Mobile terminal and keypad control method

• US 7,970,438 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2008
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoon, Sang-Yeob, Kim, Kyung-Lack
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US12/142,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20080318635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455/550.1, 455/186.2, 455/575.3, 455/575.4, 345/168, 345/173, 345/682, 345/684
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• 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 display unit configured to display a keypad in a second display region and data input from at least the keypad in a first display region, and a controller configured to determine if the keypad displayed in its current form is to be displayed in a new different form, to determine if all of the keypad in the new different form can be displayed to fit within the second display region, and to selectively control the display unit to display a scrolling function for scrolling the keypad displayed in the new different form when all of the keypad can not be displayed to fit within the second display region.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display unit configured to display a keypad in a second display region and data input from at least the keypad in a first display region; and

a controller configured to determine if the keypad displayed in its current form is to be displayed in a new different form, to determine if all of the keypad in the new different form can be displayed to fit within the second display region, and to selectively control the display unit to display a scrolling function for scrolling the keypad displayed in the new different form when all of the keypad can not be displayed to fit within the second display region,

wherein the controller is further configured to determine if the data input into the first display region has exceeded a predetermined amount of existing space for inputting the data in the first display region, and then to automatically control the display unit to display the keypad in the new different form and to display the scrolling function for scrolling the keypad displayed in the new different form, when the controller determines the data input into the first display region has exceeded the predetermined amount of existing space of the first display region.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the display unit is further configured to display the keypad in a form of an image or an icon in the second display region.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the new different form of the keypad comprises a keypad that is larger in size than the keypad displayed in its current form.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the new different form of the keypad comprises a keypad that that has a different arrangement of characters than the keypad displayed in its current form.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the keypad displayed in its current form does not include a scrolling function for scrolling the keypad.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the scrolling function comprises one of a scroll bar, a scroll button, a scroll key, a wheel, and a navigation key used to scroll the keypad.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the scrolling function comprises at least one of a touch sensor, a proximity sensor, and a tilt sensor used to scroll the keypad.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine if a size of the keypad to be displayed in the new different form exceeds a predetermined size for the keypad, and to selectively control the display unit to display the scrolling function for scrolling the keypad displayed in the new different form when the size of the keypad to be displayed in the new different form exceeds the predetermined size for the keypad.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein controller is further configured to change the size of the keypad based on a touching and dragging operation performed on the keypad displayed in its current form.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine if the keypad to be displayed in the new different form is a scrolling keypad type, and to selectively control the display unit to display the scrolling function for scrolling the keypad displayed in the new different form when the keypad to be displayed in the new different form is the scrolling keypad type.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine if the keypad to be displayed in the new different form is a magnified or reduced version of the keypad displayed in its current form, and to selectively control the display unit to display the scrolling function for scrolling the keypad displayed in the new different form when the size of the keypad to be displayed in the new different form exceeds the predetermined size for the keypad.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to magnify or reduce the keypad based on a touching and dragging operation performed on the keypad displayed in its current form.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to magnify the keypad based on the touching and dragging operation in a first direction and to reduce the keypad based on the touching and dragging operation in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the keypad is to be displayed in the new different form based on a selected menu option, and to selectively control the display unit to display the scrolling function for scrolling the keypad displayed in the new different form when the selected menu option indicates to include the scrolling function with the keypad.

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

displaying a keypad in a second display region and data input from at least the keypad in a first display region;

determining if the keypad displayed in its current form is to be displayed in a new different form;

determining if all of the keypad in the new different form can be displayed to fit within the second display region;

selectively displaying a scrolling function for scrolling the keypad displayed in the new different form when all of the keypad can not be displayed to fit within the second display region;

determining if the data input into the first display region has exceeded a predetermined amount of existing space for inputting the data in the first display region; and

automatically displaying the keypad in the new different form and displaying the scrolling function for scrolling the keypad displayed in the new different form, when the controller determines the data input into the first display region has exceeded the predetermined amount of existing space of the first display region.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the displaying the keypad displays the keypad in a form of an image or an icon in the second display region.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the new different form of the keypad comprises a keypad that is larger in size than the keypad displayed in its current form.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the new different form of the keypad comprises a keypad that that has a different arrangement of characters than the keypad displayed in its current form.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the keypad displayed in its current form does not include a scrolling function for scrolling the keypad.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the scrolling function comprises one of a scroll bar, a scroll button, a scroll key, a wheel, and a navigation key used to scroll the keypad.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the scrolling function includes at least one of a touch sensor, a proximity sensor, and a tilt sensor used to scroll the keypad.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining if a size of the keypad to be displayed in the new different form exceeds a predetermined size for the keypad,

wherein the selectively displaying step displays the scrolling function for scrolling the keypad displayed in the new different form when the size of the keypad to be displayed in the new different form exceeds the predetermined size for the keypad.

23. The mobile terminal of claim 22, further comprising:

changing the size of the keypad based on a touching and dragging operation performed on the keypad displayed in its current form.

24. The mobile terminal of claim 15, further comprising:

determining if the keypad to be displayed in the new different form is a scrolling keypad type,

wherein the selectively controlling step displays the scrolling function for scrolling the keypad displayed in the new different form when the keypad to be displayed in the new different form is the scrolling keypad type.

25. The mobile terminal of claim 15, further comprising:

determining if the keypad to be displayed in the new different form is a magnified or reduced version of the keypad displayed in its current form,

wherein the selectively controlling step displays the scrolling function for scrolling the keypad displayed in the new different form when the size of the keypad to be displayed in the new different form exceeds the predetermined size for the keypad.

26. The mobile terminal of claim 25, further comprising:

magnifying or reducing the keypad based on a touching and dragging operation performed on the keypad displayed in its current form.

27. The mobile terminal of claim 26, wherein the magnifying step magnifies the keypad based on the touching and dragging operation in a first direction and reduces the keypad based on the touching and dragging operation in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.

28. The mobile terminal of claim 15, further comprising:

determining the keypad is to be displayed in the new different form based on a selected menu option,

wherein the selectively controlling step displays the scrolling function for scrolling the keypad displayed in the new different form when the selected menu option indicates to include the scrolling function with the keypad.