MOBILE TERMINAL WITH TOUCH SCREEN

• US 20080174561A1
• Filed: 05/09/2007
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Tae Hun
• Granted Patent: US 9,001,046 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A mobile terminal having a touch screen is disclosed. The terminal includes a touch input unit and a control unit. The touch input unit provides a touch input area for inputting data information, a display area for displaying the input data information and a control region for inputting control commands, wherein the touch input area overlaps with the display area and/or the control region. The control unit controls the input and display of the information through the touch input and display area according to the control commands input through the control region.

Claims

1. A method of controlling display in a mobile terminal comprising a touch screen having a display area that operates as a touch input area, the method comprising:

displaying user inputted data information in the display area, wherein the data information is distinguished with graphic icons displayed in a control region of the display area for controlling the data information; and

adapting the touch input area during a data input mode to recognize a first touching manner in at least part of the control region of the display area as data information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first touching manner comprises writing on the display area.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising adapting the touch input area during the data input mode to recognize a second touching manner in the control region of the display area as activation of control function associated with touched graphic icons.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second touching manner comprises one of depressing the control region for a predetermined period and for multiple times.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an instruction prompt during the input mode to provide a user guidance in the form of at least one of a pop-up message and cursor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adapting the touch input area further comprises recognizing a starting touch point of the first touching manner in a data input area and using the control region of the display area as additional data input area.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the control region of the display area is used as controlling a mobile terminal operation when user inputted data information is not detected for a predetermined period.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising prompting an informative message when the first touching manner is not recognized by the mobile terminal.

9. A mobile terminal, comprising;

a touch screen having a display area that operates as a touch input area, wherein user inputted data information is displayed in the displayed area;

a control unit configured to distinguish the data information with graphic icons displayed in a control region of the display area for controlling the data information, wherein during a data input mode the touch input area is adapted to recognize a first touching manner in at least part of the control region of the display area as data information.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the first touching manner comprises writing on the display area.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein during the data input mode, the touch input area is adapted to recognize a second touching manner in the control region of the display area as activation of a control function associated with a touched graphic icon.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the second touching manner comprises one of depressing the control region for a predetermined period and for multiple times.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein during the data input mode the control unit displays an instruction prompt to provide the user guidance in the form of at least one of a pop-up message and cursor.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the touch input area is adapted to recognize a starting point of the first touching manner in a data input area and using the control region of the display as additional data input area.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the control region of the display area is used as controlling a mobile terminal operation when user inputted data information is not detected for a predetermined period.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the control unit displays an error sign when the first touching manner is not recognized by the mobile terminal.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the control unit displays a plurality of menus for setting sizes, types and colors of the information to be displayed at the display area in accordance with a touch input from the control region.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the touch input device further includes an indicator area for displaying an antenna reception power level, a battery capacity level and a message reception indicator.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the control unit displays a cursor at a touched point of the touch input area if a time period for the touched point being pushed down is shorter than a predetermined threshold.