MOBILE DEVICE AND METHOD FOR EXECUTING PARTICULAR FUNCTION THROUGH TOUCH EVENT ON COMMUNICATION RELATED LIST

• US 20100299599A1
• Filed: 05/18/2010
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: JONG, In Won, SHIN, Hyun Kyung
• Granted Patent: US 9,817,546 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

A mobile device and a touch-based operation method allow a user to easily and conveniently use a desired communication-related function through a touch-sensitive interface. The mobile device displays a scrollable communication-related list that includes but is not limited to a call log list, a message list, a phonebook list, and an email list. When a specific item is selected in response to a first touch event, the mobile device determines whether or not a second touch event occurs on the selected item in a non-scrollable direction. Then the mobile device executes a particular function predefined in the selected item in response to the second touch event occurring in the non-scrollable direction.

Claims

1. A method for touch-based operation in a mobile device, the method comprising:

displaying communication-related list having at least one item in the first direction;

selecting a specific one item of the at least one item in response to a first touch event;

determining whether or not a second touch event occurs on the selected specific one item in the second direction; and

executing a particular function predefined in the selected specific one item in response to the second touch event occurring in the second direction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second touch event includes a drag or sweep event causing a movement of the selected specific one item in at least one direction.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the executing of the particular function includes executing various particular functions depending on a direction sensed of the drag or sweep event on the touch screen.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

offering a visual feedback for the selected specific one item in response to the second touch event, wherein one of a right edge and a left edge of the selected specific one item is moved depending on the second touch event by display of the visual feedback, and wherein a remaining portion of the selected specific one item'"'"'s appearance is reduced by the visual feedback.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

removing the visual feedback in at least one of;

(1) wherein the drag or sweep event is released before passing through a critical point, (2) wherein the drag or sweep event is released after passing through the critical point, (3) wherein the drag or sweep event deviates from the second direction before passing through the critical point, and (4) wherein the drag or sweep event deviates from the second direction after passing through a critical point.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the visual feedback includes at least one of:

turning over an image of a page of the selected specific one item;

stripping off an image of a narrow adhesive tape having the selected specific one item thereon;

rolling the image of the selected specific one item from one of the right and left edges thereof into a tubular shape;

rotating the image of the selected specific one item; and

removing partly and gradually the image of the selected item from one of the right edge and left edge thereof of the selected specific one item.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

outputting information about the particular function at a portion other than a remaining portion of the selected specific one item.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein information about the particular function is output in a form of at least one of text, icon, image and sound.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein executing of the particular function includes one of:

executing the particular function as soon as the second touch event exceeds a given critical point defined in an image of the selected specific one item; and

executing the particular function when a touch release event occurs after the second touch event exceeds the critical point.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the critical point defined in an image of the selected specific one item is shifted depending on a location of the first touch event.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second direction ranges within a predetermined angle from a horizontal direction when the first direction is vertical.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second direction passes through at least one adjacent item from the selected specific one item when the communication-related list comprises a plurality of items.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

offering a visual feedback for the selected specific one item in response to the first touch event, wherein the selected specific one item is distinguished from before selected and from the other items by the visual feedback.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the offering of the visual feedback includes changing first information about the selected specific one item displayed before selected into second information about the selected specific one item after selected.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

offering a graphic effect for the selected specific one item when the selected item is unavailable for the execution of at least one of functions including a call dialing, a message writing, an email writing and a text writing for messenger; and

offering an item deleting function only to the selected specific one item when the selected item is unavailable for the execution of at least one of functions including a call dialing, a message writing, an email writing and a text writing for messenger.

16. A mobile device comprising:

a touch panel configured to create a touch event in response to sensing touch;

a display unit having a list region in which a communication-related list having at least one item is displayed in the first direction; and

a control unit configured to control a variation in a display of an image of the at least one item displayed in the display unit,

wherein the control unit is further configured to select a specific one of the at least one item in response to a touchdown event, and to execute a particular function predefined in the selected specific one item in response to a drag or sweep event occurring on the selected item in the second direction.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the control unit is further configured to offer a visual feedback for the selected specific one item in response to the drag or sweep event,

wherein one of a right edge and a left edge of the selected specific one item is moved depending on the drag or sweep event indicated by the visual feedback,

wherein a remaining portion of the selected specific one item appearance is reduced in size by the visual feedback, and

wherein the visual feedback includes at least one of:

turning over an image of a page having the selected specific one item thereon;

stripping off the image of a narrow adhesive tape having the selected specific one item thereon;

rolling the image of the selected specific one item from one of the right edge and the left edge thereof;

rotating the image of the selected specific one item into a tubular shape; and

removing partly and gradually the image of the selected specific one item from one of the right edge and the left edge thereof of the selected specific one item.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the control unit is further configured to remove the visual feedback in at least one:

(1) wherein the drag or sweep event is released prior to passing through a critical point on the display, (2) wherein the drag or sweep event is released after passing through the critical point, (3) wherein the drag or sweep event deviates from the second direction before passing through the critical point, and (4) wherein the drag or sweep event deviates from the second direction after passing through the critical point.

19. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the control unit is further configured to output information about the particular function at a portion other than the remaining portion of the selected particular one item, and wherein the information about the particular function is output in the form of at least one of text, icon, image and sound.

20. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the control unit is further configured to execute different particular functions depending on the direction of the drag or sweep event, and

wherein the control unit is further configured to offer a graphic effect for the selected particular one item being unavailable for the execution of any particular function.