Mobile terminal and controlling method thereof

• US 8,881,062 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2012
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Moonkyung, Ham, Jihye, Jang, Harim, Park, Minsoo, Kim, Hyoungmi
• Primary Examiner(s): PHANTANA ANGKOOL, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US13/542,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20130139109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 715/835, 715/863, 715/864, 715/817
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A mobile terminal including a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one other terminal; a display unit including a touchscreen; a memory configured to store a specific application, an application icon for executing the specific application, and a first widget application displaying a partial executed function of the specific application; and a controller configured to when receiving a first touch gesture on the application icon, execute the specific application, and when receiving a second touch gesture on the application icon that is different than the first touch gesture, control the display unit to display the first widget application on the touchscreen.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one other terminal;

a touchscreen;

a memory configured to store a specific application, an application icon related to the specific application, and a first widget related to the specific application; and

a controller configured to;

control the touchscreen to display the application icon, wherein the specific application can be executed in response to a first touch gesture on the application icon;

control the touchscreen to display a widget indicator in response to a second touch gesture on the application icon, the widget indicator indicating the displayed application icon can be changed into the first widget on the touchscreen; and

when receiving a third touch gesture with respect to the widget indicator, change the displayed application icon into the first widget having a first size on the touchscreen such that the application icon is visually transformed into the first widget having the first size,

wherein the first widget displays first information thereon, the first information being a part of second information displayed according to the executed specific application.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein when receiving the third touch gesture on the widget indicator, the controller is further configured to control the touchscreen to alternately display the application icon and the first widget.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein when the third touch gesture or a fourth touch gesture is performed on the first widget, the controller is further configured to control the touchscreen to visually restore the application icon from the first widget.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the memory to store at least a second widget.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein when the third touch gesture or a fourth touch gesture is performed on the first widget, the controller is further configured to control the touchscreen to visually change the first widget into the second widget having a second size.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein when the third touch gesture or the fourth touch gesture is performed on the second widget, the controller is further configured to control the touchscreen to visually change the second widget into the first widget.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein when the third touch gesture or the fourth touch gesture is performed on the second widget, the controller is further configured to control the touchscreen to change the second widget into the application icon.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein when either the third touch gesture or the fourth touch gesture is performed on the changed application icon, the controller is further configured to control the touchscreen to change the application icon into the second widget, and to maintain a size of the second widget before the second widget was changed into the application icon.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein when the third touch gesture or a fourth touch gesture is performed on the first widget, the controller is further configured to control the touchscreen to change the first widget into the application icon.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein when the third touch gesture is performed on the widget indicator, the controller is further configured to control the touchscreen to display the newly created second widget and to change the application icon into the first widget.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein when either the third touch gesture or a fourth touch gesture is performed on the first widget, the controller is further configured to control the touchscreen to stop displaying the second widget and to change the first widget into the application icon or to not change the second widget and to change the first widget into the application icon.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein when either the third touch gesture or the fourth touch gesture is performed on the not changed second widget, the controller is further configured to control the touchscreen to stop displaying the second widget.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein when either the third touch gesture or a fourth touch gesture is performed on the second widget, the controller is further configured to control the touchscreen to stop displaying the second widget and to change the first widget into the application icon or to stop displaying the first widget and to change the second widget into the application icon.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to change one of the first widget and the second widget according to a drag distance of the third touch gesture.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the first touch gesture comprises a simple touch gesture for the application icon and the third touch gesture comprises an outward direction drag touch gesture for the application icon.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the touchscreen to display the widget indicator as being overlapped on the application icon or near the application icon.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 16, wherein the widget indicator is displayed at a lower right corner of the application icon.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the first widget displays the first information according to a partial executed function related to the specific application.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to rearrange other display objects displayed on the touchscreen when the displayed application icon is changed into the first widget.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the third touch gesture is a touch drag starting from the widget indicator.

21. A method of controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

storing, via a memory associated with the mobile terminal, a specific application, an application icon related to the specific application, and a first widget related to the specific application;

displaying, via a touchscreen of the mobile terminal, the application icon, wherein the specific application can be executed in response to a first touch gesture on the application icon;

displaying a widget indicator in response to a second touch gesture on the application icon, the widget indicator indicating the displayed application icon can be changed into the first widget; and

when receiving, via the touchscreen, a third touch gesture on the widget indicator, changing the displayed application icon into the first widget having a first size such that the application icon is visually transformed into the first widget having the first size,

wherein the first widget displays first information thereon, the first information being a part of second information displayed according to the executed specific application.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

when receiving the third touch gesture on the widget indicator, alternately displaying the application icon and the first widget on the touchscreen.