Method for selecting area of content for enlargement, and apparatus and system for providing content

• US 8,930,848 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2009
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Ming, Jin, Lim, Sang-Seok, Michal, Pomaranski
• Primary Examiner(s): ALVESTEFFER, STEPHEN D
• Application Number:
  US12/619,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20100125808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,877 Days
• Field of Search: 715/800
• US Class Current: 715/800
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A method for selecting an area of content for enlargement is provided. Content including a plurality of objects is displayed. A user'"'"'s selection of an area is received and the selected area is identified. At least one object that crosses into the selected area is selected. An importance value of the at least one selected object is calculated considering a crossing range of the selected area and the at least one selected object. At least one to-be-displayed object is extracted based on the importance value. The at least one extracted object is displayed.

Claims

1. A method for selecting an area of content for enlargement, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying the content comprising a plurality of objects;

receiving a user'"'"'s selection of an area of the content, and identifying the selected area;

selecting a plurality of objects that cross into the selected area;

calculating an importance value of each of the selected objects in accordance with a crossing range of the selected area and the selected objects, wherein the importance value of each selected object is obtained by calculating a ratio of the selected area and an area of the selected object included within the selected area;

calculating a median value of the importance values of the selected objects;

determining at least one to-be-displayed object from among the selected objects having an importance value at least equal to the calculated median value;

extracting the determined at least one to-be-displayed object; and

displaying the at least one extracted object.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein extracting the at least one to-be-displayed object comprises:

calculating a reference value for the importance value; and

extracting the at least one to-be-displayed object having an importance value that is greater than or equal to the reference value.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein displaying the at least one extracted object comprises combining the at least one extracted object and re-constructing to-be-displayed content.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein displaying the at least one extracted object comprises adjusting a size of the at least one extracted object to a size of a display, in accordance with a size and a resolution of the display, so as to display the at least one extracted object.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one object has a predetermined weight and the importance value is obtained by multiplying the predetermined weight by the ratio of the selected area and an area of the selected object included within the selected area.

6. An apparatus for providing content, comprising:

a display for displaying at least one of the content and an object, in accordance with a size and resolution of a screen;

memory for storing content comprising a plurality of objects;

a user input unit for identifying a partial area of the display selected by a user; and

a controller for selecting a plurality of objects that cross into the selected area on the display, calculating an importance value of each of the selected objects in accordance with a crossing range of the selected area and the selected objects, calculating a median value of the importance values of the selected objects, determining at least one to-be-displayed object from among the selected objects having an importance value at least equal to the calculated median value, extracting the determined at least one to-be-displayed object, and controlling an operation of the display to display the extracted at least one to-be-displayed object,

wherein the controller obtains the importance value of each selected object by calculating a ratio of the selected area and an area of the selected object included within the selected area.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the memory stores browser program data for displaying the content, and the controller controls the display of the content via a calculation of the browser program data.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the controller calculates a reference value for the importance value and extracts the at least one object having an importance value that is greater than or equal to the reference value as the at least one to-he-displayed object.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the controller combines the at least one extracted object to re-construct to-be-displayed content.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the display unit adjusts a size of the at least one extracted object to a size of a display screen to display the at least one extracted object.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the memory stores a predetermined weight for the at least one object and the controller multiplies the predetermined weight by the ratio of the selected area and an area of the selected object included within the selected area to calculate the importance value.

12. A system for providing content, comprising:

a content management server for managing content including a plurality of objects; and

a portable terminal for receiving content through communication with the content management server,

wherein the content management server stores and manages the content, provides the content according to a request of the portable terminal, receives a selected area from the portable terminal, selects a plurality of objects that cross the selected area, calculates an importance value of each of the selected objects in accordance with a crossing range of the selected area and the selected objects, calculates a median value of the importance values of the selected objects, determines at least one to-be-displayed object from among the selected objects having an importance value at least equal to the calculated median value, extracts the determined at least one to-be-displayed object, and transmits the extracted at least one extracted object to the portable terminal, and

the portable terminal adjusts the content received from the content management server to a resolution for display of the content, receives a selection of an area from the user, identifies the selected area for transmission of data of the selected area to the content management server, and adjusts the at least one object received from the content management server to a resolution for display of the at least one adjusted object,

wherein the importance value of each selected object is obtained by calculating a ratio of the selected area and an area of the selected object included within the selected area.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the at least one object has a predetermined weight and the importance value is obtained by multiplying the predetermined weight by the ratio of the selected area and an area of the selected object included within the selected area.

14. A method for selecting an area of content for enlargement, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying the content comprising a plurality of objects;

receiving a user'"'"'s selection of an area of the content, and identifying the selected area;

selecting a plurality of objects that cross into the selected area;

calculating an importance value of each of the selected objects in accordance with a crossing range of the selected area and the selected object and a predetermined weight for each of the selected objects, wherein the importance value of each selected object is obtained by calculating a ratio of the selected area and an area of the selected object included within the selected area;

determining at least one to-be-displayed object based on the calculated importance values; and

displaying the at least one to-be-displayed object,

wherein the predetermined weight is set according to at least one of type of each object, the importance value of each object, and a user preference of each object.

15. An apparatus for providing content, comprising:

a display for displaying the content comprising a plurality of objects in accordance with a size and resolution of a screen;

memory for storing content including a plurality of objects and a plurality predetermined weights that are set for each object according to at least one of type of each object, an importance value of each object, and a user preference corresponding to each object;

a user input unit for identifying a user-selected area that is a portion of an area the display; and

a controller for selecting a plurality of objects that cross into the selected area on the display, calculating importance values of each of the selected objects according to a crossing range of the selected area and areas of the selected objects and according to predetermined weights of each selected object, determining at least one to-be-displayed object based on the calculated importance values, and controlling an operation of the display to display the at least one to-be-displayed object,

wherein the controller obtains the importance value of each selected object by calculating a ratio of the selected area and an area of the selected object included within the selected area.