MOBILE COMMUNICATION TERMINAL AND MESSAGE DISPLAY METHOD THEREIN

• US 20070072633A1
• Filed: 09/25/2006
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: PARK, Yeon Woo, LEE, Seung Jun, JO, Seon Tae, CHEON, Jee Young, LEE, Sang Hyuck, JEON, Soo Jin, WEON, Dong Jun
• Granted Patent: US 7,953,431 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A method is provided for displaying a message in a mobile communication terminal. According to one example, the method includes the steps of receiving a first message, displaying the first message on a first display of the terminal, and displaying a message preparation window on a second display of the terminal simultaneously with the display of the first message. Since the terminal user can prepare a response text message to a received text message while viewing the received text message, the preparation of the response text message can be more conveniently achieved.

Claims

1. In a mobile communication terminal, a method of displaying a message, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first message;

displaying the first message on a first display of the terminal; and

displaying a message preparation window on a second display of the terminal simultaneously with the display of the first message.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second displays is a touch screen.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

preparing the response message in the message preparation window,

wherein, at least a portion of the first message can be copied, and pasted into the message preparation window.

4. A mobile communication terminal comprising:

a message processor for selectively transmitting and receiving a message;

at least two displays including a first display and a second display, the first display being configured to display received messages, and the second display being configured to display a message preparation window; and

a controller for controlling the message processor and the first and second displays.

5. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the first and second displays includes a touch screen.

6. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the received message can be copied and pasted into the message preparation window.

7. In a mobile communication terminal, a method of displaying a message comprising the steps of:

listing at least a part of messages stored in the terminal;

selecting one of the listed messages based on input from a user of the terminal;

displaying a content of the selected message on a first display of the terminal; and

displaying a message preparation window on a second display of the terminal simultaneously with a display of a received message.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the message listing step comprises the steps of:

receiving, from the terminal user, an input of a retrieval condition associated with a retrieval of the messages stored in the terminal; and

displaying a list of messages retrieved in accordance with the retrieval condition,

wherein the messages retrieved in accordance with the retrieval condition are listed under a condition in which the retrieved messages are grouped into a transmitted message group and a received message group.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the transmitted message group and the received message group are listed on the first and second displays, respectively.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of:

preparing the response message in the message preparation window,

wherein at least a portion of the received message can be copied, and pasted into the message preparation window.

11. A mobile communication terminal comprising:

at least two displays including a first display and a second display;

a memory for storing messages transmitted from and received by the terminal; and

a controller for controlling the at least two displays and the memory,

wherein the controller controls the at least two displays to display at least a portion of the messages stored in the memory,

wherein, when a user of the terminal selects one of the displayed messages, the controller controls the first display to display a content of a selected message and controls the second display to display a message preparation window for preparation of a message associated with the selected message.

12. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 11, further comprising:

an input unit for enabling the terminal user to input information,

wherein the controller receives a retrieval condition for retrieving the messages stored in the memory from the terminal user via the input unit, and controls the displays to display the messages retrieved in accordance with the retrieval condition in a state in which the messages are grouped into a transmitted message group and a received message group.

13. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 12, wherein the transmitted message group and the received message group are displayed on different ones of the at least two displays, respectively.

14. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 11, wherein at least a portion of a content of the selected message can be copied, and pasted into the message preparation window.

15. The mobile communication terminal of claim 12, wherein the input unit is configured to receive at least one of voice input, touch input, and handwriting.

16. In a mobile communication terminal, a method of displaying a message comprising the steps of:

storing transmitted and received messages;

listing at least a part of the stored messages in an order of transmission times or reception times, and displaying the listed messages; and

grouping the messages displayed at the list displaying step into at least one group on the basis of transmission or reception information of the messages, and displaying the at least one group.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein:

the message display method is carried out in a mobile communication terminal;

the mobile communication terminal includes at least two displays including a first display and a second display; and

each of the first and second displays is constituted by a touch screen.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

when one of the displayed messages is selected, displaying a content of the selected message, and displaying a message preparation window enabling a preparation of a message associated with the selected message.

19. A mobile communication terminal comprising:

a message processor for transmitting or receiving messages;

at least one display;

a memory for storing the transmitted or received messages; and

a controller for controlling the message processor, the display, and the memory,

wherein the controller controls the display to display at least a part of messages stored in the memory in a state of being listed in an order of transmission times or reception times, and to display the listed messages in a state of being grouped into at least one group on the basis of transmission or reception information of the listed messages.

20. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 19, wherein:

the at least one display comprises two displays including a first display and a second display; and

each of the first and second displays is constituted by a touch screen.

21. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 19, wherein, when one of the displayed messages is selected, the display displays a content of the selected message, and displays a message preparation window enabling a preparation of a message associated with the selected message.