Mobile terminal having touch screen and method for displaying cursor thereof

Abstract

A method comprising measuring a change of capacitance associated with a user input approaching a display of an electronic device, determining whether the user input is within a proximity range of the display of the electronic device based on the change of capacitance, displaying a Graphical User Interface (GUI) object at a location of the display of the electronic device according to whether the user input is within the proximity range of the display of the electronic device, determining whether the user input is within a touch range of the display of the electronic device based on the change of capacitance, and performing a function at the location according to whether the user input is within the touch range of the display of the electronic device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 measuring a change of capacitance associated with a user input approaching a display of an electronic device;   determining whether the user input is within a proximity range of the display of the electronic device based on the change of capacitance;   displaying a Graphical User Interface (GUI) object at a location of the display of the electronic device according to whether the user input is within the proximity range of the display of the electronic device;   determining whether the user input is within a touch range of the display of the electronic device based on the change of capacitance; and   performing a function at the location according to whether the user input is within the touch range of the display of the electronic device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein displaying the GUI object comprises:
 displaying a cursor at the location of the display of the electronic device as an indication.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein displaying the GUI object comprises:
 displaying, as an indication, a corresponding one of a plurality of colored cursors based on an increase or decrease of a degree of the change of capacitance.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of colored cursors comprises:
 at least one of a dark colored cursor and a light colored cursor.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein displaying the GUI object comprises:
 displaying, as an indication, a corresponding one of a plurality of cursors of different sizes based on an increase or decrease of a degree of the change of capacitance.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user input is determined to be within the proximity range
 when a degree of the change of capacitance is within a first range that is predetermined.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 determining at least one of a first range or a second range based on another user input.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein performing the function at the location comprises:
 executing an application corresponding to the location.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the change of capacitance is measured based on a peak compare method. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the change of capacitance is measured based on a frequency conversion method. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user input is determined to be within the proximity range when a degree of the change of capacitance is greater than a first threshold value. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the user input is determined to be within the touch range when the degree of the change of capacitance is greater than a second threshold value.