Method and apparatus for providing idle screen service

• US 8,489,083 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2008
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wireless Alliance, LLC (Intellectual Discovery Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: KT Corporation
• Inventors: Lim, Sang-Hyun, Chun, Gwi-Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): MATHARU, MANPREET S
• Application Number:
  US12/207,385
• Publication Number:
  US 20090047940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,771 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/403, 455/412.1, 455/435.1, 455/456.1, 455/567, 455/466
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing an idle screen service are disclosed. A mobile communication terminal receiving contents provided from at least one content provider server in a mobile communication system environment is also disclosed. The mobile communication terminal may include a content receiver module which receives contents provided through a mobile communication system by separating into layers, a handset operating system module which operates the terminal and runs an application and which has a user interface, and a content management application module which synthesizes the contents separated into layers received from the content receiver module into one idle screen layer and which provides it to the idle screen of the mobile communication terminal. According to at least one embodiment of the invention, several contents provided in a mobile communication system environment can be provided at once on a mobile communication terminal idle screen in an idle mode, to satisfy the demands of the user for DIY services and increase the content participation rate.

Claims

1. A mobile communication terminal for processing a plurality of contents received from at least one content provider server in a mobile communication system, the mobile communication terminal comprising:

a content receiver module configured to receive a plurality of contents from at least one content provider server in a mobile communication system, wherein the content receiver module is further configured to separate the received contents into a plurality of layers;

a handset operating system module configured to operate the terminal and run an application, the handset operating system module comprising a user interface; and

a content management application module configured to synthesize the plurality of layers of the contents into one idle screen layer and provide it to an idle screen of the mobile communication terminal,

wherein the content management application module comprises a position management portion configured to change the position of the synthesized contents on the idle screen,

and wherein the content of each layer included in the synthesized contents is configurable independent of the remaining contents.

2. The mobile communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the content management application module comprises an event controller configured to receive a content manipulation input via the user interface and distribute to a layer of the corresponding content.

3. The mobile communication terminal of claim 1, wherein one content provided to the mobile communication terminal occupies one layer, and wherein the content of a corresponding layer is objectified to secure at least a partial area of the idle screen.

4. The mobile communication terminal of claim 1, wherein all of the contents for each layer synthesized to the idle screen layer reside in a heap of a memory of the terminal.

5. The mobile communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the content management application module comprises a content setting portion configured to enable a user to select the layers to be synthesized to the idle screen from among the layered contents.

6. A method of processing a plurality of contents received from at least one content provider server in a mobile communication system, the method comprising:

receiving, at a mobile communication terminal, a plurality of contents from at least one content provider server;

separating the received contents into a plurality of layers;

synthesizing the separated layers of the contents into one idle screen layer; and

providing the synthesized idle screen layer to the idle screen of the mobile communication terminal in an idle mode,

wherein the synthesizing further comprises receiving a selection from a user to change the position of the synthesized contents on the idle screen,

and wherein the content of each layer included in the synthesized contents is configurable independent of the remaining contents.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein one content provided to the mobile communication terminal occupies one layer, and wherein the content of a corresponding layer is objectified to secure at least a partial area of the idle screen.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein all of the contents for each layer synthesized to the idle screen layer reside in a heap of a memory of the terminal.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the synthesizing comprises:

receiving a selection from a user on the layers to be synthesized to the idle screen from among the layered contents.

10. One or more non-transitory processor-readable storage devices having processor-readable code, the processor-readable code which, when executed by one or more processors, performs a method of processing content received from at least one content provider server in a mobile communication system, the method comprising:

receiving, at a mobile communication terminal, a plurality of contents from at least one content provider server;

separating the received contents into a plurality of layers;

synthesizing the separated layers of the contents into one idle screen layer; and

providing the synthesized idle screen layer to the idle screen of the mobile communication terminal in an idle mode,

wherein the synthesizing procedure further comprises receiving a selection from a user to change the position of the synthesized contents on the idle screen,

and wherein the content of each layer included in the synthesized contents is configurable independent of the remaining contents.

11. A method of providing a content-based, dynamic background screen service, the method comprising:

requesting, at a terminal, information, when a user selects a desired channel, on the selected channel;

imaging contents corresponding to the channel according to a preset standard so as to generate channel information;

downloading the generated channel information; and

changing/updating the background screen based on the downloaded channel information,

wherein the terminal further comprises;

a content receiver module configured to receive a plurality of contents from at least one content provider server in a mobile communication system, wherein the content receiver module is further configured to separate the received contents into a plurality of layers; and

a content management application module configured to synthesize the layers of the contents into one idle screen layer and provide it to an idle screen of the terminal,

wherein the content management application module comprises a position management portion configured to change the position of the synthesized contents on the idle screen,

and wherein the content of each layer included in the synthesized contents is configurable independent of the remaining contents.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising stopping the background screen changing/updating, when the user removes the selected channel from the background screen, and running a background screen deactivation.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising switching to another service via a user interface (UI).

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the requesting comprises sending a request to a server which provides contents in preset periods.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the contents of the background screen are changed/updated in preset periods via PULL/PUSH.

16. A content-based dynamic background service provider system comprising:

a terminal configured to request information, when a user selects a desired channel, on the selected channel and display on a background screen the imaged channel information received, to change/update the background screen;

a gateway configured to request information on the selected channel from a server which provides the contents of the selected channel and set the background screen as the imaged channel information received according to the request for information on the channel, to change/update the background screen; and

a content packaging server configured to download channel information, the channel information being contents corresponding to the channel imaged according to a preset standard, and transmit the imaged channel information to the gateway,

wherein the terminal further comprises;

a content receiver module configured to receive a plurality of contents from at least one content provider server in a mobile communication system, wherein the content receiver module is further configured to separate the received contents into a plurality of layers; and

a content management application module configured to synthesize the layers of the contents into one idle screen layer and provide it to an idle screen of the terminal,

wherein the content management application module comprises a position management portion configured to change the position of the synthesized contents on the idle screen,

and wherein the content of each layer included in the synthesized contents is configurable independent of the remaining contents.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a channel web server registered in the content packaging server beforehand through a uniform resource locator (URL), the channel web server configured to periodically collaborate with internal servers corresponding to the channel to receive current information, image and generate the received information, and transmit it together with a preset image map file in the channel information.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the gateway is configured to convert the imaged channel information provided according to the information request on the channel into a form configured to be transmitted to the terminal, and package it into a preset standard to transmit to the terminal.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the terminal is configured to stop the background screen change/upgrade when the user removes the selected channel from the background screen and run a background screen deactivation.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the terminal is configured to display a focus area on the image of the screen based on image map information included in the channel information, and operate an external application connected with the focus area when the user presses a confirm button.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the terminal is configured to manage images for various channels provided from the content packaging server for switching to another service through a user interface (UI).

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the terminal is configured to change/upgrade the contents of the background screen in preset periods via PULL/PUSH.

23. A mobile communication terminal for processing a plurality of contents received from at least one content provider server in a mobile communication system, the mobile communication terminal comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of contents from at least one content provider server;

means for separating the received contents into a plurality of layers;

means for synthesizing the separated layers of the contents into one idle screen layer; and

means for providing the synthesized idle screen layer to the idle screen of the mobile communication terminal in an idle mode,

wherein the synthesizing means comprises means for receiving a selection from a user to change the position of the synthesized contents on the idle screen,

and wherein the content of each layer included in the synthesized contents is configurable independent of the remaining contents.