PORTABLE TERMINAL CAPABLE OF SENSING PROXIMITY TOUCH AND METHOD OF PROVIDING GRAPHIC USER INTERFACE USING THE SAME

• US 20090244023A1
• Filed: 03/23/2009
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jong Hwan, Cho, Seon Hwi
• Granted Patent: US 8,525,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• 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 terminal is provided. The mobile terminal includes a touch screen for generating input signals in response to a proximity touch or a direct touch of an input medium and displaying a first menu and a controller for determining the proximity touch of the input medium on the touch screen for a predetermined period of time and displaying on the touch screen a second menu for providing a function associated with the first menu.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a touch screen for generating input signals in response to a proximity touch or a direct touch of an input medium and displaying a first menu; and

a controller for determining the proximity touch of the input medium on the touch screen for a predetermined period of time and displaying on the touch screen a second menu for providing a function associated with the first menu.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the second menu displays a list of frequently used functions from a plurality of functions associated with the first menu.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller recognizes a direct touch of an object displayed in the second menu via the input medium and executes a function associated with the second menu in response to the direct touch of the object displayed in the second menu.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller distinguishes a direct touch of the first menu from a proximity touch of the first menu via the input medium, and displays distinct second menus on the touch screen in response to the direct touch operation or the proximity touch operation.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller recognizes the proximity touch of the input medium on the touch screen if the input medium is within a predetermined distance to the touch screen for a predetermined period of time.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller displays the second menu if the proximity touch of the input medium is on the first menu displayed on the touch screen.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller ceases displaying the second menu from the touch screen if the input medium has deviated from a touch recognition distance of the touch screen without directly touching the second menu via the input medium.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the second menu comprises a text object or an icon object.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the first menu is a web page and the second menu executes one of a user'"'"'s frequently used functions from a plurality of functions associated with the web page.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the first menu is an icon displayed in the web browser, and the second menu is a list of recently-accessed web addresses.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the first menu is an icon displayed in the web browser, and the second menu is a preview image for the function associated with the first menu.

12. A method for providing graphic user interface using a mobile terminal, comprising:

sensing an input medium performing a proximity touch on a touch screen displaying a first menu;

determining a time which the input medium performs the proximity touch on the touch screen; and

displaying on the touch screen a second menu for providing a function associated with the first menu, if the determined proximity touch time is greater or equal to a predetermined period of time.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second menu displays a list of frequently used functions from a plurality of functions associated with the first menu.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining, the direct touch of the second menu via the input medium, and executing a function associated with the second menu.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising distinguishing a direct touch of the first menu from a proximity touch of the first menu via the input medium, and displaying second menus on the touch screen in response to the direct touch operation or the proximity touch operation.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising terminating the display of the second menu from the touch screen if the input medium has deviated from a touch recognition distance of the touch screen without directly touching the second menu via the input medium.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the second menu comprises of a text object or an icon object.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the first menu is a web page and the second menu executes one of a user'"'"'s frequently used functions from a plurality of functions associated with the web page.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the first menu is an icon displayed in the web browser, and the second menu is a list of recently-accessed web addresses.

20. The method terminal of claim 12, wherein the first menu is an icon displayed in the web browser, and the second menu is a preview image for the function associated with the first menu.

21. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a touch screen for displaying a first menu and displaying a second menu in response to a proximity touch of the first menu via an input medium on the touch screen;

a sensing unit for sensing the proximity touch on the touch screen and a direct touch of the touch screen; and

a controller for determining the proximity touch of the first menu via an input medium on the touch screen for a predetermined period of time and displaying the second menu on the touch screen, the second menu for providing a function associated with the first menu, and determining the direct touch of the first menu via an input medium on the touch screen for executing a function associated with the first menu.