MOBILE TERMINAL AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE MOBILE TERMINAL

• US 20090291678A1
• Filed: 05/21/2009
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Hong, Kyung A., LEE, Won Young
• Granted Patent: US 8,761,748 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation methods for entering alphabetical characters per se G06F3/0237

Abstract

A mobile terminal and a method of controlling a mobile terminal are provided. The method includes assigning at least a first function and a second function to each of one or more variable function keys and performing a first function assigned to a selected one of the variable function keys when the mobile terminal is in a first operating mode and performing a second function assigned to the selected one of the variable function keys when the mobile terminal is in a second operating mode, while maintaining the functions of non-variable function keys.

Claims

1. A method of controlling one or more variable function keys of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

assigning at least a first function and a second function to each of the one or more variable function keys, the first function corresponding to a first operating mode and the second function corresponding to a second operating mode;

performing the first function assigned to a specific one of the one or more variable function keys if the specific one of the one or more variable function keys is input when the mobile terminal is in the first operating mode and performing the second function assigned to the specific one of the one or more variable function keys if the specific one of the one or more variable function keys is input when the mobile terminal is in the second operating mode; and

performing the same function assigned to a specific non-variable function key when the specific non-variable function key is input when the mobile terminal is in the first operating mode or the second operating mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more variable function keys comprise at least a ‘

*’

key or a ‘

#’

key.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning the at least a first function and a second function to each of the one or more variable function keys comprises processing an input from a user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first operating mode is an idle mode and the second operating mode is a character input mode.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a touch keypad input window including the one or more variable function keys.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

switching the function of each of the one or more variable function keys between the assigned first function and the assigned second function and maintaining the assigned function of any non-variable function key when the mobile terminal is switched from the first operating mode to the second operating mode; and

switching the function of each of the one or more variable function keys between the assigned second function and the assigned first function and maintaining the assigned function of any non-variable function key when the mobile terminal is switched from the second operating mode to the first operating mode.

7. A mobile terminal comprising:

a user input unit comprising one or more variable function keys, wherein at least a first function and a second function are assigned to each of the one or more variable function keys, the first function corresponding to a first operating mode and the second function corresponding to a second operating mode; and

a controller configured to perform the first function assigned to a specific one of the one or more variable function keys if the specific one of the one or more variable function keys is input when the mobile terminal is in the first operating mode and perform the second function assigned to the specific one of the one or more variable function keys if the specific one of the one or more variable function keys is input when the mobile terminal is in the second operating mode and further configured to perform the same function assigned to a specific non-variable function key when the specific non-variable function key is input when the mobile terminal is in the first operating mode or the second operating mode.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the one or more variable function keys comprise at least a ‘

*’

key or a ‘

#’

key.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to process an input from a user in order to assign the at least a first function and a second function to each of the one or more variable function keys comprises.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the first operating mode is an idle mode and the second operating mode is a character input mode.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the input unit comprises a display and the controller is further configured to control the display to display a touch keypad input window including the one or more variable function keys.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to:

switch the function of each of the one or more variable function keys between the assigned first function and the assigned second function and maintain the assigned function of any non-variable function key when the mobile terminal is switched from the first operating mode to the second operating mode; and

switch the function of each of the one or more variable function keys between the assigned second function and the assigned first function and maintain the assigned function of any non-variable function key when the mobile terminal is switched from the second operating mode to the first operating mode

13. A method of controlling a mobile terminal having a plurality of character keys and one or more variable function keys, the method comprising:

displaying an input string generated using one or more of the plurality of character keys;

determining that one of the one or more variable function keys is input; and

dividing the displayed input string into one or more segments and displaying the segments in a predefined manner if the input string is a number string or displaying one or more previously-stored email addresses that include the input string,

wherein the functions of each of the one or more variable function keys is different in a first operating mode and a second operating mode.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the predefined manner comprises representing the one or more segments as a phone number, a date, or a time.

15. A mobile terminal comprising:

a user input unit having a plurality of character keys and one or more variable function keys, wherein the functions of each of the one or more variable function keys are different in a first operating mode and a second operating mode;

a display module configured to display information; and

a controller configured to control the display unit to display an input string generated using one or more of the plurality of character keys, determine that one of the one or more variable function keys is input and divide the input string into one or more segments and display the segments in a predefined manner if the input string is a number string or display one or more previously-stored email addresses that include the input string.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 15, wherein the predefined manner comprises representing the one or more segments as a phone number, a date, or a time.

17. A method of controlling a mobile terminal having a plurality of character keys and one or more variable function keys, the method comprising:

displaying a text message generated using one or more of the plurality of character keys;

determining that one of the one or more variable function keys is input; and

distinctively displaying one or more string links included in the text message such that the displayed one or more string links are easily recognizable, wherein each of the one or more string links corresponds to a specific operating mode,

wherein the functions of each of the one or more variable function keys is different in a first operating mode and a second operating mode.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein each of the one or more string links represents a phone number, an e-mail address or a web page address.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

switching the mobile terminal to an e-mail transmission mode for sending an email if a string link representing an e-mail address is selected from the text message;

switching the mobile terminal to a web access mode for accessing a web page if a string link representing a web page address is selected from the text message,

switching the mobile terminal to a call mode for making a telephone call if a string link representing a phone number is selected from the text message; and

storing at least one of the one or more string links if a storage mode is selected one or more string links.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein storing at least one of the one or more string links comprises:

classifying the one or more string links; and

storing each of the at least one of the one or more string links in a phone number list, an e-mail address list or a web page address list according to the classification.

21. A mobile terminal comprising:

a user input unit having a plurality of character keys and one or more variable function keys, wherein the functions of each of the one or more variable function keys are different in a first operating mode and a second operating mode;

a display module configured to display information; and

a controller configured to control the display unit to display a text message generated using one or more of the plurality of character keys, determine that one of the one or more variable function keys is input and control the display unit to distinctively display one or more string links included in the text message such that the displayed one or more string links are easily recognizable,

wherein each of the one or more string links corresponds to a specific operating mode.

22. The mobile terminal of claim 21, wherein each of the one or more string links represents a phone number, an e-mail address or a web page address.

23. The mobile terminal of claim 21, wherein the controller is further configured to:

switch the mobile terminal to an e-mail transmission mode for sending an email if a string link representing an e-mail address is selected from the text message;

switch the mobile terminal to a web access mode for accessing a web page if a string link representing a web page address is selected from the text message,

switch the mobile terminal to a call mode for making a telephone call if a string link representing a phone number is selected from the text message; and

store at least one of the one or more string links if a storage mode is selected one or more string links.

24. The mobile terminal of claim 21, wherein the controller is further configured to:

classify the one or more string links; and

store each of the at least one of the one or more string links in a phone number list, an e-mail address list or a web page address list according to the classification.