USER INTERFACE DEVICE THAT ZOOMS IMAGE IN RESPONSE TO OPERATION THAT PRESSES SCREEN, IMAGE ZOOM METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20140300569A1
• Filed: 09/05/2012
• Published: 10/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KDDI Corporation
• Original Assignee: KDDI Corporation
• Inventors: Matsuki, Tomoaki, Tsuchida, Hiroyuki, Ono, Yoshisato
• Granted Patent: US 9,389,722 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/045 Zooming at least part of an image, i.e. enlarging it or shrinking it
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters

Abstract

A method is disclosed of controlling a user interface device for displaying on a display screen a plurality of objects, and for enabling a user to perform an input action by touching the display screen with the user'"'"'s finger. This method includes: upon the user'"'"'s touch to the display screen at a region of one of the plurality of objects being displayed, selecting the one object as a zoom target; upon an event occurring in which an intensity of the finger'"'"'s touch on the display screen exceeds a predetermined threshold, determining a magnification ratio of the zoom target or a change rate of the magnification ratio, based on the intensity of the finger'"'"'s touch; and zooming in the zoom target on the display screen with the determined magnification ratio or the determined change rate.

Claims

1. A user interface device for displaying on a display screen a zoom target, and for enabling a user to perform an input action by touching the display screen with the user'"'"'s finger, the user interface device comprising:

a touch-position recognizing unit configured to determine whether the finger'"'"'s touch position on the display screen has an overlap with a region of the zoom target being displayed on the display screen;

a pressing-force sensor detecting a pressing force with which the finger presses the display screen;

a pressing-force recognizing unit configured to determine whether or not the detected pressing force is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold; and

a zoom controller configured to be activated in response to an event occurring in which the finger'"'"'s touch position is determined to have an overlap with the region of the zoom target being displayed, and in which the detected pressing force is determined to be equal to or larger than the predetermined threshold, to zoom in the zoom target on the display screen.

2. The user interface device according to claim 1, further comprising a zoom-speed determining unit configured to be activated in response to an event occurring in which the finger'"'"'s touch position is determined to have an overlap with the region of the zoom target being displayed, and in which the detected pressing force is determined to be equal to or larger than the predetermined threshold, to determine a target value of a zoom-in speed indicative of a change rate in a magnification ratio of the zoom target, as a function of a magnitude of the pressing force,

wherein the zoom controller is configured to zoom in the zoom target such that an actual value of the magnification ratio of the zoom target creases at the determined target value of the zoom-in speed.

3. The user interface device according to claim 1, further comprising a magnification-ratio determining unit configured to be activated in response to an event occurring in which the finger'"'"'s touch position is determined to have an overlap with the region of the zoom target being displayed, and in which the detected pressing force is determined to be equal to or larger than the predetermined threshold, to determine a target value of a magnification ratio of the zoom target, as a function of a magnitude of the pressing force,

wherein the zoom controller is configured to zoom in the zoom target such that an actual value of the magnification ratio of the zoom target is equal to the determined target value of the magnification ratio.

4. The user interface device according to claim 1, wherein the zoom controller is configured to zoom in the zoom target by using the finger'"'"'s touch position as a zoom center point.

5. The user interface device according to claim 1, wherein the zoom controller is configured to zoom in the zoom target by using a position as a zoom-in center point, and to display on the display screen a to-be-selected-for-reduction object to be selected by the user for issuing a request for reducing the magnified zoom target, when the zoom target is magnified,

the touch-position recognizing unit is configured to determine whether the finger'"'"'s touch position has an overlap with a region of the to-be-selected-for-reduction object being displayed on the display screen, and

the zoom controller configured to be activated in response to an event occurring in which the finger'"'"'s touch position is determined to have an overlap with the region of the to-be-selected-for-reduction object being displayed, and in which the detected pressing force is determined to be equal to or larger than the predetermined threshold, to reduce the magnified zoom target by using a position substantially equal to the position used as the zoom-in center point, as a zoom-out center point.

