Mobile terminal and operating method thereof

• US 9,063,648 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2010
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Chae, Jongkwon, Jung, Jongcheol
• Primary Examiner(s): REGN, MARK W
• Application Number:
  US12/946,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20110279388A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,681 Days
• Field of Search: 715/863, 345/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A mobile terminal and an operating method thereof are provided. The operating method includes displaying an object list including one or more objects on a display module of the mobile terminal, detecting a first enlarge command from a first area of the display module where a particular object from the object list is displayed, the area indicating a targeted region within a predetermined distance from the particular object, wherein the first enlarge command corresponds to first positioning at least two touch points on the display module and then increasing a distance between the at least two touch points, and activating the particular object from the object list in response to the first enlarge command.

Claims

1. A method of operating a mobile terminal, the operating method comprising:

displaying a plurality of icons on a display module of the mobile terminal;

receiving a first input from a first area wherein the first area includes at least two icons among the plurality of icons, wherein the first input initially corresponds to at least two touch points being positioned in the first area on the display module and wherein the distance between the at least two touch points is subsequently increased;

in response to the first input, displaying at least two execution windows corresponding to each of the at least two icons on the display module;

automatically arranging the at least two execution windows on the display module such that the at least two execution windows do not overlap each other; and

in response to a control signal detected from the display module, terminating the at least two execution windows simultaneously, the control signal being generated by touching and dragging more than a predetermined percentage of an area of the display module.

2. The operating method of claim 1, further comprising:

when a first icon of the at least two icons is a menu icon, performing a function corresponding to the menu icon in the first execution window.

3. The operating method of claim 1, further comprising:

when a first icon of the at least two icons is an icon representing a data file that can be played, playing the data file in a first execution window of the at least two execution windows.

4. The operating method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying additional information about a first icon of the at least two icons in a first execution window of the at least two execution windows.

5. The operating method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an enlarge command from a first execution window of the at least two execution windows; and

enlarging the first execution window by a predetermined size in response to the enlarge command.

6. The operating method of claim 1, further comprising:

moving a first execution window of the at least two execution windows to a different location on the display module,

wherein the different location corresponds to a location where the first execution window has been touched and dragged to.

7. The operating method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a terminate command on the display module; and

terminating an activated first application corresponding to a first icon of the at least two icons in response to the terminate command.

8. The operating method of claim 1,

wherein a plurality of first applications is associated respectively with a plurality of first icons among the at least two icons, and

wherein the displaying a first execution window of the at least two execution windows comprises displaying a plurality of first execution windows corresponding to the plurality of first icons simultaneously.

9. The operating method of claim 8, further comprising detecting a terminate command on the display module;

and

terminating the plurality of first execution windows simultaneously.

10. The operating method of claim 1, wherein a first icon of the at least two icons representing a first execution window of the at least two execution windows is displayed next to at least one other icon of the at least two icons on the display module.

11. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display module configured to display a plurality of icons; and

a controller configured to;

receive a first input from a first area wherein the first area includes at least two icons among the plurality of icons, wherein the first input initially corresponds to at least two touch points being positioned in the first area on the display module and wherein the distance between the at least two touch points is subsequently increased,

in response to the first input, display at least two execution windows corresponding to each of the at least two icons on the display module,

automatically arrange the at least two execution windows on the display module such that the at least two execution windows do not overlap each other, and

in response to a control signal detected from the display module, terminating the at least two execution windows simultaneously, the control signal being generated by touching and dragging more than a predetermined percentage of an area of the display module.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein, when a first icon of the at least two icons is a menu icon, the controller performs a function corresponding to the menu icon in a first execution window of the at least two execution windows.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein, when a first icon of the at least two icons is an icon representing a data file that can be played, the controller plays the data file in a first execution window of the at least two execution windows.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the controller displays additional information about a first icon of the at least two icons in a first execution window of the at least two execution windows.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to detect a terminate command on the display module;

and

terminate an activated first application corresponding to a first icon of the at least two icons in response to the terminate command.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 11,

wherein a plurality of first applications is associated respectively with a plurality of first icons among the at least two icons, and

wherein the controller is further configured to display a plurality of first execution windows corresponding to the plurality of first icons simultaneously.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to detect a terminate command on the display module;

and

terminate the plurality of first execution windows simultaneously.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein a first icon of the at least two icons representing a first execution window of the at least two execution windows is displayed next to at least one other icon of the at least two on the display module.