Electronic device and method for processing hovering input thereof

• US 9,535,520 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2014
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Soonsang, Baek, Jongwu
• Primary Examiner(s): OSORIO, RICARDO
• Application Number:
  US14/531,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20150123920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation

Abstract

An electronic device and a method for processing a hovering input are provided. The method includes displaying a screen; when a hovering input is sensed, detecting a location of the sensed hovering input; analyzing a priority of the hovering input; and determining a position of a hovering pointer from the location of the hovering input having the highest priority. The electronic device includes a touch screen configured to display thereon a screen and to touch sense a hovering input; and a control unit configured, when the hovering input is sensed from the screen, to detect a location of the sensed hovering input, to analyze a priority of the hovering input, and to determine a position of a hovering pointer from the location of the hovering input having a highest priority.

Claims

1. A method of processing an input of an electronic device, comprising:

displaying a screen;

when at least two hovering inputs are sensed, analyzing a priority of the at least two hovering inputs based on a moving path of the at least two hovering inputs; and

determining a position of a hovering pointer from a location of a hovering input having a highest priority among the at least two hovering inputs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the priority of the at least two hovering inputs comprises:

if a hovering input is sensed from a sensing region of a touch panel, recognizing the sensed hovering input as having a first priority; and

if the hovering input having the moving path from a bezel region of the touch panel to the sensing region is sensed, recognizing the sensed hovering input as having a second priority.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the position of the hovering pointer further comprises:

if the hovering input is sensed from a boundary of the touch panel, recognizing the sensed hovering input as having a third priority.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

changing the priority of the hovering input for which a priority was determined if no moving speed is sensed from the hovering input for a given time or if the moving path is varied.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when one hovering input is sensed, determining the position of the hovering pointer from the detected location of the one hovering input.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the position of the hovering pointer further comprises:

when a new hovering input is sensed, analyzing a priority of the new hovering input and the priority of the hovering input that exists; and

determining the position of the hovering pointer from a location of the hovering input having the highest priority.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if a moving speed is detected from the hovering input corresponding to the determined hovering pointer for a given time, recognizing the hovering input as being valid.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

if no moving speed is detected from the hovering input corresponding to the determined hovering pointer for a given time, ignoring the hovering input.

9. An electronic device, comprising:

a display unit configured to display a screen;

a touch panel configured to sense a hovering input; and

a control unit configured, when at least two hovering inputs are sensed from the touch panel, to analyze a priority of the at least two hovering inputs based on a moving path of the at least two hovering inputs, and to determine a position of a hovering pointer from a location of a hovering input having a highest priority among the at least two hovering inputs.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the control unit is further configured to recognize the sensed hovering input as having a first priority if the hovering input is sensed from a sensing region of the touch panel, recognize the sensed hovering input as having a second priority if the hovering input having the moving path from a bezel region of the touch panel to the sensing region is sensed, and recognize the sensed hovering input as having a third priority if the hovering input is sensed from a boundary of the touch panel.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the control unit is further configured to change the priority of the hovering input if no moving speed is sensed from the hovering input for a given time after the priority was previously determined or if the moving path is varied.

12. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the control unit is further configured, when one hovering input is sensed, to determine the position of the hovering pointer from the detected location of the one hovering input.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the control unit is further configured, when a new hovering input is sensed, to analyze a priority of the new hovering input and the priority of the hovering input that exists, and to determine the position of the hovering pointer from a location of the hovering input having the highest priority.

14. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the control unit is further configured, if a moving speed is detected from the hovering input corresponding to the determined hovering pointer for a given time, to recognize the hovering input as being valid.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the control unit is further configured, if no moving speed is detected from the hovering input corresponding to the determined hovering pointer for a given time, to ignore the hovering input.