Zooming techniques for touch screens

• US 8,339,376 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2012
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Stallings, Heath
• Primary Examiner(s): OLSON, JASON C
• Application Number:
  US13/429,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20120176335A1
• Time in Patent Office: 274 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A device may include a touch-sensitive display, a memory to store a group of instructions, and a processor. The processor may execute the instructions in the memory to detect that a circular motion is being made on or near a surface of the touch-sensitive screen, detect a location on the touch-sensitive screen at which the circular motion is being made, and zoom in or zoom out on an item, being displayed on the touch-sensitive screen at the detected location, based on detecting that the circular motion is being made on or near the surface of the touch-sensitive screen.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a processor, a circular motion being made on or near a surface of a touch screen of a computing device;

detecting, by the processor and based on the detecting of the circular motion, a location and a size of the circular motion;

identifying, by the processor and based on the location of the circular motion, an item displayed on the touch screen; and

zooming in or zooming out, by the processor, on the item, including;

zooming in or zooming out on the item at a first pace when the size of the circular motion is a particular size,

zooming in or zooming out at a second pace, that is slower than the first pace, when the size of the circular motion is smaller than the particular size, and

zooming in or zooming out at a third pace, that is faster than the first pace, when the size of the circular motion is larger than the particular size.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying an application associated with the item;

selecting, based on the application, one or more parameters of a plurality of parameters; and

determining at least one of the first pace, the second pace, the third pace, or the particular size based on the selected one or more parameters.

3. The method of claim 2,

the one or more parameters including:

a minimum size parameter that indicates a first size that is a percentage of an original size to which the item can be zoomed out on,

the original size corresponding to a displayed size of the item prior to the detecting of the circular motion, and

a maximum size parameter that indicates a second size that is a percentage of the original size to which the item can be zoomed in; and

the zooming in or zooming out on the item further including;

zooming out on the item to a size corresponding to or exceeding the first size, or

zooming in on the item to a size at or below the second size.

4. The method of claim 2,

the one or more parameters including a speed parameter that indicates how quickly the item is to be zoomed in or zoomed out on, and

the method further comprising:

determining at least one of the first pace, the second pace, or the third pace based on the speed parameter.

5. The method of claim 2,

the one or more parameters including a location zooming parameter that indicates whether zooming is to be performed at a location of the circular motion, and

the zooming in or zooming out on the item including:

zooming in or zooming out on the item based on the detected location and the location zooming parameter.

6. The method of claim 1,

the detecting of the circular motion including:

detecting a direction associated with the circular motion,

the direction including a first direction or a second direction that differs from the first direction, and

the zooming in or zooming out on the item including;

zooming in on the item when the circular motion is associated with the first direction, or

zooming out on the item when the circular motion is associated with the second direction.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an orientation associated with the computing device when the circular motion is detected,

the orientation including a first orientation or a second orientation, and

the zooming in or zooming out on the item including;

zooming in or zooming out on the item, by a first amount, when the computing device is in the first orientation, and

zooming in or zooming out on the item, by a second amount that differs from the first amount, when the computing device is in the second orientation.

8. A device comprising:

a memory to store one or more parameters; and

a processor to;

detect a circular motion being made on or near a surface of a touch-sensitive screen,

the circular motion being associated with a size,

identify a location on the touch-sensitive screen associated with the circular motion, and

zoom in or zoom out on an item being displayed on the touch-sensitive screen at the detected location,

when zooming in or zooming out, the processor is to;

zoom in or zoom out on the item at a first pace when the size of the circular motion is a particular size,

zoom in or zoom out at a second pace, that is slower than the first pace, when the size of the circular motion is smaller than the particular size, and

zoom in or zoom out at a third pace, that is faster than the first pace, when the size of the circular motion is larger than the particular size,

 

at least one of the first pace, the second pace, the third pace, and the particular size being based on the one or more parameters.

9. The device of claim 8,

the memory being further to store a plurality of parameters that include the one or more parameters, and

the processor being further to:

identify an application associated with the item, and

select the one or more parameters, from the plurality of parameters, based on the application.

