APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING WEB BROWSER INTERFACE USING GESTURE IN DEVICE

• US 20120317503A1
• Filed: 06/07/2012
• Published: 12/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Noh, Seung-Ku, Kim, Kyung-Jin
• Granted Patent: US 9,361,019 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/760
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

An apparatus and method provide a web browser interface in a device. A method for providing a web browser interface in a device includes recognizing a gesture motion on an address window region of a web browser, determining a page switch-related function mapped to the recognized gesture motion, and performing the determined page switch-related function.

Claims

1. A method for providing a web browser interface in a device, comprising:

detecting a gesture motion on an address window region of a web browser; and

performing a page switch-related function mapped to the detected gesture motion,

wherein the gesture motion includes a drag gesture on the address window region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the page switch-related function is determined with reference to a mapping table defining a page switch-related function on a gesture-by-gesture basis,

wherein the mapping table is defined based on at least one of a position of the touch event, a direction of the drag event, and an end position of the drag event.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the page switch-related function comprises:

determining a switch to a next page when the drag event has occurred in a first direction on the address window region; and

determining a switch to a previous page when the drag event has occurred in a second direction on the address window region.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first direction is a leftward direction and the second direction is a rightward direction.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the page switch-related function further comprises:

determining a display of a search history when the drag event has occurred in a third direction on the address window region.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the address window region is divided into two or more sub-regions;

the switch to the next page is determined when the drag event has occurred in a first direction on the first address window region; and

the switch to the previous page is determined when the drag event has occurred in a second direction on the second address window region.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the switch to the next page is determined when the drag event has occurred in a first direction from one end of the address window region; and

the switch to the previous page is determined when the drag event has occurred in a second direction from the other end of the address window region.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the page switch-related function comprises:

determining a display of a bookmark add menu for an address in the address window region when the drag event has ended at a bookmark button position.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the page switch-related function comprises:

determining a display of a multi window tap when the drag event has occurred in a first direction and in a second direction with respect to the address window region.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first direction is an outward direction and the second direction is an inward direction.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the page switch-related function comprises:

determining a display of a next window tap when the drag event has occurred in a first direction and in a second direction on the address window region; and

determining a display of a previous window tap when the drag event has occurred in the second direction and in the first direction on the address window region.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first direction is a rightward direction and the second direction is a leftward direction.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the page switch-related function comprises:

determining to perform a page refresh function when the drag event has occurred in a first direction, in a second direction, and in the first direction on the address window region.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first direction is a rightward direction and the second direction is a leftward direction.

15. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

displaying one or more virtual buttons in a pop-up window when the touch event has occurred,

wherein the virtual buttons include at least one of a virtual button for link storing, a virtual button for link sharing, and a virtual button for URL copying, and

wherein determining the page switch-related function comprises;

determining to perform a function mapped to one of the virtual buttons when the drag event has ended at a position of the one of the virtual buttons.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the page switch-related function includes at least one of a function for a switch to a next page, a function for a switch to a previous page, a search history display function, a bookmark add function, a multi window tap display function, a next window tap display function, a previous window tap display function, and a page refresh function.

17. An apparatus configured to provide a web browser interface in a device, comprising:

a gesture motion recognizing unit configured to detect a gesture motion on an address window region of a web browser; and

a function performing unit configured to perform a page switch-related function mapped to the detected gesture motion,

wherein the gesture motion includes a drag gesture on the address window region.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the function determining unit is further configured to determine the page switch-related function with reference to a mapping table defining a page switch-related function on a gesture-by-gesture basis,

wherein the mapping table is defined based on at least one of a position of the touch event, a direction of the drag event, and an end position of the drag event.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the function determining unit is further configured to:

determine a switch to a next page when the drag event has occurred in a first direction on the address window region; and

determine a switch to a previous page when the drag event has occurred in a second direction on the address window region.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first direction is a leftward direction and the second direction is a rightward direction.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the function determining unit is further configured to determine a display of a search history when the drag event has occurred in a third direction on the address window region.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the address window region is divided into two or more sub-regions, and

wherein the function determining unit is further configured to:

determine the switch to the next page when the drag event has occurred in a first direction on the first address window region; and

determine the switch to the previous page when the drag event has occurred in a second direction on the second address window region.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the function determining unit is further configured to:

determine the switch to the next page when the drag event has occurred in a first direction from one end of the address window region; and

determine the switch to the previous page when the drag event has occurred in a second direction from the other end of the address window region.

24. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the function determining unit is further configured to determine a display of a bookmark add menu for an address in the address window region when the drag event has ended at a bookmark button position.

25. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the function determining unit is further configured to determine a display of a multi window tap when the drag event has occurred in a first direction and in a second direction with respect to the address window region.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the first direction is an outward direction and the second direction is an inward direction.

27. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the function determining unit is further configured to:

determine a display of a next window tap when the drag event has occurred in a first direction and in a second direction on the address window region; and

determine a display of a previous window tap when the drag event has occurred in the second direction and in the first direction on the address window region.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the first direction is a rightward direction and the second direction is a leftward direction.

29. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the function determining unit is further configured to determine to perform a page refresh function when the drag event has occurred in a first direction, in a second direction, and in the first direction on the address window region.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the first direction is a rightward direction and the second direction is a leftward direction.

31. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

a display unit configured to display one or more virtual buttons in a pop-up window when the touch event has occurred,

wherein the virtual buttons include at least one of a virtual button for link storing, a virtual button for link sharing, and a virtual button for URL copying, and

wherein the function determining unit is further configured to determine to perform a function mapped to one of the virtual buttons when the drag event has ended at a position of the one of the virtual buttons.

32. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the page switch-related function includes at least one of a function for a switch to a next page, a function for a switch to a previous page, a search history display function, a bookmark add function, a multi window tap display function, a next window tap display function, a previous window tap display function, and a page refresh function.

33. A method for providing a web browser interface in a device, comprising:

detecting a first gesture motion on an address window region of a web browser; and

performing a page switch-related function mapped to the detected first gesture motion,

wherein a second gesture motion detected on a region other than the address window region is irrelevant to the page switch-related function,

wherein the first gesture motion includes a drag gesture on the address window region, and

wherein the second gesture motion includes the drag gesture on the region other than the address window region.

34. An apparatus configured to provide a web browser interface in a device, comprising:

a function determining unit configured to determine a page switch-related function mapped to a gesture motion detected on an address window region of a web browser, and determining a function mapped to a gesture motion recognized on other region than the address window region; and

a function determining unit configured to perform the determined function,

wherein the function mapped to the gesture motion on other region than the address window region is irrelevant to a page switch, and

wherein the gesture motion includes a drag gesture on the address window region and on the region other than the address window region, respectively.