Moving objects presented by a touch input display device

• US 8,035,620 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2006
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Lanfermann, Gerd
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao; Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHENG, TOM V
• Application Number:
  US11/813,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20080136786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,104 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-177, 345/104, 178 1803- 1809, 715/863, 715/864, 463/37, 463/38
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

The invention concerns a method, touch input display device and computer program product for moving at least one object presented by the touch input display device. In the touch input display device it is detected that a touching member (46) is at least in close proximity of a first object (38) at a first location provided by the touch input display device, a distancing factor of the first object caused by the detection of the touching member is determined and the first object is moved in a direction and a distance selected according to the distancing factor for presenting the object at a second location. The invention allows the rearranging of objects provided by the device such that they better suit a user.

Claims

1. Method of moving at least one object presented by a touch input display device comprising the steps of:

detecting a touching member at least being in close proximity of a first object at a first location provided by the touch input display device,

determining a distancing factor of the first object caused by the detection of the touching member, and

moving the first object in a direction and a distance selected according to the distancing factor for presenting the object at a second location;

wherein the touch input device comprises a set of display elements, and said first object is made up of a group of display elements adjacent each other; and

,

wherein the step of detecting comprises detecting the touching member at least being in close proximity of at least one first display element of said first object and the step of determining the distancing factor comprises determining the location of said first display element in relation to at least one second center display element of the first object.

2. Method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of presenting the object at intermediate locations along said direction between said first and the second locations.

3. Method of moving at least one object presented by a touch input display device comprising the steps of:

detecting a touching member at least being in close proximity of a first object at a first location provided by the touch input display device,

determining a distancing factor of the first object caused by the detection of the touching member, and

moving the first object in a direction and a distance selected according to the distancing factor for presenting the object at a second location;

wherein the touch input device comprises a set of display elements and said first object is made up of a group of display elements adjacent each other; and

where said first object is provided as a number of flexible display elements that have been physically raised in relation to at least display elements neighboring said first object, the step of detecting comprises detecting a shear force on the first object caused by a touch of the touching member, and the step of determining the distancing factor comprises determining a distancing factor that is dependent on the shear of said first object.

4. Method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of detecting the vertical force applied on said first object by the touching member and determining if said first object is to be moved based on the vertical force applied.

5. Method according to claim 3, wherein the touch input display device comprises a set of objects, the steps of detecting, determining the distancing factor and moving are performed for a second object, and further comprising the step of rearranging the other objects of the set based on the movement of the first and second objects.

6. Method of moving at least one object presented by a touch input display device comprising the steps of:

detecting a touching member at least being in close proximity of a first object at a first location provided by the touch input display device,

determining a distancing factor of the first object caused by the detection of the touching member, and

moving the first object in a direction and a distance selected according to the distancing factor for presenting the object at a second location; and

,

wherein the touch input display device comprises a set of objects, the steps of detecting, determining the distancing factor and moving are performed for a second object, and further comprising the step of rearranging the other objects of the set based on the movement of the first and second objects.

7. Touch input display device for allowing movement of at least one presented object and comprising:

an information presentation unit arranged to present a number of objects,

a touch detecting unit arranged to detect a touching member at least being in close proximity of a first object at a first location provided by the touch input display device, and

a control unit arranged to;

control the presenting of objects by the information presentation unit,

determine a distancing factor of the first object caused by the detection of the touching member, and

order the information presentation unit to move the first object in a direction and a distance selected according to the distancing factor for presenting the object at a second location;

wherein the touch input device further comprises a set of display elements and said first object is made up of a group of display elements adjacent each other; and

where said first object is provided as a number of flexible display elements that have been physically raised in relation to at least display elements neighboring said first object, and the touch detecting unit is further arranged to detect a shear force on the first object caused by a touch of the touching member, and to determine the distancing factor at least in part by using the shear of said first object.

8. The display device according to claim 7, wherein the touch input display device comprises a set of objects;

the control unit functions of detecting, determining the distancing factor and moving are performed for a second object; and

control unit is further arranged to rearrange the other objects of the set based on the movement of the first and second objects.

9. Computer program product for allowing movement of at least one object presented by a touch input display device, comprising computer program code stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, to make a computer execute the following steps, when said program code is loaded in the computer:

detecting a touching member at least being in close proximity of a first object at a first location provided by the touch input display device,

determining a distancing factor of the first object caused by the detection of the touching member, and

moving the first object in a direction and a distance selected according to the distancing factor for presenting the object at a second location;

wherein the touch input device comprises a set of display elements and said first object is made up of a group of display elements adjacent each other; and

where said first object is provided as a number of flexible display elements that have been physically raised in relation to at least display elements neighboring said first object, the step of detecting comprises detecting a shear force on the first object caused by a touch of the touching member, and the step of determining the distancing factor comprises determining a distancing factor that is dependent on the shear of said first object.

10. The computer program product according to claim 9, wherein the touch input display device comprises a set of objects;

and the steps of detecting, determining the distancing factor and moving are performed for a second object, and further comprising the step of rearranging the other objects of the set based on the movement of the first and second objects.