METHOD OF OPERATING A PORTABLE TERMINAL AND PORTABLE TERMINAL SUPPORTING THE SAME

• US 20100295805A1
• Filed: 05/10/2010
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, Bong Won, SHIN, Hyun Kyung
• Granted Patent: US 8,910,068 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

Disclosed is a portable terminal operation method and a portable terminal supporting the same that enable rapid and convenient operation of a user function in relation to a particular item on a touch screen. The method includes: outputting an area in which one or more scrollable items are arranged; appointing a particular item when a first touch event occurs, determining if a second touch event occurs on the appointed item within a range in which item scrolling does not occur; and changing at least one of a part of a color, and a shape of an image, corresponding to the appointed particular item according to the occurrence of the second touch event.

Claims

1. A method, operable in a controller of a portable terminal, the method comprising:

outputting an area in which one or more scrollable items are arranged;

appointing a particular item when a first touch event occurs, determining if a second touch event occurs on the appointed item within a range in which item scrolling does not occur; and

changing at least one of;

a part of a color and a shape of an image corresponding to the appointed particular item according to the occurrence of the second touch event.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising activating a user function preset for the appointed particular item according to the occurrence of the second touch event.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second touch event is a touch drag event, which moves the appointed particular item in at least one direction.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, in activating a user function, different user functions are activated according to a direction in which the touch drag event progresses.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising canceling the change of the image according to progression of the touch drag event, wherein cancellation occurs after determining at least one of:

the touch drag event is cancelled before the touch drag event progresses beyond a threshold set in the image corresponding to the appointed image;

the touch drag event is cancelled after the touch drag event progresses beyond the threshold set in the image corresponding to the appointed image;

the touch drag event progresses out of the range, in which item scrolling does not occur, before the touch drag event progresses beyond the threshold set in the image corresponding to the appointed image; and

the touch drag event progresses out of the range, in which item scrolling does not occur, after the touch drag event progresses beyond the threshold set in the image corresponding to the appointed image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein changing at least one of a part of a color or a shape of the image comprises, according to progression of the touch drag event at least one of:

separating one end of the image corresponding to the appointed particular item from a background of the image, and moving the image toward another end opposite to said one end while exposing the background and gradually increasing a height between said one end and the background so that the image is turned over in a direction in which the touch drag event progresses;

separating one end of the image corresponding to the appointed particular item from a background of the image, and rolling the image toward another end opposite to said one end while exposing the background so that the image is rolled in a direction in which the touch drag event progresses;

gradually removing at least one of a color or a shape of at least a part of the image corresponding to the appointed particular item;

instantly removing at least one of a color or a shape of at least a part of the image corresponding to the appointed particular item;

crumpling a part of the image from one end thereof to a current position of the touch drag event, and displaying a preset image on the background when the touch drag event has progressed beyond a threshold;

rotating the image about an axis by moving one side of the image backward into the background and an opposite side of the image forward out of the background so that a height of said one side gradually increases and a height of said opposite side gradually decreases; and

dividing the image into at least two areas and moving the divided areas in different directions while exposing the background.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

exposing at least a part of the background of the image according to change of the image;

outputting at least one of text information, icon information, and image information, which describes the user function, in the background; and

outputting a voice signal describing the user function.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein, in activating a user function, the user function is activated when one of:

the touch drag event has progressed beyond a threshold set in the image corresponding to the appointed particular item and when another touch event occurs after the touch drag event has progressed beyond the threshold.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the threshold is located at a position, which is adjusted according to a location where the touch event has occurred, within an area of the image.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the range, in which item scrolling does not occur, has an area larger than the area of the image corresponding to the appointed particular item.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the range, in which item scrolling does not occur, has an area including a part of an adjacent item area when images of multiple items arranged adjacent to each other.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing at least one of a color and a shape of the image corresponding to the appointed item, in which the first touch event has occurred.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

when the particular item is an item, to which it is not possible to apply the preset user function, displaying the particular item in a manner, by which the particular item can be discriminated from another item, to which it is possible to apply the preset user function; and

when the particular item is an item, to which it is not possible to apply the preset user function, allowing only a predetermined user function from among user functions of the particular item.

14. A portable terminal comprising:

a touch panel for generating an event according to a touch;

a display unit for outputting a screen including an area in which one or more scrollable items are arranged; and

a control unit for controlling an image change of the items output in the display unit,

wherein the control unit activates a user function linked to a particular item when a first touch event appointing the particular item occurs and a second touch event on the particular item within a range in which item scrolling does not occur.

15. The portable terminal of claim 14, wherein the first touch event is a touch down event making contact with the touch panel, and the second touch event is a touch drag event for moving a contact point of the touch down event in a predetermined direction within the range in which item scrolling does not occur, while maintaining the touch down event.

16. The portable terminal of claim 15, wherein the control unit changes a color or a shape of an image corresponding to the appointed particular item according to progression of the touch drag event, and

the control unit performs according to progression of the touch drag event, at least one of:

separating one end of the image corresponding to the appointed particular item from a background of the image, and moving the image toward another end opposite to said one end while exposing the background and gradually increasing a height between said one end and the background so that the image is turned over in a direction in which the touch drag event progresses;

separating one end of the image corresponding to the appointed particular item from a background of the image, and rolling the image toward another end opposite to said one end while exposing the background so that the image is rolled in a direction in which the touch drag event progresses;

gradually removing at least one of a color or a shape of at least a part of the image corresponding to the appointed particular item;

instantly removing at least one of a color or a shape of at least a part of the image corresponding to the appointed particular item;

crumpling a part of the image from one end thereof to a current position of the touch drag event, and displaying a preset image on the background when the touch drag event has progressed beyond a threshold;

rotating the image about an axis by moving one side of the image backward into the background and an opposite side of the image forward out of the background so that a height of said one side gradually increases and a height of said opposite side gradually decreases; and

dividing the image into at least two areas and moving the divided areas in different directions while exposing the background.

17. The portable terminal of claim 16, wherein the control unit cancels the change of the image according to progression of the touch drag event, wherein cancellation is determined by the occurrence at least one of:

the touch drag event is cancelled before the touch drag event progresses beyond a threshold set in the image corresponding to the appointed image;

the touch drag event is cancelled after the touch drag event progresses beyond the threshold set in the image corresponding to the appointed image;

touch drag event progresses out of the range, in which item scrolling does not occur, before the touch drag event progresses beyond the threshold set in the image corresponding to the appointed image; and

the touch drag event progresses out of the range, in which item scrolling does not occur, after the touch drag event progresses beyond the threshold set in the image corresponding to the appointed image.

18. The portable terminal of claim 16, wherein, when at least a part of the background of the image is exposed according to change of the image, the control unit outputs at least one of text information, icon information, and image information, which describes the user function, in the background, or outputs a voice signal describing the user function.

19. The portable terminal of claim 15, wherein the control unit activates preset different user functions according to a direction in which the touch drag event progresses.

20. The portable terminal of claim 19, wherein, when the particular item is an item, to which it is not possible to apply the preset user function, the control unit displays the appointed item in a manner, by which the appointed item can be discriminated from another item, to which it is possible to apply the preset user function, or allows only a predetermined user function from among a plurality of user functions associated with the particular item.