In one embodiment of the invention, a hot spot is normally centered in an area of contact between a user\'s finger and a touch screen to position the hot spot on an icon or other feature thereby selecting a program or function corresponding to the icon or feature. When the contact area is near an edge, the hot spot is offset toward the edge so that it coincides more closely to the center of the users finger, thus allowing an icon or other feature adjacent the edge of the screen to be more easily selected. In another embodiment, a cursor is displayed on a touch screen at a location that is offset from the contact area between a finger and the screen. The cursor, which is used as the hot spot of the computer, is normally offset above the contact area except when the contact area is close to the bottom of the screen. The cursor is then offset to the left or right of the contact area depending on whether the contact are is to the left or right of the screen, respectively, so that icons or features adjacent the left or right edges of the screen can be selected. Similarly, when the contact area is very close to the bottom of the screen, the cursor is offset downwardly and to the right or left so that icons or features adjacent the bottom edge of the screen can be selected. Alternatively, a touch sensitive area incapable of displaying an image may be provided beneath a display area of the touch screen to allow icons or features adjacent the bottom edge of the display area to be selected.

Claims

86 · 8 independent · depth 3

86 granted claims

›1.independentA method of facilitating the use of touch screens in which a user contacts the screen over a contact area, comprising: determining a position of an in…+17

›2.↳ 1The method of claim 1 wherein the first location is within a predetermined distance of an edge of the touch screen.d2+1

›4.↳ 1The method of claim 1 wherein touch screen has a top edge, a bottom edge, a left edge, and a right edge, and wherein the first location comprises with…d2+1

›6.↳ 1The method of claim 1 wherein the first location is within a predetermined distance of any edge of the touch screen, the second location comprises all…d2

›7.↳ 1The method of claim 1 wherein the first location is within a predetermined distance of an edge of the touch screen, the first position is offset from …d2+1

›9.↳ 1The method of claim 1 further comprising the act of displaying a cursor at the first position if the contact area is at the first location on the touc…d2

›10.↳ 1The method of claim 1 wherein the second location is within a predetermined distance of a side or bottom edge of the touch screen, and wherein the fir…d2

›11.↳ 1The method of claim 1 wherein the touch screen comprises a touch sensitive display area and a display incapable touch sensitive area, and wherein the …d2

›12.↳ 1The method of claim 1 wherein the act of registering a user input at a first position relative to the contact area comprises registering a user input …d2

›13.↳ 1The method of claim 1 wherein the act of registering a user input at a first position relative to the contact area comprises registering a user input …d2

›14.↳ 1The method of claim 1 wherein the act of registering a user input at a second position relative to the contact area comprises registering a user input…d2

›15.↳ 1The method of claim 1 wherein the act of registering a user input at a first position relative to the contact area comprises registering a user input …d2

›16.↳ 1The method of claim 1 wherein the act of determining whether the user is contacting the screen with an object other than a finger comprises: determini…d2

›17.↳ 1The method of claim 1 wherein the act of registering the user input at the third position relative to the initial contact area comprises registering t…d2

›18.↳ 1The method of claim 1 wherein the act of registering the user input at the third position relative to the initial contact area comprises: determining …d2

›19.independentA method of facilitating the use of touch screens in which a user contacts the screen over a contact area, comprising: determining a position of an in…+4

›24.independentA method of facilitating the use of touch screens in which a user contacts the screen over a contact area, comprising: determining a position of an in…+16

›25.↳ 24The method of claim 24 wherein the first location is within a predetermined distance of an edge of the touch screen.d2+1

›27.↳ 24The method of claim 24 wherein touch screen has a top edge, a bottom edge, a left edge, and a right edge, and wherein the first location comprises wit…d2+1

›29.↳ 24The method of claim 24 wherein the first location is within a predetermined distance of any edge of the touch screen, the second location comprises al…d2

›30.↳ 24The method of claim 24 wherein the first location is within a predetermined distance of an edge of the touch screen, the first position is offset from…d2+1

›32.↳ 24The method of claim 24 further comprising the act of displaying a cursor at the first position if the initial contact area is at the first location on…d2

›33.↳ 24The method of claim 24 wherein the second location is within a predetermined distance of a side or bottom edge of the touch screen, and wherein the fi…d2

›34.↳ 24The method of claim 24 wherein the touch screen comprises a touch sensitive display area and a display incapable touch sensitive area, and wherein the…d2

›35.↳ 24The method of claim 24 wherein the act of registering a user input at a first position relative to the initial contact area comprises registering a us…d2

›36.↳ 24The method of claim 24 wherein the act of registering a user input at a first position relative to the initial contact area comprises registering a us…d2

›37.↳ 24The method of claim 24 wherein the act of registering a user input at a second position relative to the initial contact area comprises registering a u…d2

