This application claims the benefit of Taiwan application Serial No. 101130401, filed Aug. 22, 2012, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a touch panel and an associated display method, and more particularly to a touch panel capable of dynamically providing function icons and an associated display method.
2. Description of the Related Art
With developments of the technology, touch functions are prevalent in many portable devices. Meanwhile, an operable area size of touch control is becoming larger to offer users with more convenient operations. For example, electronic books and tablet computers are large-sized (approximately 7.0 to 10.0 inches) portable devices. Although cell phones are usually designed with a smaller size (approximately 3.7 to 4.7 inches), large-sized cell phones are also getting more common.
As shown in
That is to say, a large-sized touch panel of a portable device requires both hands of a user to operate. However, a user may not be in a convenient situation to operate the touch panel with both hands at all times as an operation environment of the touch panel differs.
For example, a user may be in an inconvenient situations including being in a moving state, being required to dedicate one hand for other purposes such as holding onto a handle when standing on a public transportation vehicle, holding other objects in one hands while moving, or even having an injured hand. Thus, a user in the above situations cannot control the touch panel using the approach in
Thus, although large-sized touch panels are getting more prevalent, depending on situations in which the user operates the touch panel 1, a user may not always adapt to the operation approach for controlling the touch panel with both hands at all times. That is to say, the arrangement of the function icons provided by the touch panel 1 may cause operation complications to a user.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a display method for a touch panel is provided. The display method includes steps of detecting a touch trace, determining a plurality of display positions according to the touch trace, and displaying a plurality of function icons at the plurality of display positions.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a touch panel is provided. The portable device includes: a display panel; a touch detecting unit, disposed at one side of the touch panel, for detecting a touch trace on the display panel; and a control unit, electrically connected to the display panel and the touch detecting unit, for determining a plurality of display positions according to the touch trace, and controlling the display panel to display a plurality of function icons at the display positions.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a display method for a touch panel is provided. The display method includes steps of: detecting a position of a touch point; and displaying a plurality of function icons according to the position of the touch point and a predetermined arrangement.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a touch panel is provided. The portable device includes: a display panel; a touch detecting unit, disposed at one side of the display panel, for detecting a position of a touch point; and a control unit, electrically connected to the display panel and the touch detecting unit, for controlling the display panel to display a plurality of function icons according to the position of the touch point and a predetermined arrangement.
The above and other aspects of the invention will become better understood with regard to the following detailed description of the preferred but non-limiting embodiments. The following description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings.
A novel operation concept shall be described with preferred embodiments of the present invention, so as to allow all kinds of portable devices having a touch panel to be single-handedly controlled to enhance the ease of use. It should be noted that, an example of a user holding a portable device with a right hand is given in the following descriptions, and such example is not to be construed as a limitation to the present invention.
As shown by arrows in
Accordingly, the present invention discloses an operating approach with flexible touch control for a user to operate the touch panel 2.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the touch panel 2 is capable determining whether a user operates the touch panel 2 in a single-handed operation mode or a two-handed operation mode. After determining which of the operation modes is applied, the touch panel 2 correspondingly provides a function icon display method according to different operation modes.
For example, when a user operates the touch panel 2 with a two-handed operation mode, it is determined that manipulations on the touch panel 2 are relatively easy for the user, and so the function icons can be displayed by an entire display region of the touch panel 2.
In contrast, when it is determined that the user operates the touch panel 2 with a single-handed operation mode, it means that the touch panel 2 is not apt to display function icons in a dispersed manner. Therefore, in order to allow a user manipulate a readily operable touch control region of the touch panel 2, only a partial display region of the touch panel 2 is adopted for displaying function icons.
Through touch behaviors inputted by the user, e.g., tapping, pressing, drawing and sliding, the touch panel 2 may distinguish whether a user wishes to switch a setting of the operation mode. That is, when a user performs an operation behavior (e.g., tapping, pressing, drawing and sliding) for initiating the switching of the operation mode, the touch panel switches its operation mode. For instance, the touch panel is in an operation mode that function icons are displayed at fixed positions at the beginning. After the operation behavior is detected, the touch panel is switched to an operation mode that function icons are flexibly displayed, and vice versa.
For example, when the touch panel 2 detects that a user presses the touch panel 2 for a substantial period of time, the touch panel 2 determines that the user wishes to switch from the two-handed operation mode to the single-handed operation mode. Alternatively, the single-handed operation mode is confirmed and activated according to a predefined touch trace drawn on the touch panel 2. Details of determining the switching of the operation mode may be dependent on different system or applications, and shall be omitted herein.
