Idle screen arrangement structure and idle screen display method for mobile terminal

• US 8,612,897 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2007
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Soon Ok, Park, Chan Woo, Lee, Seung Hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): ORR, HENRY W
• Application Number:
  US11/949,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20080155481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,206 Days
• Field of Search: 715/867
• US Class Current: 715/867
• 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 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• 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 2250/56 including a user help function

Abstract

An idle screen arrangement structure and an idle screen display method for a mobile terminal are provided. The idle screen arrangement structure includes a base idle screen; and a plurality of different extended idle screens arranged in four or eight directions around the base idle screen. A first idle screen of the base idle screen and extended idle screens is displayed on the display unit. In response to an input of a screen-switch event, a second idle screen of the base idle screen and extended idle screens different from the first idle screen is displayed instead of the first idle screen. For example, when the pointer is moved into a screen-switch region on the display unit, the first idle screen is switched to the second idle screen. The base and extended idle screens may have shortcuts to particular functions, and be switched one another in a circular or a non-circular manner.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal with an idle screen arrangement structure, the idle screen arrangement structure comprising:

a base idle screen;

a plurality of different extended idle screens arranged around the base idle screen; and

a pointer, wherein a border region of the display unit is pre-assigned as a screen switch region, the pointer being freely movable and displayed on the display unit, displaying during an idle state one base idle screen and the extended idle screens on the display unit, and performing a screen-switch event generated by a moving direction of the pointer into the screen-switch region, another base idle screen and the extended idle screens different from the one idle screen and in the movement direction of the pointer is displayed instead of the one idle screen, and

wherein the extended idle screens comprise a plurality of different first extended idle screens arranged in four directions of ‘

up’

, ‘

down’

, ‘

left’ and

‘

right’

around the base idle screen, and a plurality of different second extended idle screens arranged in four directions of ‘

upper left’

, ‘

upper right’

, ‘

lower left’ and

‘

lower right’

around the base idle screen.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein at least one of the idle screens has a shortcut to a particular function.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the idle screens are switched among one another in a circular manner or a non-circular manner in response to the screen-switch events.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the extended idle screens comprise a plurality of different first extended idle screens arranged in four directions of ‘

up’

, ‘

down’

, ‘

left’ and

‘

right’

around the base idle screen, and a plurality of different second extended idle screens arranged in four directions of ‘

upper left’

, ‘

upper right’

, ‘

lower left’ and

‘

lower right’

around the base idle screen.

4. A mobile terminal with an idle screen arrangement structure, the idle screen arrangement structure comprising:

a first idle screen arranged at a position (0,

     0);

at least two second idle screens arranged at positions (x,

     0), where x is a non-zero integer;

at least two third idle screens arranged at positions (0, y), where y is a non-zero integer; and

a pointer, wherein a border region of the display unit is pre-assigned as a screen switch region, the pointer being freely movable and displayed on the display unit, displaying during an idle state one of the first to third idle screens on the display unit, and performing a screen-switch event generated by the moving direction of a pointer into the screen-switch region, another one of the first to third idle screens different from the one idle screen and in a movement direction of the pointer is displayed instead of the one idle screen, and

wherein extended idle screens comprise a plurality of the second and third idle screens arranged in four directions of ‘

up’

, ‘

down’

, ‘

left’ and

‘

right’

around the first idle screen, and a plurality of different extended idle screens arranged in four directions of ‘

upper left’

, ‘

upper right’

, ‘

lower left’ and

‘

lower right’

around the first idle screen.

5. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a plurality of idle screens arranged at positions (x, y), where −

m<

x, y<

m and x, y, m are integers; and

a pointer, wherein a border region of the display unit is pre-assigned as a screen switch region, the pointer being freely movable and displayed on the display unit, displaying during an idle state one of the idle screens on the display unit, and performing a screen-switch event generated by a moving direction of the pointer into the screen-switch region, another one of the idle screens different from the one idle screen and in a movement direction of the pointer is displayed instead of the one idle screen, and

wherein the plurality of idle screens comprise a base idle screen, a plurality of different first extended idle screens arranged in four directions of ‘

up’

, ‘

down’

, ‘

left’ and

‘

right’

around the base idle screen, and a plurality of different second extended idle screens arranged in four directions of ‘

upper left’

, ‘

upper right’

, ‘

lower left’ and

‘

lower right’

around the base idle screen.

