Apparatus and method for improvement of usability of touch screen

• US 8,760,410 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2007
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoo, Byung-in, Kim, Seong-woon, Kim, Yeun-bae, Kim, Nam-woo, Yi, Kwon-ju
• Primary Examiner(s): Pappas, Claire X
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ghafari, Sepideh
• Application Number:
  US11/979,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20080180402A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,419 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/179, 701/207, 701/213
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• 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

Abstract

Provided are an apparatus and method for improving usability of a touch screen. The apparatus includes a touch sensing unit that senses a first touch and a second touch and detects the touched locations of the sensed touches, a pointer setting unit that sets a pointer to the detected location of the first touch, and a coordinate transforming unit that transforms movement of a touched location, which is caused by movement of the second touch, into movement of a location of the pointer.

Claims

1. An apparatus for improving usability of a touch screen, the apparatus comprising:

a touch sensor to sense a first touch and a second touch, and to detect touched locations of the sensed touches;

a pointer setting unit, comprising a processor, to set a pointer to the detected location of the first touch; and

a coordinate transforming unit, comprising a processor, to move a location of the pointer from the detected location of the first touch to a new location, in response to movement of the second touch,

wherein the touch sensor differentiates the first touch and the second touch from each other with reference to a predetermined interval of time between the first touch and second touch,

wherein the pointer remains at the detected location of the first touch when the second touch is detected at a location different from a location of the first touch.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a pressure sensor to sense pressure applied to the locations of the sensed touches to instruct an operation corresponding to the sensed pressure to be performed.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the operation instructed by the pressure sensor is performed according to one of a duration and intensity of the sensed pressure.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coordinate transforming unit transforms movement of the second touch to the new location, into movement of the location of the pointer, at a ratio of 1 to 1.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coordinate transforming unit transforms movement of the second touch to the new location, into movement of the location of the pointer, at a ratio of 1 to N.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coordinate transforming unit adjusts a rotation of a display of the touch screen with respect to the pointer, according to a movement of the location of the second touch.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coordinate transforming unit moves the location of the pointer by reflecting a change in coordinates of the second touch due to movement of the second touch to the new location, into a change in coordinates corresponding to the location of the pointer.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second touch controls movement of the pointer, the second touch is at a location different from the location of the pointer and the location of the first touch, and the second touch location is separated from the first touch location and the pointer by a predetermined distance.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first touch and second touch are input to the touch screen using an object, and the object is separated from the touch screen between the first touch and the second touch.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first touch and second touch are input to the touch screen using an object, and the pointer setting unit sets the pointer at the location of the first touch when the object stops touching the location of the first touch or when the object touches the location of the first touch and then moves a predetermined distance from the location of the first touch.

6. A method of improving usability of a touch screen, the method comprising:

sensing a first touch, and detecting a touched location of the sensed first touch;

setting a pointer to the detected location of the first touch;

sensing a second touch, and detecting a touched location of the sensed second touch; and

moving a location of the pointer from the detected location of the first touch to a new location, in response to movement of the second touch,

wherein the sensing of the second touch comprises differentiating the first touch and the second touch from each other with reference to a predetermined interval of time between the first touch and second touch,

wherein the pointer remains at the detected location of the first touch when the second touch is detected at a location different from a location of the first touch.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising sensing a pressure applied to the touched location to instruct an operation corresponding to the sensed pressure to be performed.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the operation instructed in the sensing of the pressure is performed according to one of a duration and intensity of the sensed pressure.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the moving a location of the pointer comprises transforming movement of the second touch to the new location into movement of the location of the pointer, at a ratio of 1 to 1.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the moving a location of the pointer comprises transforming movement of the second touch to the new location, into movement of the location of the pointer, at a ratio of 1 to N.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions that control at least one processor to implement the method of claim 6.

15. The method of claim 6, further comprising adjusting a rotation of a display of the touch screen with respect to the pointer, according to a movement of the location of the second touch.

20. The method of claim 6, wherein the moving a location of the pointer comprises reflecting a change in coordinates of the second touch due to movement of the second touch to the new location, into a change in coordinates corresponding to the location of the pointer.

12. An apparatus for improving usability of a touch screen, the apparatus comprising:

a touch sensor to sense a first touch and a second touch, and to detect touched locations of the sensed touches;

a pointer setting unit, comprising a processor, to set a pointer to the detected location of the first touch; and

a coordinate transforming unit, comprising a processor, to move a location of the pointer from the detected location of the first touch to a new location, in response to movement of the second touch,

wherein the touch sensor differentiates the first touch and the second touch from each other with reference to a predetermined boundary located a predetermined distance from the detected location of the first touch,

wherein the touch sensor senses the second touch if the second touch is outside the predetermined boundary,

wherein the pointer remains at the detected location of the first touch when the second touch is detected at a location different from a location of the first touch.

13. A method of improving usability of a touch screen, the method comprising:

sensing a first touch, and detecting a touched location of the sensed first touch;

setting a pointer to the detected location of the first touch;

sensing a second touch, and detecting a touched location of the sensed second touch; and

moving a location of the pointer from the detected location of the first touch to a new location, in response to movement of the second touch,

wherein the sensing of the second touch comprises differentiating the first touch and the second touch from each other with reference to a predetermined boundary located a predetermined distance from the detected location of the first touch,

wherein the second touch is sensed if the second touch is outside the predetermined boundary,

wherein the pointer remains at the detected location of the first touch when the second touch is detected at a location different from a location of the first touch.

21. A method of improving usability of a touch screen, the method comprising:

sensing a first touch at a first location of the touch screen;

setting a pointer to the first location;

sensing a second touch at a second location of the touch screen;

moving the pointer from the first location to a new location of the touch screen in response to a change in location of the second touch from the second location,

wherein the pointer remains at the first location when the second touch is sensed at the second location, the second location being different from the first location.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the moving the pointer comprises changing coordinates corresponding to a location of the pointer in proportion to a change in coordinates of the second location, when the pointer is moved to the new location.

23. A method of improving usability of a touch screen, the method comprising:

sensing a first touch at a first location of the touch screen;

setting a pointer to the first location;

sensing a second touch at a second location of the touch screen;

moving the pointer from the first location to a new location of the touch screen by changing coordinates corresponding to the first location of the pointer to coordinates corresponding to the new location, the change in coordinates being in proportion and in response to a change in coordinates of the second location due to movement of the second touch,

wherein the pointer remains at the first location when the second touch is sensed at the second location, the second location being different from the first location.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein movement of the second touch comprises sensing a third touch at a third location, the third location being different from the new location, and the pointer is moved to the new location upon sensing the third touch.