METHOD OF INPUTTING USER COMMAND AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS USING THE SAME

• US 20100017710A1
• Filed: 06/12/2009
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: PARK, Min-kyu, KWAK, Ji-yeon, KIM, Hyun-jin, PARK, Yong-gook
• Granted Patent: US 10,739,896 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• 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 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• 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

A method of inputting user commands, and an electronic apparatus using the same. A method of inputting user commands includes setting a function of an apparatus implemented with a touch screen based on a pressure level input to the apparatus, and if the touch is sensed after setting the function of the apparatus, executing the set function based on the touch. Accordingly, user commands can be input using touch and pressure.

Claims

1. A method of inputting user commands, the method comprising:

setting a function of an apparatus including a touch screen based on a pressure level input to the apparatus; and

if a touch is sensed after setting the function of the apparatus, executing the set function based on the touch.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the operation of executing the set function, if the touch is sensed after the input pressure level changes to be lower than a first pressure level, the set function is executed.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first pressure level is lower than the pressure level to set the function of the apparatus.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the input pressure level changes to be lower than the first pressure level within a predetermined period of time.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the operation of setting the function of the apparatus, if the input pressure level is within a predetermined pressure level range for a predetermined period of time, the function of the apparatus is set based on the input pressure level.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

if the touch is finished, finishing the execution of the set function.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein if the input pressure level is higher than a second pressure level, execution of the function of the apparatus is cancelled.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

sensing the touch; and

if the touch is sensed, setting the apparatus to a touch mode or a pressure mode by comparing the input pressure level with a specific pressure level,

wherein the operation of setting the function of the apparatus is performed when the apparatus is in the pressure mode.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the operation of executing the function of the apparatus is performed when the apparatus changes from the pressure mode to the touch mode.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the touch is a touch trace.

11. A method of inputting user commands, the method comprising:

setting a function of an apparatus implemented with a touch screen based on a pressure level input to the apparatus; and

if the input pressure level changes to be lower than a first pressure level, executing the set function based on a duration of the trace input.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the input pressure level changes to be lower than the first pressure level within a predetermined period of time.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

an input unit including a touch screen to receive touch input and pressure input; and

a control unit to set a function of the apparatus based on a pressure level of a touch input to the input unit, and to control the apparatus to execute the set function based on a touch trace input to the input unit.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the control unit controls the apparatus to execute the set function if the input pressure level changes to be lower than a first pressure level and the touch trace is formed.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the first pressure level is lower than the pressure level to set the function of the apparatus.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the input pressure level changes to be lower than the first pressure level within a predetermined period of time.

17. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the control unit sets the function of the apparatus based on the input pressure level if the input pressure level is within a predetermined pressure level range for a predetermined period of time.

18. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the control unit controls the apparatus to finish execution of the function of the apparatus if the touch is finished.

19. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the control unit controls the apparatus to cancel execution of the function of the apparatus if the input pressure level is higher than a second pressure level.

20. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein if the touch is input to the input unit, the control unit sets the apparatus to a touch mode or a pressure mode by comparing the input pressure level with a specific pressure level, and when the apparatus is in the pressure mode, the control unit sets the function of the apparatus.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the control unit controls the apparatus to execute the function of the apparatus based on the touch trace when the apparatus changes from the pressure mode to the touch mode.

22. An apparatus, comprising:

an input unit including a touch screen to receive touch input and pressure input; and

a control unit to set a function of the apparatus based on a pressure level of a touch input to the input unit, and to execute the set function based on a duration of the touch input if the input pressure level changes to be lower than a first pressure level.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the input pressure level changes to be lower than the first pressure level within a predetermined period of time.

24. A method of inputting a command, the method comprising:

sensing a first pressure on a touch screen;

determining whether the first pressure changes to a second pressure which is different than a threshold value for a predetermined period of time; and

displaying a function according to the second pressure.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

determining whether the second pressure changes to a third pressure which is lower than a touch level; and

executing the displayed function according to a touch which is higher than the touch level.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein if the second pressure is higher than the threshold value, displaying a subsequent function.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein if the second pressure is lower than the threshold value, displaying a previous function.

28. A method of inputting a command, the method comprising:

selecting a function according to a pressure level input on a touch screen; and

executing the function according to a touch trace input on the touch screen.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the function selected is a first function or a second function according to a first pressure level or a second pressure level, respectively.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the touch trace is a touch formed continuously across a portion of the touch screen.

31. A method of inputting a command, the method comprising:

displaying a sequence of menu items according to a pressure input on a touch screen; and

selecting one of the menu items if the pressure is changed.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

executing a command related to the selected menu item according to a touch input on the touch screen.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

executing a command related to the selected menu item according to a touch trace input on the touch screen.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the touch trace is a touch formed continuously across a portion of the touch screen.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein the pressure is input for a predetermined period of time.