Method and apparatus for touchscreen based user interface interaction

• US 8,217,905 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2007
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Jung-geun, Park, Bo-eun, Joo, Jong-sung
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang, Regina
• Application Number:
  US11/941,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20080297483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-158, 345173-179, 715/716, 715727-729, 178 1801- 1811, 340/4.1, 340/4.14
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a touchscreen based user interface (UI) interaction that controls a volume through circular UI graphics and switches between different application images by dragging an indicator on a touchscreen of a terminal device. The method includes: displaying an application image on a touchscreen; sensing whether the touchscreen is touched on the displayed application image; if the touchscreen is touched, displaying a volume image to control an audio volume at a touch position; and changing a size of the volume image whenever the touchscreen is touched and controlling the audio volume to corresponding to the size of the volume region.

Claims

1. A method for a touchscreen based user interface (UI) interaction, the method comprising:

displaying an application image on a touchscreen;

sensing whether the touchscreen is touched on the displayed application image;

displaying a volume image to control an audio volume at a touch position if the touchscreen is touched; and

changing a size of the volume image if the touchscreen is touched and controlling the audio volume to correspond to the size of the volume image.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the displaying of the volume image comprises:

overlaying the volume image on the application image at the touch position.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the volume image has a circular shape.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the changing of the size of the volume image comprises:

sensing whether the touchscreen is touched in an inside of the volume image or an outside of the volume image;

increasing the size of the volume image when the touchscreen is touched in the inside of the volume image; and

decreasing the size of the volume image when the touchscreen is touched in the outside of the volume image.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the changing of the size of the volume image comprises:

sensing a dragged touch on the touchscreen;

controlling the audio volume according to an angle of the dragged touch.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the changing of the size of the volume image comprises:

controlling the audio volume according to an amount of time the volume image is continuously touched.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

removing the volume image from the touchscreen if the touchscreen is not touched for a predetermined period of time.

8. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing computer readable program code that, when executed by a computer, implements the method of claim 1.

9. A multimedia terminal device comprising:

a touchscreen unit to display an application image and to display a volume image that corresponds to an audio volume of the device; and

a control unit to display the volume image at a touch position when the touchscreen unit is touched on the application image, to change a size of the volume image whenever the touchscreen unit is touched, and to control the audio volume so as to correspond to the size of the volume image.

10. The device as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

a memory unit to store digital multimedia contents and predetermined volume information corresponding to a plurality of operation modes.

11. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the control unit senses whether the touchscreen unit is touched in an inside of the volume image or an outside of the volume image, increases the size of the volume image when the touchscreen unit is touched in the inside of the volume image, and decreases the size of the volume image when the touchscreen is touched in the outside of the volume image.

12. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the control unit senses a dragged touch on the touchscreen and controls the audio volume according to an angle of the dragged touch.

13. A method for a touchscreen based user interface (UI) interaction on a processing device, the method comprising:

sensing whether a touchscreen of the processing device is touched;

displaying a function image to control a function of the processing device at a touch position if the touchscreen is touched; and

changing a size of the function image if the touchscreen is touched and controlling the function according to the size of a volume image, the changing of the size of the function image including;

sensing whether the touchscreen is touched in an inside of the function image or an outside of the function image;

increasing the size of the function image when the touchscreen is touched in the inside of the function image; and

decreasing the size of the function image when the touchscreen is touched in the outside of the function image.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

displaying an application image on a touchscreen of the processing device,

wherein the displaying of the function image comprises overlaying the function image on the application image if the touchscreen is touched.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the changing of the size of the function image comprises:

sensing a dragged touch on the touchscreen; and

controlling the function according to an angle of the dragged touch.

16. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing computer readable program code that, when executed by a computer, implements the method of claim 13.