ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING MODE THEREOF AND MOBILE COMMUNICATION TERMINAL

• US 20080225014A1
• Filed: 02/21/2008
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: KIM, Taehun
• Granted Patent: US 8,701,049 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A mobile communication terminal, an electronic device, a computer program product, and a method of controlling including receiving a control signal for controlling a predetermined area; and controlling a size and an operating mode of a screen by the control signal. Therefore, various operation modes can be easily selected, and a plurality of touch signals can be recognized and processed.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an operating mode of an electronic device having a touch sensitive display screen, comprising:

generating a control signal in response to at least one sliding touch on the display screen; and

controlling a size and an operating mode of a predetermined portion of the display screen in response the control signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of controlling comprises converting the operating mode from an initial operating mode to a different operating mode, and

the predetermined portion corresponds to one of an area of the display screen touched by the at least one sliding touch and an area of the display screen adjacent to a boundary between two functional areas touched by the at least one sliding touch.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the initial operating mode is one of an input and an output screen and the different operating mode is the other of the input and the output screen.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying a plurality of divided screen areas; and

displaying a unique operating mode in each divided screen area,

wherein the operating mode is one of the unique operating modes of the divided screen areas.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the control signal comprises an area control signal and a slide signal.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of controlling comprises moving a boundary of an area selected by the area control signal in a direction of the slide signal.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the slide signal corresponds to moving two points on the display screen in a common direction.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the slide signal corresponds to moving two points on the display screen in opposite directions.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the slide signal corresponds to moving two points on the display screen toward each other.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the predetermined portion comprises the area of the display screen adjacent to a boundary between two functional areas touched by the at least one sliding touch, and

the at least one sliding touch is two sliding touches on the boundary.

11. The method of claim 1, the step of controlling comprising:

revealing a portion of a first area and changing a function of a second area from a first function to a second function, the second function related to a function of the revealed portion.

12. The method of claim 1, the step of controlling comprising:

changing a location of a boundary between a first and second functional area having a first and second function, respectively; and

changing at least one of the first and second function to a third function.

13. The method of claim 1, the step of controlling comprising:

changing a location of a boundary between a first and second functional area having a first and second function, respectively; and

changing the first and second function to a third and fourth function, respectively, the third and fourth function separated by the changed boundary location.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

changing the third and fourth function to a fifth and sixth function, respectively, without changing the location of the boundary.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sliding touch is one sliding touch.

16. An electronic device, comprising:

a touch sensitive display screen; and

a controller configured to generate a control signal in response to at least one sliding touch on the display screen; and

to control a size and an operating mode of a predetermined portion of the display screen in response the control signal.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to convert the operating mode from an initial operating mode to a different operating mode, and

the predetermined portion corresponds to one of an area of the display screen touched by the at least one sliding touch and an area of the display screen adjacent to a boundary between two functional areas touched by the at least one sliding touch.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the initial operating mode is one of an input and an output screen and the different operating mode is the other of the input and the output screen.

19. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to cause the display to

display a plurality of divided screen areas;

and

display a unique operating mode in each divided screen area,

wherein the operating mode is one of the unique operating modes of the divided screen areas.

20. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the control signal comprises an area control signal and a slide signal.

21. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the controller is configured to move a boundary of an area selected by the area control signal in a direction of the slide signal.

22. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the slide signal corresponds to moving two points on the display screen in a common direction.

23. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the slide signal corresponds to moving two points on the display screen in opposite directions.

24. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the slide signal corresponds to moving two points on the display screen toward each other.

25. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the predetermined portion comprises the area of the display screen adjacent to a boundary between two functional areas touched by the at least one sliding touch, and

the at least one sliding touch is two sliding touches on the boundary.

26. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to cause the display to reveal a portion of a first area and to change a function of a second area from a first function to a second function, the second function related to a function of the revealed portion.

27. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to change a location of a boundary between a first and second functional area having a first and second function, respectively;

and to change at least one of the first and second function to a third function.

28. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to change a location of a boundary between a first and second functional area having a first and second function, respectively;

and to change the first and second function to a third and fourth function, respectively, the third and fourth function separated by the changed boundary location.

29. The electronic device of claim 28, wherein the controller is further configured to change the third and fourth function to a fifth and sixth function, respectively, without changing the location of the boundary.

30. The electronic device of claim 26, wherein the at least one sliding touch is one sliding touch.

31. The electronic device of claim 16, further comprising:

a communications module configured to wirelessly transmit and receive information.