MOBILE TERMINAL AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE MOBILE TERMINAL

• US 20140229888A1
• Filed: 02/10/2014
• Published: 08/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Chaesung Leem, Hojae Jung, Hosoo Kim, Juhyun Jung
• Inventors: KO, Eulina, Kim, Yong, Kim, Hosoo, Leem, Chaesung, Chung, Minjoo, Jung, Hojae, Ahn, Shinhui, Jung, Juhyun, Kim, Hyoungkeun
• Granted Patent: US 9,632,653 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/783
• 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 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

Provided is a mobile terminal including a display unit to which multiple divisional screen regions are output, and a control unit that when an input for entering a division mode in which the display unit is divided into the multiple screen regions is received, generates a list region including a list of multiple applications, divides the display unit into first and second screen regions with the list region in between, and executes first and second applications selected from among the multiple applications on the first and second screen regions, respectively, in which the controller executes an application selected from among the multiple applications included in the list on the list region, and in which when an object included in the application being executed on the list region is selected, at least one of the first and second applications uses the selected object.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display to provide a plurality of divisional screen regions; and

a control unit that, in response to an input to enter a division mode in which the display is divided into the plurality of screen regions, to divide the display into a first screen region and a second screen region with a list region between the first screen region and the second screen region, and to execute first and second applications selected from among the plurality of applications on the first and second screen regions, respectively,

wherein the list region includes a list of a plurality of applications,

wherein the controller to execute an application selected from among the plurality of applications included in the list displayed on the list region, and

wherein in response to selection of an object from the application being executed, at least one of the first and second applications to use the selected object.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller to select the plurality of applications included in the list differently depending on the first and second applications.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the list region of the display includes an indicator to indicate one of the first screen region and the second screen region, in which to execute the application included in the list.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein the controller to enable the application being executed on the indicated screen region to use the selected object.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein when the first application and the second application are concurrently selected, the controller to concurrently execute the first application and the second application on the first screen region and, the second screen region, respectively.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein when the list region of the display decreases in size and is converted into a bar shape, the controller to set sizes of the first and second regions based on an input for adjusting a position of the bar shape.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein when the first application is executed on substantially an entire screen of the display, and the second application is executed on a floating screen that is displayed such that the floating screen to overlap the entire screen on which the first application is executed, and the floating screen is dragged to one region of the entire screen, which is set in advance, the controller to divide the entire screen into the first and second screen regions and to execute the first and second applications on the first and second screen regions, respectively.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein in response to selection of a switching-to-floating-screen icon displayed on the second screen region, the controller to enable the first application to be executed on the substantially entire screen of the display and to enable the second application to be executed on the floating screen that overlaps the entire screen on which the first application is executed.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller to transfer a captured image of the first screen region to the second screen region.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller to transfer an object displayed on the first screen region to the second screen region.

11. A method of controlling the mobile terminal, comprising:

receiving an input to enter a division mode that divides a display into a plurality of screen regions;

displaying a first screen region and a second screen region on the display with a list region between the first screen region and the second screen region, the list region including a list of a plurality of applications;

executing first and second applications selected from among the plurality of applications on the first and second screen regions, respectively;

executing an application selected from among the plurality of applications included in the list displayed in the list region; and

enabling at least one of the first application and the second application to use the selected object when an object included in the executed application is selected.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein executing the application selected from among the plurality of applications includes selecting the plurality of applications included in the list differently depending on the first and second applications.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the list region includes an indicator to indicate one of the first screen region and the second screen region, in which to execute the application included in the list.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein enabling the at least one of the first application and the second application includes enabling the application being executed on the indicated screen region to use the selected object.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein executing the first and second applications includes concurrently executing the first application and the second application on the first screen region and the second screen region, respectively, when the first application and the second application are concurrently selected.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

setting sizes of the first region and the second region depending on an input to adjust a position of a bar when the list region decreases in size and the list region is provided in a shape of the bar.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein executing the first and second applications includes:

in response to selection of a switching-to-floating screen icon, enabling the first application to be executed on the entire screen of the display and enabling the second application to be executed on a floating screen such that the floating screen overlaps the entire screen on which the first application is executed.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transferring a captured image obtained by capturing at least part of an image of the first screen region to the second screen region.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transferring an object displayed on the first screen region to the second screen region.

20. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display to display the screen regions on a screen; and

a controller to control the display to display a first screen region, a second screen region and a list region between the first screen region and the second screen region, and the list region to display a plurality of applications, and the controller to execute a first application selected from among the plurality of applications at the first screen region, and to execute a second application selected from among the plurality of applications at the second screen region,

wherein the controller to execute an application based on a selected application from among the plurality of applications displayed in the list region, and

wherein in response to selection of an object included in the executed application that is displayed at the list region, at least one of the first application and the second application to use the selected object.

21. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein the display displays an indicator to identify one of the first screen region and the second screen region, in which to execute the application.

22. The mobile terminal of claim 21, wherein the controller to enable the executed application on the identified screen region to use the selected object.

23. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein the controller to change sizes of the first and second screen regions based on an input to adjust the list region.

24. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein when the first application is executed on the entire screen of the display and the second application is executed on a floating screen that overlaps the entire screen on which the first application is executed, and the floating screen is dragged, the controller to divide the entire screen into the first and second screen regions and to execute the first and second applications at the first and second screen regions, respectively.

25. The mobile terminal of claim 24, wherein in response to selection of a switching-to-floating-screen icon displayed at the second screen region, the controller to enable the first application to be executed on the entire screen of the display and to enable the second application to be executed on the floating screen that overlaps the entire screen on which the first application is executed.