Touch screen device and operating method thereof

• US 8,136,052 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2007
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Shin, Sang Hyun, Chae, Ji Suk, Park, Ho Joo, Ham, Young Ho, Yoo, Kyung Hee, Kim, Ji Ae, Kim, Yu Mi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao “Kevin”
• Application Number:
  US11/785,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20070277125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,792 Days
• Field of Search: 715/853, 715854-855, 715/700, 715763-765, 715834-836, 715/769, 715/863, 715/815
• US Class Current: 715/863
• 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 touch screen device and an operating method thereof are provided. The touch screen device is operated by touching a touch screen and moving a touch while the touch is maintained on the screen. A detector detects a touch point and a moving trajectory, and a controller selects a user command based on the detected touch point and moving trajectory. Then, when the user releases the touch, the controller executes the user command. User commands are classified and stored in a storage device and then executed by the controller based on operation modes associated with the device. A variety of user commands may be executed even though not all the menus are not displayed on the screen at once. Further, a user may cancel an erroneously entered user command quickly and easily.

Claims

1. A method of operating a touch screen device equipped with a touch screen capable of displaying at least one icon thereon, the method comprising:

detecting an initial touch point and a moving touch trajectory on the touch screen;

determining a command based on the initial touch point and moving touch trajectory;

detecting whether a touch associated with the moving touch trajectory is released;

executing the determined command associated with the moving touch trajectory after the touch associated with the moving touch trajectory is released when there is no icon displayed at the initial touch point; and

displaying information related to the command associated with the initial touch point and the moving touch trajectory if the touch has not been released after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, wherein different information related to the command is displayed depending on the initial touch point and the moving touch trajectory.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein there is no icon moving along the moving touch trajectory during the touch.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an operation mode of the touch screen device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining an operation mode of the touch screen device is done before determining a command based on the initial touch point and moving touch trajectory.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising ignoring an input signal inputted through the touch screen if the moving touch trajectory is a return trajectory and the initial touch point is substantially the same as a touch release point.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising enlarging and displaying an image of a selection menu icon when the touch is positioned on the selection menu icon.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the enlarged image of the selection menu icon is displayed if the touch is held on the selection menu icon for a predetermined amount of time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the command is classified in accordance with the initial touch point and moving touch trajectory and stored in a storage device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the command is classified and stored in accordance with the operation mode of the touch screen device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when one or more menu icons are positioned along a path of the moving touch trajectory, simultaneously or sequentially executing one or more menus corresponding to the one or more menu icons positioned along the path of the moving touch trajectory.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a command corresponding to a moving touch trajectory is defined by a user.

12. A touch screen device, comprising:

a touch screen configured to display at least one icon thereon and to detect an initial touch point and a moving touch trajectory on the touch screen;

a storage device configured to store a command corresponding to the initial touch point and moving touch trajectory; and

a controller configured to select a command from the storage device based on the detected initial touch point and moving touch trajectory, and to execute the selected command associated with the moving touch trajectory after a touch associated with the moving touch trajectory is released when there is no icon displayed at the initial touch point,

wherein the controller is further configured to display information related to the command associated with the initial touch point and the moving touch trajectory if the touch has not been released after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, and wherein different information related to the command is displayed depending on the initial touch point and the moving touch trajectory.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the storage device is configured to store a command corresponding to the initial touch point and the moving trajectory based on an operation mode of the touch screen device.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein when one or more selection menu icons are positioned along a path of the moving touch trajectory, the command associated with the moving touch trajectory is to simultaneously or sequentially execute one or more selection menus corresponding to the one or more menu icons positioned along the path of the moving touch trajectory.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to display no icon moving along the moving touch trajectory during the touch.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the selected command is a command to do nothing if the moving touch trajectory is a return trajectory in which a touch release point is substantially the same as the initial touch point.

17. Digital equipment comprising the touch screen device of claim 12.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the digital equipment is an MP3 player, a PMP, a PDA, a notebook computer, a mobile telephone, or a portable navigation terminal.