Mobile communication device capable of providing candidate phone number list and method of controlling operation of the mobile communication device

• US 8,159,456 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2008
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Tae Hun, Park, Jin Sang
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Quan-Zhen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US12/326,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20090109189A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/169, 345/173, 455/566, 455/575, 455/556.2, 715/763, 715/764, 715856-858
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2746 Sorting, e.g. according to history or frequency of use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A mobile communication device capable of providing a candidate phone number list and a method of controlling an operation of the mobile communication device is provided. The method includes displaying a phone number input window and a display window on the touch screen, displaying a string of numbers input to the phone number input window in the display window and displaying a candidate phone number list on the touch screen if a touch input to the display window is detected when the input number string is displayed in the display window, the candidate phone number list including a plurality of phone numbers that contain the input number string.

Claims

1. A method for controlling operation of a mobile communication device having a touch screen, the method comprising:

displaying a first area and a second area on the touch screen, the first area comprising an input window for entering information related to at least one phone number and the second area comprising a display window for displaying the entered information;

ceasing the displaying of the input window on the first area of the touch screen in response to a first touch input applied to the second area;

displaying a list on the first area of the touch screen in response to the first touch input applied to the second area, the list comprising candidate information stored in a memory, wherein the candidate information is related to the entered information that was entered via the input window; and

ceasing the displaying of the list on the first area and to again display the input window on the first area in response to a second touch input applied to the second area, wherein the second touch input occurs after the first touch input.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the entered information comprises a number.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first area comprises at least one of a touch keypad, a handwriting recognition input window, a continuous handwriting recognition input window, and a QWERTY input window.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the list comprises a list of phone numbers that contain the entered information.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the list comprises information related to one of most recently dialed/received phone numbers and most frequently dialed/received phone numbers if no string of at least one number is displayed in the second area after the touch input is applied to the second area.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a communication menu if a touch input is detected in an area of the list where information related to a specific phone number is displayed.

7. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a touch screen configured to display a first area and a second area, the first area comprising an input window for entering a string related to at least one phone number and the second area comprising a display window for displaying the entered string;

a memory configured to store candidate information; and

a controller configured to;

cause the touch screen to cease displaying of the input window on the first area of the touch screen in response to a first touch input applied to the second area;

cause the touch screen to display a list on the first area of the touch screen in response to the first touch input applied to the second area, the list comprising the candidate information, wherein the candidate information is related to the string entered via the input window; and

cause the touch screen to cease the displaying of the list on the first area and to again display the input window on the first area in response to a second touch input applied to the second area, wherein the second touch input occurs after the first touch input.

8. The mobile communication device according to claim 7, wherein the entered string comprises a number.

9. The mobile communication device according to claim 7, wherein the first area comprises at least one of a touch keypad, a handwriting recognition input window, a continuous handwriting recognition input window, and a QWERTY input window.

10. The mobile communication device according to claim 7, wherein the list comprises a list of phone numbers that contain the entered string.

11. The mobile communication device according to claim 7, wherein the list comprises information related to one of most recently dialed/received phone numbers and most frequently dialed/received phone numbers if no string of at least one number is displayed in the second area after the touch input is applied to the second area.

12. The mobile communication device according to claim 7, wherein the touch screen is further configured to:

display a communication menu if a touch input is detected in an area of the list where information related to a specific phone number is displayed.

13. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a touch screen comprising a first area and a second area;

means for entering a string related to at least one phone number in the first area;

means for displaying the entered string in the second area;

a memory configured to store candidate information; and

a controller configured to;

cause the touch screen to cease displaying of the means for entering a string in response to a first touch input applied to the second area;

cause the touch screen to display a list on the first area of the touch screen in response to the first touch input applied to the second area, the list comprising the candidate information, wherein the candidate information is related to the entered string; and

cause the touch screen to cease the displaying of the list on the first area and to again display the means for entering a string in the first area in response to a second touch input applied to the second area, wherein the second touch input occurs after the first touch input.

14. The mobile communication device according to claim 13, wherein the entered string comprises a number.

15. The mobile communication device according to claim 13, wherein the means for entering the string comprises at least one of a touch keypad, a handwriting recognition input window, a continuous handwriting recognition input window, and a QWERTY input window.

16. The mobile communication device according to claim 13, wherein the list comprises a list of phone numbers that contain the entered string.

17. The mobile communication device according to claim 13, wherein the list comprises information related to one of most recently dialed/received phone numbers and most frequently dialed/received phone numbers if no string of at least one number is displayed in the second area after the touch input is applied to the second area.