Displaying home screen profiles on a mobile terminal

• US 8,914,732 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2010
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jun, Sung Bae, Park, In Hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdul-Ali, Omar
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUONG H
• Application Number:
  US12/692,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20110185283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,789 Days
• Field of Search: 715/745, 715/747, 715/764, 715/778, 715/779, 715810-813
• US Class Current: 715/745
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location

Abstract

A mobile terminal and a method of controlling the mobile terminal are provided. According to the mobile terminal and the method of controlling the mobile terminal, it is possible to automatically change widgets on a home screen in accordance with a user-defined time or location condition. Therefore, it is possible for a user to manually delete or add a widget to or from the home screen.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a mobile terminal having a display, the method comprising:

storing, in non-volatile memory of the mobile terminal, a plurality of home screen profiles set in advance by a user, wherein each profile of the plurality of home screen profiles identify a respective plurality of widgets and comprise widget information that correspond with the plurality of widgets of the profile, wherein the plurality of widgets, for each of the plurality of home screen profiles, are among a widget group comprising a plurality of different types of widgets, and wherein each profile of the plurality of home screen profiles comprises different groupings of the widgets of the widget group, and wherein the widget information specifies display attributes of the corresponding plurality of widgets;

determining that a specific profile of the plurality of home screen profiles matches a pre-defined condition, wherein the determining occurs after the storing of the plurality of home screen profiles;

displaying on the display a first home screen comprising the corresponding widgets of the specific profile of the plurality of home screen profiles based on the corresponding widget information if the specific profile of the plurality of home screen profiles matches the pre-defined condition; and

displaying on the display a second home screen corresponding to a default home screen profile if all of the plurality of home screen profiles mismatch the pre-defined condition,

wherein the first home screen comprises a widget selection area and a home screen profile area, the widget selection area comprising a plurality of widgets that can be registered in the home screen profile area according to a drag and drop input, and the home screen profile area comprising at least one widget that is registered in the specific home screen profile and is suitable for the pre-defined condition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-defined condition comprises at least a time condition, a location condition or a weather condition.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining that the specific profile of the plurality of home screen profiles matches the pre-defined condition comprises comparing the location condition to location information of the mobile terminal acquired from a global positioning system (GPS) or a base station.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the display attributes comprise at least a display position, transparency information, a display type or size of each of the plurality of corresponding widgets.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the display type comprises an icon.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the display type comprises a minimized window that can be displayed on a certain portion of the display to provide real-time information received from a base station.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein all of the plurality of widgets of each profile of the plurality of home screen profiles are different from the plurality of widgets of other profiles of the plurality of home screen profiles.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein only some of the plurality of widgets of each profile of the plurality of home screen profiles are different from the plurality of widgets of other profiles of the plurality of home screen profiles.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying some of the widgets of the specific profile as icons which are associated with an application that is executable by the mobile terminal; and

displaying one or more of the widgets of the specific profile as an executing application.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of widgets included in the widget selection area are displayed on a specific portion of the display as an icon, and

wherein the at least one widget included in the home screen profile area is displayed on a specific portion of the display as a minimized application window for providing real-time information.

7. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display configured to display information and to receive touch input;

non-volatile memory;

a controller configured to;

store in the non-volatile memory a plurality of home screen profiles set in advance by a user, wherein each profile of the plurality of home screen profiles identify a respective plurality of widgets and comprise widget information that correspond with the plurality of widgets of the profile, wherein the plurality of widgets, for each of the plurality of home screen profiles, are among a widget group comprising a plurality of different types of widgets, and wherein each profile of the plurality of home screen profiles comprises different groupings of the widgets of the widget group, and wherein the widget information specifies display attributes of the corresponding plurality of widgets;

determine that a specific profile of the plurality of home screen profiles matches a pre-defined condition, wherein the specific profile is determined after the storing of the plurality of home screen profiles;

cause displaying on the display a first home screen comprising the corresponding widgets of the specific profile of the plurality of home screen profiles based on the corresponding widget information if the specific profile of the plurality of home screen profiles matches the pre-defined condition; and

cause displaying on the display a second home screen corresponding to a default home screen profile if all of the plurality of home screen profiles mismatch the pre-defined condition,

