Display device having two touch screens and a method of controlling the same

• US 8,854,315 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2009
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Dohui
• Primary Examiner(s): Beck, Alexander S
• Assistant Examiner(s): HERMANN, KIRK W
• Application Number:
  US12/604,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20100295802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,810 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 1/1643 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 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A mobile terminal may include a first touch screen to display a first object, a second touch screen, and a controller to control the first and second touch screens. The mobile terminal may receive a first touch to the first object, and may receive a second touch to a position on the second touch screen while the first touch is held to the first object. The mobile terminal may further display content or information based on the first object on the second touch screen in response to receiving the second touch. Other embodiments may also be provided.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a first touch screen module providing a first touch screen to display a first object;

a second touch screen module providing a second touch screen to display a second object, wherein the second touch screen module is physically separated from the first touch screen module; and

a controller configured to;

control the first and second touch screens,

receive a first touch to the first object on the first touch screen,

receive a second touch to the second object after receiving the first touch, without dragging the first object to a position on the second touch screen, wherein the first touch to the first object is maintained during a time when the second touch to the second object on the second touch screen is received, wherein the first touch and the second touch is a sequential touch on a separated touch screen module respectively,

execute a function corresponding to the second object by associating the first object to the function corresponding to the second object when the second touch is applied to the second object displayed on the second touch screen while the first touch is maintained to the first object displayed on the first touch screen, and

display an execute screen of the function on the second touch screen, wherein the first object used in the executing of the function is displayed in the first touch screen during the executing of the function.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein the content of the first object is displayed on the second touch screen such that the content is included in the second object based on functionality of the second object.

3. The display device of claim 1, wherein the display device is provided on a mobile terminal, the first touch screen is included in a first body of the mobile terminal and the second touch screen is included in a second body of the mobile terminal, and the mobile terminal comprises a hinge such that the first body is foldable relative to the second body.

4. The display device of claim 3, wherein when the first body and the second body are in a closed status, the first touch screen faces in an opposite direction from the second touch screen and in a fully open status, the first touch screen and the second touch screen face in substantially a same direction.

5. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first object corresponds to an icon and a file including one of a text, a still image or a moving image, and the second object corresponds to one of a background picture, an icon and a specific application.

6. The display device of claim 5, wherein the specific application includes one of an application for managing files, an application for managing messages or e-mail, an application for audio telephony or video telephony and an application for outputting multimedia contents.

7. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first object is transferred to the second touch screen and displays the first object on the second touch screen.

8. The display device of claim 7, wherein the controller to visually provide the transfer of the first object to the second touch screen.

9. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first touch screen is provided on a first touch panel and the second touch screen is provided on a second touch panel, the first and second touch panel being movable relative to each other.

11. The display device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to display the content of the first object on a specific area of the second touch screen, wherein the specific area is an area predetermined for providing a function corresponding to the second object.

12. The display device of claim 1, wherein a second object is provided at the destination position on the second touch screen, and the controller links the first object to a function corresponding to the second object when the second touch is applied to the second object displayed on the second touch screen while the first touch is maintained to the first object.

13. The display device of claim 1, wherein the controller associates the first object to the function corresponding to the second object includes one of:

moving the first object to a position corresponding to the second object;

activating the first object in an application corresponding to the second object;

or

attaching the first object to the second object.

15. The display device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to move or copy the first object from the first touch screen to a destination position on the second touch screen without dragging the first object to the destination position on the second touch screen.

10. A method of controlling a first touch screen and a second touch screen, the method comprising:

displaying a first object on the first touch screen provided in a first touch screen module;

displaying a second object on the second touch screen provided in a second touch screen module, wherein the second touch screen module is a different module from the first touch screen module;

receiving a first touch to the first object on the first touch screen;

receiving a second touch on the second object after receiving the first touch, wherein the first touch is maintained to the first object during a time when the second touch to a position on the second touch screen is received, wherein the first touch and the second touch is a sequential touch on a separated touch screen module respectively, and

executing a function corresponding to the second object by linking the first object to the function corresponding to the second object when the second touch is applied to the second object displayed on the second touch screen without dragging the first object to the second object on the second touch screen while the fust touch is maintained to the first object displayed on the first touch screen; and

displaying an execute screen of the function on the second touch screen, wherein the first object used in the executing of the function is displayed in the first touch screen during the executing of the function.

14. The display device of claim 10, wherein linking the first object to the function corresponding to the second object includes one of:

moving the first object to a position corresponding to the second object;

activating the first object in an application corresponding to the second object;

or

attaching the first object to the second object.