CONTROLLING POINTER MOVEMENTS ON A TOUCH SENSITIVE SCREEN OF A MOBILE TERMINAL

• US 20070273664A1
• Filed: 05/22/2007
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Tae Hun, Woo, Boem Young, Ahn, Hyun Ju, Cheon, Ho Sang, Park, Jun Serk, Han, Seung Sook, Yoon, Jeong Hyuk
• Granted Patent: US 8,274,482 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A system for managing a graphical user interface (GUI) pointer on a touch sensitive screen of a mobile communication terminal is provided. The system comprises a logic unit for displaying a pointer on a first display point on the screen in response to a user touching the screen at a first touch point on the screen, wherein the first display point is a first distance away from the first touch point.

Claims

1. A method for managing a graphical user interface (GUI) pointer on a touch sensitive screen of a mobile communication terminal, the method comprising:

displaying a pointer on a first display point on the screen, in response to a user touching the screen at a first touch point on the screen; and

wherein the first display point is a first distance away from the first touch point.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising touching the screen on a second touch point for moving the pointer from the first display point to a second display point, wherein the second display point is approximately the first distance away from the second touch point.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the moving comprises dragging the pointer from the first display point to the second display point by sliding a pointing object on the touch sensitive screen from the first touch point to the second touch point.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein a pointing object is used to touch the screen and, due to a display point being a distance away from a touch point on the screen, the pointer is visible to a user without the pointing object obstructing the user'"'"'s view of the pointer.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising providing input to the mobile communication terminal in a first manner to move the pointer from the second display point to a third display point, wherein the third display point is a second distance away from the second touch point and wherein the second distance is longer than the first distance.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising providing input to the mobile communication terminal in a first manner to move the pointer from the second display point to a third display point, wherein the third display point is a second distance away from the second touch point and wherein the second distance is shorter than the first distance.

7. The method of claim 2 comprising providing input to the mobile communication terminal in a first manner to move the pointer from the second display point to a third display point where a GUI object is displayed.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein in response to a first object contacting the second touch point in a first manner, the pointer moves from the first distance away from the second touch point to a second distance away from the second touch point.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein in response to the first object contacting the second location in a first manner, the pointer rotates about the second touch point.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a display object in vicinity of the pointer in response to a second user interaction with the mobile terminal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second user interaction comprises the user discontinuing touching the screen.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the second user interaction comprises the user selecting from a GUI menu.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the second user interaction comprises the user interacting with a pointing device of the mobile communication terminal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the pointing device comprises at least one of a joystick, a touchpad, and a key on a keypad of the mobile communication terminal.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the user has an option between using at least one of the joystick, the touchpad, and the key on the keypad of the mobile communication terminal to control movement of the pointer on the display.

16. A method for selecting a GUI object on a display screen of a mobile communication terminal, the method comprising:

displaying a pointer on the display screen at a first display point, in response to a user touching the display screen at a first touch point on the display screen, wherein the first display point is a first distance away from the first touch point; and

moving the pointer proximate to a GUI object on the display screen by touching the display screen at a second touch point.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising selecting the GUI object when the pointer is displayed a first distance from the GUI object.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising selecting the GUI object in response to discontinuing touching the display screen at the second touch point.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising selecting the GUI object in response to the pointer being displayed a first distance from the GUI object and in response to discontinuing touching the display screen at the second touch point.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein touching the display screen at the second touch point in a first manner causes the pointer to move toward a closest GUI object in vicinity of the pointer.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein touching in the first manner comprises tapping.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein touching in the first manner comprises continued touching of the screen for a predetermined time period.

23. A system for selecting a GUI object on a display screen of a mobile communication terminal, the system comprising:

a logic unit for displaying a pointer on the display screen, in response to a user touching the display screen at a first touch point on the display screen, wherein the first touch point is a first distance away from display position of the pointer on the screen; and

a logic unit for moving the pointer proximate to a GUI object on the display screen, in response to a user touching the display screen at a second touch point.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising a logic unit for selecting the GUI object when the pointer is displayed a first distance from the GUI object.

25. The system of claim 23, further comprising a logic unit for selecting the GUI object in response to discontinued touching of the display screen at the second touch point.

26. The system of claim 23, further comprising a logic unit for selecting the GUI object in response to the pointer being displayed a first distance from the GUI object and in response to discontinued touching of the display screen at the second touch point.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein touching the display screen at the second touch point in a first manner causes the pointer to move toward a closest GUI object in vicinity of the pointer.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein touching in the first manner comprises tapping.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein touching in the first manner comprises continuing to touch the screen for a predetermined time period.

30. A system for managing a graphical user interface (GUI) pointer on a touch sensitive screen of a mobile communication terminal, the system comprising a logic unit for displaying a pointer on a first display point on the screen in response to a user touching the screen at a first touch point on the screen, wherein the first display point is a first distance away from the first touch point.