Mobile terminal for displaying a variable auxiliary display area and method thereof

• US 7,136,676 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2004
• Issued: 11/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Hwa-Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US10/801,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20050049006A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/566, 345/1.1, 345/1.3, 345/2.2, 345/30
• US Class Current: 455/566
• 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: G09G 2340/145 related to small screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

A mobile terminal for displaying an auxiliary display area and a method thereof. All information except for the state information (e.g., reception sensitivity and battery state) and operation information (e.g., background image, call time, and menu list) of a mobile terminal can be displayed in the auxiliary display area. The mobile terminal sets the auxiliary display area differently depending on the characteristics of information to be displayed and displays it with corresponding information. Accordingly, the utilization of the auxiliary display area is increased.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal for displaying a variable auxiliary display area, comprising:

a state display area;

a main display area;

an auxiliary display area which overlaps the main display and is variable in at least one of size, position, and represented information;

an auxiliary display area information storage for storing information about the auxiliary display area, including size information for the auxiliary display area to be displayed, position information for the auxiliary display area in an overall display area of the mobile terminal, basic data represented in the auxiliary display area, and position information for the basic data;

an input portion for receiving a control signal according to user key manipulation and a signal from a wireless network;

a controller for analyzing a signal received from the input portion, reading auxiliary display area information corresponding to the analyzed signal from the auxiliary display area information storage, and generating a display control signal according to the auxiliary display area information; and

a display for displaying the auxiliary display area according to the display control signal.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the display control signal commands the auxiliary display area to be displayed using a slip dialog component.

3. A method for displaying a variable auxiliary display area in a mobile terminal, comprising the steps of:

awaiting generation of an event that triggers display of the auxiliary display area, which overlaps a main display of the mobile terminal and is variable in at least one of size, position, and represented information;

determining a type of the event depending upon the generation of the event;

reading auxiliary display area information corresponding to the event type from stored auxiliary display area information, by reading information about a position and a size of the auxiliary display area corresponding to the event type, basic data included in the auxiliary display area, and a position of the basic data; and

displaying the auxiliary display area according to the read auxiliary display area information.

4. The display method of claim 3, wherein the event is generated by one of a control command and a signal received from a wireless network.

5. A computer-readable recording medium readable by a machine, tangibly embodying instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for method for displaying a variable auxiliary display area in a mobile terminal, comprising:

awaiting generation of an event that triggers display of the auxiliary display area, which overlaps a main display of the mobile terminal and is variable in at least one of size, position, and represented information;

determining a type of the event depending upon the generation of the event;

reading auxiliary display area information corresponding to the event type from stored auxiliary display area information, by reading information about a position and a size of the auxiliary display area corresponding to the event type, basic data included in the auxiliary display area, and a position of the basic data; and

displaying the auxiliary display area according to the read auxiliary display area information.