Method and device for controlling user interface based on user's gesture

• US 9,582,049 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2008
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Joo Min, Kwon, Youk
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Kieu
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAUDHURI, ANITA
• Application Number:
  US12/196,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20090265627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,113 Days
• Field of Search: 715/762, 715/763, 715/765, 715/744, 715/864, 715/865
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

A mobile device and a method for controlling a user interface of the mobile device are disclosed. According to an embodiment, the method includes detecting a movement of the mobile device as applied by a user'"'"'s gesture, scrolling at least one of a page displayed on the display and a selection point on the display according to the detected movement of the mobile device, determining whether a selectable item displayed within the page is positioned on the selection point of the display, and selecting the selectable item in response to a predetermined event, once the determining step determines that the selectable item is positioned on the selection point of the display.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a user interface of a mobile device including a display, the method comprising:

detecting a movement of the mobile device as applied by a user'"'"'s gesture;

scrolling a page displayed on the display according to the detected movement of the mobile device only while a button for activating the scrolling is pressed;

displaying, on the display, a guide window in addition to the page currently displayed on the display while the scrolling is performed, wherein the guide window includes a miniature of the page currently displayed on the display and a location indicator indicating the location of the part currently being viewed on the display; and

if at least part of an input area of the display overlaps an input window of the page, displaying a virtual text input panel for inputting text into the overlapped input window

wherein the input window is an area for inputting and displaying text,

wherein if the input area and the input window are overlapped for a predetermined time, the virtual text input panel continues to be displayed despite movement of the mobile terminal, and

wherein if the input area and the input window are not overlapped for the predetermined time due to the movement of the mobile terminal, the virtual text input panel disappears.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

indicating, on the display, that the overlapped input window is ready so that a user can input text into the overlapped input window.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the scrolling step includes at least one of the following:

performing a zooming in/out operation on a portion of the page currently displayed on the display, according to a movement of the mobile device; and

flipping through other pages according to a movement of the mobile device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the movement of the mobile device includes at least one of rolling, pitching, yawing, and transition.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the display includes a touch screen.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the scrolling step, only the page is scrollable while the input area is fixed on the display.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the scrolling step, the input area is visible to a user.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the scrolling step, the input area is invisible to a user.

9. A method of controlling a user interface of a mobile device, the method comprising:

detecting a movement of the mobile device as applied by a user'"'"'s gesture;

scrolling a page displayed on a display of the mobile device according to the detected movement of the mobile device; and

if at least part of an input area of the display overlaps an input window of the page, displaying a virtual text input panel for inputting text into the overlapped input window

wherein the input window is an area for inputting and displaying text,

wherein, if the input area and the input window are overlapped for a predetermined time, the virtual text input panel continues to be displayed despite movement of the mobile terminal, and

wherein if the input area and the input window are not overlapped for the predetermined time due to the movement of the mobile terminal, the virtual text input panel disappears.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the scrolling is performed, when the mobile device is moved by the user'"'"'s gesture made while the user presses a button on the mobile device.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein in the scrolling step, the input window is scrolled according the movement of the mobile device while the input area is fixed on the display.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the input area is visible to a user.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the input area is invisible to a user.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein the movement of the mobile device includes at least one of rolling, pitching, yawing, and transition.

15. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

indicating to a user when at least the part of the input area of the display overlaps the input window of the page displayed on the display.

16. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

removing the displayed virtual text input panel in response to a movement of the mobile device as applied by a predetermined gesture of the user.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the predetermined gesture includes tilting the mobile device, shaking the mobile device at least once, pressing a virtual button on the display, pressing a physical button on the mobile device, or touching an area of the display in a certain manner.

18. The method according to claim 9, wherein the virtual text input panel comprises a virtual keyboard or a note recognition panel.

19. The method according to claim 9, wherein the scrolling step includes at least one of the following:

performing a zooming in/out operation on a portion of the page currently displayed on the display, according to a movement of the mobile device; and

flipping through other pages according to a movement of the mobile device.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

displaying, on a portion of the display, a guide window for indicating the actual area currently displayed on the display with respect to the entire page or a plurality of pages.

21. A mobile device comprising:

a display configured to display a guide window in addition to a page currently displayed on the display while a scrolling is performed, wherein the guide window includes a miniature of the page currently displayed on the display and a location indicator indicating the location of the part currently being viewed on the display;

a detector configured to detect a movement of the mobile device as applied by a user'"'"'s gesture; and

a controller, by controlling the display, configured to;

perform the scroll of the page displayed on the display according to the detected movement of the mobile device only while a button for activating the scroll is pressed, and

if at least part of an input area of the display overlaps an input window of the page, display a virtual text input panel for inputting text into the overlapped input window

wherein the input window is an area for inputting and displaying text,

wherein if the input area and the input window are overlapped for a predetermined time, the virtual text input panel continues to be displayed despite movement of the mobile terminal, and

wherein if the input area and the input window are not overlapped for the predetermined time due to the movement of the mobile terminal, the virtual text input panel disappears.

22. A mobile device comprising:

a display;

a detector configured to detect a movement of the mobile device as applied by a user'"'"'s gesture; and

a controller, by controlling the display, configured to;

scroll a page displayed on the display according to the detected movement of the mobile device; and

if at least part of an input area of the display overlaps an input window of the page, display the virtual text input panel for inputting text into the overlapped input window

wherein the input window is an area for inputting and displaying text,

wherein if the input area and the input window are overlapped for a predetermined time, the virtual text input panel continues to be displayed despite movement of the mobile terminal, and

wherein if the input area and the input window are not overlapped for the predetermined time due to the movement of the mobile terminal, the virtual text input panel disappears.