Method and system for operating application of a touch device with touch-based input interface

• US 9,886,171 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2015
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Bong Won, Cho, Il Haeng, Ryu, Dong Seok, Park, Sung Ho, Lee, Sang Ki, Kim, Kyu Sung, Song, Min Seung, Park, Joo Yeon
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US14/816,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20150339013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 715763-765, 715851-853
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A method and system is disclosed that allows a user to easily and intuitively operate applications that require contact information, in a touch device, via a tray item associated with the contact information. The method for operating applications includes: displaying a contact tray comprised of a number of tray items based on contact information, on an execution screen; receiving an interaction to use a tray item in the contact tray; configuring an execution screen for an application based on contact information of the tray item; and operating the application based on the configured execution screen.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a memory to store a visual object corresponding to content; and

a controller configured to;

display the visual object in a first window via a display operatively coupled with the controller;

identify movement of a dragging input received with respect to the visual object in the first window to a second window; and

in response to detecting a release of the dragging input, displaying items selectable to perform a specified function corresponding to the second window using at least one portion of the content corresponding to the visual object based at least in part on a determination that the dragging input moves to the second window.

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

display the first window and the second window concurrently prior to receiving the input, and

wherein the selectable items are displayed in a pop-up menu which includes a portion contacting an element of the second window correlating to an intended recipient of the at least one portion of the content, and

wherein the displayed selectable items correspond to applications selectable to share the visual object to another user, and are displayed after the release of the dragging input.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

perform the specified function in the second window.

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

display, as at least part of the performing, the at least one portion of the content in the second window.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, the controller is configured to:

move or copy, as at least part of the performing, the at least one portion of the content.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second window comprises a first data field and a second data field related to the function, wherein the content comprises first information, and second information, and wherein the controller is configured to:

display, as at least part of the performing, the first information in the first data field based at least in part on a determination that the dragging input moves to the first data field; and

display, as at least part of the performing, the second information in the second data field based at least in part on a determination that the dragging input moves to the second data field.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first information corresponds to a first data type, and the second information corresponds to a second data type.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the content comprises an image, a phone number, an email address, event information related to a user corresponding to the visual object, or any combination thereof.

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

perform, as at least part of the specified function, a message function, an email function, an internet function, a search function, a social network function, an e-book function, a photographing function, a memo function, or any combination thereof.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display is included in the apparatus.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a memory to store a first visual object corresponding to content, and a second visual object corresponding to a specified function; and

a controller configured to;

display, via a display operatively coupled with the controller, a first visual object in a first window, and a second visual object in a second window;

identify movement of a dragging input received with respect to the first visual object in the first window to the second visual object in the second window; and

in response to detecting a release of the dragging input, displaying items selectable to perform the specified function corresponding to the second visual object using at least one portion of the content corresponding to the first visual object based at least in part on a determination that the dragging input moves to the second visual object in the second window.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the display is included in the apparatus, and

wherein the selectable items are displayed in a pop-up menu which includes a portion contacting an element of the second window correlating to an intended recipient of the at least one portion of the content, and

wherein the displayed selectable items correspond to applications selectable to share the visual object to another user, and are displayed after the release of the dragging input.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to:

display the first window and the second window concurrently prior to receiving the input.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to:

perform the specified function in the first window.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to:

move or copy, as at least part of the performing, the at least one portion of the content.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first window comprises a first data field and a second data field related to the function, wherein the content comprises first information corresponding to a first data type, and second information corresponding to a second data type, and wherein the controller is configured to:

input, as at least part of the performing, the at least one portion of the content into the first data field based at least in part on a determination that the at least one portion of the content corresponds to the first data type; and

input, as at least part of the performing, the at least one portion of the content into the second data field based at least in part on a determination that the at least one portion of the content corresponds to the second data type.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second visual object represents contact information including a phone number, an email address, or event information corresponding to a user, and wherein the controller is configured to:

select the specified function from a plurality of specified functions based at least in part on a corresponding one of the phone number, the email address, or the event information.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to:

perform another specified function corresponding to a third visual object using the at least one portion or another portion of the content based at least in part on a determination that the input moves to the third visual object.

19. A machine-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

displaying, at an electronic device including memory to store a visual object corresponding to content and a controller, the visual object in a first window via a display operatively coupled with the controller;

identifying movement of a dragging input received with respect to the visual object in the first window to a second window; and

in response to detecting a release of the dragging input, displaying items selectable to perform a specified function corresponding to the second window using at least one portion of the content corresponding to the visual object based at least in part on a determination that the dragging input moves to the second window.

20. The machine-readable storage device of claim 19, wherein the performing comprises:

moving or copying, as at least part of the performing, the at least one portion of the content, and

wherein the selectable items are displayed in a pop-up menu which includes a portion contacting an element of the second window correlating to an intended recipient of the at least one portion of the content, and

wherein the displayed selectable items correspond to applications selectable to share the visual object to another user, and are displayed after the release of the dragging input.

21. The machine-readable storage device of claim 19, wherein the second window comprises a first data field and a second data field related to the function,

wherein the content comprises first information, and second information, wherein the performing comprises:

displaying, as at least part of the performing, the first information in the first data field based at least in part on a determination that the input moves to the first data field; and

displaying, as at least part of the performing, the second information in the second data field based at least in part on a determination that the input moves to the second data field.