Mobile terminal and method for providing user interface thereof

• US 9,003,335 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2012
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Choonjae, Lee, Sangwoon, Kim, Samsick, Lee, Minjeong
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): NICHOLAS, WENDY K
• Application Number:
  US13/469,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20130058019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 715/863, 715/864, 715/835, 715/765, 715/803, 345/173
• US Class Current: 715/864
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a mobile terminal capable of displaying a plurality of objects on a wallpaper, and a method for providing a user interface thereof. The mobile terminal includes a display unit to display a plurality of objects on a wallpaper, a sensing unit to detect a touch input on the display unit, and a controller to control the plurality of objects to be invisible in response to the touch input such that portions of the wallpaper obscured by the plurality of objects are visible.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display unit configured to display at least a plurality of objects on a wallpaper, the display unit comprising a touchscreen, wherein a portion of the wallpaper is obstructed by the plurality of objects;

a sensing unit configured to detect at least a first touch input, the first touch input comprising touches on two points of the touchscreen followed by moving from the touched two points in substantially opposite directions, one of the two points corresponding to one of the plurality of objects; and

a controller configured to control the display unit to;

change transparency of the plurality of objects, except for the one of the plurality of objects, in response to the first touch input, wherein the transparency is changed during the moving;

increase the transparency of the plurality of objects, except for the one of the plurality of objects, gradually during the moving until the moving is completed on two different points of the touchscreen, wherein a distance between the two different points is greater than a distance between the two points; and

no longer display the plurality of objects, except for the one of the plurality of objects, when the moving is completed, wherein the wallpaper including the previously obstructed portion becomes visible while the one of the plurality of objects is still displayed on the wallpaper,

wherein the controller is further configured to;

perform a function associated with the one of the plurality of objects corresponding to the one of the two points in response to a touch input received only on the one of the plurality of objects;

not perform the function in response to the first touch input when the two points are touched simultaneously; and

control the display unit to restore the transparency of the plurality of objects to have original transparency when the moving from the touched two points stops while the transparency is changed before the plurality of objects, except for the one of the plurality of objects, disappear completely and the touches remain at the stopped two points for more than a reference time.

2. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the display unit to display additional information on the wallpaper when the plurality of objects, except for the one of the plurality of objects, is no longer displayed.

3. The terminal of claim 2, wherein:

the controller is further configured to control the display unit to re-display the plurality of objects, except for the one of the plurality of objects, in response to a second touch input received while the plurality of objects, except for the one of the plurality of objects is no longer displayed;

the second touch input comprises a first touch point and a second touch point being moved towards each other; and

the second touch input is detected after the first touch input is detected.

4. The terminal of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to control the display unit to display a changed wallpaper and changed additional information corresponding to the changed wallpaper when a second touch input is detected while the plurality of objects, except for the one of the plurality of objects, is no longer displayed.

5. The terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the wallpaper is divided into a first area and a second area; and

the controller is further configured to control the display unit to;

no longer display the plurality of objects, except for the one of the plurality of objects, when the first touch input is detected on the first area of the wallpaper; and

display content stored in a memory when the first touch input is detected on the second area of the wallpaper.

6. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the display unit to display additional information on the wallpaper when a second touch input is detected while the plurality of objects, except for the one of the plurality of objects, is no longer displayed.

7. The terminal of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to control the display unit to display content sharing tag information related to content used as the wallpaper.

8. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the display unit to display a shortcut button used to set the wallpaper when the plurality of objects, except for the one of the plurality of objects, is no longer displayed.

9. The terminal of claim 8, wherein:

the shortcut button is used to execute a setting mode; and

the controller is further configured to control the display unit to display content candidates that can be used as the wallpaper when the setting mode is executed using the shortcut button.

10. The terminal of claim 8, wherein:

the shortcut button is used to execute a setting mode; and

the controller is further configured to control the display unit to display a tool menu for editing the wallpaper when the setting mode is executed using the shortcut button.

11. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to execute an application for managing content used as the wallpaper when the plurality of objects, except for the one of the plurality of objects, is no longer displayed.

12. The terminal of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to activate a voice recognition sensor and a face recognition sensor when the executed application comprises a voice recognition function and a face recognition function.

13. The terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the controller is further configured to update content displayed on the display unit as the wallpaper when the plurality of objects, except for the one of the plurality of objects, is no longer displayed; and

the update is based on current time information and current position information.

14. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

control the display unit to display the wallpaper in a power saving mode; and

control the display unit to no longer display the wallpaper in the power saving mode when the first touch input is detected while the wallpaper is displayed.

15. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the display unit to display at least an animation effect, a sound effect or a three-dimensional effect for content used as the wallpaper when the plurality of objects, except for the one of the plurality of objects, is no longer displayed.

16. A method for providing a user interface in a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

displaying, on a display unit comprising a touchscreen, at least a plurality of objects on a wallpaper, wherein a portion of the wallpaper is obstructed by the plurality of objects;

detecting a first touch input on the touchscreen, the first touch input comprising touches on two points of the touchscreen followed by moving from the touched two points in substantially opposite directions, one of the two points corresponding to one of the plurality of objects;

changing transparency of the plurality of objects, except for the one of the plurality of objects, in response to the first touch input, wherein the transparency is changed during the moving;

increasing the transparency of the plurality of objects, except for the one of the plurality of objects, gradually during the moving until the moving is completed on two different points of the touchscreen, wherein a distance between the two different points is greater than a distance between the two points;

no longer displaying the plurality of objects, except for the one of the plurality of objects, when the moving is completed, wherein the wallpaper including the previously obstructed portion of the wallpaper becomes visible while the one of the plurality of objects is still displayed on the wallpaper;

performing a function associated with the one of the plurality of objects corresponding to the one of the two points in response to a touch input received only on the one of the plurality of objects, wherein the function is not performed in response to the first touch input when the two points are touched simultaneously; and

restoring the transparency of the plurality of objects to have original transparency when the moving from the touched two points stops while the transparency is changed before the plurality of objects, except for the one of the plurality of objects, disappear completely and the touches remain at the stopped two points for more than a reference time.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising displaying additional information on the wallpaper when the first touch input is detected.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising displaying the plurality of objects on the display unit in response to a second touch input received while the plurality of objects, except for the one of the plurality of objects, is no longer displayed, wherein:

the second touch input comprises a first touch point and a second touch point being moved towards each other; and

the second touch input is detected after the first touch input is detected.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising executing an application configured to manage content used as the wallpaper when the first touch input is detected.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising updating content used as the wallpaper when the plurality of objects, except for the one of the plurality of objects, is no longer displayed, the updating based on current time information and current position information.