Method for processing input and electronic device thereof

• US 10,241,627 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2014
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoon, Sung-Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nitin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stone, Robert M
• Application Number:
  US14/584,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20150185923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,548 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0442 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for transmitting changes in electrical potential to be received by the digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A method configured to process an indirect touch or direct touch input to a touch screen with various input means is provided. The method includes, if a 1st input means is positioned in a 1st position spaced apart from a touch screen, acquiring 1st sensing information based on the 1st position, if the 1st input means is positioned in a 2nd position spaced apart from the touch screen, acquiring 2nd sensing information based on the 2nd position, and identifying the 1st input means based on the acquired 1st sensing information and the acquired 2nd sensing information.

Claims

1. A method of operating an electronic device, the method comprising:

acquiring, in a state where an end of a 1st input means approaching a touch screen of the electronic device is positioned in a 1st position spaced apart from the touch screen of the electronic device, 1st information indicating a 1st cross-section area of the 1st input means in the 1st position when the end of the 1st input means is positioned in the 1st position, based on a 1st difference value of a capacitance in the 1st position;

acquiring, in a state where the end of the 1st input means approaching the touch screen is moved from the 1st position to a 2nd position spaced apart from the touch screen, 2nd information indicating a 2nd cross-section area of the 1st input means in the 1st position when the end of the 1st input means is positioned in the 2nd position, based on a 2nd difference value of the capacitance in the 1st position;

identifying, among a plurality of types of input means registered as associated with a plurality of cross-section areas in the electronic device, a type of the 1st input means approaching the touch screen before the end of the 1st input means is contacted with the touch screen, the identified type of the 1st input means corresponding to both the 1st cross-section area and the 2nd cross-section area;

detecting that the end of the 1st input means approaching the touch screen from the 2nd position is contacted with the touch screen; and

displaying, in response to the detecting, a representation corresponding to the type of the 1st input means that corresponds to both the 1st cross-section area and the 2nd cross-section area, via the touch screen.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the 1st cross-section area corresponds to the 1st difference value, and

wherein the 2nd cross-section area corresponds to the 2nd difference value.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring, in a state where an end of a 2nd input means is positioned in the 1st position spaced apart from the touch screen, 3rd information indicating a 1st cross-section area of the 2nd input means in the 1st position when the end of the 2nd input means is positioned in the 1st position, based on a 3rd difference value of the capacitance in the 1st position;

acquiring, in a state where the end of the 2nd input means is moved from the 1st position to the 2nd position spaced apart from the touch screen, 4th information indicating a 2nd cross-section area of the 2nd input means in the 1st position when the end of the 2nd input means is positioned in the 2nd position, based on a 4th difference value of a capacitance in the 2nd position; and

identifying, among the plurality of types of input means registered as associated with the plurality of cross-section areas in the electronic device, a type of the 2nd input means approaching the touch screen, before the 2nd input means is contacted with the touch screen, the identified type of the 2nd input means corresponding to both the 1st cross-section area and the 2nd cross-section area of the 2nd input means.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

detecting that the end of the 2nd input means is contacted with the touch screen; and

displaying, in response to detecting that the end of the 2nd input means moved from the 2nd position is contacted with the touch screen, another representation corresponding to the identified type of the 2nd input means via the touch screen,

wherein the other representation is distinct from the representation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of the 1st input means is identified as one of a pen type, an eraser type, and a finger type.

6. An electronic device comprising:

a processor;

a memory connected with the processor; and

a touch screen connected with the processor,

wherein the processor and the memory are programmed to;

acquire, in a state where an end of a 1st input means approaching the touch screen is positioned in a 1st position spaced apart from the touch screen, 1st sensing information indicating a 1st cross-section area of the 1st input means in the 1st position when the end of the 1st input means is positioned in the 1st position, based on a 1st difference value of a capacitance in the 1st position,

acquire, in a state where the end of the 1st input means approaching the touch screen is moved from the 1st position to a 2nd position spaced apart from the touch screen, 2nd information indicating a 2nd cross-section area of the 1st input means in the 1st position when the end of the 1st input means is positioned in the 2nd position, based on a 2nd difference value of the capacitance in the 1st position,

identify, among a plurality of types of input means registered as associated with a plurality of cross-section areas in the electronic device, a type of the 1st input means approaching the touch screen before the end of the 1st input means is contacted with the touch screen, the identified type of the 1st input means corresponding to both the 1st cross-section area and the 2nd cross-section area,

detect that the end of the 1st input means approaching the touch screen from the 2nd position is contacted with the touch screen, and

display, in response to the detecting, a representation corresponding to the type of the 1st input means that corresponds to both the 1st cross-section area and the 2nd cross-section area, via the touch screen.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the processor and the memory are further programmed to:

acquire, in a state where an end of a 2nd input means is positioned in the 1st position, 3rd information indicating a 1st cross-section area of the 2nd input means in the 1st position when the end of the 2nd input means is positioned in the 1st position, based on a 3rd difference value of the capacitance in the 1st position,

acquire, in a state where the end of the 2nd input means is moved from the 1st position to the 2nd position, 4th information indicating a 2nd cross-section area of the 2nd input means in the 1st position when the end of the 2nd input means is positioned in the 2nd position, based on a 4th difference value of a capacitance in the 2nd position,

identify, among the plurality of types of input means registered as associated with the plurality of cross-section areas in the electronic device, a type of the 2nd input means approaching the touch screen, before the end of the 2nd input means is contacted with the touch screen, the identified type of the 2nd input means corresponding to both the 1st cross-section area and the 2nd cross-section area of the 2nd input means,

detect that the end of the 2nd input means is contacted with the touch screen, and

display, in response to detecting that the end of the 2nd input means moved from the 2nd position is contacted with the touch screen, another representation corresponding to the identified type of the 2nd input means via the touch screen, and

wherein the other representation is distinct from the representation.

8. The electronic device of claim 6,

wherein the 1st cross-section area corresponds to the 1st difference value, and

wherein the 2nd cross-section area corresponds to the 2nd difference value.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a database and a program recorded thereon, the program causing a computer to execute a method comprising:

acquiring, in a state where an end of a 1st input means approaching a touch screen of an electronic device is positioned in a 1st position spaced apart from the touch screen, 1st information indicating a 1st cross-section area of the 1st input means in the 1st position when the end of the 1st input means is positioned in the 1st position, based on a 1st difference value of a capacitance in the 1st position;

acquiring, in a state where the end of the 1st input means approaching the touch screen is moved from the 1st position to a 2nd position spaced apart from the touch screen, 2nd information indicating a 2nd cross-section area of the 1st input means in the 1st position when the end of the 1st input means is positioned in the 2nd position, based on a 2nd difference value of the capacitance in the 1st position;

identifying, among a plurality of types of input means registered as associated with a plurality of cross-section areas in the electronic device, a type of the 1st input means approaching the touch screen before the end of the 1st input means is contacted with the touch screen, the identified type of the 1st input means corresponding to both the 1st cross-section area and the 2nd cross-section area;

detecting that the end of the 1st input means approaching the touch screen from the 2nd position is contacted with the touch screen; and

displaying, in response to the detecting, a representation corresponding to the type of the 1st input means that corresponds to both the 1st cross-section area and the 2nd cross-section area, via the touch screen.