Method for selecting target at touch point on touch screen of mobile device

Abstract

A method for selecting a user's desired target from among a plurality of targets, at a touch point on a touch screen of a mobile device is provided. The method includes displaying a web page; checking a touch input at a touch point is received on the touch screen, a number of hyperlinks overlapped with the touch point in the displayed web page; enlarging, if at least two hyperlinks are overlapped with the touch point, defining a target area around the touch point, the target area, and displaying the enlarged target area; and selecting and visually emphasizing, if only a single one of the hyperlinks in the enlarged target area is overlapped with the touch point, the single hyperlink among the hyperlinks.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mobile device comprising:
 a wireless communication unit;   a touchscreen; and   a control unit electronically connected to the touchscreen and the wireless communication unit,   wherein the control unit is configured to:
 display a first web page on the touch screen; 
 receive a touch input on the touch screen; 
 if at least two hyperlinks are around a touch point of the received touch input, define a target area enclosing at least a portion of the at least two hyperlinks; 
 display an enlarged version of the defined target area; 
 visually emphasize a touched hyperlink in the enlarged version; 
 select the touched hyperlink to download a web page; 
 control the wireless communication unit to download a second web page corresponding to the selected hyperlink; and 
 display the downloaded second web page on the touchscreen. 
   
     
     
         2 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the downloading of the second web page is performed in response to releasing the received touch input from the touch screen. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to remove, when the received touch input is released from the touch screen while no one hyperlink in the enlarged version is overlapped with the touch point, the displayed target area. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to display the touched hyperlink differently than other hyperlinks in at least one of size, transparency and color. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication unit comprises a communication module for accessing a local area network (LAN). 
     
     
         6 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the communication module comprises a wireless fidelity (WiFi) module. 
     
     
         7 . A method for operating a mobile device having a touch screen, the method comprising:
 displaying a first web page on the touch screen;   receiving a touch input on the touch screen;   defining, if at least two hyperlinks are around a touch point of the received touch input, a target area enclosing at least portion of the at least two hyperlinks;   displaying an enlarged version of the defined target area;   visually emphasizing a touched hyperlink in the enlarged version;   selecting the touched hyperlink to download a web page;   downloading a second web page corresponding to the selected hyperlink; and   displaying the downloaded second web page on the touchscreen.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 removing the displayed target area when the received touch input is released from the touch screen while no one hyperlink in the enlarged version is overlapped with the touch point.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein visually emphasizing the touched hyperlink in the enlarged version comprises:
 displaying the touched hyperlink differently than other hyperlinks in at least one of size, transparency and color.   
     
     
         10 . A mobile device comprising:
 a wireless communication unit;   a touchscreen; and   a control unit electronically connected to the touchscreen and the wireless communication unit,   wherein the control unit is configured to:
 display a map on the touch screen; 
 receive a touch input on the touch screen; 
 if at least two Points of Interest (POIs) on the displayed map are around a touch point of the received touch input, define a target area enclosing at least portion of the at least two POIs; 
 display an enlarged version of the defined target area; 
 visually emphasize and select a touched POI in the enlarged version; and 
 set a destination in a road guide according to the selected POI. 
   
     
     
         11 . The mobile device of  claim 10 , wherein the setting of the destination is performed in response to releasing of the received touch input from the touch screen. 
     
     
         12 . The mobile device of  claim 10 , wherein the control unit is further configured to remove, when the received touch input is released from the touch screen while no one POI in the enlarged version is overlapped with the touch point, the displayed target area. 
     
     
         13 . The mobile device of  claim 10 , wherein the control unit is further configured to display the touched POI differently than other POIs in at least one of size, transparency and color. 
     
     
         14 . The mobile device of  claim 10 , wherein the wireless communication unit comprises a communication module for accessing a local area network (LAN). 
     
     
         15 . The mobile device of  claim 10 , wherein the communication module comprises a wireless fidelity (WiFi) module. 
     
     
         16 . The mobile device of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver electronically connected to the control unit,   wherein the control unit is further configured to measure a location of the mobile device using information received from the GPS receiver, compute a route from the location to the destination, and display the route on the map.   
     
     
         17 . The mobile device of  claim 10 , wherein the control unit is further configured to measure a location of the mobile device using a wireless fidelity (WiFi) positioning system (WPS) or a cellular network positioning system (CPS), compute a route from the location to the destination, and display the route on the map. 
     
     
         18 . A method for operating a mobile device having a touch screen, the method comprising:
 displaying a map on the touch screen;   receiving a touch input on the touch screen;   defining, if at least two Points of Interest (POIs) on the displayed map are around a touch point of the received touch input, a target area enclosing at least portion of the at least two POIs;   displaying an enlarged version of the defined target area;   visually emphasizing and selecting a touched POI in the enlarged version; and   setting a destination in a road guide according to the selected POI   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 removing the displayed target area when the received touch input is released from the touch screen while no one POI in the enlarged version is overlapped with the touch point.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein visually emphasizing the touched POI in the enlarged version comprises:
 displaying the touched POI differently than other POIs in at least one of size, transparency and color.