METHOD OF OPERATING GESTURE BASED COMMUNICATION CHANNEL AND PORTABLE TERMINAL SYSTEM FOR SUPPORTING THE SAME

• US 20130090065A1
• Filed: 09/27/2012
• Published: 04/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: FISUNENKO, Andriy, KASITSKIY, Oleksiy, KRYVORUCHKO, Igor, MOKHONKO, Oleksii
• Granted Patent: US 9,400,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for operating a close proximity communication channel based on a gesture. A gesture event is generated on a touch screens of a portable terminal. The portable terminal includes a close proximity communication module. The portable terminal generates a context message corresponding to the gesture event. The context message is transmitted to at least one other portable terminal. The close proximity communication channel is established based on the context message.

Claims

1. A method of operating a close proximity communication channel based on a gesture, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a gesture event on a touch screen of a portable terminal, wherein the portable terminal comprises a close proximity communication module;

generating, at the portable terminal, a context message corresponding to the gesture event;

transmitting the context message to at least one other portable terminal; and

establishing the close proximity communication channel based on the context message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the context message comprises collecting gesture generation time point information of the gesture event and gesture form information of the gesture event.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising at least one of:

collecting terminal orientation information at a gesture event generation time point;

collecting address information of the portable terminal; and

collecting user function information associated with the close proximity communication channel according to the gesture event.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein collecting user function information comprises:

obtaining gesture event information for the gesture event in which a user function is previously defined; and

confirming the user function information from previously defined event information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

confirming generation time point information of a gesture event included in a received context message or an allowable range of a generation time point of the gesture event after transmitting the context message; and

comparing a relationship between gesture form information included in the received context message and form information of the gesture event,

wherein the close proximity communication channel is established with the at least one other terminal having transmitted the received context message according to the comparison result.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the close proximity communication channel comprises at least one of:

forming the close proximity communication channel through an automatic pairing procedure;

releasing a connection of the close proximity communication channel; and

transmitting a contents file based on the close proximity communication channel.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein generating the gesture event comprises:

arranging the portable terminal parallel to the at least one other portable terminal; and

generating the gesture event on a touch screen of the portable terminal in a direction toward the at least one other portable terminal using at least one of one finger, two fingers, and touchable objects.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein generating the gesture event comprises:

arranging the portable terminal parallel to the at least one other portable terminal; and

generating the gesture event on a touch screen of the portable terminal in a direction opposite the at least one other portable terminal using at least one of one finger, two fingers, and touchable objects.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein generating the gesture event comprises:

arranging the portable terminal parallel to the at least one other portable terminal; and

selecting a contents file output from the portable terminal to generate the gesture event to drag the contents file to a boundary region of a touch screen of the portable terminal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein generating the gesture event comprises:

selecting the contents file displayed on a touch screen of the at least one other portable terminal after at least a partial image of the contents file is removed from the touch screen of the first portable terminal; and

dragging the contents file within a boundary region of the touch screen of the at least one other portable terminal.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

removing at least a part of an image of the contents file as the contents file is moved beyond a boundary region of the touch screen of the portable terminal;

displaying at least a partial image of the contents file removed from the touch screen of the first portable terminal, on the at least one other portable terminal; and

removing the image of the contents file on the touch screen of the first portable terminal as the contents file is moved on the touch screen of the at least one other portable terminal.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

partially transmitting data of the contents file from the portable terminal to the at least one other portable terminal as the at least a partial image of the contents file is displayed on the touch screen of the at least one other portable terminal.

13. A portable terminal system for supporting gesture-based operation of a close proximity communication channel, the system comprising:

a first portable terminal comprising a first touch screen a close proximity communication module; and

a second portable terminal comprising a second touch screen, wherein the second portable terminal forms a close proximity communication channel with the first portable terminal,

wherein the first portable terminal and the second portable terminal generate gesture events on the first and second touch screens, respectively, generate and at least one of transmit and receive a context message corresponding to the gesture events, and establish the close proximity communication channel based on the context message.

14. The portable terminal system of claim 13, wherein each of the first portable terminal and the second portable terminal comprises:

a memory storing an operation function of a close proximity communication channel to be performed when a corresponding gesture event is generated, preset gesture event information defining gesture form information to be included in the context message, and allowable range information of a gesture event generation time point; and

a controller confirming a received context message, determining whether there is a gesture event of the received context message that matches event generation time point information or that is within an allowable range, and whether there is gesture form information of the received context message associated with defined gesture form information to control the operation of the close proximity communication channel.

15. The portable terminal system of claim 14, wherein, when the gesture event matches event generation time point information or is within an allowable range, and when the gesture form information is associated with at least one of gesture form information generated from the portable terminals and terminal orientation information of the gesture generation time point, the controller collects address information from the context message to form the close proximity communication channel through automatic pairing.

16. The portable terminal system of claim 15, wherein each of the first and second touch screens are arranges so that the first and second portable terminals are parallel to each other, and each of the first and second touch screens generate the gesture events in directions toward each other.

17. The portable terminal system of claim 14, wherein, when the received context message matches the gesture event generation time point information or is within the allowable range while the close proximity communication channel is connected, the controller releases a connection of the close proximity communication channel.

18. The portable terminal system of claim 17, wherein each of the first and second touch screens are arranges so that the portable terminals are parallel to each other, and each of the first and second touch screens generates the gesture events in directions opposite to each other.

19. The portable terminal system of claim 13, wherein, when receiving the context message according to a gesture event of selecting and moving a contents file while the close proximity communication channel is connected, the controller transmits image information of the contents file and data of the contents file according to the context message.

20. The portable terminal system of claim 19, wherein:

the first touch screen of the first portable terminal selects the contents file and generates the gesture event moving the selected contents file to a boundary region of the touch screen, and

the second touch screen of the second portable terminal selects the contents file displayed on the second touch screen after at least a partial image of the contents file removed from the first touch screen is displayed at a boundary region of the second touch screen, and generates a gesture event dragging within a boundary region of the second touch screen.