System and method for identifying inputs input to mobile device with touch panel

• US 9,495,095 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2012
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Jongdae, Lee, Heonseok, Heo, Hoondo, Kim, Dongsub
• Primary Examiner(s): Sasinowski, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Castiaux, Brent D
• Application Number:
  US13/625,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20130106776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,513 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A system and a method of identifying a type of touch input to a mobile device with a touch panel are provided. The system includes a touch screen comprising a touch panel, a memory for storing information to execute a function of an application, corresponding to a touch area size and a touch interaction, and a controller. The controller identifies, when a touch is detected via the touch panel, the touch area size and the touch interaction. The controller determines information to execute a function corresponding to the identified touch area size and the identified touch interaction by referring to the memory. The controller controls a function of the application that is currently being executed.

Claims

1. A system of identifying an input in a mobile device, the system comprising:

a touch screen comprising a touch panel;

a memory configured to store information to execute functions of an application, each of the functions corresponding to a touch area size and a touch interaction; and

a controller configured to;

determine whether an output of the touch panel corresponding to a touch input is greater than a first touch threshold,

reduce a difference between touch area size detectable during a held state of the mobile device and during a non-held state of the mobile device, by setting a second touch threshold lower than the first touch threshold,

if the output is greater than the first touch threshold, determine the touch interaction, the touch interaction being determined based on;

the output of the touch panel exceeding the second touch threshold, and

an alteration in a location of the touch input, and perform a function corresponding to the determined touch interaction,

wherein the output from the touch panel exceeding the second touch threshold is used to determine a touch area size.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller further comprises:

a touch interaction identifying unit configured to analyze an alteration of a location of the touch, and to identify the touch interaction; and

an input identifying unit configured to identify a touch input by identifying a function corresponding to the touch area size and the touch interaction by referring to the memory.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the touch area size is detected by a touch from at least one of fingers, a hand edge, and a palm.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the touch interaction is one of a twist action, a sweep action, and a stop action.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the input identifying unit is further configured to identify:

if the touch area size corresponds to a finger touch area size and the touch interaction corresponds to the twist action, the touch interaction as an input to rotate a photograph;

if the touch area size corresponds to a hand edge touch area size and the touch interaction corresponds to the sweep action, the touch interaction as an input to capture a photograph; and

if the touch area size corresponds to a palm touch area size and the touch interaction corresponds to the stop action, the touch interaction as an input to pause a playback of a video.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller further comprises:

a touch interaction identifying unit configured to analyze whether a location of the touch is altered and to identify the touch interaction based on the analysis of whether the location of the touch is altered; and

an input identifying unit configured to identify the one of the functions of the application corresponding to the touch area size and the touch interaction by referring to the memory, when the touch interaction identifying unit has identified the touch interaction.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the touch panel is a capacitive touch panel and comprises N×

M nodes, where N and M are integers.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the size sensing unit is further configured to compare outputs of the N×

M nodes of the touch panel with the second touch threshold, to count a number of the nodes greater than the second touch threshold, and to detect the nodes as a corresponding touch area size.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the touch area size is detected by a touch from at least one of fingers, a hand edge, and a palm; and

the touch interaction is one of a twist action, a sweep action, and a stop action.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the input identifying unit is further configured to identify:

if the touch area size corresponds to a finger touch area size and the touch interaction corresponds to the twist action, the touch interaction as an input to rotate a photograph;

if the touch area size corresponds to a hand edge touch area size and the touch interaction corresponds to the sweep action, the touch interaction as an input to capture a photograph; and

if the touch area size corresponds to a palm touch area size and the touch interaction corresponds to the stop action, the touch interaction as an input to pause a playback of a video.

11. A method of identifying an input in a mobile device with a touch panel, the method comprising:

determining whether an output of the touch panel corresponding to a touch input is greater than a first touch threshold;

reducing a difference between touch area size detectable during a held state of the mobile device and during a non-held state of the mobile device, by setting a second touch threshold lower than the first touch threshold;

if the output is greater than the first touch threshold, determining a touch interaction, the touch interaction being determined based on;

the output of the touch panel exceeding the second touch threshold, and

an alteration in a location of the touch input; and

performing a function corresponding to the determined touch interaction,

wherein the output from the touch panel exceeding the second touch threshold is used to determine a touch area size.

12. The method of claim 11,

wherein the touch area size is detected by a touch from at least one of fingers, a hand edge, and a palm, and

wherein the touch interaction is one of a twist action, a sweep action, and a stop action.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the identifying of the one of the functions further comprises:

identifying, if the touch area size corresponds to a finger touch area size and the touch interaction corresponds to the twist action, the touch interaction as an input to rotate a photograph;

identifying, if the touch area size corresponds to a hand edge touch area size and the touch interaction corresponds to the sweep action, the touch interaction as an input to capture a photograph; and

identifying, if the touch area size corresponds to a palm touch area size and the touch interaction corresponds to the stop action, the touch interaction as an input to pause a playback of a video.

14. A method of identifying an input in a mobile device with a touch panel, the method comprising:

determining whether an output of the touch panel corresponding to a touch input is greater than a first touch threshold;

reducing a difference between touch area size detectable during a held state of the mobile device and during a non-held state of the mobile device, by setting a second touch threshold lower than the first touch threshold; and

if the output is greater than the first touch threshold,

comparing the output of the touch panel with the second touch threshold,

analyzing whether a location of the touch is altered,

identifying a touch interaction based on the analysis of whether the location of the touch is altered, the touch alteration in the location of the touch being input from a signal periodically output from the touch panel,

identifying one of functions of an application corresponding to the detected touch area size and the identified touch interaction by referring to a memory of the mobile device which is configured to store information to execute the functions, each of the functions corresponding to a touch area size and a touch interaction, and

controlling the identified function of the application that is currently being executed,

wherein the output from the touch panel exceeding the second touch threshold is used to determine a touch area size.

15. The method of claim 14,

wherein the touch panel is a capacitive touch panel and comprises N×

M nodes, where N and M are integers, and

wherein the detecting of the touch area size comprises;

comparing outputs of the N×

M nodes of the touch panel with the second touch threshold;

counting a number of the nodes greater than the second touch threshold; and

detecting the nodes as a corresponding touch area size.

16. The method of claim 15,

wherein the touch area size is different depending on whether the touch is from fingers, a hand edge, or a palm, and

wherein the touch interaction is one of a twist action, a sweep action, and a stop action.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the identifying of the one of the functions further comprises:

identifying, if the touch area size corresponds to a finger touch area size and the touch interaction corresponds to twist action, the touch interaction as an input to rotate a photograph;

identifying, if the touch area size corresponds to a hand edge touch area size and the touch interaction corresponds to sweep action, the touch interaction as an input to capture a photograph; and

identifying, if the touch area size corresponds to a palm touch area size and the touch interaction corresponds to the stop action, the touch interaction as an input to pause a playback of a video.