Touch screen device and operating method thereof

• US 8,312,391 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2007
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• 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, Park, Ho Joo, Ham, Young Ho, Kim, Jun Hee, Yoo, Kyung Hee, Kim, Yu Mi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao “Kevin”
• Application Number:
  US11/785,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20070273666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,037 Days
• Field of Search: 715/862, 715/835, 715/788, 715/787, 715762-765
• US Class Current: 715/862
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A touch screen device and operating method thereof are provided. The touch screen device includes a screen including a display configured to display images thereon and a detector configured to detect a user touch and movement thereof, a storage device configured to store image information corresponding to the movement, and a controller configured to retrieve and display an image corresponding to the detected drag. The image may include at least one of a trace image representing a moving trajectory, an icon image, or a text image.

Claims

1. A touch screen device, comprising:

a screen comprising a display configured to display a menu thereon and a detector configured to detect a touch on the menu and movement thereof;

a storage device configured to store image information corresponding to the movement; and

a controller configured to;

retrieve an image corresponding to the detected movement, the image being at least one of a drag image, an icon, a combination of icons, or text, wherein the image is different from the menu;

generate the retrieved image to be displayed along a moving trajectory of the movement together with the menu with which the touch is associated if the touch is maintained on the screen for a predetermined period of time; and

prevent the retrieved image from being displayed if the touch is released from the screen before the predetermined period of time elapses, wherein the controller is further configured to;

calculate a direction of the movement of the touch detected by the detector, and

retrieve the image corresponding to the direction of the movement of the touch from the storage device to display the retrieved image according to the direction of the movement.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller comprises:

a retrieving device configured to retrieve the image corresponding to the movement; and

a display point calculator configured to calculate a point where the retrieved image is displayed.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image is displayed to represent a trace of the moving trajectory of the movement.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the image represents a drag.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller causes the image to gradually fade away as time passes.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller changes the image as time passes.

7. The device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the image is changed based on a distance of the movement.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image is an icon or a combination of icons previously assigned in accordance with the movement.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image is a sentence or word previously assigned in accordance with the movement.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein voice information corresponding to the movement is further stored in the storage device, and the controller displays the retrieved image corresponding to the movement and simultaneously outputs the voice information.

11. Digital equipment comprising the touch screen device of claim 1.

12. The digital equipment of claim 11, wherein the digital equipment comprises a MP3 player, a portable media player, a PDA, a portable terminal, a navigation system, or a notebook computer.

13. A touch screen device, comprising:

a touch panel configured to detect a touch drag regarding a menu;

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

a display configured to display images;

an image storage device configured to store an image corresponding to the touch drag detected on the touch panel; and

a main controller configured to;

control operations of the touch panel controller and the display;

retrieve an image corresponding to the detected touch drag, the image being at least one of a drag image, an icon, a combination of icons, or text, wherein the image is different from the menu;

generate the retrieved image to be displayed along the touch drag together with the menu with which the touch drag is associated if a touch for the touch drag is maintained on the touch panel for a predetermined period of time; and

prevent the retrieved image from being displayed if the touch for the touch drag is released from the touch panel before the predetermined period of time elapses,

wherein the main controller is further configured to;

calculate a direction of the touch drag from a digital signal received from the touch panel controller, and retrieve the image corresponding to the direction of the touch drag from the image storage device to display the retrieved image according to the direction of the touch drag.

14. The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the image storage device further stores voice information corresponding to the touch drag.

15. The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the image information [and voice information are] is classified by operation mode.

16. The device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the image storage device is a NOR flash memory.

17. The device as claimed in claim 16, further comprising:

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

18. The device as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

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

a RAM configured to drive the touch screen.

19. The device as claimed in claim 18, wherein a portion of the data image storage device is configured into the image storage device.

20. The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the image is an image displayed to represent a trace of a drag trajectory.

21. The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the main controller causes the image to gradually fade away as time passes.

22. The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the main controller changes the image as time passes.

23. The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the image is changed based on a distance of the touch drag.

24. The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the image is an icon or a combination of icons which is previously assigned in accordance with the touch drag.

25. The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the image is a sentence or word which is previously assigned in accordance with the touch drag.

26. The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the main controller displays an image corresponding to the touch drag and simultaneously transmits the voice information.

27. A method of operating a touch screen device, the method comprising:

detecting a touch on a menu and movement thereof on a screen;

retrieving an image corresponding to the detected movement, the image being at least one of a drag image, an icon, a combination of icons, or text, wherein the image is different from the menu;

generating the retrieved image to be displayed along a moving trajectory of the movement together with the menu with which the touch is associated if the touch is maintained on the screen for a predetermined period of time; and

preventing the retrieved image from being displayed if the touch is released from the screen before the predetermined period of time elapses,

wherein the method further comprises;

calculating a direction of the detected movement of the touch, and retrieving the image corresponding to the direction of the movement to display the retrieved image according to the direction of the detected movement.

28. The method as claimed in claim 27, further comprising:

retrieving voice information corresponding to the movement; and

outputting the retrieved voice information.

29. The method as claimed in claim 27, wherein the image represents the trace of the movement.

30. The method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the image represents a drag.

31. The method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the image gradually fades away as time passes.

32. The method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the image is changed as time passes.

33. The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein the image is changed based on a distance of the movement.

34. The method as claimed in claim 27, wherein the image is an icon or a combination of icons previously assigned in accordance with the movement.

35. The method as claimed in claim 27, wherein the image is a word or sentence previously assigned in accordance with the movement.

36. A method of operating digital equipment mounted with a touch screen device, comprising the method of claim 27.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the digital equipment comprises a MP3 player, a portable media player, a portable terminal, a navigation system, or a notebook computer.