MENU CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20090158149A1
• Filed: 08/06/2008
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KO, Ju-Hyun
• Application Number:
  US12/186,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20090158149A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/702
• 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

A menu control system and method that to control functions of a digital device are provided. The menu control system includes a detection unit which detects a first sub-contact area and a second sub-contact area within a contact area, the contact area generating a signal through contact with an object if the object is dragged from the first sub-contact area to the second sub-contact area, and an execution unit which executes a function mapped to a combination of the detected first sub-contact area and second sub-contact area.

Claims

1. A menu control system comprising:

a detection unit which detects a first sub-contact area and a second sub-contact area within a contact area, the contact area generating a signal through contact with an object if the object is dragged from the first sub-contact area to the second sub-contact area; and

an execution unit which executes a function mapped to a combination of the detected first sub-contact area and second sub-contact area.

2. The menu control system of claim 1, further comprising a display unit which displays a graphical user interface which indicates an execution state of the function being executed on a display area;

wherein the display area is divided into a plurality of sub-display areas which correspond to the first sub-contact area and the second sub-contact area.

3. The menu control system of claim 2, wherein the graphical user interface is displayed on the sub-display area corresponding to the sub-contact area excepting the first sub-contact area.

4. The menu control system of claim 2, wherein when the object is in contact with the first sub-contact area, guide information of a function that is executed in combination with the second sub-contact area is displayed on the sub-display area corresponding to the second sub-contact area.

5. The menu control system of claim 1, wherein the execution unit changes an execution state of the function as much as a predetermined execution range if the object is dragged from the first sub-contact area to the second sub-contact area.

6. The menu control system of claim 1, wherein the execution unit changes an execution state of the function as much as an execution range determined in accordance with a dragging speed of the object from the first sub-contact area to the second sub-contact area.

7. The menu control system of claim 1, wherein the execution unit changes an execution state of the function as much as a predetermined execution range in proportion to a time period when the object is in contact with the second sub-contact area.

8. The menu control system of claim 1, wherein the function related to content playback includes at least one of a volume adjustment, a screen brightness adjustment, a screen size adjustment, a scroll position adjustment, a cursor position adjustment, a playback speed adjustment, and a channel adjustment.

21. The menu control system of claim 1, wherein the contact area further comprises a third sub-contact area and a fourth sub-contact area, and the execution unit further executes a function mapped to a combination of any two of the detected first sub-contact area, second sub-contact area, third sub-contact area and fourth sub-contact area.

9. A menu control system comprising:

a detection unit which detects a first sub-contact area and a second sub-contact area within a contact area, the contact area generating a signal through contact with an object if the object is dragged from the first sub-contact area to the second sub-contact area; and

a communication unit which provides a command corresponding to a combination of contact with the detected first sub-contact area and second sub-contact area to a digital device.

10. A menu control system comprising:

a communication unit which receives a command mapped to a combination of a first sub-contact area and a second sub-contact area within a contact area, the contact area generating a signal through contact with an object if the object is dragged from the first sub-contact area to the second sub-contact area; and

an execution unit which executes a function corresponding to the received command.

11. A menu control method comprising:

detecting a first sub-contact area and a second sub-contact area within a contact area, the contact area generating a signal through contact with an object if the object is dragged from the first sub-contact area to the second sub-contact area; and

executing a function mapped to a combination of the detected first sub-contact area and second sub-contact area.

12. The menu control method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface which indicates an execution state of the function being executed on a display area;

wherein the display area is divided into a plurality of sub-display areas to correspond to the first sub-contact area and the second sub-contact area.

13. The menu control method of claim 12, wherein the displaying comprises:

displaying the graphical user interface on the sub-display area corresponding to the sub-contact area except for the first sub-contact area.

14. The menu control method of claim 12, wherein the displaying comprises:

displaying guide information of a function that is executed in combination with the second sub-contact area on the sub-display area corresponding to the second sub-contact area when the object is in contact with the first sub-contact area.

15. The menu control method of claim 11, wherein the executing comprises:

changing an execution state of the function as much as a predetermined execution range whenever the object is dragged from the first sub-contact area to the second sub-contact area.

16. The menu control method of claim 11, wherein the executing comprises:

changing an execution state of the function as much as an execution range determined in accordance with the dragging speed of the object.

17. The menu control method of claim 11, wherein the executing comprises changing the execution state of the function as much as a predetermined execution range in proportion to a time period when the object is in contact with the second sub-contact area.

18. The menu control method of claim 11, wherein the function related to content playback includes at least one of a volume adjustment, a screen brightness adjustment, a screen size adjustment, a scroll position adjustment, a cursor position adjustment, a playback speed adjustment, and a channel adjustment.

22. The menu control method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting a third sub-contact area and a fourth sub-contact area within the contact area;

wherein

the executing executes a function mapped to a combination of any two of the detected first sub-contact area, second sub-contact area, third sub-contact area and fourth sub-contact area.

19. A menu control method comprising:

detecting a first sub-contact area and a second sub-contact area within a contact area, the contact area generating a signal through contact with an object if the object is dragged from the first sub-contact area to the second sub-contact area; and

providing a command corresponding to a combination of the detected first sub-contact area and second sub-contact area to a digital device.

20. A menu control method comprising:

receiving a command mapped to a combination of a first sub-contact area and a second sub-contact area in a contact area for generating a signal through contact with an object if the object is dragged from the first sub-contact area to the second sub-contact area; and

executing a function corresponding to the received command.