SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EXCEPTION OPERATION DURING TOUCH SCREEN DISPLAY SUSPEND MODE

1 . A method executed in a processor of a computing device, the computing device further including a memory storing instructions and a display screen having touch functionality, the method comprising:

initiating a suspend mode of operation for the display screen in response to a request received at the computing device, the suspend mode disabling a subset of the touch functionality;

while in the suspend mode of operation, monitoring for a first touch event at the display screen;

presenting an exception mode operation (EMO) key at a pre-defined location on the display screen upon receiving the first touch event;

monitoring for a second touch event performed at the EMO key location; and

during performance of the second touch event, restoring the touch functionality by re-enabling the subset.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the first touch event comprises a long touch received at the display screen.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the second touch event comprises a sustained touch performed at the display screen.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the subset of the touch functionality disabled comprises at least one input command generated by the processor.

5 . The method of claim 4 wherein the input command is one of a page transition command and a text font size adjustment performed upon a page of e-book content rendered at the display screen.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the EMO key location is visually rendered.

7 . The method of claim 6 wherein the EMO key is rendered in a geometrical shape consisting of one of: a circle, an oval, a rectangle and a polygon.

8 . The method of claim 6 wherein the EMO key is visually rendered to contrast with a remainder of display screen in accordance with one of: a color, a translucency, a fluctuating intensity and a shade.

9 . The method of claim 6 wherein the EMO key is located proximate a periphery of the display screen.

10 . The method of claim 6 wherein a spatial area of the visually rendered EMO key is less than 15 percent of a spatial area of the display screen.

11 . A computer-readable medium that stores instructions for a computing device, the computing device including a processor, a memory and a display screen having touch functionality, the instructions being executable by the processor to cause the computing device to perform operations that include:

initiating a suspend mode of operation for the display screen in response to a request received at the computing device, the suspend mode disabling a subset of the touch functionality;

while in the suspend mode of operation, monitoring for a first touch event at the display screen;

presenting an exception mode operation (EMO) key at a pre-defined location on the display screen upon receiving the first touch event;

monitoring for a second touch event performed at the EMO key location; and

during performance of the second touch event, restoring the touch functionality by re-enabling the subset.

12 . A computing device comprising:

a memory that stores a set of instructions;

a display screen having touch functionality;

a processor that access the instructions in memory, the processor further configured to:

initiate a suspend mode of operation for the display screen in response to a request received at the computing device, the suspend mode disabling a subset of the touch functionality;

while in the suspend mode of operation, monitor for a first touch event at the display screen;

present an exception mode operation (EMO) key at a pre-defined location on the display screen upon receiving the first touch event;

monitor for a second touch event performed at the EMO key location; and

during performance of the second touch event, restore the touch functionality by re-enabling the subset.

13 . The computing device of claim 12 wherein the first touch event comprises a long touch received at the display screen.

14 . The computing device of claim 12 wherein the second touch event comprises a sustained touch performed upon the display screen.

15 . The computing device of claim 12 wherein the subset of the touch functionality disabled comprises at least one input command generated by the processor.

16 . The computing device of claim 15 wherein the input command is one of a page transition command and a text font size adjustment performed upon a page of e-book content rendered at the display screen.

17 . The computing device of claim 12 wherein the EMO key location is visually rendered.

18 . The computing device of claim 17 wherein the EMO key is located proximate a periphery of the display screen.

19 . The computing device of claim 17 wherein the EMO key is visually rendered to contrast with a remainder of display screen in accordance with one of: a color, a translucency, a fluctuating intensity and a shade.

20 . The computing device of claim 17 wherein a spatial area of the visually rendered EMO key is less than 15 percent of a spatial area of the display screen.