(12> Ulllted States Patent
`Choi et al.
`
`US006211856B1
`(16) Patent N6.=
`US 6,211,856 B1
`(45) Date of Patent:
`Apr. 3, 2001
`
`(54) GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE TOUCH
`SCREEN WITH AN AUTO ZOOM FEATURE
`
`(76) Inventors: Sung M. Choi, 22420 Creston Dr., Los
`
`5,119,079 * 6/1992 Hube et a1. ........................ .. 345/146
`5,463,725
`10/1995 Henckel et a1. .
`395/155
`5,491,495 * 2/1996 Ward et a1.
`345/173
`i
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`CA(Us) 95134
`_
`_
`_
`_
`sublectto any dlsclalmemheterm Ofthls
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
`
`(21) A 1 N 09/062 364
`pp .
`0.:
`,
`_
`(22) Filed:
`
`Apr. 17, 1998
`
`IIlt. Cl-7 ............................. ..
`
`G06T 3/40
`(52) US. Cl. ......................... .. 345/130; 345/339; 345/439
`(58) Field Of Search ................................... .. 345/123, 130,
`345/156, 158, 169, 173, 352, 327, 348—351,
`339, 179, 168, 439; 348/734
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`4,746,981 * 5/1988 Nada et al. ........................ .. 345/127
`477517507 * 6/1988 Hama et a1‘ "
`345/131
`
`364/521
`5,001,697 * 3/1991 Torres ......... ..
`5,063,535 * 11/1991 Jacobs et a1. ...................... .. 395/575
`
`5,739,744 * 4/1998 R008. et a1. . . . . . . .
`. . . . . .. 340/20
`5,886,697 * 3/1999 Naughton et a1.
`345/348
`5,956,025 * 9/1999 Goulden et a1.
`345/327
`5,973,691 * 10/1999 Servan-Schreiber
`345/342
`5,986,657 * 11/1999 Berteig et a1. ..................... .. 345/357
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`
`IBM, Systems Application Architecture, Jun. 1989*
`
`* cited by examiner
`
`Primary Examiner—Vij ay Shankar
`Examiner_ManOur
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—EdWard W. Goodman
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`A graphical user interface touch screen having an entire
`collection of icons displayed at a scale in Which the indi
`vidual function of each icon is recognizable, but too small to
`easily access features of the function, and Wherein upon
`touching the screen area accommodating an area of the icon,
`the screen provides a Zoomed in version of that area so that
`-
`the user can select a desired feature.
`
`13 Claims, 3 Drawing Sheets
`
`000
`
`O0 < > X 023
`VCR
`
`O00
`
`V
`
`002 024
`DVD
`
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`
`_ f22
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`i
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`5
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`4
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`X
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`AG) 6) VOL {.1
`
`GOOGLE Ex. 1007 - pg. 1
`Google v. Philips
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Apr. 3, 2001
`
`Sheet 1 013
`
`US 6,211,856 B1
`
`2 .2;
`
`m: .6;
`
`E .01
`
`GOOGLE Ex. 1007 - pg. 2
`Google v. Philips
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Apr. 3, 2001
`
`Sheet 2 0f 3
`
`US 6,211,856 B1
`
`O
`
`um: 8OOA\/~25
`Tv©f 26
`
`O
`
`FIG. 2A
`
`GOOGLE Ex. 1007 - pg. 3
`Google v. Philips
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Apr. 3, 2001
`
`Sheet 3 013
`
`US 6,211,856 B1
`
`\/30
`
`v01 l4
`
`VOL
`
`/ /
`U1
`,6)
`@
`
`*(QCDGI >
`
`MENU
`
`FIG. 2B
`
`30 X DISPLAY
`
`)
`
`( )
`
`CONTROLLER
`
`GOOGLE Ex. 1007 - pg. 4
`Google v. Philips
`
`

`
`US 6,211,856 B1
`
`1
`GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE TOUCH
`SCREEN WITH AN AUTO ZOOM FEATURE
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`1. Field of the Invention
`The invention relates, in general, to electronic devices
`having a relatively small display for providing a graphical
`user interface, and, in particular, to a hand-held electronic
`device having a graphical user interface (“GUI”) and “touch
`screen” for accessing an entire collection of functions of the
`electronic device.
