Object display method and apparatus of portable electronic device

An object display method and apparatus of a portable electronic device for facilitating selection of an object displayed on the screen by rearranging the objects dynamically is provided. The object display method of a portable electronic device includes displaying at least one object, receiving a touch event input from a region, determining rearrangement of the at least one object based on the touch event, grouping the at least one object according to the rearrangement determination, and rearranging the at least one object according to the rearrangement determination.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) of a Korean patent application filed on Apr. 9, 2013 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office and assigned Serial number 10-2013-0038685, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a function of a portable electronic device. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an object display method and apparatus of a portable electronic device for facilitating selection of an object displayed on the screen by dynamically rearranging the displayed objects.

BACKGROUND

Recently, with advances in information communication and semiconductor technologies, portable electronic devices have become widespread and are used in nearly every field. In particular, portable electronic devices are outgrowing their traditional fields to reach a mobile convergence phase. In that regard, a portable electronic device is equipped with an interactive screen making it easy to control various functions such as messaging, photographing, and multimedia playback, as well as the convention telephony function.

As the size of the screen increases, the portable electronic device allows the user to arrange more and more objects such as application icons on the screen so as to execute various functions quickly. However, when the user holds the portable electronic device with one hand, it is not easy to select an object displayed on the screen with the thumb of the same hand. For example, if the user attempts to select an object positioned out of the reach of the right thumb on the screen while holding the portable electronic device with the right hand, there is a risk of dropping the portable electronic device, especially when the user has small hands.

Therefore, a need exists for a method for rearranging the objects or changing the positions of the objects to facilitate selecting or executing an object on the screen with a simple action while holding the portable electronic device with one hand.

SUMMARY

Aspects of the present disclosure are to address at least the above-mentioned problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an object display method and apparatus of a portable electronic device that is capable of facilitating rearrangement of the objects on the screen of the portable electronic device.

In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, an object display method of a portable electronic device is provided. The object display method includes displaying at least one object, receiving a touch event input from a region, determining rearrangement of the at least one object based on the touch event, grouping the at least one object according to the rearrangement determination, and rearranging the at least one object according to the rearrangement determination.

In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, an object display apparatus of a portable electronic device is provided. The object display apparatus includes a touch screen configured to generate a touch event input from a region and to display at least one object, and a control unit to determine rearrangement of the at least one object based on the touch event, to group the at least one object according to the rearrangement determination, and to rearrange at least one object according to the rearrangement determination.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An object display method and a portable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure are described hereinafter. Here, the portable electronic device may be any electronic device equipped with a touch screen such as a mobile communication terminal, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a smart phone, a tablet PC, a Portable Multimedia Player (PMP), and the like.

In the following description, the term ‘object’ may include an application icon, an item, file, and an image that are displayed on the screen of the portable electronic device in the form of pictures or symbols for selecting corresponding functions and/or data.

A detailed description of well-known functions and structures incorporated herein may be omitted to avoid obscuring the subject matter of the present disclosure. The terms and words used in this description and the appended claims are not to be interpreted in common or lexical meaning but, based on the principle that an inventor can adequately define the meanings of terms to best describe the disclosure, to be interpreted in the meaning and concept conforming to the technical concept of the present disclosure. Thus, it should be understood that there may be various equivalents and modified examples that can replace the embodiments described in the present specification and the configuration shown in the drawings at the time of filing the present application. In the drawings, certain elements may be exaggerated or omitted or schematically depicted for clarity of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a portable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring toFIG. 1, the portable electronic device100may include a touch screen110, a storage unit140, and a control unit160.

The touch screen110may include a touch panel120and a display panel130. The touch panel120may be implemented as an add-on type on the display panel130so as to be placed on the display panel130or may be implemented as an on-cell or an in-cell type so as to be coupled with the display panel130.

