METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING AN APPLICATION BEING EXECUTED IN A PORTABLE TERMINAL

• US 20110296416A1
• Filed: 05/25/2011
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Bo-Sung, SHIN, Jong-Kyun, KIM, Hee-Deog, JUNG, Hyung-Chul
• Application Number:
  US13/115,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20110296416A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method and an apparatus are provided for preventing battery power consumption and degradation of system performance due to the system resources being utilized by applications being executed, while providing a multi-tasking function through a plurality of applications. In the method, when a plurality of applications are executed, such execution of the plurality of applications is reported to the user, so as to enable the user to terminate one or more applications, thereby preventing unnecessary consumption of battery power.

Claims

1. A method of managing an application being executed in a portable terminal, the method comprising:

executing an application in response to a request for execution of the application; and

displaying information on one or more applications being executed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the information on the one or more applications being executed comprises displaying a visual effect of a number of the one or more applications being executed, the visual effect including at least one of a gauge bar and a number corresponding to the number of the one or more applications being executed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information on the one or more applications being executed comprises icons corresponding to the one or more applications being executed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the information on the applications being executed comprises displaying the information on the applications being executed through at least one of a preset widget and a preset application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the information on the one or more applications being executed comprises displaying the information on the one or more applications being executed while an application is being executed in a foreground.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the information on the one or more applications being executed comprises displaying only icons corresponding to the one or more applications being executed while providing a preset visual effect to the icons so that the icons corresponding to the one or more applications being executed can be discriminated from icons corresponding to one or more applications not being executed.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each of the icons corresponding to the one or more applications being executed is displayed with a visual effect preset according to an amount of system resources of the portable terminal utilized by a corresponding application while the corresponding application is being executed.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, in order to provide the preset visual effect, a size of each of the icons corresponding to the one or more applications being executed changes according to the amount of the system resources of the portable terminal utilized by a corresponding application while the corresponding application is being executed.

9. An apparatus for managing an application being executed in a portable terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a controller for executing an application in response to a request for execution of the application, and for controlling to display information on one or more applications being executed on a display unit.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the information on the one or more applications being executed comprises a number of the one or more applications being executed and is displayed through a visual effect, which includes at least one of a gauge bar and a number corresponding to the number of the one or more applications being executed.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the information on the one or more applications being executed comprises icons corresponding to the one or more applications being executed.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller controls to display the information on the one or more applications being executed through at least one of a preset widget and a preset application.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller controls to display the information on the one or more applications being executed while an application is being executed in a foreground.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller controls to display only icons corresponding to the one or more applications being executed while providing a preset visual effect to the icons so that the icons corresponding to the one or more applications being executed can be discriminated from icons corresponding to one or more applications not being executed.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein each of the icons corresponding to the one or more applications being executed is displayed with a visual effect preset according to an amount of system resources of the portable terminal utilized by a corresponding application while the corresponding application is being executed.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein, in order to provide the preset visual effect, a size of each of the icons corresponding to the one or more applications being executed changes according to the amount of the system resources of the portable terminal utilized by a corresponding application while the corresponding application is being executed.