Display apparatus and method for mobile terminal

• US 8,106,887 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2005
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, A-Reum, Lee, Ka-Eun, Kang, Yun-Hwan, Yoo, Mi-Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tryder, Gregory J
• Application Number:
  US11/226,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20060211454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,331 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168, 345/169, 345/173, 345/174, 455/566, 455/556.2, 361/679.21, 36167926-67929, 361/679.3, 36167955-67956, 361/679.09
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0218 The hinge comprising input and/or output user interface means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit

Abstract

A display apparatus for a mobile terminal including: an input unit for receiving a user'"'"'s instruction; a controller for simultaneously executing two or more tasks and transferring the received instruction to at least one display unit; a first display unit for performing displaying according to the received instruction; and a second display unit placed at a position where a user can view it together with the first display unit. The mobile terminal can simultaneously process a plurality of tasks through a plurality of display units to allow the user to perform multitasking substantially.

Claims

1. A display apparatus for a mobile terminal, the apparatus comprising:

an input unit for receiving inputs including a first input and a second input, the first input initiating execution of a first task in one of a plurality of display units and the second input initiating execution of a second task in another one of the plurality of display units;

a controller for executing at least two different tasks, including the first and second tasks, simultaneously in response to the inputs;

a first display unit for displaying the first task executed by the controller according to the first input; and

a second display unit for displaying the second task executed by the controller according to the second input, the second display unit further displaying a list of icons, all icons in the list respectively corresponding to tasks that are being executed concurrently by the controller and the list of icons including a first icon, which corresponds to the first task and a second icon, which corresponds to the second task, at a defined portion of the second display unit displaying the second task being executed, wherein the displayed second task occupies a majority of a display area on the second display unit that is substantially larger than the defined portion of the second display unit,

wherein the first task is displayed on the first display unit and the second task is displayed on the second display unit at the same time, and the controller is configured to switch displaying of the first and second display units in response to an input for display switching such that the first task is displayed on the second display unit and the second task is displayed on the first display unit in response to the input for display switching,

wherein one of the first and second display units displays a standby screen when only one of the first and second tasks is executed on another one of the first and second display units, the standby screen comprising information that is displayed when the mobile terminal is not in use,

wherein the controller is further configured to generate additional icons to be included in the list of icons displayed on the second display unit when more than two tasks are executed such that the first icon, the second icon, and the additional icons correspond to the first, second, and additional tasks being executed, respectively, while only two of the first, second, and additional tasks are displayed on the first and second display units,

wherein all icons in the list of icons are different from each other and one of the different icons in the list of icons, which corresponds to a task that is displayed on the first display unit, is displayed brighter than remaining icons in the list while the corresponding task is displayed on the first display unit to indicate that the task corresponding to the brighter icon is being displayed on the first display unit,

wherein the controller is further configured to cause displaying of a list of tasks which can be executed on the first or second display unit in response to an input for displaying the list of tasks, and add a new icon to the list of icons when a new task is selected from the list of tasks, the new icon corresponding to the selected new task, and

