METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SETTING FONT SIZE IN A MOBILE TERMINAL HAVING A TOUCH SCREEN

• US 20110055698A1
• Filed: 08/27/2010
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KWON, Dong-Wook, RYU, Shin-Dong
• Granted Patent: US 8,607,141 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/109 Font handling; Temporal or kinetic typography

Abstract

A method and apparatus for setting a font size in a mobile terminal having a touch screen. During a font size setting mode, an area of a region where a user'"'"'s finger touches the screen is detected. A font size corresponding to the detected area is determined from among preset font sizes, and the determined font size is displayed in a specific region on the touch screen. If a font size setting request to the displayed font size is received from the user, the displayed font size is stored for a subsequent display on the touch screen.

Claims

1. A method for setting a font size in a mobile terminal with a touch screen, comprising:

detecting an area of a region activated in the touch screen in response to an input contact during a font size setting mode;

determining a font size corresponding to the detected area among preset font sizes and displaying the determined font size in the touch screen; and

if a font size setting request to the displayed font size is received, storing the displayed font size for a subsequent display on the touch screen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the font size setting mode automatically runs upon booting of the mobile terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising selectively adjusting the displayed font size by a predetermined amount according to a user request.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the font size of the mobile terminal corresponds to a font size of menus displayed on the mobile terminal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the font size setting mode is automatically run upon entry into the menus.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal includes an Internet function.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the font size of the mobile terminal corresponds to a font size of links or menus on an Internet screen.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein if the font size of links or menus on the Internet screen is changed, a resolution of the Internet screen is changed according to the change in the font size.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the font size setting mode is automatically run upon entry into the Internet function.

10. An apparatus for setting a font size in a mobile terminal, comprising:

a touch screen for sensing a touch and displaying a screen;

a storage for storing a plurality of predetermined font sizes corresponding to different areas of a region where a contact is made to the touch screen with different finger sizes; and

a controller for detecting an area of a region where the contact is made during a font size setting mode, loading a font size corresponding to the detected area among the predetermined font sizes, displaying the loaded font size in a specific region on the touch screen, and storing the displayed font size for a subsequent display on the touch screen in response to a setting request.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller controls to automatically run the font size setting mode upon booting of the mobile terminal.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the displayed font size is selectively adjusted by a predetermined amount according to a user request.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the font size of the mobile terminal corresponds to a font size of menus displayed on the mobile terminal.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller controls to automatically run the font size setting mode upon entry into a menu of the mobile terminal.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the mobile terminal includes an Internet function.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the font size of the mobile terminal corresponds to a font size of links or menus on an Internet screen.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein if the font size of links or menus on the Internet screen is changed, the controller controls to change a resolution of the Internet screen according to the change in the font size.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the controller controls to automatically run the font size setting mode upon entry into the Internet function.