The touch panel120may generate a touch event in response to a contact of a user's finger or an electric pen or the like thereon, and transfer the generated touch event to the control unit160. For example, the touch panel120may provide coordinates contained in a touch region (i.e., a specific region touched by a touch tool such as a user's finger or a stylus pen) to the control unit160. The control unit160may determine touch coordinates from at least one of the coordinates contained in a touch region received from the touch panel120. The control unit160may detect a user's gesture on the basis of variations in touch coordinates continuously received from the touch panel120. A user's gesture may include and be classified into a touch, a tap, a drag, a long touch, a touch release, a flick, and the like. The control unit160may detect a user's gesture on the basis of variations in touch coordinates continuously received from the touch panel120. A user's gesture may include and be classified into a touch, a tap, a drag, a long touch, a touch release, a flick, and the like. A touch refers to a gesture that makes a touch tool be in contact with any point on the touch panel120. A tap refers to a gesture that touches any point on the touch panel120and then promptly releases the touch tool from the touch point without moving the touch tool. A drag refers to a gesture that moves a touch tool in an arbitrary direction while maintaining a touch on the touch panel120. A long touch refers to a gesture that touches any point on the touch panel120for a certain duration. A touch release refers to a gesture that removes a touch from any point on the touch panel120. A flick refers to a gesture that moves a touch tool more quickly than a drag and then releases the touch tool. If the touch coordinates received from the touch panel120change, the control unit160may detect the movement of the touch tool (e.g. finger) and determine the type of the user's touch gesture on the basis of variations in the touch coordinates and, if the touch gesture is the drag and drop or the flick gesture, the control unit160may determine the start and end points of the finger and movement angle.

In various embodiments of this disclosure, the control unit160may rearrange at least one object on the screen based on the touch event including the start and end points of the finger and movement angle of the touch gesture. For example, if the user makes a touch at a certain area of the screen of the portable electronic device100and moves the touch while maintaining the touch, the object may be rearranged on the screen of the portable electronic device100through one of symmetric movement, rotation movement and shift. The object rearrangement on the screen of the portable electronic device through the symmetric movement, rotation movement, and shift is described later.

The display panel130may display various menu items of the mobile device100, information entered by a user, or information offered to a user. For example, the display panel130may display objects (e.g., application icons, items, files, images, etc.), an indication bar, widgets, a page indicator, and a certain region for executing the object rearrangement function on the screen of the portable electronic device100. For example, if a touch gesture is detected on the outside of the certain area, the display panel130may execute the corresponding function and, otherwise, if the touch gesture is detected within the certain area, the object may be rearranged based on the touch gesture. The certain region may be preset to execute the object rearrangement function so as not to overlap a normal function executed by touch input. The certain region may be preset by a designer's setting or selected by a user's setting.

The display panel130may support the object rearrangement function for facilitating selection of the object arranged at a specific position in a restrictive environment such as single hand-holding environment. If it is determined to rearrange the object in response to a user' touch gesture, the display panel130may perform one of the symmetrical movement, rotational movement, and shift on the object on the screen of the portable electronic device100. Here, the symmetrical movement may be classified into one of diagonal symmetrical movement, horizontal symmetrical movement, and vertical symmetrical movement. The rotational movement may be classified into one of clockwise direction movement and counterclockwise direction movement, and the shift may be classified into shift by row and shift by column.

The display panel130may be implemented with one of a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), Light Emitted Diodes (LED), an Active Matrix LED (AMOLED), a Passive Matrix OLED (PMOLED), and the like.

The storage unit140is a secondary memory unit of the control unit160and may include at least one of disk, Random Access Memory (RAM), and flash memory. The storage unit140may store the data generated by the portable electronic device100or received from an external device such as a server, a desktop PC, and a tablet PC by means of a radio communication unit (not shown) and an external device interface (not shown) under the control of the control unit160. The storage unit140may store a rearrangement table150.

The rearrangement table150may store data corresponding to rearrangement of the objects displayed on the screen of the portable electronic device100. The control unit160may receive the touch event from the touch panel120, determine the change of the touch gesture and determine rearrangement of the objects according to the change of the touch gesture. The rearrangement table150may store the rearrangement patterns to sort the change of the touch gesture by an angle range. For example, the control unit160may determine the change of the touch gesture based on the touch event received from the touch panel120, search the rearrangement table150, and determine the rearrangement pattern corresponding to the change of the touch gesture.