`2. Description of the Prior Art
`Icons are Well knoWn in the art of graphical user interfaces
`(GUI’s) for controlling information processing systems. An
`icon is a small pictorial representation of some larger set of
`information. An icon provides information, in a condensed
`format, about the content or status of the underlying system.
`Icons are designed to trigger, through visual perception,
`operator concepts that communicate the content or operation
`of the system in a quick manner. The system then can be
`easily accessed or used through actuation of the icon.
`An eXample of a controller unit for a home entertainment
`system is the Stage 3 Controller unit of KenWood, described
`in KenWood’s publicly available manual “STAGE 3/ Setting
`up your KC-Zl Controller”, 1996. The control unit includes
`a hand-held controller With a touch screen functionality for
`the GUI. The GUI provides a large number of icons that
`correspond to a large number of system functionalities. The
`functionalities are activated through the icons on the touch
`screen. The GUI is user-programmable to select the icons
`that should be present in the main menu and those that
`should not. This is due to the relatively small amount of
`screen space available to the GUI.
`Today’s home entertainment systems have a large number
`of functions available to the user. The KenWood Controller
`unit uses a GUI to eXtend the number of functions that are
`available. The problem With GUI displays for hand-held
`devices, such as remote controls for consumer electronic
`devices, for personal digital assistants (PDAs) and other
`portable data devices, and even for photocopiers is that they
`are relatively tiny. Adding the touch screen functionality to
`these displays means the displayed icons have to be large
`enough to be accessible by a person’s ?ngers or if the icons
`are tiny, then they must be large enough so that some type
`of stylus can be used to “touch” the icon. If larger icons are
`used the number of functionalities to be displayed dimin
`ishes. These draWbacks limit the use of touch screen dis
`plays on hand-held devices.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a
`GUI touch screen display on a hand-held device that pro
`vides a maXimum number of icons on the display yet the
`features of the icons are easily accessible by a user.
`This object is achieved by providing a Zoom feature
`Whereby a relatively small icon is provided on the GUI such
`that its functions are recogniZable but not easily accessable
`by a user, but upon touch of the icon by a user the icon is
`made larger or magni?ed so that its functions can be
`accurately touched by a user’s ?nger or stylus. Assuming the
`original icon is a picture of a keyboard, the icon in accor
`dance With the invention is large enough to make the
`displayed keys “recognizable”, but too small to alloW indi
`vidual keys to be conveniently accessed by the user. When
`the keyboard icon is touched by the user, in one embodiment
`
`15
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`25
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`35
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`45
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`55
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`2
`of the invention, the area of the icon that is touched, e.g., the
`keys surrounding the “G” key, is magni?ed or Zoomed in,
`such that this area ?lls the entire space that Was provided for
`the original keyboard icon. Alternatively in another
`embodiment, When the keyboard icon is touched by the user,
`the entire icon becomes larger to basically ?ll the screen of
`the GUI or just the area touched becomes large enough to ?ll
`the screen of the GUI.
`In yet another embodiment of the invention, the user can
`scroll across the keyboard such that neW areas become
`magni?ed.
`The invention pertains to electronic devices having rela
`tively small displays for providing touch screen GUI’s and
`to hand-held electronic devices, such as remote controls and
`personal digital assistants, PDA’s. The devices include a
`display for displaying a GUI, and a controller for enabling
`a user to control the system through a touch screen func
`tionality of the GUI. The GUI provides a lay-out for each of
`the icons and the controller and GUI in conjunction provide
`a magnifying functionality that Will Zoom in on the icon to
`a magni?cation convenient for touch screen actuation.
`The invention accordingly comprises the several steps and
`the relation of one or more of such steps With respect to each
`of the others, and the apparatus embodying features of
`construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of
`parts Which are adapted to effect such steps, all as eXempli
`?ed in the folloWing detailed disclosure, and the scope of the
`invention Will be indicated in the claims.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`The invention is eXplained in further detail by Way of
`example and With reference to the accompanying drawings,
`Wherein:
`FIG. 1a is a diagram of a PDA GUI touch screen shoWing
`a keyboard icon;
`FIG. 1b is a diagram of the PDA of FIG. 1a after the user
`has touched the keyboard icon at approximately the letter
`“H” location;
`FIG. 1c is a diagram of the PDA of FIG. 1a Wherein the
`Zoomed in area of the icon ?lls the icon area only;
`FIG. 2a is a diagram of a remote control device GUI touch
`screen keypad shoWing a keyboard icon;
`FIG. 2b is a diagram of the remote control device in FIG.
