Method for displaying items in mobile terminal and mobile terminal using the same

• US 8,428,658 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2010
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Han, Seung Sook
• Primary Examiner(s): TRINH, TAN H
• Application Number:
  US12/713,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20100222112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455/418, 455/419, 455/457, 455/3.06, 455/412.1, 455/414.1, 455/414.4, 455/425, 455/41.1, 455/556.1, 455/557, 455/158.4, 455/186.1, 455/183.2, 455/254, 455/90.3, 715/863, 715/862, 715/825, 715/810, 715/702, 715/841, 715/850, 715/811, 715/821, 715/838, 715/864, 715/808, 715/764, 715/739, 715/853, 345/629, 345/440, 345/581, 345/659, 345/173, 345/156, 345/531, 345/681
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• 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 1/72472 wherein the items are sorted according to specific criteria, e.g. frequency of use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs logging of telephone numbers H04M1/56, H04M1/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00

Abstract

A method for displaying items in mobile terminal and a mobile terminal using the same, the method comprising: storing a plurality of items in a memory of the mobile terminal; receiving a grouping command by a proximity touch on the plurality of items through a proximity sensor of the mobile terminal; and generating and displaying a classification menu including classified items with classifying the plurality of items by the grouping command and storing the classified items in the classification menu.

Claims

1. A method for displaying items in a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of items in a memory of the mobile terminal;

displaying at least one of the plurality of items on a display of the mobile terminal;

detecting a proximity touch by the proximity sensor, the proximity sensor being configured to generate different commands based on a height of the detected proximity touch;

receiving a grouping command inputted by the proximity touch on the at least one of the plurality of items displayed through the proximity sensor of the mobile terminal; and

generating a classification menu by classifying the plurality of items by the grouping command and storing the classified plurality of items in the classification menu; and

displaying the classification menu.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an input indicating a subset of classified items of the classified plurality of items in the classification menu; and

displaying the subset of classified items.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the input is a micro proximity signal.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising executing a function of the mobile terminal related to one of the classified items of the subset of classified items in response to a touch signal selecting said one of the classified items.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the input is a touch signal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of items is a call history item, and the grouping command is a classification command based on an initial of a caller associated with each call history item.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of items is a multimedia file, and the grouping command is a classification command based on tag information associated with each of the multimedia files.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of items is a text message item, and the grouping command is a classification command based on date information associated with each of the text message items.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving a grouping command includes:

measuring a distance of a pointing device from the display displayed with at least one of the plurality of items; and

generating the grouping command when the measured distance is shorter than a predetermined distance.

10. A mobile terminal comprising:

a memory configured to store a plurality of items;

a display configured to display the plurality of items;

a proximity sensor configured to generate different proximity touch signals based on detected heights of a proximity touch, at least one of the proximity touch signals being a grouping command; and

a controller configured to generate a classification menu by classifying the plurality of items by the grouping command and to display the classification menu on the display.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to display on the display a subset of classified items of the classified plurality of items in the classification menu when a selection signal is generated by the classification menu.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the selection signal is a micro proximity signal generated by the proximity sensor.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the display is a touch screen, and the controller is configured to execute a function of the mobile terminal related to one of the classified items of the subset of classified items in response to a touch signal generated by the touch screen selecting said one of the classified items.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the proximity sensor generates the micro proximity signal when a distance between the proximity sensor and a pointing device is shorter than a predetermined micro proximity distance.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the display is a touch screen, and the controller is configured to execute a function of the mobile terminal related to one of the classified items of the subset of classified items in response to a touch signal generated by the touch screen selecting said one of the classified items.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of items is a call history item, and the grouping command is a classification command based on an initial of a caller associated with each call history item.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of items is a multimedia file, and the grouping command is a classification command based on tag information associated with each of the multimedia files.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of items is a text message item, and the grouping command is a classification command based on date information associated with each of the text message items.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the proximity sensor generates the proximity touch signal when a distance between the proximity sensor and a pointing device is shorter than a predetermined proximity distance.