Method of and apparatus for displaying messages on a mobile terminal

• US 8,010,884 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2004
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jang, Jae Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Ries; Laurie
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, TIONNA M
• Application Number:
  US10/992,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20050120309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,475 Days
• Field of Search: 715/513, 715/517, 715/526, 715/530, 715/234, 715/243, 715/255, 715/273, 715/200
• US Class Current: 715/200
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging

Abstract

A method and apparatus simultaneously displays the main text and/or more attached filed of a message received in a mobile terminal. This simultaneous display allows a user to confirm the main text and attached files in the message. The main text and attached files may be shown in respective areas of the display.

Claims

1. A method of displaying information in a mobile terminal, comprising:

receiving a message that includes text information and attached files, each attached file being a separate file from other files of the attached files; and

simultaneously displaying content from each of a predetermined number of the attached files with the text information on a screen of the mobile terminal when the message is opened, wherein the content from each of the predetermined number of the attached files is displayed at a predetermined location of the message on the screen,

wherein, when a number of the attached files is greater than the predetermined number, the content from each of the attached files is set to be displayed sequentially at said predetermined location, at least one scroll bar indicative of an amount of content from one or more of the attached files to be displayed is provided on the screen, and the content being scrolled based on input to move the scroll bar.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

converting the message into a file of a predetermined format set to execute a number of attached files; and

driving the converted files in response to activation of a key confirming the message.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each file is in a format compatible with a synchronized multimedia integration language (SMIL).

4. The method of claim 2, wherein converting process includes allotting display areas for the predetermined number of attached files and the text to allow the content from the predetermined number of attached files and text to be simultaneously displayed based on display-specifying data stored in a memory of the terminal, wherein the display-specifying data include the predetermined setting.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving the display-specifying data to be stored in a memory.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the display-specifying data includes data indicating whether a sound file is to be executed and data indicating when the sound file to be executed.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

comparing the number of attached files to the predetermined number, and

wherein the predetermined number corresponds to the number of allotted display areas for displaying content from the number of attached files, and wherein said number of allotted display areas is included at said at least one location.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the content from the number of attached files is set to be displayed sequentially and rotationally in at least one of said number of allotted display areas with a predetermined cycle.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined cycle is set based on the display-specifying data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the content from the number of the attached files is displayed sequentially and rotationally at said predetermined location on the screen of the mobile terminal.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the content from the number of attached files is automatically displayed sequentially and rotationally at said predetermined location on the screen of the mobile terminal.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the content from the number of attached files is sequentially displayed according to a predetermined cycle.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the predetermined cycle is set by a user of the mobile terminal.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the predetermined cycle is adjustable.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the predetermined cycle is adjustable based on control information stored in the mobile terminal.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said displaying includes:

displaying the text and the content from at least one of the number of attached files in screen areas allotted based on display-specifying data corresponding to the predetermined setting stored in a memory by the user before the message is received,

wherein the text information is displayed in a first window and the content from the number of the attached files is sequentially displayed in a second window, the predetermined setting causing the content from the number of the attached files to be displayed in the second window in non-overlapping relationship with the first window so that the sequentially displayed content from the number of the attached files are displayed in the second window does not obscure any information including the text in the first window.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the display-specifying data is input by a user using an input menu.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the text is displayed in a first area and the content from at least one of the predetermined number of attached files is displayed in a second area of the screen of the mobile terminal.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

changing areas of the screen where the text and content from the number of attached files are to be displayed, the areas being changed by changing the predetermined setting stored in a memory of the mobile terminal.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said displaying includes:

simultaneously displaying content from at least two of the number of the attached files on the screen of the mobile terminal.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the content from at least one of the predetermined number of attached files includes one or more images.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the text information of the message is included in a body of the message.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the text information of the message is included in a header of the message.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the content from the number of attached files is sequentially displayed one-by-one at said predetermined location with the text.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the content from the number of the attached files is set to be displayed sequentially at said predetermined location, the content from the number of the attached files is automatically displayed one-by-one at said predetermined location, and wherein the content from each of the number of attached files is displayed for a predetermined time duration at said predetermined location.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the content from the predetermined number of attached files on the screen is independent from link information in any of the attached files or in the text information of the message.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the content from the predetermined number of attached files is provided below the text information in the message.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the text information is scrolled when the entire text information cannot be displayed on the screen.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the content from the predetermined number of attached files is simultaneously displayed with the text information within the screen of a message program that is different from a word processing program.

30. An apparatus for displaying information on a mobile terminal comprising:

a control circuit which simultaneously displays text information and content from each of a predetermined number of attached files of a received message when the message is opened, wherein said number is greater than one and each attached file is a separate file from other files of the attached files; and

a message display setting module which specifies the content from each of the predetermined number of attached files to be displayed simultaneously with text,

wherein the content from each of the predetermined number of attached files is displayed at a predetermined location of the message on a screen of the mobile terminal; and

wherein, when a number of the attached files is greater than the predetermined number, the content from each of the attached files is set to be displayed sequentially at said predetermined location, at least one scroll bar indicative of an amount of content from one or more of the attached files to be displayed is provided on the screen, and the content being scrolled based on input to move the scroll bar.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the message display setting module converts the message into a file of a predetermined format set to execute and display the content from the predetermined number of attached files simultaneously with the text, the control circuit displaying a message by driving the file in response to activation of a key indicating the confirmation of the message.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein each file is in a format compatible with synchronized multimedia integration language (SMIL).

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the message display setting module allots display areas for the content from the predetermined number of attached files and text, where the content from the predetermined number of the attached files and text are simultaneously displayed at said display areas respectively based on display-specifying data stored in the memory.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the display-specifying data is input by user to be stored in a memory.

35. The apparatus of claim 34,

wherein the predetermined number corresponds to the number of allotted displaying areas for displaying the content from the number of attached files, and wherein said number of allotted display areas is included at said location.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the message display setting module sets the content from the number of attached files to be displayed sequentially and rotationally in said number of allotted display areas with a predetermined cycle.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the message display setting module sets the predetermined cycle using the display-specifying data.

38. The method of claim 30, wherein the text is displayed in a first window and the content from at least a portion of the number of the attached files is sequentially displayed in a second window, the predetermined setting stored in a memory by the user causing the content from at least the portion of the number of the attached files to be sequentially displayed in the second window in non-overlapping relationship with the first window so that the content from at least the portion of the number of the attached files displayed in the second window does not obscure any information including the text in the first window.

39. The apparatus from claim 30, wherein the content from the predetermined number of attached files is simultaneously displayed with the text information within the screen of a message program that is different from a word processing program.