`2a When the vol A portion of the icon in FIG. 2a is touched;
`and
`FIG. 3 shoWs the electronic device in accordance With the
`invention.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
`
`Graphical user interfaces are Well knoWn in the art. US.
`Pat. No. 5,463,725, hereby incorporated by reference, is an
`eXample of a GUI With touch screen functionality.
`FIGS. 1a and 1b shoW a PDA 10 having a touch-screen
`GUI 13 in accordance With the invention. The keyboard icon
`12 is displayed such that it is large enough to see its
`functionalities, but too small for convenient touch screen
`activation of a single key. If a user touches area 14 of the
`keyboard icon 12 the resulting display 16 is shoWn in FIG.
`1b. As can be seen from this display 16 the individual keys
`surrounding area 14 are magni?ed and large enough for easy
`touch screen activation of a single key by a ?nger, such as
`the “G” key 18 or any other nearby key. Upon releasing the
`“G” key 18 the key is highlighted indicating its activation
`
`GOOGLE Ex. 1007 - pg. 5
`Google v. Philips
`
`

`
`US 6,211,856 B1
`
`3
`and the GUI 13 then redisplays the original icon 12.
`Although FIG. 1b shoWs the actual siZe of the icon
`increasing, this is not a requirement of the invention.
`Alternatively, the icon can stay the same siZe but a feature
`of the icon Will be magni?ed or zoomed in on as shoWn in
`FIG. 1c.
`In another embodiment of the invention, When the icon 12
`is touched at 14 and released and the features of the icon are
`magni?ed, the user can make a selection of a key or feature
`and upon release of the user’s ?nger, after key selection, the
`icon does not automatically return the display 16 to the
`initial state 12, but instead the user can make another
`selection. After a predetermined time period has elapsed
`Without a key selection being made, the icon returns to its
`original state 12.
`In a further embodiment of the invention, the user can
`move across the entire keyboard by touching a particular
`edge of the magni?ed area causing magni?cation of the neXt
`area of the keyboard thus achieving a scrolling effect. In this
`embodiment of the invention, upon selection of a function or
`key of the icon, the icon Will return to its original siZe, or
`again the icon could remain magni?ed until a predetermined
`time period elapses Without a key being selected.
`FIG. 2a shoWs a remote control for a consumer electronic
`device 20 having a touch-screen GUI 22. There are three
`icons displayed: the VCR icon 23, the DVD icon 24 and the
`TV icon 25. Each icon is too small to easily access the
`plurality of keys associated With the icon, hoWever, the keys
`are recogniZable. Upon touching one of the icons it Will
`enlarge the area surrounding the point of touch 26 as shoWn
`in FIG. 2b or alternatively, if the display is large enough, all
`of the keys for a particular device may be accessible. The
`functionalities, such as scrolling 30, explained above With
`regard to the PDA can also be included in the remote control.
`In addition the icon itself can remain the same siZe but a
`feature of the icon Will be Zoomed in on.
`FIG. 3 shoWs a block diagram of the GUI touch-screen
`display 30 and its associated controller 35 Which permits
`touch-screen actuation of the GUI.
`It Will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among
`those made apparent from the preceding description, are
`ef?ciently attained and, since certain changes may be made
`in carrying out the above method and in the construction set
`forth Without departing from the spirit and scope of the
`invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the
`above description and shoWn in the accompanying draWings
`shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
`What is claimed is:
`1. A graphical user interface touch screen, for displaying
`a user-controllable function of an electronic device, com
`prising:
`means for displaying the function as an icon, the function
`corresponding to a plurality of ?gures, and displayed at
`a scale siZe in Which the function is recogniZable by a
`user but too small to easily select features of the
`plurality of features; and
`means for providing a magni?ed version of a subset of
`features of the plurality of features upon the user
`touching an area of the icon, thereby facilitating a
`selection of a select one of the subset of features.
`2. The graphical user interface touch screen as claimed in
`claim 1, Wherein the graphical user interface touch screen
`further comprises:
`means for causing the magni?ed version of the subset of
`features to scroll across the icon such that a neW subset
`of features of the plurality of features is magni?ed.
