ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH TOUCH DEVICE AND METHOD OF EXECUTING FUNCTIONS THEREOF

• US 20090289904A1
• Filed: 09/05/2008
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: PARK, Tae Jin, HWANG, Jung Ah, KIM, Joo Min
• Granted Patent: US 8,907,899 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An electronic device having a touch panel and a corresponding control method, the method including: receiving a first touch to a first position on the touch panel; receiving a second touch to a second position on the touch panel while the first touch is held to the first position; and executing a function corresponding to a relative position of the second position with respect to the first position.

Claims

1. A method of executing functions in an electronic device equipped with an touch device, the method comprising:

receiving a first touch to a first position on the touch device;

receiving a second touch to a second position on the touch device while the first touch is held to the first position; and

executing a function corresponding to a relative position of the second position with respect to the first position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein in the function is one of a scroll function, an enlarge function, a delete function and a menu display function.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving a second touch comprises:

receiving the second touch within a predetermined time period from a time of the first touch while the first touch is held to the first position.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of executing a function corresponding to a relative position of the second position with respect to the first position comprises one of:

executing a first function corresponding to a first relative position of the second position with respect to the first position; and

executing a second function, different from the first function, corresponding to a second relative position of the second position with respect to the first position.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first and second functions are one of a scroll function, an enlarge function, a delete function and a menu display function.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the first and second relative positions are located to the left and right of the first position, respectively.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein second function comprises displaying a menu.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of executing a second function comprises:

executing one of two second functions depending on a relative distance between the first and second positions.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first function and the two second functions comprise one of a scroll function, an enlarge function, a delete function and a menu display function.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second touch comprises one touch on the second position.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second touch comprises plural touches on the second position.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second touch comprises a touch-and-drag operation or a flicking operation.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of executing a function corresponding to a relative position of the second position with respect to the first position comprises one of:

executing a first function if the second position is touched once; and

executing a second function, different from the first function, if the second position is touched more than once.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the function corresponding to the relative position is set by a user.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second touch each comprise one of a physical touch and a proximity touch.

16. The method of claim 1,

wherein when the touch device comprises a touch screen, the step of executing a function comprises:

executing the function irrespective of types of information displayed on the touch screen.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying an indicator and guiding a function corresponding to the second touch, after the first touch is received and before the second touch is received.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch device comprises a touch pad or a touch screen.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein

the step of receiving a first touch to a first position on the touch device comprises receiving the first touch to an object displayed at the first position, and

the step of executing a function comprises executing a function related to the touched object.

20. An electronic device, comprising:

an touch device configured to receive first and second touches to corresponding first and second positions; and

a controller operatively connected to the touch device and configured to execute a function corresponding to a relative position of the second position with respect to the first position.

21. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein in the function is one of a scroll function, an enlarge function, a delete function and a menu display function.

22. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the controller is configured to execute the function when the second touch is received within a predetermined time period from a time of the first touch while the touch on the first position is maintained.

23. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the controller is configured to

execute a first function corresponding to a first relative position of the second position with respect to the first position;

and

execute a second function, different from the first function, corresponding to a second relative position of the second position with respect to the first position.

24. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the first and second functions are one of a scroll function, an enlarge function, a delete function and a menu display function.

25. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the first and second relative positions are located to the left and right of the first position, respectively.

26. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein second function comprises a menu function.

27. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the controller is configured to

detect a change from the second position to a third position, the third position to the right of the first position;

and

execute a third function, different from the first and second functions, corresponding to the detected change.

28. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein the first, second and third functions are one of a scroll function, an enlarge function, a delete function and a menu display function.

29. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the second touch comprises one touch on the second position.

30. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the second touch comprises plural touches on the second position.

31. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the second touch comprises a touch-and-drag operation or a flicking operation.

32. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the controller is configured to

execute a first function if the second position is touched once;

and

execute a second function, different from the first function, if the second position is touched more than once.

33. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the function corresponding to the relative position is set by a user.

34. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the first and second touch each comprise one of a physical touch and a proximity touch.

35. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein when the touch device comprises a touch screen, the controller is configured to execute the function irrespective of types of information displayed on the touch screen.

36. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the controller is configured to cause a display of the electronic device to display an indicator and to guide a function corresponding to the second touch, after the first touch is received and before the second touch is received.

37. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the touch device comprises a touch pad or a touch screen.

38. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the function is related to an object displayed on a display of the electronic device.