Patent Application
20110187750
This application claims priority from and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2010-0009795, filed on Feb. 3, 2010, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
1. Field
This disclosure relates to an apparatus to control an image displayed on a screen and a method therefor.
2. Discussion of the Background
In general, a touch screen is an input/output device that receives input data from a screen if a hand or an input device, such as a stylus and the like, touches the touch screen. The touch screen may determine a touch location at which the input device is touched and perform a specific process corresponding to the touch. The touch screen may also include a display device to display information. The touch screen is a relatively new input device to replace a conventional input device, such as a mouse, a keyboard, and the like. When the touch screen is applied to a display device of a portable terminal, a conventional keypad may be omitted, and thus, a display area thereof may increase.
A variety of touch screen input methods for increasing/decreasing a zoom of a conventional screen have been developed. An increase/decrease slider may be separately arranged, and an increase/decrease in the zoom may be performed using the slider arranged in a predetermined area of the screen. A degree of the increase/decrease may be proportional to a degree of movement of the increase/decrease slider. Also, the increase/decrease may be performed by combining an input via the keypad and an input via the touch screen. However, the above described methods may increase a size of the screen based on a center of the screen as opposed to based on a desired location, and thus, the user may have to adjust the screen to the desired location after the increase in the zoom is performed.
As another method, the increase/decrease in the zoom is performed by using a multi-touch screen. The method may perform the increase/decrease in the zoom of the image, and a degree of the increase/decrease may be proportional to a variation in a distance between points of the multi-touch input via the multi-touch. Although the method of using the multi-touch screen may increase the zoom of the screen based on the desired location, a cost is large compared with a single-input touch screen.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a method for controlling an image and apparatus to control an image displayed on a screen.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus that controls an image displayed on a screen based on a desired location using a touch screen input.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention also provide a method and apparatus that increases a zoom of an image at a location by a magnification using a single touch input on a touch screen.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention also provide a method and apparatus that receives a center location, sets a size of a selected area, and increases a zoom of the set selected area, and outputs the zoomed, set selected area to a screen.
Additional features of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention discloses a method for controlling an image, the method including displaying the image on a screen; activating a selected area of the image based on a touch point if a touch is sensed; adjusting a size of the selected area if the touch is maintained; setting the size of the selected area, increasing a zoom of the selected area; and displaying the zoomed selected area on the screen if a touch release is sensed.
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention discloses a method for controlling an image, the method including displaying the image on a screen; activating a selected area of the image based on a touch point if a touch is sensed; receiving a setting input to adjust a size of the selected area; increasing a zoom of the selected area; and displaying the zoomed selected area in the screen.
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention discloses an apparatus to control an image displayed on a screen, the apparatus including a touch sensing unit to sense a touch on the screen; a display unit to display the image on the screen; a screen processing unit to activate a selected area based on a touch point of the touch, to adjust a size of the selected area if the touch is maintained, and to set the size of the selected area and increase a zoom of the selected area to output the zoomed selected area to the display unit.
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention discloses an apparatus to control an image displayed on a screen, the apparatus including a touch sensing unit to sense a touch on the screen; a display unit to display the image on the screen; a screen processing unit to activate a selected area based on a touch point of the touch, to receive a setting input to adjust a size of the selected area, and to set the size of the selected area and increase a zoom of the set selected area to output the zoomed selected area to the display unit.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.
The invention is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure is thorough, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the size and relative sizes of layers and regions may be exaggerated for clarity. Like reference numerals in the drawings denote like elements.
It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected to” another element, it can be directly connected to the other element, or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected to” another element or layer, there are no intervening elements present.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a screen controlling method and apparatus controls, using an input on a touch screen, a magnification of a screen at a desired location.
The touch sensing unit 112 may be mounted on the display unit 114, and may include a touch panel or a touch sensor. Also, the touch sensing unit 112 may sense, using the touch panel or the touch sensor, a touch or a touch movement generated by a user. The touch sensor 112 may generate an input signal corresponding to the sensed touch and may transmit the generated input signal to the screen processing unit 120. If a touch occurs, the touch sensing unit 112 may detect a change sensed in a physical quantity, for example, a capacitance or a resistance and the like, may convert the detected change into an electric signal, and may transmit the electric signal to the screen processing unit 120.
