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US5053758A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Touchscreen control panel with sliding touch control

Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corp
•
Filing: 1990-02-01
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Granted: 1991-10-01
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Expires: 2010-02-01
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Abstract

Abstract Touchscreen control panel apparatus that highlights a control key to which the operator slides touch and actuates the associated control function upon touch release from the highlighted key. Highlighting is deleted from a key when operator slides touch therefrom without releasing touch. Parameter values are adjusted by touching a control key associated therewith and thereafter sliding touch anywhere on the touchscreen to effect parameter value change.

Inventors

  • 👤 Johnny A. Cornett
  • 👤 James D. Corbett

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-25 12:10
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/048; G06F3/0487; G06F3/0488; G06F3/0484; G06F3/04842

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim 199 words
Touchscreen control panel apparatus for use in a system having actuate on release control functions, said apparatus comprising a monitor having a display, touchscreen means, including a touchscreen overlay on said display for providing touch coordinate signals in accordance with operator touch location on said touchscreen overlay and for providing a touchscreen release signal upon removal of said operator touch, key generation means for providing control keys on said display, a first plurality of said control keys being associated with a plurality of said actuate on release control functions, respectively, highlighting means coupled to said touchscreen means for highlighting only an operator touched control key, sliding touch detecting means coupled to said touchscreen means for detecting when operator touch has slid from a first control key to a second control key, highlight deletion means coupled to said touchscreen means for deleting said highlighting with respect to a control key from which operator touch has slid, and first control actuation means coupled to said touchscreen means for actuating a control function associated with a highlighted control key in response to said touchscreen release signal when said highlighted control key is associated with one of said actuate on release control functions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 199 words
Touchscreen control panel apparatus for use in a system having actuate on release control functions, said apparatus comprising a monitor having a display, touchscreen means, including a touchscreen overlay on said display for providing touch coordinate signals in accordance with operator touch location on said touchscreen overlay and for providing a touchscreen release signal upon removal of said operator touch, key generation means for providing control keys on said display, a first plurality of said control keys being associated with a plurality of said actuate on release control functions, respectively, highlighting means coupled to said touchscreen means for highlighting only an operator touched control key, sliding touch detecting means coupled to said touchscreen means for detecting when operator touch has slid from a first control key to a second control key, highlight deletion means coupled to said touchscreen means for deleting said highlighting with respect to a control key from which operator touch has slid, and first control actuation means coupled to said touchscreen means for actuating a control function associated with a highlighted control key in response to said touchscreen release signal when said highlighted control key is associated with one of said actuate on release control functions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 13 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said touchscreen overlay comprises a capacitive touchscreen.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 89 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said system further includes actuate on touch control functions, a second plurality of said control keys different from said first plurality of control keys being associated with a plurality of said actuate on touch control functions, respectively, said apparatus further including second control actuation means coupled to said touchscreen means for actuating a control function associated with a highlighted control key in response to operator touch thereon when said highlighted control key is associated with one of said actuate on touch control functions.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 73 words
The apparatus of claim 3 further including iterative means coupled to said touchscreen means, comprising means for storing said touch coordinate signals for a current iteration, means for storing said touch coordinate signals from an iteration prior to said current iteration, and routine determining means for determining whether a touched control key controls an actuate on release control function or an actuate on touch control function when said touchscreen release signal is absent.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 52 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said routine determining means includes adjustable parameter determining means for determining if a control function associated with a touched control key controls an adjustable parameter and further including parameter adjustment means coupled to said adjustable parameter determining means for adjusting parameters of an actuated control function.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 56 words
The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said parameter adjustment means comprises parameter value adjustment means for adjusting the value of a parameter in accordance with changes in said touch coordinate signals, and parameter adjustment actuating means for actuating said parameter value adjustment means when said routine determining means detects a touched key associated with said parameter.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 46 words
The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said parameter adjustment means includes an adjust parameters flag set in response to said routine determining means detecting a touched key associated with said adjustable parameter, said parameter value adjustment means being actuated when said adjust parameters flag is set.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 35 words
The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said parameter adjustment means includes timer means decremented in response to said touch release signal for controlling deactuation of said parameter value adjustment means when said timer times out.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 41 words
The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said touch coordinate signals comprise first and second coordinate signals and said parameter value adjustment means comprises means for adjusting the value of said parameter in accordance with changes in said first coordinate signal only.
Claim 11
Independent Claim 64 words
A method of control function actuation utilizing a touchscreen overlay on a monitor display comprising providing graphically generated control keys on said monitor display, sliding an operator touch over said graphically generated control keys, highlighting only a control key being touched, deleting highlighting from a key from which touch has slid, and releasing a highlighted control key to actuate a control function associated therewith.
Claim 12
Independent Claim 64 words
A method of control function actuation utilizing a touchscreen overlay on a monitor display comprising providing graphically generated control keys on said monitor display, sliding an operator touch over said graphically generated control keys, highlighting only a control key being touched, deleting highlighting from a key from which touch has slid, and releasing a highlighted control key to actuate a control function associated therewith.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 39 words
The method of claim 10 including a method for adjusting the value of a parameter comprising highlighting a touched control key associated with said parameter, and adjusting said parameter by sliding touch at any location on said touch screen.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 27 words
The method of claim 11 further including deactuating said parameter value adjustment method when a predetermined time has elapsed after touch has been released from said touchscreen.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1994-09-30 1995-04-01 1995-10-01 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1998-09-30 1999-04-01 1999-10-01 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2002-09-30 2003-04-01 2003-10-01 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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