Patent Publication Number: US-2012038586-A1

Title: Display apparatus and method for moving object thereof

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2010-0078294, filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Aug. 13, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     Apparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to a display apparatus and method for moving object thereof, and more particularly, to a display apparatus comprising a proximate sensing and touch sensing apparatus and a method for moving object thereof. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In a related art touch display, the general touch screen technology was integrated therein so that one could select, move, or operate an object such as a menu on a display by touching the display using hands or tools, instead of making inputs using a keyboard or a mouse. 
     There are various touch screen technologies providing such functions, but most technologies are adapted to recognize coordinates of the finger which touched the display. Furthermore, in order to enhance the recognition effects, algorithms were configured so that the resolution of the coordinates could be identical to the resolution of the pixels. For example, when a finger touches a point on a display, a touch screen module recognizes the location where the finger touched P(x, y) and waits for the next touch coordinates. In order for the touch screen module to recognize the location where the finger touched, the finger and the surface of the touch screen must meet each other, and a continuous touch event must occur. 
     Such a related art touch screen technology is not so inconvenient in a small size display, but as the display gets bigger, the user inconvenience and disadvantages in the movement of the coordinates increase. For example, when the display is bigger than the length of a person&#39;s hand, the hand may slip from the surface of the screen when it touches the screen and moves, thereby stopping a continuous touch event. Therefore, the user has to consciously make efforts so that his/her finger does not slip from the surface of the screen, and the user also feels an unpleasant sensation due to friction with the display surface. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to an aspect of an exemplary embodiment, there is provided a display apparatus including a display unit which displays an object; a proximate sensing unit which is configured to sense a proximate input to the display unit; a touch sensing unit which is configured to sense a touch input to the display unit; a coordinates calculating unit which calculates coordinates corresponding to at least one of the proximate input sensed by the proximate sensing unit and the touch input sensed by the touch sensing unit; and a controlling unit which controls the display unit to move the object to the calculated coordinates. 
     The coordinates calculating unit may calculate, when the touch input is sensed by the touch sensing unit after the proximate input is sensed by the proximate sensing unit, the coordinates based on the touch input sensed by the touch sensing unit. 
     Furthermore, the coordinates calculating unit may calculate, when the touch input is not sensed after the proximate input is sensed by the proximate sensing unit, the coordinates based on the proximate input sensed by the proximate sensing unit. 
     A sensing resolution of the touch sensing unit may be higher that a sensing resolution of the proximate sensing unit. 
     The coordinates calculating unit may calculate, when the proximate input and the touch input alternate, the coordinates of a point at which a last input, among the proximate input and the touch input, stopped. 
     The touch sensing unit may be at least one of a resistive touch method, a capacitive touch method, an infrared (IR) touch method, an optical touch method, and a surface acoustic wave (SAW) touch method. 
     The proximate sensing unit may comprise a plurality of IR sensors or a plurality of optical lens arrays. 
     The proximate sensing unit may be distributed in a bezel of the display apparatus. 
     A method for moving an object of a display apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment includes sensing a user&#39;s input on a display unit displaying an object, if a user&#39;s input is sensed, checking whether or not the user&#39;s input is a touch input, if it is determined that the user&#39;s input is a touch input, calculating coordinates of the touch input, if it is determined that the user&#39;s input is not a touch input, determining that the user&#39;s input is a proximate input and calculating coordinates of the proximate input, and moving the object to the calculated coordinates. 
     The method may include if the proximate input and the touch input occurs alternatively, calculating coordinates of the point where the last input stopped and moving the object to the calculated coordinates. 
     The proximate input may be sensed using a sensor module consisting of a plurality of IR sensors or optical lens arrays. 
     The touch input may be sensed using at least one of resistive touch method, capacitive touch method, IR method, optical touch method and SAW touch method. 
     The touch input may sense an input having higher sensing resolution than the proximate input. 
     The display apparatus may consist of a plurality of display panels and each of the plurality of display panels is fixed by a bazel, and the proximate input may be sensed by an proximate sensing unit which is distributed in a bazel between a plurality of display panels included in the display apparatus. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and/or other aspects of the present disclosure will be more apparent by describing certain present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a display apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment; 
         FIGS. 2A and 2B  illustrate a proximate sensing unit and a touch sensing unit, respectively, according to an exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a method for calculating coordinates in the display apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment; 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a dragging by a user according to an exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a dragging by a user in a multi-display apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a dragging by a user in a display apparatus in which the proximate sensing unit is provided in a bezel according to an exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 7  is a flow chart of a method for moving an object of the display apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment; and 
         FIG. 8  is a flow chart of a method for moving an object of the multi-display apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Certain exemplary embodiments are described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a display apparatus  100  according to an exemplary embodiment. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the display apparatus  100  includes a touch sensing unit  110 , a proximate sensing unit  120 , a coordinates calculating unit  130 , a controlling unit  140 , and a display unit  150 . Herein, the touch sensing unit  110 , the proximate sensing unit  120 , and the display unit  150  may be configured as one display panel  105 . 
