SCROLLING METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 20080134078A1
• Filed: 05/03/2007
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Han, Sang-jun
• Application Number:
  US11/743,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20080134078A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Provided are a method and apparatus for performing scrolling. The method includes receiving a first location and a second location, calculating the angle between the first location and the second location by using a predetermined reference point, determining a direction of and/or an extent of scrolling by using the calculated angle, and performing scrolling according to the determined direction and/or the extent of scrolling. Accordingly, it is possible to allow a user to rapidly search for a desired item by performing scrolling more easily and conveniently than when using the existing method of scrolling a list using a scroll bar.

Claims

1. A method of performing scrolling, comprising:

receiving a first location and a second location;

determining an angle between the first location and the second location by using a predetermined reference point;

determining at least one of a direction of and an extent of scrolling by using the determined angle; and

performing scrolling according to the at least one of the determined direction and the extent of scrolling.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the first location and the second location comprises detecting the first location touched using a touch-based input device and at predetermined intervals of time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the first location and the second location comprises, when performing dragging using an input device, detecting a cursor location at predetermined intervals of time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the direction of scrolling according to the determined angle comprises determining the direction of scrolling according to a sign of the angle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the at least one direction of scrolling according to the determined angle comprises determining scrolling a total number of items, where the total number of items is calculated by dividing the angle by a predetermined value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the first location and the second location comprises, when a gesture of drawing an arch or a circle is input, receiving point locations, which form the arch or the circle, at predetermined intervals of time.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining a central point in the arch or the circle as the predetermined reference point.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the extent of scrolling comprises determining the extent of scrolling according to a speed at which a gesture inputting the first location and the second location is input.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a central point on a screen as the predetermined reference point.

10. An apparatus for performing scrolling, comprising:

an input unit via which a first location and a second location are input;

a gesture analysis unit determining an angle between the first location and the second location by using a predetermined reference point, and determining at least one of a direction of scrolling and an extent of scrolling using the determined angle; and

a central processing unit performing scrolling according to the determined at least one of direction of scrolling and the extent of scrolling.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the input unit is a touch-based input device,

wherein the touch-based input device detects touched locations at predetermined intervals of time, and determines the touched locations as the first location and the second location.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the input unit detects cursor locations at predetermined intervals of time when dragging is performed, and determines the cursor locations as the first location and the second location.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the gesture analysis unit determines the direction of scrolling according to a sign of the angle.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the gesture analysis unit determines scrolling a total number of items, where the total number is calculated by dividing the angle by a predetermined value.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein, when a gesture of drawing an arch or a circle is input, the input unit detects locations of points, which form the arch or the circle, at predetermined intervals of time.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the gesture analysis unit determines a central point in the arch or the circle as the predetermined reference point.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the gesture analysis unit determines the extent of scrolling according to a speed at which a gesture inputting the first location and the second location is input.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the gesture analysis unit determines a central point on a screen as the predetermined reference point.

19. A computer readable medium having recorded thereon instructions for causing a computer to execute a method, the method comprising:

receiving a first location and a second location;

determining an angle between the first location and the second location by using a predetermined reference point;

determining at least one of a direction of and an extent of scrolling by using the determined angle; and

performing scrolling according to the at least one of the determined direction and the extent of scrolling.