Electronic device capable of executing commands therein and method for executing commands in the same

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for executing commands in an electronic device having a touch sensing element. A stylus or finger is used to touch the touch sensing element and move through several sensing areas on the touch sensing element. A responsive signal is generated by the touch sensing element according to the touched sensing areas. A processor then executes a corresponding command in accordance with the responsive signal.

1 . A method of command execution in an electronic device having a touch sensing element and a display, the touch sensing element having a touch surface and a plurality of sensing areas defined on the touch surface, the plurality of sensing areas at least comprising a first sensing area, a second sensing area, and a third sensing area, wherein the first and third sensing areas are positioned at lower left and lower right of the second sensing area, respectively, the method comprising:
 detecting occurrence of successive touches from the first sensing area through the second sensing area and finally to the third sensing area on the touch surface by the touch sensing element;   generating a responsive signal corresponding to the occurrence of the successive touches by the touch sensing element; and   in accordance with the responsive signal, executing a “home” command that corresponds to the responsive signal to show a default home screen on the display.   
     
     
         2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the electronic device further has an execution button, the method further comprising:
 detecting a termination of the occurrence of the successive touches on the touch surface; and   in response to a pressing of the execution button, starting the execution of the command after the termination of the occurrence of the successive touches is detected.   
     
     
         3 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the electronic device operates in either a dial mode or a command input mode, when the electronic device is in the dial mode, the plurality of sensing areas is adapted to input numbers; and when the electronic device is in the command input mode, the plurality of sensing areas is adapted to detect a path of movement of the successive touches. 
     
     
         4 . The method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the electronic device further has a switch button, the method further comprising:
 detecting a pressing of the switch button; and   switching the electronic device between the dial mode and the command input mode after the pressing of the switch button is detected.   
     
     
         5 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the touch sensing element is a touch panel, the method further comprising:
 displaying a trace of movement of the successive touches on the touch panel.   
     
     
         6 . A method of command execution in an electronic device having a touch sensing element and a display, the touch sensing element having a touch surface and a plurality of sensing areas defined on the touch surface, the plurality of sensing areas at least comprising a second sensing area, a sixth sensing area, and an eighth sensing area, wherein the second and eighth sensing areas are positioned at upper left and lower left of the sixth sensing area, respectively, the method comprising:
 detecting occurrence of successive touches from the second sensing area through the sixth and eighth sensing areas in sequence, and finally back to the second sensing area on the touch surface by the touch sensing element;   generating a responsive signal corresponding to the occurrence of the successive touches by the touch sensing element; and   in accordance with the responsive signal, executing a “launch multimedia player” command that corresponds to the responsive signal to launch a multimedia player on the display.   
     
     
         7 . The method as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of sensing areas is arranged in a 3×3 array and further comprises a first sensing area, a third sensing area, a fourth sensing area, a fifth sensing area, a seventh sensing area, and a ninth sensing area, the plurality of sensing areas is identified, from left to right and then from top to bottom, as the first sensing area, the second sensing area, the third sensing area, the fourth sensing area, the fifth sensing area, the sixth sensing area, the seventh sensing area, the eighth sensing area, and the ninth sensing area. 
     
     
         8 . A method of command execution in an electronic device having a touch sensing element and a display, the touch sensing element having a touch surface and a plurality of sensing areas defined on the touch surface, the plurality of sensing areas at least comprising a first sensing area, a second sensing area, a third sensing area, and a fourth sensing area, wherein the first, third, and fourth sensing areas are positioned at upper right, right, and lower right of the second sensing area, respectively, the method comprising:
 detecting occurrence of successive touches from the first sensing area through the second and third sensing areas in sequence, and finally to the fourth sensing area on the touch surface by the touch sensing element;   generating a responsive signal corresponding to the occurrence of the successive touches by the touch sensing element; and   in accordance with the responsive signal, executing an “open camera” command that corresponds to the responsive signal to activate a camera function on the display.   
     
     
         9 . A method of command execution in an electronic device having a touch sensing element and a display, the touch sensing element having a touch surface and a plurality of sensing areas defined on the touch surface, the plurality of sensing areas at least comprising a first sensing area, a third sensing area, a seventh sensing area, and a ninth sensing area, wherein the third, ninth, and seventh sensing areas are positioned at right, lower right, and bottom of the first sensing area, respectively, the method comprising:
 detecting occurrence of successive touches from the first sensing area through the third, ninth, and seventh sensing areas in sequence, and finally back to the first sensing area on the touch surface by the touch sensing element, wherein a path of the successive touches forms a square on the touch surface;   generating a responsive signal corresponding to the occurrence of the successive touches by the touch sensing element; and   in accordance with the responsive signal, executing an “open photo album” command that corresponds to the responsive signal to open photo albums on the display.   
     
     
         10 . The method as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of sensing areas is arranged in a 3×3 array and further comprises a second sensing area, a fourth sensing area, a fifth sensing area, a sixth sensing area, and an eighth sensing area, the plurality of sensing areas is identified, from left to right and then from top to bottom, as the first sensing area, the second sensing area, the third sensing area, the fourth sensing area, the fifth sensing area, the sixth sensing area, the seventh sensing area, the eighth sensing area, and the ninth sensing area. 
     
     
         11 . A method of command execution in an electronic device having a touch sensing element and a display, the touch sensing element having a touch surface and a plurality of sensing areas defined on the touch surface, the plurality of sensing areas at least comprising a first sensing area, a second sensing area, a third sensing area, a fourth sensing area, and a fifth sensing area, wherein the first, second, fourth, and fifth sensing areas are positioned at upper left, upper right, lower left, and lower right of the third sensing area, respectively, the method comprising:
 detecting occurrence of successive touches from the first sensing area through the second, third, fourth, fifth, and third sensing areas in sequence, and finally back to the first sensing area on the touch surface by the touch sensing element;   generating a responsive signal corresponding to the occurrence of the successive touches by the touch sensing element; and   in accordance with the responsive signal, executing an “open calendar” command that corresponds to the responsive signal to open a calendar program on the display.   
     
     
         12 . A method of command execution in an electronic device having a touch sensing element and a display, the touch sensing element having a touch surface and a plurality of sensing areas defined on the touch surface, the plurality of sensing areas at least comprising a first sensing area, a third sensing area, a fifth sensing area, a seventh sensing area, and a ninth sensing area, wherein the first, ninth, third, and seventh sensing areas are positioned at upper left, lower right, upper right, and lower left of the fifth sensing area, respectively, the method comprising:
 detecting occurrence of successive touches from the first sensing area through the fifth, ninth, third, fifth, and seventh sensing areas in sequence, and finally back to the first sensing area on the touch surface by the touch sensing element;   generating a responsive signal corresponding to the occurrence of the successive touches by the touch sensing element; and   in accordance with the responsive signal, executing an “open contact list” command that corresponds to the responsive signal to open a contact program on the display.   
     
     
         13 . The method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of sensing areas is arranged in a 3×3 array and further comprises a second sensing area, a fourth sensing area, a sixth sensing area, and an eighth sensing area, the plurality of sensing areas is identified, from left to right and then from top to bottom, as the first sensing area, the second sensing area, the third sensing area, the fourth sensing area, the fifth sensing area, the sixth sensing area, the seventh sensing area, the eighth sensing area, and the ninth sensing area.