wherein the controller is further configured to cause displaying of a specific task, which corresponds to a specific icon in the list of icons, on the second display unit when the specific icon is selected from the list of icons while the second task is being executed on the second display unit, the second task displayed on the second display unit being replaced by the specific task upon selection of the specific icon.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller deactivates a currently activated one of the first display unit or second display unit and activates a previously deactivated one of the first display unit or second display unit in response to an input for switching of an activated display unit.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first and second display units comprise touch screens and the deactivated first display unit is activated upon receiving a first touch input via the first display unit and the deactivated second display unit is activated upon receiving a second touch input via the second display unit.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal includes first and second bodies, and the second body rotates with respect to the first body to be in a closed or open configuration.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first and second display units are formed on the second body.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first and second display units are not visible in the closed configuration and are visible in the open configuration.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first and second display units are separately formed on the first and second bodies, respectively.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein display screens of the first and second display units are angled with respect to the first body and are on the same plane in the open configuration.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal includes first and second bodies, a rear surface of the first body substantially covering a front surface of the second body in a closed configuration, and the first body slides upward or downward with respect to the second body to be in an open configuration, exposing at least a portion of the front surface of the second body in the open configuration.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first and second display units are formed on the first body and exposed in both the closed and open configuration.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first and second display units are separately formed on the first and second bodies, respectively, such that only the first display unit is exposed in the closed configuration and both the first and second display units are exposed in the open configuration, the second display unit of the second body facing the rear surface of the first body in the closed configuration.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second display unit is formed on a lower portion of the second body such that the second display unit is exposed if the first body is slid upward with respect to the second body, wherein an area of the lower portion of the second body is substantially the same as or smaller than an area of an upper portion of the second body that remains covered by the rear surface of the first body in the open configuration.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second display unit is formed on an upper portion of the second body such that the second display unit is exposed if the first body is slid downward with respect to the second body, wherein an area of the upper portion of the second body is substantially the same as or smaller than an area of an lower portion of the second body that remains covered by the rear surface of the first body in the open configuration.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause displaying of menu items with at least a second icon on the first or second display unit in response to an input for execution of at least a third task, and execute the at least third task corresponding to the at least second icon and add the at least second icon on a list of tasks currently executed upon selection of the at least second icon from the menu items.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit selecting means for selecting the first display unit or the second display unit.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least two tasks are independent from each other.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first task and the second task are unrelated tasks.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first display unit and the second display unit are viewable from one point and operate independently from each other.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause displaying of a third task on the first display unit or the second display unit upon receiving a third input for selecting an icon corresponding to the third task among the at least one icon displayed on the second display unit, and cause displaying of the first task on the first display unit or displaying of the second task on the second display unit upon receiving a fourth input for ending the third task.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input unit receives the second input while the first task is displayed on the first display unit and the controller displays the second task on the second display unit in response to the second input.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the first task comprises communication, the first display unit displaying information related to the communication, and the second task comprises searching in a contact list, the second display unit displaying the contact list such that the contact list is searched from the contact list displayed on the second display unit while the communication is processed and the information related to the communication is displayed on the first display unit.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the first task comprises communication, the first display unit displaying information related to the communication, and the second task comprises schedule management, the second display unit displaying a scheduler such that schedule is managed via the scheduler displayed on the second display unit while the communication is processed and the information related to the communication is displayed on the first display unit.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the communication comprises a messaging service.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the first task comprises video communication, the first display unit displaying information related to the video communication, and the second task comprises a memo function, the second display unit comprising a touch screen and displaying a screen for receiving text related to a memo.

25. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first task comprises video reproducing and the second task comprises a instant messenger function, and the instant messenger function is performed on the second display unit while the video reproducing is performed on the first display unit.

26. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller determines on which one of the first and second display units the first task or the second task will be performed and displayed upon receiving the first input or the second input.

27. A display method for a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

receiving inputs, including a first input and a second input, via an input unit of the mobile terminal, the first input initiating execution of a first task in one of a plurality of display units and the second input initiating execution of a second task in another one of the plurality of display units;

executing at least two different tasks, including the first and second tasks, simultaneously according to the received inputs;

activating a first display unit of the mobile terminal in response to the received first input and activating a second display unit of the mobile terminal in response to the received second input;

displaying, by the first display unit, the first task being executed according to the first input;

performing the first task on the first display unit;

displaying, by the second display unit, the second task being executed according to the second input;

performing the second task on the second display unit;

displaying a list of icons, all icons in the list respectively corresponding to tasks that are being executed concurrently and the list of icons including a first icon, which corresponds to the first task, and a second icon, which corresponds to the second task, at a defined portion of the second display unit displaying the second task being executed, wherein the displayed second task occupies a majority of a display area on the second display unit that is substantially larger than the defined portion of the second display unit;

processing operations of the activated first display unit and the activated second display unit independently;

switching displaying of the first and second display units in response to an input for display switching that is received while the first task is displayed on the first display unit and the second task is displayed on the second display unit at the same time such that the first task is displayed on the second display unit and the second task is displayed on the first display unit after the displaying of the first and second display units is switched in response to the input for display switching, wherein one of the first and second display units displays a standby screen when only one of the first and second tasks is executed on another one of the first and second display units, the standby screen comprising information that is displayed when the mobile terminal is not in use;

generating additional icons to be included in the list of icons displayed on the second display unit when more than two tasks are executed such that the first icon, the second icon, and the additional icons correspond to the first, second, and additional tasks being executed, respectively, while only two of the first, second, and additional tasks are displayed on the first and second display units, wherein all icons in the list of icons are different from each other and one of the different icons in the list of icons, which corresponds to a task that is displayed on the first display unit, is displayed brighter than remaining icons in the list while the corresponding task is displayed on the first display unit to indicate that the task corresponding to the brighter icon is being displayed on the first display unit;

