Today's Touch Technology Returns too many Targeting Errors

The use of touch-sensitive displays as input devices for electronic computing devices has increased significantly in recent years. Touch-sensitive displays are widely used to manipulate user interface objects on such displays.

Exemplary manipulations include adjusting the position and/or size of one or more user interface objects, as well as activating one or more user interface objects. Exemplary user interface objects include digital images, video, text, icons, and other graphics. A user may need to perform such manipulations on user interface objects in various applications, or on a home screen.

For touch-sensitive displays, the detected contact area of a finger is typically converted to a coordinate tuple (an (x, y) position or point) – or vector space. The coordinate tuple is then used (like the point of a cursor in a device with mouse-based input) to interact with and manipulate the user interface objects on the touch-sensitive display.

With existing touch targeting methods, the conversion of the two-dimensional finger contact area to a one-dimensional point (e.g., coordinate tuple) is problematic. The centroid of the finger contact area typically does not correspond to the location that a user perceives is being touched. This may cause touch targeting errors when trying to activate keys on a virtual keyboard or interact with other objects on the touch-sensitive display. The change in viewing parallax in different areas of the touch screen and the differences in contact areas between thumbs and other fingers may also lead to touch targeting errors and incorrect manipulations. Undoing erroneous manipulations and repeating touch inputs creates a significant cognitive burden on a user and may lead to user frustration. In addition, correcting touch inputs takes additional time, thereby wasting energy. This latter consideration is particularly important in battery-operated devices.

Apple's Solution: Provide Superior Touch Methods that Includes Adding Touch Surfaces to Devices

Apple's invention meets the need for electronic devices with touch-sensitive displays to have more accurate and efficient methods and interfaces for determining a coordinate tuple of a touch-based input that corresponds to a user's intended input. Such touch targeting methods and interfaces reduce the cognitive burden on a user and produces a more efficient human-machine interface. For battery-operated computing devices, such methods and interfaces conserve power and increase the time between battery charges.

The above deficiencies and other problems associated with user interfaces for electronic devices with touch-sensitive displays (also known as "touch screens" or "touch screen displays") are reduced or eliminated by the disclosed devices that also include touch-sensitive surfaces that are distinct from the touch-sensitive displays. The patent relates to a desktop computer, notebook, iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. In some embodiments, the desktop could have a touch display or it could use a device like the Magic Trackpad.

In accordance with some embodiments, a method is performed at an electronic device with a touch-sensitive display and one or more touch-sensitive surfaces that are distinct from the touch-sensitive display. The method includes: displaying one or more user interface objects on the touch-sensitive display; and detecting one or more user contacts on the one or more touch-sensitive surfaces that are distinct from the touch-sensitive display.

What we've highlighted above in yellow is the key to this patent and is reflected below in patent FIGS. 3A and 3B. These figures illustrate an iPad having touch-sensitive surfaces on its back (e.g., 114-1), sides (e.g., left 114-2, right (not shown), top (not shown), and bottom (not shown)), and front bezel (e.g., 114-3).

Depending on the device, Apple could choose what areas of a device to apply an extended touch surface. A superior example of such a touch zone could be found in Apple's granted patent as shown below. Here Apple envisions an iPad having rear side controls for books or games. The zones could be applied in a block or they could take on various shapes and sizes as noted below.

Patent Credits

Apple's patent application was originally filed in Q3 2010 by the sole inventor Nima Parivar. For related patents, you could review our smart bezel archives.

Extra Graphic on Touch Zones

Apple's patent FIGS. 5A, B, and C shown below illustrate exemplary user interfaces for determining respective finger contact coordinate tuples.

Notice: Patently Apple presents a detailed summary of patent applications with associated graphics for journalistic news purposes as each such patent application is revealed by the U.S. Patent & Trade Office. Readers are cautioned that the full text of any patent application should be read in its entirety for full and accurate details. Revelations found in patent applications shouldn't be interpreted as rumor or fast-tracked according to rumor timetables. Apple's patent applications have provided the Mac community with a clear heads-up on some of Apple's greatest product trends including the iPod, iPhone, iPad, iOS cameras, LED displays, iCloud services for iTunes and more. About Comments: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit comments.

Here are a Few Sites covering our Original Report: MacSurfer, Twitter, Facebook, Apple Investor News, Google Reader, Macnews, iPhone World Canada, MarketWatch, MacDailyNews, and more.