Mobile terminal and control method thereof

• US 8,423,904 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2009
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jun-Hee
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdul-Ali, Omar
• Assistant Examiner(s): BHARGAVA, ANIL K
• Application Number:
  US12/361,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20100100842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: 715/708, 715/709, 715/808, 715/809
• US Class Current: 715/808
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• 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

Abstract

Disclosed are a mobile terminal capable of executing web browsing with consideration of a user'"'"'s convenience, and a control method thereof. The mobile terminal comprises: a wireless communication unit which accesses any web page; a display module for displaying the accessed web page; and a controller for automatically displaying popup windows in a virtual space when the accessed web page has any popup windows. Popup windows can be hidden at the time of web browsing, and the hidden popup windows can be displayed according to a user'"'"'s necessity. This enhances the user'"'"'s convenience.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a wireless communication unit configured to access a web page;

a display unit configured to display the accessed web page;

a proximity sensor configured to sense a presence of an object approaching a surface of the display unit; and

a controller configured to;

control the display unit to display the accessed web page;

control the display unit to display, on a region of the displayed web page, an indicator indicating presence of at least one popup window without displaying the at least one popup window;

control the display unit to display, upon selection of the indicator, a popup window identification (ID) list separately identifying each popup window indicated by the indicator;

control the display unit to display, upon selection via a contact touch of a popup window ID of the popup window ID list, a popup window corresponding to the selected popup window ID, wherein the contact touch comprises the object contacting a surface of the display unit; and

recognize the object sensed by the proximity sensor within a first distance from the surface of the display unit as a proximity touch,

wherein the popup window is displayed in a preview manner when the controller detects that the popup window is selected via the proximity touch,

wherein the popup window displayed in the preview manner ceases to be displayed when the proximity sensor senses the object moved away from the surface of the display unit to a distance greater than the first distance, and

wherein the popup window is displayed in a continuous manner when the popup window is selected via the contact touch.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the contact touch is performed by a flick input or a drag input in a specific direction.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the popup window corresponding to the selected popup window ID is displayed in the specific direction in response to the contact touch.

4. A method for controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

accessing a web page via a wireless communication unit of the mobile terminal;

controlling a display unit of the mobile terminal, via a controller of the mobile terminal, to display the accessed web page;

sensing, via a proximity sensor of the mobile terminal, a presence of an object approaching a surface of the display unit;

controlling the display unit via the controller to display, on a region of the displayed web page, an indicator indicating presence of at least one popup window without displaying the at least one popup window;

controlling the display unit via the controller to display, upon selection of the indicator, a popup window identification (ID) list separately identifying each popup window indicated by the indicator;

controlling the display unit via the controller to display, upon selection via a contact touch of a popup window ID of the popup window ID list, a popup window corresponding to the selected popup window ID, wherein the contact touch comprises the object contacting a surface of the display unit; and

recognizing, via the controller, the object sensed by the proximity sensor within a first distance from the surface of the display unit as a proximity touch,

wherein the popup window is displayed in a preview manner when the controller detects that the popup window is selected via the proximity touch,

wherein the popup window displayed in the preview manner ceases to be displayed when the proximity sensor senses the object moved away from the surface of the display unit to a distance greater than the first distance, and

wherein the popup window is displayed in a continuous manner when the popup window is selected via the contact touch.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the contact touch is performed by a flick input or a drag input in a specific direction.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the popup window corresponding to the selected popup window ID is displayed in the specific direction in response to the contact touch.