Patent Application
20060075250
The invention relates to lock and unlock function in a hand-held device, and more specifically, to a lock and unlock mechanism triggered by a specific input from a touch panel.
A hand-held device such as a personal digital assistant (PDA), mobile phone, or any portable radio device, necessarily comprises a user-interface for operating the device. The user-interface may include a keypad having a plurality of buttons or keys, and a touch panel. The hand-held device may be placed in locations where objects may interfere with the user-interface mechanism, or indeed the user may inadvertently press or touch one or more keys on the keypad or the touch panel, thereby activating the device. Inadvertent actuation of the keys may, for example, turn the device on or off, cause transmission of unwanted signals and prevent use of a radio channel, or cause undesired functions to occur.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,583 discloses a portable radio telephone comprising a keypad, means for sensing the actuation in a unique predetermined order of a first and second key respectively, and means responsive to the sensing means for disabling all keys of the keypad except the two keys associated with the locking facility. The keypad lock is toggled on or off whenever the two keys, such as the # key and the ON/OFF key, are actuated in a unique predetermined order. Instead of sequential keystrokes, the keypad lock may also be enabled if the two keys are actuated simultaneously or if the second key is actuated while the first key is depressed.
Another popular hand-held device keypad lock and unlock mechanism is triggered by pressing a specific key for longer than a predetermined period of time, for example, pressing the star key (*) for more than 3 seconds.
An embodiment of the invention provides an input lock/unlock method for a hand-held device triggered by a touch panel. By implementing the lock/unlock mechanism, the hardware and software resource corresponding to the man-machine interface (MMI) can be used in a more flexible and efficient manner.
An embodiment of the touch panel lock/unlock method disclosed in the invention comprises retrieving a pattern sensed by a touch panel of a hand-held device, then determining if the retrieved pattern matches a specific pattern, checking a status of the touch panel and issuing a relative command according to the status if the retrieved pattern matches the specific pattern, and finally executing a lock/unlock function according to the relative command. The issued relative command is “unlock” if the status of the touch panel is locked, and “lock” if the status of the touch panel is unlocked. The lock/unlock function is executed to enable or disable the hand-held device to accept input from the touch panel, and in another embodiment, the lock/unlock function can also enable or disable the hand-held device to accept input from a keypad of the hand-held device.
In an embodiment, the specific pattern is a closed zone, thus the lock/unlock function is only triggered if the retrieved pattern is a closed zone. The method of recognizing the retrieved pattern for triggering the lock/unlock function includes examining if any pixel on the touch panel has been touched at least twice. The pattern sensed by the touch panel is recorded as a data entry comprising coordinates corresponding to sequential touched pixels. The data entry starts recording the coordinates once a pen touches the touch panel, and stops recording immediately after the pen leaves the touch panel. The pattern is determined to be a closed zone if there are at least two identical coordinates in the entered data entry.
An embodiment implementing the touch panel lock/unlock method, a specific region on the touch panel is reserved and dedicated to sensing the pattern for triggering the lock/unlock function, and the specific region is the only region on the touch panel that will not be locked while the remaining touch panel is locked by the lock/unlock function. Another embodiment allows the lock/unlock function to be executed to lock the unlocked the touch panel only if the specific pattern is sensed on a nonworking region of the touch panel. Yet another embodiment allows the lock/unlock function to be executed to lock the unlocked touch panel only when the touch panel displays a predetermined frame, for example, when the screen shows the main menu.
The invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description in conjunction with the examples and references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
a is a flow chart illustrating the lock/unlock method according to an embodiment of the invention.
b is a flow chart illustrating the lock/unlock method according to an embodiment of the invention.
a and 2b are flow charts of the touch panel lock/unlock method according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown in
In order to simplify the pattern recognition algorithm and conserve the memory, in a preferred embodiment, the retrieved pattern is determined to be valid if it is a closed zone pattern. Accordingly,
The man-machine interface (MMI) function recognition algorithm executed by the DSP determines if the input pattern is a closed zone by first recording all the coordinates of the touched pixels, determining if any two recorded coordinates are identical (denoting that the input pattern is a closed zone since at least one pixel is touched twice), and if there are at least two equal coordinates, the pattern is determined to be a closed zone.
In an embodiment of the invention, there is a specific region on the touch panel is dedicated for triggering the lock/unlock function. As shown in
Another embodiment is provided to ameliorate the previously described drawback. Instead of limiting the user to drawing a closed zone pattern on a dedicated region for activating the lock/unlock function, the user is allowed to draw anywhere outside the current working area to trigger the lock/unlock function.
In another embodiment, the lock/unlock function is triggered by drawing a closed zone pattern when the screen displays a predetermined frame, for example, when the touch panel displays the main menu.
The advantages of implementing a lock/unlock function on the touch panel according to embodiments of the invention include, utilizing the hardware resource and the touch panel in a more efficient manner, and providing flexibility to designers and manufacturers of the hand-held devices for MMI function implementation.
While the invention has been described by way of examples and in terms of preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements as would be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.
