# US 9,519,369 B2 · Touch screen selection

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- Number: US 9,519,369 B2
- Document ID: US9519369B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/112,063
- Filed: 2011-04-19
- Published: 2014-02-20
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2011-04-19
- Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Applicants: Jerome Huck
- Inventors: Jerome Huck
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9519369B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/04842: Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence)
- G06F 3/0412: {Digitisers structurally integrated in a display}
- G06F 3/0488: using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
- G06F 2203/04805: Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

Example embodiments disclosed herein relate to touch screen selection. A device displays a plurality of touch elements on a touch-enabled display. The device receives a touch input via the touch-enabled display. Further, the device determines an ambiguity based on the touch selection input. The device magnifies an area associated with the touch selection input based on the ambiguity determination. Moreover, the area includes a set of the touch elements associated with the ambiguity termination. The device receives another touch input at the area via the touch-enabled display. Then, the device determines one of the touch elements based on the other touch input.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
displaying a plurality of selection elements on a touch-enabled display;
receiving a first touch selection input via the touch-enabled display;
determining an ambiguity based on the first touch selection input;
magnifying a region associated with the first touch selection input based on the ambiguity determination, wherein the region includes a set of the selection elements associated with the ambiguity determination;
determining a blot area of the touch-enabled display activated by the first touch selection input, the blot area having a size smaller than a size of each selection element of the selection elements in the set, and the size of the blot area defined by a user profile;
determining sizing information about the selection elements in the set that correspond to the blot area, wherein the magnifying of the region is determined based on a size of the blot area and the sizing information about the selection elements in the set, and the magnifying increases a size of a first selection element of the selection elements in the set to be at least a specified percentage of the size of the blot area;
receiving a second touch selection input at the magnified region via the touch-enabled display; and
selecting one of the selection elements in the set based on the second touch selection input.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first touch selection input and the second touch selection input correspond to direct touches of at least one of the plurality of selection elements.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the magnifying of the region maintains a scaled spatial orientation of the region.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the magnifying of the region displays the region to a full screen of the touch-enabled display.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining that the second touch selection input is unambiguous; and
de-magnifying the magnified region.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of selection elements include at least one of: a link, a soft key, a drawing tool, a content box, and a search box.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining that the second touch selection input is ambiguous in selecting one of the selection elements in the set;
further magnifying to a further portion of the magnified region based on the second touch selection input; and
receiving a third touch selection input at the further portion,
wherein selecting the one selection element is further based on the third touch selection input.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein increasing the size of the first selection element as part of the magnifying of the region comprises increasing the size of a smallest selection element of the selection elements in the set.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first selection element has a first relative size to the size of the blot area prior to the magnifying, and the first selection element has a second, larger relative size to the size of the blot area after the magnifying.

### Claim 10

A device comprising:
a processor;
a touch screen to display a plurality of touch elements;
a non-transitory storage medium storing instructions executable on the processor to:
detect a touch input via the touch screen;
determine that a first touch input is ambiguous in selecting one of the touch elements;
magnify a region of interest of the touch screen associated with the first touch input, wherein the region includes a set of the touch elements;
determine a blot area associated with the first touch input, the blot area having a size smaller than a size of each selection element of the selection elements in the set, and the size of the blot area defined by a user profile;
determine sizing information about the touch elements in the set;
determine a scaling of the magnifying of the region based on the blot area and the sizing information about the touch elements in the set, the magnifying increasing a size of a first selection element of the selection elements in the set to be at least a specified percentage of a size of the blot area;
receive a second touch input at the magnified region; and
select one of the selection elements in the set based on the second touch input.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The device of claim 10, wherein the first touch input and the second touch input are direct touches of at least one of the plurality of touch elements.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of touch elements are associated with a drawing tool that includes a pointer that is smaller than the blot area, and wherein the magnifying magnifies the region to a level where the pointer is within a threshold ratio of the blot area.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The device of claim 10, wherein the first selection element is a smallest selection element of the selection elements in the set.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The device of claim 10, wherein the first selection element has a first relative size to the size of the blot area prior to the magnifying, and the first selection element has a second, larger relative size to the size of the blot area after the magnifying.

### Claim 15

A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause a device to:
cause display of a plurality of touch elements on a touch-enabled display;
determine a blot area associated with a first touch input received via the touch-enabled display, the blot area having a size smaller than a size of each selection element of the plurality of selection elements, and the size of the blot area defined by a user profile;
determine ambiguity in the first touch input selecting one of the touch elements;
magnify a region of interest surrounding the blot area in response to determining the ambiguity, wherein the magnified region maintains a scaled spacing of the region;
determine a set of the touch elements that may be selected based on the blot area;
determine sizing information of the touch elements in the set, wherein a scale for the magnifying is based on a size of the blot area and the sizing information, and the magnifying increases a size of a first selection element of the touch elements in the set to be at least a specified percentage of the size of the blot area;
determine a second blot area associated with a second touch input received in the magnified region via the touch-enabled display; and
determine selection of one of the touch elements in the set based on the second blot area.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the magnifying is further based on the user profile.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first selection element is a smallest selection element of the selection elements in the set.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the first selection element has a first relative size to the size of the blot area prior to the magnifying, and the first selection element has a second, larger relative size to the size of the blot area after the magnifying.