Mobile terminal with touch screen

• US 9,001,046 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2007
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Tae Hun
• Primary Examiner(s): Horner, Jonathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tung, David
• Application Number:
  US11/746,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20080174561A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,890 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A mobile terminal having a touch screen is disclosed. The terminal includes a touch input unit and a control unit. The touch input unit provides a touch input area for inputting data information, a display area for displaying the input data information and a control region for inputting control commands, wherein the touch input area overlaps with the display area and/or the control region. The control unit controls the input and display of the information through the touch input and display area according to the control commands input through the control region.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a display in a mobile terminal, the mobile terminal comprising a touch screen having a display area including an input area and a control area that are separated from each other, the method comprising:

displaying at least one application icon on the display area, the at least one application icon including a cursive script application icon for enabling input of cursive script;

receiving a selection of one application icon of the at least one displayed application icon;

entering an information input mode based on the selection of the one application icon, wherein an initial screen of the information input mode includes an information input window for displaying information input via the input area and an instruction prompt sign displayed in the information input window, the instruction prompt sign indicating that the information input window is to be touched to activate the information input mode, and wherein the instruction prompt sign is displayed in a form of a blink, a color, a text or an icon;

displaying a first error sign on the display area to indicate that the information input mode cannot be activated when a region on the touch screen other than the information input window is touched, wherein information received via the input area when the information input mode is not activated is not processed;

activating the information input mode when the information input window including the instruction prompt sign is touched such that information received via the input area can be processed;

receiving first information input via the input area while the information input mode is activated, wherein receiving the first information comprises;

inserting a cursor at a touched point of the input area for indicating an information input position when a duration of a touch to the touched point is shorter than a threshold time period; and

determining the touched point as a handwriting input when a duration of a touch to the touched point is longer than the threshold time period;

determining that the received first information is a character via a sign/character recognition algorithm;

displaying the character corresponding to the received information in the information input window;

receiving second information input via the input area after receiving the first information;

recognizing the received second information as an image when the received second information input is not determined as a character;

displaying the image corresponding to the second information with the character corresponding to the first information in the information input window, wherein the displayed image is not a standard image provided by the mobile terminal, and the image and the character are displayed in a substantially same size;

recognizing a first touching manner in at least part of the control area as input data information during the information input mode;

displaying the recognized input data information in the display area such that the input data information is distinguished from graphic icons displayed in the control area for controlling the input data information; and

enabling the control area to be used for controlling a mobile terminal operation when no data information input is recognized for a predetermined duration,

wherein recognizing the first touching manner comprises;

recognizing the control area as an additional input area when a starting point of the first touching manner is within the input area and the first touching manner extends from the starting point out of the input area and into the control area; and

recognizing the control area as an area for controlling the mobile terminal when the starting point of the first touching manner is within the control area during the information input mode,

wherein a control function related to the graphic icons is deactivated when the control area is recognized as the additional input area, and

wherein the control function related to the graphic icons is activated when the control area is recognized as the area for controlling the mobile terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first touching manner comprises writing on the display area.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising recognizing a second touching manner in the control area of the display area as activation of a control function associated with touched graphic icons.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second touching manner comprises pressing the control area for a predetermined duration or pressing the control area multiple times.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a second error sign on the touch screen when a received touch is not recognized as the first touching manner.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a pop-up message including an instruction prompt during the information input mode, the instruction prompt providing user guidance.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one displayed application icon comprises a short message service (SMS) application, a schedule managing application, or a memo writing application.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the image in a storage unit.

9. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a touch screen having a display area including an input area and a control area; and

a control unit configured to;

control the touch screen to display at least one application icon on the display area, the at least one application icon including a cursive script application icon for enabling input of cursive script;

recognize a selection of one application icon of the at least one displayed application icon;

enter an information input mode based on the selection of the one application icon,

wherein an initial screen of the information input mode includes an information input window for displaying information input via the input area and an instruction prompt sign displayed in the information input window, the instruction prompt sign indicating that the information input window is to be touched to activate the information input mode, and wherein the instruction prompt sign is displayed in a form of a blink, a color, a text or an icon;

control the touch screen to display a first error sign on the display area to indicate that the information input mode cannot be activated when a region on the touch screen other than the information input window is touched, wherein information received via the input area when the information input mode is not activated is not processed;

activate the information input mode when the information input window including the instruction prompt sign is touched such that information received via the input area can be processed;

recognize first information input received via the input area while the information input mode is activated, wherein receiving the first information comprises;

inserting a cursor at a touched point of the input area for indicating an information input position when a duration of a touch to the touched point is shorter than a threshold time period; and

determining the touched point as a handwriting input when a duration of a touch to the touched point is longer than the threshold time period;

determine that the received first information is a character via a sign/character recognition algorithm;

control the touch screen to display the character corresponding to the received first information in the information input window;

recognize second information input via the input area after receiving the first information as an image when the recognized second information input is not determined as a character;

control the touch screen to display the image corresponding to the second information with the character corresponding to the first information in the information input window, wherein the displayed image is not a standard image provided by the mobile terminal, and the image and the character are displayed in a substantially same size;

recognize a first touching manner in at least part of the control area as input data information during the information input mode; and

control the touch screen to display the recognized input data information in the display area such that the input data information is distinguished from graphic icons displayed in the control area for controlling the input data information,

wherein the input area and the control area are separated from each other,

wherein recognizing the first touching manner comprises;

enabling the control area to control a mobile terminal operation when no input data information is recognized for a predetermined duration;

recognizing the control area as an additional input area when a starting point of the first touching manner is within the input area and the first touching manner extends from the starting point out of the input area and into the control area; and

recognizing the control area as an area for controlling the mobile terminal when the starting point of the first touching manner is within the control area during the information input mode,

wherein a control function related to the graphic icons is deactivated when the control area is recognized as the additional input area, and

wherein the control function related to the graphic icons is activated when the control area is recognized as the area for controlling the mobile terminal.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the first touching manner comprises writing on the display area.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to recognize a second touching manner in the control area during the information input mode as activation of a control function associated with a touched graphic icon.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the second touching manner comprises pressing the control area for a predetermined duration or pressing the control area multiple times.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the control unit is further configured to control the touch screen to display a second error sign when a received touch is not recognized as the first touching manner.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the control unit is further configured to control the touch screen to display a plurality of menus for setting sizes, types and colors of the displayed input data information in response to a touch input received in the control area.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the input area includes an indicator area for displaying at least an antenna reception power level, a battery capacity level or a message reception indicator.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein:

the control unit is further configured to control the touch screen to display a pop-up message including an instruction prompt during the information input mode, the instruction prompt providing user guidance.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 9, further comprising:

a storage unit configured to store information,

wherein the control unit is further configured to control the storage unit to store the image.