APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR OPERATING TOUCH PAD IN PORTABLE DEVICE

• US 20120212435A1
• Filed: 02/16/2012
• Published: 08/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: BAE, HanKook
• Application Number:
  US13/397,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20120212435A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/36 Matching; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for controlling a touch input in a portable terminal are provided. In the method, a touch pad is activated when a request for a touch activation mode is received. Whether a touch input is received from the touch pad is determined. The touch input is compared with patterns of a pattern table of a corresponding application, wherein the patterns of the pattern table are mapped to an operation control command of the corresponding application. When an input pattern of the touch input matches with a pattern registered in the pattern table, an operation of the corresponding application that is currently running is controlled to perform a function corresponding to the matched pattern.

Claims

1. A touch input method in a portable terminal, the method comprising:

activating a touch pad when a request for a touch activation mode is received;

identifying whether a touch input is received from the touch pad;

comparing an input pattern of the touch input with patterns of a pattern table of a corresponding application, wherein the patterns of the pattern table are mapped to an operation control command of the corresponding application; and

controlling, when the input pattern of the touch input matches with a pattern registered in the pattern table, an operation of the corresponding application that is currently running to perform a function corresponding to the matched pattern.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a display unit is turned off when the touch activation mode is activated.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the touch activation mode is activated in an MP3 playback mode.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the input pattern comprises at least one of a character, a line, and a figure.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the touch activation mode is set by a specific external key.

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

entering a setup mode of the portable terminal; and

setting the patterns of the pattern table.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising selecting an application corresponding to the patterns before the setting of the patterns of the pattern table.

8. A touch input apparatus in a portable terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a touch pad coupled with a display unit;

a memory for storing a pattern table in which patterns are matched to an operation control command of corresponding applications in a touch activation mode; and

a controller for activating the touch pad when a request for the touch activation mode is received, for comparing a touch input received from the touch pad with the pattern table of the memory, and for controlling, when an input pattern of the touch input matches with a pattern registered in the pattern table, an operation of an application to perform a function of a corresponding pattern.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the controller comprises a touch pad controller which, in the touch activation mode, turns off an operation of the display unit and outputs a scan control signal to the touch pad and detects an output of a scan detection port of the touch pad to detect a touch.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a key input unit including a specific key configured to generate a command for the touch activation mode, wherein the controller performs the touch activation mode when the specific key is entered.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the touch activation mode does not require a display function of the display unit.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the pattern comprises at least one of a character, a line, and a figure.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the controller comprises an input analysis unit for comparing the touch input received from the touch pad with the pattern table of the memory,

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the input analysis unit comprises at least one of a pattern comparison unit and a pattern analysis unit.

15. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the controller enters a setup mode of the portable terminal, and sets the patterns of the pattern table.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the controller selects an application corresponding to the patterns before setting the patterns of the pattern table.