Mobile terminal device and program selection method

• US 7,986,945 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2005
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yuki, Yasuhiro, Yamada, Kazunori, Kanaya, Etsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, WESLEY LEO
• Application Number:
  US11/719,592
• Publication Number:
  US 20090227279A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,080 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455418-419, 455/425, 455/575.1, 455/186.1, 455/550.1, 455/566, 370/37, 370/100, 370/132, 370/62, 370/61, 370/86, 370/87, 370/38, 345/168, 345/169, 345/171, 345/172, 725/37, 725/100, 725/132, 725/62, 725/61, 725/86, 725/87, 725/38, 715/204, 715/788, 715/792
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

A portable terminal apparatus which can select terminal operations such as the activation of programs, the switching of the programs and the ending of the programs with a reduced number of times of operation of the operation buttons is provided.

The portable terminal apparatus includes link information storage means 14 for storing therein a linkage table containing information about the linkage between operation buttons to be selected by a user and programs to be activated by the selection of the operation buttons, and an activation program monitor part 14 for dynamically monitoring the operation states of two or more programs activated at a terminal end, wherein the operation button having emitted its backlight according to the monitoring result obtained by the activation program monitor part 14 can be selected by the user, so that the programs linked to the respective operation buttons can be easily activated, switched and ended.

Claims

1. A portable terminal apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of operation buttons;

a link information storage that stores information about linkage between the operation buttons and programs to be activated by selection of the operation buttons, respectively; and

wherein, when a plurality of the operation buttons are selected simultaneously or within a prescribed time period, which is indicative of contemporaneous activation of a plurality of programs associated with the plurality of the operation buttons if those buttons are selected during that time period, the programs linked with the respective selected operation buttons are configured to be displayed contemporaneously in a plurality of divided sections of a display screen, respectively, and

wherein, when an interval between a selection of a first operation button and a selection of a second operation button exceeds the prescribed time period, the display screen is configured to display the program linked with the later-selected second operation button over a display of the program linked with the first operation button.

2. The portable terminal apparatus of claim 1, wherein the prescribed time period is one second or less.

3. The portable terminal apparatus of claim 2, wherein the prescribed time period is five milliseconds or less.

4. The portable terminal apparatus of claim 1, wherein when two of the operation buttons are selected simultaneously or within the prescribed time period, two programs linked with the respective selected operation buttons are configured to be displayed contemporaneously in two divided sections of a display screen, respectively.

5. The portable terminal apparatus of claim 4, wherein the prescribed time period is one second or less.

6. The portable terminal apparatus of claim 5, wherein the prescribed time period is five milliseconds or less.

7. A method of contemporaneously displaying a plurality of programs in a plurality of divided sections of a display screen of a portable terminal apparatus, respectively, the method comprising:

detecting a selection of a first one of a plurality of operation buttons provided on a portable terminal apparatus, wherein the plurality of operation buttons are associated with a plurality of programs, respectively;

activating a first one of the plurality of programs that is associated with the selected first operation button;

if detecting a selection of a second one of the plurality of operation buttons within a prescribed time period from the time when the selection of the first operation button was detected;

activating a second one of the plurality of programs that is associated with the selected second operation button; and

contemporaneously displaying the activated first and second programs in two divided sections of a display screen, respectively; and

if detecting a selection of a second one of the plurality of operation buttons outside the prescribed time period from the time when the selection of the first operation button was detected;

activating a second one of the plurality of programs that is associated with the selected second operation button that was detected outside the prescribed time period; and

displaying the activated second program on the display screen over a display of the first program on the display screen.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the prescribed time period is one second or less.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the prescribed time period is five milliseconds or less.