When the touch panel 2 activates the single-handed operation mode, the touch panel 2 may utilize a smaller display region for displaying function icons. Since the touch panel 2 is capable of changing display region for function icons in response to how the portable device is held by the user, the user is allowed to conveniently perform touch control operations.
Details of how the touch panel 2 detects a single-handed user operation and thus provides an appropriate function icon display region are described below.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the touch panel 2 first detects a touch trace on the touch panel 2. The touch trace is generated by a user on the touch panel 2 based on the approach in
Further, the touch trace is considered as a first arc of a circle with a center at a selected position at a side of the touch panel. For example, the selected position at the side of a touch panel 3 is substantially a position at the edge of the touch panel 3 held between a thumb and an index finger of the user. Moreover, the first arc represents the touch trace generated by sliding the thumb on the touch panel 3.
In this preferred embodiment, the touch panel 3 first detects the first arc based on the approach in
For example, assume that eight function icons are to be displayed. The first arc is divided into eight arc sections, and eight display positions are selected on the first arc. It should be noted that, the eight arc sections may be equal or unequal in length.
In step S311, the number of the function icons to be displayed is determined. In step S313, the first arc is divided into multiple arc sections according to the number of the function icons. In step S315, the display positions at the first arc are selected according to the arc sections.
When displaying the function icons 3a, the function icons 3a are dispersed around a center formed by the touch point 3t. Thus, even when the user keeps holding the portable device single-handedly by the right hand, the function icons 3a may still be easily selected through operations by moving the right thumb to implement touch control.
Further, assuming that the user similarly holds the touch panel 3 using the right hand, the touch panel 3 may be held at an upper-right or lower-right part of the touch panel in difference circumstances. At this point, the operating range defined according to the position of the touch point 3t may also change.
Therefore, as illustrated by the above descriptions and the accompanying drawings, the method of providing selectable function icons around the center defined by the touch point of an initial state offers the user enhanced flexibilities when operating the display panel. It should be noted that the above method may also be applied to applications where a user performs touch control using a left hand or other fingers.
Based on the above, the display method for the display panel to display the function icons according to a flexibly defined operating range may be implemented through different approaches. Other approaches for defining the operating range are further described below.
The touch panel 4 may then display function icons at predetermined arched traces concentric with the drawn arched touch trace. It should be noted that, although the concentric arched traces are depicted in dotted lines, the touch panel 4 may selectively display the arched traces.
When a user wishes to utilize a calculator function under such mode, the display image shows Arabic numerals and operators. It is also assumed that possible functions icons to be used are arranged and displayed at concentric arched traces of three different levels.
In this preferred embodiment, Arabic numerals 1 to 3 are displayed on the innermost arched trace, Arabic numerals 4 to 8 are displayed on the second innermost concentric arched trace, and Arabic numerals 9 and 0, and the operators are display on the third innermost concentric arced trace.
When the touch panel 4 adopts the display method in
In step S331, the selected position and the number of function icons to be displayed are determined. In step S333, a radius of a first arc is determined. In step S335, a second arc concentric with the first arc is obtained according to the selected position. In step S337, the display positions are determined according to the positions and lengths of the first and second arcs and the number of the function icons.
It should be noted that contents of software applications are not limited to the examples disclosed in the description associated with the display method for displaying the function icons. Therefore, for example, functions of the software applications may provide the portable device with operations of making a phone call, utilizing a calculator, browsing an operating interface, selecting a song and selecting a photo. Alternatively, functions icons of the foregoing software applications may be displayed in a similar manner in a main function menu. The above situations are all included as applications of the present invention.
In a top-down order, three rays in
In
In step S321, the number of the function icons to be displayed is determined. In step S323, a plurality of rays are obtained from a start point at a selected position towards a plurality of tangent points of the first arc. In step S325, the display positions are selected along the rays.
Further, in another application, the touch trace inputted by the right thumb of the user is not limited to an arc, and may be a continuous curve or one touch point.
In the following embodiment, it is assumed that the touch trace drawn by the right thumb of the user is a long and narrow S-shaped trace. Moreover, the user may also draw the touch trace at other positions besides the position near the edge of the touch panel. For example, the user may also draw the touch trace on other region of the touch panel.
