Portable terminal with touch screen and method for displaying tags in the portable terminal

• US 8,369,898 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2009
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Chun, Jin Wook
• Primary Examiner(s): Wendell, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): YANG, CHUNG TIEN
• Application Number:
  US12/622,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20100124946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 345/173, 345/178, 345/179, 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, 345/159, 345/169, 715/787, 715/702, 715/798, 715/788, 715/800, 715/834, 715/815
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A portable terminal with a touch screen and a method for displaying tags on the touch screen of the portable terminal are disclosed. The method includes: calculating a distance between the first and second touch points detected on the touch screen; identifying the number of tags that will be displayed, according to the calculated distance; and displaying at least one of the identified number of tags.

Claims

1. A method for displaying tags on a touch screen of a portable terminal, comprising:

calculating, when first and second touches are detected on the touch screen, a distance between first and second touch points of the first and second touches, respectively;

identifying a number of tags that will be displayed according to the calculated distance between the first and second touch points; and

displaying the identified number of tags;

wherein the number of tags comprises touch activated tags, wherein the first touch point causes display of a tag menu comprised of the number of tags and the second touch point in conjunction with the first touch point controls the number and position of the tags according to the calculated difference between the first and second touch points.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after the identified number of tags are displayed:

changing the number of tags displayed according to changes in the calculated distance.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after the tags are displayed:

determining whether a drag is detected;

identifying, if a drag is detected, the movement direction and distance of the detected drag, the drag having a moving coordination during a time period;

removing at least one tag from the displayed tags; and

adding a number of new tags on the display unit according to a number of removed at least one tag in the movement direction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying at least one of the identified number of tags includes one of:

arranging tags in an arc shape or in a straight line.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one tag comprises an item in a sub-menu containing sub-items related to the item, or identification data;

and

each respective sub-menu of sub-items that subsequent to a sub-menu selection are displayed by re-detecting the two first and second touch points to determine a number and position of the sub-items of the selected sub menu that are displayed based on a distance between the two re-detected touch points.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the second touch is detected while the first touch is retained.

6. A portable terminal comprising:

a touch screen including a display unit for displaying tags and at least one touch sensor for detecting touches on the touch screen; and

a controller in communication with the touch screen for;

calculating a distance between first and second touch points that are detected on the touch screen,

identifying a number of tags to be displayed, according to the calculated distance, and

displaying the identified number of tags on the display unit;

wherein the first touch point causes display of a tag menu comprised of the tags, and the second touch point in conjunction with the first touch point controls the number of tags to be displayed and their position on the display unit according to the calculated difference between the first and second touch points.

7. The portable terminal of claim 6, wherein, if the calculated distance is changed, the controller changes the number of tags to be displayed according to the changed distance and displays the changed number of tags on the display unit.

8. The portable terminal of claim 6, wherein, after the tags are displayed, if a drag is detected, the controller:

identifies the movement direction and distance of the detected drag, the drag having a moving coordination during the time period,

removes at least one tag from the displayed tags; and

adds a number of new tags on the display unit according to a number of removed at least one tag in the movement direction.

9. The portable terminal of claim 6, wherein the controller arranges tags in one of:

an arc shape or in a straight line.

10. The portable terminal of claim 6, wherein the tag is a tag menu or identification data.

22. The portable terminal of claim 6, wherein the second touch point is detected while the first touch point is retained.

11. A portable terminal including:

a touchscreen input device comprising a plurality of pixels;

a controller comprising;

a processor in communication with a memory, the memory including code, which when accessed by the processor causes the processor to execute the steps of;

receiving signals from the touchscreen, the signals associated with selected ones of the pixels;

determining a first touch and a second touch of the touchscreen;

determining a distance between the first and second touches;

determining a number of tags to be displayed based on the distance, wherein the number of tags is predetermined for each of a plurality of distances;

determining an order of displaying the number of tags; and

displaying the determined number of tags in the determined order;

wherein the number of tags comprises touch activated tags, wherein the first touch point causes display of a tag menu comprised of the number of tags and the second touch point in conjunction with the first touch point controls the number and position of the tags according to the calculated difference between the first and second touch points.

12. The portable terminal of claim 11, the processor further executing code for:

determining a change in distance between the first and second touches; and

determining a number of tags to be displayed based on the changed distance.

13. The portable terminal of claim 11, wherein the order is determined based on the frequency of selection of the tags.

14. The portable terminal of claim 11, wherein the tags are displayed in one of:

an arc and a straight line.

23. The portable terminal of claim 11, wherein the second touch is detected while the first touch is retained.

15. A method for displaying items on a touch screen of a portable terminal, comprising:

detecting first and second touches at first and second touch points, respectively, on the touch screen, wherein the first touch point causes display of a menu comprised of touch activated items and the second touch point in conjunction with the first touch point controls a number and position of one or more of the touch activated items related to the menu to be displayed according to the calculated difference between the first and second touch points;

calculating a distance between the first and second touch points;

determining the number and position of said one or more touch activated items to be displayed according to the calculated distance between the first and second touch points; and

displaying said one or more items determined according to the calculated distance between the first and second touch points.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein at least some of the touch activated items are selectable menu entries having a respective sub-menu of sub-items that subsequent to a sub-menu selection are displayed by re-detecting the two first and second touch points to determine a number and position of the sub-items of the selected sub menu that are displayed based on a distance between the two re-detected touch points.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein touch selection of a menu entry causes a display screen change wherein a plurality of sub-menu entries related to the selected menu entry are displayed.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein at least some of the touch activated items when selected display identification information.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein at least some of the touch activated items are displayed in the form of icons that perform particular functions upon further touch selection thereof.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the number of touch activated items displayed is proportional to the calculated distance between the first and second touch points.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the second touch is detected while the first touch is retained.