Controlling pointer movements on a touch sensitive screen of a mobile terminal

• US 8,274,482 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2007
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Tae Hun, Woo, Boem Young, Yoon, Jeong Hyuk, Ahn, Hyun Ju, Han, Seung Sook, Park, Jun Serk, Cheon, Ho Sang
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H
• Application Number:
  US11/752,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20070273664A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,953 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 345/156, 345/157, 345/160, 345/179, 345/180, 178/18.01, 178/18.06, 178/18.07, 715/856
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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 system for managing a graphical user interface (GUI) pointer on a touch sensitive screen of a mobile communication terminal is provided. The system comprises a logic unit for displaying a pointer on a first display point on the screen in response to a user touching the screen at a first touch point on the screen, wherein the first display point is a first distance away from the first touch point.

Claims

1. A method for managing a graphical user interface (GUI) pointer on a touch sensitive screen of a mobile communication terminal, the method comprising:

generating a pointer to be displayed on a first display point on the screen, in response to a user touching the screen at a first touch point on the screen;

receiving tapping of the first touch point on the screen;

rotating the pointer continuously around the tapped first touch point in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction while the tapping continues;

stopping the rotation of the pointer when the tapping stops; and

selecting a target object at which the pointer is located in response to the user no longer touching the screen, the pointer displayed at the target object disappearing from the screen at the same time when the target object is selected,

wherein a pointer-generated location of the first display point on the screen is pre-determined and independent of the location of the first touch point on the screen, and

wherein the first display point is a first distance away from the first touch point.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising touching the screen on a second touch point for moving the pointer from the first display point to a second display point, wherein the second display point is the first distance away from the second touch point, and the pre-determined location of the first display point on the screen where the pointer is generated is at a substantially central portion of the screen.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the moving comprises dragging the pointer from the first display point to the second display point by sliding a pointing object on the touch sensitive screen from the first touch point to the second touch point.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein a pointing object is used to touch the screen and, due to the first and second display points being the first distance away from the first and second touch points, respectively, on the screen, the pointer displayed on the screen is visible to the user without the pointing object obstructing the user'"'"'s view of the pointer.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving input in a first manner to move the pointer from the second display point to a third display point, wherein the third display point is a second distance away from the second touch point and wherein the second distance is longer than the first distance.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving input in a first manner to move the pointer from the second display point to a third display point, wherein the third display point is a second distance away from the second touch point and wherein the second distance is shorter than the first distance.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving input in a first manner to move the pointer from the second display point to a third display point where a GUI object is displayed.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein in response to a pointing object contacting the second touch point in a first manner, the pointer moves from the first distance away from the second touch point to a second distance away from the second touch point.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the pointer includes an arrowhead portion pointing in a first direction upon being generated in response to the user touching the screen at the first touch point on the screen, the arrowhead portion pointing in a direction that is different from the first direction upon stopping the rotation of the pointer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the pointer is not displayed prior to the user touching the screen at the first touch point on the screen.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected target object is highlighted.

12. A method for selecting a graphical user interface (GUI) object on a display screen of a mobile communication terminal, the method comprising:

generating a pointer to be displayed on the display screen at a first display point, in response to a user touching the display screen at a first touch point on the display screen, wherein a pointer-generated location of the first display point on the display screen is pre-determined and independent of a location of the first touch point on the display screen, wherein the first display point is a first distance away from the first touch point;

receiving tapping of the first touch point on the screen;

rotating the pointer continuously around the tapped first touch point in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction while the tapping continues;

stopping the rotation of the pointer when the tapping stops;

moving the pointer proximate to the GUI object on the display screen in response to the user touching the display screen at a second touch point; and

selecting the GUI object in response to the user no longer touching the display screen at the second touch point, corresponding to the pointer being displayed at a location of the GUI object, the pointer displayed at the location of the GUI object disappearing from the display screen at the same time when the GUI object is selected.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein touching the display screen at the second touch point in a first manner causes the pointer to move toward a closest GUI object in the vicinity of the pointer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein touching in the first manner comprises continued touching of the display screen for a predetermined time period.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the pointer is not displayed prior to the user touching the screen at the first touch point on the screen.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the selected GUI object is highlighted.

17. A system for selecting a graphical user interface (GUI) object on a display screen of a mobile communication terminal, the system comprising:

a logic unit for generating a pointer to be displayed on the display screen at a first display point, in response to a user touching the display screen at a first touch point on the display screen, wherein a pointer-generated location of the first display point on the display screen is predetermined and independent of a location of the first touch point on the display screen, wherein the first touch point is a first distance away from the location of the first display point on the display screen, the first distance corresponding to an initial distance between the first touch point and the first display point;

a logic unit for rotating the pointer around the first touch point in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction in response to tapping of the first touch point, the pointer rotating continuously while the tapping continues, and stopping the rotation of the pointer when the tapping stops;

a logic unit for moving the pointer proximate to the GUI object on the display screen, in response to a user touching the display screen at a second touch point; and

a logic unit for selecting the GUI object in response to the user no longer touching the display screen at the second touch point, corresponding to the pointer being displayed at a location of the GUI object, the pointer displayed at the location of the GUI object disappearing from the display screen at the same time when the GUI object is selected.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein touching the display screen at the second touch point in a first manner causes the pointer to move toward a closest GUI object in the vicinity of the pointer.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein touching in the first manner comprises continuing to touch the display screen for a predetermined time period.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the pointer is not displayed prior to the user touching the screen at the first touch point on the screen.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the selected GUI object is highlighted.

22. A system for managing a graphical user interface (GUI) pointer on a touch sensitive screen of a mobile communication terminal, the system comprising:

a logic unit for generating the GUI pointer to be displayed on a first display point on the screen in response to a user touching the screen at a first touch point on the screen, wherein a pointer-generated location of the first display point on the screen is predetermined and independent of a location of the first touch point on the screen, wherein the first display point is a first distance away from the first touch point;

a logic unit for rotating the pointer around the first touch point in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction in response to tapping of the first touch point, the pointer rotation continuously while the tapping continues, and stopping the rotation of the pointer when the tapping stops; and

a logic unit for selecting a GUI object at which the pointer is located in response to the user no longer touching the screen, the pointer displayed at the GUI object disappearing from the screen at the same time when the GUI object is selected.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the GUI pointer is not displayed prior to the user touching the screen at the first touch point on the screen.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the selected GUI object is highlighted.