MAP SCROLLING METHOD AND NAVIGATION TERMINAL

• US 20090024314A1
• Filed: 07/07/2008
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Jong-Hyun
• Granted Patent: US 8,108,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3673 Labelling using text of road map data items, e.g. road names, POI names
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for enabling the user to easily and rapidly access a map image of a desired position in a navigation terminal. When a touch input through a touch screen is generated in a route guidance mode, a virtual scroll button having the form of a multi-directional keypad is displayed, and a dragging direction and a dragging displacement are calculated through the button. Then, map scrolling is performed according to the calculated dragging direction and dragging displacement, thereby displaying a corresponding map image. Accordingly, the user can easily and rapidly move the map image, making it possible to easily find a map image of a desired position.

Claims

1. A map scrolling method in a navigation terminal comprising a touch screen, the method comprising the steps of:

determining if an input event is generated within a map image region in a route guidance mode, wherein the input event is entered through the touch screen;

displaying a multi-directional keypad at a point where the input event is generated, when the input event is determined to be generated within the map image region;

determining if a dragging event is generated in a state where the multi-directional keypad is displayed within the map image region;

calculating a dragging direction and a dragging displacement corresponding to the generated dragging event; and

adjusting a moving direction and a moving speed of a map image according to the calculated dragging direction and displacement.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

determining if a release event is generated after the input event has been generated; and

removing the multi-directional keypad when the release event is determined to be generated.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the step of calculating the dragging direction and dragging displacement, the dragging direction and dragging displacement are calculated from where the input event is generated.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the moving speed of the map image becomes faster as the dragging displacement is larger with respect to where the input event is generated.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the multi-directional keypad is overlapped and displayed on the map image.

6. A navigation terminal for performing a map scrolling operation, the navigation terminal comprising:

a touch screen for outputting input, dragging and release signals through a screen touch input by a user, and outputting a map image in a route guidance mode;

a touch screen input calculation unit for, when a dragging signal is transferred after an input event is generated from the touch screen, calculating a first position value of a point where a touch input by the user is generated and a second position value of a point to which a dragging operation is performed at a state where the touch input is applied, thereby calculating a dragging direction and a dragging displacement;

a map output calculation unit for calculating map data to be displayed on the touch screen according to the dragging direction and dragging displacement calculated by the touch screen input calculation unit; and

a controller for determining if the input signal is generated within a region of the map image in a route guidance mode, displaying a multi-directional keypad at a point where the input signal is generated when the input signal is generated within the map image region, and adjusting a moving speed and a moving direction of the map image according to the calculated dragging direction and displacement by using the map data provided from the map output calculation unit.

7. The navigation terminal as claimed in claim 6, wherein the controller determines if a release event is generated after the input event has been generated, and removes the multi-directional keypad when the release event is generated.

8. The navigation terminal as claimed in claim 6, wherein the touch screen input calculation unit calculates the dragging direction and dragging displacement from the point where the input event is generated.

9. The navigation terminal as claimed in claim 6, wherein the moving speed of the map image becomes faster as the dragging displacement increases with respect to the point where the input event is generated.

10. The navigation terminal as claimed in claim 6, wherein the multi-directional keypad is overlapped and displayed on the map image.