Semantic zoom preview method and electronic device

1. An electronic device comprising:

an input interface configured to receive a user input, wherein the user input includes a multi touch input;

a memory configured to store at least one application;

a display; and

a processor configured to:

output a plurality of items in an execution screen of the at least one application,

obtain the multi touch input while the execution screen of the at least one application is output,

determine that the multi touch input is a pinch gesture input comprising a first point and a second point, and

in response to determining that the multi touch input comprises the first point and the second point:

calculate a center point between the first point and the second point,

determine a classification corresponding to a distance between the first point and the second point, the classification providing a criterion for grouping the plurality of items,

output a circular preview having a same diameter as the distance between the first point and the second point about the center point, wherein the circular preview is output on an upper layer of the execution screen,

output a first preview of an application within the circular preview comprising at least a portion of the plurality of items grouped together according to the criterion of the classification,

detect a change in the distance between the first point and the second point,

determine a different classification corresponding to the changed distance, the different classification corresponding to a different criterion for grouping the plurality of items,

change the diameter of the circular preview to match the changed distance without moving a location of the center point, the center point coinciding with the center of the changed diameter,

output a second preview of the application within the circular preview comprising at least a portion of the plurality of items grouped together according to the criterion of the different classification,

detect that the multi touch input is released, and

in response to detecting the release, terminate the output of the circular preview,

obtain another user input after the multi touch input is released, and in response to obtaining the other user input, determine an amount of time between the release of the multi touch input and the obtaining of the other user input is less than a predetermined amount of time, and

in response to determining the amount of time being less than the predetermined amount of time, output a third circular preview comprising at least a portion of the plurality of items grouped together according to a criterion of a top-level classification.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 ,

wherein the application uses an item,

wherein the first preview and the second preview have a different class, and

wherein the processor is further configured to select a class associated with the item or select a layout of the execution screen based on a type of the user input.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine the class based on a variation of the user input, and

configure the second preview such that the item is classified according to the determined class.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine at least one of a type of the class and an order of the class based on at least one of a type of the item and user configuration information.

5. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine the layout based on a variation of the user input, and

configure the second preview such that the execution screen is divided according to the determined layout.

6. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine the class as a first class or determine the layout as a first layout when a magnitude of a variation of the user input is a first size, and

determine the class as a second class which is lower than the first class according to a level of the class or determine the layout as a second layout which has a fewer number of divisions than the first layout when the magnitude of the variation of the user input is a second size which is larger than the first size.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein, if the user input is released, the processor is further configured to:

terminate an output of the second preview, and

output the execution screen to the display.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein, if another user input is obtained after the user input is released, the processor is further configured to:

determine another screen based on a variation of the other user input, wherein the other screen is configured to be outputted when the other user input is released, and

while the other user input is maintained, output another preview which includes at least part of the other screen to the display, and

wherein the other preview is configured based on an elapsed time from a point in time when the user input is released.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 ,

wherein the other preview is configured with respect to a top-level class or a bottom-level class of an item or a highest priority layout or a lowest priority layout of a screen of the display when the elapsed time is greater than a designated time, and

wherein the other preview is configured with respect to a current class of the item or a current layout of the screen when the elapsed time is not greater than the designated time.

10. A method of outputting a screen in an electronic device, the method comprising:

outputting a plurality of items in an execution screen of an application;

obtaining a multi touch input while the execution screen of the application is output, determining that the multi touch input is a pinch gesture input comprising a first point and a second point,

in response to determining that the multi touch input comprises the first point and the second point:

calculating a center point between the first point and the second point,

determining a classification corresponding to a distance between the first point and the second point, the classification providing a criterion for grouping the plurality of items,

outputting a circular preview having a same diameter as the distance between the first point and the second point about the center point, wherein the circular preview is output on an upper layer of the execution screen,

outputting a first preview of the application within the circular preview comprising at least a portion of the plurality of items grouped together according to the criterion of the classification,

detecting a change in the distance between the first point and the second point,

determining a different classification corresponding to the changed distance, the different classification corresponding to a different criterion for grouping the plurality of items,

changing the diameter of the circular preview to match the changed distance without moving a location of the center point, the center point coinciding with the center of the changed diameter,

outputting a second preview of the application within the circular preview comprising at least a portion of the plurality of the plurality of items grouped together according to a criterion of a different classification,

detecting that the multi touch input is released, and

in response to detecting the release, terminate the output of the circular preview,

obtaining another user input after the multi touch input is released, and in response to obtaining the other user input, determine an amount of time between the release of the multi touch input and the obtaining of the other user input is less than a predetermined amount of time, and

in response to determining the amount of time being less than the predetermined amount of time, output a third circular preview comprising at least a portion of the plurality of items grouped together according to a criterion of a top-level classification.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

selecting a class associated with an item used in the application or selecting a layout of the first preview or a layout of the second preview based on a type of the multi touch input,

wherein the first preview and the second preview have a different class.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

determining the class based on a variation of the multi touch input; and

configuring the second preview such that the item is classified according to the determined class.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

determining at least one of a type of the class and an order of the class based on at least one of a type of the item and user configuration information.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

determining the layout based on a variation of the multi touch input; and

configuring the second preview such that the execution screen is divided according to the determined layout.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

determining the class as a first class or determining the layout as a first layout when a magnitude of a variation of the multi touch input is a first size; and

determining the class as a second class which is lower than the first class according to a level of the class or determining the layout as a second layout which has a fewer number of divisions than the first layout when the magnitude of the variation of the multi touch input is a second size which is larger than the first size.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

if the multi touch input is released, terminating an output of the second preview; and

outputting the execution screen to a display.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

if another user input is obtained after the multi touch input is released, determining another screen based on a variation of the other user input, wherein the other screen is configured to be outputted when the other user input is released;

configuring another preview which includes at least part of the other screen based on an elapsed time from a point in time when the multi touch input is released; and

outputting the other preview of the other screen to the display while the other user input is maintained.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the configuring of the other preview comprises:

configuring the other preview with respect to a top-level class or a bottom-level class of an item or a highest priority layout or a lowest priority layout of a screen of the display when the elapsed time is greater than a designated time; and

configuring the other preview with respect to a current class of the item or a current layout of the screen when the elapsed time is not greater than the designated time.