System and method for controlling function of a device

• US 8,635,544 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2010
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Hwang, Jae Joon, Kim, Yu Ran, Kim, Hee Woon
• Primary Examiner(s): SALOMON, PHENUEL S
• Application Number:
  US12/694,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20100192105A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• Field of Search: 715/834, 715/764, 715/863, 715/864, 345/173
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 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 method and a system are disclosed for function control using a display unit including a touch area and a non-touch area. The device includes an output area for displaying various types of screen data corresponding to execution applications, a control area for providing a graphical user interface (GUI) for controlling a function of the device, and a control unit for detecting execution of a particular application, configuring a screen comprising the output area and the control area in response to the executed application, and controlling a function of the device according to a user interaction occurring through the GUI in the control area.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface (GUI) presented in association with a device, the GUI comprising:

an output area configured to display screen data corresponding to an application executed in association with the device; and

a control area configured to;

display an interactive region configured based on the application, the interactive region comprising a wheel area,

enable control of a function of the device based on interaction with the interactive region, and

enable manipulation of the screen data based on interaction with the interactive region,

wherein, in response to a period of inactivity associated with the wheel area, the GUI is configured to;

hide the wheel area, and

display an interactive component configured to enable the wheel area to be redisplayed.

2. The GUI of claim 1, wherein the output area and the control area are displayed in association with a single display unit, and wherein the control area is at least a half-touch area.

3. The GUI of claim 2, wherein the output area is a non-touch area and the control area is a touch area.

4. The GUI of claim 3, wherein the control area further comprises a soft key area, the soft key area and the wheel area being configured to receive an input of a user interaction.

5. The GUI of claim 4, wherein the wheel area is hidden if the user interaction is followed by a period of time without another user interaction.

6. The GUI of claim 5, wherein the user interaction comprises at least one of a sweep event, a flick event, or a tap event.

7. The GUI of claim 5, wherein the wheel area is divided into multiple tap points respectively corresponding to multiple execution applications, and wherein each tap point is assigned an option command in accordance with its corresponding execution application.

8. The GUI of claim 5, wherein the wheel area comprises at least one virtual item associated with function control of the execution application.

9. The GUI of claim 5, wherein the wheel area comprises at least one virtual item to which a quick link function of an execution application is mapped.

10. The GUI of claim 5, wherein reception of user interaction in the wheel area is configured to enable item navigation, item selection, item execution, or control to increase or decrease a value associated with the screen data displayed in the output area.

11. The GUI of claim 5, wherein a pop-up window generated according to function control of the device is displayed at an upper portion of the wheel area, the pop-up window being configured to receive the user interaction.

12. The GUI of claim 5, wherein the soft key area is configured to receive an input of a tap event.

13. The GUI of claim 5, wherein the soft key area is divided into multiple tap points respectively corresponding to multiple execution applications, and wherein each tap point is assigned an option command in accordance with its corresponding execution application.

14. The GUI of claim 5, wherein the soft key area comprises at least one check item corresponding to the application.

15. The GUI of claim 5, wherein user interaction in the soft key area comprises item selection, item execution, or option setting in the screen data displayed in the output area.

16. The GUI of claim 5, wherein a pop-up window generated according to function control of the device is displayed at an upper portion of the soft key area, the pop-up window being configured to receive the user interaction.

17. The GUI of claim 4, wherein the control area is further configured to enable input of one or more user interactions, the one or more user interactions comprising a sweep event in the wheel area, a tap event in the wheel area, a tap event in the soft key area, or a tap event of a virtual item in the wheel area.

18. The GUI of claim 17, wherein reception of the user interaction is configured to cause the screen data displayed in the output area or other screen data displayed in the control area to change according to the user interaction.

19. The GUI of claim 1, wherein the output area is displayed in association with a first display unit, the control area is displayed in association with a second display unit, and wherein the first display unit is different from the second display unit, and further wherein the second display unit comprises a touch screen.

20. A device, comprising:

at least one display screen configured to display;

an output area configured to display screen data corresponding to an application executed in association with the device, and

a control area configured to;

display a graphical user interface (GUI) comprising a wheel area, the GUI being configured to enable control of a function of the device based on interaction with the GUI, and

enable manipulation of the screen data based on interaction with the GUI; and

a control unit configured to;

detect execution of the application,

configure the at least one display screen to display the output area and the control area in response to the application being executed,

control the display of the screen data based on interaction with the GUI, and

control a function of the device based on interaction with the GUI,

wherein the control unit is further configured to;

detect a period of inactivity in association with the wheel area, and

configure, in response to the period of inactivity, the at least one display screen to hide display of the wheel area and display an interactive component configured to enable the wheel area to be redisplayed.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the output area and the control area are formed in a single display unit, and the control area is at least a half-touch area.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the output area is a non-touch area, and the control area is a touch area.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein the GUI comprises a virtual item, and wherein the control unit is further configured to configure the GUI based on an application being executed in association with the device.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the control area further comprises a soft key area, and the soft key area and the wheel area are configured to receive the interaction.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the wheel area is hidden if the interaction is followed by a period of time without another interaction.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein the control area is further configured to receive one or more interactions, the one or more interactions comprising a sweep event in the wheel area, a tap event in the wheel area, a tap event in the soft key area, or a tap event of a virtual item in the wheel area.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein the control unit is further configured to control corresponding functions of the device in response to reception of the interaction in the control area.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein the control unit is further configured to control display of the screen data in the output area and other screen data in the control area, and wherein the control unit is further configured to modify display of the screen data, the other screen data, or the screen data and the other screen data based on the interaction.

29. The device of claim 20, further comprising:

a plurality of display units,

wherein the output area is displayed in association with a first one of the plurality of display units and the control area is displayed in association with a second one of the plurality of display units, and wherein the first display unit is different from the second display unit, and further wherein the second display unit comprises a touch screen.

30. A method, comprising:

detecting execution of an application;

causing, at least in part, screen data corresponding to the application to be displayed in an output area;

causing, at least in part, a graphical user interface (GUI) corresponding to the application to be displayed in a control area, the GUI comprising a wheel area;

processing a function in response to interaction with the GUI;

causing, at least in part, display of the screen data to be manipulated and the GUI to be modified in response to the processing of the function;

detecting a period of inactivity in association with the wheel area; and

causing, at least in part, in response to the period of inactivity, display of the wheel area to be hidden and an interactive component to be displayed to enable the wheel area to be redisplayed.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

determining a type of the application; and

configuring at least one display unit according to the type of the application,

wherein the at least one display unit comprises the output area and the control area.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the output area and the control area are formed in a single display unit, the output area is a non-touch area, and the control area is at least a half-touch area.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein processing the function in response to the interaction comprises:

causing, at least in part, the interaction to be detected in association with the control area; and

processing the function according to a portion of the control area associated with the interaction and the type of the interaction.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein processing the function in response to the interaction further comprises:

processing, if the interaction is a sweep event in a wheel area of the control area, one or more navigation commands corresponding to the sweep event;

processing, if the interaction is a tap event in the wheel area, an option command corresponding to the tap event;

processing, if the interaction is associated with a soft key displayed in the control area, a function associated with an item corresponding to the soft key; and

executing, if the interaction is a tap event of a virtual item in the wheel area, an application mapped to the virtual item corresponding to the tap event.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein detecting the period of inactivity occurs after processing the function in response to the interaction.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein detecting the period of inactivity occurs after processing the function in response to the interaction, the method further comprising:

causing, at least in part, display of the soft key area to remain while causing, at least in part, display of the wheel area to be hidden in response to the period of inactivity.