6. An idle screen display method for a mobile terminal having a display unit, using an idle screen arrangement structure having a base idle screen, and a plurality of different extended idle screens arranged around the base idle screen, the method comprising:

displaying, during an idle state, a first idle screen of the base idle screen and extended idle screens on the display unit, and pre-assigning a border region of the display unit as a screen-switch region;

checking whether a pointer is moved into the screen-switch region on the display unit; and

if the pointer is moved into the screen-switch region, switching in a moving direction of the pointer the first idle screen to a second idle screen of the base idle screen and extended idle screens different from the first idle screen, generated by the moving direction of the pointer,

wherein the extended idle screens comprise a plurality of different first extended idle screens arranged in four directions of ‘

up’

, ‘

down’

, ‘

left’ and

‘

right’

around the base idle screen, and a plurality of different second extended idle screens arranged in four directions of ‘

upper left’

, ‘

upper right’

, ‘

lower left’ and

‘

lower right’

around the base idle screen.

7. The idle screen display method of claim 6, further comprising checking whether the pointer remains in the screen-switch region for a preset time duration, and wherein if the pointer has remained in the screen-switch region for the preset time duration, the first idle screen is switched to the second idle screen.

8. The idle screen display method of claim 6, further comprising after the pointer movement into the screen-switch region, checking whether an idle screen is arranged in a direction of the movement of the pointer, and wherein if an idle screen is arranged in the direction of the movement of the pointer, the first idle screen is switched to the idle screen in the direction.

9. The idle screen display method of claim 6, further comprising:

after idle-screen switching, checking whether the second idle screen has a shortcut to a function; and

if the second idle screen has a shortcut to a function, performing the function.

10. The idle screen display method of claim 6, wherein the idle screens are switched among one another in a circular manner.

11. The idle screen display method of claim 6, wherein the idle screens are switched among one another in a non-circular manner.

12. An idle screen display method for a mobile terminal having a display unit, using an idle screen arrangement structure having a base idle screen, and a plurality of different extended idle screens arranged in four directions of ‘

up’

, ‘

down’

, ‘

left’ and

‘

right’

around the base idle screen, the method comprising;

displaying a first idle screen of the base idle screen and extended idle screens on the display unit;

displaying an on-screen direction indicator on the display unit indicating each direction in which idle screens are arranged according to the idle screen arrangement structure;

and

when a direction selection is received, switching the first idle screen to a second idle screen of the base idle screen and extended idle screens different from the first idle screen, wherein the second idle screen is arranged in the selected direction,

wherein the extended idle screens comprise a plurality of different first extended idle screens arranged in four directions of ‘

up’

, ‘

down’

, ‘

left’ and

‘

right’

around the base idle screen, and a plurality of different second extended idle screens arranged in four directions of ‘

upper left’

, ‘

upper right’

, ‘

lower left’ and

‘

lower right’

around the base idle screen.

13. The idle screen display method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a direction selection of the on-screen direction indicator; and

displaying a description of a particular function to which an idle screen arranged in the selected direction indicated by the on-screen direction indicator has a shortcut.

14. The idle screen display method of claim 13, wherein displaying the description comprises:

in response to an input of a screen-switch event, displaying a description of a particular function to which each of the idle screens arranged in four directions around the on-screen direction indicator has a shortcut.

15. An idle screen display method for a mobile terminal having a display unit, using an idle screen arrangement structure having a first idle screen, and a plurality of different second idle screens, the method comprising:

displaying, during an idle state, an N-th idle screen of the first idle screen and second idle screens on the display unit;

performing a first function associated with the N-th idle screen;

displaying an M-th idle screen of the first idle screen and second idle screens different from the N-th idle screen on the display unit, generated by a moving direction of a control key during performance of the first function associated with the N-th idle screen; and

if the first function associated with the N-th idle screen is executable without user intervention, placing the first function in the background, and performing a first function associated with the M-th idle screen,

wherein the plurality of different second idle screens comprise a plurality of different first extended idle screens arranged in four directions of ‘

up’

, ‘

down’

, ‘

left’ and

‘

right’

around the first idle screen, and a plurality of different second extended idle screens arranged in four directions of ‘

upper left’

, ‘

upper right’

, ‘

lower left’ and

‘

lower right’

around the first idle screen.

16. The idle screen display method of claim 15, further comprising in response to an input of a key other than a direction control key during performance of the first function associated with the N-th idle screen, performing a second function associated with the N-th idle screen.

17. The idle screen display method of claim 15, further comprising if a top-priority event is detected during execution of a function associated with the N-th or M-th idle screen and the function in execution is executable without user intervention, placing the function in execution in the background, and performing another function related to the top-priority event.

18. The idle screen display method of claim 17, wherein the top-priority event is one of an incoming call, an incoming message, and an alarm.