The storage unit140may store the Operating System (OS) for operating the portable electronic device100, application programs for optional functions such as audio playback, still and motion picture playback, and broadcast playback, and data generated by the user and received in data communication. The object rearrangement program may include a routine for determining rearrangement of objects based on the touch gesture detected on a certain region, a routine for grouping the objects displayed on the screen into at least one group, and a routine for rearranging the grouped objects according to the object rearrangement determination. The routing of rearranging grouped objects according to the rearrangement determination may include subroutines according to the symmetric movement, rotation movement, and shift.

The control unit160controls overall operations of the portable electronic device and signal flows among the internal components of the portable electronic device100. For example, the control unit160may detect the change of the touch gesture input on the touch panel120, search the rearrangement table150, and determine the objects rearrangement corresponding to the change of touch gesture.

Further, the control unit160may group objects displayed on the screen of the portable electronic device100into at least one group. For example, the control unit160may group the objects displayed on the screen of the portable electronic device100according to a line, e.g. a diagonal line, a horizontal center line, and a vertical center line. The control unit160also may group the objects into a region to rotate or shift the grouped objects. The control unit160rearranges the grouped objects on the screen of the portable electronic device100according to the rearrangement determination. Functions of the control unit160are described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In addition to the above described components, the portable electronic device100may include a key input unit having a plurality of input keys for receiving alphanumeric input and a plurality function keys for configuring various functions, a camera unit for taking pictures, and an audio processing unit for processing the audio signal associated with the function of the present disclosure and outputting the processed signal to the speaker, although they are not depicted to avoid obscuring the subject matter of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2is a flowchart illustrating an object rearrangement method of a portable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring toFIG. 2, at least one object may be displayed on the screen of the portable electronic device at operation S201. Here, the screen of the portable electronic device100may be a main menu screen. The main menu screen may include an indication bar, widgets, a page indicator, at least one object, and a certain region for rearranging of the at least one object. The control unit160may determine whether a touch gesture is detected in a certain region at operation S203. The certain region may be preset to execute the object rearrangement function so as not to overlap a normal function executed by a touch input. The certain region may be preset by a designer's setting or selected by a user's setting. In the case that a touch gesture is detected outside of the certain region on the screen of the portable electronic device100, the control unit160may control to execute the corresponding function at operation S205.

If it is determined that a touch gesture is detected on the certain region at operation S203, the control unit160may determine rearrangement of the object based on the change of the touch gesture at operation S207. For example, the control unit160may receive the touch event from the touch panel120and determine the change of the touch gesture based on the touch event. The control unit160may search the rearrangement table150for determining the rearrangement pattern of the object corresponding to the change of the touch gesture. Here, the control unit160may further determine whether to change the positions of the indication bar, the widgets, and the page indicator displayed on the main menu screen of the portable electronic device100according to the object rearrangement determination.

The control unit160may group at least one object according to the rearrangement determination at operation S209. For example, if the control unit160determines the object rearrangement pattern, the control unit160may group the objects displayed on the screen of the portable electronic device100according to at least one line, e.g. a diagonal line, a horizontal center line, and a vertical center line. The control unit160also may group the objects into a region to rotate or shift the objects.

The control unit160may rearrange the grouped objects according to the object rearrangement determination pattern at operation S211. For example, if the objects are grouped based on a line, the control unit160may rearrange the objects through symmetrical movement based on the line. If the objects are grouped into a region for rotation movement, the control unit160may rotate the objects in a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction to rearrange the objects. If the objects are grouped into a region for shift, the control unit160may shift the objects in units of rows or columns to rearrange the objects. Further, the control unit160may change the position of the indication bar, the widgets, and the page indicator displayed on the main menu screen of the portable electronic device100according to the object rearrangement determination pattern.

The control unit160may control the touch screen110to display the rearranged objects on the screen of the portable electronic device100at operation S213. The control unit160may control the symmetrical movement of the object according to a line or to a rotational movement or a shift of a region in which the objects are arranged such that the touch screen110may display the rearranged objects on the screen.

