MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATION HANDSET CAPABLE OF IMPLEMENTING MULTITASKING AND METHOD FOR IMPLEMENTING MULTITASKING IN A MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATION HANDSET

• US 20070106991A1
• Filed: 11/08/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoo, Jun-Hyun
• Granted Patent: US 8,132,175 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5016 the resource being the memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5022 Mechanisms to release resources

Abstract

A mobile telecommunication handset capable of implementing multitasking and a method for implementing multitasking in a mobile telecommunication are provided that makes it possible to implement multitasking even if sufficient memory and resources are not available. The mobile telecommunication handset includes a keypad having multitasking-specific function keys, a memory storing a task to run in a multitasking mode and task information related to the multitasking mode, a control unit controlling functions to implement a current task based on the task information, and a display unit displaying on-screen information related to multitasking in a multi tasking mode.

Claims

1. A mobile telecommunication handset capable of implementing multitasking, the handset comprising:

a keypad comprising a plurality of function keys corresponding to a multitasking mode and adapted to receive user input related to performing a plurality of tasks in the multitasking mode;

a memory unit adapted to store task information related to the plurality of tasks;

a display unit adapted to display on-screen information related to the multitasking mode; and

a control unit adapted to implement the multitasking mode by selecting at least one currently running task for termination in order to perform a requested one of the plurality of tasks if there is insufficient memory to implement the requested one of the plurality of tasks, the at least one currently running task selected according to the task information.

2. The mobile telecommunication handset of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further adapted to select the at least one currently running task having a lowest priority among a plurality of currently running tasks in order to secure sufficient memory to implement the requested one of the plurality of tasks.

3. The mobile telecommunication handset of claim 2, wherein the control unit is further adapted to select the at least one currently running task that requires the most memory among a plurality of currently running tasks having the same lowest priority.

4. The mobile telecommunication handset of claim 1, wherein the task information comprises at least one of an indication of the amount of memory required for performing each of the plurality of tasks and a priority order of each of the plurality of tasks.

5. The mobile telecommunication handset of claim 4, wherein the control unit is further adapted to update the priority order of each of the plurality of tasks according to a number of times each of the plurality of tasks is implemented.

6. The mobile telecommunication handset of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further adapted to one of implement the requested one of the plurality of tasks by terminating the selected at least one currently running task and continue to implement the selected at least one currently running task by not implementing the requested one of the plurality of tasks according to a user input.

7. The mobile telecommunication handset of claim 6, wherein the control unit is further adapted to generate the on-screen information to indicate the selected at least one currently running task.

8. The mobile telecommunication handset of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further adapted to implement the requested one of the plurality of tasks without terminating any currently running task if there is sufficient memory.

9. The mobile telecommunication handset of claim 1, wherein the memory comprises a program memory portion and a data memory portion, the program memory portion adapted to store programs for controlling functions of the handset and the task information related to the plurality of tasks and the data memory portion adapted to temporarily store data generated during execution of the programs.

10. The mobile telecommunication handset of claim 1 further comprising:

a wireless telecommunication unit adapted to receive and transmit voice and data signals; and

an audio processing unit adapted to reproduce audio signals via a speaker and receive audio signals via a microphone.

11. A method for implementing multitasking in a mobile telecommunication handset, the method comprising:

determining if sufficient memory exists to implement a requested task in a multitasking mode; and

selecting at least one currently running task for termination if there is insufficient memory to implement the requested task, the at least one currently running task selected according to stored task information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein selecting the at least one currently running task comprises determining the at least one currently running task having a lowest priority among a plurality currently running tasks in order to secure sufficient memory to implement the requested task.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein selecting the at least one currently running task further comprises selecting the at least currently running task that requires the most memory from among a plurality of currently running tasks having the same lowest priority.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the stored task information comprises at least one of an indication of the amount of memory required for performing each of a plurality of tasks and a priority order of each of the plurality of tasks.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising updating the priority order of each of the plurality of tasks according to a number of times each of the plurality of tasks is implemented.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising one of implementing the requested task by terminating the selected at least one currently running task and continuing to implement the selected at least one currently running task by not implementing the requested task according to a user input.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising generating on-screen display information to indicate the selected at least one currently running task.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising implementing the requested task without terminating any currently running task if there is sufficient memory.

19. A method for implementing multitasking in a mobile telecommunication handset, the method comprising:

storing task information related to performing a plurality of tasks in a multitasking mode;

receiving user input requesting implementation one of the plurality of tasks while at least one other of the plurality of tasks is currently running;

determining if sufficient memory exists to implement the requested one of the plurality of tasks in the multitasking mode;

selecting at least one currently running task for termination if there is insufficient memory to implement the requested one of the plurality of tasks, the at least one currently running task selected according to the stored task information by determining the at least one currently running task having a lowest priority in order to secure sufficient memory to implement the requested one of the plurality of tasks; and

one of implementing the requested one of the plurality of tasks by terminating the selected at least one currently running task and continuing to implement the selected at least one currently running task by not implementing the requested one of the plurality of tasks according to a user input.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein selecting the at least one currently running task further comprises selecting the at least currently running task that requires the most memory from among a plurality of currently running tasks having the same lowest priority.