Techniques for identifying user interface elements and systems and devices using the same
The embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to techniques for identifying elements in a user interface (UI), and more particularly, techniques for determining UI elements selected on a contact-sensitive user interface and using those techniques to provide one or more haptic responses.
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a touch screen to display a graphical user interface (GUI);
a single processor; and
a non-transitory storage medium to store one or more search tasks ordered in a list and executable via the single processor to:
generate a list of search tasks concatenated in memory in sequential physical memory addresses to form a conditioned search task list;
determine a location of a sensed touch at a touch screen;
identify an element of a graphical user interface (GUI) presented at the touch screen that is associated with the determined location of the sensed touch according to a sequential execution of the search tasks of the conditioned search task list on the non-transitory storage medium responsive to the determined location; and
provide a user feedback response that corresponds to the identified element of the GUI.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more search tasks enable the processor to identify a user-feedback response responsive to the identified element of the GUI.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the one or more search tasks further enable the processor to create one or more control signals responsive to the user-feedback response associated with the identified element of the GUI.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the user-feedback response is a haptic response.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the one or more control signals control a haptic driver to excite one or more actuators in the touch screen.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising determining a force level associated with the touch and wherein the processor creates the one or more control signals responsive to the force level.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the user feedback response instructs a haptic driver to excite one or more actuators in a touch screen responsive to the user feedback response.
8. A method, comprising:
generating a list of search tasks concatenated in memory in sequential physical memory addresses to form a conditioned search task list;
determining a location of a sensed touch at a touch screen;
sequentially executing one or more search tasks of the conditioned search task list responsive to the determined location, wherein each search task of the conditioned search task list corresponds to a different element of a graphical user interface (GUI), and, when executed, returns a search result; and
identifying an element of the GUI responsive to the search result; and
provide a user feedback response that corresponds to the identified element of the GUI.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising identifying a user-feedback response responsive to the identified element of the GUI.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising creating one or more control signals responsive to the user-feedback response associated with the identified element of the GUI.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the user-feedback response is a haptic response.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more control signals control a haptic driver to excite one or more actuators in the touch screen.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising determining a force level associated with the touch and wherein a processor creates the one or more control signals responsive to the force level.
14. The method of claim 8 , wherein each search task includes a payload that is inserted responsive to a search tree.
15. A system, comprising:
a display controller;
a touch controller to:
generate a list of one or more search tasks concatenated in memory in sequential physical memory addresses to form a conditioned search task list;
determine a location of a sensed touch at a touch sensor;
sequentially execute one or more search tasks of the conditioned search task list responsive to the determined location, wherein a respective search task of the conditioned search task list corresponds to a different element of a graphical user interface (GUI), and, when executed, the respective search instruction returns a search result;
identify an element of the GUI responsive to the search result; and
provide a user feedback response that corresponds to the identified element of the GUI.
16. The system of claim 15 , further comprising a haptic feedback sub-system that generates haptic feedback at the display.
17. The system of claim 15 , wherein some of the one or more search tasks comprise a jump instruction associated with another search task of the one or more search tasks, that, when executed, loads the other search task.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the jump instructions enable the one or more search tasks to be executed in a tree-like order.
19. The system of claim 15 , further comprising an automotive head unit.