`
`1O
`
`15
`
`25
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`35
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`45
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`55
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`60
`
`4
`3. The graphical user interface touch screen as claimed in
`claim 1, Wherein the graphical user interface touch screen
`further comprises:
`means for displaying the icon at the ?rst scale siZe after
`selection of a feature.
`4. The graphical user interface touch screen as claimed in
`claim 1, Wherein the graphical user interface touch screen
`further comprises:
`means for indicating that the select one of the subset of
`features has been selected by the user.
`5. The graphical user interface touch screen as claimed in
`claim 1, Wherein the a siZe of icon has a siZe is the same as
`a siZe of the magni?ed version of the subset of the features.
`6. The graphical user interface touch screen as claimed in
`claim 5, Wherein the area of the icon has a corresponding
`location on the touch screen, and the magni?ed version of
`the subset of features is displayed at the same location on the
`touch screen upon the user touching the area of the icon.
`7. A portable data device, comprising:
`a graphical user interface touch screen that is con?gured
`to display a plurality of functions of the portable data
`device in the form of icons, at least one function
`corresponding to a plurality of features, and displayed
`at a scale siZe in Which the at least one function is
`recogniZable but too small to easily access select fea
`tures of the plurality of features; and
`a controller that is con?gured to provide a magni?ed
`version of a subset of features of the plurality of
`features upon a user touching an area of the icon, such
`that the subset of features becomes large enough for the
`user to easily select a feature of the subset of features
`and thereby control the portable data device.
`8. The portable data device as claimed in claim 7, Wherein
`the at least one function is a keyboard function, and the
`plurality of features for the keyboard function corresponds
`to a plurality of selectable alphanumeric keys.
`9. The portable data device as claimed in claim 7, Wherein
`the controller includes means for, upon the user touching an
`edge of the magni?ed version of the subset of features,
`providing a magni?ed version of another subset of features
`of the plurality of features.
`10. The remote control as claimed in claim 9, Wherein the
`icon depicts a remote control device for a particular type of
`consumer electronic device, the plurality of features corre
`sponding to individual controls of the remote control device
`for the particular type of consumer electronic device.
`11. A remote control for controlling a consumer electron
`ics device, comprising:
`a graphical user interface touch screen Which displays at
`least one function of the remote control in the form of
`an icon, the function corresponding to a plurality of
`features, and displayed at a scale siZe in Which the
`function of an icon is recogniZable but too small to
`easily access select a select feature of the plurality of
`features corresponding to the function; and
`a controller that is con?gured to provide a magni?ed
`version of a subset of features of the plurality of
`features upon a user touching an area of the icon, such
`that the magni?ed version of the subset of features
`becomes large enough for the user to easily select one
`of the subset of features by touching the touch screen.
`12. A method of operating an electronic device, compris
`ing the steps:
`displaying, on a graphical user interface touch screen, a
`function of the electronic device in the form of an icon,
`the function corresponding to a plurality of features,
`
`GOOGLE Ex. 1007 - pg. 6
`Google v. Philips
`
`

`
`US 6,211,856 B1
`
`5
`and displayed at a scale size in Which the function is
`recognizable by a user but too small to easily select a
`feature of the plurality of features of the function; and
`providing a magni?ed version of a subset of features of
`the plurality of features upon the user touching an area 5
`of the icon such that the rnagni?ed version becomes
`large enough for the user to easily access the subset of
`features by touching the touch screen.
`
`6
`13. The method of operating an electronic device as
`claimed in claim 11, Wherein the method further comprises
`the Step;
`.
`.
`.
`scrolling the rnagni?ed version such that neW subsets of
`the plurality of features become magni?ed‘
`
`*
`
`*
`
`*
`
`*
`
`*
`
`GOOGLE Ex. 1007 - pg. 7
`Google v. Philips
`
`

`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION
`
`PATENT NO.
`APPLICATION NO.
`DATED
`INVENTOR(S)
`
`: 6,211,856 B1
`: 09/062364
`: April 3, 2001
`: Sung M. Choi et al.