›38.↳ 24The method of claim 24 wherein the act of registering a user input at a first position relative to the initial contact area comprises registering a us…d2

›39.↳ 24The method of claim 24 wherein the act of registering the user input at the third position relative to the initial contact area comprises registering …d2

›40.↳ 24The method of claim 24 wherein the act of registering the user input at the third position relative to the initial contact area comprises: determining…d2

›41.independentA method of facilitating the use of touch screens in which a user contacts the screen over a contact area, comprising: determining a position of an in…+16

›42.↳ 41The method of claim 41 wherein the first location is within a predetermined distance of an edge of the touch screen.d2+1

›44.↳ 41The method of claim 41 wherein touch screen has a top edge, a bottom edge, a left edge, and a right edge, and wherein the first location comprises wit…d2+1

›46.↳ 41The method of claim 41 wherein the first location is within a predetermined distance of any edge of the touch screen, the second location comprises al…d2

›47.↳ 41The method of claim 41 wherein the first location is within a predetermined distance of an edge of the touch screen, the first position is offset from…d2+1

›49.↳ 41The method of claim 41 further comprising the act of displaying a cursor at the first position if the initial contact area is at the first location on…d2

›50.↳ 41The method of claim 41 wherein the second location is within a predetermined distance of a side or bottom edge of the touch screen, and wherein the fi…d2

›51.↳ 41The method of claim 41 wherein the touch screen comprises a touch sensitive display area and a display incapable touch sensitive area, and wherein the…d2

›52.↳ 41The method of claim 41 wherein the act of registering a user input at a first position relative to the initial contact area comprises registering a us…d2

›53.↳ 41The method of claim 41 wherein the act of registering a user input at a first position relative to the initial contact area comprises registering a us…d2

›54.↳ 41The method of claim 41 wherein the act of registering a user input at a second position relative to the initial contact area comprises registering a u…d2

›55.↳ 41The method of claim 41 wherein the act of registering a user input at a first position relative to the initial contact area comprises registering a us…d2

›56.↳ 41The method of claim 41 wherein the act of determining whether the user is contacting the screen with an object other than a finger comprises: determin…d2

›57.↳ 41The method of claim 41 wherein the act of registering the user input at the third position relative to the initial contact area comprises: determining…d2

›58.independentA method of facilitating the use of touch screens in which a user contacts the screen over a contact area, comprising: determining a position of an in…+16

›59.↳ 58The method of claim 58 wherein the first location is within a predetermined distance of an edge of the touch screen.d2+1

›61.↳ 58The method of claim 58 wherein touch screen has a top edge, a bottom edge, a left edge, and a right edge, and wherein the first location comprises wit…d2+1

›63.↳ 58The method of claim 58 wherein the first location is within a predetermined distance of any edge of the touch screen, the second location comprises al…d2

›64.↳ 58The method of claim 58 wherein the first location is within a predetermined distance of an edge of the touch screen, the first position is offset from…d2+1

›66.↳ 58The method of claim 58 further comprising the act of displaying a cursor at the first position if the initial contact area is at the first location on…d2

›67.↳ 58The method of claim 58 wherein the second location is within a predetermined distance of a side or bottom edge of the touch screen, and wherein the fi…d2

›68.↳ 58The method of claim 58 wherein the touch screen comprises a touch sensitive display area and a display incapable touch sensitive area, and wherein the…d2

›69.↳ 58The method of claim 58 wherein the act of registering a user input at a first position relative to the initial contact area comprises registering a us…d2

›70.↳ 58The method of claim 58 wherein the act of registering a user input at a first position relative to the initial contact area comprises registering a us…d2

›71.↳ 58The method of claim 58 wherein the act of registering a user input at a second position relative to the initial contact area comprises registering a u…d2

›72.↳ 58The method of claim 58 wherein the act of registering a user input at a first position relative to the initial contact area comprises registering a us…d2

›73.↳ 58The method of claim 58 wherein the act of determining whether the user is contacting the screen with an object other than a finger comprises: determin…d2

›74.↳ 58The method of claim 58 wherein the act of registering the user input at the third position relative to the initial contact area comprises registering …d2

›75.independentA method of facilitating the use of touch screens in which a user contacts the screen over a contact area, comprising: determining a position of an in…+3

›79.independentA method of facilitating the use of touch screens in which a user contacts the screen over a contact area, comprising: determining a position of an in…+3

›83.independentA method of facilitating the use of touch screens in which a user contacts the screen over a contact area, comprising: determining a position of an in…+3

Classifications

10 codes

IPC · International Patent Classification

Section G — Physics

G09G5/00

USPC · US Patent Classification

345/173178/18.1345/856345/179345/157178/19.4178/19.1345/180345/901

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