With reference momentarily to
The control circuit 202 interacts with other elements, such as Random Access Memory (RAM) 208, memory 210, a display 212 with a touch-sensitive overlay/surface 214 operably coupled to an electronic controller 216 that together comprise an optional touch-sensitive display 218, one or more actuators 220, one or more force sensors 222, an auxiliary input/output (I/O) subsystem 224, a data port 226, a speaker 228, a microphone 230, a short-range communication subsystem 232, and other device subsystems 234 of choice (such as, for example, one or more stylus-proximity detectors).
One or more user interfaces are provided. Input via a graphical user interface is provided via the touch-sensitive overlay 214. The control circuit 202 interacts with the touch-sensitive overlay 214 via the electronic controller 216. 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 218 via the control circuit 202.
The control circuit 202 may interact with an accelerometer 236 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 200 may utilize a Subscriber Identity Module or a Removable User Identity Module (SIM/RUIM) card 238 for communication with a network, such as the wireless network 250. Alternatively, user identification information may be programmed into the memory 210.
The portable electronic device 200 includes an operating system 246 and software programs, applications, or components 248 that are executed by the control circuit 202 and are typically stored in a persistent, updatable store such as the memory 210. Additional applications or programs may be loaded onto the portable electronic device 200 through the wireless network 250, the auxiliary I/O subsystem 224, the data port 226, the short-range communications subsystem 232, or any other suitable subsystem 234. The memory 210 may comprise a non-transitory storage media that stores executable code that, when executed, carries out one or more of the functions or actions as described herein.
A received signal such as a text message, an e-mail message, or web page download is processed by the communication subsystem and input to the control circuit 202. The control circuit 202 processes the received signal for output to the display 212 and/or to the auxiliary I/O subsystem 224. A subscriber may generate data items, for example e-mail messages, which may be transmitted over the wireless network 250 through the communication subsystem. For voice communications, the overall operation of the portable electronic device is similar. The speaker 228 outputs audible information converted from electrical signals, and the microphone 230 converts audible information into electrical signals for processing.
The touch-sensitive display 218 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 214 and such a display may be particularly useful when further employed to detect the near (but not touching) proximity of a stylus in service of the present teachings. The overlay 214 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 comprise any suitable material, such as indium tin oxide (ITO).
As shown in
Typical of such an electronic device 200 the display 218 in this example includes an application-specific window 303 that presents application content 304 that particularly pertains to the presently-selected application. If the application is, for example, a so-called e-reader, this application content 304 might comprise the text of a book. If, on the other hand, the application is a browser, then this application content 304 might comprise the contents of a presently-visited website.
Referring now to
By one approach this detection of a first interaction comprises detecting a non-touching interaction such as, for example, a portion of the stylus 400 coming within a predetermined distance 401 of the touch-sensitive surface 218. By one approach, the detection of such proximity may rely upon capacitively-based sensing as is known in the art. An active stylus typically incorporates electronics that emit a strong capacitive signal and can be clearly distinguished from capacitive finger information.
As will be described in more detail below, this process 100 provides for responding to such a detected interaction by automatically displaying a fresh electronic ink writing façade. By one optional approach, however, this process 100 will accommodate also detecting 102 whether an electronic ink writing façade already exists for a presently-displayed context. For example, if the device presently displayed a particular page of an e-book, the control circuit 202 could determine whether an electronic ink writing façade had already been previously created in association with this e-book. If so, the control circuit 202 could respond by automatically displaying 103 at least a portion of the already existing electronic ink writing façade 500 as shown in
In this illustrative example the displayed previously-established electronic ink writing façade 500 overlies a portion (but not all) of the application content 304. So configured, the electronic ink writing façade 500 serves as a kind of sticky note upon which the user can enter content as electronic ink via the aforementioned stylus 400. In this case, contacting the electronic ink writing façade 500 with the stylus 400 will cause a corresponding electronic ink mark to appear (this comprising the digital equivalent to placing a pencil tip atop a piece of paper). In this example, using the stylus 400 to contact the display 218 at other locations that are external to the electronic ink writing façade 500 will be interpreted instead as a tap, swipe, or the like as appropriate and not as the application of electronic ink.
So configured, a user can readily have access to, for example, previously entered handwritten annotation material while interacting with a wide variety of application materials by simply moving their stylus 400 into suitable proximity with the display 218.
In any event, when there is no already-existing electronic ink writing façade for a presently-display context (or when the process 100 does not include that consideration), the control circuit 202 then automatically displays 104 a corresponding fresh electronic ink writing façade 500. As used herein this reference to “fresh” refers to the fact that the electronic ink writing façade 500 does not yet include any user-entered content.
By one approach, and referring to
The size of the electronic ink writing façade 500 can vary as desired. As shown in
The representation of a sheet of paper as shown in
In some cases it may be that the control circuit 202 will interact in only a limited and pre-specified manner with manipulations of the stylus 400. The present teachings, however, will also accommodate a more flexible approach in these regards. For example, the user may be permitted to select various kinds of electronic ink to be applied when using the stylus on the electronic ink writing façade 500.
If desired, and as illustrated in
By one approach such a listing 800 may be constantly present when also presenting the electronic ink writing façade 500. By another approach, such a listing 800 could be rendered visible and/or removed from view using any of a variety of signals or gestures. For example, a quick double tap on the touch-sensitive surface could serve to toggle between presenting and hiding such a listing 800.
If desired, and referring to
If desired, the present teachings can also be configured to automatically remove the electronic ink writing façade 500 from the display once the user has completed their ink-based entry. Such an action might be triggered, for example, when the user removes the stylus 400 from proximity to the touch-sensitive surface for more than some predetermined period of time such as two seconds, four seconds, ten seconds, and so forth. The user may also be permitted to remove the electronic ink writing façade 500 by offering some specific signal (such as, for example, a triple tap with the stylus in a specific corner of the touch-sensitive surface).
As shown in
If desired, such an icon 302 can include a particular embellishment 1001 (such as a representation of a sheet of paper that underlies a representation of a stylus) to indicate that this particular application (or application context/content, as desired) has a corresponding electronic ink writing façade 500 that includes user content. So configured, a user who returns to this particular application content in the future will be quickly and intuitively apprised of the availability of this electronic ink content. This informed user can then easily return that electronic ink content to the display (by, for example, bringing their stylus 400 proximal to the touch-sensitive surface and/or by tapping or otherwise selecting the corresponding icon 302).
So configured, an electronic device can readily offer both stylus-based and non-stylus-based modes of user interface in a manner that easily and intuitively permits the user to switch between such modes of content entry. These teachings are highly scalable and can be successfully employed with a variety of stylus types, electronic ink writing façade types, touch-sensitive surface sizes, and so forth.
The present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its essential characteristics. As one simple example in these regards, a control circuit 202 can be configured to not only detect the proximity of a stylus 400 but to also determine which of a plurality of different types of stylus 400 is being detected. This capability, in turn, can be leveraged to permit the control circuit 202 to present one kind of electronic ink writing façade 500 when working with a first type of stylus and to present a second, different kind of electronic ink writing façade 500 when working with a second, different type of stylus.
The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the 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.
