PORTABLE TERMINAL CAPABLE OF SENSING PROXIMITY TOUCH AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING SCREEN IN THE SAME

• US 20090237372A1
• Filed: 03/11/2009
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kwon, Kwi Suk, KIM, Jong Hwan
• Granted Patent: US 9,189,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- 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 without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0444 using a single conductive element covering the whole sensing surface, e.g. by sensing the electrical current flowing at the corners
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A portable terminal for sensing a touch input, including a direct touch input and a proximity touch input, includes a touch screen configured to receive the touch input via a touching object and responsively displaying at least a first portion of a page and a controller configured to recognize the direct touch input when the touching object contacts the touch screen and recognize the proximity touch input when the touching object is located within a threshold distance relative to the touch screen for a period of time, the proximity touch input being effective as long as the touching object remains within the threshold distance, wherein in response to the proximity touch input, a size of the displayed page is changed from a first size to a second size, or a second portion of the page is displayed on the touch screen, the second portion being different from the first portion.

Claims

1. A portable terminal for sensing a touch input comprising a direct touch input and a proximity touch input, the terminal comprising:

a touch screen configured to receive the touch input via a touching object and responsively displaying at least a first portion of a page; and

a controller configured to recognize the direct touch input when the touching object contacts the touch screen and recognize the proximity touch input when the touching object is located within a threshold distance relative to the touch screen for a period of time, the proximity touch input being effective as long as the touching object remains within the threshold distance,

wherein in response to the proximity touch input, a size of the displayed page is changed from a first size to a second size, or a second portion of the page is displayed on the touch screen, the second portion being different from the first portion.

2. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the page comprises a web page or a page of a document.

3. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the second size of the displayed page is adjustable according to relative distance between the touching object and the touch screen while the touching objected is located within the threshold distance, the second size of the displayed page being increasingly magnified as the relative distance between the touching object and the touch screen decreases, and wherein the second size of the displayed page is displayed while the proximity input is effective and the first size of the displayed page is redisplayed when the proximity touch input is no longer effective such that the touching object is no longer located within the threshold distance relative to the touch screen.

4. The terminal of claim 3, wherein a portion of the page that is magnified substantially corresponds to a position on the touch screen to which the proximity touch input is received.

5. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the touch screen displays at least one control window in response to the proximity touch input, the at least one control window being configured to receive a control input for at least one of:

changing the size of the displayed page;

displaying a different portion of the displayed page on the touch screen;

or

turning the displayed page from a current page to a next or previous page,

wherein the control input is received when the touching object is located within the threshold distance.

6. The terminal of claim 5, wherein the size of the displayed page is changed from the first size to the second size in response to the control input and the size of the displayed page returns to the first size when the proximity touch input is no longer effective such that the touching object is no longer located within the threshold distance relative to the touch screen.

7. The terminal of claim 5, wherein the second portion of the displayed page is displayed in response to the control input and the first portion of the displayed page is displayed when the proximity touch input is no longer effective such that the touching object is no longer located within the threshold distance relative to the touch screen.

8. The terminal of claim 5, wherein the displayed page is turned to the next or previous page in response to the control input and returns to the current page when the proximity touch input is no longer effective such that the touching object is no longer located within the threshold distance relative to the touch screen.

9. The terminal of claim 5, wherein the at least one control window comprises a scroll box indicating a portion of the page currently displayed on the touch screen, the scroll box moving in a direction of movement of the touching object relative to the touch screen.

10. The terminal of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to:

recognize the direct touch input received at the at least one control window and the touch screen displays the second portion of the page corresponding to a position of the scroll box such that the second portion of the page remains to be displayed when the direct touch input is no longer effective such that the touching object no longer contacts the touch screen.

11. The terminal of claim 5, wherein at least a portion of the at least one control window is formed proximate to a position on the touch screen to which the proximity touch input is received.

12. The terminal of claim 5, wherein the at least one control window comprises an entire area of the page displayed in a reduced size and a scroll box indicating a portion of the page currently being displayed on a main screen of the touch screen, the scroll box moving in a direction which corresponds to a direction of movement of the touching object relative to the touch screen.

13. A method for controlling display of a page in a portable terminal having a touch screen capable of sensing a touch input comprising a direct touch input and a proximity touch input, the method comprising:

receiving the touch input at the touch screen via a touching object;

displaying at least a first portion of the page responsive to the receiving of the touch input;

recognizing the touch input as being the direct touch input when the touching object contacts the touch screen;

recognizing the touch input as being the proximity touch input when the touching object is located within a threshold distance relative to the touch screen for a period of time, the proximity touch input being effective as long as the touching object remains within the threshold distance; and

changing a size of the displayed page from a first size to a second size, or displaying a second portion of the page on the touch screen, in response to the proximity touch input, wherein the second portion is different from the first portion.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the page comprises a web page or a page of a document.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the second size of the displayed page is adjustable according to relative distance between the touching object and the touch screen while the touching objected is located within the threshold distance, the second size of the displayed page being increasingly magnified as the relative distance between the touching object and the touch screen decreases, and wherein the second size of the displayed page is displayed while the proximity input is effective and the first size of the displayed page is redisplayed when the proximity touch input is no longer effective such that the touching object is no longer located within the threshold distance relative to the touch screen.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a portion of the page that is magnified substantially corresponds to a position on the touch screen to which the proximity touch input is received.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the touch screen displays at least one control window in response to the proximity touch input, the at least one control window being configured to receive a control input for at least one of:

changing the size of the displayed page;

displaying a different portion of the displayed page on the touch screen;

or

turning the displayed page from a current page to a next or previous page,

wherein the control input is received when the touching object is located within the threshold distance.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the size of the displayed page is changed from the first size to the second size in response to the control input and the size of the displayed page returns to the first size when the proximity touch input is no longer effective such that the touching object is no longer located within the threshold distance relative to the touch screen.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one control window comprises a scroll box indicating a portion of the page currently displayed on the touch screen, the scroll box moving in a direction of movement of the touching object relative to the touch screen.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

recognizing the direct touch input received at the at least one control window and the touch screen displays the second portion of the page corresponding to a position of the scroll box such that the second portion of the page remains to be displayed when the direct touch input is no longer effective such that the touching object no longer contacts the touch screen.