The present invention relates to a touch-sensitive mobile computing device, and more particularly to a touch-sensitive mobile computing device having a function of adjusting the contents of the operating frame by a touch-move motion. The present invention also relates to a controlling method of the touch-sensitive mobile computing device.
Recently, the general trends in designing electronic devices are toward small size, light weightiness and easy portability. With increasing development of digital computing technologies, a mobile computing device such as a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a digital walkman, an e-book reader or a notebook computer has expanded functions and becomes more user-friendly.
Nowadays, mobile computing devices with touch screens or touch panels become increasingly popular because of their ease and versatility of operation. In other words, the touch screen or touch panel is a user interface between the user and the hardware components or software of the mobile computing device.
By simply touching a touch-sensitive interface of a touch screen or touch panel with a finger or a touching tool (e.g. a stylus), the user can select a function item of a menu option or a toolbar, a program file or an icon so as to execute associated functions.
Generally, the mobile computing device is executed under an operating system having a desktop environment and a graphics-based operating frame. The operating frame is shown on a display screen. In a case that the contents of the operating frame are huge, the contents of the operating frame fail to be fully browsed in a single page. For viewing the whole contents or the desired images of the operating frame, the user usually operates the directional keys of the mobile computing device to move the operating frame in the upward, downward, leftward or rightward direction.
Recently, the process of using the directional keys to control vertical or horizontal movement of the operating frame is gradually replaced by a touch-move motion on the touch-sensitive interface of the mobile computing device. The process of controlling vertical or horizontal movement of the operating frame according to the touch-move motion, however, incurs some drawbacks. For example, since the area of the display screen is limited, the finger possibly touches an icon or a function item shown on the display screen during the finger touches and moves on the touch-sensitive interface may easily touch. In other words, the operating system may discriminate that the touch-move motion is relevant to movement of the icon. Under this circumstance, an instruction contention problem occurs, and thus the operating frame fails to be moved as required.
The present invention provides a touch-sensitive mobile computing device having a function of adjusting the contents of the operating frame without causing the instruction contention problem.
The present invention also provides a controlling method of the touch-sensitive mobile computing device.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a touch-sensitive mobile computing device that is executed under an operating system. The touch-sensitive mobile computing device includes a main body, a display screen and a touch-sensitive interface. The display screen is disposed on the main body for showing an operating frame of the operating system. The touch-sensitive interface is disposed on the main body and the display screen, and includes a first touch-sensitive zone and a second touch-sensitive zone. The first touch-sensitive zone is disposed on the main body and outside the display screen. The second touch-sensitive zone is directly disposed over the display screen. When a touch-move motion of an object in a specified direction on the first touch-sensitive zone or between the first touch-sensitive zone and the second touch-sensitive zone is implemented, the contents of the operating frame shown on the display screen are adjusted.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a controlling method of a touch-sensitive mobile computing device. The touch-sensitive mobile computing device is executed under an operating system, and includes a main body, a display screen and a touch-sensitive interface. The touch-sensitive interface includes a first touch-sensitive zone and a second touch-sensitive zone. The first touch-sensitive zone is disposed on the main body and outside the display screen. The second touch-sensitive zone is directly disposed over the display screen. The controlling method includes the following steps. Firstly, an operating frame of the operating system is shown on the display screen. Then, a touch-move motion of an object in a specified direction on the first touch-sensitive zone or between the first touch-sensitive zone and the second touch-sensitive zone is detected. Afterwards, the contents of the operating frame shown on the display screen are adjusted according to the touch-move motion.
The above contents of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:
The present invention will now be described more specifically with reference to the following embodiments. It is to be noted that the following descriptions of preferred embodiments of this invention are presented herein for purpose of illustration and description only. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to the precise form disclosed.
The present invention provides a touch-sensitive mobile computing device and a controlling method of the touch-sensitive mobile computing device. An example of the touch-sensitive mobile computing device includes but is not limited to a smart phone, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a digital walkman, an e-book reader or a notebook computer. Hereinafter, the touch-sensitive mobile computing device is illustrated by referring to a personal digital assistant.
The touch-sensitive interface 12 is made of a transparent material. The area of the touch-sensitive interface 12 is larger than that of the display screen 11. The touch-sensitive interface 12 includes a first touch-sensitive zone 121 and a second touch-sensitive zone 122. The first touch-sensitive zone 121 is disposed on the main body 10 and outside the display screen 11. The second touch-sensitive zone 122 is directly disposed over the display screen 11 and has an area larger than the first touch-sensitive zone 121. In other words, the image shown on the display screen 11 is viewable through the second touch-sensitive zone 122.
By touching a finger or a touching tool (e.g. a stylus) on the touch-sensitive interface 12, the user can input an instruction to control operations of the touch-sensitive personal digital assistant 100. In particular, when the user's finger or the stylus touches and then moves on the first touch-sensitive zone 121 or moves between the first touch-sensitive zone 121 and the second touch-sensitive zone 122, the image shown on the display screen 11 could be scrolled, shifted or adjusted in the moving direction.
Please refer to
By moving the user's finger on the first touch-sensitive zone 121, the operating frame 20 could be moved in diverse directions from the start touching points to the end touching points. Since the area of the first touch-sensitive zone 121 is relatively smaller with respect to the area of the main body, the smaller-area of the first touch-sensitive zone 121 sometimes becomes hindrance from moving the user's finger. In this embodiment, the user's finger is moved between the first touch-sensitive zone 121 and the second touch-sensitive zone 122 in order to control movement of the operating frame 20. For precisely controlling movement of the operating frame 20, the start touching point and the touching point of every moving action are located on different zones of the touch-sensitive interface 12.
