MOBILE TERMINAL HAVING TOUCH SCREEN AND METHOD FOR DISPLAYING CURSOR THEREOF

• US 20100020043A1
• Filed: 07/21/2009
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Jin Woo, Ji, Won Joo
• Granted Patent: US 8,436,818 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• 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 portable terminal including a touch screen and method for displaying a cursor thereof are provided. The method includes determining whether a capacitance is equal to or greater than a first critical value and is less than a second critical value, if the change of the capacitance is sensed in the touch screen, displaying a cursor in an area where the change of the capacitance is sensed, if the capacitance is equal to or greater than the first critical value and is less than the second critical value, and performing a function corresponding to the area where the cursor is displayed, if the capacitance sensed in the area where the cursor is displayed is equal to or greater than the second critical value.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a cursor of a portable terminal comprising a capacitive overlay type touch screen, the method comprising:

determining whether a capacitance is one of equal to a first critical value and greater than the first critical value, and is less than a second critical value, if the change of the capacitance is sensed in the touch screen;

displaying a cursor in an area where the change of the capacitance is sensed, if the capacitance is one of equal to the first critical value and greater than the first critical value, and is less than the second critical value; and

performing a function corresponding to the area where the cursor is displayed, if the capacitance sensed in the area where the cursor is displayed is one of equal to the second critical value and greater than the second critical value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensed change of the capacitance in the touch screen corresponds to one of access by an object on the touch screen and contact by the object with the touch screen.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first critical value comprises a reference value for displaying the cursor in the area where the access by the object is sensed on the touch screen.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the second critical value comprises a reference value for confirming the contact by the object with the touch screen.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the cursor comprises displaying a block type cursor in the area where the change of the capacitance is sensed.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the displaying of the cursor comprises displaying a colored cursor, if the capacitance at least one of increases and decreases.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the colored cursor comprises at least one of a dark color and a light color.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the displaying of the cursor comprises displaying a changed size of the cursor, if the capacitance at least one of increases and decreases.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the changed cursor size is one of larger than an original size cursor and smaller than the original size cursor.

10. A portable terminal comprising:

a touch screen comprising a touch sensor for sensing a change of capacitance;

a display unit for displaying a cursor corresponding to the sensed capacitance;

a storage unit for storing a first critical value and a second critical value for displaying the cursor corresponding to the capacitance; and

a controller for determining whether the capacitance is one of equal to the first critical value greater than the first critical value, and is less than the second critical value if the change of the capacitance is sensed in the touch screen, for controlling the touch screen to display the cursor in an area where the change of the capacitance is sensed if the capacitance is one of equal to the first critical value and greater than the first critical value, and is less than the second critical value, for determining whether the capacitance sensed in the area where the cursor is displayed is one of equal to the second critical value stored in the storage unit and greater than the second critical value stored in the storage unit, and for performing a function corresponding to the area where the cursor is displayed.

11. The portable terminal of claim 10, wherein the sensed change of the capacitance in the touch screen corresponds to one of access by an object on the touch screen and contact by the object with the touch screen.

12. The portable terminal of claim 11, wherein the first critical value comprises a reference value for displaying the cursor in the area where the access by the object is sensed on the touch screen.

13. The portable terminal of claim 11, wherein the second critical value comprises a reference value for confirming the contact by the object with the touch screen.

14. The portable terminal of claim 10, wherein the controller controls the touch screen to display a block type cursor in the area where the change of the capacitance is sensed.

15. The portable terminal of claim 14, wherein the controller controls the touch screen to display a colored cursor, if the capacitance at least one of increases and decreases.

16. The portable terminal of claim 15, wherein the colored cursor comprises at least one of a dark color and a light color.

17. The portable terminal of claim 14, wherein the controller controls the touch screen to display a changed size of the cursor, if the capacitance at least one of increases and decreases.

18. The portable terminal of claim 17, wherein the changed cursor size is one of larger than an original size cursor and smaller than the original size cursor.