In one illustrative embodiment, holding down the “Fn” key causes numerous icons on the contact screen to be activated with visible feedback as proven in FIG. 5, in addition to the normal action of redefining various keys of the main keyboard. Releasing the “Fn” key causes the touch screen to revert to its pointing device utilization concurrently the keys of the main keyboard revert to their primary capabilities. Touch sensor 202 is linked to touch sensing controller 208. The nature of controller 208 depends on the design of touch sensor 202 and its particulars are immaterial to the current invention. Likewise, display 204 is linked to an appropriate display controller 210, and backlight 206, if current, is connected to backlight controller 212.
Icon group 414 contains the standard set of status icons that seem on fashionable moveable computers, similar to numeric keypad lock, caps lock, scroll lock, hard disk activity, battery life, and system power. By finding these system icons on the touch screen display, the system designer eliminates the necessity for the particular dedicated LED or LCD standing displays which are typically used in prior artwork computer systems. Pop-up screens may be created using related means to auxiliary screens. However, for pop-up screens, driver 1620 may advantageously maintain an idea of contact screen pop-up focus distinct from the input focus maintained by the working system for purposes on the principle display. Driver 1620 must use some affordable rule to coordinate between multiple requests for auxiliary and pop-up photographs. 16 illustrates an exemplary software structure for the contact display screen of the present invention.
Because the consumer won't necessarily notice that the usual iconic contact display image has been changed, permanently active touch areas such as nook faucet regions 904 and 906 ought to be carried over from the replaced image. The remainder of the contact display screen image is free for help textual content or other subsidiary data. 9, a button 908 can be supplied that can be tapped to acquire extra help. Again, as outdoor projector of the user may not be conscious that such buttons have appeared, button 908 ought to usually be delicate to finger faucets only when the contact display is in the activated state. 4 illustrates an example of a first “iconic” usage mode of the touch display screen.
Power supply 1532 powers central processor 1528 as well as all different parts of the system. At system start-up, energy supply 1532 withholds energy from processor 1528 till it receives a sign from controller 1524 by direct connection 1534 stating that the person has been authenticated and system start-up can proceed. Alternatively, controller 1524 holds processor 1528 in reset, or it simply withholds entry to the keyboard, contact sensor, and other person interface peripherals, therefore rendering the computer system useless till the consumer is authenticated. In yet one more alternative, controller 1524 could take part in higher-level security capabilities such as delivering a decryption key for knowledge stored on a tough disk. To be effective recreation controls, areas 1032, 1034, 1036, and 1038 must be sensitive to touch always, without requiring the contact display to be in an activated state.
Function or “Fn” key 608 is common on the keyboards of moveable computer systems. This key, when held down, adjustments the interpretations of various other keys to perform special control features. For example, in one moveable pc, the arrow keys change to screen brightness controls, sure letter keys change to turn into a numeric keypad, and varied other keys change to control the external video and various other features. The alternate “Fn” functions of the assorted keys are sometimes indicated by blue writing next to the white writing indicating the primary operate of a key. Because the “Fn” key is usually absent on desktop computers, software program usually doesn't give particular interpretations to mouse clicks in conjunction with the “Fn” key. The utilization and functionality of “Fn” key 608 coincides well with the perform of activating the contact screen.
If the touch screen is laid flat to avoid arm put on, the arm tends to rest on the touch-sensing floor and, with many contact sensing technologies, this disrupts the ability to sense the finger. Touch screens the dimensions of a primary laptop display may be prohibitively bulky or costly to be used in purposes that do not require them. Driver 1620 may help a software management panel to allow the consumer to customise the operation of the contact screen. This control panel can embody controls to choose on, allow, disable, and rearrange the various icons on the default iconic screen.
In video cable enduring mode, the display shows an image that features a quantity of small icons corresponding to photos or buttons. The contact sensor operates as a touch pad pointing gadget in iconic mode, in which finger motions and taps on the sensor are typically interpreted the identical as when the touch display screen operates as a traditional contact pad. The display image in iconic mode may embody elements in common with the default image of FIG. Iconic mode will generally show further icons relating to software program that is operating on the computer and other features of the operation of the pc.
15B illustrates an exemplary hardware structure implementing the safety interlock of FIG. 15A. Computer system 1520 consists of touch screen module 1522, which in flip contains the hardware and control circuitry illustrated in FIG. Touch display screen 1522 communicates to peripheral controller 1524. Controller 1524 additionally manages different peripherals 1526 similar to keyboards, exterior pointing gadgets, and optionally available biometric authentication units. During operation of the computer, controller 1524 serves as a conduit between contact display 1522 and central processor 1528. Central processor 1528 in flip operates different units 1530 corresponding to the principle display and hard drive.
Many different purposes of pop-up screens are supported by the contact display screen of the current invention. For example, pop-up video games could possibly be applied completely on the contact display, leaving the primary show unobstructed. It is also potential to offer several of these alternate mechanisms without delay. These multiple activation mechanisms could be synonyms in that they all activate the same particular function of each icon, or different activation mechanisms may activate completely different particular functions of the icons. Multiple completely different particular features must be used with caution due to the likelihood of complicated the consumer.