INPUT PROCESSING METHOD AND DEVICE

• US 20170147131A1
• Filed: 11/18/2016
• Published: 05/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Rhee, Taik Heon, Park, Myoung Soo, Han, In Sil, Lee, Hyun Yeul
• Granted Patent: US 10,551,960 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• 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 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• 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

Abstract

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device includes an input panel configured to sense a touch area corresponding to a touch manipulation of a user periodically. A processor is configured to set a reference area based on at least one first touch area and calculate a difference between a second touch area and the reference area. The processor further determines that a touch event occurs if the difference value is at least a first threshold value. Embodiments may additionally include the processor calculating a rate of change of the touch area based on the sensed touch area, and determining that the specified touch event occurs if the difference value is greater than or equal to the first threshold value and if the rate of change of the touch area is greater than or equal to a second threshold value.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

an input panel configured to sense a touch area corresponding to a touch manipulation of a user periodically; and

a processor configured to;

set a reference area based on at least one first touch area;

calculate a difference value between a second touch area and the reference area; and

determine that a touch event occurs if the difference value is at least a first threshold value.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one first touch area is a touch area which is first sensed by the input panel in response to the touch manipulation.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one first touch area comprises a plurality of first touch areas, and

the processor is configured to set a representative value of the plurality of first touch areas as the reference area.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

calculate a rate of change of the touch area based on the sensed touch area; and

determine that the touch event occurs if the difference value is greater than or equal to the first threshold value and if the rate of change of the touch area is greater than or equal to a second threshold value.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the input panel is configured to sense touch coordinates corresponding to the touch manipulation of the user periodically, and

wherein the processor is configured to:

determine a moving direction and an amount of movement of the touch coordinates using the touch coordinates, and

determine that the touch event occurs if the difference value is at least the threshold value and the touch coordinates move in a first direction by at least a threshold distance.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, further comprising:

a display configured to display a user interface, wherein the first direction is a direction that faces a lower side of the user interface.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a display configured to display a user interface,

wherein the processor is configured to;

in response to the difference value being at least a first reference value, change the user interface displayed on the display so as to correspond to the difference value, and

in response to the difference value being at least a second reference value that is greater than the first reference value, determine that the touch event occurs.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein in response to determining that the touch event occurs, the processor is configured to perform a function corresponding to the touch event immediately.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein in response to the touch manipulation ending after determining the touch event occurs, the processor is configured to perform a function corresponding to the touch event.

10. An input processing method of an electronic device, the method comprising:

sensing, using an input panel, a touch area corresponding to a touch manipulation of a user periodically;

setting a reference area based on at least one first touch area;

calculating a difference value between second touch area and the reference area; and

determining that a touch event occurs if the difference value is at least a first threshold value.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one first touch area is a touch area which is first sensed by the input panel in response to the touch manipulation.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one first touch area comprises a plurality of first touch areas, and

setting of the reference area comprises:

setting a representative value of the plurality of first touch areas as the reference area.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

calculating a rate of change of the touch area based on the sensed touch area, and

determining that the touch event occurs if the difference value is greater than or equal to the threshold value and if the rate of change of the touch area is greater than or equal to a second threshold value.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

sensing touch coordinates corresponding to the touch manipulation of the user periodically; and

determining a moving direction and an amount of movement of the touch coordinates, using the touch coordinates, and

determining that the touch event occurs if the difference value is at least the threshold value and the touch coordinates move in a first direction by at least a threshold distance.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first direction is a direction that faces a lower side of a user interface displayed on a display.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

in response to the difference value being at least a first reference value, changing a user interface displayed on a display so as to correspond to the difference value, and

in response to the difference value being at least a second reference value that is greater than the first reference value, determining that the touch event occurs.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

in response to determining that the touch event occurs, performing a function corresponding to the touch event immediately.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

in response to the touch manipulation ending after determining the touch event occurs, performing a function corresponding to the touch event.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium in which a program is recorded, the program comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause an electronic device to:

sense, using an input panel, a touch area corresponding to a touch manipulation of a user periodically;

set a reference area based on at least one first touch area;

calculate a difference value between a second touch area and the reference area; and

determine that a touch event occurs if the difference value is at least a first threshold value.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 19, wherein the program further comprises instructions that, when executed by the least one processor, cause the electronic device to:

in response to the difference value being at least a first reference value, change a user interface displayed on a display so as to correspond to the difference value, and

in response to the difference value being at least a second reference value that is greater than the first reference value, determine that the touch event occurs.