SCROLLING METHOD OF MOBILE TERMINAL AND APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING THE SAME

• US 20110010659A1
• Filed: 07/13/2010
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Mee Young, KIM, Byoungju, LEE, Sung Sik, YOON, Kyoung Sik
• Granted Patent: US 8,881,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• 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

Abstract

A scrolling method and apparatus devices having display screens such as a mobile terminal. When a first image on a screen cannot be moved in a direction by a touch input, a region of the first image is modified in response to the touch input and the modified image is subsequently restored to the first image after the touch is released or a preset amount of time passes. The modification of the region of the image provides an indication that is fed back to the user so that the end or last part of the image is displayed and cannot be moved further, so that undesired repetitive touch input can be prevented.

Claims

1. A scrolling method of a mobile terminal comprising:

providing a touch input for moving an original image along a display screen in a direction corresponding to a direction of a user'"'"'s touch;

modifying a display of at least some of a region of a first image portion of the original image in response to sensing a touch input when the first image portion output on the display screen cannot be moved in the direction corresponding to the direction of the user'"'"'s touch; and

restoring the original image on the display in its entirety.

2. The scrolling method of a mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the provided touch input is a first touch input when an acceleration of a touch point at a time when a touch is released from the display is less than a preset threshold, and is a second touch input when the acceleration of the touch point at the time when the touch is released from the display is equal to or higher than the preset threshold.

3. The scrolling method of a mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the restoring of the original image comprises at least one of:

modifying the at least some region of the first image portion in response to the first touch input, and performing a restoring of the original image when the first touch input is released; and

modifying the at least some region of the first image portion for a preset time in response to the second touch input, and performing a restoring of the original image when a preset time is lapsed after the second touch input is released.

4. The scrolling method of a mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the modification of said at least some region of the first image portion comprises expanding at least one of gaps between displayed regions of the items and gaps between the items, when the first image portion comprises images of a plurality of items arranged in a vertical direction.

5. The scrolling method of a mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the expansion of the gap comprises one of:

expanding the gaps between the displayed regions of the items or the gaps between the items by a same ratio regularly; and

expanding the gaps between the displayed regions of the items or the gaps between the items irregular by a different ratio.

6. The scrolling method of a mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the expansion of the gaps comprises expanding at least one of gaps between names of the items and upper edges of the displayed regions of the items and between the names of the items and lower edges of the displayed regions of the items when the displayed regions of the items are expanded.

7. The scrolling method of a mobile terminal of claim 4, further comprising reducing the remaining gaps between the displayed regions of the items and between the items except for the at least one of expanded gaps between the displayed regions of the items and between the items, in response to the expanded size.

8. The scrolling method of a mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the modification of said at least some region of the first image comprises at least one of:

expanding at least one of gaps between rows and between columns when the first image comprising icon images in which a plurality of items is arranged in the vertical direction and in the horizontal direction; and

increasing sizes of icons included in at least one row and at least one column.

9. The scrolling method of a mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the modification of said at least some region of the first image portion comprises at least one of:

expanding at least one template when the first image comprises a webpage having a plurality of templates;

expanding at least one gap between the templates; and

expanding margins between edges of the webpage and the templates.

10. The scrolling method of a mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein, in the modification of said at least some region of the first image portion, said at least some region of the first image portion is modified while fixing at least an edge of the first image portion to prevent a region beyond edges of the first image portion being displayed.

11. A scrolling apparatus of a mobile terminal comprising:

a display unit for outputting an original image;

a touch panel recognizing a touch input for moving the image on the display unit in a particular direction; and

a control unit for modifying at least some region of a first image portion of the original image and restoring the modified region to the first image portion in response to the touch input when the first image portion output on the display unit cannot be moved in the particular direction corresponding to movement of a user.

12. The scrolling apparatus of a mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the provided touch input is a first touch input when an acceleration of a touch point at a time when a touch is released is less than a preset threshold, and is a second touch input when the acceleration of the touch point at the time when the touch is released is equal to or higher than the preset threshold.

13. The scrolling apparatus of a mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the control unit modifies said at least some region of the first image portion in response to the first touch input and restores the modified image to the original image when the touch is released, and modifies said at least some region of the first image portion for a preset time in response to the second touch input and restores the modified image to the original image after the preset time is lapsed.

14. The scrolling apparatus of a mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein, when the image comprises a plurality of images in which a plurality of items are arranged in the vertical direction, the control unit expands at least one of gaps between displayed regions of the items and between each of the plurality of items.

15. The scrolling apparatus of a mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein, when said at least one of the gaps between the displayed regions of the items and between the items are expanded, the control unit expands said at least one of the gaps between the displayed regions of the items and between the items by a same ratio regularly or by a different ratio irregularly.

16. The scrolling apparatus of a mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the control unit expands at least one of gaps between names of the items and upper edges of the displayed regions of the items and between the names of the items and lower edges of the displayed regions of the items, when the displayed regions of the items are expanded.

17. The scrolling apparatus of a mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the control unit reduces gaps between the remaining displayed regions of the items and between the remaining items except for the at least one of the expanded gaps between the displayed regions of the items and between the items, in response to the expanded size.

18. The scrolling apparatus of a mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein, when the first image portion comprises a plurality of images in which a plurality of items is arranged in rows and columns, the control unit expands at least one of gaps between the rows and between the columns, and sizes of icons included in at least one row and column.

19. The scrolling apparatus of a mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein, when the first image comprises a webpage having a plurality of templates, the control unit expands at least one of at least one template region, at least one gap between the templates, and margins between edges of the webpage and the templates.

20. The scrolling apparatus of a mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the control unit expands said at least some region of the first image portion while fixing at one edge of the first image portion to prevent a region extending beyond edges of the first image portion being output.