The display unit 114 may display an image outputted from the screen processing unit 120. The display unit 114 may be at least one of a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), or an organic or inorganic Light Emitting Diode (LED) display, and the like.
The pressure measuring unit 116 may measure a pressure of a touch at a touch point.
If the touch is sensed, the screen processing unit 120 may activate a selected area based on the touch point, may set the selected area if the touch is maintained, and may increase the set selected area to a full screen to output the increased selected area to the display unit 114 if a touch release is sensed. An operation of the screen processing unit 120 will be described with reference to
The screen processing unit 120 may display the selected area 214 distinctively from the non-selected area when the selected area 214 is activated. To distinctively display the selected area 214 from the non-selected area, the selected area 214 may be displayed with an outline, as shown in
If a size of an output image is less than or equal to a size of the full screen, the screen processing unit 120 may change the set selected area 216 to a size equal to a size of the output image. Also, if the size of the output image is greater than the size of the full screen, the screen processing unit 120 may change the set selected area 216 to a size equal to a size of the full screen.
If the size of output image is greater than the size of the full screen, the screen processing unit 120 may activate a selected area to locate a touch point at a center of the selected area as illustrated in
The screen processing unit 120 may increase or decrease a zoom of the selected area 440 based on the touch point 430 if a touch is maintained at the touch point 430 for an amount of time.
The screen processing unit 120 may gradually increase or gradually decrease a size of a selected area between a minimum size and a size of a full screen if a touch is maintained on a touch point 430 for an amount of time.
The screen processing unit 120 may set the amount of time for changing the size of the selected area 522 based on a pressure measured by the pressure measuring unit 116. The screen processing unit 120 may adjust a speed of increasing or decreasing the size of the selected area 522 using a pressure measured by the pressure measuring unit 116. As an example, the screen processing unit 120 may determine the amount of time to be relatively short when the pressure is strong, thereby increasing the speed of increasing or decreasing the size of the selected area. Conversely, the screen processing unit 120 may determine the amount of time to be relatively long when the pressure is weak, thereby decreasing the speed of increasing or decreasing the size of the selected area.
The screen processing unit 120 may move a selected area based on a touch point as illustrated in
When a flicking input is sensed, the screen processing unit 120 may cancel an activation of the selected area, and may convert the selected area into a previous state of the activation.
According to the above descriptions, the screen processing unit 120 increases a zoom of a screen at a desired location by a desired magnification with a single touch. The screen processing unit 120 may also increase the screen at a desired location by the desired magnification with at least two touches. Hereinafter, the screen processing unit 120 that controls a screen with at least two touches will be described.
If a first touch is sensed, the screen processing unit 120 may activate a selected area based on a first touch point, may receive a setting input, namely, a second touch, to set the selected area, may increase a zoom of the set selected area, and may output the increased selected area to the display unit 114.
If a drag toward a first touch point is sensed as a setting input for setting a selected area as illustrated in
If a drag dragged away from the touch point is sensed as the setting input, the screen processing unit 120 may increase the size of the selected area 714 to be proportional to a dragged distance.
As another method of receiving at least two touches, if a first touch is sensed, the screen processing unit 120 may activate a selected area based on a first touch point, and may horizontally or vertically output, on a screen, a magnification scrollbar for adjusting a magnification of the image. Subsequently, if a movement of a scroll of the magnification scrollbar, namely, a second touch, is input, the screen processing unit 120 may adjust the size of the selected area based on an amount of scroll of the magnification scrollbar to set the selected area, and may increase the selected area to a full screen to output the increased selected area to the display unit 114.
Hereinafter, methods for controlling a screen using a touch screen input will be described in detail with reference to
If a termination input is sensed in operation 914, the screen controlling apparatus cancels the activation of the selected area, and converts the selected area into a previous state in operation 916. In this instance, the termination input may be a flicking input. Further, the termination input may be a flicking input on the touch point.
The touch point may be moved using a drag. If a location change of the touch point is sensed in operation 918, the screen controlling apparatus moves the selected area based on the touch point in operation 920.