Hereinafter, descriptions are made of a method for rearranging objects on a screen of a portable electronic device (i.e., rearranging the objects symmetrically according to a line or to a rotational movement or a shift) with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 3is a flowchart illustrating a symmetrical object movement procedure of a portable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4is a diagram illustrating a situation where a user holds a portable electronic device with one hand for explaining an object display method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 5A through 7Care diagrams illustrating screen displays for explaining symmetrical object rearrangements according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring toFIG. 3, at least one object may be displayed on the screen of the portable electronic device100at operation S301.

Referring toFIG. 4, the objects411to430, an indication bar440, a widget450, and a page indicator460may be displayed on a background screen410of the portable electronic device100. The screen also may include a certain region480. The certain region480is configured to distinguish the object rearrangement function from another function such as a page turning or a scrolling function. The certain region may be preset by a designer's setting or selected by a user's setting. The certain region may be set anywhere on the screen of the portable electronic device and is preferably within the reach of any finger of the hand that holds the portable electronic device100.

InFIG. 4, the dotted curve line470denotes the range of the reach of the finger of the hand holding the portable electronic device100and is not actually drawn on the screen. The objects417and419on which the dotted curve line470is crossing may not be touched exactly for executing a function respectively corresponding to the objects417and419. Also, it is difficult for the user to execute a function respectively corresponding to the objects411to416by touching the objects411to416positioned above the curved line470(i.e., out of the reach of the finger of the hand holding the portable electronic device). A description is made of a method for rearranging the out-of-finger-reach objects411to416and the objects417and419to be placed below the curve line470(i.e., within the reach of the finger).

The control unit160may determine whether a touch gesture is detected on the certain region480at operation S303. Since operation S303is substantially identical with operation S203ofFIG. 2, a description thereof is omitted herein.

If the touch gesture is detected outside the certain region480on the screen of the portable electronic device100, the control unit160may control to execute a corresponding or normal function (e.g., turning or scrolling the page) at operation S305.

The control unit160may determine a rearrangement pattern of the objects through symmetrical movement according to the touch gesture at operation S307. For example, the control unit160may determine the change of the touch gesture based on the touch event received from the touch panel120. The control unit160may search the rearrangement table150for determining the rearrangement pattern corresponding to the touch gesture. Table 1 is an exemplary rearrangement table150for symmetrical movement of the objects stored in the storage unit140. The rearrangement table150expresses the change range of the touch gesture with angle based on the rectangular coordinate system of the 2-dimensional plane and divides the 2-dimensional plane into 8 sections at every 45° about the origin point of the rectangular coordinate system. The control unit160may determine the rearrangement pattern of the objects according to the movement angle of the touch gesture.

Referring toFIGS. 5A and 5B, the first diagonal symmetry denotes the symmetry around a straight line running from the top left to the bottom right of the screen, and the second diagonal symmetry denotes a symmetrical movement based on the straight line running from the top right to the bottom left of the screen. For example, inFIG. 5A, if the user makes a touch onto the certain region580and drags in the direction of 330° (i.e. −30°), the control unit160may search for the second diagonal symmetry movement based on the second diagonal line570as the rearrangement pattern from Table 1 of the rearrangement table150. Although an embodiment of the present disclosure is directed to an exemplary case of determining the object rearrangement pattern based on Table 1, the rearrangement table150is not limited to Table 1. For example, Table 1 shows a case where the object rearrangement method of the portable electronic device100is performed with at least one of diagonal symmetry, horizontal symmetry, and vertical symmetry; but if the object rearrangement method is configured to rearrange the objects with only one of diagonal symmetry, horizontal symmetry, and vertical symmetry, Table 1 may be configured differently. For example, if the object rearrangement method of the present disclosure is configured to operate with the horizontal symmetry rearrangement function and vertical symmetry rearrangement function, the control unit160may set the object rearrangement pattern by dividing the 2-dimensional plane into 4 sections per 90° around the origin point for the movement range of the touch gesture as shown in Table 2.

