ZOOMING TECHNIQUES FOR TOUCH SCREENS

• US 20100156806A1
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Data Services LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: STALLINGS, Heath
• Granted Patent: US 8,159,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A device may include a touch-sensitive display, a memory to store a group of instructions, and a processor. The processor may execute the instructions in the memory to detect that a circular motion is being made on or near a surface of the touch-sensitive screen, detect a location on the touch-sensitive screen at which the circular motion is being made, and zoom in or zoom out on an item, being displayed on the touch-sensitive screen at the detected location, based on detecting that the circular motion is being made on or near the surface of the touch-sensitive screen.

Claims

1. A computing device-implemented method, comprising:

detecting, by a processor of the computing device, that a circular motion is being made on or near a surface of the touch screen;

identifying, by the processor, an application with which an item, being displayed by the touch screen, is associated; and

zooming in or zooming out, by the processor, on the item displayed on the touch screen based on the identified application and in response to the processor detecting that the circular motion is being made on or near the surface of the touch screen.

2. The computing device-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, in a memory of the computing device, a plurality of parameters, the plurality of parameters being associated with the application and dictating how the zooming in or zooming out is performed by the processor.

3. The computing device-implemented method of claim 2, where the plurality of parameters includes a minimum size parameter that indicates a percentage of an original size to which the item can be zoomed out, and

where the zooming in or zooming out includes:

zooming out on the item to a size at or above the minimize size parameter.

4. The computing device-implemented method of claim 2, where the plurality of parameters includes a maximum size parameter that indicates a percentage of an original size to which the item can be zoomed in, and

where the zooming in or zooming out includes:

zooming in on the item to a size at or below the maximum size parameter.

5. The computing device-implemented method of claim 2, where the plurality of parameters includes a speed parameter that indicates how quickly the item is to be zoomed in or zoomed out, and

where the zooming in or zooming out includes:

zooming in or zooming out on the item based on the speed parameter.

6. The computing device-implemented method of claim 2, where the plurality of parameters includes a direction parameter that indicates a direction of the circular motion that causes the zooming in of the item,

where the detecting includes:

detecting a direction of the circular motion, and

where the zooming in or zooming out includes;

zooming in or zooming out on the item based on the detected direction and the direction parameter.

7. The computing device-implemented method of claim 2, where the plurality of parameters includes a location zooming parameter that indicates whether zooming is to be performed at a location of the circular motion, and

where the detecting includes:

detecting a location, on the touch screen, of the circular motion, and

where the zooming in or zooming out includes;

zooming in or zooming out on the item based on the detected location and the location zooming parameter.

8. The computing device-implemented method of claim 1, where the zooming in or zooming out is further based on an orientation of the computing device.

9. The computing device-implemented method of claim 1, where a smaller circular motion causes the zooming in or zooming out to occur at a slower pace than a larger circular motion.

10. The computing device-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, by the touch screen, a value indicating an amount of the zooming in or zooming out.

11. A device comprising:

a touch-sensitive screen;

a memory to store a plurality of instructions; and

a processor to execute instructions in the memory to;

detect that a circular motion is being made on or near a surface of the touch-sensitive screen,

detect a location on the touch-sensitive screen at which the circular motion is being made, and

zoom in or zoom out on an item, being displayed on the touch-sensitive screen at the detected location, in response to detecting that the circular motion is being made on or near the surface of the touch-sensitive screen.

12. The device of claim 11, where the memory is further to:

store a plurality of parameters, the plurality of parameters dictating how the zooming in or zooming out is performed by the processor.

13. The device of claim 12, where the plurality of parameters are associated with an application identifier in the memory,

where the item is associated with the application, and

where the processor zooms in or zooms out on the item based on the plurality of parameters.

14. The device of claim 12, where the plurality of parameters includes a minimum size parameter that indicates a percentage of an original size to which the item can be zoomed out, and

where, when zooming in or zooming out, the processor is to:

zoom out on the item to a size at or above the minimize size parameter.

15. The device of claim 12, where the plurality of parameters includes a maximum size parameter that indicates a percentage of an original size to which the item can be zoomed in, and

where, when zooming in or zooming out, the processor is to:

zoom in on the item to a size at or below the maximum size parameter.

16. The device of claim 12, where the plurality of parameters includes a speed parameter that indicates how quickly the item is to be zoomed in or zoomed out, and

where, when zooming in or zooming out, the processor is to:

zoom in or zoom out on the item based on the speed parameter.

17. The device of claim 12, where the plurality of parameters includes a direction parameter that indicates a direction of the circular motion that causes the zooming in of the item,

where, when detecting that a circular motion is being made, the processor is to:

detect a direction of the circular motion, and

where, when zooming in or zooming out, the processor is to;

zoom in or zoom out on the item based on the detected direction and the direction parameter.

18. The device of claim 11, where the processor zooms in or zooms out on the item based on an orientation of the computing device.

19. The device of claim 11, where a smaller circular motion causes the processor to zoom in or zoom out at a slower pace than a larger circular motion.

20. The device of claim 11, where the item includes:

a word processing document,

a spreadsheet document,

a picture, or

a web page.

21. A device comprising:

means for detecting a circular motion on or near a surface of a touch-sensitive display;

means for identifying an application executing on the device in response to detecting the circular motion;

means for identifying a set of parameters associated with the application, the set of parameters relating to a zoom operation; and

means for zooming in or zooming out on an item displayed on the touch-sensitive display based on the detected circular motion and the identified set of parameters.

22. The device of claim 21, where the identified set of parameters includes at least one of:

a minimum size to which the item can be shrunk,

a maximum size to which the item can be enlarged,

a speed at which the zooming in or zooming out occurs, or

a direction of the circular motion that causes the zooming in to occur.

23. The device of claim 21, further comprising:

means for detecting a location on the touch-sensitive display at which the circular motion occurs, and

where the means for zooming in or zooming out on the item includes;

means for zooming in or zooming out on the item at the detected location.

24. The device of claim 21, further comprising:

means for detecting an orientation of the device, and

where the means for zooming in or zooming out on the item includes;

means for zooming in or zooming out on the item based on the detected orientation.