Touch screen device and method of selecting files thereon

• US 20070277126A1
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Shin, Sang Hyun, Chae, Ji Suk, Yoo, Kyung Hee, Kim, Yu Mi, Kim, Ji Ae, Bae, Seung Jun, Ham, Young Ho, Park, Ho Joo, Kang, Seong Cheol, Koo, Yoon Hee, Kim, Jun Hee
• Granted Patent: US 8,028,251 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/866
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A touch screen device and a method of operation are provided. The device and method allow for scrolling and selection of files from a file list, and for skipping or reversing an execution order of the selected files simply by performing a drag on a touch screen. The method of selecting files on the touch screen device includes detecting a diagonal drag on a screen, selecting file(s) included within a corresponding range, and skipping file(s) within the range. The method may also include changing an execution order of the selected file(s) when a drag with a return trajectory is detected. The method may also include scrolling through the file list in accordance with a direction and speed of the drag. The device and method allows a plurality of files to be selected and skipped at a time, and a desired file to be rapidly and easily located.

Claims

1. A method of selecting files using a touch screen device for a portable terminal, the portable terminal having a screen of a prescribed viewing area in x and y directions, the method comprising:

detecting an initial touch point within a prescribed portion of the prescribed viewing area;

detecting a moving touch trajectory in a first direction on a surface of the screen, the moving touch trajectory being determined based on x and y coordinates of the prescribed viewing area; and

executing at least one predetermined command based on the moving touch trajectory, the at least one predetermined command comprising at least one of detecting and marking a file list and skipping files in the file list, detecting and marking a file list and changing an execution order of files in the file list, or scrolling through a file list, wherein the executing step comprises maintaining the touch to continue scrolling until a desired file is located, and releasing the touch to mark the file list and skip the marked files in the file list, or to mark the file list and change the execution order of files in the file list.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the at least one predetermined command is done by releasing the touch to mark the file list. that it is within the purview of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other ones of the embodiments.

Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, reasonable variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the foregoing disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein scrolling through a file list comprises scrolling through the file list in a horizontal or vertical direction based on a direction of the moving touch trajectory.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein scrolling through a file list comprises scrolling through the file list at a speed based on a speed of the moving touch trajectory.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein maintaining the touch to continue scrolling until a desired file is located, and releasing the touch to mark the file list comprises marking files within a range defined by a rectangle with a diagonal equal to a straight line which connects the initial touch point and the release touch point.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising changing an appearance of the files within the range.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein changing an appearance of the files within the range comprises changing at least one of a size, a letter color, or a background color of the files.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising skipping files within the range if the release touch point is different than the initial touch point.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising changing an execution order of the files within the range if the moving touch trajectory is a return trajectory in which the release touch point is substantially the same as the initial touch point.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein changing an execution order of the files within the range comprises reversing the execution order of the files within the range.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting input related to an operation to be executed after detecting a moving touch trajectory and marking a file list, but before executing the at least one predetermined command.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein requesting input related to an operation to be executed comprises requesting confirmation to proceed with execution of the at least one predetermined command.

13. A touch screen device for a portable terminal, the portable terminal having a screen with a prescribed viewing area in x and y directions, the touch screen device comprising:

a screen, comprising;

a display with a prescribed viewing area, wherein the display is configured to display information thereon; and

a touch panel coupled to the display, wherein the touch panel is configured to detect an initial touch point within a prescribed portion of the prescribed viewing area, and a moving touch trajectory extending in a direction on a surface of the display, wherein the direction of the first moving touch trajectory is based on x and y coordinates of the prescribed viewing area;

a controller coupled to the screen, wherein the controller is configured to execute at least one predetermined command based on the initial touch point and the moving touch trajectory, wherein the at least one predetermined command comprises detecting and marking a file list and skipping files in the file list, detecting and marking a file list and changing an execution order of files in the file list, or scrolling through a file list.

14. The device of claim 13, further comprising a storage device coupled to the screen and the controller and configured to store a plurality of predetermined commands corresponding to a respective plurality of initial touch points and moving touch trajectories and associated operation modes of the touch screen device.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the controller comprises:

a touch panel controller coupled to the touch pad, wherein the touch pad controller is configured to detect a touch on the touch panel and convert the touch into a corresponding signal; and

a main controller coupled to the touch pad controller, the screen, and the storage device, wherein the main controller is configured to determine a touch type from the signal generated by the touch panel controller, to retrieve a corresponding command of the plurality of predetermined commands stored in the storage device, and to execute the retrieved command.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to skip files in the file list when the moving touch trajectory is a diagonal trajectory in which a release touch point is different that the initial touch point.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to change an execution order of files in the file list when the moving touch trajectory is a diagonal return trajectory in which a release touch point is substantially the same as the initial touch point.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to reverse an execution order of the files in the file list when the moving touch trajectory is a diagonal return trajectory.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to rearrange an execution order of the files in the file list in accordance with user preferences when the moving touch trajectory is a diagonal return trajectory.

20. The device of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to scroll through files in the file list when the moving touch trajectory is a horizontal moving touch trajectory or a vertical moving touch trajectory.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the controller is configured to scroll through the files in the file list at a speed corresponding to the horizontal or vertical moving touch trajectory.

22. The device of claim 20, wherein the controller is configured to continue to scroll through the files in the file list until a touch associated with the initial touch point and the moving touch trajectory is released.

23. Digital equipment comprising the touch screen device of claim 13.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the digital equipment is an MP3 player, a PMP, a PDA, a notebook computer, a mobile telephone, or a portable navigation terminal.