Apparatus and method for improvement of usability of touch screen

• US 20080180402A1
• Filed: 11/09/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Nam-woo, Kim, Seong-woon, Kim, Yeun-bae, Yoo, Byung-in, Yi, Kwon-ju
• Granted Patent: US 8,760,410 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Provided are an apparatus and method for improving usability of a touch screen. The apparatus includes a touch sensing unit that senses a first touch and a second touch and detects the touched locations of the sensed touches, a pointer setting unit that sets a pointer to the detected location of the first touch, and a coordinate transforming unit that transforms movement of a touched location, which is caused by movement of the second touch, into movement of a location of the pointer.

Claims

1. An apparatus for improving usability of a touch screen, the apparatus comprising:

a touch sensing unit sensing a first touch and a second touch, and detecting touched locations of the sensed touches;

a pointer setting unit setting a pointer to the detected location of the first touch; and

a coordinate transforming unit transforming movement of a touched location, which is caused by movement of the second touch, into movement of a location of the pointer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a pressure sensing unit sensing pressure applied to the locations of the sensed touches to instruct an operation corresponding to the sensed pressure to be performed.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the operation instructed by the pressure sensing unit is performed according to one of a duration and intensity of the sensed pressure.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the touch sensing unit differentiates the first touch and the second touch from each other with reference to a predetermined instant of time.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the touch sensing unit differentiates the first touch and the second touch from each other with reference to a predetermined distance.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coordinate transforming unit transforms movement of the touched location, which is caused by movement of the second touch, into movement of a location of the pointer at a ratio of 1 to 1.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coordinate transforming unit transforms movement of the touched location, which is caused by movement of the second touch, into movement of a location of the pointer at a ratio of 1 to N.

8. A method of improving usability of a touch screen, the method comprising:

sensing a first touch, and detecting a touched location of the sensed first touch;

setting a pointer to the detected location of the first touch;

sensing a second touch, and detecting a touched location of the sensed second touch; and

transforming movement of a touched location, which is caused by movement of the second touch, into movement of a location of the pointer.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising sensing a pressure applied to the touched location to instruct an operation corresponding to the sensed pressure to be performed.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the operation instructed in the sensing of the pressure is performed according to one of a duration and intensity of the sensed pressure.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the sensing of the second touch comprises differentiating the first touch and the second touch from each other with reference to a predetermined instant of time.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the sensing of the second touch comprises differentiating the first touch and the second touch from each other with reference to a predetermined distance.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the transforming of the movement of the touched location comprises transforming movement of the touched location, which is caused by movement of the second touch, into movement of a location of the pointer at a ratio of 1 to 1.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the transforming of the movement of the touched location comprises transforming movement of the touched location, which is caused by movement of the second touch, into movement of a location of the pointer at a ratio of 1 to N.