For example, when the user's finger moves from the start touching point P1 of the second touch-sensitive zone 122 to the end touching point T1 of the first touch-sensitive zone 121 in the direction P1T1 indicated by a solid line and then leaves the touch-sensitive interface 12, the positions of the touching points P1 and T1 are sensed by the control unit 13. As such, the operating frame 20 is controlled to be scrolled down under control of the control unit 13. For facilitating the user to realize the moving direction of the operating frame 20, a directional image 30 is also shown on the display screen 11 to prompt the user. As shown in
Similarly, when the user's finger moves from the start touching point P2 of the first touch-sensitive zone 121 to the end touching point T4 of the second touch-sensitive zone 122 in the direction P2T4 indicated by a dotted line and then leaves the touch-sensitive interface 12, the positions of the touching points P2 and T4 are sensed by the control unit 13. As such, the operating frame 20 is controlled to be scrolled up under control of the control unit 13.
Similarly, when the user's finger moves from the start touching point P1 to the end touching point T2 in the direction P1T2 indicated by a dotted line and then leaves the touch-sensitive interface 12, the operating frame 20 is moved in the lower-right direction. Similarly, when the user's finger moves from the start touching point P1 to the end touching point T3 in the direction P1T3 indicated by a dotted line and then leaves the touch-sensitive interface 12, the operating frame 20 is moved in the lower-left direction. Similarly, when the user's finger moves from the start touching point P2 to the end touching point T6 in the direction P2T6 indicated by a dotted line and then leaves the touch-sensitive interface 12, the operating frame 20 is moved in the upper-right direction. Similarly, when the user's finger moves from the start touching point P2 to the end touching point T5 in the direction P2T5 indicated by a dotted line and then leaves the touch-sensitive interface 12, the operating frame 20 is moved in the upper-left direction.
Similarly, when the user's finger moves from the start touching point P2 of the first touch-sensitive zone 121 to the end touching point T8 in the direction P2T8 indicated by a dotted line and then leaves the touch-sensitive interface 12, the positions of the touching points P2 and T8 are sensed by the control unit 13. As such, the operating frame 20 is controlled to be scrolled in the left side under control of the control unit 13.
Since the first touch-sensitive zone 121 of the touch-sensitive interface 12 is disposed on the main body 10 and outside the display screen 11, the touch-move motion of the user's finger on the first touch-sensitive zone 121 has nothing to do with the menu option, the toolbar, the program file or the icon included in the operating frame 20. In a case that the start touching point or the end touching point of each touch-move motion is located on the first touch-sensitive zone 121, the control unit 13 will discriminate that the touch-move motion is relevant to the moving, scrolling or shift action of the operating frame 20. Under this circumstance, the problem of causing instruction contention will be overcome.
In the above embodiments, the touch-move motion of the user's finger on the touch-sensitive interface 12 is similar to the operations of the vertical scrollbar 21 and the horizontal scrollbar 22. As a consequence, the whole contents of the operating frame 20 are viewable by the user. In other words, when the user's finger moves from a start touching point (P1˜P2) to an end touching point (T1˜T8) and then leaves the touch-sensitive interface 12, the operating frame 20 could be moved, shifted or scrolled by only one or several columns or rows. For moving the operating frame 20 to a larger extend, the touch-move motion in the same direction should be repeatedly done. In other word, the user's finger needs to move from the start touching point to the end touching point again and again. In views of user-friendliness and convenience, it is preferred that the operating frame 20 needs to be continuously moved.
Under this circumstance, the contents of the operating frame 20 could be continuously adjusted without the need of moving the user's finger from the start touching point to the end touching point again and again. It is preferred that the continuous movement of the operating frame 20 is ceased once the user's finger (or the touching tool) leaves the touch-sensitive interface 12. Similarly, a directional image 30 is also shown on the display screen 11 for facilitating the user to realize the moving direction of the operating frame 20. As shown in
In the above embodiments, the operating frame 20 could be stepwise or continuously moved, scrolled or shifted by the touch-move motion of the user's finger (or the touching tool). In comparison with the conventional method of operating the directional keys, the present invention is more user-friendly and convenient.
For adjusting the contents of the operating frame 20 to a greater extent, the touch-sensitive mobile computing device of the present invention further includes a “Page up/down” or “Scroll up/down” function, which is executed to have the operating frame 20 backward to the previous page or forward to the next page.
For facilitating the user to realize the moving direction of the operating frame 20, a directional image 40 is also shown on the display screen 11 to prompt the user. As shown in
In some embodiments, the operating frame 20 could be continuously moved. As shown in
Hereinafter, a controlling method of the touch-sensitive mobile computing device of the present invention is described with reference to a flowchart of
In the above embodiments, the positions of the start touching points and the end touching points are illustrated by reference. Nevertheless, the positions of the start touching points and the end touching points can be determined according to the designer's or the user's settings.
From the above description, the touch-sensitive mobile computing device of the present invention is capable of adjusting the contents of the operating frame. The method of controlling vertical or horizontal movement of the operating frame by a touch-move motion on the touch-sensitive interface can replace the conventional method of operating the directional keys. Since the first touch-sensitive zone 121 is directly disposed over the display screen 11 and the second touch-sensitive zone 122 is disposed on the main body 10 and outside the display screen 11, the touch-move motion on the first touch-sensitive zone 121 or between the first touch-sensitive zone 121 and the second touch-sensitive zone 122 is independent of the touch-move motion on the second touch-sensitive zone 122 alone. Under this circumstance, the problem of causing instruction contention will be overcome. The method of controlling vertical or horizontal movement of the operating frame according to the present invention is very user-friendly and convenient.
While the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
097127482 | Jul 2008 | TW | national |