Context awareness-based screen scroll method, machine-readable storage medium and terminal therefor

• US 9,842,571 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2014
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Hong, Hyun-Su, Kim, Hong-Il, Son, Joo-Young, Jung, Woo-Jin, Hong, Tae-Hwa, Son, Byung-Jun, Oh, Yun-Je, Jung, Sun-Tae
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Vu
• Application Number:
  US14/180,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20140240363A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/34 for rolling or scrolling

Abstract

A context awareness-based screen scroll method is provided. The method includes detecting information about surrounding circumstances of a terminal, setting a screen scroll mode based on the surrounding circumstances, detecting occurrence of an event corresponding to the set screen scroll mode, and executing screen scroll according to the occurred event.

Claims

1. A context awareness-based screen scroll method, the method comprising:

determining a tilt direction of a terminal;

if the tilt direction corresponds to a forward direction, scrolling up a screen of the terminal;

if the tilt direction corresponds to a backward direction opposite of the forward direction, scrolling down the screen of the terminal;

determining if ambient illuminance of the terminal is greater than or equal to a threshold and determining if the terminal is stationary; and

if the terminal is stationary and if the ambient illuminance is greater than or equal to the threshold, performing a screen scroll mode,

wherein a scroll speed increases as a tilt angle of the terminal increases.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the screen scroll mode includes at least one of a vision scroll mode based on a camera, or a voice scroll mode based on an audio input/output module.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein, if the terminal is stationary and the ambient illuminance of the terminal is greater than the threshold, the screen scroll mode corresponds to the vision scroll mode.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising at least one of determining whether the terminal is physically connected to a peripheral device and determining whether the terminal is left unattended.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining whether a pre-registered subject is detected from an image captured by the camera; and

determining whether a change in position of the detected subject exceeds a threshold in continuously captured images.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining whether a pre-registered subject is detected from an image captured by a camera; and

determining whether a change in a position or an angle of the terminal exceeds a threshold.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising stopping the screen scroll if the terminal moves or is tilted in a direction toward an initial position or an initial angular position before the change in position.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the detecting of the information further comprises:

detecting a face in an image;

detecting an interest region including a nose from the face; and

detecting a moving state of the interest region depending on a moving direction of the interest region.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the moving state of the interest region is determined if the interest region has moved and stopped for a threshold time or during a threshold number of image frames.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the moving state of the interest region is determined, if the interest region has moved and stopped for a threshold time or during a threshold number of image frames, after the stop state of the interest region was maintained for a threshold time or during a threshold number of image frames.

11. A terminal for providing context awareness-based screen scroll, the terminal comprising:

a display unit configured to provide a screen; and

a controller configured to;

determine a tilt direction of a terminal,

if the tilt direction corresponds to a forward direction, scroll up the screen,

if the tilt direction corresponds to a backward direction opposite of the forward direction, scroll down the screen,

determine if ambient illuminance of the terminal is greater than or equal to a threshold and determine if the terminal is stationary, and

if the terminal is stationary and if the ambient illuminance is greater than or equal to the threshold, perform a screen scroll mode,

wherein a scroll speed increases as a tilt angle of the terminal increases.

12. The terminal of claim 11,

wherein the screen scroll mode includes at least one of a vision scroll mode based on a camera, or a voice scroll mode based on an audio input module.

13. The terminal of claim 12,

wherein the camera is configured to output a captured image,

wherein the controller is further configured to execute the screen scroll if a registered subject is detected from the captured image.

14. The terminal of claim 13,

wherein the position sensor is configured to detect a change in position or angle of the terminal, and

wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether a change in position or angle of the terminal exceeds a threshold.

15. The terminal of claim 14, wherein the audio input/output module is configured to detect a user'"'"'s voice.

16. The terminal of claim 15, further comprising an illumination sensor to detect ambient illumination.

17. The terminal of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the screen scroll mode based information provided from at least one of the camera, the position sensor, the audio input/output module, and the illumination sensor.