TERMINAL AND MENU DISPLAY METHOD THEREOF

• US 20100062811A1
• Filed: 03/13/2009
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Moon-Ju, Lee, Dong-Seok, Ryu, Hye-Jin, PARK, Jun-Serk
• Granted Patent: US 9,621,710 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/236 including keys on side or rear faces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72472 wherein the items are sorted according to specific criteria, e.g. frequency of use
• 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: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42208 Display device provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children

Abstract

A method for displaying menu items and a terminal for implementing the same are disclosed to improve user convenience. The terminal includes: a display unit; a controller for displaying arbitrary menu items on the display unit such that menu items at a particular position are differentiated from menu items at a different position, and a user input unit for selectively rearranging the position of the menu items by a user.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display unit;

a user input unit;

a controller connected to the display unit and the user input unit, wherein the controller displays arbitrary menu items on the display unit such that select menu items at a particular position on the display unit are differentiated from menu items at a different position on the display unit;

the user input unit for selectively moving the position of the menu items in response to a user input.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller receives an instruction for changing the particular position of a menu item from the user via the user input unit.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the controller changes the size of the particular region set at the particular position on the display unit according to a user input.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein when the particular position is changed or the size of the region set at the particular position on the display unit is changed, the controller indicates the size and the position of the region by using a background color or an outline.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller sequentially moves each menu item in a particular direction indicated by the user input according to the arrangement order of the menu items.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein the controller displays the menu items such that the menu items existing near the edge of one side of the display unit corresponding to the particular direction of motion sequentially disappear and then the menu items which have disappeared sequentially reappear from the opposite side of the display unit in the corresponding direction of motion.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller displays the menu items at the particular position on the display unit such that their size or color is distinguishable or larger than other menu items positioned at other positions on the display unit.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller automatically displays menu items having high selection frequency, among the menu items, at the particular position on the display unit.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the particular position on the display unit includes at least one of the central portion, an upper portion, a lower portion, and the side portion of the display module.

10. A menu display method of a terminal, the method comprising:

displaying an arbitrary operation screen image on a display unit;

displaying menu items related to the operation screen image; and

displaying menu items at a particular position on the display unit, along with the other menu items, such that they are differentiated from the other menu items at a different position on the display unit.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the particular position on the display unit is a position of a region set with a particular size.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the region is displayed by using a background color or an outline according to a user selection.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the menu items at the particular position on the display unit are menu items of high selection frequency.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein, in displaying the menu items differentially, the size or color of the menu items at the particular position on the display unit is larger or clearer than the other menu items at the different position on the display unit.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein if the particular position on the display unit is changed to another portion of the display unit according to a user instruction, the changed position is selectively applied to a different operation screen.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the entire menu items are moved sequentially in a particular direction on the display unit instructed by the user according to their arrangement order and displayed.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the menu items are displayed on the display unit such that the menu items existing near the edge of one side of the display unit corresponding to the particular direction of motion, sequentially disappear and then the menu items which have disappeared sequentially reappear from the opposite side of the display unit in the particular direction of motion.

18. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display unit;

a memory unit;

a user input unit;

a controller connected to the display unit, the memory unit and the user input unit, wherein the controller displays arbitrary menu items on the display unit such that select menu items at a particular position on the display unit are differentiated from menu items at a different position on the display unit;

the controller monitors the selection frequency of each menu item and stores the selection frequency data in the memory unit, such that menu items of high selection frequency, among the menu items, are displayed at the particular position on the display unit;

the user input unit for selectively moving the position of the menu items in response to a user input; and

the memory unit for storing the position of each menu item.