MOBILE COMMUNICATION TERMINAL AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20080020810A1
• Filed: 04/13/2007
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: PARK, Jun Serk
• Granted Patent: US 7,856,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• 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 mobile communication terminal including a first rotary key configured to generate a first signal when the first rotary key is rotated, in which the first signal indicates a direction and an amount the first rotary key is rotated, a second rotary key configured to generate a second signal when the second rotary key is rotated, in which the second signal indicates a direction and an amount the first rotary key is rotated, a display unit configured to display a screen thereon, and a controller configured to control a specific operation on the displayed screen based on the first and second signals.

Claims

1. A mobile communication terminal, comprising:

a first rotary key configured to generate a first signal when the first rotary key is rotated, said first signal indicating a direction and an amount the first rotary key is rotated;

a second rotary key configured to generate a second signal when the second rotary key is rotated, said second signal indicating a direction and an amount the first rotary key is rotated;

a display unit configured to display a screen thereon; and

a controller configured to control a specific operation on the displayed screen based on the first and second signals.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller divides the screen displayed on the display unit into first and second screens, and controls the first screen to be scrolled according to the generated first signal and controls the second screen to be scrolled according to the generated second signal.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller divides the screen displayed on the display unit into first and second screens, and controls the first screen to be scrolled at a first speed according to the generated first signal and controls the second screen to be scrolled at a second speed different than the first speed according to the generated second signal.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein the first speed is faster than the second speed.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller scrolls through the screen displayed on the display unit based on the first generated signal, and drags and drops a selected item on the displayed screen to another location or folder based on the second generated signal.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller controls a display form of a first item displayed on the screen to be changed according to the generated first signal, and controls a display form of a second item displayed on the screen to be changed according to the generated second signal.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller divides the screen displayed on the display unit into first and second screens when either one of the first and second rotary keys are selected twice in a successive manner.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller displays a first display screen when the first rotary key is selected and displays a second display screen when the second rotary key is selected.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the first rotary key is configured to generate the first signal when rotated and to generate a third signal when pressed and the second rotary key is configured to generate the second signal when rotated and to generate a fourth signal when pressed,

wherein the controller divides the screen displayed on the display unit into first and second screens, and selects the first display screen when the first rotary key is pressed or rotated and selects the second display screen when the second rotary key is pressed or rotated,

wherein when the first display screen is selected, the controller scrolls through the selected first display screen at a first speed based on the first generated signal from the first rotary key, scrolls through the first display screen at a second speed based on the second generated signal from the second rotary key, and toggles to select the second display screen when the fourth signal from the second rotary key is generated, and

wherein when the second display screen is selected, the controller scrolls through the selected second display screen at the first speed based on the first generated signal from the first rotary key, scrolls through the second display screen at the second speed based on the second generated signal from the second rotary key, and toggles to select the first display screen when the third signal from the first rotary key is selected.

10. A mobile communication terminal, comprising:

an input device comprising a roller configured to be rotated to generate a first signal and configured to be pressed and rotated to generate a second signal;

a display unit configured to display a screen thereon; and

a controller configured to control a specific operation on the displayed screen based on the first and second signals.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the controller divides the screen displayed on the display unit into first and second screens, and controls the first screen to be scrolled according to the generated first signal and controls the second screen to be scrolled according to the generated second signal.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the controller divides the screen displayed on the display unit into first and second screens, and controls the first screen to be scrolled at a first speed when the first signal is generated, and controls the second screen to be scrolled at a second speed different than the first speed when the second signal is generated.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the first speed is faster than the second speed.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the controller controls the first speed to increase in proportion to an amount of time that the second signal is continuously generated.

15. A method for controlling a mobile communication terminal, the method comprising:

generating a first signal when a first rotary key on the terminal is rotated, said first signal indicating a direction and an amount the first rotary key is rotated;

generating a second signal when a second rotary key on the terminal is rotated, said second signal indicating a direction and an amount the first rotary key is rotated;

displaying a screen on the terminal; and

controlling a specific operation on the displayed screen based on the first and second signals.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the controlling step divides the displayed screen into first and second screens, and controls the first screen to be scrolled according to the generated first signal and controls the second screen to be scrolled according to the generated second signal.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the controlling step divides the displayed screen into first and second screens, and controls the first screen to be scrolled at a first speed according to the generated first signal and controls the second screen to be scrolled at a second speed different than the first speed according to the generated second signal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first speed is faster than the second speed.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the controlling step scrolls through the displayed screen based on the first generated signal, and drags and drops a selected item on the displayed screen to another location or folder based on the second generated signal.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the controlling step controls a display form of a first item on the displayed screen to be changed according to the generated first signal, and controls a display form of a second item on the displayed screen to be changed according to the generated second signal.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the controlling step divides the displayed screen into first and second screens when either one of the first and second rotary keys are selected twice in a successive manner.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the controlling step displays a first display screen when the first rotary key is selected and displays a second display screen when the second rotary key is selected.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the first rotary key is configured to generate the first signal when rotated and to generate a third signal when pressed and the second rotary key is configured to generate the second signal when rotated and to generate a fourth signal when pressed,

wherein the controlling step divides the displayed screen into first and second screens, and selects the first display screen when the first rotary key is pressed or rotated and selects the second display screen when the second rotary key is pressed or rotated,

wherein when the first display screen is selected, the controlling step scrolls through the selected first display screen at a first speed based on the first generated signal from the first rotary key, scrolls through the first display screen at a second speed based on the second generated signal from the second rotary key, and toggles to select the second display screen when the fourth signal from the second rotary key is generated, and

wherein when the second display screen is selected, the controlling step scrolls through the selected second display screen at the first speed based on the first generated signal from the first rotary key, scrolls through the second display screen at the second speed based on the second generated signal from the second rotary key, and toggles to select the first display screen when the third signal from the first rotary key is selected.

24. A method of controlling a mobile communication terminal, the method comprising:

generating a first signal when an input device comprising a roller is rotated and generating a second signal when the input device is pressed and rotated;

displaying a screen on the mobile terminal; and

controlling a specific operation on the displayed screen based on the first and second signals.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the controlling step divides the displayed screen into first and second screens, and controls the first screen to be scrolled according to the generated first signal and controls the second screen to be scrolled according to the generated second signal.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the controlling step divides the displayed screen into first and second screens, and controls the first screen to be scrolled at a first speed when the first signal is generated, and controls the second screen to be scrolled at a second speed different than the first speed when the second signal is generated.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the first speed is faster than the second speed.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the controlling step controls the first speed to increase in proportion to an amount of time that the second signal is continuously generated.