METHOD FOR PROVIDING USER INTERFACE BASED ON MULTIPLE DISPLAYS AND MOBILE TERMINAL USING THE SAME

• US 20120060089A1
• Filed: 04/18/2011
• Published: 03/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: HEO, Keunjae, LIM, Chaejoo
• Granted Patent: US 8,943,427 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1431 using a single graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/023 Display panel composed of stacked panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/10 Mixing of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of an operation, e.g. adding, on the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0206 Portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts, e.g. hinged housings

Abstract

Disclosed is a user interface, and particularly, to a method for providing a user interface based on multiple displays and a mobile terminal using the same. The method for providing a user interface of a mobile terminal comprises controlling transparency of a first display unit, controlling the first display unit to display a first screen, controlling a second display unit to display a second screen, and controlling the second display unit to display one or more parts of the first screen.

Claims

1. A method for providing a user interface of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

displaying a first screen via a first display unit of the mobile terminal;

displaying a second screen via a second display unit of the mobile terminal; and

controlling a degree of transparency of the first display unit to permit viewing of at least a portion of the second screen through the first display unit.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying one or more parts of the second screen via the first display unit when the first display unit and the second display unit are configured to be in an overlapping configuration by controlling the transparency of the first display unit.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling the second display unit to display a mirror image of the second screen, wherein the transparency of the first display unit is controlled such that the mirror image of the second screen is viewable through the first display unit.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying one or more parts of the first screen via the second display unit.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more parts of the first screen are displayed in a PIP (Picture in Picture) screen or divided screens on the second display unit.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

changing or editing the one or more parts of the first screen displayed on the second display unit; and

displaying the changed or edited one or more parts of the first screen on the first display unit.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the displaying of the one or more parts of the first screen via the second display unit comprises:

combining the one or more parts of the first screen with one or more parts of the second screen; and

displaying the combined screen via the second display unit.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the transparency of the first display unit is controlled before the combining of the one or more parts of the first screen with the one or more parts of the second screen.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first screen is a first layer screen of an image, and the second screen is a second layer screen of the image.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a graphic object of the first screen or the second screen in response to a touch input received via the first display unit.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the graphic object of the first screen is selected when the touch input is a short touch or low pressure touch, and the graphic object of the second screen is selected when the touch input is a long touch or high pressure touch, and wherein the short or long touch is determined with reference to a threshold duration and the low or high pressure touch is determined with reference to a threshold pressure.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising selecting a graphic object of the first screen or the second screen in response to a touch input received via the first display unit or the second display unit, wherein the graphic object of the first screen or the second screen has three-dimensional depth, and wherein a graphic object having deep depth is selected from the first screen or the second screen in response to the touch input received via the first display unit, and a graphic object having shallow depth is selected from the first screen or the second screen in response to the touch input received via the second display unit.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising transferring the graphic object selected from the first screen to the second screen, or transferring the graphic object selected from the second screen to the first screen such that the selected graphic object is displayed on the second screen or the first screen, respectively.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising combining the graphic object selected from the first screen with a graphic object positioned on the second screen, or combining the graphic object selected from the second screen with a graphic object positioned on the first screen.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first screen is determined based on the second screen or vice versa such that the first screen and the second screen are displayed cooperatively according to the determination.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

changing the second screen in response to an input relating to the first screen, or changing the first screen in response to an input relating to the second screen; and

controlling the second display unit to display the changed second screen, or controlling the first display unit to display the changed first screen, respectively.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein:

contents of the second screen have a previous-next relationship with contents of the first screen,

contents of the second screen are generated by magnifying or minimizing at least a portion of contents of the first screen,

contents of the second screen comprise user interface components used to change contents of the first screen,

contents of the second screen comprise detailed or additional information related to contents of the first screen,

contents of the second screen comprise a list of items related to contents of the first screen, or

contents of the first screen and contents of the second screen are switched in response to a touch input received via the first display unit or the second display unit.

18. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a first display unit configured to display a first screen;

a second display unit configured to display a second screen; and

a controller configured to control a degree of transparency of the first display unit to allow viewing of at least a portion of the second screen through the first display unit.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 18, further comprising a module configured to allow a relative motion of the first display unit and the second display unit such that the first display unit and the second display unit are positioned in an overlapping configuration as a result of the relative motion.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 19, wherein the second screen is viewable only via the second display unit when the first display unit and the second display unit are not in the overlapping configuration or when the transparency of the first display unit does not allow the viewing of the second screen through the first display unit.

21. The mobile terminal of claim 19, wherein the relative motion comprises at least a rotation or a sliding.

22. The mobile terminal of claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to select a graphic object of the first screen or the second screen in response to a touch input received via the first display unit.

23. The mobile terminal of claim 22, wherein the controller is further configured to transfer the graphic object selected from the first screen to the second screen or to transfer the graphic object selected from the second screen to the first screen such that the selected graphic object is displayed on the second screen or the first screen, respectively, via at least the first or second display unit as a result of the transfer.

24. The mobile terminal of claim 22, wherein the controller is further configured to combine the graphic object selected from the first screen with a graphic object positioned on the second screen or to combine the graphic object selected from the second screen with a graphic object positioned on the first screen such that the combined graphic object is displayed on the second screen or the first screen, respectively, via at least the first or second display unit as a result of the transfer

25. The mobile terminal of claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the first screen based on the second screen or vice versa such that the first screen and the second screen are displayed cooperatively according to the determination.

26. The mobile terminal of claim 25, wherein the controller is further configured to change contents of the second screen when contents of the first screen are changed such that the changed contents of both the first screen and the second screen are displayed concurrently via at least the first display unit or the second display unit.

27. The mobile terminal of claim 26, further comprising an input unit comprising touch screens of the first and second display units, wherein the contents of the first screen displayed via the first display unit are changed in response to a single input received via the input unit, the controller changing the contents of both the first screen and the second screen concurrently in response to the single input, and wherein the changed contents of both the first screen and the second screen are noticeable via the first display unit.

28. The mobile terminal of claim 25, wherein the controller is further configured to:

change the second screen in response to an input relating to the first screen, or change the first screen in response to an input relating to the second screen; and

control the second display unit to display the changed second screen, or control the first display unit to display the changed first screen, respectively.

29. The mobile terminal of claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to cause displaying of one or more parts of the first screen via the second display unit.

30. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a first display unit configured to display a first screen;

a second display unit substantially overlapping the first display unit and configured to display a second screen;

an input unit configured to receive an input and comprising at least one touch screen included in at least the first or second display unit; and

a controller configured to control transparency of the first display unit such that both the first screen and the second screen are viewable through the first display unit,

wherein the first screen and the second screen are switchable between the first display unit and the second display unit in response to the input such that the first screen is displayed via the second display unit and the second screen is displayed via the first display unit,

wherein the first screen and the second screen are combinable in response to the input such that the combined screen is displayed via the first display unit,

wherein a selected portion of the first screen and the second screen are combinable in response to the input such that the second screen to which the selected portion of the first screen has been added is displayed via the first display unit,

wherein the second screen is changeable in response to the input while the first screen stays the same,

wherein contents of both the first screen and the second screen are changeable in response to the same input, or

wherein contents of the second screen are changeable in response to the input received via the touch screen of the first display unit displaying the first screen.