APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DISPLAYING SYMBOLS ON A TERMINAL INPUT AREA

• US 20080259047A1
• Filed: 04/15/2008
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jung, Jang Jae
• Granted Patent: US 8,842,075 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/26 Devices for calling a subscriber H04M1/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

A terminal has an input area that supports touch input, and a controller for responding to the touch input area. The controller also displays selected symbols in the touch input area responsive to an operational mode of the terminal. When the terminal is in a call mode, a command or data associated with one of the symbols displayed for the call mode may be entered by touching the symbol, touching and dragging the symbol from its original location, or touching and dragging the symbol to a central area.

Claims

1. A terminal comprising:

a touch sensitive input area; and

a controller configured to display in the input area a first plurality of symbols responsive to a first operating mode of the terminal and a second plurality of symbols responsive a second operating mode of the terminal.

2. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the input area comprises:

an input display configured to display the first plurality of symbols when the terminal is in the first operating mode and the second plurality of symbols when the terminal is in the second operating mode; and

a touchpad made of a transparent or semi-transparent material upon which the first and the second plurality of symbols are disposed.

3. The terminal of claim 2, wherein the first operating mode is a call mode and the first plurality of symbols is arranged in circular central area and a dial-shaped peripheral area surrounding the central area.

4. The terminal of claim 3, further comprising at least one light emitting device configured to illuminate the first plurality of symbols.

5. The terminal of claim 3, further comprising a display located in the input area configured to display the first plurality of symbols.

6. The terminal of claim 3, wherein when one of the plurality of first symbols is touched, the controller executes a command corresponding to the touched symbol.

7. The terminal of claim 6, wherein when the touched symbol is dragged from the touched symbol'"'"'s original position, the controller executes a command corresponding to the touched symbol.

8. The terminal of claim 6, wherein when the touched symbol is dragged into the central area, the controller executes a command corresponding to the touched symbol.

9. The terminal of claim 2, wherein when one of the second plurality of symbols is touched, the controller executes a command of the second terminal mode corresponding to the touched symbol.

10. A method for operating a terminal, the method comprising:

entering one of a first operating mode and a second operating mode;

displaying in a touch sensitive input area of the terminal a first plurality of symbols responsive to entering the first operating mode; and

displaying in the touch sensitive input area of the terminal a second plurality of symbols responsive to entering the second operating mode.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising executing a command responsive to user contact with a displayed one of the first or second plurality of symbols.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first operating mode is a call mode and the first plurality of symbols is arranged in a circular central area and a dial-shaped peripheral area surrounding the central area.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first plurality of symbols comprise consecutive numbers.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein upon entering of the first operating mode, the method further comprises illuminating at least one light emitting device associated with the first plurality of symbols.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein upon entering of the first operating mode the method further comprises displaying the first plurality of symbols on a display screen located in the input area.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising switching between the first operating mode and the second operating mode responsive to user contact with the central area.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising performing a function responsive to user contact with the central area, wherein the function is one of initiating a voice call, application execution, and symbol input.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting user contact with one symbol of the plurality of first symbols; and

executing a command which is associated with the one symbol

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the user contact comprises dragging of the one symbol from an original position.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the user contact comprises dragging of the one symbol from an original position to the central area.