Mobile terminal and operation control method thereof

• US 8,185,164 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2009
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jong Hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): AJIBADE AKONAI, OLUMIDE
• Application Number:
  US12/486,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20100004031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 4554141-4144, 455/418, 455/419, 455/550.1, 455/566, 345/156, 345/168, 345/169, 345/173, 715/702, 715/803, 715/810, 715/825, 715/830
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

A method of controlling a mobile terminal and includes displaying on a display of the mobile terminal a list having a plurality of items, identifying a selected item of the plurality items of the list, and detecting movement of the mobile terminal. The method further includes displaying on the display a menu having a plurality of items that are each associated with a function which can be performed based upon information associated with the selected item, wherein the displaying of the menu is in response to the detecting of the movement of the mobile terminal.

Claims

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

displaying on a display of the mobile terminal a list comprising a plurality of items;

identifying a selected item of the plurality items of the list;

detecting movement of the mobile terminal; and

displaying on the display a menu comprising a plurality of items that are each associated with a function which can be performed based upon information associated with the selected item, wherein the displaying of the menu is in response to the detecting of the movement of the mobile terminal, wherein each of the plurality of items of the list relate to a contact list, and wherein the functions associated with the plurality of items of the menu are one of a calling function, a messaging function, a deleting function, or an editing function.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the displaying of the menu comprises:

displaying the menu as an semi-transparent overlay relative to the plurality of items of the list.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the displaying of the menu comprises:

displaying the menu on a portion of the display that does not overlap a portion of the display used for the displaying of the plurality of items of the list.

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

modifying the displaying of the menu in a manner corresponding to a magnitude of the detected movement of the mobile terminal, the modifying comprising changing at least one of a number, type, sharpness, shape, color, display location, moving direction, or moving speed of one or more of the plurality of items of the menu.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detecting movement comprises detecting a shaking of the mobile terminal, wherein a number or type of the plurality of items of the menu correspond to a number of times that the shaking occurs over a threshold time period.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detecting of the movement comprises detecting rotation of the mobile terminal about a particular axis of rotation which exceeds a threshold amount of rotation, the method further comprising:

displaying the plurality of items of the menu as moving items which move in a direction which generally correspond to a direction of the rotation of the mobile terminal.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detecting of the movement comprises detecting rotation of the mobile terminal about a particular axis of rotation which exceeds a threshold amount of rotation, the method further comprising:

displaying the plurality of items of the menu as moving items which move in a generally downward direction responsive to the detecting of the movement.

8. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

detecting user contact with the display at a location which generally corresponds to a selected item of the plurality of items of the menu; and

executing an application that is associated with the selected item of the menu for a particular one of the plurality of items of the list responsive to user-input dragging of the selected item of the menu to an area of the display which generally corresponds to the particular one of the plurality of items of the list.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detecting of the movement comprises detecting rotation of the mobile terminal about a particular axis of rotation which exceeds a threshold amount of rotation, the method further comprising:

executing an application that is associated with the selected item of the plurality of items of the list responsive to the detecting of the rotation that exceeds the threshold amount of rotation; and

displaying on the display a plurality of control items which permit control of the application, wherein each of the plurality of control items are controllable responsive to user contact with the display at an area which generally corresponds with an associated one of the plurality of control items.

10. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

displaying a plurality of user-selectable control keys which individually correspond with one of the plurality of items of the menu; and

executing the function that corresponds to one of the plurality of items of the menu for the selected item responsive to user input relative to an associated one of the plurality of user-selectable control keys.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detecting movement comprises:

detecting a shaking of the mobile terminal.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detecting movement comprises:

detecting threshold levels of acceleration and deceleration of the mobile terminal over a defined time period.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detecting movement comprises:

detecting rotation of the mobile terminal about a particular axis of rotation which exceeds a threshold amount of rotation.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising;

detecting further movement of the mobile terminal in a first direction; and

highlighting sequentially each item of the plurality of items of the menu responsive to each instance of the detected further movement of the mobile terminal.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising;

detecting movement of the mobile terminal in a second direction which substantially differs from the first direction; and

executing an application that is associated with a highlighted item of the plurality of items of the menu responsive to the detecting of the movement of the mobile terminal in the second direction.

16. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a sensor configured to detect movement of the mobile terminal;

a display configured to display a list comprising a plurality of items, wherein a selected item of the plurality items of the list is visually identified; and

a controller configured to;

cause a menu to be displayed on the display in response to the detecting of the movement of the mobile terminal, wherein the menu comprises a plurality of items that are each associated with a function which can be performed based upon information associated with the selected item, wherein each of the plurality of items of the list relate to a contact list, and wherein the functions associated with the plurality of items of the menu are one of a calling function, a messaging function, a deleting function, or an editing function.

17. The mobile terminal according to claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to:

cause the menu to be displayed as an semi-transparent overlay relative to the plurality of items of the list.

18. The mobile terminal according to claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to:

cause the menu to be displayed on a portion of the display that does not overlap a portion of the display used for the displaying of the plurality of items of the list.

19. The mobile terminal according to claim 16, wherein the sensor is further configured to detect a shaking of the mobile terminal, wherein a number or type of the plurality of items of the menu correspond to a number of times that the shaking occurs over a threshold time period.

20. The mobile terminal according to claim 16, wherein the sensor is further configured to detect rotation of the mobile terminal about a particular axis of rotation which exceeds a threshold amount of rotation, and the display is further configured to display the plurality of items of the menu as moving items which move in a direction which generally correspond to a direction of the rotation of the mobile terminal.

21. The mobile terminal according to claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to:

detect user contact with the display at a location which generally corresponds to a selected item of the plurality of items of the menu; and

execute an application that is associated with the selected item of the menu for a particular one of the plurality of items of the list responsive to user-input dragging of the selected item to an area of the display which generally corresponds to the particular one of the plurality of items of the list.

22. The mobile terminal according to claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to:

display a plurality of user-selectable control keys which individually correspond with one of the plurality of items of the menu; and

execute the function that corresponds to one of the plurality of items of the menu for the selected item responsive to user input relative to an associated one of the plurality of user-selectable control keys.

23. The mobile terminal according to claim 16, wherein the detecting movement comprises detecting a shaking of the mobile terminal.

24. The mobile terminal according to claim 16, wherein the detecting movement comprises detecting threshold levels of acceleration and deceleration of the mobile terminal over a defined time period.

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

displaying on a touchscreen display of the mobile terminal a list comprising a plurality of items;

highlighting a selected item of the plurality items of the list;

detecting movement of the mobile terminal;

displaying on the display a menu comprising a plurality of items that are each associated with a function which can be performed based upon information associated with the selected item, wherein the displaying of the menu is in response to the detecting of the movement of the mobile terminal, wherein each of the plurality of items of the list relate to a contact list, and wherein the functions associated with the plurality of items of the menu are one of a calling function, a messaging function, a deleting function, or an editing function;

detecting user contact with the display at a location which generally corresponds to a selected item of the plurality of items of the menu; and

executing an application that is associated with the selected item for a particular one of the plurality of items of the list responsive to user-input dragging of the selected item to an area of the display which generally corresponds to the particular one of the plurality of items of the list.