Portable electronic device and method of controlling same

1. A method comprising:

rendering selectable features on a touch-sensitive display of a portable electronic device, wherein each selectable feature is associated with a target area;

detecting, by the touch-sensitive display, a touch on the touch-sensitive display;

identifying a first feature of the selectable features based on a location of the touch; and

in response to determining that the first feature is on a first side of a centerline of the touch-sensitive display, expanding the target area associated with at least one of the selectable features adjacent to the centerline on the first side of the touch-sensitive display.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the selectable features comprise keys of a keyboard.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein expanding the target area comprises increasing the size of the target area associated with the at least one of the selectable features to include an area between the selectable features.

4. The method according to claim 1 , comprising modifying target areas associated with selectable features on a second side of the centerline.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein modifying the target area comprises reducing a size of the target area.

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein modifying the target area comprises reducing a size of the target area such that a boundary of the target area is aligned with a displayed boundary of the selectable feature.

7. The method according to claim 1 , comprising reducing the expanded target area to a default size when a further touch is not detected within a predetermined period of time.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the selectable features comprise displayed keys of a keyboard and the centerline extends vertically relative to an orientation of the displayed keys.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the selectable features comprise displayed keys of a keyboard and the centerline extends horizontally relative to an orientation of the displayed keys.

10. A computer-readable storage device having computer-readable code executable by at least one processor of a portable electronic device to perform the method of claim 1 .

11. A portable electronic device comprising:

a touch-sensitive display configured to render selectable features and detect a first touch on the touch-sensitive display, wherein each selectable feature is associated with a target area; and

a processor configured to:

identify a first feature of the selectable features based on a location of the first touch;

in response to determining that the first feature is on a first side of a centerline of the touch-sensitive display, expand the target area associated with at least one of the selectable features adjacent to the centerline on the first side of the touch-sensitive display;

when a second touch is not detected within a predetermined period of time of detecting the first touch, contract the target area associated with the at least one of the selectable features adjacent to the centerline.

12. The portable electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to wherein increase the size of the target area associated with the at least one of the selectable features to include an area between the selectable features.

13. The portable electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to modify target areas associated with selectable features on a second side of the centerline.

14. The portable electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to reduce a size of target areas associated with selectable features on a second side of the centerline such that boundaries of the target areas are aligned with displayed boundaries of the selectable features.

15. The portable electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to reduce the expanded target area to a default size when a further touch is not detected within a predetermined period of time.

16. The portable electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein the selectable features comprise displayed keys of a keyboard and the centerline extends vertically relative to an orientation of the displayed keys.

17. The portable electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein the selectable features comprise displayed keys of a keyboard and the centerline extends horizontally relative to an orientation of the displayed keys.

18. A method comprising:

rendering selectable keys on a touch-sensitive display of a portable electronic device, each selectable key associated with a target area for selecting the respective selectable key;

detecting, by the touch-sensitive display, a touch on the touch-sensitive display;

selecting a first key of the selectable keys based on a location of the touch;

in response to determining that the first key is on a first side of a centerline of the touch-sensitive display:

expanding the target area associated with at least one of the selectable keys adjacent to the centerline on the first side of the touch-sensitive display;

reducing the target area associated with the selectable keys on a second side of the centerline;

in response to determining that the first key is on a second side of the centerline of the touch-sensitive display:

expanding the target area associated with at least one of the selectable keys adjacent to the centerline on the second side of the touch-sensitive display;

reducing the target area associated with the selectable keys on a first side of the centerline.