USER INTERFACE FOR A MOBILE DEVICE USING A USER'S GESTURE IN THE PROXIMITY OF AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20090265670A1
• Filed: 08/21/2008
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Shin, Dong Soo, Lee, Man Ho, Kim, Ki Hyun, Kim, Young Hwan, Jung, Deok Hwa, KIM, Joo Min
• Granted Patent: US 8,219,936 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/863
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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

An electronic device having a user interface on a display and method for controlling the device, the method including: detecting a proximity of an object to the display; detecting a two-dimensional motion pattern of the object; and controlling the user interface according to the detected two-dimensional motion pattern. Also, a method including: detecting an object in a space over a border between first and second zones of a plurality of touch-sensitive zones and outputting a detection signal; and simultaneously displaying first and second information elements corresponding to the first and second zones in response to the detection signal.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a user interface of an electronic device having a display comprising:

detecting a proximity of an object to the display;

detecting a two-dimensional motion pattern of the object; and

controlling the user interface according to the detected two-dimensional motion pattern.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the two-dimensional motion pattern is a spiral, and

the step of controlling includes zooming the user interface in or out based on a direction of the spiral.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the two-dimensional motion pattern is a circle and

the step of controlling includes rotating the user interface based on a direction of the circle.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the two-dimensional motion pattern comprises one of an alphabet character, a number and a symbol, and

the step of controlling the user interface comprises one of:

controlling a volume control menu, and

locking or unlocking the user interface.

5. A method for controlling a user interface of an electronic device having a touch screen divided into a plurality of touch-sensitive zones, comprising:

detecting an object in a space over a border between a first and second zone of the plurality of touch-sensitive zones and outputting a corresponding detection signal; and

simultaneously displaying first and second information elements corresponding to the first and second zones in response to the detection signal.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

detecting movement of the object away from the border and to a space over the first zone; and

displaying the first information element while not displaying the second information element.

7. A method for controlling a user interface of an electronic device having a touch screen, comprising:

displaying a user interface on the touch screen;

detecting a first of a plurality of altitudes of an object over a surface of the touch screen;

selecting a first of a plurality of functions, each of the plurality of functions corresponding to one of the plurality of altitudes;

executing the selected first function.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the selected function is one of an audible function, a tactile function, a visual function and a transmit function.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the selected function is one of a zoom function, a rotate function, an aperture open function, a dissolve function, and a reveal function.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the selected function is a menu icon activate function.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the selected function is a volume control function.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the selected function is a vibration control function.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

detecting a second of the plurality of altitudes of the object over the surface of the touch screen;

selecting a second of the plurality of functions; and

executing the selected second function.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the first function is an icon enlargement function and the second function is an icon execution function.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the first function is a first vibration intensity execution function and the second function is a second vibration intensity execution function.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the first function is a first zoom level setting function and the second function is a second zoom level setting function.

17. A portable device, comprising:

a display;

a proximity sensor configured to detect a proximity of an object over the display, to detect a two-dimensional motion pattern of the object, and to output corresponding proximity and motion signals; and

a processor configured to control a user interface displayed on the display based on the proximity and motion signals.

18. A portable device, comprising:

a display having a touch screen divided into a plurality of touch-sensitive zones;

a proximity sensor configured to detect an object in a space over a border between a first and second zone of the plurality of touch-sensitive zones and to output a corresponding sensor signal; and

a processor configured to control the display to simultaneously display first and second information elements corresponding to the first and second zones, respectively, in response to the sensor signal.

19. A portable device, comprising:

a display having a touch screen;

a proximity sensor configured to detect a first of a plurality of altitudes of an object over a surface of the touch screen, and to output a corresponding first sensor signal; and

a processor configured to select a first of a plurality of functions, each of the plurality of functions corresponding to one of the plurality of altitudes, the processor further configured to execute the selected first function in response to the first sensor signal.

20. The portable device of claim 19, wherein

the proximity sensor is further configured to detect a second of the plurality of altitudes of the object over the surface of the touch screen, and to output a corresponding second sensor signal, and

the processor is further configured to select a second of the plurality of functions and execute the selected second function in response to the second sensor signal.

21. The portable device according to claim 20, wherein the plurality of functions comprise one of:

an icon enlargement function as the first function and an icon execution function as the second function;

a first vibration intensity execution function as the first function and a second vibration intensity execution function as the second function; and

a first zoom level setting function as the first function and a second zoom level setting function as the second function.