     Outputs of the touch sensing unit  110  and the proximate sensing unit  120  are provided to the coordinates calculating unit  130 . The output of the coordinates calculating unit  130  is provided to the controlling unit  140 . An output of the controlling unit  140  is provided to the display unit  150  and controls the display unit  150 . 
     The touch sensing unit  110  and the proximate sensing unit  120  sense an input to the display unit  150 . More detailed explanation of the touch sensing unit  110  and the proximate sensing unit  120  will be presented below with reference to  FIG. 2 . 
       FIGS. 2A and 2B  illustrate the proximate sensing unit and the touch sensing unit, respectively, according to an exemplary embodiment. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 2A , the touch sensing unit  110  senses a touch input made by a direct contact of the display unit  150  by an input means (for example, a user&#39;s finger). This type of touch sensing unit  110  may sense the touch input by a number of different methods. For example, the touch sensing unit  110  may sense the touch input using a resistive touch method, a capacitive touch method, an infrared (IR) method, an optical touch method, or a surface acoustic wave (SAW) touch method. Herein, when an event of touching the touch screen occurs (i.e., when the touch input means touches the touch screen), the touch sensing unit  110  may obtain coordinates that are mapped on the resolution of the corresponding display. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 2B , the proximate sensing unit  120  senses a proximate input which is not made by direct contact of the display unit  150  by the input means. The proximate input is made by the input means maintaining a certain distance (for example, about 3 cm to 5 cm) from the display unit  150 . The proximate sensing unit  120  may be embodied by a plurality of sensor module arrays  125  mounted on the display unit  150  in addition to the touch sensing unit  110 . Herein, the sensor module may be an IR sensor or an optical lens. The proximate sensing unit  120  may sense the proximate input made by the input means from the certain distance (3˜5 cm) having coordinates of a resolution lower than that of the corresponding display unit  150 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the coordinates calculating unit  130  calculates coordinates corresponding to at least one of the touch input made by the touch sensing unit  110  and the proximate input made by the proximate sensing unit  120 . A method of calculating coordinates using either of the touch input or the proximate input is used by coordinates calculating unit  130 , and will be explained below with reference to  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a method for calculating coordinates in the display apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. 
     In  FIG. 3 , t 1  is a case in which both a proximate input by the proximate sensing unit  120  and a touch input by the touch sensing unit  110  are sensed. When both the proximate input and the touch input are sensed, the coordinates calculating unit  130  calculates the coordinates obtained by the touch input as the coordinates to be displayed on the display unit  150 . More specifically, when there are both P-prox(a,b) coordinates obtained from the proximate input and P-touch(x,y) coordinates obtained from the touch input, P-display(x′,y′) coordinates to be displayed on the display unit  150  are the P-touch(x,y) coordinates obtained from the touch input. Therefore, when both a touch input and a proximate input are obtained, the coordinates calculating unit  130  calculates the coordinates of the touch input which has a higher resolution as the coordinates to be displayed on the display unit  150 . 
     Meanwhile, t 2  illustrated in  FIG. 3  is a case in which a proximate input by the proximate sensing unit  120  is sensed but a touch input by the touch sensing unit  110  is not sensed. When the proximate input is sensed and the touch input is not sensed, the coordinates calculating unit  130  calculates the coordinates obtained from the proximate input as the coordinates to be displayed on the display unit  150 . More specifically, when P-prox(a,b) coordinates are obtained from the proximate input and no coordinates are obtained from the touch input, the P-display(x′,y′) coordinates to be displayed on the display unit  150  are the P-prox(x,y) coordinates obtained from the proximate input. Therefore, when the proximate input is sensed and the touch input is not sensed, the coordinates calculating unit  130  calculates the coordinates from the proximate input as the coordinates to be displayed on the display unit  150  even if the proximate input has a lower resolution. 
     In addition, when the proximate input and the touch input occur alternatively, the coordinates calculating unit  130  calculates the coordinates of the point where the last input stopped. More specifically, when the input of the point where the last input stopped after alternative inputs of the proximate inputs and touch inputs is a proximate input, the coordinates calculating unit  130  calculates the coordinates from the proximate input as the last coordinates. Likewise, when the input of the point where the last input stopped after alternative inputs of the proximate inputs and touch inputs is a touch input, the coordinates calculating unit  130  calculates the coordinates from the touch input as the last coordinates. 
