Method for operation of pen function and electronic device supporting the same

• US 9,632,595 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2013
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Hyunmi, Kim, Taeyeon, Oh, Saegee, Lee, Jaemyoung, Jeon, Jinyoung
• Primary Examiner(s): Osorio, Ricardo L
• Application Number:
  US13/960,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20140055426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04807 Pen manipulated menu
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An apparatus and method for operation of a pen function in an electronic device. A pen recognition panel recognizes a touch pen according to a set mode. A control unit collects pen status information including at least one of information on an arrangement state between a pen recognition panel and a touch pen and a state information on whether a button of the touch pen is pushed, type information on a currently activated application program, and a gesture recognition information according to a gesture input operation of the touch pen, or collects the pen status information and the gesture recognition information. A storage unit stores a pen function table providing a pen function command corresponding to collected information according to the set mode, and a display panel displays information according to performing of a function corresponding to the pen function command.

Claims

1. A pen function method comprising:

collecting information, by a control unit, comprising;

pen status information including;

information regarding an arrangement state between a pen recognition panel of a terminal that recognizes proximity of a touch pen, and recognizes the touch pen and a state information on whether a actuator of the touch pen activated, application type information on a currently activated application program, and a gesture recognition information according to a gesture input operation of the touch pen;

identifying a pen function command corresponding to the collected information by accessing associated information in storage; and

performing a function corresponding to the identified pen function command,

wherein accessing of associated information in storage comprises accessing pen function table in the storage which maps the pen function command with the pen status information, the application type information and the gesture recognition information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the arrangement state, of the collected status information of an input device comprises at least one of a contact state information indicating that the input device is located within a first distance from the recognition panel, a hovering state information indicating that the input device is separated between the first distance and a second distance from the recognition panel that is further away from the recognition panel than the first distance, and an air state information indicating that the input device is located outside of the second distance from the recognition panel, actuator active state information indicating that an actuator has been activated;

and actuator inactive state information indicating that the actuator is not active.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein performing a function comprises:

performing a different function according to a same gesture recognition information input in the hovering state or input in the contact state; and

displaying different option menu window for a same status information of the input device and gesture recognition information according to a function type information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting information comprises collecting a key command input by a gesture input operation of an input device and predefined for activating a certain function, and for performing a function comprises activating the function corresponding to the key command.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein collecting information comprises collecting a function support information which is input by the gesture input operation of the input device and applied to the function activated by the key command, and performing a function comprises applying the function support information to the activated function automatically.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting information comprises recognizing, when a gesture input operation is generated in a predetermined time since receipt of notification information or message, the gesture input operation and collecting the gesture recognition information, and performing a function comprises transmitting the collected gesture recognition information as a response message to the notification information or an automatic message.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein performing the function includes displaying message history screen related to received and transmitted response messages.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising supporting, before collecting information, a sleep state for blocking power supplied to a display panel or a screen display state for displaying a screen according to performing a certain function, wherein performing a function includes returning to the sleep state or previous screen display state automatic transmittance.

9. A method comprising:

detecting a gesture input of an input device, the gesture is generated during at least one of a touch input or a hovering input;

recognizing a first object and a second object from the gesture;

collecting a key command for activating a specific function from the first object, and an input to the specific function from the second object;

activating the function corresponding to the key command; and

applying the input to the corresponding function.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying a virtual pad on a display panel for recognizing the gesture input of the input device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein activating the function corresponding to the key command comprises at least one of:

activating an alarm setting function corresponding to the key command and applying the input as an alarm time automatically for alarming;

activating a file playback function corresponding to the key command and calling a file corresponding to the input information and playing the file automatically;

activating a planner function corresponding to the key command and displaying schedule information on a date corresponding to the input or entering schedule information on the date corresponding to the input automatically;

displaying an ebook content corresponding to the input together with the key command automatically; and

performing computing with numerals and computing symbols input by the input together with the key command and outputting a result thereof.

12. An electronic device, the device comprising:

a recognition panel that recognizes an input device;

a control unit that collects;

status is information of the input device including;

information regarding an arrangement state between the recognition panel and the input device and a state information on whether a actuator of the input device is activated, application type information on a currently activated application program, and a gesture recognition information according to a gesture input operation of the input device;

a storage unit that stores a function table providing one or more function commands corresponding to the collected information, the function table maps the function commands with the status information, the application type information and the gesture recognition information; and

a display panel that displays information according to performing of a function corresponding to the function command of the one or more function commands.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the status information of the input device comprises at least one of:

a contact state information indicating that the input device is located within a first distance from the recognition panel;

a hovering state information indicating that the input device is separated between the first distance and a second distance that is further from the recognition panel than the first distance;

an air state information indicating that the input device is located outside of the second distance from the recognition panel;

active actuator state information indicating that an actuator arranged on the input device is activated; and

inactive actuator state information indicating that the actuator arranged on the input device is inactive, and the control unit controls to perform different function according to the gesture,

wherein recognition of information input in the hovering state, or the gesture recognition information input in the contact state causes the display panel to a display different option menu window for a same status information of the input device and gesture recognition information according to the function type information.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the control unit activates a function corresponding to a key command when the gesture recognition information is collected corresponding to the key command input by the input operation of the input device and predefined for activating a certain function.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the recognition panel collects a function support information that is input by the gesture input operation of the input device and applied to the function activated by the key command, and the control unit automatically applies the function support information to the activated function.

16. The device of claim 12, further comprising a communication unit that receives notification information or a message, wherein the recognition panel collects gesture recognition information corresponding to the input operation in a predetermined time measure from a receipt of the notification information or message, and the control unit controls automatically transmitting the collected gesture recognition information as a response message in response to the notification information or message information.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the display panel displays a message history screen related to the received and transmitted response messages.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the display panel displays a power-off state screen in a sleep state or a specific function execution screen, and the control unit controls returning of the display panel to the sleep state or previous screen display state automatically after automatic transmission.

19. An electronic device, the device comprising:

a recognition panel for detecting a gesture of an input device during at least one of a touch input or a hovering input; and

a control unit configured to;

recognize a first object and a second object form the gesture;

collect a key command for activating a specific function from the first object and an input to the specific function from the second object;

activate the function corresponding to the key command; and

apply the input to a corresponding function.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the control unit is further configured to activate a message function according to collection of the first object indicating a message function and entering the second object as message recipient information of the message function automatically.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein the control unit is further configured to control to input a second object input together according to collection of the first object indicating a search function as a search keyword and controls an automatic search based on the keyword.

22. The device of claim 19, wherein the control unit is further configured to activate a telephone function according to collection of the first object indicating a particular telephony function and places a call to a recipient phone number to that the second object is applied.