Mobile communication terminal and method for controlling a background task

• US 8,856,680 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2007
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jung, Jaehee
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdul-Ali, Omar
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANK, ANDREW L
• Application Number:
  US11/782,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20080022279A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,632 Days
• Field of Search: 715/864, 715790-797, 715/808, 715/811, 715716-726, 715/766, 715/768
• US Class Current: 715/794
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations

Abstract

A mobile communication terminal and a method for controlling a background task is disclosed that can increase user convenience by controlling the background task simply. The method includes running foreground and background tasks simultaneously by a multitasking operation; inputting a selection key to directly call a task setting window for setting a specific operation of the background task; displaying the task setting window on a foreground screen that corresponds to the selection key that was input; and setting the specific operation using displayed task setting window.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a background task in a mobile communication terminal, the method comprising:

performing a foreground task and the background task in a multitasking environment;

displaying a foreground graphical user interface (GUI) that corresponds to the foreground task in a display area of a display of the mobile communication terminal, wherein the foreground GUI is displayed without displaying a background GUI corresponding to the background task;

receiving input of a preset physical button, while displaying the foreground GUI, wherein the received input of the preset physical button displays a background control skin;

displaying the background control skin on a portion of the display area of the foreground GUI, wherein the background control skin includes at least one control key assigned to control at least one operation of the background task;

receiving input for selecting the at least one control key to control the at least one operation of the background task, while maintaining the displaying of the background control skin;

executing the at least one operation of the background task according to the received input for selecting the at least one control key, while maintaining the displaying of the background control skin;

receiving input from the preset physical button, wherein the received input from the preset physical button terminates the displaying of the background control skin; and

displaying the foreground GUI without displaying the background control skin, while performing the background task, in response to the received input from the preset physical button;

wherein the background control skin is a GUI different from the background GUI.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the background task is background music (BGM) and checking short message service (SMS) messages, multimedia messaging service (MMS) messages, or E-mail messages.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the foreground task is at least an image viewer, short message service (SMS) messages, multimedia messaging service (MMS) messages, E-mail messages, a wireless application protocol (WAP) browser, a personal information management system (PIMS), a game program, a wireless Internet connection program, or a camera photographing program.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing the background control skin from the foreground GUI, upon completion of executing the at least one operation of the background task, when a second input of the preset physical button is received.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving input of the preset physical button further includes receiving input of at least two buttons at the same time.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein one of the at least two buttons is a function key button and one of the at least two buttons is a special key button.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the function key button comprises a side button key.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving input of the preset physical button further includes receiving input of a specific single button.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving input of the preset physical button further includes receiving input of a hot key for more than a predetermined time.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the background control skin further includes displaying a semi-transparent window on the foreground GUI.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the background control skin further includes displaying a popup window on the foreground GUI.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the background control skin is displayed as a popup window;

the background GUI includes a plurality of functions related to the background task; and

the background control skin includes only a portion of the plurality of functions related to the background task.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein another function different from the function of displaying the background control skin is assigned to the preset physical button.

14. A method for controlling music background music in a mobile communication terminal, the method comprising:

performing a first application and a second application in a multitasking environment, wherein the second application relates to music;

displaying a first graphical user interface (GUI) that corresponds to the first application within an entire portion of a display area of a display of the mobile communication terminal, wherein no displayed interface of the first GUI permits displaying of a control skin that relates to the music of the second application;

displaying the control skin on the display in response to a specific input, wherein the specific input is directly associated with the control skin, wherein the control skin is displayed at only a partial portion of the display area at which the first GUI is displayed to permit displaying of only a partial portion of the first GUI to occur simultaneously with the displaying of the control skin, wherein the control skin comprises a plurality of items individually associated with a function for providing the music of the second application;

causing music output according to a function associated with an item selected via the displayed control skin, wherein the causing of the music output occurs while maintaining the displaying of the control skin;

displaying the first GUI at the entire portion of the display area, and terminating the displaying of the control skin, in response to a further input; and

continuing the causing of the music output while displaying the first GUI at the entire portion of the display area.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first application is at least an image viewer, short message service (SMS) messages, multimedia messaging service (MMS) messages, E-mail messages, a wireless application protocol (WAP) browser, a personal information management system (PIMS), a game program, a wireless internet connection program or a camera photographing program.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the displaying the control skin further includes displaying a semi-transparent window on the first GUI.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the displaying the control skin further includes displaying a popup window on the first GUI.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of items of the control skin include a Pause function, a Fast Forward (FF) function, a Rewind (REW) function, and a Volume function.

19. A mobile communication terminal configured to control a background task, the terminal comprising:

a display configured to display information;

an input device configured to receive input of via a preset physical button for displaying a background control skin; and

a controller configured to;

perform the background task in a multitasking environment in which a foreground task is performed;

cause the display to display a foreground graphical user interface (GUI) corresponding to the foreground task without displaying a background (GUI) corresponding to the background task;

cause the display to display the background control skin on a portion of the foreground GUI, when input of the preset physical button is received while the foreground GUI is displayed, wherein the background control skin includes at least one control key assigned to control at least one operation of the background task;

execute the at least one operation of the background task when input for selecting the at least one control key is received while the displayed background control skin is maintained; and

cause the display to display the foreground GUI without displaying the background control skin while the background task is performed, when input of the preset physical button is received;

wherein the background control skin is a GUI being different from the background GUI.

20. The mobile communication terminal of claim 19, wherein the background task is background music (BGM) and checking short message service (SMS) messages, multimedia messaging service (MMS) messages or E-mail messages.

21. The mobile communication terminal of claim 19, wherein the foreground task is an image viewer, short message service (SMS) messages, multimedia messaging service (MMS) messages, E-mail messages, a wireless application protocol (WAP) browser, a personal information management system (PIMS), a game program, a wireless Internet connection program or a camera photographing program.

22. The mobile communication terminal of claim 19, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display to remove the background control skin from the foreground GUI, upon completion the execution of the at least one operation of the background task, when a second input of the preset physical button is received.

23. The mobile communication terminal of claim 19, wherein the input device is further configured to recognize input of the preset physical button upon at least two buttons of the input device being pressed at the same time.

24. The mobile communication terminal of claim 23, wherein one of the at least two buttons is a function key button and one of the at least two buttons is a special key button.

25. The mobile communication terminal of claim 24, wherein the function button comprises a side button key.

26. The mobile communication terminal of claim 19, wherein the input device is further configured to recognize the input of the preset physical button, when a hot key of the input device is pressed for more than a predetermined time.

27. The mobile communication terminal of claim 19, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display to display the background control skin as a semi-transparent window on the foreground.

28. The mobile communication terminal of claim 19, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display to display the background control skin as a popup window on the foreground GUI.

29. The mobile communication terminal of claim 19, wherein:

the background control skin is displayed on the display as a popup window;

the background GUI includes a plurality of functions related to the background task;

the background control skin includes only a portion of the plurality of functions related to the background task; and

a graphical configuration of the background control skin is different from a graphical configuration of the foreground GUI.

30. The mobile communication terminal of claim 19, wherein another function different from the function of displaying the background control skin is assigned to the preset physical button.