Mobile communication device equipped with touch screen and method of controlling operation thereof

• US 20080174564A1
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Tae Hun, Kim, Soo Duk
• Granted Patent: US 7,903,093 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A mobile communication device equipped with a touch screen and a method of controlling an operation of the mobile communication device are provided. According to an embodiment, the method includes displaying a display window on the touch screen, and displaying an input window overlapping a portion of the display window, wherein the input window is at least partially transparent.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an operation of a mobile communication device equipped with a touch screen, the method comprising:

displaying a display window on the touch screen; and

displaying an input window overlapping a portion of the display window, wherein the input window is at least partially transparent.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the input window is for inputting a character, and the display window is for displaying the inputted character.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the input window is displayed when the display window is touched.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the input window comprises:

displaying, on the touch screen, a menu for selecting one of a plurality of different types of input windows;

receiving a selection of one of the plurality of different types of input windows; and

displaying the selected input window on the touch screen.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of different types of input windows comprise a keypad input window, a handwriting recognition input window, a continuous handwriting input window, and a QWERTY input window.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the input window comprises:

a character input window for inputting a character, and

a current input display window for displaying the character that is currently input to the character input window.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a portion of the input window overlapping the portion of the display window includes the current input display window and an upper portion of the character input window.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

when a character is input to the character input window, displaying the input character both in the display window and the current input display window.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the current input display window is displayed in an area of the touch screen that is not overlapped with the display window.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the current input display window comprises a screen scroll key for scrolling the current input display window, the screen scroll key being disposed on one side of the current input display window.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a transparency adjustment menu for adjusting a transparency of the input window; and

adjusting the transparency of the input window according to a transparency level selected from the transparency adjustment menu.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the transparency adjustment menu displays a list of transparency menu items corresponding to different transparency levels, and

wherein the step of adjusting the transparency of the input window comprises receiving the transparency level for the input window selected by touching one of the transparency menu items.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the transparency adjustment menu comprises a scroll bar for scrolling through the transparency menu items.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

making or receiving a call by selecting an operation menu item displayed on the touch screen in response to a touch input to the touch screen.

15. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a touch screen; and

a controller configured to a display window on the touch screen and to display an input window overlapping a portion of the display window, wherein the input window is at least partially transparent.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 15, wherein the input window is for inputting a character, and the display window is for displaying the inputted character.

17. The mobile communication device of claim 15, wherein the controller controls the input window and displays the input window when the display window is touched.

18. The mobile communication device of claim 15, wherein the controller displays a menu for selecting one of a plurality of different types of input windows on the touch screen, receives a selection of one of the plurality of different types of input windows, and displays the selected input window on the screen.

19. The mobile communication device of claim 18, wherein the plurality of different types of input windows comprise a keypad input window, a handwriting recognition input window, a continuous handwriting input window, and a QWERTY input window.

20. The mobile communication device of claim 15, wherein the input window comprises a character input window for inputting a character and a current input display window for displaying the character that is currently input to the character input window.

21. The mobile communication device of claim 20, wherein a portion of the input window overlapping the portion of the display window includes the current input display window and an upper portion of the character input window.

22. The mobile communication device of claim 20, wherein, when a character is input to the character input window, the controller displays the input character both in the display window and the current input display window.

23. The mobile communication device of claim 20, wherein the current input window is displayed in an area of the touch screen that is not overlapped with the display window.

24. The mobile communication device of claim 20, wherein the current input display window comprises a screen scroll key for scrolling the current input window, the screen scroll key disposed on one side of the current input display window.

25. The mobile communication device of claim 15, wherein the controller displays a transparency adjustment menu for adjusting a transparency of the input window, and adjusts the transparency of the input window according to a transparency level that is selected from the transparency adjustment menu.

26. The mobile communication device of claim 25, wherein the transparency adjustment menu displays a list of transparency menu items corresponding to different transparency levels, and the transparency level for the input window is selected by touching one of the transparency menu items.

27. The mobile communication device of claim 25, wherein the transparency adjustment menu comprises a scroll bar for scrolling through the transparency menu items.

28. The mobile communication device of claim 15, further comprising a wireless communication unit configured to provide a communication function with the aid of a mobile communication network,

wherein the controller controls the wireless communication unit to make or receive a call when an operation menu item displayed on the touch screen is selected in response to a touch input to the touch screen.