METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING SCREEN OF MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20150062002A1
• Filed: 09/03/2014
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, Yohan, CHUN, Jaebong
• Granted Patent: US 9,665,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• 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

A method and an apparatus for controlling a screen of a mobile device are provided. The method includes detecting an object from an image captured through an image sensor, detecting movement of a location of the object to move a location of the screen, and moving and displaying the screen according to the detected movement of the location of the object. According to the present disclosure, a screen can be moved and displayed according to movement of an object detected from an image captured by an image sensor. Accordingly, users can easily operate mobile devices of various sizes only with one hand.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a screen of a mobile device, the method comprising:

detecting an object from an image captured through an image sensor;

detecting movement of a location of the object to move a location of the screen; and

moving and displaying the screen according to the detected movement of the location of the object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein in the detecting of the object, an item of the object comprises a T-zone of a face of a user, a jaw of the user, a pattern of wall paper, a pattern of a ceiling, and a pattern of clothes.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting a reference area with reference to the location of the detected object.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the setting of the reference area comprises:

setting a threshold area comprising the location of the detected object; and

setting a division area for recognizing a movement direction of the object.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the setting of the threshold area includes one of setting a location of the threshold area by varying the location of the threshold area, and fixing the location of the threshold area.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein in the setting of the division area, an outside of the threshold area is divided into two or more areas, and a number of the divided areas is variable.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the detecting of the object comprises:

identifying whether the object is moved to outside the threshold area; and

identifying a location of the division area to which the object is moved.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting of the object comprises:

when the object is moved to a location deviating from a photographing range, dividing the entire photographed image into two or more areas, and tracing a location coordinate before the object is moved to outside the screen to detect the division area corresponding to the location coordinate.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the moving and displaying of the screen comprises moving the screen to a location corresponding to the division area to which the object is moved to display the screen.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the moving and displaying of the screen comprises that either the entire area of the screen is moved and displayed or a partial area of the screen is moved and displayed.

11. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium having a program recorded thereon to implement the method of claim 1.

12. An apparatus for controlling a screen of a mobile device, the apparatus comprising:

an image sensor configured to capture an object;

a display configured to display the screen; and

a controller configured to detect an object from the captured image, to detect movement of a location of the object, and to control to move and display the screen according to the detected movement of the location of the object.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the controller comprises an object setting unit for detecting the object from the image captured by the image sensor, and wherein the object comprises a T-zone of a face of a user, a jaw of the user, a pattern of wall paper, a pattern of a ceiling, and a pattern of clothes.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the controller comprises a reference area setting unit for setting a reference area based on the location of the detected object, and

wherein the reference area comprises a threshold area acting as a reference for determining movement of the object, and a division area for recognizing a movement direction of the object.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the reference area setting unit varies a location of the threshold area or sets the threshold area at a fixed location according to the location of the detected object.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the reference area setting unit divides an outside of the threshold area into two or more areas when the division area is set and a number of the division areas is variable.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the controller identifies that the object is moved to outside the threshold area, and identifies a location of the division area to which the object is moved.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the display displays a screen after the screen is moved to a location corresponding to the division area to which the object is moved.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein, when the object is moved to a location deviating from a photographing range, the controller divides the entire image into two or more areas, and traces a location coordinate before the object is moved to outside the screen to detect the division area corresponding to the location coordinate.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the display moves one of an entire area of the screen or a partial area of the screen when the screen is moved and displayed.