     As aforementioned, by calculating the coordinates using the touch input sensed by the touch sensing unit  110  and the proximate input sensed by the proximate sensing unit  120 , the user may not only obtain the coordinates by the touch input having a high resolution when the touch event of the display unit  150  is not stopped, but even when the touch event of the display unit  150  is stopped, the user becomes able to obtain the coordinates by the proximate input. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the controlling unit  140  controls the overall operations of the display apparatus  100  according to a user command received from a user command receiving unit (not illustrated). 
     The controlling unit  140  controls the display unit  150  to move the object displayed on the display unit  150  to the coordinates obtained by the coordinates calculating unit  130 . Herein, the object may be, for example, a menu, an icon, or a cursor, etc. 
     The display unit  150  displays an image processed by an image processing unit (not illustrated). In addition, the display unit  150  displays various objects, and moves or operates the objects to the coordinates calculated by the coordinates calculating unit  130 . 
     Hereinbelow, various exemplary embodiments will be explained with reference to  FIGS. 4 to 6 . 
       FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a dragging by a user according to an exemplary embodiment. More specifically,  FIG. 4A  illustrates a case in which the user starts to drag an object at t 1 . As shown in  FIG. 4B , the user drags the object from t 1  to tn. During the drag, the touch input is sensed from t 1  to t 2 , but the touch contact fails from t 2  to tn, and thus the touch input is not sensed from t 2  to tn. However, from t 2  to tn, the user has maintained a certain distance (within 3˜5 cm) between the display unit  150  and the input means. 
     In a related art touch screen, since the touch input could be sensed from t 1  to t 2 , the object could be moved to t 2 , but since sensing the touch input from t 2  to tn fails, the object stops at t 2 . 
     However, according to an exemplary embodiment, from t 1  to t 2 , the object is moved using the coordinates from the touch input, while from t 2  to tn, the object is moved using the coordinates from the proximate input, and thus the object can be moved from t 1  to tn. 
     In a display apparatus  100  having a display unit  150  with a big size screen, maintaining the touch input from t 1  to tn may be inconvenient due to, for example, friction heat or the distance between t 1  to tn, etc. Therefore, the object could only be moved to t 2 , or the input means had to be touched again. However, according to an exemplary embodiment, even in a display apparatus  100  with a display unit  150  having a big size screen, the coordinates can be calculated from the proximate input, and thus it is possible to move the object more easily and conveniently. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a dragging of a user in a multi-display apparatus  500  according to an exemplary embodiment. The multi-display apparatus  500  includes a plurality of display apparatuses  100 . In this example shown in  FIG. 5 , nine display apparatuses  100  are included in the multi-display apparatus  500 . However, this is only an example, and the number of display apparatuses  100  may be any number greater than one. Herein, each display apparatus  100  of the multi-display apparatus  500  comprises both the touch sensing unit  110  and the proximate sensing unit  120 . 
     Like in  FIGS. 4A and 4B ,  FIG. 5  also illustrates the case in which the user drags an object from t 1  to tn, but the touch input is sensed only from t 1  to t 2 , and the touch contact fails, and is thus not sensed, from t 2  to tn. However, again, during the drag from t 2  to tn, a certain distance (within 3˜5 cm) is maintained between the display unit  150  and the input means. 
     Herein, just as in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , from t 1  to t 2 , the multi-display apparatus  500  moves the object using the coordinates from the touch input, and from t 2  to tn, moves the object using the coordinates from the proximate input. That is, as shown in the example of  FIG. 5 , the object is moved from a first display apparatus through a second display apparatus to a third display apparatus and then displayed. 
     Therefore, also in the multi-display apparatus  500  including a plurality of display apparatuses  100 , when sensing of the touch input fails during a drag operation, it is possible to calculate the coordinates from the proximate input, and thus the object can be moved easily and conveniently. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a dragging by a user in the display apparatus  100  in which the proximate sensing unit  120  is provided in a bezel  160  of the display apparatus  100  according to an exemplary embodiment. 
     Similar to in  FIG. 5 , in a case of a multi-display apparatus  600  that includes a plurality of display apparatuses  100 , each display apparatus  100  may comprise a bezel  160  around the edge of the display unit  150 . In  FIG. 6 , the multi-display apparatus  600  is shown with two display apparatuses  100  as an example. Herein, when moving the object from a display apparatus  100  to another display apparatus  100 , sensing the object sometimes fails since there is no sensing apparatus in the bezel. 
