MOBILE TERMINAL AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20150205488A1
• Filed: 01/21/2015
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: YI, Sohoon, PARK, Hyekyung, CHI, Jumin
• Granted Patent: US 10,001,903 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• 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
• 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

A mobile terminal including a wireless communication unit configured to provide wireless communication; a touch screen; and a controller configured to: display a list of previously executed applications as thumbnail images on the touch screen, display first and second slot indicators respectively indicating positions of first and second execution areas, receive a selection input of a first previously executed application from the displayed list, and display an execution screen of the selected first previously executed application on the first execution area.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a wireless communication unit configured to provide wireless communication;

a touch screen; and

a controller configured to;

display a list of applications as thumbnail images on the touch screen along with a first execution area,

receive a selection input of a first application from the displayed list, and

display an execution screen of the selected first application on the first execution area.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

display a second execution area;

receive a selection input of a second application from the displayed list, and

display an execution screen of the selected second application on the second execution area.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the thumbnail images correspond to snapshot images of application execution screens of the applications.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the selection input of the first application corresponds to touching and dragging of the thumbnail image of the first application to the first execution area.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

display the list of applications as thumbnail images in response to a selection of a soft key displayed on the touch screen.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to:

display the first and second execution areas at a top of the list of applications.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to:

display a guide message indicating the first and second applications can be selected from the displayed list and added to the first and second execution areas to display the execution screens of the selected first and second applications.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the first and second execution areas comprise graphical representations outlining an area of the touch screen to display the execution screens of the selected first and second applications.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive a touch selection of the execution screen of the first application displayed in the first execution area, and

display a keypad on the touch screen for entering data used by the first executed application.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

display the execution screen of the first executed application on an entire area of the touch screen before the selection input is received,

display the list of applications including the first executed application on the touch screen in response to a selection of a key button on the mobile terminal,

receive an input for displaying a dual window including the first and second execution areas on the touch screen,

display a list of application icons in response to the input for displaying the dual window,

receive a selection of one of the application icons in the displayed list of application icons, and

display the execution screen of the first application in the first execution area and display an execution of an application corresponding to the selected one of the application icons in the second execution area.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the list of application icons corresponds to frequently used applications.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to:

display a keypad on the touch screen for entering data used by the first executed application, and

rearrange at least one of a size and a position of the first and second execution areas so the first and second execution areas do not overlap with the displayed keypad.

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

displaying, via a touch screen of the mobile terminal, a list of applications as thumbnail images on the touch screen along with a first execution;

receiving, via a controller of the mobile terminal, a selection input of a first application from the displayed list; and

displaying, via the touch screen, an execution screen of the selected first application on the first execution area.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

displaying, via the touch screen, a second execution area;

receiving a selection input of a second application from the displayed list; and

displaying an execution screen of the selected second application on the second execution area.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the thumbnail images correspond to snapshot images of application execution screens of the applications.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the selection input of the first application corresponds to touching and dragging of the thumbnail image of the first application to the first execution area.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

displaying the list of applications as thumbnail images in response to a selection of a soft key displayed on the touch screen.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising

displaying the first and second execution areas at a top of the list of applications.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

displaying a guide message indicating the first and second applications can be selected from the displayed list and added to the first and second execution areas to display the execution screens of the selected first and second applications.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the first and second execution areas comprise graphical representations outlining an area of the touch screen to display the execution screens of the selected first and second applications.