MOBILE DEVICE AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE TOUCH PANEL

• US 20110128244A1
• Filed: 11/12/2010
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: CHO, Kwang Hyun, LEE, Jin Goo, HAN, Pil Kyoo
• Application Number:
  US12/944,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20110128244A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• 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

A mobile device with a touch screen and a method for operating the touch panel are provided. The mobile device includes a touch panel and a controller. The touch panel divides the area into first and second areas, where the size of the first area corresponds to that of a display unit. The controller performs user functions according to touch events that occur on the first and second areas. The mobile device can increase the usable space in the installation of the touch screen. The method can efficiently operate the touch panel of the touch screen.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a touch panel for dividing an area into a first area and a second area, where the size of the first area corresponds to that of a display unit; and

a controller for performing user functions according to touch events that occur on the first area and the second area.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising:

a storage unit for storing assignment information about a user function to be performed according to a touch event that occurred on the second area.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising, when the area of the second area is divided into a number of sub-areas:

a storage unit for storing assignment information about at least one of the user functions to be performed according to a corresponding one of the touch events that occurred on the sub-areas.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the controller activates a user function assigned to the second area according to at least one of a touch down event that occurred on the first area, a drag event that occurred as a drag gesture moves from the first area to the second area, and a touch up event that occurred on the second area.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the controller ignores a touch event that initially occurs on the second area.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising a Digital Mobile Broadcasting (DMB) receiver.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein a user function is assigned to the entire area of the second area.

8. The mobile device of claim 3, wherein each one of the divided sub-areas of the second area is assigned a different user function.

9. The mobile device of claim 4, wherein the controller does not perform a user function corresponding to the drag event if the drag event starts at a certain location in the second area and terminates at a certain location in the first area.

10. A method for operating a touch panel that has an area larger than a display unit, the method comprising:

dividing an area of the touch panel into a first area and a second area, where the size of the first area corresponds to that of a display unit;

detecting touch events that occur on the first area and the second area; and

performing a user function according to the touch event.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

assigning a user function to the second area.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

dividing the area of the second area into a number of sub-areas; and

assigning user functions to the sub-areas, respectively.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the detecting of touch events comprises:

detecting a touch down event that occurred on the first area;

detecting a drag event that occurred when a drag gesture moved from the first area to the second area; and

detecting a touch up event that occurred on the second area.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the detecting of touch events comprises:

ignoring a touch event that initially occurs on the second area.