Referring toFIGS. 7A to 7C, the control unit160may further determine the change of the indication bar740, the widgets750, and the page indicator760in position according to the object rearrangement pattern. When the objects are rearranged through a vertically symmetrical movement relative to the certain region780, the control unit160may control the indication bar740and widgets750to be rearranged from the bottom of the display panel130and the page indicator760to the top of the display panel. Moreover, the control unit160may further change only the positions of the indication bar740and the widgets750while maintaining the position of the page indicator760.

Referring again toFIGS. 5A and 5B, the control unit160may determine whether the object rearrangement pattern is a diagonal symmetry rearrangement pattern at operation S309. If the object rearrangement pattern is a diagonal symmetry rearrangement pattern, the control unit160may group the objects based on the diagonal line570at operation S311. Here, the control unit160may set a diagonal line570to rearrange the objects417and419crossed by the dotted curve line470and the objects411to416positioned above the dotted curve line470to be in the reach of the finger of the user's hand holding the portable electronic device100. For example, the control unit150may group the objects into two group with the objects511to517,519,520, and523located at the top left side of the diagonal line570and the other group with the objects518,521,522, and524to530located at the bottom right side of the diagonal line570on the background screen510. As shown inFIG. 5B, the indication bar540, widgets550, and page indicator560may remain in position on the main menu screen of the portable electronic device100.

Referring toFIGS. 6A and 6B, if the object rearrangement pattern is not the diagonal symmetry rearrangement pattern at operation S309, the control unit160determines whether the object rearrangement pattern is the horizontal symmetry rearrangement pattern at operation S313. If it is determined that the object rearrangement pattern is the horizontal symmetry rearrangement pattern, the control unit160groups the objects based on a vertical center line670at operation S315corresponding to certain region680. Here, the vertical center line670may be set as the line crossing the center points of the objects of the middle column when there are an odd number of columns of the objects on the background screen610or the line passing between two middle columns of the objects when there are an even number of columns of the objects. In the case ofFIG. 6A, as the number of the columns is 4 (i.e., an even number), the vertical center line670is set as the line passing between the column including objects612,616,620,624, and628and another column including objects613,617,621,625, and629. Here, the control unit160may group the objects611,612,615,616,619,620,623,624,627, and628arranged at the left side of the vertical center line670into one group and the objects613,614,617,618,621,622,625,626,629, and630arranged at the right side of the vertical center line670into another group. As shown inFIG. 6B, the indication bar640, widgets650, and the page indicator660may remain in position on the main menu screen of the portable electronic device100.

If it is determined that the object rearrangement pattern is not the horizontal symmetry rearrangement pattern at operation S313, the control unit160may determine that the object rearrangement pattern is the vertical symmetry rearrangement pattern at operation S317and thus group the objects based on a horizontal center line770at operation S319. Here, if the objects are arranged in an odd number of rows, the horizontal center line770may be the line crossing the center points of the objects arranged on the middle row of the objects on the background screen710. Otherwise if the objects are arranged in an even number of rows, the horizontal center line770may be the line passing between the two middle rows of objects. In the case ofFIG. 7A, the control unit160may group the objects711to718above the horizontal center line770into one group and the objects723to730below the horizontal center line770into another group.

The control unit160may rearrange the grouped objects on the screen of the portable electronic device100according to the rearrangement pattern at operation S321. For example, the control unit160rearranges the grouped objects based on one of the diagonal line570, the vertical center line670, and the horizontal center line770according to the rearrangement pattern determined at operation S307. In the case of the diagonal symmetry rearrangement, the control unit160may rearrange the grouped objects based on the second diagonal line570as shown inFIG. 5B. Here, the objects may be rearranged symmetrically around the center point590. ComparingFIGS. 5Awith5B, the object511may be switched with the object530in position through symmetrical movement around the center point590, and the object512may be switched with the object529through symmetrical movement. However, the symmetrical rearrangement is not limited thereto but may be implemented in various ways. In the case of the horizontal symmetry rearrangement, the control unit160may rearrange the objects to be symmetrical based on the vertical center line670as shown inFIGS. 6A and 6B. For example, the object611may be switched with the object614in position symmetrically around the vertical center line670, and the object612may be switched with the object613symmetrically around the vertical center line670.

