applications using si stylus stroke on a touch screen
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to software tools for data systems utilizing touch screens as an input device. More particularly, it relates to methods, enabling the user to customize applications running on touch screen based data systems.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Applications running on touch screen based data systems, such as handheld computers, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and smart phones, use the screen as both input and output devices. These touch screen based computer systems are typically small, hand-held computers where the primary method for inputting data includes an "open" or stylus.
[0003] When the touch screen is used as the output display device, applications often make use of icons, texts (labels) associated with these icons and other labels, audio output associated with these icons and otherwise, buttons and text and/or sounds associated with these buttons, tabs and text and/or sounds associated with these tabs, or any other label or sound, all of which are used by the application to interface with the user. All of these features are fixed by the application and the user cannot change them.
[0004] Many users \v,ould like to customize items displayed by an application, for example with them, or sound associated with them, labels
in tables, etc. Some users would want various reasons, such as taste, better understanding, creativity and so on and so forth.
[0005] Software companies that develop applications using natural language to interface with -the user would like to develop applications that give their users these customization abilities such that when the user makes such a change it does not interfere with the application functionality or performance, and without these companies having to change the application code. This will relieve the software companies from having to tailor applications to different customers, where the output uses different terminology or a different language, etc.
[0006] It is thus the intention of this invention to provide a method that will enable software companies that develop applications using natural language, to give their users a vast amount of freedom to change the application output, such as icons or buttons or tabs and/or text associated with them (including changing the natural language), or sound associated with them, or labels in tables, and other features, without any or all of these changes interfering with the application functionality or performance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, a method for giving users of touch screen software applications a vast amount of freedom to change, in an easy and simple way, the application's various outputs such as icons, buttons, tabs and/or text associated with them (including changing the natural language), sound associated with them, labels in tables and any other features associated with
any of the application objects, without any or all of these changes interfering with the application functionality or performance.
[0009] It is thus the object of this invention to provide a simple method for changing features of applications running on touch-screen based devices. Among others, these features include all kinds of labels, from screen headers, through icons, tabs, buttons and fields. It also includes, but is not limited to, icons, sound output and the natural language used by the user, provided that the OS of the screen-based computer system supports that language.
[00010] These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed descriptions and studying the various figures of the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a flowchart describing by way of example the flow of data and application activity executing a change of text request.
FIG. 2 illustrates by way of example the change of the label field of an icon. FIG. 3 illustrates by way of example the change of the header field of a screen. FIG. 4 illustrates by way of example the change of a label field. FIG. 5 illustrates by way of example the change of the header field of a tab. FIG. 6 illustrates by way of example the change of the label field of a button.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
{0014] The present invention will become fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings, which are given by way of illustration only and thus not limitative of the present invention, and wherein.
[0015] The present invention is well suited for touch-screen based computer systems, such as the stylus-based, that are currently popular
[0,016] Embodiments, of the invention will now be described, by way of example, not limitation. It is to be understood that the invention is of broad utility and may be used in many different contexts.
[0017] In the preferred embodiment of this invention, a method for changing text fields, icons and sounds will be described.
[0018] The flowchart in Fig 1 outlines the essence of this invention, which provides a method for the simple change of any text field on the touch screen, any icon and sound associated with them, the language used, provided that the OS of the screen-based computer system supports that language, and any other feature associated with that object.
[0019] It is assumed that the proper application has been loaded onto the touch screen based device.
[0020] Referring now to Fig 1, the user starts a procedure 10 of changing an item he desires to change. He selects the item he wants to change as shown in block 20. In block 30 the user presses with, for example, the stylus 110 on the item he selected in block 20, for example, for 3 seconds, which triggers a reaction by the application. For the sake of clarity, that reaction of the application can be triggered by any length of stylus 110 pressure, or a double click, or the finger, or any other combination.
[0021] As stated in block 40, the application program identifies that change requested by the user and the object associated with the item the user selected. This identification is possible due to a special object built into the application for that length of stylus pressure. In the next state, represented by block 50, the application pops up a new screen, for example, a keyboard screen if the change is a text change, on which it shows the text to be changed. The user then uses the keyboard to change the text to his will, in block 60, and when done, signals the program the he is done in state 70, for example by pressing on a "done" button. In block 80 the application updates the object of the changed item with the new changes, saves it in the appropriate objects data base, and refreshes the screen with the updated screen. The procedure is now finished, 90.
