Mobile terminal and control method thereof

• US 8,558,814 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2011
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Tae Hun
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US13/218,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20110304575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 178 1801- 1809, 715810-827, 715/846
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/686 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, title or artist information, time, location or usage information, user ratings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• 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: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path

Abstract

An electronic device and a method for inputting information through touch input device of an electronic device is provided. The method inputs information including at least one of symbols and characters through touching of a screen displayed on the touch input device, and executes a specific application capable of processing the input information.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a touch input module comprising a display screen and configured to receive a touch input; and

a controller configured to;

divide the display screen into a plurality of areas, wherein the plurality of areas are defined by at least one line formed between each area of the plurality of areas, each area having a quadrangle shape;

recognize the touch input received via the touch input module, the touch input applied to one area of the plurality of areas; and

execute a specific application assigned to the one area of the plurality of areas in response to the touch input,

wherein at least one of the plurality of areas is individually assigned at least one application which is executed most frequently or at least one application that has been selected to be displayed on the at least one of the plurality of areas.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein each area of the plurality of areas is independently displayed on the display screen.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein sizes of at least two areas of the plurality of areas are the same.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause displaying of information related to the specific application in the one area of the plurality of areas in real time.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the information comprises at least a received message, a transmitted message, or history of connection with at least one other device via a communication module of the mobile terminal.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the information comprises at least one character related to a status of the specific application.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 6, wherein the status of the specific application comprises a number of received e-mails, captured pictures, stored telephone entries, stored memos, or stored files.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein a first specific application assigned to a first area of the plurality of areas is different from a second specific application assigned to a second area of the plurality of areas.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to assign a different application to the one area of the plurality of areas, the specific application being replaced by the different application.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein a number of the plurality of areas on the display screen is set by a user and changeable by the user.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the specific application is an application for reproducing a file comprising at least an image file, a text file, a moving picture file or an audio file; and

the file is linked to the specific application.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein different sets of applications are assigned to the plurality of areas based on time information.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause displaying of at least an icon corresponding to the specific application in the one area of the plurality of areas.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch input is recognized when the touch input is applied to any position within the one area of the plurality of areas.

14. A mobile terminal comprising:

a communication module configured to transmit and receive data via a mobile communications network;

a touch input module comprising a display screen that is divided into a plurality of areas and configured to generate a selection signal in response to a touch input received via the display screen via a specific area of the plurality of areas, wherein the plurality of areas are defined by at least one line formed between each area of the plurality of areas, each area having a quadrangle shape; and

a controller configured to;

control the touch input module to display information related to the data received by the communication module on at least one area of the plurality of areas; and

execute a specific application linked to the specific area of the plurality of areas in response to the generated selection signal.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to control the touch input module to independently display each of the plurality of areas.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the information related to the data is displayed in real time.

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

dividing a touch screen of the mobile terminal into a plurality of areas, wherein the plurality of areas is defined by at least one line formed between each area of the plurality of areas, each of the plurality of areas having a quadrangle shape and comprising a different icon;

assigning a specific application to one area of the plurality of areas;

receiving a touch input via the one area of the plurality of areas on the touch screen; and

executing the specific application in response to the touch input,

wherein at least one of the plurality of areas is individually assigned at least one application which is executed most frequently or at least one application which has been selected to be displayed on the at least one of the plurality of areas.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of areas is displayed independently.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying information associated with the specific application on the one area of the plurality of areas in real time.

21. A mobile terminal comprising:

a touch input module configured to display a display screen and to receive a touch input; and

a controller configured to;

divide the display screen into a plurality of areas, wherein;

each of the plurality of areas has a quadrangle shape,

at least two facing sides of a first area of the plurality of areas are in parallel with at least two facing sides of a second area of the plurality of areas;

recognize the touch input received via the touch input module, the touch input applied to one area of the plurality of areas; and

execute a specific application assigned to the one area of the plurality of areas in response to the touch input,

wherein at least one of the plurality of areas is individually assigned at least one application that has been selected to be displayed on the at least one of the plurality of areas.

22. The mobile terminal of claim 21, wherein the specific application is selected by a user to be assigned to the one of the plurality of areas.

23. The mobile terminal of claim 22, wherein the controller is further configured to provide a menu for assigning the specific application to the one of the plurality of areas.

24. The mobile terminal of claim 21, wherein each of the plurality of areas represents a corresponding application assigned to each of the plurality of areas such that the corresponding application is executed when a touch input is received at the corresponding area.

25. A mobile terminal comprising:

a touch input module configured to display a display screen and to receive a touch input; and

a controller configured to;

divide the display screen into at least two areas,

wherein a first area of the at least two areas is a system area comprising at least one arrow indicator and a second area of the at least two areas is at least one user area being a quadrangle shape and a number of the user area being set and changed by user,

wherein at least one application is linked to each of the at least one user area and the at least one quadrangle shape occupies overall width or half width of the user area,

recognize the touch input received via the touch input module, the touch input applied to one area of the at least one area; and

execute a specific application assigned to the one area of the plurality of areas in response to the touch input,

wherein at least one of the plurality of areas is individually assigned at least one application that has been selected to be displayed on the at least one of the plurality of areas.

26. The mobile terminal of claim 25, wherein a number of the user area is at least two and sizes of the at least two user area are the same.

27. The mobile terminal of claim 26, wherein each area of the user areas is independently displayed on the display screen.

28. The mobile terminal of claim 25, wherein the controller is further configured to display information linked to the at least one application in the at least one area in real time.

29. The mobile terminal of claim 28, wherein the information comprises at least a received message, a transmitted message, or history of connection with at least one other device via a communication module of the mobile terminal.

30. The mobile terminal of claim 28, wherein the information comprises at least one character related to a status of the specific application.

31. The mobile terminal of claim 30, wherein the status of the specific application comprises a number of received e-mails, captured pictures, stored telephone entries, stored memos, or stored files.

32. The mobile terminal of claim 25, wherein the controller is further configured to change the at least one application to at least one different application.

33. The mobile terminal of claim 25, wherein:

the specific application is an application for reproducing a file comprising at least an image file, a text file, a moving picture file or an audio file; and

the file is linked to the specific application.

34. The mobile terminal of claim 25, wherein the controller is further configured to display at least an icon corresponding to the at least one application.

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

dividing a display screen into at least two areas, wherein a first area of the at least two areas is a system area comprising at least one arrow indicator and a second area of the at least two areas is at least one user area being a quadrangle shape and a number of the user area being set and changed by user, wherein at least one application is linked to each of the at least one user area and the at least one quadrangle shape occupies overall width or half width of the user area;

recognizing the touch input received via the touch input module, the touch input applied to one area of the at least one area; and

executing a specific application assigned to the one area of the plurality of areas in response to the touch input,

wherein at least one of the plurality of areas is individually assigned at least one application that has been selected to be displayed on the at least one of the plurality of areas.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein a number of the user area is at least two and sizes of the at least two user area are the same.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein each area of the user areas is independently displayed on the display screen.

38. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

displaying information linked to the at least one application in the at least one area in real time.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the information comprises at least a received message, a transmitted message, or history of connection with at least one other device via a communication module of the mobile terminal.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the information comprises at least one character related to a status of the specific application.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the status of the specific application comprises a number of received e-mails, captured pictures, stored telephone entries, stored memos, or stored files.

42. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

changing the at least one application to at least one different application.

43. The method of claim 35, wherein:

the specific application is an application for reproducing a file comprising at least an image file, a text file, a moving picture file or an audio file; and

the file is linked to the specific application.

44. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

displaying at least an icon corresponding to the at least one application.