In the case of the vertical symmetry rearrangement, the control unit160may rearrange the objects to be symmetrical based on the horizontal center line770as shown inFIGS. 7A and 7B. For example, the object711may be switched with the object727symmetrically around the horizontal center line770, and the object712may be switched with the object728symmetrically around the horizontal center line770. For example, as shown inFIG. 7C, the indication bar740, widgets750, and page indicator760may be changed in position on the main menu screen of the portable electronic device100. Referring toFIGS. 7A and 7C, the widgets750arranged at the top side of the display panel130may be moved to the bottom side of the display panel130, and the page indicator760arranged at the bottom side of the display panel130may be moved to the top side of the display panel130. Although not depicted, the indication bar740and the widgets750may be rearranged to the bottom side while the page indicator760maintain its position.

FIG. 8is a flowchart illustrating an object rotation movement procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 9A to 9Dare diagrams illustrating screen displays for explaining an object rotation movement according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Hereinafter, a description is made with reference toFIGS. 8 and 9A to 9D. Since operations S801, S803, and S805are substantially identical with operations S301, S303, and S305ofFIG. 3, descriptions thereof are omitted herein.

Referring toFIG. 8, the control unit160determines that the object rearrangement pattern is the rotational rearrangement pattern based on the touch gesture made at a certain region at operation S807. For example, the control unit160may receive a touch event from the touch panel120, determine the rearrangement pattern based on the touch event, and search the rearrangement table150of the storage unit140to retrieve the rotational rearrangement pattern. Here, the rotational rearrangement pattern may be one of the clockwise rotational rearrangement pattern or the counterclockwise rotational rearrangement pattern. The rotational rearrangement pattern may be determined in various ways. For example, in the case that the movement angle range of the touch gesture (e.g., drag or flick) corresponds to 0°˜180° on the rectangular coordinate system of a 2-dimensional plane, the object rearrangement pattern may be determined as the counterclockwise rotational rearrangement pattern. In the case that the movement angle range of the touch gesture corresponds to 180°˜360° in the rearrangement table150, the object rearrangement pattern may be determined as the clockwise rotational rearrangement pattern. In the case that the movement angle range of the touch gesture corresponds to −90°˜90° in the rearrangement table150, the object rearrangement pattern may be determined as the clockwise rotational rearrangement pattern. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, if a touch gesture drawing a circle in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction is detected, the control unit160may determine the rearrangement pattern to correspond to a rotation movement of the touch gesture. For example, if the user inputs a drag gesture drawing a circle clockwise after touching a certain region, the control unit160determines the object rearrangement pattern as the clockwise rotational rearrangement pattern.

The control unit160may group at least one object displayed on the screen at operation S809.

Referring toFIGS. 9A to 9D, the objects911to930are grouped into 6 groups at certain regions. Here, the first to sixth regions931to936may be preset on a background screen910to group the objects for rotational movement.

The control unit160may determine whether the object rearrangement pattern is the clockwise rotational movement pattern at operation S811. If the object rearrangement pattern is the clockwise rotational movement pattern, the control unit160may rearrange the grouped objects by rotating the regions clockwise at operation S813. For example, the control unit160may rotate the objects of the first region931to the second region932, the objects of the second region932to the fourth region934, the objects of the fourth region934to the third region933, and the objects of the third region933to the first region931through a rotation of as much as 90° in the clockwise direction as shown inFIG. 9B. The control unit160may also rearrange the objects of the fifth region935and the sixth region936through rotation of as much as 180°. As also shown inFIG. 9B, an indication bar940, a widget950, and a page indicator960may remain in position on the main menu screen of the portable electronic device100.

