Method and apparatus for classifying a touch event on a touchscreen as related to one of multiple function generating interaction layers

#The present invention relates to classifying touch events, and more particularly, to a method and system for classifying touch event and vibro-acoustic signals to identify a finger part used to touch an interactive element displayed on a touch screen and treating the touch event so classified as meant to activate a function or functions in a traditional application layer, a gestures layer or an auxiliary action layer.

#Contemporary interactive surfaces generally treat finger touches as a single class of input. However, this is a gross simplification-fingers are diverse appendages, both in their motor capabilities and their anatomical composition. Supporting additional dimensions of finger input have largely been ignored because instrumenting the user with active or passive components is invasive.

#At present, in order for a finger to perform different operations at a single point in space on a touch screen, it must be overloaded (e.g., in time or space). Most common is a tap-and-hold period, or chording of the fingers (e.g., two-finger-tap for right click). This can trigger a transient contextual menu, which allows a user to select one of several actions. An alternative to finger overloading is breaking function out into one or more buttons. For example, there is a scheme in which one button is for minimizing a window and another button is for closing it. However, this is problematic for mobile devices with limited screen real estate.

#The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of an exemplary embodiment given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout, and in which:

#FIGS. 1A to 4B are exemplary diagrams illustrating a concept of activating different interactive functions based on a classification of touch and vibro-acoustic signals in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

#FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a computing system for activating different interactive functions based on a classification of touch and vibro-acoustic signals in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

#The advantages and features of exemplary embodiments and methods of accomplishing these will be clearly understood from the following embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the exemplary embodiments are not limited and may be implemented in various forms. It should be noted that the exemplary embodiments are provided to make a full disclosure and also to allow those skilled in the art to understand the full range of the exemplary embodiments. Therefore, the exemplary embodiments are to be defined only by the scope of the appended claims.

#FIGS. 1A to 4B are exemplary diagrams illustrating a concept of activating different interactive functions based on a classification of touch and vibro-acoustic signals in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

#In brief, a concept of the present invention may be described as follow. A user touches or contacts a touch screen with one of the finger parts, e.g., a fingertip. Such a touch event triggers a primary or conventional functionality, such as opening a file, dragging a file, launching an application, selecting a song, pressing a button, and the like. When a user touches the touch screen with another one of the finger parts, e.g., a knuckle or fingernail, an auxiliary function is launched on the same touch screen.