Device and method for providing a user interface

• US 9,552,154 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2009
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Hyun Jin, Park, Yong Gook, Park, Min Kyu
• Primary Examiner(s): BOYD, JONATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US12/625,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20100127997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,618 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0338 Fingerprint track pad, i.e. fingerprint sensor used as pointing device tracking the fingertip image
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 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 device and method for providing a user interface using information is provided. The device includes a display unit, a sensor and a controller. The display unit displays at least one graphic user interface (GUI). The sensor generates a sensor signal according to a user'"'"'s finger touch input. The controller receives the sensor signal from the sensor, identifies a touch area and an adjacent area based on the received sensor signal, generates touch finger shape-based information according to the identified touch area and the identified adjacent area, and controls the display unit to display the GUI according to the generated finger shape-based information.

Claims

1. A portable device, comprising:

a display unit configured to display at least one object;

an input unit configured to receive user input associated with a touch on the display unit, the input unit comprising an optical sensor and a touch sensor; and

a controller configured to;

identify, based on the received user input, a user input area comprising a touch area and an adjacent area,

identify an object at the touch area as a touched object,

generate touch information corresponding to the user input area, the touch information comprising at least one of user location information, finger touch form information, and finger type information,

select, based on the generated touch information, an instruction from a plurality of instructions executable in association with the touched object, and

process, according to the selected instruction, the touched object using the touch information,

wherein the touch area corresponds to a portion of the user input area touched in association with the touch, and the adjacent area corresponds to a portion of the user input area that was not touched in association with the touch.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine a direction vector of the touch based on the user input area, obtain an angle associated with the direction vector, and

generate user location information by estimating a user location based on the angle.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to process the touched object via execution of at least one of a rotation, a movement, and an enlargement of the touched object based on the user location information and the selected instruction.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine a horizontal length and a vertical length associated with the touch area; and

generate the finger touch form information associated with the touch finger by determining a size of the touch area based on the horizontal length and the vertical length.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to process the touched object via execution of the selected instruction based on the finger touch form information.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine the direction vector of the touch based on the user input area,

obtain the angle associated with the direction vector, and

generate the finger type information by determining whether the touch is associated with a right hand or a left hand based on the angle.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to process the touched objected via execution of the selected instruction based on the finger type information.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor is configured to detect the user input based on an amount of light reflected in association with the touch, and the touch sensor is configured to detect the user input based on an amount of charge changed in association with the touch, and

wherein to identify the user input area, the controller is configured to convert the touch area to a digital image.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive, from the input unit, information corresponding to movement associated with the touch;

determine a direction vector associated with the touch based on the user input area;

estimate a change in the angle associated with the direction vector; and

execute a function corresponding to the change of the angle.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive, from the input unit, information corresponding to movement associated with the touch;

estimate a change in the touch area; and

execute a function corresponding to the change of the touch area.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the touch is associated with a finger touch.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to identify an open area different from the user input area, the open area corresponding to a non-user input area.

13. A method for processing a user interface in a portable device, comprising:

displaying at least one object on a display unit;

receiving user input associated with a touch on the display unit, the user input being detected by at least one of an optical sensor and a touch sensor;

identifying, based on the received user input, a user input area comprising a touch area and an adjacent area;

identifying an object at the touch area as a touched object;

generating touch information corresponding to the user input area, the touch information comprising at least one of user location information, finger touch form information, and finger type information;

selecting, based on the generated touch information, an instruction from a plurality of instructions executable in association with the touched object; and

processing, according to the selected instruction, the touched object using the touch information,

wherein the touch area corresponds to a portion of the user input area touched in association with the touch, and the adjacent area corresponds to a portion of the user input area that was not touched in association with the touch.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein generating the touch information further comprises:

determining a direction vector of the touch based on the user input area;

determining an angle of the direction vector; and

generating user location information by estimating a user location based on the angle.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving user input associated with movement of the touch on the screen;

determining a direction vector associated with the touch based on the user input area;

estimating a change in the angle associated with the direction vector; and

executing a function corresponding to the estimated change of the angle.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein processing the touched object comprises:

executing at least one of a rotation, a movement, and an enlargement of the touched object based on the user location information.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein generating the touch information further comprises:

determining a horizontal length and a vertical length associated with the touch area;

determining a size associated with the touch area based on the horizontal length and the vertical length; and

generating the finger touch information associated with the touch based on the determined size.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

executing an instruction based on the finger touch form information.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein generating touch information comprises:

determining the direction vector of the touch based on the user input area;

determining the angle associated with the direction vector;

determining whether the touch is associated with a right hand or a left hand based on the determined angle; and

generating finger type information based on the determination of whether the touch is associated with the right hand or the left hand.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

executing an instruction based on the finger type information.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein generating the touch information comprises:

determining, if the adjacent area is not identified, whether a location associated with the touch area corresponds to a left side or a right side of the display unit; and

generating the finger type information based on the determination.

22. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving user input associated with movement of the touch;

estimating, based on the user input, a change in the touch area; and

executing a function corresponding to the estimated change.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the touch is associated with a finger touch.

24. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

identifying an open area different from the user input area, the open area corresponding to a non-user input area.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising one or more executable instructions configured to cause, when executed, a device to provide at least one object, the computer-readable storage medium comprising:

at least one executable instruction configured to cause, when executed, the at least one object to be displayed on a display unit;

at least one instruction configured to cause, when executed, a user input associated with a touch on the display unit to be received, the user input being detected by at least one of an optical sensor and a touch sensor;

at least one instruction configured to cause, when executed, a user input area comprising a touch area and an adjacent area associated with the touch on the display unit to be identified based on the user input;

at least one instruction configured to cause, when executed, an object at the touch area to be identified as a touched object;

at least one instruction configured to cause, when executed, touch information to be generated corresponding to the user input area, the touch information comprising at least one of the user location information, finger touch form information, and finger type information;

at least one instruction configured to cause, when executed, a selection, based on the generated touch information, of an instruction from a plurality of instructions executable in association with the touched object; and

at least one instruction configured to cause, when executed, the touched object to be processed, according to the selected instruction, using the touch information,

wherein the touch area corresponds to a portion of the user input area touched in association with the touch, and the adjacent area corresponds to a portion of the user input area that was not touched in association with the touch.