Mobile terminal having touch screen and method for displaying cursor thereof

• US 8,436,818 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2009
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Jin Woo, Ji, Won Joo
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sadio, Insa
• Application Number:
  US12/506,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20100020043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,386 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345173-183, 345/157, 178 1805- 1807, 715/856
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• 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 portable terminal including a touch screen and method for displaying a cursor thereof are provided. The method includes determining whether a capacitance is equal to or greater than a first critical value and is less than a second critical value, if the change of the capacitance is sensed in the touch screen, displaying a cursor in an area where the change of the capacitance is sensed, if the capacitance is equal to or greater than the first critical value and is less than the second critical value, and performing a function corresponding to the area where the cursor is displayed, if the capacitance sensed in the area where the cursor is displayed is equal to or greater than the second critical value.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a cursor of a portable terminal comprising a capacitive overlay type touch screen, the method comprising:

detecting one of access by an object on a touch screen and contact by the object with the touch screen;

determining whether a value of change of capacitance is one of equal to a first threshold and greater than the first threshold, and is less than a second threshold;

displaying a cursor in an area where the change of the capacitance is detected, if the value of the change of capacitance is one of equal to the first threshold and greater than the first threshold, and is less than the second threshold; and

performing a function corresponding to the area where the cursor is displayed, if the value of the change of capacitance detected in the area where the cursor is displayed is one of equal to the second threshold and greater than the second threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first threshold comprises a reference value for displaying the cursor in the area where the access of the object is detected on the touch screen.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second threshold comprises a reference value for confirming the contact of the object with the touch screen.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the cursor comprises displaying a block type cursor in the area where the change of the capacitance is detected.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the displaying of the cursor comprises displaying a colored cursor, if the value of the chanage of capacitance increases or decreases.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the displaying of the colored cursor comprises displaying a dark color cursor or a light color cursor corresponding to the increase or the decrease of the value of change of capacitance.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the displaying of the cursor comprises displaying a changed size of the cursor, if the value of the change of capacitance increases or decreases.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the displaying of the changed size of the cursor comprises displaying a larger size cursor than an original size cursor or a smaller size cursor than the original size cursor corresponding to the increase or the decrease of the value of the change of capacitance.

9. A portable terminal comprising:

a touch screen comprising a touch sensor for detecting one of access by an object on a touch screen and contact by the object with the touch screen, and for displaying a cursor corresponding to a value of the change of capacitance;

a storage unit for storing a first threshold and a second threshold for displaying the cursor corresponding to the value of the change of capacitance; and

a controller for determining, when the change of the capacitance is detected through the touch sensor, whether the value of the change of capacitance is one of equal to the first threshold and greater than the first threshold, and is less than the second threshold, for controlling the touch screen to display the cursor in an area where the change of the capacitance is detected if the capacitance is one of equal to the first threshold and greater than the first threshold, and is less than the second threshold, and for performing a function corresponding to the area where the cursor is displayed, if the value of the change of capacitance detected in the area where the cursor is displayed is one of equal to the second threshold and greater than the second threshold.

10. The portable terminal of claim 9, wherein the first threshold comprises a reference value for displaying the cursor in the area where the access of the object is detected on the touch screen.

11. The portable terminal of claim 9, wherein the second threshold comprises a reference value for confirming the contact of the object with the touch screen.

12. The portable terminal of claim 9, wherein the controller controls the touch screen to display a block type cursor in the area where the change of the capacitance is detected.

13. The portable terminal of claim 12, wherein the controller controls the touch screen to display a colored cursor, if the value of the change of capacitance increases or decreases.

14. The portable terminal of claim 13, wherein the controller controls the touch screen to display a dark color cursor or a light color cursor corresponding to the increase or the decrease of the value of the change of capacitance.

15. The portable terminal of claim 12, wherein the controller controls the touch screen to display a changed size of the cursor, if the value of the change of capacitance increases or decreases.

16. The portable terminal of claim 15, wherein the controller controls the touch screen to display a larger size cursor than an original size cursor or a smaller size cursor than the original size cursor corresponding to the increase or the decrease of the value of the change of capacitance.