METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PERFORMING INTEGRATION SEARCH IN MOBILE COMMUNICATION TERMINAL

• US 20080020736A1
• Filed: 06/12/2007
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Chang, Min Young, Jeon, Jin Young, KIM, Young Mi, Hwang, Byeong Cheol, Jeong, Seok Hyun
• Application Number:
  US11/761,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20080020736A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

A device and method for easily searching for various stored information on a screen of a mobile communication terminal in a standby state are provided. The integration search device of a mobile communication terminal includes an input unit having a plurality of keys to which characters and numerals are allocated; a storage unit for storing character and numeral mapping information corresponding to the keys, basic information, and edition information; a search unit for searching for a character and numeral allocated to an input key in response to an input of one of the keys and searching for previously stored basic information and edition information corresponding to a found character and numeral; a controller for sorting a search result; and a display unit for displaying the sorted search result in a list format. Therefore, a user can easily search for or execute desired information on a screen by performing an integration search through inputting a numeric key in a standby state of a mobile communication terminal.

Claims

1. An integration search device of a mobile communication terminal, comprising:

an input unit having a plurality of keys to which characters and numerals are allocated;

a storage unit for storing character and numeral mapping information corresponding to the keys, basic information, and edition information;

a search unit for searching for a character and numeral allocated to an input key in response to an input of one of the keys and searching for previously stored basic information and edition information corresponding to a found character and numeral;

a controller for sorting a search result; and

a display unit for displaying the sorted search result in a list format.

2. The integration search device of claim 1, wherein the search unit searches for an abbreviated number of a phone number stored in a phone book among the edition information.

3. The integration search device of claim 1, wherein the search unit searches for a menu in which at least one character allocated to the input key is included in a menu name.

4. The integration search device of claim 1, wherein the character is an English alphabet character.

5. The integration search device of claim 1, wherein the character is a Korean alphabet character.

6. The integration search device of claim 1, wherein the input unit selects a specific item in response to a specific item selection signal.

7. The integration search device of claim 6, wherein the specific item selection signal is a ‘

down arrow key’

input signal.

8. The integration search device of claim 1, wherein the search unit searches for previously stored edition information including a sequential combination of at least one character, each character being allocated to an input key, in response to an integration search request signal.

9. The integration search device of claim 8, wherein the integration search request signal is a ‘

confirmation key’

input signal.

10. The integration search device of claim 8, wherein the edition information comprises at least one of an image file, a transmission or a reception character message, a voice message, a phone book, a memo, an E-mail, schedule information, an audio file, and a video file.

11. The integration search device of claim 8, wherein the controller divides and sorts found edition information according to a menu.

12. The integration search device of claim 1, wherein the search unit searches for edition information corresponding to a previously stored specific menu including a sequential combination of at least one character, each character being allocate to an input key, in response to a specific menu search request signal.

13. The integration search device of claim 12, wherein the specific menu search request signal is a direction key input signal to which a specific search menu is mapped.

14. The integration search device of claim 12, wherein the specific menu comprises at least one of an image file, a transmission or a reception character message, a voice message, a phone book, a memo, an E-mail, schedule information, an audio file, and video file.

15. A method of performing an integration search in a mobile communication terminal having a plurality of keys to which characters and numerals are mapped, comprising:

searching for a character and numeral allocated to an input key in response to an input of one of the keys;

displaying the character and numeral allocated to the key according to a search result;

searching for previously stored basic information and edition information corresponding to the displayed character and numeral; and

displaying the previously stored basic information and edition information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein searching for previously stored basic information and edition information corresponding to the displayed character and numeral comprises searching for an abbreviated number of a phone number stored in a phone book among the edition information.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein searching for previously stored basic information and edition information corresponding to the displayed character and numeral comprises searching for a menu in which at least one character allocated to the input key is included in a menu name.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the character is an English alphabet character.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the character is a Korean alphabet character.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising selecting an item according to a specific item selection signal and executing the selected item according to an input of an execution signal.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the specific item selection signal is a ‘

down arrow key’

input signal.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the execution signal is a ‘

confirmation key’

input signal.

23. The method of claim 15, further comprising searching for and displaying previously stored edition information including a sequential combination of at least one, each character being allocated to an input key, according to an integration search request signal.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the integration search request signal is a ‘

confirmation key’

input signal.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the edition information comprises at least one of an image file, a transmission or a reception character message, a voice message, a phone book, a memo, an E-mail, schedule information, an audio file, and a video file.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein searching for and displaying previously stored edition information including a sequential combination of at least one character comprises dividing and sorting found edition information according to the menu.

27. The method of claim 15, further comprising searching for and displaying edition information corresponding to a previously stored specific menu including a sequential combination of at least one character, each character being allocated to an input key, according to a specific menu search request signal.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the specific menu search request signal is a direction key input signal to which a specific search menu is mapped.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the specific menu comprises at least one of an image file, a transmission or a reception character message, a voice message, a phone book, a memo, an E-mail, schedule information, an audio file, and video file.