`
`Page 1 Of3
`
`It is certified that error appears in the above-identi?ed patent and that said Letters Patent is hereby corrected as shown below:
`
`Column 3, line 50 to Column 4, line 13 should read as follows:
`
`1. A graphical user interface touch screen, for displaying a user-controllable function of an electronic
`device, comprising:
`means for displaying the function as an icon, the function corresponding to a plurality of
`user-selectable features, the icon being displayed with the plurality of the user-selectable features, and
`the icon being displayed at a first scale size; and
`means for displaying a subset of the displayed features at a second scale size that is larger than the
`first scale size, upon a user touching an area of the icon, thereby facilitating a selection of a select one
`of the subset of features.
`
`2. The graphical user interface touch screen as claimed in claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface
`touch screen further comprises:
`means for causing the subset of the features displayed at the second scale size to scroll across the
`icon such that a new subset of the features is displayed at the second scale size.
`
`3. The graphical user interface touch screen as claimed in claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface
`touch screen further comprises:
`means for displaying the icon at the first scale size after selection of a feature.
`
`4. The graphical user interface touch screen as claimed in claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface
`touch screen further comprises:
`means for indicating that the select one of the subset of features has been selected by the user.
`
`5. The graphical user interface touch screen as claimed in claim 1, wherein a size of the icon is
`substantially the same as a further size of the subset of the features displayed at the second scale size.
`
`Signed and Sealed this
`Seventh Day of August, 2012
`
`David J. Kappos
`Director ofthe United States Patent and Trademark O?ice
`
`GOOGLE Ex. 1007 - pg. 8
`Google v. Philips
`
`

`
`CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION (continued)
`US. Pat. No. 6,211,856 B1
`
`Column 4, line 14 to Column 4, line 47 should read as follows:
`
`Page 2 of 3
`
`6. The graphical user interface touch screen as claimed in claim 5, wherein the area of the icon has a
`corresponding location on the touch screen, and the subset of the features displayed at the second scale
`size is displayed in substantially the same location on the touch screen upon the user touching the area
`of the icon.
`
`7. A portable data device, comprising:
`a graphical user interface touch screen that is configured to display a user-controllable function as
`an icon, the function corresponding to a plurality of user-selectable features, the icon being displayed
`with the plurality of the user-selectable features, and the icon being displayed at a first scale size; and
`a controller to control displaying a subset of the displayed features at a second scale size that is
`larger than the first scale size, upon a user touching an area of the icon.
`
`8. The portable data device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the function comprises a keyboard function,
`and the plurality of features for the keyboard function corresponds to a plurality of selectable
`alphanumeric keys.
`
`9. The portable data device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the controller includes means for, upon the
`user touching an edge of the subset of the features displayed at the second scale size, causing another
`subset of the features to be displayed at the second scale size.
`
`10. The remote control as claimed in claim 11, wherein the icon depicts a remote control device for a
`particular type of consumer electronic device, the plurality of features corresponding to individual
`controls of the remote control device for the particular type of consumer electronic device.
`
`Column 4, line 48 to Column 6, line 5 should read as follows:
`
`11. A remote control for controlling a consumer electronics device, comprising:
`a graphical user interface touch screen which displays a user-controllable function of the remote
`control as an icon, the function corresponding to a plurality of user-selectable features, the icon being
`displayed with the plurality of the user-selectable features, and the icon being displayed at a first scale
`size; and
`a controller to control displaying a subset of the features at a second scale size that is larger than the
`first scale size, upon a user touching an area of the icon.
`
`12. A method of operating an electronic device, comprising the steps:
`displaying, on a graphical user interface touch screen, a function of the electronic device as an icon,
`the function corresponding to a plurality of user-selectable features, the icon being displayed with the
`plurality of the user-selectable features, and the icon being displayed at a first scale size; and
`displaying a subset of the features at a second scale size that is larger than the first scale size, upon
`the user touching an area of the icon.
`
`GOOGLE Ex. 1007 - pg. 9
`Google v. Philips
`
`

`
`CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION (continued)
`US. Pat. No. 6,211,856 B1
`
`Page 3 of 3
`
`13. The method of operating an electronic device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the method further
`comprises the step:
`scrolling the subset of features displayed at the second scale size such that new subsets of the
`plurality of features become displayed at the second scale size.
`
`GOOGLE Ex. 1007 - pg. 10
`Google v. Philips