Displaying active cursor in mobile terminal

• US 8,225,236 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2008
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Cho, Hyeyoun, Kim, Huhn, Lim, Sang Yeon, Kim, Hoi Chul, Shim, Kyu Dae, Park, Jae Pil
• Primary Examiner(s): Stevens, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANK, ANDREW L
• Application Number:
  US12/103,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20080256477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,553 Days
• Field of Search: 715/810, 715/811, 715/821, 715/823, 715/825, 715/835, 715856-861, 715/864
• US Class Current: 715/859
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• 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 1/72442 for playing music files

Abstract

A mobile communication terminal and a method of multi-tasking in the terminal are provided. The mobile communication terminal displays a first task display associated with a first application task, receives a request to execute a second application task while the first application task is being performed, and displays a second task display associated with the second application task, wherein the second task display at least partially replaces the first task display, at least a portion of the second task display is identified by an active cursor configured to allow a user to select a function associated with the second application task, and at least one display feature of the active cursor indicates that the first application task is being concurrently performed.

Claims

1. A method of multi-tasking in a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

displaying a first task display associated with a first application task in the mobile terminal;

receiving a request to execute a second application task while the first application task is being performed; and

displaying a second task display comprising a menu list that is associated with the second application task,

wherein the second task display further comprises an active cursor for identifying at least one item of the menu list, the active cursor indicating progress or status information associated with the first application task that is being performed when the at least one item associated with the second application task is selected from the menu list, and wherein the menu list is not associated with the first application task.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the active cursor comprises at least one of color, color tone and fading.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the active cursor comprises at least one of still and moving images.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first application task comprises an MP3 file reproduction function and the moving images move in response to a tempo of music played via the MP3 file reproduction function.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the active cursor comprises at least one display feature that corresponds to at least one additional application task being performed concurrently with the first and the second application tasks.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one display feature is selectively determined by the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the status information comprises one of text information and a progressive bar graph.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the active cursor is initiated a predetermined time after displaying the second task display.

9. A terminal comprising:

an input unit for receiving a request to perform a first application task and a request to perform a second application task, the request to perform the second application task received while the first application task is being performed;

a display for displaying a first task display associated with the first application task and a second task display associated with the second application task, the second task display comprising a menu list that is associated with the second application task and an active cursor identifying at least one item of the menu list; and

a controller for causing displaying of the active cursor on the at least a one item of the menu list, the active cursor indicating progress or status information associated with the first application task that is being performed when the at least one item associated with the second application task is selected from the menu list,

wherein the menu list is not associated with the first application task.

10. The terminal of claim 9, wherein the active cursor comprises at least one of color, color tone and fading.

11. The terminal of claim 9, wherein the active cursor comprises at least one of still and moving images.

12. The terminal of claim 11, wherein the first application task comprises an MP3 file reproduction function and the moving images move in response to a tempo of music played via the MP3 file reproduction function.

13. The terminal of claim 9, wherein the active cursor comprises at least one display feature that corresponds to at least one additional application task being concurrently performed with the first and the second application tasks.

14. The terminal of claim 13, wherein the at least one display feature is selectively determined by the user.

15. The terminal of claim 9, wherein the status information comprises one of text information and a progressive bar graph.

16. The terminal of claim 9, wherein the active cursor is initiated a predetermined time after displaying the second task display.

17. A method of controlling multi-tasking in a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

displaying a first task display associated with a first application task at a display of the mobile terminal;

receiving a request to execute a second application task while the first application task is being performed;

displaying a second task display in response to the request, the second task display comprising a menu list including the second application task and a cursor for selecting at least one menu item in the menu list;

converting the cursor into an active cursor when selecting the second application task from the menu list, the active cursor identifying the selected second application task and indicating progress or status information associated with the first application task that is being performed; and

executing the selected second application and the first application concurrently.