METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING NUMBER INPUT IN AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20150293687A1
• Filed: 04/13/2015
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: SEONG, Jinha
• Granted Patent: US 10,444,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• 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 are provided for controlling number input in an electronic device. The method includes displaying at least one number; receiving a selection of a first number from the displayed at least one number; determining an attribute of the first number; displaying, in a foreground layer, an expanded menu including a plurality of numbers for changing the first number, the expanded menu corresponding to the determined attribute; receiving a selection of a second number from the plurality of numbers included in the expanded menu; and ending the displaying of the expanded menu and replacing the first number from the displayed at least one number with the selected second number.

Claims

1. A method of controlling number input in an electronic device, the method comprising:

displaying at least one number;

if a selection of a first number from the displayed at least one number is detected, determining an attribute of the first number;

displaying, in a foreground layer, an expanded menu including a plurality of numbers for changing the first number, the expanded menu corresponding to the determined attribute; and

if a selection of a second number is detected from the plurality of numbers included in the expanded menu, ending the displaying of the expanded menu and replacing the first number from the displayed at least one number with the selected second number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the foreground layer covers the displayed at least one number in a background layer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the expanded menu has a circular form surrounding the first number based on the attribute of the selected first number.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the selection of the second number from the expanded menu comprises receiving a drag input from the first number to the second number included in the expanded menu.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the selection of the first number from the displayed at least one number comprises receiving a long press on the first number from the displayed at least one number, and

wherein receiving the selection of the second number from the expanded menu comprises receiving a tap input on the second number from the expanded menu.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

expanding the plurality of numbers included in the expanded menu in response to a touch input dragging the expanded menu outwards; and

reducing the plurality of included in of the expanded menu in response to a touch input dragging the expanded menu inwards.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the expanded menu comprises displaying the expanded menu through multiple layers.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying units of the plurality of numbers included in the expanded menu based on the selected first number.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one number comprises a digital time display including an hour number and a minute number, if the first number is the hour number, and

wherein the expanded menu includes units of 12 hours or 24 hours corresponding to an attribute of the hour number.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one number comprises a digital time display including an hour number and a minute number,

wherein the first number is the minute number, and

wherein the expanded menu includes units of 5 minutes corresponding to an attribute of the minute number.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising, if the expanded menu that displays the numbers in units of 5 minutes is dragged outwards, displaying an additional menu including units of 1 minute.

12. An apparatus for controlling number input in an electronic device, the apparatus comprising:

a display;

a touch panel that detects touch input from a user; and

a controller that

displays at least one number on the display,

if a selection of a first number from the displayed at least one number is detected from the touch panel, determines an attribute of the first number,

displays, on the display, in a foreground layer, an expanded menu including a plurality of numbers for changing the first number, the expanded menu corresponding to the determined attribute, and

if a selection of a second number is detected from the plurality of numbers included in the expanded menu from the touch panel, ends the display of the expanded menu and replaces the first number from the displayed at least one number with the selected second number.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the controller control the displays to display the foreground layer over the displayed at least one number in a background layer.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the expanded menu has a circular form surrounding the first number based on the attribute of the selected first number.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the controller receives a long press through the touch panel on the first number, and receives a tap input through the touch panel on the second number from the expanded menu.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the controller expands the plurality of numbers included the expanded menu in response to a touch input dragging the expanded menu outwards, and reduces the plurality of numbers included the expanded menu in response to a touch input dragging the expanded menu inwards.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the controller displays the expanded menu through multiple layers, when the expanded menu is dragged outwards.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the controller modifies units of the plurality of numbers included in the expanded menu based on the attribute of the selected first number, in response to a user input.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one number comprises a digital time display including an hour number and a minute number,

wherein the first number is the hour number, and

wherein the expanded menu includes units of 12 hours or 24 hours corresponding to an attribute of the hour number.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one number comprises a digital time display including an hour number and a minute number,

wherein the first number is the minute number, and

wherein the expanded menu includes units of 5 minutes corresponding to an attribute of the minute number.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the controller, if the expanded menu that displays the numbers in units of 5 minutes is dragged outwards, displays an additional menu including units of 1 minute.