METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING USER INPUT IN AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20150253923A1
• Filed: 03/05/2015
• Published: 09/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: CHO, Sung-Jae
• Granted Patent: US 9,791,963 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04162 for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2096 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a flat panel suitable for both CRT and flat panel G09G5/006; specific for a CRT G09G1/167

Abstract

A method and an electronic device for detecting a user input in the electronic device are provided. The method includes acquiring information regarding a user interface object to be displayed on a touch screen panel; setting, based on the information, a partial area that is at least a part of a touch detection area corresponding to the user interface object; and adjusting a touch detection sensitivity of the partial area to be greater than a touch detection sensitivity of the touch screen panel.

Claims

1. A method for operating an electronic device, comprising:

acquiring information regarding a user interface object to be displayed on a touch screen panel;

setting, based on the information, a partial area that is at least a part of a touch detection area corresponding to the user interface object; and

adjusting a touch detection sensitivity of the partial area to be greater than a touch detection sensitivity of the touch screen panel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein acquiring the information comprises determining the user interface object based on information related to at least one of an application executed in the electronic device and a function provided by the application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the partial area comprises setting the touch detection area corresponding to the user interface object to a first partial area for detection of a surface touch and a second partial area for detection of a hovering touch.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein adjusting the touch detection sensitivity of the partial area comprises adjusting a detection sensitivity of the second partial area to be greater than a detection sensitivity of the first partial area.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying additional information related to the user interface object when a hovering touch is detected after adjusting the touch detection sensitivity of the partial area.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the touch detection sensitivity of the partial area comprises comparing the acquired information with screen context information of hovering touch detection control information stored in the electronic device and determining a screen context to be displayed on the touch screen panel.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the hovering touch detection control information includes at least one of screen context information for respective operations, hovering touch detection area information, and touch detection sensitivity information stored in association with respective entries.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the screen context information corresponds to at least one of a text message preview operation, a progress preview operation, and a speed dial preview operation.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the hovering touch detection area information corresponds to an area in which at least one of a text message title, a progress bar, and a speed dial is displayed.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the hovering touch detection area information includes at least one position coordinate value for specifying the partial area of the touch screen panel.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the touch detection sensitivity information is an adjusted value used to adjust a touch detection sensitivity of the hovering touch detection area to be greater than a touch detection sensitivity of a remaining area of the touch screen panel.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the touch detection sensitivity information includes different adjusted values according to the hovering touch detection areas or different adjusted values according to a finger mode and a pen mode.

13. An electronic device comprising:

a touch screen panel that detects a surface touch and a hovering touch; and

a processor that adjusts a detection sensitivity of the touch screen panel,

wherein the processor sets, based on information related to a user interface object to be displayed on the touch screen panel, a partial area that is at least a part of a touch detection area corresponding to the user interface object, and adjusts a touch detection sensitivity of the partial area to be greater than a touch detection sensitivity of the touch screen panel.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the processor acquires the user interface object based on information related to at least one of an application executed in the electronic device and a function provided by the application.

15. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the processor sets the touch detection area corresponding to the user interface object to a first partial area for detection of a surface touch and a second partial area for detection of a hovering touch.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processor adjusts a detection sensitivity of the second partial area to be greater than a detection sensitivity of the first partial area.

17. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the processor determines whether to set the partial area based on a type of the user interface object.

18. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the processor displays additional information related to the user interface object when an input of a user is detected in the partial area and performs a function associated with the additional information when another input of the user is detected in the partial area.

19. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the processor compares the acquired information with screen context information of hovering touch detection control information stored in the electronic device and determines a screen context to be displayed on the touch screen panel.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the hovering touch detection control information includes at least one of screen context information for respective operations, hovering touch detection area information, and touch detection sensitivity information stored in association with respective entries.

21. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the screen context information corresponds to at least one of a text message preview operation, a progress preview operation, and a speed dial preview operation.

22. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the hovering touch detection area information corresponds to an area in which at least one of a text message title, a progress bar, and a speed dial is displayed.

23. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the hovering touch detection area information includes at least one position coordinate value for specifying the partial area of the touch screen panel.

24. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the touch detection sensitivity information is an adjusted value used to adjust a touch detection sensitivity of the hovering touch detection area to be greater than a touch detection sensitivity of a remaining area of the touch screen panel.

25. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the touch detection sensitivity information includes different adjusted values according to the hovering touch detection areas or different adjusted values according to a finger mode and a pen mode.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium that stores a program which, when executed by a computer, performs a method, the method comprises:

acquiring information regarding a user interface object to be displayed on a touch screen panel;

setting, based on the information, a partial area that is at least a part of a touch detection area corresponding to the user interface object; and

adjusting a touch detection sensitivity of the partial area to be greater than a touch detection sensitivity of the touch screen panel.