Touch screen device and method of method of displaying images thereon

• US 7,782,308 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2007
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• 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, Ham, Young Ho, Park, Ho Joo
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEINBERG, JEFFREY S
• Application Number:
  US11/785,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20070273667A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 715/765, 345/173
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04807 Pen manipulated menu
• 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 touch screen device and method of displaying images using display windows and selecting execution menus displayed on the display windows in a touch screen device are provided. The touch screen device includes a screen, a display configured to display images thereon and a detector configured to detect a touch on the screen, and a controller configured to control operation of the touch screen device in accordance with the screen touch detected by the detector. The controller causes two or more display windows to be displayed in an overlapped manner. Further, if the touch is detected on an underlying display window covered by an overlying display window, the controller causes a display form to be changed in response to the touch. That is, if a touch is detected on the display window covered by the overlying display window, the touched display window is displayed as an overlying display window.

Claims

1. A method of displaying images on a touch screen device provided with a screen comprising a display configured to display the images thereon and a detector configured to detect a touch on the screen, the method comprising:

displaying two or more display windows in a partially overlapped manner, wherein a title for a first display window which is displayed uppermost among the two or more display windows is located at a substantially topmost position and a title for a second display window among underlying display windows covered by the first display window is located at a specific side position other than the substantially topmost position; and

if a touch is detected on the second display window, changing a display form of the two or more display windows, such that the second display window is displayed as a new uppermost display window instead of the first display window and the title for the first display window automatically moves to the specific side position and the title for the second display window automatically moves to the substantially topmost position.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising, if a double touch is detected on the underlying display window covered by the uppermost display window, canceling a toggle mode in which the display windows are displayed in an overlapped manner and displaying the double touched underlying display window on the screen in a full size.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising providing on the uppermost display window a toggle mode cancel area for canceling a toggle mode, in which the display windows are displayed in an overlapped manner, when the toggle mode cancel area is touched.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising when a toggle mode, in which the display windows are displayed in an overlapped manner is canceled, and a single display window is displayed on the screen in a full size, when the toggle mode cancel area is touched, providing a toggle mode selection area for switching a display mode to the toggle mode when the toggle mode selection area is touched on the single display window.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising displaying execution menus on the display windows.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the execution menus belonging to a first layer are grouped and displayed on the display windows.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein lower execution menus belonging to a second layer of one of the execution menus are displayed on the uppermost display window, wherein the second layer is a lower layer of the first layer.

8. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the execution menus are executed only by a touch input through the uppermost display window.

9. A method of displaying images on a touch screen device mounted on digital equipment, comprising the method of claim 1.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the digital equipment comprises a MP3 player, a portable media player, a portable terminal, a navigation system, or a notebook computer.

11. A touch screen device, comprising:

a screen comprising a display configured to display images thereon and a detector configured to detect a touch on the screen; and

a controller configured to control operation of the touch screen device in accordance with the screen touch detected by the detector, wherein the controller causes two or more display windows to be displayed in a partially overlapped manner, wherein a title for a first display window which is displayed uppermost among the two or more display windows is located at a substantially topmost position and a title for a second display window among underlying display windows covered by the first display window is located at a specific side position other than the substantially topmost position and if the touch is detected on the second display window, a display form of the two or more display windows is changed, such that the second display window is displayed as a new uppermost display window instead of the first display window and the title for the first display window automatically moves to the specific side position and the title for the second display window automatically moves to the substantially topmost position.

12. The device as claimed in claim 11, wherein if a double touch is detected, the controller cancels a toggle mode, in which the display windows are displayed in an overlapped manner, and causes the double touched display window to be displayed on the screen in a full size.

13. The device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the controller causes the uppermost display window in the toggle mode to be provided with a toggle mode cancel area for canceling the toggle mode when the toggle mode cancel area is touched, and a display window in a state in which the toggle mode is canceled to be provided with a toggle mode selection area for switching a display mode to the toggle mode when the toggle mode selection area is touched.

14. The device as claimed in claim 11, wherein execution menus are displayed on the display windows.

15. The device as claimed in claim 14, wherein execution menus belonging to a first layer are grouped and displayed on the display windows displayed in an overlapped manner, and lower execution menus belonging to second layer of one of the execution menus are displayed together on the uppermost display window, wherein the second layer is a lower layer of the first layer.

16. Digital equipment comprising the touch screen device of claim 11.

17. The digital equipment of claim 16, wherein the digital equipment comprises a MP3 player, a portable media player, a PDA, a portable terminal, a navigation system, or a notebook computer.

19. The digital equipment of claim 17, wherein the digital equipment comprises a MP3 player, a portable media player, a PDA, a portable terminal, a navigation system, or a notebook computer.

18. Digital equipment mounted with a touch screen, the touch screen comprising:

a screen comprising a display configured to display the images thereon and a detector configured to detect a touch on the screen, wherein two or more display windows are displayed in a partially overlapped manner, wherein a title for a first display window which is displayed uppermost among the two or more display windows is located at a substantially topmost position and a title for a second display window among underlying display windows covered by the first display window is located at a specific side position other than the substantially topmost position, and if the touch is detected on the second display window, a display form of the two or more display windows is changed, such that the second display window is displayed as a new uppermost display window instead of the first display window and the title for the first display window automatically moves to the specific side position and the title for the second display window automatically moves to the substantially topmost position.

20. A touch screen device, comprising:

a touch panel for detecting a screen touch;

a touch panel controller configured to signalize the touch detected on the touch panel and controlling the touch panel;

a display configured to display images;

an image storage device configured to store display images; and

a main controller configured to control operations of the touch panel controller and the display, wherein the main controller allows two or more display windows to be displayed in a partially overlapped manner, wherein a title for a first display window which is displayed uppermost among the two or more display windows is located at a substantially topmost position and a title for a second display window among underlying display windows covered by the first display window is located at a specific side position other than the substantially topmost position and wherein the controller allows a display form of the two or more display windows to be changed if the touch is detected on the second display window, such that the second display window is displayed as a new uppermost display window instead of the first display window and the title for the first display window automatically moves to the specific side position and the title for the second display window automatically moves to the substantially topmost position.

21. The device as claimed in claim 20, wherein the image storage device is a NOR flash memory.

22. The device as claimed in claim 21, further comprising:

a USB port connected to an external device configured to update or modify the image information stored in the image storage device.

23. The device as claimed in claim 20, further comprising:

a data storage device configured to store data of the touch screen device; and

a RAM configured to drive the touch screen device.

24. The device as claimed in claim 23, wherein a portion of the data storage device is configured into the image storage device.

25. The device as claimed in claim 20, wherein if a double touch is detected, the main controller cancels a toggle mode, in which the display windows are displayed in an overlapped manner, and causes the double touched display window to be displayed on the screen in a full size.

26. The device as claimed in claim 20, wherein the main controller causes the uppermost display window in the toggle mode to be provided with a toggle mode cancel area for canceling the toggle mode when the toggle mode cancel area is touched, and a display window in a state where the toggle mode is canceled to be provided with a toggle mode selection area for switching a display mode to the toggle mode when the toggle mode selection area is touched.

27. The device as claimed in claim 20, wherein execution menus are displayed on the display windows.

28. The device as claimed in claim 27, wherein execution menus belonging to a first layer are grouped and displayed on the display windows displayed in an overlapped manner, and lower execution menus belonging to a second layer of one of the execution menus are displayed together on the uppermost display window, wherein the second layer is a lower layer of the first layer.