Touch screen device and method of selecting files thereon

• US 8,028,251 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Bae, Seung Jun, Kang, Seong Cheol, Koo, Yoon Hee, Kim, Jun Hee, Shin, Sang Hyun, Chae, Ji Suk, Yoo, Kyung Hee, Kim, Yu Mi, Kim, Ji Ae, Ham, Young Ho, Park, Ho Joo
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitaro; Ryan F
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LE V
• Application Number:
  US11/646,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20070277126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,734 Days
• Field of Search: 715/863, 715/784
• US Class Current: 715/863
• 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, wherein the moving touch trajectory includes a substantially straight line, the substantially straight line initiating at the initial touch point and ending at a release touch point, and is 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, wherein when the file list is marked based on the moving touch trajectory, the file list includes files within a range that is defined by a rectangle with a diagonal equal to the substantially straight line of the moving touch trajectory, and wherein a different command is executed based on whether or not the initial touch point of the moving touch trajectory is the same as the release touch point of the moving touch trajectory.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the at least one predetermined command is done by detecting the release touch point to mark the file list.

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, further comprising changing an appearance of the files within the range.

6. The method of claim 5, 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.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising skipping files within the range if the release touch point is different than the initial touch point.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing an execution order of the files within the range if the moving touch trajectory includes a return trajectory in which the release touch point is substantially the same as the initial touch point.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein changing an execution order of the files within the range comprises reversing the execution order of the files within the range.

10. 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.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein requesting input related to an operation to be executed comprises requesting confirmation to proceed with execution of the at least one predetermined command.

12. 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 moving touch trajectory includes a substantially straight line, the substantially straight line initiating at the initial touch point and ending at a release touch point, and is based on x and y coordinates of the prescribed viewing area; and

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, wherein when the file list is marked based on the moving touch trajectory, the file list includes files within a range that is defined by a rectangle with a diagonal equal to the substantially straight line of the moving touch trajectory, and wherein a different command is executed based on whether or not the initial touch point of the moving touch trajectory is the same as the release touch point of the moving touch trajectory.

13. The device of claim 12, 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.

14. The device of claim 13, 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.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to skip files in the file list when the moving touch trajectory includes a diagonal trajectory in which the release touch point is different that the initial touch point.

16. The device of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to change an execution order of files in the file list when the moving touch trajectory includes a diagonal return trajectory in which the release touch point is substantially the same as the initial touch point.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to reverse an execution order of the files in the file list when the moving touch trajectory includes a diagonal return trajectory.

18. The device of claim 16, 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 includes a diagonal return trajectory.

19. The device of claim 12, 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.

20. The device of claim 19, 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.

21. The device of claim 19, 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.

22. Digital equipment comprising the touch screen device of claim 12.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the digital equipment is an MP3 player, a PMP, a PDA, a notebook computer, a mobile telephone, or a portable navigation terminal.