Portable terminal and control method therefor

• US 8,997,015 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2007
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Kinoshita, Kenta
• Primary Examiner(s): TILLERY, RASHAWN N
• Application Number:
  US12/443,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20100095205A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,742 Days
• Field of Search: 715/781, 715/784, 715/863, 715/864, 345/156, 345/173, 345/179
• US Class Current: 715/781
• 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 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• 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

When it is discriminated by an input-means determining unit 8 that an input to display unit is a first input by a pen, a function of an application 3 allocated in advance to an area on a screen of the application 3 specified by an input coordinate of first input means determined by an input-position determining unit 11 is executed on the basis of the first input. When it is discriminated that the input to the display unit is a second input by a finger, the execution of the function of the application 3 allocated in advance on the screen of the application 3 is prohibited and a predetermined function not allocated to the area on the screen of the application 3 is executed on the basis of the second input.

Claims

1. A portable terminal comprising:

a storing unit that stores various applications including a first application;

a display unit that displays a screen of each of the applications;

an input detecting unit that detects each of plural inputs touched onto the screen, the plural inputs including a first single input by a first input means and a second single input by a second input means; and

a control unit that executes a function in response to each of the plural inputs, wherein

the control unit executes a first function in response to the first single input touched onto a link object displayed on a first screen of the first application,

the first function is assigned to the link object,

the control unit executes a second function in response to the second single input by the second input means touched onto the link object displayed on the first screen, and

the second function is not assigned to the link object.

3. The portable terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that the portable terminal scrolls, when the first screen can be viewed with a scroll function, the first screen of the first application on the basis of the second single input.

8. The portable terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that the input detecting unit includes:

an imaging unit for picking up an image of the periphery of the display unit; and

an image analyzing unit for analyzing the image picked up by the imaging unit.

9. The portable terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that the input detecting unit includes:

an image sensor incorporated in the display unit; and

an image analyzing unit for analyzing an image output from the image sensor.

10. The portable terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that

the first single input is a main input, a contact area of which with the display unit is smaller than a predetermined value, and

the second single input is a sub-input, a contact area of which with the display unit is equal to or larger than the predetermined value.

11. The portable terminal according to claim 10, characterized in that the main input is an input by a pen, and the sub-input is an input by a finger.

2. A portable terminal comprising:

a storing unit that stores various applications including a first application;

a display unit that displays a screen of each of the applications;

a touch panel disposed on a front surface of the display unit in association with the display unit;

an input detecting unit that detects each of plural inputs to the touch panel, the plural inputs including a first single input by a first input means and a second single input by a second input means;

a discriminating unit that discriminates whether an input detected by the input detecting unit is the first single input by the first input means or the second single input by the second input means; and

a control unit that executes a function in response to each of the plural inputs, wherein

the control unit executes a first function when it is discriminated that the input is the first single input by the first input means touched onto a link object displayed on a first screen of the first application,

the first function is assigned to the link object,

the control unit executes a second function when it is discriminated that the input is the second single input by the second input means touched onto the link object displayed on the first screen, and

the second function is not assigned to the link object.

4. A portable terminal comprising:

a storing that stores various applications including a first application;

a display unit that displays a screen of each of the applications;

an input detecting unit that detects each of plural inputs touched onto the screen, the plural inputs including a first single input by a first input means and a second single input by a second input means; and

a control unit that executes a function in response to each of the plural inputs, wherein

the control unit executes a first function in response to the first single input touched onto a link object displayed on a first screen of the first application,

the first function is assigned to the link object

the control unit executes a second function in response to the second single input by the second input means touched onto the link object displayed on the first screen and the first single input is touched onto the link object during a period in which the second single input continues,

the second function is not assigned to the link object.

5. A portable terminal comprising:

a storing unit that stores various applications including a main application and a background application;

a display unit that displays a screen of each of the applications;

an input detecting unit that detects each of plural input types touched onto the screen, the plural input types including a first single input type by a first input means and a second single input type by a second input means; and

a control unit that executes a function in response to each of the plural input types, wherein when the main application, a screen of which is displayed on the display unit, and the background application, a screen of which is not displayed on the display unit, are simultaneously activated;

the control unit executes, in response to the first single input type by the first input means touched onto the screen, on the basis of the first single input type irrespective of an input location, a function of the main application, and

the control unit executes, in response to the second single input type by the second input means touched onto the screen, on the basis of the second single input type irrespective of the input location, a predetermined function of the background application.

6. A portable terminal comprising:

a storing unit that stores various applications including a first application;

a display unit that displays a screen of each of the applications;

a touch panel disposed on a front surface of the display unit in association with the display unit;

an input detecting unit that detects each of plural inputs to the touch panel, the plural inputs including a first single input by a first input means and a second single input by a second input means;

a discriminating unit that discriminates whether an input detected by the input detecting unit is the first single input by the first input means or the second single input by the second input means; and

a control unit that executes a function in response to each of the plural inputs, wherein

the control unit executes a first function when it is discriminated that the input is the first single input by the first input means touched onto a link object displayed on a first screen of the first application,

the first function is assigned to the link object,

the control unit executes a second function when it is discriminated that the input is the second single input by the second input means touched onto the link object displayed on the first screen and the first single input by the first input means is touched onto the link object during a period in which the second single input by the second input means continues, and

the second function is not assigned to the link object.

