TABLET HAVING USER INTERFACE

• US 20130212535A1
• Filed: 02/07/2013
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Hyun Woo
• Granted Patent: US 9,250,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/841
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• 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 tablet may include a display to display information and to receive information, and a controller to control the display to display a user interface on the left of a display area of the display in a right-hand user mode in which the information is input using a right hand and to control the display to display the user interface on the right of the display area in a left-hand user mode in which the information is input using a left hand.

Claims

1. A portable electronic apparatus comprising:

a touch display screen to display information and to receive a user input via at least one of pen-based input and touch-based input; and

a controller operable to display a user interface on the touch display screen, the user interface including a handwriting region in which handwriting information can be input and an expandable menu changeable between an unexpanded state and an expanded state in which a plurality of user selectable color setting items associated with different colors are selectable from an expanded area of the expandable menu,

wherein the expanded area of the expandable menu covers a portion of the handwriting region when the expandable menu is in the expanded state, and

respective ones of the user selectable color setting items is independently movable from the expanded area of the expandable menu to a location outside of the expanded area based on a user input received via the touch display screen such that moved color setting items are available for user re-selection even when the expandable menu is in the unexpanded state.

2. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the expandable menu in the unexpanded state is displayed at a top-left corner of the touch display screen, the expandable menu in the unexpanded state having a first convex border,

the expandable menu in the expanded state having a second convex border is displayed at the top-left corner of the touch display screen, a radius of curvature of the second convex border being larger than a radius of curvature of the first convex border.

3. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the user interface further includes a first menu area extending vertically along a left side edge of the display area, the first menu area for containing a plurality of user selectable items which can be selected independent of the expandable menu.

4. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the expandable menu in the unexpanded state is displayed at a top-right corner of the touch display screen, the expandable menu in the unexpanded state having a first convex border,

the expandable menu in the expanded state having a second convex border is displayed at the top-right corner of the touch display screen, a radius of curvature of the second convex border being larger than a radius of curvature of the first convex border.

5. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a line thickness is selectable via the expandable menu in the expanded state, and

a selected line thickness setting is movable from the expanded area of the expandable menu to a location outside of the expanded area based on a user input received via the touch display screen such that the previously selected line thickness setting is available for user re-selection even when the expandable menu is in the unexpanded state.

6. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a bezel to support the touch display screen,

wherein at least two proximity sensors connected to the bezel for sensing approach of a right hand and a left hand, and

the controller determines whether to display the user interface in a right-hand user mode or in a left-hand user mode based on information from the at least two proximity sensors.

7. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a bezel to support the touch display screen,

wherein at least one proximity sensor connected to the bezel for sensing approach of a hand,

the expandable menu is not displayed on the touch display screen when the controller determines that the user hand is not within a predetermined distance of the bezel based on information from the proximity sensor, and

if the controller determines that a user hand is approaching the bezel based on information from the proximity sensor, the expandable menu is displayed on the touch display screen.

8. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the controller receives a first input for deactivating the at least two proximity sensors, and deactivates the at least two proximity sensors in response to the first input, and

the controller receives a second input for activating the at least two proximity sensors and activates the at least two proximity sensors in response to the second input.

9. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the user interface includes an expandable menu button having at least one lower menu button,

the expandable menu button is expanded when the expandable menu button is tapped.

10. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, when the at least one lower menu button displayed in the expanded area of the expandable menu button is moved to the outside of the expanded area, the at least one lower menu button is converted into an independent menu button.

11. A method comprising:

displaying a user interface on a touch display screen of a portable electronic apparatus, the user interface including a handwriting region in which handwriting information can be input and an expandable menu changeable between an unexpanded state and an expanded state in which a plurality of user selectable color setting items associated with different colors are selectable from an expanded area of the expandable menu, wherein the expanded area of the expandable menu covers a portion of the handwriting region when the expandable menu is in the expanded state; and

moving a respective one of the user selectable color setting items from the expanded area of the expandable menu to a location outside of the expanded area based on a user input received via the touch display screen such that moved color setting items are available for user re-selection even when the expandable menu is in the unexpanded state.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

displaying the expandable menu in the unexpanded state at a top-left corner of the touch display screen, the expandable menu in the unexpanded state having a first convex border; and

displaying, at the top-left corner of the touch display screen, the expandable menu in the expanded state having a second convex border, a radius of curvature of the second convex border being larger than a radius of curvature of the first convex border.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

displaying a first menu area extending vertically along a left side edge of the display area, the first menu area for containing a plurality of user selectable items which can be selected independent of the expandable menu.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

displaying a second menu area extending horizontally along a top side edge of the display area, the second menu area for containing a plurality of user selectable items which can be selected independent of the expandable menu.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

displaying the expandable menu in the unexpanded state at a top-right corner of the touch display screen, the expandable menu in the unexpanded state having a first convex border; and

displaying, at the top-right corner of the touch display screen, the expandable menu in the expanded state having a second convex border, a radius of curvature of the second convex border being larger than a radius of curvature of the first convex border.

16. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

enabling a line thickness to be selectable via the expandable menu in the expanded state; and

moving a selected line thickness setting from the expanded area of the expandable menu to a location outside of the expanded area based on a user input received via the touch display screen such that the previously selected line thickness setting is available for user re-selection even when the expandable menu is in the unexpanded state.

17. The method according to claim 11, further comprising

using two proximity sensors of the portable electronic apparatus for sensing approach of a right hand and a left hand;

determining whether to display the user interface in a right-hand user mode or in a left-hand user mode based on information from the two proximity sensors;

displaying a plurality of frequently useable items of the user interface on a left side region of the touch display screen in the right-hand user mode; and

displaying the plurality of frequently useable items of the user interface on a right side region of the touch display screen in the left-hand user mode.

18. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

using a proximity sensor of the portable electronic apparatus for sensing approach of a hand,

determining whether the hand is not within a predetermined distance of the proximity sensor based on information therefrom;

removing the expandable menu from the user interface on the touch display screen when it is determined that the hand is not within a predetermined distance based on information from the proximity sensor, and

re-displaying the expandable menu on the user interface if it is determined that a user hand is approaching the proximity sensor based on information from the proximity sensor.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein the user interface includes an expandable menu button having at least one lower menu button,

the expandable menu button is expanded when the expandable menu button is tapped.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein, when the at least one lower menu button displayed in the expanded area of the expandable menu button is moved to the outside of the expanded area, the at least one lower menu button is converted into an independent menu button.