Method for changing display range and electronic device thereof

• US 9,594,501 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2013
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Cho, Jung-Il, Lim, Yong-Jin, Kim, Byung-Hwan, Kim, Youn-Soo, Kim, Hyung-Jin, Noh, Jeong-Hwan, Park, In-Su
• Primary Examiner(s): Cerullo, Liliana
• Application Number:
  US13/972,694
• Publication Number:
  US 20140055390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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

Provided are methods for changing a display range in an electronic device having a touchscreen. The method for changing a display range in an electronic device includes: detecting a plurality of touches; determining a plurality of regions in consideration of a plurality of touch points; and changing a display range of at least one region of the plurality of regions in consideration of change in a distance between the plurality of touch points.

Claims

1. A method of an electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting a touch on a first point of a touch screen;

determining a first region and a second region on the touch screen based on the first point, wherein the touch screen is divided into the first region and the second region by a reference line extended from the first point;

detecting that the touch moves from the first point to a second point in the first region;

expanding the second region on the touch screen by moving the reference line onto the second point; and

displaying an outer region which had not been displayed on the touch screen to the expanded second region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the expanding of the second region comprises:

overlaying the second region on the first region.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the first region and the second region on the touch screen comprises:

detecting that the touch is maintained on the first point for a predetermined time; and

determining the first region and the second region on the touch screen based on the first point.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the expanding of the second region comprises:

expanding the second region by a distance between the first point and the second point on the touch screen.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a range of the outer region is determined corresponding to the distance.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the expanding of the second region comprises:

expanding the second region according to a direction from the first point to the second point.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting that the touch moves from the second point to a third point in the second region; and

reducing the second region on the touch screen by moving the reference line onto the third point.

8. An electronic device comprising:

a touch screen;

a processor;

a memory; and

an executable program stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

detect a touch on a first point of the touch screen;

determine a first region and a second region on the touch screen based on the first point, wherein the touch screen is divided into the first region and the second region by a reference line extended from the first point;

detect that the touch moves to a second point in the first region;

expand the second region on the touch screen by moving the reference line onto the second point; and

display an outer region which had not been displayed on the touch screen to the expanded second region.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the executable program causes the processor to expand the second region by:

overlaying the second region on the first region.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the executable program causes the processor to determine the first region and the second region on the touch screen by:

detecting that the touch is maintained on the first point for a predetermined time, and

determining the first region and the second region on the touch screen based on the first point.

11. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the executable program causes the processor to expand the second region by:

expanding the second region by a distance between the first point and the second point on the touch screen.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein a range of the outer region is determined corresponding to the distance.

13. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the executable program causes the processor to expand the second region by:

expanding the second region according to a direction from the first point to the second point.

14. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the executable program causes the processor to:

detect that the touch moves from the second point to a third point in the second region, and

reduce the second region on the touch screen by moving the reference line onto the third point.