Method of controlling instant message and mobile terminal using the same

• US 8,750,939 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2009
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Jiyoun, Kim, Kyunglack, Chung, Jinwoo, Song, Chiwon
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sabouri, Mazda
• Application Number:
  US12/368,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20100099445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,947 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/566, 455/575.3
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for controlling instant messages. This may include a mobile terminal receiving a message, and searching a telephone directory stored in memory of the mobile terminal for sender information of the received message and determining the received message as an instant message according to a result of the search, and displaying text contents of the instant message on an idle screen of the mobile terminal for a specific duration of time that is controllable by a user.

Claims

1. A method of controlling instant messages, the method comprising:

receiving a first message at a mobile terminal, wherein the mobile terminal is a folder-type body that includes an external display module located on an outer surface of the body and an internal display module located on an inner surface of the body, the folder-type body being capable of changing between an open state and a closed state;

searching a telephone directory for determining a first instant sender group of the received first message, wherein the first instant message corresponds to a first instant sender group designated within the telephone directory that is stored in memory of the mobile terminal, wherein the memory stores information to associate one of the external display module and the internal display module with the first instant sender group, and to associate the other one of the external display module and the internal display module with the second instant sender group;

determining one of the external display module and the internal display module to display the received first message based on the stored information corresponding to the first instant sender group;

displaying the first instant message only on the determined one of the external display module and the internal display module for a first duration of time that is determined by the mobile terminal, in a first display form preset by the mobile terminal;

receiving a second instant message while displaying the first instant message, wherein the second instant message corresponds to a second instant sender group designated within the telephone directory;

determining the other one of the external display module and the internal display module to display the received second message based on the stored information corresponding to the second instant sender group;

displaying the second instant message only on the determined other one of the external display module and the internal display module in a second display form preset by the mobile terminal, when the first instant message and the second instant message belong to different sender groups; and

removing the displayed first instant message when the first duration of the displayed first instant message has elapsed,

wherein the first and the second display form comprises at least one of a color of background displaying message, a font of text and a color of text.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a control code based on the received first and second instant message.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein displaying the first instant message includes determining a display position of the first and second instant message based on the determined control code, and displaying text contents of the first instant message at the determined display position.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the first duration of time to display the first instant message.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising designating a display position in which to display the first and second instant message.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising designating a display form for the first and second instant message.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein designating the display form includes designating at least one of a background color, a degree of background transparency, and a text motion of the instant message.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the previously-stored settings are set by a user.

8. A mobile terminal comprising:

a folder-type body that includes an external display module located on an outer body surface and an internal display module located on an inner body surface, wherein a state of the folder-type body is one of an open state or a closed state;

a wireless communication unit to receive messages;

a memory to store a telephone directory and information about at least one instant message sender group, wherein the memory to store information to associate one of the external display module and the internal display module with a first instant message sender group, and to associate the other one of the external display module and the internal display module with a second instant message sender group;

a controller configured to search the telephone directory for determining a first instant message sender group of a received first instant message, and the controller configured to determine first one of the external display module and the internal display module based on the stored information corresponding to the first instant message sender group, and to display the first instant message only on the determined one of the external display module and the internal display module for a first duration of time that is controllable by the mobile terminal, in a first display form preset by the mobile terminal, and the controller to search the telephone directory for determining a second instant message sender group of a second instant message while displaying the first instant message and to determine the other one of the external display module and the internal display module based on the stored information corresponding to the second instant message sender group and to display the second instant message only on the determined other one of the external display module and the internal display module in a second display form preset by the mobile terminal, wherein the second instant message corresponds to the second instant message sender group designated within the telephone directory; and

a display module, under control of the controller, to display the first instant message for the first duration of time and to remove the first instant message when the first duration of time has lapsed,

wherein the first display form comprises at least one of a color of background displaying message, a font of text and a color of text.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the controller to determine a control code based on the received first and second instant message.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the controller determines a display position of the first and second instant message on the screen based on the determined control code, and the controller displays the text contents of the first instant message at the determined display position.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 8, further comprising a user input unit to input the first duration of time to display the first instant message.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 8, further comprising a user input unit to input a display position in which to display the first and second instant message.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 8, further comprising a user input unit to input a display form of the first and second instant message.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the controller controls at least one of a background color, a degree of background transparency, and a text motion of the displayed first and second instant message, based on a user'"'"'s input to the user input unit.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein a display position and color of the displayed first instant message is different from a display position and color of the displayed second instant message.

16. A mobile terminal comprising:

a folder-type body that includes an external display module located on an outer surface of the folder-type body and an internal display module located on an inner surface of the folder-type body, the folder-type body to switch between an open state and a closed state;

a wireless communication unit to receive messages;

a memory to store a telephone directory and information about a first instant message sender group and a second instant message sender group, wherein the memory to store information to associate one of the external display module and the internal display module with a first instant message sender group, and to associate the other one of the external display module and the internal display module with the second instant message sender group;

a controller configured to search the telephone directory for determining a first instant sender group of a received first message, and the controller configured to determine one of the external display module and the internal display module based on the stored information corresponding to the first instant message sender group, and to display text contents of the first instant message only on the determined one of the external display module and the internal display module for a first duration of time, in a first display form preset by the mobile terminal, and the controller to search the telephone directory for determining a second instant message sender group of a received second message and to determine the received second message as a second instant message based on a result of the search while displaying the first instant message, and the controller configured to determine the other one of the external display module and the internal display module based on the stored information corresponding to the second instant message sender group and to display text contents of the second instant message only on the determined other one of the external display module and the internal display module in a second display form preset by the mobile terminal, wherein the second instant message corresponds to the second instant message sender group designated within the telephone directory, and the controller to control the display of the text contents of the second instant message while displaying the first instant message; and

a display module, under control of the controller, to simultaneously display the first instant message and the second instant message for the first duration of time and to remove the first instant message when the first duration of time has ended,

wherein the first display form comprises at least one of a color of background displaying message, a font of text and a color of text.