Method for displaying background screen in mobile terminal

• US 8,577,419 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2010
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Young-Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehrpour, Melody
• Application Number:
  US12/900,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20110084986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455/420, 455/557, 4554561-4566, 455/3.01, 455/414.1, 455/158.5, 455/402.2, 455/556.1, 348/14.13, 348/14.02, 345/E07.002
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• 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: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for displaying a background screen in a mobile terminal, the method including the steps of resizing other background screens, except for a current background screen currently being displayed, among a plurality of background screens to a predefined display size when a predefined key is input, and displaying the resized background screens in predefined regions, respectively, within a display area in which the current background screen is displayed.

Claims

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

resizing background screens according to a first predefined input;

displaying the resized background screens;

detecting a motion of the mobile terminal; and

transitioning among the resized background screens based on the detected motion of the mobile terminal;

wherein the background screens respectively include an icon, and, when the background screens are resized, the icon included in each of the background screens is resized and displayed within the corresponding resized background screen.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the resized background screens comprises a predefined icon among the resized and displayed icons that is emphatically displayed.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the emphatically displayed icon corresponds to an icon selected or executed equal to or more than a predefined number of times.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the emphatically displayed icon corresponds to an icon which has been most recently selected or executed at a time point when the predefined key input occurs.

5. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the emphatically displayed icon corresponds to an icon preset to be emphatically displayed in a background screen which includes the emphatically displayed icon.

6. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

when the emphatically displayed icon is selected or executed, executing an application corresponding to the selected or executed icon.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

when one of the resized background screens is selected, transitioning to the selected background screen.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

when a second predefined input is input while the resized background screens are displayed, stopping the displaying of the resized background screens.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resized background screens are displayed with a background element to distinguish the resized background screens from a current background screen.

19. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the transitioning to the selected background screen comprises:

setting the selected background screen as a current background screen; and

displaying the current background screen.

21. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first predetermined input and the second predetermined input correspond to an identical input.

23. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first predetermined input corresponds to a user touch maintained for a predetermined amount of time.

25. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second predetermined input corresponds to a key input.

27. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

selecting one of the resized icons according to a third predetermined input.

28. The method as claimed in claim 27, wherein the third predetermined input corresponds to a user touch maintained for a predetermined amount of time.

31. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

displaying at least one non-resized icon outside of any resized background screens while the resized background screens are displayed.

32. The method as claimed in claim 31, wherein the at least one non-resized icon is associated with a current background screen that is not resized.

10. A mobile terminal apparatus for displaying a background screen, the apparatus comprising:

a display unit for displaying resized background screens to a user;

an input unit for receiving input from the user; and

a controller for controlling to resize background screens when a first predefined input is input, for controlling to display the resized background screens, and for controlling to transition among the resized background screens based on a motion of the mobile terminal detected by using a sensor unit,

wherein the background screens respectively include an icon, and, when the background screens are resized, the icon included in each of the background screens is resized and displayed within the corresponding resized background screen.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein at least one of the resized background screens comprises a predefined icon among the resized and displayed icons that is emphatically displayed.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the emphatically displayed icon corresponds to an icon selected or executed equal to or more than a predefined number of times.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the emphatically displayed icon corresponds to an icon which has been most recently selected or executed at a time point when the predefined key input occurs.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the emphatically displayed icon corresponds to an icon preset to be emphatically displayed in a background screen which includes the emphatically displayed icon.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein, when the emphatically displayed icon is selected or executed, the controller executes an application corresponding to the selected or executed icon.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein, when one of the resized background screens is selected, the controller transitions to the selected background screen.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein, when a second predefined input is input when the resized background screens are displayed, the controller controls to stop display of the resized background screens.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the resized background screens are displayed with a background element to distinguish the resized background screens from a current background screen.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein, when the controller transitions to the selected background screen, the controller sets the selected background screen as the current background screen, and controls the display unit to display the current background screen.

22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first predetermined input and the second predetermined input correspond to an identical input.

24. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first predetermined input corresponds to a user touch maintained for a predetermined amount of time.

26. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the second predetermined input corresponds to a key input.

29. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the controller controls selection of one of the resized icons according to a third predetermined input.

30. The apparatus as claimed in claim 29, wherein the third predetermined input corresponds to a user touch maintained for a predetermined amount of time.

33. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the controller controls to display at least one non-resized icon outside of any resized background screens while the resized background screens are displayed.

34. The apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein the at least one non-resized icon is associated with a current background screen that is not resized.

35. A method for displaying a user interface in a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

displaying a current background screen;

receiving a first predetermined input;

resizing at least one of a plurality of background screens upon reception of the first predetermined input;

displaying the at least one resized background screen;

detecting a motion of the mobile terminal; and

transitioning among each of the resized background screens based on the detected motion of the mobile terminal,

wherein each of the plurality of background screens have at least one icon associated therewith, and

wherein each of the displayed resized background screens comprise at least one resized icon corresponding to at least one icon respectively associated therewith.