Method of operating handheld electronic device and touch interface apparatus and storage medium using the same

• US 8,525,800 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2008
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Kao, Yih-Feng, Hou, Chun-Yao, Wang, Hui-Wen, Chou, Fu-Chiang, Shih, Chin-Chung
• Primary Examiner(s): OLSON, JASON C
• Application Number:
  US12/340,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20090167714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,716 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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 method of operating a handheld electronic device and a touch interface apparatus and a storage medium using the same are provided. In this method, an operating interface displayed on a touch screen of the handheld electronic device is used to operate a function module of the handheld electronic device. First, the function module of the handheld electronic device is activated to display a user interface corresponding to the function module on the touch screen. Next, an operating function of the function module is activated, so as to display a corresponding operating interface on the touch screen. In the meantime, the user interface of the function module is reduced simultaneously and displayed on an area of the touch screen excluding the operating interface. Accordingly, a convenient operating interface is provided for the user to operate while the content of original displayed frame remains.

Claims

1. A method of operating a handheld electronic device using a touch operating interface, the method suitable for using an operating interface displayed on a touch screen of the handheld electronic device to operate a function module of the handheld electronic device, comprising:

activating the function module of the handheld electronic device and displaying a user interface of the function module on the touch screen, wherein the user interface has a first size;

activating an operating function of the function module and displaying the operating interface on the touch screen;

reducing the user interface of the function module and displaying the reduced user interface on an area of the touch screen excluding the operating interface, wherein the reduced user interface has a second size; and

receiving a touch input comprising a slide operation on the operating interface and switching the operating interface to another operating interface with a same size as the operating interface and different key arrangement in response to receiving the touch input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the operating interface on the touch screen comprises displaying the operating interface on a lower portion of the touch screen and displaying the reduced user interface on an upper portion of the touch screen.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a key input of the operating interface and executing an operating action corresponding to the function module.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface of the function module comprises a list page comprising a plurality of data items.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein reducing the user interface of the function module comprises reducing the plurality of data items on the list page proportionally, such that the number of data item is not changed and the size of the plurality of reduced data items equals the second size.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein

the user interface of the function module further comprises a status bar;

and

the step of reducing the user interface of the function module comprises reducing the plurality of data items on the list page proportionally, such that the number of data item is not changed and the size of the plurality of reduced data items plus the size of the status bar equals the second size.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the list page comprises a function menu, a song menu, a video menu, a file list, or a contact list.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first size has a wide video graphic array (WVGA) resolution and the second size has a video graphic array (VGA) resolution.

18. A storage medium for storing a computer program, wherein the computer program comprises a plurality of program segments to be loaded into a computer system, such that the computer system executes the method of claim 1.

9. A touch interface apparatus for operating a function module of a handheld electronic device, comprising:

a user interface, displaying a frame of the function module on a touch screen of the handheld electronic device when the function module of the handheld electronic device is activated;

an operating interface, displayed on the touch screen to provide a user with an operating function of the function module when the operating function of the function module is activated, wherein

the user interface comprises a first size when the operating function of the function module is not activated, and

the user interface is reduced to a second size and displayed on an area of the touch screen excluding the operating interface when the operating function of the function module is activated, and

the operating interface is switched to another operating interface with a same size as the operating interface and different key arrangement when receiving a touch input comprising a slide operation.

10. The touch interface apparatus of claim 9, wherein the operating interface further comprises receiving a key input and executing an operating action corresponding to the function module.

11. The touch interface apparatus of claim 9, wherein the user interface of the function module comprises a list page comprising a plurality of data items.

12. The touch interface apparatus of claim 11, wherein the plurality of data items on the list page are reduced proportionally, such that the number of data item is not changed and the size of the plurality of reduced data items equals the second size.

13. The touch interface apparatus of claim 11, wherein

the user interface of the function module further comprises a status bar;

and

the plurality of data items on the list page are reduced proportionally, such that the number of data item is not changed and the size of the plurality of reduced data items plus the size of the status bar equals the second size.

14. The touch interface apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first size has a WVGA resolution and the second size has a VGA resolution.

15. The touch interface apparatus of claim 9, wherein the operating interface comprises one or a combination of a navigation button, a confirmation button, and a screen button.

16. The touch interface apparatus of claim 9, wherein the operating interface comprises a multimedia player interface, which comprises one or a combination of a play button, a pause button, a stop button, a fast-forward button, and a rewind button.

17. The touch interface apparatus of claim 9, wherein the operating interface comprises one or a combination of an English alphabet keypad, a Chinese phonetic symbol keypad, a numeric keypad, a T9 keypad, and a 20 key keypad.