Mobile communication device equipped with touch screen and method of controlling operation thereof

• US 7,903,093 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Tae Hun, Kim, Soo Duk
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUY THANH
• Application Number:
  US11/790,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20080174564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: 348/148, 348/333.02, 348/333.05, 348/333.07, 345/156, 345/173, 715/768
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

A mobile communication device equipped with a touch screen and a method of controlling an operation of the mobile communication device are provided. According to an embodiment, the method includes displaying a display window on the touch screen, and displaying an input window overlapping a portion of the display window, wherein the input window is at least partially transparent.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an operation of a mobile communication terminal equipped with a touch screen, the method comprising:

displaying a display window on an upper portion of the touch screen;

displaying a first input window including a first type of keypad for inputting characters on a bottom portion of the touch screen;

displaying a second input window between the display window and the first input window and overlapping the display window and not overlapping the first input window; and

displaying a first screen scroll key on a right side of the second input window for scrolling the characters displayed in the second input window and not displaying a second screen scroll key on the first input window when the first screen scroll key is displayed on the right side of the second input window,

wherein when characters are selected from the first input window, the selected characters are displayed in the second input window and then the same characters are displayed in the display window, and

wherein when a menu button is selected on a lower left corner portion of the touch screen, a second type of keypad different than the first type of keypad is displayed in the first input window.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first type of keypad is a QWERTY character keypad.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a list of transparency items corresponding to different transparencies and displaying a transparency adjustment menu for adjusting a transparency of the first input window by touching one of the transparency items; and

adjusting the transparency of the first input window to correspond to a transparency selected from the transparency adjustment menu.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing communication by selecting a predetermined operation menu item displayed on the touch screen by touch input.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein selection of the menu button comprises:

displaying a list of different types of keypads that can be selected including at least two of

     1) a QWERTY keypad window,

     2) a handwriting window and

     3) a general keypad window.

7. The mobile communication terminal of claim 5, wherein the first type of keypad is a QWERTY character keypad.

8. The mobile communication terminal of claim 5, wherein the display is further configured to display a list of transparency items corresponding to different transparencies, and to display a transparency adjustment menu for adjusting a transparency of the display window by touching one of the transparency items, and

wherein the controller is further configured to adjust the transparency of the display window to correspond to a transparency selected from the transparency adjustment menu.

9. The mobile communication terminal of claim 5, wherein the wireless communication unit is configured to perform communication when a predetermined operation menu item displayed on the touch screen is selected by touch input.

10. The mobile communication terminal of claim 5, wherein when the menu button is selected, the display is further configured to display a list of different types of keypads that can be selected including at least two of 1) a QWERTY keypad, 2) a handwriting keypad and 3) a symbol/numeral keypad.

6. A mobile communication terminal, comprising:

a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one other terminal;

a display configured to display a display window on an upper portion of the touch screen, to display a first input window including a first type of keypad for inputting characters on a bottom portion of the touch screen, to display a second input window between the display window and the first input window and overlapping the display window and not overlapping the first input window, and to display a first screen scroll key on a right side of the second input window for scrolling the characters displayed in the second input window and not displaying a second screen scroll key on the first input window when the first screen scroll key is displayed on the right side of the second input window; and

a controller configured to control, when characters are selected from the first input window, the display to display the selected characters in the second input window and then display the same characters in the display window, and when a menu button is selected on a lower left corner portion of the touch screen, to display a second type of keypad different than the first type of keypad in the first input window.