METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING ICON IN PORTABLE TERMINAL

• US 20130174069A1
• Filed: 11/26/2012
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, Hye-Jin
• Application Number:
  US13/684,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20130174069A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• 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

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for managing icons in a portable terminal are provided. The method includes sensing a touch of an icon by a user, sensing a drag of the icon in a state in which the touch is held, selecting at least one icon positioned in a path along which the icon is dragged, creating a folder including the icon touched by the user and the selected at least one icon, and displaying an icon representing the created folder.

Claims

1. A method for managing icons in a portable terminal, the method comprising:

detecting a touch of an icon by a user;

detecting a drag of the icon in a state in which the touch is maintained;

selecting at least one icon positioned in a path along which the icon is dragged; and

displaying an icon representing a created folder comprising the icon touched by the user and the selected at least one icon.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating a folder comprising the icon touched by the user and the selected at least one icon.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting of the at least one icon positioned in the path along which the icon is dragged comprises:

determining whether the icon is dragged to a display region of another icon in the state in which the touch is held;

determining whether the icon stays at the display region of the another icon for a threshold time or longer; and

if the icon stays for the threshold time or longer, selecting the another icon.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting of the at least one icon positioned in the path along which the icon is dragged comprises:

determining whether the user touch is released; and

until before the user touch is released, selecting a plurality of icons positioned in the path along which the icon is dragged.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising moving and displaying the icon touched by the user and the selected at least one icon, along the path along which the icon is dragged.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising moving and displaying the icon touched by the user and the selected at least one icon, along the path along which the icon is dragged.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the creating of the folder comprising the icon touched by the user and the selected at least one icon comprises:

determining whether a parent folder for the icon touched by the user and the selected at least one icon exists;

if the parent folder exists, deciding a folder creation position; and

creating a folder comprising the icon touched by the user and the selected at least one icon, inside the parent folder or outside the parent folder according to user control.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting a name of the folder to be created,

wherein the name of the folder is set using at least one of a name of the icon touched by the user, a name of the selected at least one icon, and a name of a parent folder for the selected icons.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising, until before the user touch is released, changing the icon touched by the user into an icon representing that portable terminal is operating in an icon management mode and displaying the changed icon.

10. An apparatus for managing icons in a portable terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a touch sensor for sensing a user'"'"'s touch operation;

a display unit for displaying at least one icon; and

a controller for controlling to sense a touch of an icon by the user through touch sensor, to sense a drag of the icon in a state in which the touch is held, to select at least one icon positioned in a path along which the icon is dragged, to create a folder comprising the icon touched by the user and the selected at least one icon, and to display an icon representing the created folder.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller determines whether the icon is dragged to a display region of another icon in the state in which the touch is held, determines whether the icon stays at the display region of the another icon for a threshold time or longer, and, if the icon stays for the threshold time or longer, selects the another icon.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller determines whether the user touch is released and, until before the user touch is released, selects a plurality of icons positioned in the path along which the icon is dragged.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller controls a function of moving and displaying the icon touched by the user and the selected at least one icon, along the path along which the icon is dragged.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller determines whether a parent folder for the icon touched by the user and the selected at least one icon exists,

wherein if the parent folder exists, the controller decides a folder creation position, and creates a folder comprising the icon touched by the user and the selected at least one icon, inside the parent folder or outside the parent folder according to user control.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller sets the name of the folder to be created using at least one of a name of the icon touched by the user, a name of the selected at least one icon, and a name of a parent folder for the selected icons.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller controls a function of, until before the user touch is released, changing the icon touched by the user into an icon representing that it is operating in an icon management mode and displaying the changed icon.

17. An electronic device, the device comprising:

means for detecting a touch of an icon by a user;

means for detecting a drag of the icon in a state in which the touch is maintained;

means for selecting at least one icon positioned in a path along which the icon is dragged; and

means for displaying an icon representing a created folder comprising the icon touched by the user and the selected at least one icon.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the means for selecting the at least one icon positioned in the path along which the icon is dragged performs:

determining whether the icon is dragged to a display region of another icon in the state in which the touch is held;

determining whether the icon stays at the display region of the another icon for a threshold time or longer; and

if the icon stays for the threshold time or longer, selecting the another icon.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the means for selecting the at least one icon positioned in the path along which the icon is dragged performs:

determining whether the user touch is released; and

until before the user touch is released, selecting a plurality of icons positioned in the path along which the icon is dragged.

20. The device of claim 17, further comprising means for moving and displaying the icon touched by the user and the selected at least one icon, along the path along which the icon is dragged.