Method and system for implementing button interface compatibility in touch-screen equipped digital imaging device

A computer readable memory device for a touch-screen equipped digital imaging device, the computer readable memory device for storing computer readable code, which when executed by an embedded computer system built into the digital imaging device causes the digital imaging device to implement:

• a hardware abstraction layer coupled to the touch-screen, the hardware abstraction layer for abstracting the functionality of the touch-screen;
• a touch-screen manager coupled to the touch-screen via the hardware abstraction layer;
• a button interface manager for interfacing with a button aware application, the button interface manager coupled to the touch-screen manager;
• and
• an IO event manager coupled to accept input from the touch-screen manager and the button interface manager, wherein if a touch-screen aware application is executed by the computer, the IO event manager interfaces the touch-screen aware application with the touch-screen by communicating with the touch screen manager, and if the button aware application is executed by the computer, the IO event manager interfaces the button aware application with the touch-screen by communicating with the button interface manager, wherein the touch-screen manager emulates button events to the button interface manager such that the button aware application transparently interfaces with the touch-screen to accept input from the user.

A method for implementing button interface compatibility for button aware applications executed on the touch screen equipped digital imaging device, the method comprising to the steps of:

• a) executing a boot sequence in a touch-screen equipped digital imaging device;
• b) pre-initializing an operating environment of the digital imaging device to a default mode to support button aware applications;
• c) launching either a button aware application or a touch-screen aware application;
• d) when the touch-screen aware application is launched, supporting the touch-screen aware application by interfacing the touch-screen aware application with the touch-screen via an I/O event manager;
• and
• e) when the button aware application is launched, supporting the button aware application by:
• interfacing the button aware application with the touch-screen by communicating with the I/O event manager using a button interface manager;
• and
• emulating button events to the button interface manager using the touch-screen manager such that the button aware application transparently interfaces with the touch-screen to accept inputs from the user.

A digital imaging device having button interface compatibility for button aware applications executing on a touch-screen equipped digital imaging device, comprising;

• a touch-screen for accepting input from a user;
• an embedded computer system built into the digital imaging device for implementing functionality for the digital imaging device, the computer system having a processor coupled to a memory, the computer capable of executing software applications, wherein the software applications are button aware applications and touch-screen aware applications, the memory storing computer readable code which when executed by the processor causes the computer system to implement a touch-screen manager operable for controlling the touch-screen;
• and
• the touch screen manager configured to provide button events or touch screen events to the software applications running on the touch screen equipped digital imaging device, wherein if the touch-screen aware application is executed by the processor, the touch-screen aware application interfaces with the touch-screen through the touch-screen manager, and if the button aware application is executed by the processor, the touch-screen manager emulates button events such that the button aware application transparently interfaces with the touch-screen to accent input from the user.