METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING USER INTERFACE IN PORTABLE TERMINAL

• US 20140245202A1
• Filed: 02/24/2014
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: PARK, Youngjoo, PARK, Sungjae, YOON, Jin
• Granted Patent: US 9,645,730 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/765
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for providing a user interface of a portable terminal. The method includes displaying a lock screen; detecting a request to display an auxiliary including a plurality of modes on the lock screen; and displaying the auxiliary window in a specific mode among the plurality of modes on a side of the lock screen in response to the detecting indicating that the request for the display of the auxiliary window is detected, wherein the specific mode is changed in response to a mode changing event.

Claims

1. A method of providing a User Interface (UI) of a portable terminal, the method comprising:

displaying a lock screen;

detecting a request to display an auxiliary window including a plurality of modes on the lock screen; and

displaying the auxiliary window in a specific mode among the plurality of modes on a side of the lock screen in response to the detecting indicating that the request for the display of the auxiliary window is detected,

wherein the specific mode is changed in response to a mode changing event.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of modes is set by a user, and includes a mini controller mode, a widget displaying mode, a shortcut icon displaying mode, a recently executed application icon displaying mode and a background setting mode.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mode changing event includes at least one of a movement of a touch event in a first direction, an input of a home key, and a touch event of an icon on which each of the plurality of modes is mapped, in the auxiliary window.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising refreshing the auxiliary window in response to detecting a movement of a touch event in a second direction in the auxiliary window, and displaying at least one menu supported by the auxiliary window.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary window in a background setting mode of the lock screen includes thumbnail images corresponding to a desired number of background images, a directional key enabling a user to request a display of another thumbnail image, and a lock screen setting menu.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

detecting a selection of any one of the thumbnail images; and

changing at least one of the background image, a text style, and a location of a structural element of the lock screen.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an input of a touch event in a status bar region which is displayed on an operation screen of the portable terminal;

providing pieces of notification information in an icon form; and

changing a display mode of the status bar region in response to the detecting indicating that the input of the touch event is detected in the status bar.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the display mode of the status bar region includes a first display mode for displaying all notification icons for all of the pieces of the notification information, and a second display mode for displaying only a single notification icon for one of the pieces of the notification information selected by a user.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the status bar region includes at least one of a first quick menu configured to selectively execute a function preset by the user, and a second quick menu configured to selectively execute a function provided by the portable terminal.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

outputting a quick panel including at least one functional icon for activating or deactivating a function provided by the portable terminal in response to the status bar region being moved in a direction of a lower portion of a screen in a touched state, and outputting notification information;

activating an editing mode of the quick panel in response to detecting a request for an editing mode of the quick panel;

editing a layout of the quick panel by performing at least one of an addition, a deletion or a location movement of the at least one functional icon; and

storing the changed layout when the editing mode is completed.

11. An apparatus configured to provide a User Interface (UI) of a portable terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a controller configured to control a display to display an auxiliary window in a specific mode among a plurality of modes on a side of a lock screen displayed by the display in response to detecting a request to display the auxiliary window including the plurality of modes on the lock screen, and to change the specific mode in response to a mode changing event.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the mode changing event includes at least one of a movement of a touch event in a first direction, an input of a home key, and a touch event of an icon on which each mode is mapped, in the auxiliary window.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to refresh the auxiliary window in response to detecting a movement of a touch event in a second direction in the auxiliary window or control the display to display at least one menu supported by the auxiliary window in response to detecting a movement of a touch event in a second direction in the auxiliary window.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the auxiliary window is configured to be set in a background setting mode of the lock screen, the background setting mode including thumbnail images corresponding to a desired number of background images, a directional key configured to enable a user to request a display of another thumbnail image, and a lock screen setting menu, and

wherein the controller is configured to change at least one of a background image, a text style and a location of a structural element of the lock screen according to a selected thumbnail image in response to detecting a selection of the selected thumbnail image.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to control a display mode of the status bar region to be switched between a first display mode for displaying all notification icons corresponding to a plurality of pieces of notification information and a second display mode for displaying only a single notification icon corresponding to a single piece of notification information preset by a user in response to detecting an input of a touch event in the status bar region which provides the plurality of the pieces of the notification information provided by the portable terminal.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the status bar region includes at least one of a first quick menu configured to selectively execute a function preset by the user, and a second quick menu configured to selectively execute a function provided by the portable terminal.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to output at least one functional icon capable of activating or deactivating a function provided by the portable terminal and a quick panel including notification information which is displayed in response to detecting a movement of a touch event to a lower portion of a screen after the status bar region is touched, enter an editing mode of the quick panel in response to detecting a request for editing of the quick panel, edit a layout of the quick panel according to an addition, a deletion or a location movement of the functional icon, and store the edited layout.

18. A portable terminal, comprising:

a storage configured to store content; and

a controller configured to control a display of the portable terminal to display;

a lock screen which locks the display and thereby prevents a user from accessing the content; and

an auxiliary window which enables a user to access the content when the lock screen is displayed.

19. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 18, wherein the auxiliary window is displayed adjacent to the lock screen on the display.

20. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 18, wherein the auxiliary window is adjustable to display different pieces of the content when the lock screen is displayed.