The present invention relates generally to the field of touch screen devices, and more particularly to selecting multiple areas of content on a touch screen device.
A touch screen is an input device normally layered on the top of an electronic visual display of an information processing system. A user can give input or control the information processing system through simple or multi-touch gestures by touching the screen with a special stylus/pen and/or one or more fingers. Some touch screens use ordinary or specially coated gloves to work while others use a special stylus/pen only. The user can use the touch screen to react to what is displayed and to control how it is displayed (for example by zooming the text size). The touch screen enables the user to interact directly with what is displayed, rather than using a mouse, touchpad, or any other intermediate device (other than a stylus, which is optional for most modern touch screens).
Touch screens are common in devices such as game consoles, personal computers, tablet computers, and smartphones. They may also be attached to computers or, as terminals, to networks. They also play a prominent role in the design of digital appliances such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), global positioning system (GPS) navigation devices, mobile phones, video games and some books (electronic books or E-books). The popularity of smartphones, tablets, and many types of information appliances is driving the demand and acceptance of common touch screens for portable and functional electronics. Touch screens are found in the medical field and in heavy industry, as well as for automated teller machines (ATMs), and kiosks such as museum displays or room automation, where keyboard and mouse systems do not allow a suitably intuitive, rapid, or accurate interaction by the user with the display's content.