Dynamic Touch Target Expansion for Accurate Thumb Typing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable electronic devices with touch-sensitive displays face challenges in accurately selecting characters or functions, especially when typing with two thumbs, as the touch location may fall short of or outside the target area due to the centerline crossing, leading to unintended selections or missed inputs.
Innovation Solution
The method involves dynamically expanding the target areas for keys adjacent to the centerline when a touch is detected within a key's target area, either on the left or right side of the keyboard, to facilitate accurate selection by increasing the space between keys, thereby improving typing accuracy and reducing errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the touch target area is kept small to fit more keys on the display, then the device can accommodate more functions and reduce display size, but the accuracy of touch input decreases making it difficult to select the correct key
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the target area size variable rather than fixed. The target area dynamically expands when a touch is detected near a key and contracts after the selection is confirmed. This allows the display to maintain a compact layout with small keys during normal operation, while temporarily expanding the target area to improve touch accuracy when needed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of target area size based on the touch detection state. When no touch is detected, the target area remains at its normal small size to accommodate more keys. When a touch is detected within or near a key's target area, the parameter changes by expanding the target area to a larger size to facilitate accurate selection
2Ease of operation
If the target area is expanded to improve touch accuracy, then the ease of operation improves, but the display area is reduced and fewer keys can be displayed
Solution Approach 1:
The target area dynamically adjusts its size based on the operational state. During normal display mode, the target area is small to maximize key density. Upon touch detection, it temporarily expands to improve selection ease, then contracts back to allow full display area utilization after the selection is confirmed
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares the expanded target area in advance when a touch is detected, before the final selection is made. This preliminary expansion ensures that even if the touch is slightly off-center, the user can still accurately select the intended key, improving ease of operation without permanently reducing display area
3Weight of moving object
If the device size is reduced to improve portability, then the ease of carrying improves, but the touch target areas become smaller making accurate input more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent compensates for the small physical size of the device by implementing dynamic target area expansion. Even though the overall device is compact with limited display space, the target area temporarily expands upon touch detection to provide sufficient accuracy for touch input, resolving the contradiction between device portability and input precision
Data Source
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AI summary
A method includes rendering selectable features on a touch-sensitive display of a portable electronic device, detecting, by the touch-sensitive display, a touch on the touch-sensitive display, identifying a first feature of the selectable features based on the touch, wherein the first feature is located in a first area of the touch-sensitive display, and expanding a target area of at least one of the selectable features in the first area.