Mobile terminal and object displaying method using the same

• US 8,542,110 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2009
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Choi, Yeong June
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US12/534,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20100060475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,513 Days
• Field of Search: 340/689, 340/539.11, 345/156, 345/158, 345/173, 455/566, 715/769, 715/771, 715/782, 715/784, 715/863
• US Class Current: 340/539.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• 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 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A display method for a mobile terminal includes displaying an active object on a display of a mobile terminal, the active object being able to be manipulated by a user, and detecting a degree of tilt of the mobile terminal relative to a reference plane. The method further includes responsive to the detecting of the degree of tilt, displaying a selectable plurality of inactive objects on the display, highlighting an object of the plurality of inactive objects responsive to user touch input relative to an associated one of the plurality of inactive objects, and deactivating the active object and displaying the highlighted object as a presently active object on the display responsive to user touch input relative to the highlighted object.

Claims

1. A display method for a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

displaying an active object on a display of a mobile terminal, wherein the active object is manipulable in response to a user input;

detecting a degree of tilt of the mobile terminal from an original position relative to a reference plane;

displaying a selectable plurality of inactive objects together with the active object on the display in response to the detecting of the degree of tilt, wherein each of the plurality of inactive objects is depicted as a line represented to be positioned behind the active object and the plurality of inactive objects are arranged in order;

highlighting an object of the plurality of inactive objects responsive to a received touch input relative to an associated one of the plurality of inactive objects;

deactivating the active object and displaying the highlighted object as a presently active object on the display responsive to a received touch input relative to the highlighted object;

displaying the deactivated object as a line represented to be positioned behind the presently active object and arranged in order with other of the plurality of inactive objects;

detecting a return of the mobile terminal substantially to the original position; and

stopping displaying the deactivated object and other of the plurality of inactive objects while maintaining displaying of the presently active object based upon the detection of the return of the mobile terminal substantially to the original position.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detecting the degree of tilt is based upon data provided by a tilt inclination sensor or a gyroscope.

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

modifying a number of the displayed selectable plurality of inactive objects based upon the degree of tilt of the mobile terminal.

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

displaying the selectable plurality of inactive objects along a side of the display experiencing a greatest amount of the degree of tilt relative to the reference plane.

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

providing repositioning of the highlighted object relative to other ones of the plurality of inactive objects responsive to the user touch input relative to the highlighted object.

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

displaying a pop-up object that is associated with the highlighted object, the pop-up object comprising data that is less than what is displayed when the highlighted object is an active object.

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

displaying a pop-up object that is associated with the highlighted object, the pop-up object comprising data that is smaller in size than what is displayed when the highlighted object is an active object.

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

displaying a thumbnail that is associated with the highlighted object together with the active object.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the selectable plurality of inactive objects is associated with one of a webpage, document, photo, or video.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reference plane is defined by a plane at which the mobile terminal remains substantially parallel for a threshold time period.

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

displaying a thumbnail responsive to detecting a proximity touch relative to the highlighted object, the thumbnail comprising data that is related to the highlighted object, and wherein if a thickness plane of remaining ones of the plurality of inactive objects is scrolled while a proximity touch relative to the remaining ones of the plurality of inactive objects is maintained, a thumbnail corresponding to a highlighted object of the plurality of inactive objects is displayed.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein after the deactivating of the active object and the displaying of the highlighted object, the method further comprises:

reordering of the presently active object relative to the deactivated object and remaining ones of the plurality of inactive objects.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the reordering of the presently active object occurs responsive to a drag and drop operation performed on the presently active object.

14. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a display configured to display an active object, wherein the active object is manipulable in response to a user input; and

a controller configured to;

detect a degree of tilt of the mobile terminal relative to a reference plane;

control the display to display a selectable plurality of inactive objects together with the active object on the display in response to the detecting of the degree of tilt, wherein each of the plurality of inactive objects is depicted as a line represented to be positioned behind the active object and the plurality of inactive objects are arranged in order;

control the display to highlight an object of the plurality of inactive objects in response to receipt of a touch input relative to an associated one of the plurality of inactive objects;

deactivate the active object and control the display to display the highlighted object as a presently active object in response to a received touch input relative to the highlighted object;

control the display to display the deactivated object as a line represented to be positioned behind the presently active object and arranged in order with other of the plurality of inactive objects;

detect a return of the mobile terminal substantially to the original position; and

control the display to stop displaying the deactivated object and other of the plurality of inactive objects while maintaining displaying of the presently active object based upon the detection of the return of the mobile terminal substantially to the original position.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 14, further comprising:

a tilt sensor or a gyroscope,

wherein the controller is further configured to detect the degree of tilt based upon data provided by the tilt sensor or the gyroscope.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to modify a number of the displayed selectable plurality of inactive objects based upon the degree of tilt of the mobile terminal.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to display the selectable plurality of inactive objects along a side of the display experiencing a greatest amount of the degree of tilt relative to the reference plane.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to provide repositioning of the highlighted object relative to other ones of the plurality of inactive objects in response to the touch input relative to the highlighted object.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to display a pop-up object that is associated with the highlighted object, the pop-up object comprising data that is less than what is displayed when the highlighted object is an active object.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to display a pop-up object that is associated with the highlighted object, the pop-up object comprising data that is smaller in size than what is displayed when the highlighted object is an active object.

21. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to control the display to display a thumbnail that is associated with the highlighted object together with the active object.

22. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein each of the selectable plurality of inactive objects is associated with one of a webpage, document, photo, or video.

23. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the reference plane is defined by a plane at which the mobile terminal remains substantially parallel for a threshold time period.

24. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to display a thumbnail in response to detecting a proximity touch relative to the highlighted object, the thumbnail comprising data that is related to the highlighted object, and wherein if a thickness plane of remaining ones of the plurality of inactive objects is scrolled while a proximity touch relative to the remaining ones of the plurality of inactive objects is maintained, a thumbnail corresponding to a highlighted object of the plurality of inactive objects is displayed.

25. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to:

deactivate the active object;

display the highlighted object; and

reorder the presently active object relative to the deactivated object and remaining ones of the plurality of inactive objects.

26. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to reorder the presently active object in response to a drag and drop operation performed on the presently active object.