10. The device of claim 8,

the one or more parameters including:

a minimum size parameter that indicates a particular size that is a percentage of an original size to which the item can be zoomed out,

the original size corresponding to a displayed size of the item, on the touch-sensitive screen, when the circular motion is detected, and

the processor, when zooming in or zooming out on the item, being further to;

zoom out on the item to a size corresponding to or greater than the minimize particular size.

11. The device of claim 8,

the one or more parameters including:

a maximum size parameter that indicates a particular size that is a percentage of an original size to which the item can be zoomed in on,

the original size corresponding to a displayed size of the item, on the touch-sensitive screen, when the circular motion is detected, and

the processor, when zooming in or zooming out on the item, being further to;

zoom in on the item to a size corresponding to or below the particular size.

12. The device of claim 8, the one or more parameters including:

a speed parameter that indicates how quickly the item is to be zoomed in or zoomed out on, and

the processor being further to;

determine at least one of the first pace, the second pace, or the third pace based on the speed parameter.

13. The device of claim 8,

the processor, when detecting the circular motion, being further to:

detect a direction associated with the circular motion,

the direction including a first direction or a second direction that differs from the first direction, and

the processor, when zooming in or zooming out on the item, being further to;

zoom in on the item when the circular motion is associated with the first direction, or

zoom out on the item when the circular motion is associated with the second direction.

14. The device of claim 8,

the processor being further to:

detect an orientation associated with the touch-sensitive screen when the circular motion is detected,

the orientation including a first orientation or a second orientation, and

the processor, when zooming in or zooming out on the item, being further to;

zoom in or zoom out on the item, by a first amount, when the touch-sensitive screen is in the first orientation, and

zoom in or zoom out on the item, by a second amount that differs from the first amount, when the touch-sensitive screen is in the second orientation.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that include:

one or more instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to detect a circular input associated with a touch screen;

one or more instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to identify a location on the touch screen and a size associated with the circular input;

one or more instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to select, based on the identified location, a display item being presented on the touch screen when the circular input is detected; and

one or more instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to zoom in or zoom out on the display item, including;

one or more instructions to zoom in or zoom out on the display item at a first pace when the size of the circular input is a particular size,

one or more instructions to zoom in or zoom out at a second pace, that is slower than the first pace, when the size of the circular input is smaller than the particular size, and

one or more instructions to zoom in or zoom out at a third pace, that is faster than the first pace, when the size of the circular input is larger than the particular size.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, the instructions further including,

one or more instructions to identify an application associated with the display item,

one or more instructions to select one or more parameters, from a plurality of parameters, based on the identified application;

and

one or more instructions to determine the first pace, the second pace, and the third pace based on the one or more parameters.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, the one or more instructions to zoom in or zoom out on the display item further including:

one or more instructions to zoom out on the display item to a size corresponding to or greater than a minimum size parameter that indicates a particular size that is a percentage of an original size to which the display item can be zoomed out on,

the original size corresponding to a displayed size of the display item, on the touch-sensitive screen, when the circular input is detected.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, the one or more instructions to zoom in or zoom out on the display item further including:

one or more instructions to zoom in on the display item to a size corresponding to or below a maximum size parameter that indicates a particular size that is a percentage of an original size to which the display item can be zoomed in on,

the original size corresponding to a displayed size of the display item, on the touch-sensitive screen, when the circular input is detected.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15,

the one or more instructions to detect the circular input further including:

one or more instructions to detect a direction associated with the circular input, the direction including a first direction or a second direction that differs from the first direction, and

the one or more instructions to zoom in or zoom out on the display item further including;

one or more instructions to zoom in on the display item when the circular input is associated with the first direction, or

one or more instructions to zoom out on the display item when the circular input is associated with the second direction.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15,

the instructions further including:

one or more instructions to detect an orientation associated with the touch screen when the circular input is detected, the orientation including a first orientation or a second orientation, and

the one or more instructions to zoom in or zoom out on the display item further including;

one or more instructions to zoom in or zoom out on the display item, by a first amount, when the touch screen is in the first orientation, and

one or more instructions to zoom in or zoom out on the display item, by a second amount that differs from the first amount, when the touch screen is in the second orientation.