Meanwhile, if the object rearrangement pattern is not the clockwise rotational movement pattern, the control unit160may rearrange the grouped objects by rotating the regions counterclockwise direction at operation S815. For example, the control unit160may rearrange the grouped objects of the first region931to the third region933, the objects of the second region932to the first region931, the objects of the fourth region934to the second region932, and the objects of the third region933to the fourth region through a rotation of as much as 90° in the counterclockwise direction as shown inFIG. 9C. The control unit160may also rearrange the objects of the fifth region935and the objects of the sixth region936through rotation as much as 180°.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit160may rotate the objects included in each region in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction at the same time as the objects of the first to sixth regions931to936are rotated in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction. ComparingFIGS. 9Bwith9D, the objects923,924,927, and928of the first region931may be rotated in the clockwise direction while the objects of the first to sixth regions931to936are rotated in the clockwise direction.

The control unit160may control the touch screen110to display the rearranged objects on the screen of the portable electronic device at operation S817.

FIG. 10is a flowchart illustrating an object shift procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 11A to 11Dare diagram illustrating screen displays for explaining object shift on the screen according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example,FIGS. 11A and 11Bshow the screen displays for explaining the operation of shifting the objects in units of rows, andFIGS. 11C and 11Dshow the screen displays for explaining the operation of shifting the objects in units of columns. The description is made with reference toFIGS. 10 and 11A to 11Dhereinafter. Since operations S1001, S1003, and S1005are substantially identical with operations S301, S303, and S305ofFIG. 3, descriptions thereof are omitted herein.

Referring toFIG. 10, the control unit160may determine that the object rearrangement pattern is the shift rearrangement pattern based on the touch gesture input at the certain region1180at operation S1007. For example, the control unit160may receive the touch event from the touch panel120, determine the change of the touch gesture, and search the rearrangement table150for the shift rearrangement pattern corresponding to the change of the touch gesture. Table 3 shows a shift rearrangement table150stored in the storage unit140. The rearrangement Table 3 expresses the movement range of the touch gesture with angles based on the rectangular coordinate system of the 2-dimensional plane. The 2-dimensional plane may be divided into four 90° sections around the origin point of the rectangular coordinate system. The control unit160may set the rearrangement pattern to correspond to the change of the touch gesture. In the case ofFIG. 11A, if the user inputs a touch gesture at the certain region1180and drags the touch in the 0° direction, the control unit160may determine the object rearrangement pattern for shifting the objects in units of columns to the right direction.

The control unit160may group the at least one object displayed on the screen in units of rows or columns at operation S1009. In an exemplary case ofFIG. 11A, if it is determined that the object rearrangement pattern is the up or down shift object rearrangement pattern, the control unit160may group the objects into regions1131to1135on background screen1110. InFIG. 11A, the first region1131includes the objects1111to1114, the second region1132includes the objects1115to1118, the third region1133includes the objects1119to1122, the fourth region1134includes the objects1123to1126, and the fifth region1135includes the objects1127to1130.

The control unit160may rearrange the objects in units of rows or columns according to the determined rearrangement pattern at operation S1011. In the case ofFIGS. 11A and 11B, if the rearrangement pattern is the down row shift rearrangement pattern, the objects of the first region1131may be shifted to the second region1132, the objects of the second region1132to the third region1133, the objects of the third region1133to the fourth region1134, the objects of the fourth region1134to the fifth region1135. Further, the objects of the fifth region1135may be shifted to the first region1131. As also shown inFIG. 11B, an indication bar1140, a widget1150, and a page indicator1160may remain in position on the main menu screen of the portable electronic device100. Alternatively, the positions of the indication bar1140, the widget1150, and the page indicator1160may be changed in a manner corresponding to the shift rearrangement pattern.

As shown inFIGS. 11C and 11D, if the rearrangement pattern is right column shift rearrangement pattern, the objects of the sixth region1136may be shifted to the seventh region1137, the objects of the seventh region1137to the eighth region1138, the objects of the eighth region1138to the ninth region1139by one column in the right direction. Similar to the row shift, the objects of the ninth region1139may be shifted to the sixth region1136at the most left column. Then, the control unit160may control the touch screen110to display the rearranged objects on the screen of the portable electronic device100at operation S1013. As also shown inFIG. 11D, the indication bar1140, the widget1150, and the page indicator1160may remain in position on the main menu screen of the portable electronic device100. Alternatively, the positions of the indication bar1140, the widget1150, and the page indicator1160may be changed in a manner corresponding to the shift rearrangement pattern.

