MOBILE DEVICE CAPABLE OF TOUCH-BASED ZOOMING AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20100302281A1
• Filed: 05/27/2010
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Sang Heon
• Application Number:
  US12/788,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20100302281A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/661
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A mobile device has a touch sensitive surface such as a touch screen. In a touch-based zooming control method, the mobile device displays target data of a selected content on a screen. While the target data is displayed, the mobile device activates a zoom mode in response to a given gesture or input event. Then, the mobile device receives a touch-based gesture input which starts from a specific point on the target data, and executes a zooming function such as a zoom-in and a zoom-out in response to the received gesture input. Particularly, a continuous zooming control in various zooming rates is possible based on a single touch gesture. A toggling-based zooming control is also possible. A bitmap image is used for a rapid real-time display of the target data.

Claims

1. A method for a touch-based zooming control in a mobile device, the method comprising:

displaying target data of selected content on a screen;

activating a zoom mode while the target data is displayed;

receiving a touch-based gesture input starting from a specific point on the target data; and

executing a zooming function in response to the gesture input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the activating of the zoom mode includes activating the zoom mode when the touch-based gesture is a long press input received from the specific point on the target data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the executing of the zooming function includes one of enlarging and reducing the target data around the specific point according to the progress of the received touched based gesture input.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the executing of the zooming function includes retrieving a bitmap image corresponding to the target data when the gesture input is received, and performing a zooming action associated with the bitmap image in response to the gesture input.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the executing of the zooming function includes performing a zooming action associated with the target data according to a magnification value modified by the zooming action associated with the bitmap image when the gesture input is released.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the gesture input includes at least one of a move event and a hold event.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

performing continuously one of enlarging and reducing a bitmap image according to a travel distance of the move event when the move event is received, the bitmap image corresponding to the target data.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

performing step by step one of enlarging and reducing a bitmap image at given periodic intervals while the hold event is received, the bitmap image corresponding to the target data.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying a graphical element on the screen when the zoom mode is activated, the graphical element indicating the activation of the zoom mode.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining the type of an interrupt occurring while the target data is displayed;

if the interrupt is for the zoom mode, activating the zoom mode; and

if the interrupt is for a toggle mode, executing a toggling function associated with the target data in response to the interrupt.

11. A method for a touch-based zooming control in a mobile device, the method comprising:

activating a zoom mode in response to an interrupt for the zoom mode, the interrupt occurring at a specific point on a touch screen;

receiving a touch-based gesture input for a zooming control while the zoom mode is activated;

performing a first zooming process for a bitmap image corresponding to target data of selected content around one of the specific point and a starting point of the gesture input in response to the gesture input; and

performing a second zooming process for the target data depending on a zoomed amount of the bitmap image in response to a release of the gesture input.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first process includes any of continuously enlarging and reducing the bitmap image around one of the specific point and the starting point according to a travel distance of a move event when the move event is received in the zoom mode.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first process includes any of step by step enlarging and reducing step by step the bitmap image around one of the specific point and the starting point at given periodic intervals while a hold event is received in the zoom mode.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying a graphical element on the touch screen when the zoom mode is activated, the graphical element indicating the activation of the zoom mode.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying the target data with a basic magnification value when a double tap event is received in the zoom mode.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

inactivating the zoom mode when a double tap event is received in the zoom mode.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting an interrupt for a toggle function; and

executing the toggle function associated with the target data in response to the interrupt.

18. A mobile device comprising:

a display unit configured to display target data of selected content one of enlarged and reduced depending on a zooming function;

an input unit configured to receive a touch-based input event for executing the zooming function around a specific point on the target data when a zoom mode is activated; and

a control unit configured to execute the zooming function associated with a bitmap image of the target data and to control the zooming function associated with the target data according to one of an enlargement and reduction ratio of the bitmap image.

19. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the input unit includes at least one of a touch screen and a touch pad.

20. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the control unit further includes:

a bitmap zooming engine which determines a zoom factor value modified depending on a user gesture inputted through the input unit and then executes the zooming function using the bitmap image according to the zoom factor value;

a rendering engine which reconfigures the target data modified by the execution of the zooming function for the bitmap image; and

a user interface processor which performs a processing of a display associated with the bitmap image zoomed in the bitmap zooming engine and performs a processing of a display associated with the target data reconfigured in the rendering engine.