IP Library Granted Patent US 9,891,782
Granted Patent B2
US 9,891,782 · App. 14/658,789 · Granted Feb 13, 2018

Method and electronic device for providing user interface

Inventors: Ek Gregory (Seoul, KR); Paul Braun (Seoul, KR); Jody Medich (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
G06F3/04812G06F3/013G06F3/017G06F3/044G06F3/0482G06F3/0488G06F3/04845G06F3/04883G06F3/04886G06F2203/04106G06F2203/04803G06F2203/04808
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,891,782
App. No.
14/658,789
Granted
Feb 13, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic device that uses a method of providing user interface is provided. The method includes detecting a first touch input within a predetermined distance from an edge of a touch screen, displaying a first cursor at a position spaced away from the first touch input in response to the first touch input, detecting a movement of the first touch input in a first area, the first area being mapped to a screen of the touch screen and determined according to a position where the first touch input occurs, and moving the first cursor in the same manner as the movement of the first touch input in the first area.

Claims (52)

1. A method of providing user interface, the method comprising:

detecting a first touch input within a predetermined distance from an edge of a touch screen;

displaying a first cursor at a position spaced away from the first touch input in response to the first touch input;

detecting a movement of the first touch input in a first area while maintaining the first touch input on the touch screen, the first area being mapped to a screen of the touch screen and determined according to a position where the first touch input occurs;

moving the first cursor in the same manner as the movement of the first touch input in the first area;

detecting a user's gazing position; and

when the user's gazing direction is identical to the position of the first touch input, removing the first cursor and displaying a first menu relating to a content displayed on the touch screen at the position of the first touch input.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, when the first touch input is released, selecting an item displayed at the position of the first cursor of the touch screen at a time that the first touch input is released.

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

detecting a second touch input within a predetermined distance from the edge of the touch screen;

displaying a second cursor at a position spaced away from the second touch input on the touch screen in response to the detected second touch input;

detecting a movement of the second touch input in a second area on the touch screen, the second area being mapped to the screen of the touch screen and determined according to a position where the second touch input occurs; and

moving the second cursor in the same manner as the movement of the second touch input in the second area on the touch screen.

4. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising, when the first cursor and the second cursor are disposed on the same object of the touch screen and the first touch input and the second touch input moving the first cursor and the second cursor are detected simultaneously, rotating the object.

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

detecting a second touch input thereby activating an area selection function; and

displaying a selection area on the touch screen according to a movement of the first cursor by detecting the movement of the first touch input.

6. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising:

detecting a third touch input within a predetermined distance from the edge of the touch screen; and

displaying a menu relating to the selection area on the touch screen.

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

detecting a user's gazing position; and

when the user's gazing position is spaced away from the position of the first touch input, displaying the first cursor at the user's gazing position.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising;

detecting the movement of the first touch input on the first menu; and

when the first touch input is released, applying an item displayed at a position where the first touch input is released to the content.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising displaying a sub menu of the item at the position of the first menu by a selection of an item on the first menu, wherein the first menu is a multi-level menu.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, when a first item of the first menu is selected by the movement of the first touch input, displaying the first menu in a changed form at the position of the first menu.

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

detecting a second touch input from the touch screen;

removing the first cursor in response to the detected second touch input and displaying a first menu relating to a content displayed on the touch screen at the position of the first touch input; and

if there is a second menu relating to the content, displaying the second menu at a position where the second touch input occurs.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising, when a first item of the first menu is released in a predetermined manner toward the second menu, delivering the first item from the first menu to the second menu.

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

detecting a second touch input corresponding to drawing a text on the touch screen; and

executing a shortcut that the text indicates in relation to the first menu.

14. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising, when there is an item applicable to the first menu at the user's gazing position, applying an item displayed at the position where the first input is released to an item of the user's gazing position.

15. A method of providing user interface, the method comprising:

detecting an input on a screen of an electronic device;

determining a user's gazing direction in response to the detected input while the input is being detected;

determining a function corresponding to the determined user's gazing direction;

performing the determined function;

when the user's gazing direction is toward the detected input, displaying, on the screen of the electronic device, a menu providing options for controlling an application that can be executed on the electronic device in the area of the detected input; and

when the user's gazing direction is spaced away from the area of the detected input, displaying a cursor in the user's gazing direction on the screen and activating a trackpad in the area of the detected input.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein detecting the input comprises:

determining whether the input is provided to a specified area of the screen of the electronic device;

when the input is provided to the specified area, determining the size of the input;

comparing the size of the input with a determined threshold; and

when the size of the input is greater than the determined threshold in the specified area, detecting the input as a thumb input.

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

determining whether the user's grazing direction is toward the detected input; and

determining the function based on whether the user's gazing direction is toward an area of the detected input.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 2, 2015
From: GREGORY, EK; BRAUN, PAUL
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 035807/0507 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2014-0030625 · Mar 14, 2014 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150324087A1 · Nov 12, 2015