Apparatus and method for controlling display size in portable terminal

• US 9,471,218 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kwon, Woo-Up
• Primary Examiner(s): Pardo, Thuy
• Application Number:
  US13/619,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20130076671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,495 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/661, 345/156, 345/168, 345/174, 345/157
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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

An apparatus and method for control a size of a display region in a portable terminal. The method includes determining a size control amount based on touch information when a size change event occurs and controlling a size of the display region according to the size control amount.

Claims

1. A method to control a display in an electronic apparatus, the method comprising:

detecting a touch input;

determining an amount of a display change based on a touch point that corresponds to a location of the touch input on the display;

determining a display change direction based on the touch point; and

changing a size of the display region based on the determined amount and the display change direction, wherein the display region comprises a region of a touchscreen on which information is displayed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the touch input comprises:

in response to detecting a touch to at least one detection region included in the display region, determining whether a size change event occurs based on touch information on the detection region;

in response to determining the size change event occurs, detecting the touch input to change the size of the display region.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying size change event occurrence information in response to the occurrence of the size change event.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein displaying the change in size of the display region comprises thickening an outline of the display region to represent the displayed change in size.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein displaying the change in size of the display region comprises shading the display region to represent the displayed change in size.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the detection region includes a 1-pixel region located in an outer region of the display region.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the size of the display region comprises reducing a total size of the display region at a predetermined ratio based on the determined amount.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the size of the display region comprises reducing the size of the display region in at least one direction based on the determined amount.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch input comprises a multi-touch.

10. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a touchscreen; and

a control unit configured to;

detect a touch input,

determine an amount of a display change based on a touch point that corresponds to a location of the touch input on the touchscreen,

determine a display change direction based on the touch point, and

change a size of the display region based on the determined amount and the display change direction, wherein the display region comprises a region of the touchscreen on which information is displayed.

11. The electronic apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control unit is configured to determine, in response to detecting a touch to at least one detection region included in the display region, whether a size change event occurs based on touch information on the detection region, and detect, in response to determining that the size change event occurs, the touch input to change the size of the display region.

12. The electronic apparatus of claim 11, wherein the touchscreen is configured to display size change event occurrence information in response to the occurrence of the size change event.

13. The electronic apparatus of claim 12, wherein displaying the change in size of the display region comprises thickening an outline of the display region to represent the displayed change in size.

14. The electronic apparatus of claim 12, wherein displaying the change in size of the display region comprises shading the display region to represent the displayed change in size.

15. The electronic apparatus of claim 11, wherein the detection region includes a 1-pixel region located in an outer region of the display region.

16. The electronic apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control unit is configured to reduce a total size of the display region at a predetermined ratio based on the determined amount.

17. The electronic apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control unit is configured to reduce the size of the display region in at least one direction based on the determined amount.

18. The electronic apparatus of claim 10, wherein the touch input comprises a multi-touch.