Also, if it is sensed that a touch is maintained for an amount of time without changing a location in operation 922, the screen controlling apparatus may increase or decrease a size of the selected area based on the touch point according to an increase/decrease setting in operation 924.
If the touch release is not sensed in operation 926, the screen controlling apparatus proceeds to operation 928. If an increase/decrease change event is sensed in operation 928, the screen controlling apparatus may toggle the increase/decrease setting between an increase and a decrease in operation 930 and repeat back to operation 914.
The screen controlling apparatus determines whether a touch release is sensed, and if the touch release is not sensed in operation 926, the screen controlling apparatus repeatedly performs operation 914 through operation 930 until the touch release is sensed at operation 926.
If the touch release is sensed in operation 926, the screen controlling apparatus may increase a zoom of the selected area and output the zoomed selected area in a full screen. Aspects are not limited thereto such that the zoomed selected area need not be displayed in a full screen and may be displayed as an entirety of an image output area of a screen of a display.
If a termination input is sensed in operation 1014, the screen controlling apparatus cancels the activation of the selected area and converts the selected area into a previous state in operation 1016. In this instance, the termination input may be a flicking input. Further, the termination input may be a flicking input on the touch point.
The touch point may be moved by using a drag. If a location change of the touch point is sensed in operation 1018, the screen controlling apparatus may move the selected area based on the touch point in operation 1020.
If a magnification change input is sensed in operation 1022, the screen controlling apparatus may determine whether the sensed input is a magnification increase input or a magnification decrease input in operation 1024.
If the determining of operation 1024 determines that the sensed input is the magnification increase input, for example, the sensed input is a drag toward the touch point, the screen controlling apparatus may decrease the selected area to be proportional to a dragged distance in operation 1026.
If the determining of operation 1024 determines that the sensed input is the magnification decrease input, for example, the sensed input is a drag dragged away from the touch point, the screen controlling apparatus may increase the selected area to be proportional to the dragged distance in operation 1028.
Subsequently, the screen controlling apparatus may increase and output the selected area in a full screen in operation 1030. Aspects are not limited thereto such that the selected area need not be displayed in a full screen and may be displayed as an entirety of an image output area of a screen of a display.
If a termination input is sensed in operation 1114, the screen controlling apparatus cancels the activation of the selected area and converts the selected area into a previous state of the activation in operation 1116. In this instance, the termination input may be a flicking input. Further, the termination input may be a flicking input on the touch point.
The touch point may be moved by using a drag. If a location change of the touch point is sensed in operation 1118, the screen controlling apparatus moves the selected area based on the touch point in operation 1120.
If a movement of a scroll of a magnification scrollbar is sensed in operation 1122, the screen controlling apparatus determines whether the sensed movement of the scrollbar is a magnification increase input in operation 1124.
If the determining of operation 1124 determines that the sensed movement of the scrollbar is the magnification increase input, the screen controlling apparatus decreases the selected area to be proportional to a scrolled distance in operation 1126.
If the determining of operation 1124 determines that the sensed movement of the scrollbar is a magnification decrease input, the screen controlling apparatus increases the selected area to be proportional to the scrolled distance in operation 1128.
Subsequently, the screen controlling apparatus increases and outputs the selected area in a full screen in operation 1130. Aspects are not limited thereto such that the selected area need not be displayed in a full screen and may be displayed as an entirety of an image output area of a screen of a display.
The exemplary embodiments according to the present invention may be recorded in computer-readable media including program instructions to implement various operations embodied by a computer. The media may also include, alone or in combination with the program instructions, data files, data structures, and the like. The media and program instructions may be those specially designed and constructed for the purposes of the present invention, or they may be of the kind well-known and available to those having skill in the computer software arts. Examples of computer-readable media include magnetic media, such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape; optical media, such as CD ROM disks and DVD; magneto-optical media, such as optical disks; and hardware devices that are specially configured to store and perform program instructions, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, and the like, and combinations thereof. Examples of program instructions include both machine code, such as produced by a compiler, and files containing higher level code that may be executed by the computer using an interpreter. The described hardware devices may be configured to act as one or more software modules in order to perform the operations of the above-described exemplary embodiments of the present invention.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variation can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2010-0009795 | Feb 2010 | KR | national |
