Mobile terminal capable of sensing proximity touch

• US 9,639,222 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2015
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Ku, Ja Hoon, Cho, Seon Hwi, Bang, Ki Soo, Kwon, Kwi Suk
• Primary Examiner(s): Marinelli, Patrick F
• Application Number:
  US14/678,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20150212628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 715863, 178 1801- 2004
• 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 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- 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 without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0444 using a single conductive element covering the whole sensing surface, e.g. by sensing the electrical current flowing at the corners
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

The present disclosure is related to a mobile terminal comprising: a touch screen configured to display a plurality of objects, and to generate a proximity signal or a direct touch signal by using an input medium; and a controller configured to display changed sizes of a plurality of selected objects located within a range from the input medium among the plurality of objects according to the proximity signal.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a touchscreen; and

a controller configured to;

cause displaying on the touchscreen a plurality of high level objects, wherein each of the plurality of high level objects is individually selectable via a proximity touch input received at a displayed location of a respective high level object of the plurality of high level objects, and wherein each high level object of the plurality of high level objects includes an associated plurality of low level objects that are displayable on the touchscreen;

cause displaying on the touchscreen a first preview in response to receiving a proximity touch input at a displayed location of an image album folder high level object among the plurality of high level objects, wherein the displayed first preview includes a first partial group of image low level objects among the plurality of low level objects that are associated with the image album folder high level object;

cause displaying on the touchscreen a second preview of a second partial group of image low level objects among the plurality of low level objects that are associated with the image album folder high level object, wherein the first partial group of image low level objects is different than the second partial group of image low level objects, wherein the displayed first preview is changed to the displayed second preview in response to a change in detected distance of the proximity touch input at the displayed location of the image album folder high level object; and

causing execution of a function to open the image album folder high level object in response to a direct touch input, wherein the function causes displaying of a plurality of low level objects that are displayed differently than the first preview and the second preview.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the first preview comprises displaying the first preview without displaying the image album folder high level object.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the image album folder high level object is a folder configured to store the plurality of low level objects that are associated with the image album folder high level object.

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

cause the touchscreen to display the first preview in a new window automatically created in response to the proximity touch input.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of low level objects associated with the image album folder high level object is an image file.

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

cause the touchscreen to initial display the first preview after the proximity touch input is maintained for a threshold time period.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of low level objects associated with the image album folder high level object is a thumbnail image.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein displayed size of the first preview does not change, regardless of the number of low level objects of the first partial group of image low level objects that are currently displayed in the first preview.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein a number of the plurality of low level objects that are associated with the image album folder high level object are different from a number of the low level objects of the first partial group of image low level objects that are displayed in the first preview.

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

cause the touchscreen to terminate the displaying of the first partial group of image low level objects; and

cause the displaying of the second partial group of image low level objects after the terminating of the displaying of the first partial group of image low level objects.

11. A display method for a mobile terminal having a touchscreen, the method comprising:

displaying on the touchscreen a plurality of high level objects, wherein each of the plurality of high level objects is individually selectable via a proximity touch input received at a displayed location of a respective high level object of the plurality of high level objects, and wherein each high level object of the plurality of high level objects includes a plurality of associated low level objects that are displayable on the touchscreen;

displaying on the touchscreen a first preview in response to receiving a proximity touch input at a displayed location of an image album folder high level object among the plurality of high level objects, wherein the displayed first preview includes a first partial group of image low level objects among the plurality of low level objects that are associated with the image album folder high level object among the plurality of high level objects;

displaying on the touchscreen a second preview of a second partial image group of low level objects among the plurality of low level objects that are associated with the image album folder high level object, wherein the first partial group of image low level objects is different than the second partial group of image low level objects, wherein the displayed first preview is changed to the displayed second preview in response to a change in detected distance of the proximity touch input at the displayed location of the image album folder high level object; and

executing a function to open the image album folder high level object in response to a direct touch input, wherein the function causes displaying of a plurality of low level objects that-are displayed differently than the first preview and the second preview.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the displaying of the first preview comprises displaying the first preview without displaying the image album folder high level object.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the image album folder high level object is a folder configured to store the plurality of low level objects that are associated with the image album folder high level object.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying on the touchscreen the first preview in a new window automatically created in response to the proximity touch input.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of low level objects associated with the image album folder high level object is an image file.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

initially displaying on the touchscreen the first preview after the proximity touch input is maintained for a threshold time period.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of low level objects associated with the image album folder high level object is a thumbnail image.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein displayed size of the first preview does not change, regardless of the number of low level objects of the first partial group of image low level objects that are currently displayed in the first preview.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein a number of the plurality of low level objects that are associated with the image album folder high level object are different from a number of the low level objects of the first partial group of image low level objects that are displayed in the first preview.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

terminating the displaying of the first partial group of image low level objects; and

displaying on the touchscreen the second partial group of image low level objects after the terminating of the displaying of the first partial group of image low level objects.