# US 2014/0152597 A1 · Apparatus and method of managing a plurality of objects displayed on touch screen > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0152597 A1 - Document ID: US20140152597A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/090,476 - Filed: 2013-11-26 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Seung-Myung LEE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140152597A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/0488: using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures - G06F 3/0416: {Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers} - G06F 3/04817: using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) - G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus - G06F 3/0486: Drag-and-drop - G06F 3/04883: for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text - G06F 2203/04808: Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A method and an apparatus of managing a plurality of objects displayed on a touch screen are provided. The method includes determining whether at least two objects of the plurality of objects have been touched simultaneously on the touch screen, determining whether at least one of the at least two objects has moved on the touch screen, if the at least two objects have been touched simultaneously, determining the distance between the touched at least two objects, if the at least one of the at least two objects has moved on the touch screen, combining the touched at least two objects into a set, if the distance between the touched at least two objects is less than a predetermined value, and displaying the set on the touch screen. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of managing a plurality of objects displayed on a touch screen, the method comprising: determining whether at least two of the plurality of objects have been touched simultaneously on the touch screen; determining whether at least one of the at least two objects has moved on the touch screen, if the at least two objects have been touched simultaneously; determining the distance between the touched at least two objects, if the at least one of the at least two objects has moved on the touch screen; combining the touched at least two objects into a set, if the distance between the touched at least two objects is less than a predetermined value; and displaying the set on the touch screen. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the combining of the touched at least two objects comprises reducing a size of each of the combined at least two objects. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the reducing of the size of the combined at least two objects comprises scaling each of the combined at least two objects. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising, when the touched at least two objects contact each other on the touch screen, changing a shapes of at least one of the touched at least two objects and displaying the changed at least one of the touched at least two objects. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising, when the touched at least two objects contact each other on the touch screen if the distance between the touched at least two objects decreases, the changing the shapes of at least one of the touched at least two objects is based on the distance between the touched at least two objects. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising, if the set and one of the plurality of objects are touched simultaneously and moved within a predetermined distance, combining the touched object with the set into a new set and displaying the new set on the touch screen. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the set comprises displaying the set in a display area for one of the objects. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising, if the set is touched, enlarging the set and displaying the enlarged set the touch screen. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising, if two points in the set are touched and moved away from each other, enlarging the set on the touch screen. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising, if the set is touched and shaken sideways on the touch screen, removing at least one object from the set and displaying the removed at least one object outside of the set on the touch screen. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising, if the set is touched and a mobile device having the touch screen is shaken sideways, removing at least one object from the set and displaying the removed at least one object outside of the set on the touch screen. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: locking one object of the plurality of objects, if the object is touched and twisted at or above a predetermined angle; and unlocking the locked object, if the locked object is touched and a password is entered. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: displaying an object having a small execution count during a first time period in a small size or a low color density; and automatically removing the object from the touch screen, if the object has not been executed in a mobile device having the touch screen during a second time period. ### Claim 14 A method of managing a plurality of objects displayed on a touch screen, the method comprising: sensing a touch of an input source on an object of the plurality of objects on the touch screen; sensing a twist of the input source on the touched object; determining whether the input source has been twisted at or above a predetermined angle; and locking the touched object, if the input source has been twisted at or abovey the predetermined angle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: determining whether the locked object has been touched; displaying a password input window on the touch screen, if the locked object has been touched; and unlocking the locked object, if a valid password has been input to the password input window. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the touched object has a different image before and after the locking. ### Claim 17 A method of managing a plurality of objects displayed on a touch screen, the method comprising: displaying initial images of the plurality of objects on the touch screen; storing an execution count of each of the plurality of objects displayed on the touch screen; and changing the initial image of at least one object of the plurality of objects to a replacement image, if the at least one object has an execution count less than a predetermined number during a first time period. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the replacement image includes one of a scaled-down image of the initial image or an image having a lower color density than the initial image. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising automatically deleting the at least one object from the touch screen, if the at least one object has not been executed during a second time period. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising, if the at least one object is executed during the second time period, returning the replacement image of the at least one object to the initial image of the object. ### Claim 21 An apparatus of managing a plurality of objects displayed on a touch screen, the apparatus comprising: the touch screen configured to display the plurality of objects; and a controller configured to determine a distance between at least two objects, if the at least two objects of the plurality of objects have been touched simultaneously on the touch screen and at least one of the at least two objects has moved on the touch screen, and if the distance between the at least two objects is less than a predetermined value, to combine the at least two objects into a set and display the set on the touch screen. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the controller reduces a size of each of the combined at least two objects to combine the at least two objects into the set. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the controller scales the size of each of the combined at least two objects to combine the at least two objects. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The apparatus of claim 21, wherein, when the touched at least two objects contact each other on the touch screen, the controller changes the shapes of at least one of the touched at least two objects and displays the changed at least one of the touched at least two objects. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The apparatus of claim 24, wherein, when the touched at least two objects contact each other on the touch screen, if the distance between the touched at least two objects decreases, the controller changes the shapes of at least one of the touched at least two objects based on the distance between the touched at least two objects. ### Claim 26 (depends on 21) The apparatus of claim 21, wherein if the set and one of the plurality of objects are touched simultaneously and moved within a predetermined distance, the controller combines the touched object with the set into a new set and displays the new set on the touch screen. ### Claim 27 (depends on 21) The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the set is displayed in a display area for one of the objects. ### Claim 28 (depends on 21) The apparatus of claim 21, wherein, if the set is touched, the controller enlarges the display of the set on the touch screen. ### Claim 29 (depends on 21) The apparatus of claim 21, wherein if two points in the set are touched and moved away from each other, the controller enlarges the set on the touch screen. ### Claim 30 (depends on 21) The apparatus of claim 21, wherein if the set is touched and shaken sideways on the touch screen, the controller removes at least one object from the set and displays the removed at least one object outside the set on the touch screen. ### Claim 31 (depends on 21) The apparatus of claim 21, wherein if the set is touched and a mobile device having the touch screen is shaken sideways, the controller removes at least one object from the set and displays the removed at least one object outside the set on the touch screen. ### Claim 32 (depends on 21) The apparatus of claim 21, wherein if one of the plurality of objects is touched and twisted at or above a predetermined angle, the controller locks the object, and, if the locked object is touched and a password is entered, the controller unlocks the locked object. ### Claim 33 (depends on 21) The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the controller displays an object having a small execution count during a first time period in a small size or a low color density, and automatically removes the object from the touch screen, if the object has not been executed in a mobile device having the touch screen during a second time period. ### Claim 34 (depends on 21) The apparatus of claim 21, wherein, upon generation of an event to an object among the plurality of the objects, the controller increases the size of a shadow extended from the outline of the object while contracting the object, and decreases the size of the shadow while enlarging the object.