For example, when the user holds an upper part of the touch panel, the touch trace drawn by the user may be closer to the upper part of the touch panel. Alternatively, when the user holds a left side of the touch panel, the touch trace drawn by the user may be closer to the left side of the touch panel, and so forth.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the display method for displaying function icons may differ when displaying function icons according to an actual touch trace.
In addition to the display size of the function icons, gaps between function options in actual display may also be changed through software of the display panel. The modifications with respect to display applications are changes presented by software, and can be easily appreciated and flexibly adjusted by a person having ordinary skill in the art.
In step S341, a position and a length of the touch trace on the touch panel are obtained. In step S343, the number of the function icons to be displayed is determined. In step S345, a plurality of display gaps are determined according to the length of the touch trace and the number of the function icons. In step S347, the function icons are displayed at the position of the touch trace according to the display gaps.
The touch detecting unit 103 detects a touch trace on the display panel 101. The control unit 102 determines a plurality of display positions according to the touch trace, and controls the display panel 101 to display a plurality of function icons at the display positions.
In other words, the control unit 102 implements the processes shown in
In step S1, a touch trace is detected. In step S3, a plurality of display positions are determined according to the touch trace. In step S5, a plurality of function icons are displayed at the display positions.
According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, function icons are displayed according to a predetermined display trace. A user may select an arbitrary point on the display panel, and function icons are then displayed regarding the selected point as a center cooperating with the predetermined display trace.
The predetermined arrangement is display positions for the function icons according to the predetermined display trace and the number of the function icons. For example, the predetermined display trace may be a zigzag trace, an arched trace, a trace in a concentric circular arrangement or a trace in a radiation arrangement etc.
The predetermined display trace may be a display trace configured in advance when the touch panel is manufactured. Further, the portable device may provide a configuration process for allowing the user to configure the predetermined display trace according to personal preferences.
When the user selects an arbitrary touch point on the touch panel, the touch point is regarded as a center of the predetermined display trace. The touch panel then displays the function icons along the predetermined display trace on the display panel.
For example, when a large number of function icons are to be displayed, the display gaps may be changed. Display gaps having different lengths may be designed between different function icons, or different function icons may be same-sized or different-sized. Alternatively, the user may also define function icons frequently used in the single-handed operation mode, and select only the more frequently used function icons for display.
The above approaches, which can be flexibly adjusted when implementing system software planning for the portable device, are quite diversified and shall not be further discussed.
That is to say, the touch panel provides a predetermined display trace, and the user selects the desired touch point. As the position of the touch point changes, the display trace regards the touch point as a center for display is changed, so as the display positions of the function icons.
The touch detecting unit 113 first detects a position of a touch point. The control unit 112 controls the display panel 111 to display a plurality of function icons according to the position of the touch point and a predetermined arrangement (predetermined display trace).
In step S21, a position of a touch point is detected. In step S23, a plurality of function icons are displayed according to the position of the touch point and a predetermined arrangement.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method for operating a touch panel single-handedly is provided for a user. The method can be further applied to operation circumstances of various touch panels, and is not limited to applications of single-handed operations.
To further explain the concept of the present invention, approaches for displaying function icons at different positions of a display panel are described below.
In
Compared to the first position, the second position is located more to the right side of the display panel 13, and so the predetermined display trace 13m on the display panel 13 is also closer to the right side of the display panel 13.
It is concluded by comparing
Comparing the first position in
Based on whether detecting a touch trace or detecting a position of a touch point cooperating with a predetermined display trace, the display method of the present invention can be implemented by an on-screen display (OSD). In practice, the function icons displayed by the display method may correspond to a plurality of software applications or correspond to a plurality of parameter settings of the same software application.
When the function icons correspond to a plurality of software applications, function icons corresponding a categorized function options are provided in a main menu, e.g., various games in a game menu. When the function icons correspond to a plurality of parameter settings, for example, function icons for playback, fast-forward and volume adjustment are provided for a video-audio playback application, or numeric buttons provided for a calculator function.
The present invention is applicable to portable devices such as smart phones, mobile navigation devices, video-audio entertainment devices and tablet computers etc. In addition to allowing a user to readily operate the portable device single-handedly, the method of the present invention further allows the user to configure a personalized operating interface according to personal preferences.
While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements and procedures, and the scope of the appended claims therefore should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements and procedures.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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101130401 | Aug 2012 | TW | national |