7. A portable terminal comprising:

a storing unit that stores various applications including a main application and a background application;

a display unit that displays a screen of each of the applications;

a touch panel disposed on a front surface of the display unit in association with the display unit;

an input detecting unit that detects each of plural input types to the touch panel, the plural input types including a first single input type by a first input means and a second single input type by a second input means;

a discriminating unit that discriminates whether an input detected by the input detecting unit is the first single input type by the first input means or the second single input type by the second input means; and

a control unit that executes a function in response to each of the plural input types, wherein when the main application, a screen of which is displayed on the display unit, and the background application, a screen of which is not displayed on the display unit, are simultaneously activated;

the control unit executes, when it is discriminated that the input is the first single input type by the first input means, on the basis of the first single input type irrespective of an input location, a function of the main application, and

the control unit executes, when it is discriminated that the input is the second single input type by the second input means, on the basis of the second single input type irrespective of the input location, a predetermined function of the background application.

12. A control method for a portable terminal including:

a storing unit that stores various applications including a first application;

a display unit that displays a screen of each of the applications; and

an input detecting unit that detects each of plural inputs touched onto the screen, the plural inputs including a first single input by a first input means and a second single input by a second input means;

wherein,

the control method comprises;

executing a first function in response to the first single input by the first input means touched onto a link object displayed on a first screen of the first application, the first function being assigned to the link object; and

executing a second function in response to the second single input by the second input means touched onto the link object displayed on the first screen, the second function not being assigned to the link object.

14. The control method for a portable terminal according to claim 12, characterized by comprising scrolling, when the first screen can be viewed with a scroll function, the first screen of the first application on the basis of the second single input.

19. The control method for a portable terminal according to claim 12, characterized in that the input detecting unit includes:

an imaging unit for picking up an image of the periphery of the display unit; and

an image analyzing unit for analyzing the image picked up by the imaging unit.

20. The control method for a portable terminal according to claim 12, characterized in that the input detecting unit includes:

an image sensor incorporated in the display unit; and

an image analyzing unit for analyzing an image output from the image sensor.

21. The control method for a portable terminal according to claim 12, characterized in that the first single input is a main input, a contact area of which with the display unit is smaller than a predetermined value, and the second single input is a sub-input, a contact area of which with the display unit is equal to or larger than the predetermined value.

22. The control method for a portable terminal according to claim 21, characterized in that the main input is an input by a pen, and the sub-input is an input by a finger.

13. A control method for a portable terminal including:

a storing unit that stores various applications including a first application;

a display unit that displays a screen of each of the applications;

a touch panel disposed on a front surface of the display unit in association with the display unit; and

an input detecting unit that detects each of plural inputs to the touch panel, the plural inputs including a first single input by a first input means and a second single input by a second input means, wherein,

the control method comprises;

discriminating whether an input detected by the input detecting unit is the first single input by the first input means or the second single input by the second input means;

executing a first function, when it is discriminated that the input is the a first single input by the first input means touched onto to a link object displayed on a first screen of the first application, the first function being assigned to the link object; and

executing a second function, when it is discriminated that the input is the second single input by the second input means touched onto the link object displayed on the first screen, the second function not being assigned to the link object.

15. A control method for a portable terminal including:

a storing unit that stores various applications including a first application;

a display unit that displays a screen of each of the applications;

an input detecting unit that detects each of plural inputs touched onto the screen, the plural inputs including a first single input by a first input means and a second single input by a second input means, wherein

the control method comprises;

executing a first function in response to the first single input by the first input means touched onto a link object displayed on a first screen, on the basis of the first input to the link object, a first function of the application allocated in advance to the link object on the screen of the application specified by the first input; and

executing a second function in response to the second single input by the second input means touched onto the link object displayed on the first screen and the first single input is touched onto the link object during a period in which the second single input continues, the second function not being assigned to the link object.

16. A control method for a portable terminal including:

a storing unit that stores various applications including a main application and a background application;

a display unit that displays a screen of each of the applications;

an input detecting unit that detects each of plural input types touched onto the screen, the plural input types including a first single input type by a first input means and a second single input type by a second input means, wherein,

the control method comprises, when the main application, a screen of which is displayed on the display unit, and the background application, a screen of which is not displayed on the display unit, are simultaneously activated;

executing, in response to the first single input type by the first input means touched onto the screen, on the basis of the first single input type irrespective of an input location, a function of the main application; and

executing, in response to the second single input type by the second input means touched onto the screen, on the basis of the second single input type irrespective of the input location, a predetermined function of the background application.

17. A control method for a portable terminal including:

a storing unit that stores various applications including a first application;

a display unit that displays a screen of each of the applications;

a touch panel disposed on a front surface of the display unit in association with the display unit;

an input detecting unit that detects each of plural inputs to the touch panel, the plural inputs including a first single input by a first input means and a second single input by a second input means, wherein,

the control method comprises;

discriminating whether an input detected by the input detecting unit is the first single input by the first input means or the second single input by the second input means;

executing a first function, when it is discriminated that the input is the first single input by the first input means touched onto a link object displayed on a first screen of the first application, the first function not being assigned to the link object; and

executing a second function, when it is discriminated that the input is the second single input by the second input means touched onto the link object displayed on the first screen and the first single input by the first input means is touched onto the link object during a period in which the second single input by the second input means continues, the second function not being assigned to the link object.

18. A control method for a portable terminal including:

a storing unit that stores various applications including a main application and a background application;

a display unit that displays a screen of each of the applications;

a touch panel disposed on a front surface of the display unit in association with the display unit;

an input detecting unit that detects each of plural input types to the touch panel, the plural input types including a first single input type by a first input means and a second single input type by a second input means, wherein,

the control method comprises;

discriminating whether an input detected by the input detecting unit is the first single input type by the first input means or the second single input type by the second input means;

when the main application, a screen of which is displayed on the display unit, and the background application, a screen of which is not displayed on the display unit, are simultaneously activated,

executing, when it is discriminated that the input is the first single input type by the first input means, on the basis of the first single input type irrespective of an input location, a function of the main application; and

executing, when it is discriminated that the input is the second single input type by the second input means, on the basis of the second single input type irrespective of the input location, a predetermined function of the background application.