Image forming apparatus and enlargement display method of target area thereof

• US 8,495,493 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2010
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Ha, Kwang-soo, Chung, Sung-jae, Kim, Bong-gun, Lee, Sang-su, Shin, Sung-man
• Primary Examiner(s): ABDUL-ALI, OMAR R
• Application Number:
  US12/871,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20110107209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 715/702, 715/711, 715/810
• US Class Current: 715/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An enlargement display method of a target area of an image forming apparatus which comprises a touch screen includes selecting a target zooming function to zoom at least one menu displayed on the touch screen as a target screen to perform at least one of functions of the image forming apparatus, enlarging and displaying at least one menu corresponding to the target area according to the selection, selecting at least one of navigation buttons to move the target area, and moving and displaying the enlarged target area through the selected navigation button. With this, the image forming apparatus and the enlargement display method enlarge and display the necessary menu as the target area and the target area is moved through the navigation button to thereby improve a user'"'"'s convenience.

Claims

1. An enlargement display method of a target area of an image forming apparatus which comprises a touch screen, the method comprising:

selecting a target zooming function to zoom at least one menu encompassed by the target area among a plurality of menus in a menu list displayed on the touch screen as a target screen to perform at least one function of the image forming apparatus;

enlarging and displaying at least one menu and the target area according to the selection while maintaining display of the plurality of menus, and when the enlarging of the at least one menu and the target area is greater than or equal to 25%, displaying the enlarged at least one menu and the target area in a transparent or semi-transparent manner;

selecting at least one navigation button of a plurality of navigation buttons to encompass the target area; and

moving the enlarged target area with the selected navigation button to further encompass another additional menu such that the additional menu is enlarged.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying at least one menu list to perform at least one of the functions of the image forming apparatus.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the moving and displaying the target area comprises expanding the target area to comprise at least two of a plurality of menus if the menu list comprises the plurality of menus.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the moving and displaying the target area comprises moving and displaying the target area by a preset number of menus.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the moving and displaying the target area further comprises reducing the target area.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the moving and displaying the target area comprises expanding or reducing the target area corresponding to a dragging motion of a user.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein the moving and displaying the target area comprises moving the target area to comprise a top menu if it is selected to move down the target area comprising a bottom menu, and moving the target area to comprise a bottom menu if it is selected to move up the target area comprising a top menu.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the navigation button is provided to move the target area up and down or left and right.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selecting the target zooming function comprises selecting a button corresponding to the target zooming function or touching and selecting a voluntary menu area.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the moving and displaying the target area comprises applying the target area to an entire menu list displayed on the touch screen, and moving the target area comprising the entire area to a menu list which is not displayed on the touch screen.

11. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a display unit which displays thereon at least one menu list encompassed by a target area among a plurality of menus to perform at least one of a plurality of functions of the image forming apparatus;

a user input unit which comprises a touch screen displayed on the display unit and at least one navigation button of a plurality of navigation buttons to encompass a menu on the at least one menu list and the target area and to move a selected navigation button to further encompass at least another additional menu to provide an enlarged target area such that the additional menu is enlarged; and

a controller which controls the display unit to enlarge and display at least one menu of the plurality of menus and the target area, and when the enlarging of the at least one menu of the plurality of menus and the target area is greater than or equal to 25%, displaying the enlarged at least one menu of the plurality of menus and the target area in a transparent or semi-transparent manner, while maintaining display of the plurality of menus if a target zooming function is selected through the user input unit to zoom at least one menu of the menu list as the target area, and to display the enlarged target area according to a user'"'"'s selection.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the display unit enlarges and displays the target area to comprise at least three of the plurality of menus according to a selection of the navigation button if the menu list comprises the plurality of menus.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the display unit moves and displays the target area by a preset number of menus.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the display unit reduces and displays the target area.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the user input unit receives a command to expand or reduce the target area by a user'"'"'s drag by touch.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the display unit moves and displays the target area to comprise a top menu if it is selected to move down the target area comprising a bottom menu and moves and displays the target area to comprise a bottom button if it is selected to move up the target area comprising a top menu.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the navigation button is provided to move the target area up and down or left and right.

18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the user input unit receives a command to select a button corresponding to the target zooming function or selecting the target zooming function by touching a voluntary menu area.

19. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the display unit applies the target area to the entire menu list displayed on the touch screen, and moves the target area applied to the entire area to a menu list which is not displayed on the touch screen.

20. A method of displaying a menu on a display device, comprising:

displaying a menu list encompassed by a target area among a plurality of menus such that visual elements of the plurality of menus have a first size;

enlarging and displaying at least a first one of the plurality of menus in the target area such that visual elements of the at least one enlarged menu have a second size larger than the first size and such that the visual elements of the rest of the plurality of menus have the first size, and when the enlarging of at least the first one of the plurality of menus in the target area is greater than or equal to 25%, displaying the enlarged at least first one of the plurality of menus in the target area in a transparent or semi-transparent manner; and

enlarging and displaying, in addition to the at least first one, at least a second one of the plurality of menus located in a first direction with respect to the first menu in response to a user input indicating the first direction to further encompass at least the second one of the plurality of menus such that the at least second one of the plurality of menus is enlarged while maintaining display of the plurality of menus, and when the enlarging of at least the second one of the plurality of menus located in the first direction with respect to the first menu is greater than or equal to 25%, displaying the enlarged at least second one of the plurality of menus in the target area in a transparent or semi-transparent manner.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein enlarging the second menu includes enlarging both the first menu and the second menu simultaneously.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the second menu is enlarged in response to a user input at an edge of the first menu corresponding to the first direction.

23. The method according to claim 20, wherein enlarging the second menu includes reducing a size of the first menu such that the visual elements of the first menu have the first size.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the entire first menu is enlarged when a point on the first menu is selected.