TERMINAL DEVICE, LINK SELECTION METHOD, AND DISPLAY PROGRAM

• US 20100275150A1
• Filed: 10/01/2008
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Access Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Access Company Limited
• Inventors: Matsuzawa, Koji, Chiba, Ohki
• Application Number:
  US12/681,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20100275150A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

In a terminal apparatus for displaying as an image, a document in which a link is set, on a display screen which also serves as a touch panel, a favorable operation is achieved including link selecting operation, or the like, while eliminating a conflict in a touch operation. To this end, when a touch is made on a browser screen by a finger 350 of a user, a link selection is allowed only within a link effective field 360 including a position being touched. Then, when the touch is released within the link effective field 360 transition is made to a destination of the link being in the touched state. When the touch is moved outwardly from inside the link effective field 360 while keeping the touched state of the touch, a predetermined process other than the link selection is performed based on at least one of a relative direction or a moved distance of the touch with respect to the initial position of the touch. When a second touch is made while the touched state of the first touch is maintained, the predetermined process is disabled, and a link designation is accepted all over the display screen of the document data.

Claims

1. A terminal apparatus comprising,

a touch panel for detecting coordinates of a touch position,

a display unit where a touch field of the touch panel overlaps with at least a part of a display field thereof,

a storage unit for storing document in which a link is set, and

a controller, wherein,

the controller serves to interpret the document data and generate display information to be displayed on the display unit,

to set a predetermined range including a position being touched, as a link effective field,

to allow a link selection only within the link effective field,

to make transition to a link destination of the link having been in a touched state at the time of releasing of the touch within the link effective field, and

to perform a predetermined process other than the link selection, when the touch moves outwardly from inside the link effective field while keeping the touched state.

2. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the controller displays the link effective field in such a manner that a user is allowed to identify the link effective field when a touch is made on the touch panel.

3. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the controller allows the display unit to temporarily enlarge a display image of the document data under a predetermined condition, when a touch is made on the touch panel.

4. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the controller allows the display unit to enlarge the link effective field under a predetermined condition.

5. The terminal apparatus according to claim 3, wherein,

the predetermined condition is determined according to either of the number of links belonging to the link effective field and an area of the touch.

6. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the controller further serves to display link information of the link being touched within the link effective field, at a position other than a position being touched.

7. The terminal apparatus according to claim 2, wherein,

the controller disables the link effective field, if no links exist within the link effective field, when a touch is made on the touch panel.

8. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the predetermined process other than the link selection is a process for changing a display mode of the document data.

9. The terminal apparatus according to claim 8, wherein,

the predetermined process other than the link selection is a process for scrolling the display image of the document data.

10. The terminal apparatus according to claim 9, wherein,

the scrolling process is to perform scrolling toward a position initially touched (hereinafter, referred to as an initial position), with respect to a position of a destination to which the touch has moved.

11. The terminal apparatus according to claim 10, wherein,

the scrolling process is to continue scrolling at a scrolling speed in accordance with a distance from the initial position to the position of the destination, until the touch is released.

12. The terminal apparatus according to claim 11, wherein,

the controller serves to erase the link effective field and displays a predetermined mark at the initial position, when the touch moves outwardly from inside the link effective field while keeping the touched state.

13. The terminal apparatus according to claim 9, wherein,

the scrolling process is to perform scrolling in sync with movement of the touch from the initial position to the position of the destination to which the touch has moved.

14. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the predetermined process other than the link selection is a process for displaying menu items and selecting one from the menu items which are associated with displaying the document data.

15. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the predetermined process other than the link selection is a process for switching the display screen.

16. A link selection method for selecting a link in a terminal apparatus for displaying as an image a document to which a link is placed, on a display screen which also serves as a touch panel, the link selection method comprising the steps of:

interpreting the document data and generating display information which is displayed on the display screen,

setting a predetermined range including a position being touched as a link effective field,

allowing a link selection only within the link effective field,

making transition to a destination of the link which has been in a touched state when the touch is released in the link effective field, and

executing a predetermined process other than the link selection, when the touch moves outwardly from inside the link effective field while keeping the touched state.

17. A display program executed in a controller of a terminal apparatus for displaying as an image a document to which a link is placed, on a display screen which also serves as a touch panel, the display program allowing a computer to execute the steps of:

interpreting the document data and generating display information which is displayed on the display screen,

setting a predetermined range including a position being touched as a link effective field,

allowing a link selection only within the link effective field,

making transition to a destination of the link which has been in a touched state when the touch is released in the link effective field, and

executing a predetermined process other than the link selection, when the touch moves outwardly from inside the link effective field while keeping the touched state.

18. A terminal apparatus comprising,

a touch panel for detecting coordinates of a position being touched,

a display unit where a touch field of the touch panel overlap one another within at least a part of the display field,

a storage unit for storing document data to which a link is placed, and

a controller, wherein,

the controller serves to interpret the document data and generate display information to be displayed on the display unit,

to make transition to a destination of the link which has been in a touched state when the touch is released in the link selecting process,

to perform a predetermined process based on a first touch, and

to disable the predetermined process, when a second touch is made while keeping the touched state of the first touch, and activates the link selecting process based on at least one of the first touch and the second touch, all over the display screen of the document data.

