MOBILE COMMUNICATION TERMINAL, METHOD OF GENERATING GROUP PICTURE IN PHONEBOOK THEREOF AND METHOD OF PERFORMING COMMUNICATION EVENT USING GROUP PICTURE

• US 20080176602A1
• Filed: 01/14/2008
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Ho
• Granted Patent: US 8,855,610 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/564
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations

Abstract

A mobile communication terminal for providing a group picture of a group in a phonebook, a method of generating the group picture in the phonebook of the mobile communication terminal and a method of performing a communication event using the group picture are provided. The method of generating a group picture in a phonebook of a mobile communication terminal includes selecting an original picture in which an image corresponding to each member of a group is displayed in a predetermined area corresponding to the group member, mapping an address of each group member to the corresponding predetermined area in the original picture and storing the original picture to which the group members'"'"' addresses are mapped as a group picture of the phonebook. The present apparatus and method enable easier editing and use of a group of a phonebook and characteristic decoration thereof which allow for more efficient use of the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A method of generating a group picture in a phonebook of a mobile communication terminal, the method comprising:

selecting an original picture in which an image corresponding to each member of a group is displayed in a predetermined area corresponding to the group member;

mapping an address of each group member to the corresponding predetermined area in the original picture; and

storing the original picture to which the group members'"'"' addresses are mapped as a group picture in the phonebook.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the original picture comprises at least one of an actual picture in which each group member'"'"'s face is displayed, a character picture in which a character image corresponding to each group member is displayed and a composite picture in which each group member'"'"'s face is composed to a character image corresponding to the group member.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising designating the predetermined area of the original picture by user selection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the original picture comprises predesignated predetermined areas.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the character picture and the composite picture each comprise at least one predesignated predetermined area.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined area comprises a plurality of first predetermined areas to each of which a group member'"'"'s address is respectively mapped, and a second predetermined area to which all of the group members'"'"' addresses mapped to the first predetermined area are mapped.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping of the address of each group member to the corresponding predetermined area in the original picture comprises:

selecting a predetermined area in the original picture; and

inputting, to a displayed address input window, a group member'"'"'s address to be mapped to the selected predetermined area.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the storing of the original picture to which the group members'"'"' addresses are mapped as the group picture of the phonebook comprises inputting and storing a group name of the group picture.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying, if a group display menu of the phonebook is selected, the group pictures of the phonebook as one of a thumbnail image, a group name image, and an image in which a thumbnail image and the corresponding group name image are combined.

15. A method of performing a communication event in a mobile communication terminal using group pictures generated with the method of claim 1, the method comprising:

selecting a group display menu of a phonebook and displaying the group pictures;

selecting, from the displayed group pictures, a group picture in which a subject of a communication event is included, and displaying the selected group picture on a full screen; and

performing, if an image corresponding to the subject is selected from the selected group picture, a communication event to the subject'"'"'s address.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the displaying of the group pictures comprises displaying at least one of a thumbnail image, a group name image, and an image in which a thumbnail image and the corresponding group name image are combined.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the performing of the communication event with the subject comprises:

displaying, if an image corresponding to the subject is selected from the selected group picture, a communication event item based on the subject'"'"'s address mapped to the selected image;

selecting a communication event item from the displayed communication event items; and

performing the corresponding communication event.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the communication event item comprises at least one of a call transmission, a text message transmission, and an e-mail transmission.

19. A method of performing a communication event in a mobile communication terminal using group pictures generated with the method of claim 1, comprising:

displaying a group picture on a standby screen; and

performing, if an image corresponding to a subject of a communication event is selected from the displayed group picture, the communication event.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the displaying of the group picture on a standby screen comprises:

displaying a plurality of group pictures on the standby screen;

selecting, from the displayed group pictures, a group picture in which a subject of a communication event is displayed; and

displaying the selected group picture on a full screen.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein each of the plurality of group pictures is displayed in the form of a thumbnail image.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the performing of the communication event comprises:

displaying, if the image corresponding to the subject of the communication event is selected from the displayed group picture, communication event items for communication based on the subject'"'"'s address mapped to the selected image;

selecting a communication event from the displayed communication event items; and

performing the selected event item.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the communication event comprises at least one of a call transmission, a text message transmission, and an e-mail transmission.

10. A method of generating a group picture in a phonebook of a mobile communication terminal, comprising:

displaying, when a group setting menu of the phonebook is selected, a group setting item;

displaying, if a picture mode is selected from the displayed group setting item, original pictures to be used for setting a group;

displaying, if an original picture to be used for setting a group is selected from the displayed original pictures, the selected original picture on a full screen;

designating predetermined areas, each comprising an image corresponding to each member of the group in the selected original picture;

inputting, if a designated predetermined area is selected, a group member'"'"'s address to be mapped to the selected predetermined area on a displayed address input window; and

storing the original picture to which the group member'"'"'s address is mapped as a group picture in the phonebook.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the designated predetermined areas are separated from each other.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the image corresponding to each group member comprises at least one of the group member'"'"'s face, an animal, a plant, a constellation and a character image.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the storing of the original picture to which the group member'"'"'s address is mapped as a group picture of the phonebook comprises inputting and storing a group name of the group picture.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising displaying, if a group display menu of the phonebook is selected, the group pictures of the phonebook in the form of a thumbnail image, a group name image, and an image in which a thumbnail image and the corresponding group name image are combined.

24. A mobile communication terminal comprising:

a storage unit for storing a phonebook and original pictures;

a controller for mapping an address of each member of a group to a corresponding area in an original picture selected from the original pictures and for storing the selected original picture to which the group members'"'"' addresses are mapped as a group picture in the phonebook in the storage unit;

a display unit for displaying a group picture selected from among stored group pictures; and

a radio frequency (RF) unit for performing, if a predetermined area to which a group member'"'"'s address is mapped is selected from the displayed group picture, a communication event with the corresponding group member.

25. The mobile communication terminal of claim 24, wherein the controller controls the display unit to display the group pictures in the form of a thumbnail image, a group name image, and an image in which a thumbnail image and the corresponding group name image are combined on a standby screen.