6. The user interface device according to claim 5, further comprising a zoom-speed determining unit configured to be activated in response to an event occurring in which the finger'"'"'s touch position is determined to have an overlap with the region of the zoom target being displayed, and in which the detected pressing force is determined to be equal to or larger than the predetermined threshold, to determine a target value of a zoom-in speed indicative of an increase rate in a magnification ratio of the zoom target, as a function of a magnitude of the pressing force,

wherein the zoom-speed determining unit is configured to be activated in response to an event occurring in which the finger'"'"'s touch position is determined to have an overlap with the region of the to-be-selected-for-reduction object being displayed, and in which the detected pressing force is determined to be equal to or larger than the predetermined threshold, to determine a target value of a zoom-out speed indicative of a decrease rate in a magnification ratio of the zoom target, as a function of a magnitude of the pressing force, and

the zoom controller is configured to magnify the zoom target such that an actual value of the magnification ratio of the zoom target creases at the determined target value of the zoom-in speed, or reduce the zoom target such that an actual value of the magnification ratio of the zoom target decreases at the determined target value of the zoom-out speed.

7. The user interface device according to claim 5, further comprising a magnification-ratio determining unit configured to be activated in response to an event occurring in which the finger'"'"'s touch position is determined to have an overlap with the region of the zoom target being displayed, and in which the detected pressing force is determined to be equal to or larger than the predetermined threshold, to determine a target value of a first magnification-ratio of the zoom target, as a function of a magnitude of the pressing force,

wherein the magnification-ratio determining unit is configured to be activated in response to an event occurring in which the finger'"'"'s touch position is determined to have an overlap with the region of the to-be-selected-for-reduction object being displayed, and in which the detected pressing force is determined to be equal to or larger than the predetermined threshold, to determine a target value of a second magnification-ratio of the zoom target, as a function of a magnitude of the pressing force, and

the zoom controller is configured to magnify the zoom target such that an actual value of the magnification ratio of the zoom target is equal to the determined target value of the first magnification-ratio, or reduce the zoom target such that an actual value of the magnification ratio of the zoom target is equal to the determined target value of the second magnification-ratio.

8. The user interface device according to claim 1, wherein the zoom controller is configured to be activated after the zoom target is zoomed in, to restore the zoom target to a status equal to that of the zoom target found before the zoom target is zoomed in, upon disengagement of the finger from the display screen.

9. The user interface device according to claim 1, wherein the zoom controller is configured to be activated in response to the user'"'"'s action of pressing the display screen at the zoom target with a finger of the user'"'"'s one hand with which the user holds the user interface device, to zoom in the zoom target by using the finger'"'"'s touch position as a zoom center point.

10. A method of zooming an image on a user interface device for displaying on a display screen a zoom target, and for enabling a user to perform an input action by touching the display screen with the user'"'"'s finger, the method comprising:

a first step of determining whether the finger'"'"'s touch position on the display screen has an overlap with a region of the zoom target being displayed on the display screen;

a second step of determining whether or not a pressing force with which the finger presses the display screen is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold; and

a third step, implemented in response to an event occurring in which the finger'"'"'s touch position is determined to have an overlap with the region of the zoom target being displayed, and in which the detected pressing force is determined to be equal to or larger than the predetermined threshold, of zooming in the zoom target on the display screen.

12. A program to be executed by a computer to perform the method according to claim 10.

11. A method of controlling a user interface device for displaying on a display screen a plurality of objects, and for enabling a user to perform an input action by touching the display screen with the user'"'"'s finger, the method comprising:

upon the user'"'"'s touch to the display screen at a region of one of the plurality of objects being displayed, selecting the one object as a zoom target;

upon an event occurring in which an intensity of the finger'"'"'s touch on the display screen exceeds a predetermined threshold, determining a magnification ratio of the zoom target or a change rate of the magnification ratio, based on the intensity of the finger'"'"'s touch; and

zooming in the zoom target on the display screen with the determined magnification ratio or the determined change rate.