displaying a list of tasks which can be executed on the first or second display unit in response to an input for displaying the list of tasks, and adding a new icon to the list of icons when a new task is selected from the list of tasks, the new icon corresponding to the selected new task; and

displaying a specific task, which corresponds to a specific icon in the list of icons, on the second display unit when the specific icon is selected from the list of icons while the second task is being executed on the second display unit, the second task displayed on the second display unit being replaced by the specific task upon selection of the specific icon.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein one of the first display unit or second display unit is maintained in a standby state upon the mobile terminal finishing the simultaneous execution of the at least two tasks and executing only one of the at least two tasks.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the at least two tasks are displayed on the first and second display units independently while being executed simultaneously.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

displaying, by the first display unit, the second task in response to an input for display switching; and

displaying, by the second display unit, the first task in response to the input for displaying switching.

31. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

deactivating one of the first display unit or second display unit in response to a third input for deactivating the one of the first display unit or second display unit; and

activating the deactivated one of the first display unit or second display unit and deactivating the activated first display unit or second display unit in response to a fourth input for switching of the first and second display units.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the first and second display units comprise touch screens and the method further comprises receiving a touch input such that the deactivated first display unit is activated upon receiving a first touch input via the first display unit and the deactivated second display unit is activated upon receiving a second touch input via the second display unit.

33. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

determining on which one of the first and second display units the first task or the second task will be performed and displayed upon receiving the first input or the second input.

34. A mobile terminal, comprising:

an input unit for receiving inputs including a first input and a second input, the first input initiating execution of a first task in one of a plurality of display units and the second input initiating execution of a second task in another one of the plurality of display units;

a controller for simultaneously executing two or more independent tasks, including the first and second tasks, in response to the inputs;

a first display unit for displaying the first task executed by the controller according to the first input; and

a second display unit, which is viewable simultaneously with the first display unit from one point, for displaying the second task executed by the controller according to the second input, the second display unit further displaying a list of icons, all icons in the list respectively corresponding to tasks that are being executed concurrently by the controller and the list of icons including a first icon, which corresponds to the first task being executed and displayed on the first display unit, at a defined portion of the second display unit displaying the second task being executed, wherein the displayed second task occupies a majority of a display area on the second display unit that is substantially larger than the defined portion of the second display unit,

wherein the controller determines that the first task will be performed and displayed on the first display unit upon receiving the first input and that the second task will be performed and displayed on the second display unit upon receiving the second input,

wherein the first task is performed and displayed on the first display unit and the second task is performed and displayed on the second display unit at the same time upon determination by the controller, wherein the controller is configured to switch displaying of the first and second display units in response to an input for display switching such that the first task is displayed on the second display unit and the second task is displayed on the first display unit in response to the input for display switching, and

wherein one of the first and second display units displays a standby screen when only one of the first and second tasks is executed on another one of the first and second display units, the standby screen comprising information that is displayed when the mobile terminal is not in use,

wherein the controller is further configured to generate additional icons to be included in the list of icons displayed on the second display unit when more than two tasks are executed such that the first icon, the second icon, and the additional icons correspond to the first, second, and additional tasks being executed, respectively, while only two of the first, second, and additional tasks are displayed on the first and second display units,

wherein all icons in the list of icons are different from each other and one of the different icons in the list of icons, which corresponds to a task that is displayed on the first display unit, is displayed brighter than remaining icons in the list while the corresponding task is displayed on the first display unit to indicate that the task corresponding to the brighter icon is being displayed on the first display unit,

wherein the second display unit displays a list of tasks which can be executed in response to an input for displaying the list of tasks, and the controller is further configured to add a new icon to the list of icons when a new task is selected from the list of tasks, the new icon corresponding to the selected new task, and

wherein the controller is further configured to cause displaying of a specific task, which corresponds to a specific icon in the list of icons, on the second display unit when the specific icon is selected from the list of icons while the second task is being executed on the second display unit, the second task displayed on the second display unit being replaced by the specific task upon selection of the specific icon.

35. The terminal of claim 34, wherein the second display unit displays the list of the tasks at a lower end portion of the second display unit.

36. The terminal of claim 34, wherein the second display unit displays the list of the tasks in a pop-up format.

37. The terminal of claim 34, wherein the controller displays the new task selected from the list of tasks on the first display unit.

38. The terminal of claim 34, further comprising:

a display unit selecting means configured to select the first display unit or the second display unit.