Method and apparatus for controlling screen of mobile device

• US 9,665,260 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2014
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Yohan, Chun, Jaebong
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Prabodh M
• Application Number:
  US14/476,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20150062002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-173, 345207, 345419, 345633, 348 36, 348 77, 463 36, 463 63, 4554563, 455566, 701 2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• 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 for controlling a screen of a mobile device are provided. The method includes detecting an object from an image captured through an image sensor, detecting movement of a location of the object to move a location of the screen, and moving and displaying the screen according to the detected movement of the location of the object. According to the present disclosure, a screen can be moved and displayed according to movement of an object detected from an image captured by an image sensor. Accordingly, users can easily operate mobile devices of various sizes only with one hand.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a screen of a mobile device, the method comprising:

displaying a screen on a display of the mobile device;

detecting an object through an image sensor;

setting, as a reference point, at least one part of the detected object;

setting a reference area based on the reference point, wherein the reference area comprises a threshold area and a division area by dividing an outside area of the threshold area into two or more areas;

determining whether the mobile device is moved by determining whether the reference point is moved out of the threshold area; and

if the mobile device is moved, moving the displayed screen on the display to a location corresponding to the division area to which the reference point is moved.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the setting of the reference area comprises:

setting the threshold area comprising the location of the detected object; and

setting the division area by dividing an outside area of the threshold area into two or more areas.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the setting of the threshold area comprises one of setting a location of the threshold area by varying the location of the threshold area, and fixing the location of the threshold area.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein in the setting of the division area, a number of the divided areas is variable.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting of the object comprises:

dividing, if the object is moved to a location deviating from a photographing range, the entire photographed image into two or more areas;

tracing a location coordinate before the object is moved to outside the screen of the display; and

detecting the division area corresponding to the location coordinate.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the moving the displayed screen on the display comprises that either the entire area of the displayed screen on the display is moved or a partial area of the displayed screen on the display is moved.

7. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium having a program recorded thereon to implement the method of claim 1.

8. An apparatus for controlling a screen of a mobile device, the apparatus comprising:

an image sensor configured to detect an object;

a display configured to display the screen on the display; and

a controller configured to;

set at least one part of the detected object as a reference point,

set a reference area based on the reference point, wherein the reference area comprises a threshold area and a division area,

determine whether the mobile device is moved by determining whether the reference point is moved out of the threshold area, and

if the mobile device is moved, control to move the displayed screen on the display to a location corresponding to the division area to which the reference point is moved.

9. The apparatus of claim 8,

wherein the controller comprises an object setting unit for detecting the object from an image captured by the image sensor.

10. The apparatus of claim 8,

wherein the controller comprises a reference area setting unit for setting the reference area based on the location of the reference point.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the reference area setting unit varies a location of the threshold area or sets the threshold area at a fixed location according to the location of the detected object.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein, if the object is moved to a location deviating from a photographing range, the controller divides the entire image into two or more areas, traces a location coordinate before the object is moved to outside the screen, and detects the division area corresponding to the location coordinate.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the display moves one of an entire area of the displayed screen of the display or a partial area of the displayed screen of the display.