Display device and control method thereof

• US 8,451,248 B1
• Filed: 11/16/2012
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jihwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): MERKOULOVA, OLGA VLADIMIROVNA
• Application Number:
  US13/679,582
• Time in Patent Office: 193 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-183, 341/27, 434/113, 434/114, 715/702, 4555751-5759, 463 1- 69, 178 1801- 1811, 178 1901- 1907
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Disclosed is a display device that provides a user with tactile feedback using a tactile user interface. The display device includes a touch sensitive display unit to display an object, a tactile feedback unit to generate tactile feedback, and a controller. The controller detects a first touch that is in contact with a region of a first object displayed on the display unit, detects a second touch controlling the first object that is consecutive to the first touch, controls the first object in response to the second touch, generates first tactile feedback according to properties of the first object in response to the second touch, detects a third touch controlling the first object that is consecutive to the second touch, the third touch being detected in a region of a second object displayed on the display unit, and generates the first tactile feedback in response to the third touch.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a touch sensitive display unit configured to display an object;

a tactile feedback unit configured to generate tactile feedback; and

a controller configured to;

detect a first touch that is in contact with a region of a first object displayed on the display unit;

detect a second touch controlling the first object that is consecutive to the first touch;

control the first object in response to the second touch;

generate first tactile feedback according to properties of the first object in response to the second touch in a controlled state of the first object;

detect a third touch controlling the first object that is consecutive to the second touch, wherein the third touch is detected in a region of a second object displayed on the display unit; and

generate the first tactile feedback in response to the third touch in a controlled state of the first object.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

detect a fourth touch that is input in the region of the second object after contact with the display unit is released; and

generate second tactile feedback according to properties of the second object in response to a fourth touch.

3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generate second tactile feedback according to properties of the second object in response to the third touch if control with respect to the first object by the third touch ends.

4. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the second object is a background image displayed on the display unit.

5. The display device according to claim 1, wherein generation of the first tactile feedback includes additionally generating third tactile feedback corresponding to friction between the first object and user'"'"'s finger.

6. The display device according to claim 1,

wherein the controller is configured to display a background image, and

wherein generation of the first tactile feedback includes generating the first tactile feedback according to texture of the first object and texture of the background image.

7. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to temporarily generate second tactile feedback different from the first tactile feedback at a time point when the third touch begins to be detected in the region of the second object.

8. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generate second tactile feedback according to properties of the second object in response to the third touch if a distance between a position where the first object is displayed and a position where the third touch is detected exceeds a preset distance threshold.

9. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

detect a fourth touch that is input in the region of the second object after contact with the display unit is released;

generate the first tactile feedback if a time from a time point when contact is released to a time point when the fourth touch is detected is equal to or less than a preset time threshold; and

generate second tactile feedback according to properties of the second object if the time from the time point when contact is released to the time point when the fourth touch is detected exceeds the preset time threshold.

10. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the properties of the first object include at least one of texture, color, weight, pattern and brightness of the displayed first object.

11. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the touch sensitive display unit includes:

a sensor unit configured to detect a user touch gesture; and

a display unit configured to display a visual user interface.

12. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the first touch, the second touch and the third touch are consecutively input while contact between the user'"'"'s finger and the display unit is maintained.

13. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the first object in response to the second touch such that the first object is controlled based on any one of an X-axis component or a Y-axis component of the second touch.

14. The display device according to claim 1, wherein control with respect to the first object includes at least one of movement, rotation, enlargement and contraction of the first object.

15. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

detect pressure of a user touch gesture of pushing the display unit; and

control intensity of tactile feedback in proportion to the pressure.

16. The display device according to claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to detect pressure of the touch gesture based on a detected area of the touch gesture.

17. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display device includes at least one of a smart phone, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), cellular phone, MP3 music player, laptop computer, smart pad, tablet Personal Computer (PC), television, and smart table, which includes the display unit.

18. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the tactile feedback unit is configured to generate tactile feedback using ultrasonic vibration and to control intensity of the tactile feedback by changing the frequency and magnitude of the ultrasonic vibration.

19. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the tactile feedback unit is configured to provide tactile feedback by applying fine current to the display unit, and to control the tactile feedback by adjusting strength and generation period of fine current.

20. A method of controlling a touch sensitive display device, the method comprising:

detecting a first touch that is in contact with a region of a first object displayed on the display unit;

detecting a second touch controlling the first object that is consecutive to the first touch;

controlling the first object in response to the second touch;

generating first tactile feedback according to properties of the first object in response to the second touch in a controlled state of the first object;

detecting a third touch controlling the first object that is consecutive to the second touch, wherein the third touch is detected in a region of a second object displayed on the display unit; and

generating the first tactile feedback in response to the third touch in a controlled state of the first object.