wherein the first home screen comprises a widget selection area and a home screen profile area, the widget selection area comprising a plurality of widgets that can be registered in the home screen profile area according to a drag and drop input, and the home screen profile area comprising at least one widget that is registered in the specific home screen profile and is suitable for the pre-defined condition.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the pre-defined condition comprises at least a time condition, a location condition or a weather condition.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to determine that the specific profile of the plurality of home screen profiles matches the pre-defined condition by:

acquiring location information of the mobile terminal from a global positioning system (GPS) or a base station; and

comparing the location information to the location condition.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the display attributes comprise at least a display position, transparency information, a display type or size of each of the plurality of corresponding widgets.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the display type comprises an icon.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the display type comprises a minimized window that can be displayed on a certain portion of the display to provide real-time information received from a base station.

25. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to:

control the display to display the plurality of widgets included in the widget selection area on a specific portion of the display as an icon, and

control the display to display the at least one widget included in the home screen profile area on a specific portion of the display unit as a minimized application window for providing real-time information.

13. A method of controlling a mobile terminal having a display, the method comprising:

storing, in non-volatile memory of the mobile terminal, a plurality of home screen profiles set in advance by a user, wherein each profile of the plurality of home screen profiles identify a respective plurality of widgets and comprise widget information that correspond with the plurality of widgets of the profile, wherein the plurality of widgets, for each of the plurality of home screen profiles, are among a widget group comprising a plurality of different types of widgets, and wherein each profile of the plurality of home screen profiles comprises different groupings of the widgets of the widget group, and wherein the widget information specifies display attributes of the corresponding plurality of widgets;

displaying on a specific portion of the display a profile selection menu for selecting one of the plurality of home screen profiles;

selecting a specific profile of the plurality of home screen profiles in response to a touch input received via the displayed profile selection menu, wherein the selecting occurs after the storing of the plurality of home screen profiles; and

displaying on the display a home screen comprising the corresponding widgets of the selected profile of the plurality of home screen profiles based on the corresponding widget information

wherein the home screen comprises a widget selection area and a home screen profile area, the widget selection area comprising a plurality of widgets that can be registered in the home screen profile area according to a drag and drop input, and the home screen profile area comprising at least one widget that is registered in the selected home screen profile.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the display attributes comprise at least a display position, transparency information, a display type or size of each of the plurality of corresponding widgets.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of widgets included in the widget selection area are displayed on a specific portion of the display as an icon.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one widget included in the home screen profile area is displayed on a specific portion of the display as a minimized application window for providing real-time information.

17. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display configured to display information and to receive touch input;

non-volatile memory;

a controller configured to;

store in the non-volatile memory a plurality of home screen profiles set in advance by a user, wherein each profile of the plurality of home screen profiles identify a respective plurality of widgets and comprise widget information that correspond with the plurality of widgets of the profile, wherein the plurality of widgets, for each of the plurality of home screen profiles, are among a widget group comprising a plurality of different types of widgets, and wherein each profile of the plurality of home screen profiles comprises different groupings of the widgets of the widget group, and wherein the widget information specifies display attributes of the corresponding plurality of widgets;

display on a specific portion of the display a profile selection menu for selecting one of the plurality of home screen profiles;

select a specific profile of the plurality of home screen profiles in response to a touch input received via the displayed profile selection menu, wherein the selecting occurs after the storing of the plurality of home screen profiles; and

cause displaying on the display a home screen comprising the corresponding widgets of the selected profile of the plurality of home screen profiles based on the corresponding widget information,

wherein the home screen comprises a widget selection area and a home screen profile area, the widget selection area comprising a plurality of widgets that can be registered in the home screen profile area according to a drag and drop input, and the home screen profile area comprising at least one widget that is registered in the selected home screen profile.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein the display attributes comprise at least a display position, transparency information, a display type or size of each of the plurality of corresponding widgets.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein the controller is further configured to control the display to display the at least one widget included in the home screen profile area on a specific portion of the display as an icon.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein the controller is further configured to control the display to display the at least one widget included in the home screen profile area on a specific portion of the display unit as a minimized application window for providing real-time information.