1. Field of the Invention
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a graphical user interface (GUI) for electronic devices and, in particular, to a method and apparatus for displaying a GUI according to a user's contact pattern.
2. Description of the Background
A touch screen may be used as a display unit and an input unit. Therefore, electronic devices having a touch screen may not require additional display and input units. Because of this advantage, a touch screen may be widely used for limited-size electronic devices such as, for example, mobile devices, which may also be referred to as portable devices or handheld devices.
Typically, a user can manipulate a touch screen with one hand or both hands to command an execution of a desired function or application. When a user uses both hands, one hand may grip a device, and the other hand may touch a touch screen of the device. However, when a user uses only one hand, parts of the touch screen may often be hidden by a finger (e.g., the thumb) of a gripping hand.
FIG. 10A is an illustrative example showing a user's left thumb selecting one of the menu icons displayed on a touch screen. In this example, if a user touches a specific icon (e.g., Music Icon) located in the upper right portion on the touch screen, some of the other icons (e.g., Game Icon, Display Icon, and Scheduler Icon) displayed on the touch screen may be entirely or partially hidden by the thumb. Additionally, these hidden icons may be in contact with the thumb, and thereby functions associated with the hidden icons may be undesirably executed.
FIG. 10B is another illustrative example showing a user's left thumb touching a scroll bar presented on the touch screen. If the user touches the scroll bar located at the right side on the touch screen, displayed content (e.g., scene) may be hidden by the thumb. Furthermore, some displayed content may undesirably be touched with the thumb and accessed.
An electronic device having tactile sensors may provide control of electronic device applications only if a user keeps contact with a specific part of the device without using a touch screen or a keypad. Such electronic devices may provide a display screen with a GUI to guide contact-based inputs. If the GUI is displayed in a fixed form regardless of a user's contact pattern, some positions in the GUI may fail to note/input the user's contact. This may be due to differences in individual hand sizes, finger sizes, and grip forms. It is difficult to realize a GUI adapted for multiple users. If no match exists between a position in the GUI and a contact point of the user's contact, confusion may be generated when a user manipulates applications on the electronic device.