MOBILE TERMINAL AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THEREFOR

• US 20150095801A1
• Filed: 10/01/2014
• Published: 04/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: KIM, Heejeong
• Granted Patent: US 10,158,586 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

A mobile terminal and controlling method thereof are disclosed, by which a message inputted before or after a message reception can be selectively sent when a message is received from a counterpart while composing a message. The present invention includes the steps of if a counterpart message is externally received in the course of a message input to a message input window and a message is additionally inputted to the message input window, applying a visual effect to either a message inputted before receiving the counterpart message or the additionally inputted message and if a send command is received, sending a message corresponding to the send command to a counterpart, wherein the message corresponding to the send command is selected from a message having the visual effect applied thereto and a message not having the visual effect applied thereto among messages displayed on the message input window.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

displaying a first input message in a message input window;

receiving a first message from an external device while the first input message is displayed;

displaying a second input message received after receiving the first message in the message input window, wherein a visual effect is applied to the first input message or the second input message such that the first input message and the second input message are displayed distinguishably; and

transmitting only the first input message or the second input message to the external device in response to an input for selectively transmitting one of the first input message or the second input message,

wherein the input is received while both the first input message and the second message are displayed distinguishably in the same message input window.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the input comprises selection of a send button, and the second input message not having the visual effect applied thereto is transmitted in response to the input.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the input comprises selection of a send button, and the second input message having the visual effect applied thereto is transmitted in response to the input.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the input comprises a touch-drag command comprising touching and dragging the first or second input message having the visual effect applied thereto or not having the visual effect applied thereto from the message input window to a chat display region for displaying both received and transmitted messages; and

the touch-dragged first or second input message is transmitted in response to the input.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

displaying the transmitted first or second input message at a position in the chat display region, the position corresponding to a point where the first or second input message was touch-dragged to and the touch-drag command was released; and

further transmitting information related to the position to the external device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a second message from the external device after receiving the first message while at least the first input message is still displayed in the message input window such that both the first and second messages are displayed in the chat display region; and

displaying the touch-dragged first or second input message at the position between the first message and the second message when the point at which the touch-drag command was released is located between the first message and the second message in the chat display region,

wherein the transmitted information causes the first message, the transmitted first or second input message, and the second message be displayed in order at the external device according to a corresponding order of the first message, the transmitted first or second input message, and the second message displayed in the chat display region.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing the applied visual effect after the first input message or the second input message is transmitted.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual effect comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of an outline effect, at least one indicator displayed near the first or second input message, effects of light and shade, and a message color change.

9. A method of controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

displaying a first input message in a first message input window;

receiving a message from an external device while the first input message is displayed in the first message input window;

displaying a second input message received after receiving the message in a second message input window, wherein the second message input window is generated when an additional input message is received after the message is received; and

transmitting only the first input message or the second input message to the external device in response to an input for selectively transmitting one of the first input message displayed in the first message input window or the second input message displayed in the second message input window,

wherein the input is received while the first input message is displayed in the first message input window and the second input message is displayed in the second message input window.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising stopping the displaying of the first or second message input window when the first input message or the second input message is transmitted in response to the input.

11. A mobile terminal comprising:

a wireless communication unit configured to communicate with an external device;

a touchscreen configured to display a message input window in a message application; and

a controller configured to;

cause the touchscreen to display a first input message in a message input window;

cause the touchscreen to display a second input message in the message input window, the second input message received after receiving a first message from the external device while the first input message is displayed, wherein a visual effect is applied to the first input message or the second input message such that the first input message and the second input message are displayed distinguishably; and

cause the wireless communication unit to transmit only the first input message or the second input message to the external device in response to an input for selectively transmitting one of the first input message or the second input message to which the visual effect is applied or to which the visual effect is not applied,

wherein the input is received while both the first input message and the second message are displayed distinguishably in the same message input window.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the input comprises selection of a send button, and the second input message not having the visual effect applied thereto is transmitted in response to the input.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the input comprises selection of a send button, and the second input message having the visual effect applied thereto is transmitted in response to the input.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein:

the input comprises a touch-drag command comprising touching and dragging the first or second input message having the visual effect applied thereto or not having the visual effect applied thereto from the message input window to a chat display region for displaying both received and transmitted messages; and

the touch-dragged first or second input message is transmitted in response to the input.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to:

cause the touchscreen to display the transmitted first or second input message at a position in the chat display region, the position corresponding to a point where the first or second input message was touch-dragged to and the touch-drag command was released; and

cause the wireless communication unit to transmit information related to the position to the external device.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to:

cause the wireless communication unit to receive a second message from the external device after receiving the first message while at least the first input message is still displayed in the message input window such that both the first and second messages are displayed in the chat display region; and

cause the touchscreen to display the touch-dragged first or second input message at the position between the first message and the second message when the point at which the touch-drag command was released is located between the first message and the second message in the chat display region,

wherein the transmitted information causes the first message, the transmitted first or second input message, and the second message be displayed in order at the external device according to a corresponding order of the first message, the transmitted first or second input message, and the second message displayed in the chat display region.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the touchscreen to stop displaying the visual effect after the first input message or the second input message is transmitted.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein the visual effect comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of an outline effect, at least one indicator displayed near the first or second input message, effects of light and shade, and a message color change.

19. A mobile terminal comprising:

a wireless communication unit configured to communicate with an external device;

a touchscreen configured to display a message input window in a message application; and

a controller configured to;

cause the touchscreen to display a first input message in a first message input window;

cause the wireless communication unit to receive a message from the external device while the first input message is displayed in the first message input window;

cause the touchscreen to display a second input message received after receiving the message in a second message input window, wherein the second message input window is generated when an additional input message is received after the message is received; and

cause the wireless communication unit to transmit only the first input message or the second input message to the external device in response to an input for selectively transmitting one of the first input message displayed in the first message input window or the second input message displayed in the second message input window,

wherein the input is received while the first input message is displayed in the first message input window and the second input message is displayed in the second message input window.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 19, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the touchscreen to stop the displaying of the first or second message input window when the first input message or the second input message is transmitted in response to the input.