Method and system for operating application of a touch device with touch-based input interface

• US 8,510,655 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2010
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Bong Won, Ryu, Dong Seok, Park, Sung Ho, Kim, Kyu Sung, Cho, Il Haeng, Lee, Sang Ki, Song, Min Seung, Park, Joo Yeon
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao Kevin
• Application Number:
  US12/977,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20110225539A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 715/835, 715/740, 715851-853, 715761-765, 715/723, 715730-733
• US Class Current: 715/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A method and system is disclosed that allows a user to easily and intuitively operate applications that require contact information, in a touch device, via a tray item associated with the contact information. The method for operating applications includes: displaying a contact tray comprised of a number of tray items based on contact information, on an execution screen; receiving an interaction to use a tray item in the contact tray; configuring an execution screen for an application based on contact information of the tray item; and operating the application based on the configured execution screen.

Claims

1. A method, operable in a processor, for operating applications of a touch device, comprising:

displaying, on an execution screen, a contact tray comprised of a number of tray items including contact information;

receiving an interaction that selects a tray item in the contact tray and moves the selected tray item to an area of the execution screen corresponding to an application;

configuring the execution screen displaying content for an application by associating the content with a contact information of the tray item selected by the interaction; and

operating the application based on the configured execution screen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying a contact tray comprises:

receiving an interaction for calling the contact tray via a tray indicator region in a state information display area; and

overlaying and displaying a list of contacts on the execution screen, according to the call interaction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an interaction comprises:

sensing an interaction input to the execution screen or the contact tray; and

identifying the type of sensed interaction.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

scrolling, when the interaction is input to the contact tray, a number of tray items in the contact tray, according to the interaction.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein scrolling a number of tray items comprises:

fixedly displaying part of the number of tray items in a fixed region on the contact tray; and

scrolling the other tray items in scrolling region on the contact tray.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

displaying, when the interaction is input to the contact tray, contact information about a tray item, selected by the input interaction, via a pop-up window.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein configuring an execution screen comprises:

receiving an interaction that selects content in the execution screen and moves it to a tray item in the contact tray; and

configuring an execution screen for an application by associating the content, selected by the interaction, with contact information about the tray item where the interaction is moved and located.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein configuring an execution screen comprises:

determining whether there is an application to be executed according to the input interaction;

executing, when there is an application to be executed, the application;

determining, when the application is executed, a combination of contact information corresponding to the tray item with the content; and

configuring an execution screen for the application, according to the combination.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein configuring an execution screen comprises:

setting a recipient based on contact information corresponding to the tray item; and

configuring a body based on the content.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

displaying, when there is not an application to be executed, executable applications via a pop-up window.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein configuring an execution screen comprises:

receiving an interaction that selects a tray item in the contact tray and moves the selected tray item to the execution screen; and

configuring an execution screen for an application, based on contact information corresponding to the selected tray item.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein configuring an execution screen comprises:

extracting contact information corresponding to the tray item;

analyzing a type of area to which the interaction is input; and

inputting and displaying the extracted contact information, according to the type of area.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether an area in the execution screen to which the interaction is located is a permissible area where a contact information-based input is input; and

displaying a floating item corresponding to the tray item via a floating item indicating that the contact information is prevented from being input, when the determined area is a non-permissible area.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

displaying a floating item corresponding to the tray item via a floating item indicating that the contact information can be input, when the interaction is moved from the impermissible area to the permissible area.

15. A touch device comprising:

a display unit for;

displaying an execution screen for an application and a contact tray comprised of contact information-based tray items on the execution screen, and

receiving an interaction that selects one of the tray items in the contact tray and moves the selected tray item to a content of the execution screen; and

a controller for;

configuring the execution screen for an application by associating the content with a contact information of the tray item selected by the interaction, and

operating the application based on the configured execution screen.

16. The touch device of claim 15, wherein the contact tray comprises:

a first item region containing a tray item associated with contact information corresponding to a user of the touch device; and

a second item region containing a number tray items associated with contact information registered by the user.

17. The touch device of claim 16, wherein:

the first item region is a fixed region where tray items are not scrollable; and

the second item region is a scroll region where tray items are scrolled according to the interaction.

18. The touch device of claim 16, wherein the contact tray further comprises:

a third item region containing items for editing tray items.

19. The touch device of claim 15, wherein the controller:

senses an interaction that selects content in the execution screen and moves it to a tray item in the contact tray; and

configures an execution screen for an application by associating the content, selected by the interaction, with contact information about the tray item where the interaction is moved and located.

20. The touch device of claim 15, wherein the controller:

senses an interaction that selects a tray item in the contact tray and moves it to the execution screen; and

configures an execution screen for an application, based on contact information about the tray item selected by the interaction.