METHOD OF OPERATING A BACKGROUND CONTENT AND TERMINAL SUPPORTING THE SAME

• US 20130106904A1
• Filed: 10/29/2012
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Youngjoo, Park, Sehwan
• Granted Patent: US 9,696,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/619
• 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 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• 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: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• 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

Abstract

A method of outputting background content, which includes outputting a complex area by outputting a background content area in which a background content designated as a start content is output and outputting a function selection area to the background content area, the function selection area including items for selecting at least one specific function supported by a terminal, receiving an input signal for removing the function selection area, and outputting a background screen including only the background content area according to the received input signal for removing the function selection area.

Claims

1. A method of outputting background content, the method comprising:

outputting a complex area by outputting a background content area in which a background content designated as a start content is output and outputting a function selection area to the background content area, the function selection area including items for selecting at least one specific function supported by a terminal;

receiving an input signal for removing the function selection area; and

outputting a background screen including only the background content area according to the received input signal for removing the function selection area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the complex area comprises at least one of:

outputting a complex area when the terminal switches from a turn-off state to a turn-on state and an input signal for outputting a start screen comprising the complex area is received;

outputting the complex area when an input signal for outputting the start screen according to an input from a home key is received; and

outputting the complex area when an input signal for terminating a user function that is being performed is received.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input signal for searching for other background content; and

outputting the other background content according to the input signal for searching for the other background content.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein outputting the other background content comprises:

identifying a list of background content when the input signal for searching the other background content is generated;

selecting the other background content based on the identified list of background content and the generated input signal; and

outputting the selected other background content.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising at least one of:

receiving an input signal for recalling a removed function selection area when the other background content is being output and outputting the function selection area to an area in which the other background content is output according to the input signal for calling the removed function selection area; and

automatically designating the other background content as the start content,

wherein the function selection area is output to an upper portion of the other background content.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving an input signal for recalling the removed function selection area; and

outputting again the function selection area to a currently output background content area.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

outputting a specific content;

outputting a setting item for designating the specific content as the background content according to generation of an input signal and registering the specific content to a list of background content, when the setting item for designating the specific content as the background content is selected; and

outputting a setting item for removing the background content from the list of the background content according to generation of an input signal when the background content is being outputted and removing the background content from the list of the background content according to selection of the setting item.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting a list screen including a specific content and at least one background content;

outputting at least one of an item for removing a specific background content from a list of background content when a corresponding background content is selected in the list screen and an item for designating the corresponding background content as the start content that is set to be output in the background content area of the complex area; and

outputting an item for designating specific background content when a corresponding background content is selected in the list screen.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving corresponding update information from an external device according to at least one of a predetermined interval, real time, or an event occurring, when the background content outputted to the background content area is a content having an update function according to update information; and

updating a content of the background content to be output by applying the received update information to a corresponding background content.

10. A method of outputting background content, the method comprising:

outputting a complex area by outputting a background content area in which a background content designated as a start content is outputted and outputting a function selection area to the background content area, the function selection area including items for selecting at least one specific function supported by a terminal;

receiving at least one of a long touch event, a tap touch event, a flick or a drag touch event for removing the function selection area generated in an area other than at least one icon area that is disposed on the function selection area; and

outputting a background screen including only the background content area according to the received touch event.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

generating a touch event corresponding to a specific gesture when the background screen comprising only the background content area is outputted; and

controlling a background content update by controlling to update the background content of the background screen according to generation of the touch even,

wherein controlling the background content update comprises;

identifying a list of background content in which a plurality of background content is registered;

selecting other background content based on the background content list; and

outputting the selected other background content.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising at least one of:

calling a removed function selection area when the other background content is outputted and outputting the function selection area to the other background content;

cancelling registration of the background content that is registered as the start content; and

automatically registering the other background content as the start content.

13. A terminal that supports background content output, the terminal comprising:

a touch screen configured to display a complex area including a background content area in which a screen element corresponding to a background content designated as a start screen is output and a function selection area in which a screen element corresponding to items for selecting a specific function supported by the terminal is outputted on the background content area;

at least one of an input unit and the touch screen configured to generate an input signal for removing the function selection area; and

a controller configured to control to output the background screen including only the background content area to the touch screen according to the received input signal.

14. The terminal of claim 13, wherein, when the background screen is outputted and an input signal for searching for other background content is received, the controller controls to output the other background content to the touch screen according to the input signal for searching for other background content, and when the other background content is outputted and an input signal for calling the removed function selection area is received, the controller controls to output the function selection area to an area in which the other background content is outputted and automatically setting the other background content as the start content, wherein the function selection area is outputted to an upper portion of the other background content according to presetting.

15. The terminal of claim 14, wherein, when the input signal for calling the removed function selection area is received, the touch screen again outputs again the function selection area to the background content area that is currently outputted.

16. The terminal of claim 13, wherein the touch screen outputs one of:

a screen configured to display at least one specific content that is not designated as the background content;

a screen including a setting item for designating the specific content as the background content according to generation of an input signal; and

a screen including a setting item for removing the background content from a list of background content according to generation of an input signal when the background content is outputted.

17. The terminal of claim 16, wherein the controller controls to register the specific content to the list of the background content according to a characteristic of a corresponding setting item, when the setting item is selected, or removes the background content from the list of the background content according to selection of the setting item.

18. The terminal of claim 13, wherein the touch screen outputs at least one of:

a list screen including a specific content and at least one background content;

a screen including an item for removing the specific background content from the list screen when a corresponding background content is selected;

a screen including an item for setting a corresponding background content as the start content, which is set to be output in the background content area of the complex area;

a screen including an item for designating the specific content in the list screen as the background content when a corresponding specific content is selected.

19. The terminal of claim 13, wherein the controller receives corresponding update information from an external device according to at least one of a predetermined interval, real time, or an event occurring, when the background content outputted to the background content area is a content having an update function according to update information and updates a content of the background content to be output by applying the received update information to a corresponding background content.

20. The terminal of claim 13, wherein the background content comprises at least one of:

at least one of a still image, a video, an avatar, or a slide image; and

an audio file associated with at least one of the still image, the video, the avatar, or the slide image, and activated when a corresponding background content is outputted.