     Therefore, according to an exemplary embodiment, by equipping the bezel  160  with a plurality of proximate sensing units  120 , the bezel  160  becomes able to sense the object without failure in the bezel  160  area. Accordingly, when an object is dragged from point a to point b across the bezels  160  surrounding the display apparatuses  100 , the object may be sensed without failure as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     Meanwhile, the display panel included in each display apparatus  100  in  FIG. 6  may include both the touch sensing unit  110  and the proximate sensing unit  120 , but this is only an example. The display panel may include only the touch sensing unit  110 . 
     If each display panel in  FIG. 6  includes only the touch sensing unit  110 , the multi-display apparatus  500  may calculate coordinates using one of inputs from the touch sensing unit  110  provided on the display panel and the proximate sensing unit  120  provided in the bazel  160  area. 
     According to the aforementioned exemplary embodiments, a user is able to move an object easily and conveniently since the display apparatus senses at least one of a touch input and a proximate input, and the user is provided with the same ease and convenience in a display apparatus having a big size screen or in a multi-display apparatus as well. 
     Hereinbelow, a method for moving an object using the touch input and the proximate input will be explained with reference to  FIGS. 7 and 8 . 
       FIG. 7  is a flow chart for explaining the method for moving an object in a display apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. 
     First of all, the display apparatus  100  checks whether or not a user&#39;s input is sensed in the display unit where an object is displayed (S 710 ). 
     If a user&#39;s input is sensed (S 710 -Y 0 , the display apparatus  100  checks whether or not a touch input is sensed by the touch sensing unit  110  (S 720 ). 
     In this case, if a touch input is sensed by the touch sensing unit  110  (S 720 -Y), the display apparatus  100  calculates coordinates of the touch input (S 730 ). That is, if a touch input is sensed by the touch sensing unit  110 , the display apparatus  100  calculates coordinates of a touch input which has a higher sensing resolution than an proximate input. Subsequently, the display apparatus  100  moves an object to a point corresponding to the calculated coordinates (S 750 ). 
     Alternatively, if a user&#39;s input is sensed (S 710 -Y) while a touch input is not sensed by the touch sensing unit  110  (S 720 -N), the display apparatus  100  calculates coordinates of a proximate input (S 740 ). Subsequently, the display apparatus  100  moves an object to the calculated coordinates (S 750 ). 
     In addition, if a touch input and a proximate input occur alternately as a user&#39;s input, the display apparatus  100  may calculate coordinates of a point where the last input stopped and move an object accordingly. 
     Thus, the user is able to maintain an input such as dragging even if the touch event fails in mid-drag by calculating the coordinates using the touch input or the proximate input sensed by the touch sensing unit or the proximate sensing unit, respectively. Thus, the inconvenience felt when directly touching may be reduced. 
       FIG. 8  is a flow chart for explaining a method for moving an object in a multi-display apparatus  500  according to an exemplary embodiment. Herein, the multi-display apparatus  500  refers to a display system having a plurality of display apparatuses  100 . Herein, each of the display apparatuses of the multi-display apparatus  500  comprises the touch sensing unit  110  and the proximate sensing unit  120 . 
     The multi-display apparatus  500  displays the object on the first display apparatus among the plurality of display apparatuses (S 810 ). 
     The multi-display apparatus  500  senses a touch input using the touch sensing unit  110  and a proximate input using the proximate sensing unit  120  (S 820 ). For example, if the touch input is maintained from a first point of the first display apparatus to a second point of the first display apparatus, and the proximate input is sensed from the second point to a first point of the second display apparatus; from the first point to the second point of the display apparatus, the multi-display apparatus  500  senses the coordinates from the touch input, whereas from the second point of the first display apparatus to the first point of the second display apparatus, the multi-display apparatus  500  senses the coordinates from the proximate input. 
     When the touch input and the proximate input are sensed, the multi-display apparatus  500  moves the object from the first display apparatus to the second display apparatus and displays the object (S 830 ). 
     Therefore, also in the multi-display apparatus  500  having a plurality of display apparatuses  100 , it is possible to calculate the coordinates from the proximate input even if the touch input fails in mid-drag, thereby moving the object easily and conveniently. 
     As aforementioned, according to the various exemplary embodiments, by calculating the coordinates using an output from the touch sensing unit or the proximate sensing unit, the user is able to maintain the input such as dragging even if the touch event fails during the operation, reducing the inconvenience felt when directly touching. 
     Although a few exemplary embodiments of the present inventive concept have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the exemplary embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the inventive concept, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.