IMAGE EDITING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SELECTING AREA OF INTEREST

• US 20130234964A1
• Filed: 03/07/2013
• Published: 09/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Do-Hyeon, Lee, Dong-Chang, Lee, Dong-Hyuk, Hwang, Seong-Taek
• Granted Patent: US 9,524,040 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

An image editing apparatus and an image editing method for selecting an area of interest, in which a user more accurately selects an area desired to be selected using a finger by setting a position of a touch input as a selection start point for starting image selection if the user performs the touch input on a background image at the time of image editing, sets a trace generated by moving the background image or the selects start point as a selection image area, and selecting the set selection image area from the background image.

Claims

1. An image editing apparatus for selecting an area of interest, the image editing apparatus comprising:

a touch screen display for displaying at least one image and receiving an input of a touch or a drag; and

a controller for generating and displaying, when a first touch is input through the touch screen, a selection start point for starting a selection of a partial area of the image at a position on which the first touch is input, generating, when a second touch and drag is input, a selection trace for selection according to a selection start point corresponding to a trace drawn along the input of the drag by moving the displayed image corresponding to a direction of the input of the drag, and generating a selection image area corresponding to the generated selection trace.

2. The image editing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller performs image editing using the generated selection image area, and the image editing includes at least one of moving, copying, deleting, and cropping the generated selection image area.

3. The image editing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selection start point is fixed and displayed on the touch screen display.

4. The image editing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the displayed image moves in a direction corresponding to the direction of the input of the drag or a direction opposite to the direction of the input of the drag.

5. A method for selecting an area of interest in an image editing apparatus, the method comprises:

displaying at least one image;

generating and displaying, when a first touch is input, a selection start point for starting a selection of a partial area of the image at a position on which the first touch is input;

generating, when a second touch and drag is input, a selection trace for selection according to a selection start point corresponding to a trace drawn along the input of the drag by moving the displayed image corresponding to a direction of the input of the drag; and

generating a selection image area corresponding to the generated selection trace.

6. The method for selecting an area of interest according to claim 5, further comprising:

performing image editing using the generated selection image area,

wherein the image editing includes at least one of moving, copying, deleting, and cropping the generated selection image area.

7. The method for selecting an area of interest according to claim 5, wherein the selection start point is fixed and displayed on the touch screen display.

8. The method for selecting an area of interest according to claim 5, wherein the displayed image moves in a direction corresponding to the direction of the input of the drag or a direction opposite to the direction of the input of the drag.

9. An image editing apparatus for selecting an area of interest, the image editing apparatus comprising:

a touch screen display for displaying at least one image and receiving an input of a touch or a drag; and

a controller for generating and displaying, when a first touch is input through the touch screen, a selection start point for starting a selection of a partial area of the image at a position on which the first touch is input, displaying, when a second touch and drag is input, a selection guide line according to a selection start point, moving the selection start point and the selection guide line corresponding to a direction of the input of the drag and generating a selection trace drawn along a movement path of the selection start point, and generating a selection image area corresponding to the generated selection trace.

10. The image editing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the selection guide line is fixed and displayed in a predetermined length between the selection start point and the touch.

11. The image editing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a speed of the selection trace drawn along the movement of the selection start point is adjusted corresponding to the length of the selection guide line.

12. The image editing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the controller sets a predetermined enhancement reference area including at least one reference area according to the selection start point, confirms a reference area including the selection guide line in the set enhancement reference area, and displays the set enhancement selection trace corresponding to the confirmed reference area.

13. The image editing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the controller sets an image area in a predetermined size according to the selection start point in the displayed image, applies an edge weight filter corresponding to the direction of the input of the drag to the set image area, determines a direction having edge components most in the image area on which the filter is applied, and displays the enhancement selection trace in the determined direction.

14. A method for selecting an area of interest in an image editing apparatus, the method comprising:

displaying at least one image;

generating and displaying, when a first touch is input, a selection start point for starting a selection of a partial area of the image at a position on which the first touch is input;

displaying, when a second touch and drag is input, a selection guide line according to a selection start point;

moving the selection start point and the selection guide line corresponding to a direction of the input of the drag and generating a selection trace drawn along a movement path of the selection start point; and

generating a selection image area corresponding to the generated selection trace.

15. The method for selecting an area of interest according to claim 14, wherein the selection guide line is fixed and displayed in a predetermined length between the selection start point and the touch.

16. The method for selecting an area of interest according to claim 15, wherein a speed of the selection trace drawn along the movement of the selection start point is adjusted corresponding to the length of the selection guide line.

17. The method for selecting an area of interest according to claim 14, the method further comprising:

setting a predetermined enhancement reference area including at least one reference area according to the selection start point;

confirming a reference area including the selection guide line in the set enhancement reference area; and

displaying the set enhancement selection trace corresponding to the confirmed reference area.

18. The method for selecting an area of interest according to claim 17, wherein displaying the set enhancement selection trace comprises:

setting an image area in a predetermined size according to the selection start point in the displayed image,

applying an edge weight filter corresponding to the direction of the input of the drag to the set image area, and

determining a direction having edge components most in the image area on which the filter is applied, and

displaying the enhancement selection trace in the determined direction.