FIGS. 12A to 12Dare diagrams illustrating screen displays for explaining object rearrangement on a screen of a portable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12Ashows a background screen1210displaying one object1211. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit160may control to perform the object rearrangement according to a rearrangement pattern even when only one object1211is displayed on the screen.

If a touch gesture is detected at the certain region1280in the state ofFIG. 12A, the control unit160may control to rearrange the object1211through one of the symmetrical movement, rotational movement, and shift as shown inFIGS. 12B to 12Drespectively.

If a touch gestured is detected in the state ofFIG. 12B, the control unit160may determine the object rearrangement pattern corresponding to the touch gesture. If it is determined that the object rearrangement pattern is the symmetrical rearrangement pattern around a second diagonal line1270running from the top right to the bottom left of the background screen1210as shown inFIG. 12B, the object1211is moved from the original position as denoted by reference number1211ato another position as denoted by reference number1211bsymmetrically around the center point1290as shown inFIG. 12B. At this time, the center point1290may not be displayed on the screen. As also shown inFIG. 12B, an indication bar1240, a widget1250, and a page indicator1260may remain in position on the main menu screen of the portable electronic device100. Alternatively, the positions of the indication bar1240, the widget1250, and the page indicator1260may be changed in a manner corresponding to the rearrangement pattern.

FIG. 12Cshows how the object is rearranged through the rotational movement. Referring toFIG. 12C, the control unit160determines the rotational movement pattern as the clockwise rotational movement pattern. On the basis of the determined rearrangement pattern, the control unit160may sort the object into a group matching one of the regions1231to1236. Afterward, the control unit160controls such that the group of the object is rotated in the clockwise direction according to the determined pattern and placed at a new position. At this time, the control unit160may control such that the groups having no object which match the regions1232to1236are rotated in the clockwise direction too. As illustrated inFIG. 12C, reference number1211adenotes the object at the original position in the region1233before the rotational movement, and reference number1211bdenotes the object at the position after the rotational movement in the region1232. As described with reference toFIGS. 8 and 9A to 9D, the group of object1211which matches the region1231may rotate in the counterclockwise direction.

FIG. 12Dshows an object shift by column. For example, the control unit160determines the object rearrangement pattern as right column shift rearrangement pattern. In this case, the control unit160may sort at least one object into groups matching the respective columns based on the right column shift rearrangement pattern. Afterward, the control unit160may shift the group including the object1211ato the left by column. Next, the control unit160may control the object1211shifted to the region1236. At this time, the control unit160may control such that the groups having no object which correspond to the columns1237to1239are shifted to the right by column. If the object rearrangement pattern is determined as the left column shift rearrangement pattern, the control unit160controls such that the group including the object1211is shifted to the left by column and thus the object1211is presented in the region1236. AlthoughFIG. 12Dis directed to the case where the object1211is shifted in units of columns, the object may be shifted in units of rows as described with reference toFIGS. 11A and 11B.

As described above, the object display method and apparatus of a portable electronic device according to the present disclosure is capable of allowing for the user to select an object displayed on the screen efficiently in the state of holding and manipulating the device by one hand, resulting in improvement of user convenience and device usability.

It will be understood that the various embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination thereof. The software may be stored in a volatile or a non-volatile memory device, such as, a ROM, irrespective of whether data is erasable or rewritable, in a memory, such as, a RAM, a memory chip, a device, an integrated circuit, a storage medium to which data can be recorded optically or magnetically and from which data can be read by a machine (e.g., a computer), such as a Compact Disc (CD), a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), a magnetic disk, a magnetic tape, or the like. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in a computer or a portable terminal that has a controller and a memory, such as a machine-readable storage medium suitable for storing a program or programs including commands, to implement the embodiments of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the present disclosure includes a program having a code for implementing the apparatus or methods defined by the claims and a storage medium readable by a machine that stores the program.