IDLE SCREEN ARRANGEMENT STRUCTURE AND IDLE SCREEN DISPLAY METHOD FOR MOBILE TERMINAL

• US 20080155481A1
• Filed: 12/03/2007
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Chan Woo, Lee, Seung Hwan, Kim, Soon Ok
• Granted Patent: US 8,612,897 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/867
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/56 including a user help function

Abstract

An idle screen arrangement structure and an idle screen display method for a mobile terminal are provided. The idle screen arrangement structure includes a base idle screen; and a plurality of different extended idle screens arranged in four or eight directions around the base idle screen. A first idle screen of the base idle screen and extended idle screens is displayed on the display unit. In response to an input of a screen-switch event, a second idle screen of the base idle screen and extended idle screens different from the first idle screen is displayed instead of the first idle screen. For example, when the pointer is moved into a screen-switch region on the display unit, the first idle screen is switched to the second idle screen. The base and extended idle screens may have shortcuts to particular functions, and be switched one another in a circular or a non-circular manner.

Claims

1. An idle screen arrangement structure for a mobile terminal having a display unit, comprising:

a base idle screen; and

a plurality of different extended idle screens arranged around the base idle screen,

wherein one of the base idle screen and the extended idle screens is displayed on the display unit, and another one of the base idle screen and the extended idle screens different from the one idle screen is displayed instead of the one idle screen in response to an input of a screen-switch event.

2. The idle screen arrangement structure of claim 1, wherein the extended idle screens comprise a plurality of different first extended idle screens arranged in four directions of ‘

up’

, ‘

down’

, ‘

left’ and

‘

right’

around the base idle screen, and a plurality of different second extended idle screens arranged in four directions of ‘

upper left’

, ‘

upper right’

, ‘

lower left’ and

‘

lower right’

around the base idle screen.

3. The idle screen arrangement structure of claim 1, further comprising a pointer, the pointer being freely movable and displayed on the display unit, and wherein the screen-switch event is generated by a movement of the pointer.

4. The idle screen arrangement structure of claim 1, wherein at least one of the idle screens has a shortcut to a particular function.

5. The idle screen arrangement structure of claim 1, wherein the idle screens are switched among one another in a circular manner or a non-circular manner in response to the input of screen-switch events.

6. An idle screen arrangement structure for a mobile terminal having a display unit, comprising:

a first idle screen arranged at a position (0,

     0);

at least two second idle screens arranged at positions (x,

     0), where x is a non-zero integer; and

at least two third idle screens arranged at positions (0, y) (y is a non-zero integer,

wherein one of the first to third idle screens is displayed on the display unit, and another one of the first to third idle screens, different from the one idle screen, is displayed instead of the one idle screen in response to an input of a screen-switch event.

7. An idle screen arrangement structure for a mobile terminal having a display unit, comprising a plurality of idle screens arranged at positions (x, y), where −

m<

x, y<

m and x, y, m are integers, wherein one of the idle screens is displayed on the display unit, and another one of the idle screens different from the one idle screen is displayed instead of the one idle screen in response to an input of a screen-switch event.

8. An idle screen display method for a mobile terminal having a display unit, using an idle screen arrangement structure having a base idle screen, and a plurality of different extended idle screens arranged around the base idle screen, the method comprising:

displaying a first idle screen of the base idle screen and extended idle screens on the display unit;

checking whether a pointer is moved into a screen-switch region on the display unit; and

if the pointer is moved into the screen-switch region, switching the first idle screen to a second idle screen of the base idle screen and extended idle screens different from the first idle screen.

9. The idle screen display method of claim 8, further comprising checking whether the pointer remains in the screen-switch region for a preset time duration, and wherein if the pointer has remained in the screen-switch region for the preset time duration, the first idle screen is switched to the second idle screen.

10. The idle screen display method of claim 8, further comprising after a pointer movement into the screen-switch region, checking whether an idle screen is arranged in a direction of the movement of the pointer, and wherein if an idle screen is arranged in the direction of the movement of the pointer, the first idle screen is switched to the idle screen in the direction.

11. The idle screen display method of claim 8, further comprising:

after idle-screen switching, checking whether the second idle screen has a shortcut to a function; and

if the second idle screen has a shortcut to a function, performing the function.

12. The idle screen display method of claim 8, wherein the idle screens are switched among one another in a circular manner.

13. The idle screen display method of claim 8, wherein the idle screens are switched among one another in a non-circular manner.

14. An idle screen display method for a mobile terminal having a display unit, using an idle screen arrangement structure having a base idle screen, and a plurality of different extended idle screens arranged in four directions of ‘

up’

, ‘

down’

, ‘

left’ and

‘

right’

around the base idle screen, the method comprising;

displaying a first idle screen of the base idle screen and extended idle screens on the display unit;

in response to an input of a screen-switch event, displaying an on-screen direction indicator on the display unit; and

in response to a selection of the on-screen direction indicator, switching the first idle screen to a second idle screen of the base idle screen and extended idle screens different from the first idle screen.

15. The idle screen display method of claim 14, further comprising in response to a preliminary selection of the on-screen direction indicator before the selection thereof, displaying a descriptive title of an idle screen arranged in a direction indicated by the on-screen direction indicator.

16. The idle screen display method of claim 14, wherein the displaying an on-screen direction indicator further comprises displaying descriptive titles of idle screens arranged in four directions around the on-screen direction indicator.

17. An idle screen display method for a mobile terminal having a display unit, using an idle screen arrangement structure having a first idle screen, and a plurality of different second idle screens arranged in four directions of ‘

up’

, ‘

down’

, ‘

left’ and

‘

right’

around the first idle screen, the method comprising;

displaying an N-th idle screen of the first idle screen and second idle screens on the display unit;

performing a first function associated with the N-th idle screen;

in response to an input of a direction control key during performance of the first function associated with the N-th idle screen, displaying an M-th idle screen of the first idle screen and second idle screens different from the N-th idle screen on the display unit; and

if the first function associated with the N-th idle screen is executable without user intervention, placing the first function in the background, and performing a first function associated with the M-th idle screen.

18. The idle screen display method of claim 17, further comprising in response to an input of a key other than a direction control key during performance of the first function associated with the N-th idle screen, performing a second function associated with the N-th idle screen.

19. The idle screen display method of claim 17, further comprising if a top-priority event is detected during execution of a function associated with the N-th or M-th idle screen and the function in execution is executable without user intervention, placing the function in execution in the background, and performing another function related to the top-priority event.

20. The idle screen display method of claim 19, wherein the top-priority event is one of an incoming call, an incoming message, and an alarm.