19. The terminal apparatus according to claim 18, wherein,

the predetermined process is a scrolling process for scrolling the display image of the document data according to movement of the first touch.

20. The terminal apparatus according to claim 18, wherein,

the predetermined process is a process for allowing a selection of link only within the link effective field which defines a predetermined range including a position being touched by the first touch.

21. The terminal apparatus according to claim 20, wherein,

the controller disables the link effective field, if no links exist within the link effective field when the touch is made on the touch panel.

22. The terminal apparatus according to claim 21, wherein,

the predetermined process includes a predetermined process other than the link selection, when the first touch moves outwardly from inside the link effective field while keeping the touched state.

23. The terminal apparatus according to claim 20, wherein,

the controller allows the display unit to display the link effective field in such a manner that a user identifies the link effective field.

24. The terminal apparatus according to claim 19, wherein,

the controller performs the scrolling process based on the first touch and disables the scrolling process based on the second touch, and at the same time, allowing the link selecting process to be performed based on the first touch whose touched state is maintained.

25. The terminal apparatus according to claim 19, wherein,

the controller performs the scrolling process based on the first touch and disables the scrolling process based on the second touch, and at the same time, allowing the link selecting process to be performed based on the second touch.

26. The terminal apparatus according to claim 18, wherein,

in the case where the link selecting process is activated, the controller further serves to display link information of the link at a location other than the touch position, when at least one of the first touch and the second touch designates a portion where the link is placed.

27. The terminal apparatus according to claim 22, wherein,

the predetermined process other than the link selection is a process for changing a display mode of the document data.

28. The terminal apparatus according to claim 27, wherein,

the predetermined process other than the link selection is a process for scrolling the display image of the document data.

29. The terminal apparatus according to claim 28, wherein,

the scrolling process is to perform scrolling toward a position initially touched (hereinafter, referred to as an initial position), with respect to a position of a destination to which the first touch has moved.

30. The terminal apparatus according to claim 28, wherein,

the scrolling process is to continue scrolling at a scrolling speed in accordance with a distance from the initial position to the position of the destination, until the first touch is released.

31. The terminal apparatus according to claim 30, wherein,

the controller serves to erase the link effective field and displays a predetermined mark at the initial position, when the first touch moves outwardly from inside the link effective field while keeping the touched state.

32. The terminal apparatus according to claim 28, wherein,

the scrolling process is to perform scrolling in sync with movement of the touch from the initial position to the position of the destination to which the touch has moved.

33. The terminal apparatus according to claim 22, wherein,

the predetermined process other than the link selection is a process for displaying menu items and selecting one from the menu items which are associated with displaying the document data.

34. The terminal apparatus according to claim 22, wherein,

the predetermined process other than the link selection is a process for switching the display screen.

35. A link selection method for selecting a link on a terminal apparatus which displays as an image a document being provided with a link, on a display screen also serving as a touch panel, comprising the steps of:

interpreting the document data and generating display information to be displayed on the display screen,

moving to a destination of the link which has been in a touched state when the touch is released in the link selecting process,

executing a predetermined process based on a first touch, and

disabling the predetermined process when a second touch is made in the state that the touched state of the first touch is maintained, and activating the link selecting process based on at least one of the first touch and the second touch all over the display screen of the document data.

36. The link selection method according to claim 35, further comprising the steps of:

setting a predetermined range including a position being touched by the first touch, as a link effective field,

allowing a selection of the link only within the link effective field, and

executing a predetermined process other than the selection of the link, when the first touch moves outwardly from inside the link effective field while keeping the touched state.

37. The link selection method according to claim 36, further comprising,

a step of disabling the link effective field if no links exist within the link effective field when the first touch is made on the touch panel.

38. A display program executed in the controller of the terminal apparatus for displaying as an image a document which is provided with a link, on a display screen also serving as a touch panel, the display program allowing a computer to perform the steps of:

interpreting document data and generating display information to be displayed on the display screen,

moving to a destination of the link which has been in a touched state when a touch is released in a link selecting process,

executing a predetermined process based on a first touch, and

disabling the predetermined process when a second touch is made while the touched state of the first touch is maintained, and activating the link selecting process based on at least one of the first touch and the second touch all over the display screen of the document data.

39. The display program according to claim 38, further allowing the computer to perform the steps of:

setting a predetermined range including a position being touched by the first touch, as a link effective field,

allowing a selection of the link only within the link effective field, and

executing a predetermined process other than selecting the link, when the first touch moves outwardly from inside the link effective field while keeping the touched state.

40. The display program according to claim 39, further allowing the computer to perform a step of disabling the link effective field, if no links exist within the link effective field when the first touch is made on the touch panel.