[0022] Although we described the method, by way of example, as a change in text, any feature associated with a given object can be changed: icons, sounds, and so on. The language used can be changed just the same way, provided that the OS of the screen-based device supports that language.
[0023] The following examples are given to enhance the description of the present invention.
[0024] Referring to Fig 2, an example of changing the textural label of an icon is illustrated. The user uses, for example, a stylus 110 to select the circled text 130, "Accounts" in this case, which is the label of icon 120 in screen 100. The application program identifies that change requested and pops up a new screen 140, a keyboard screen in this case. At the top of the screen 140 appears the selected text 150 which is to be changed. The user then uses the Tceyboard to change the text to his will 160, "Clients" in this case, and when done he presses the button "Done" 142. The application updates the object associated with icon 120 with the new label 160, saves it in the appropriate objects data base and refreshes the screen with the updated screen 180 showing icon 120 with its new label.
[0025] Referring to Fig 3, an example of changing a screen header is illustrated. The user uses, for example, a stylus 1 10 to select the circled header 220, "Accounts" in this case, which is the header of screen 200. The application program identifies that change requested and pops up a new screen 240, a keyboard screen in this case. At the top of the screen 240 appears the selected text 250 which is to be changed. The user then uses the keyboard to change the text to his will 260, "Customers" in this case, and when done he presses the button "Done" 242. The application updates the object associated with screen 200 with the new header 260, saves it in the appropriate objects data base and refreshes the screen with the updated screen 280 showing its new header 270.
[0026] Referring to Fig 4, an example of changing a field label is illustrated. The user uses, for example, a stylus 110 to select the circled label 320, "Type" in this case, which is a field label in screen 300. The application program identifies that change requested and pops up a new screen 340, a keyboard screen in this case. On top of the screen 340 appears the selected text 350 which is to be changed. The user then uses the keyboard to change the text to his will 360, "Category" in this case, and when done he presses the button "Done" 342. The application
updates the object associated with that field with the new label 360, saves it in the appropriate objects data base and refreshes the screen with the updated screen 380 showing its new label 370.
[0027] Referring to Fig 5, an example of changing a tab header is illustrated. The user uses, for example, a stylus 1 10 to select the circled header 420, "Finance" in this case, which is the header of tab 430, in screen 400. The application program identifies that change requested and pops up a new screen 440, a keyboard screen in this case. At the top of the screen 240 appears the selected text 450 which is to be changed. The user then uses the keyboard to change the text to his will 460, "Credit" in this case, and when done he presses the button "Done" 442. The application updates the object associated with tab 430 with the new header 460, saves it in the appropriate objects data base and refreshes the screen with the updated screen 480 showing its new header 470.
[0028] Referring to Fig 6, an example of changing the textural label of a button 530 is illustrated. The user uses, for example, a stylus 1 10 to select the circled text 520, "Start" in this case, which is the label of button 530 in screen 500. The application program identifies that change requested and pops up a new screen 540, a keyboard screen in this case. On top of the screen 540 appears the selected text 550 which is to be changed. The user then uses the keyboard to change the text to his will 560, "Begin" in this case, and when done he presses the button "Done" 542. The application updates the object associated with button 530 with the new label 560, saves it in the appropriate objects data base and refreshes the screen with the updated screen 580 showing button 530 with its new label 570.
[0029] In another option, not illustrated but done just in the same method, icons can be replaced. In such a case instead of a keyboard screen, the application pops up a screen with an icon selection. The user can select an icon from that list. The list of icons can be changed offline.
[0030] In yet another option, not illustrated but done just in the same method, a sound output 'associated with an object can be added or replaced. In such a case, instead of a keyboard screen, the application pops up a screen with sound selection. The user can select a sound from that list. The list of sounds can be changed offline or the user can record a new sound file.
[0031] In still another option, not illustrated but done just in the same method, the language used by the user can be changed, provided that the OS of the screen-based device supports that language. In such a case, the user can select a different keyboard in accordance with the selected language. This method makes it substantially easier for any user to change the language used by the application.
[0032] When the application serves not just an individual but an organization, it is possible to make the changes on one device and transmit it to a server which in turn can update all the organization devices or a selected group in that organization.
[0034] The invention being thus described in terms of a preferred embodiment and several examples, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.