Terminal and method of controlling the same

• US 9,112,988 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2008
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Seong Cheol, Seo, Jin, Park, Sang Hyun
• Primary Examiner(s): BHARGAVA, ANIL K
• Application Number:
  US12/325,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20100131880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,451 Days
• Field of Search: 715/727, 715/752, 715/782
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

According to an embodiment, a terminal and a method of displaying menu icons thereof are discussed, by which a terminal user is facilitated to input various commands. An embodiment of the present invention includes a touch screen and a control unit configured to control at least one touch-available icon to move between outer and inner areas of an image displayed on the touch screen in a direction of a touch-drag on the touch screen. Accordingly, the electric current for detecting a touch is supplied to the touch screen only if the touch-available icon is displayed on the touch screen. Hence, the present invention minimizes power consumption in using the touch screen.

Claims

1. A terminal comprising:

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

a touch screen having four sides to form a rectangular shape; and

a control unit configured to control a group of touch-available icons to slidably move between outer and inner areas of the touch screen horizontally across a first one of the four sides of the touch screen in a horizontal direction of a first touch-drag on the touch screen, the group of touch-available icons following along the first touch-drag on the touch screen,

wherein the group of touch-available icons are touch-dragged and moved to the outer area of the touch screen, such that the group of touch-available icons completely slide out of the inner area of the touch screen across the first one of the four sides thereof to disappear from the touch screen without leaving a trace for the group of touch-available icons at the first side thereof,

wherein the control unit is further configured to;

in response to selection of one of the touch-available icons, execute a specific function to display an execution image related to the executed specific function on the touch screen,

receive a message while the specific function is being executed,

display a message reception indicator indicating that the message is received,

receive a second touch-drag in a first vertical direction on the touch screen,

control a window for the received message to slidably appear over the execution image in the first vertical direction such that the window completely covers the execution image on the touch screen,

receive a third touch-drag in a second vertical direction opposite to the first vertical direction on the touch screen, and

control the window for the received message to slidably disappear to reveal the execution image in the second vertical direction.

2. The terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a user input unit having a touch screen activating key configured to activate the touch screen,

wherein the control unit controls the group of touch-available icons to move between the outer and inner areas of the touch screen when the touch screen is activated by the touch screen activating key.

3. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the group of touch-available icons to be classified into a plurality of sub groups in accordance of a type of each of the touch-available icons,

wherein the control unit controls the touch-available icons belonging to each of the groups to correspond to at least one side of the touch screen, and

wherein the control unit controls the touch-available icons belonging to each of the groups to move between the outer and inner areas by taking each corresponding side as a boundary.

4. The terminal of claim 3, wherein if the first touch-drag is carried out in a prescribed direction on the touch screen, the control unit controls specific touch-available icons among the touch-available icons belonging to a specific group located in the outer area beyond the side corresponding to the opposite direction, to slidably appear into the inner area using the side corresponding to the opposite direction as a boundary.

5. The terminal of claim 4, wherein if the first touch-drag is carried out in the direction opposite to the prescribed direction on the touch screen, the control unit controls the touch-available icons on the touch screen to slidably disappear into the outer area from the inner area using the side corresponding to the opposite direction as the boundary.

6. The terminal of claim 4, wherein if the specific touch-available icons belonging to the specific group are divided into first subgroup touch-available icons and second subgroup touch-available icons and if the first touch-drag is carried out in the prescribed direction on the touch screen, the control unit controls the first subgroup touch-available icons to slidably appear into the inner area using the side corresponding to the opposite direction as the boundary.

7. The terminal of claim 6, wherein if the first touch-drag is carried out on the touch screen one more time, the control unit controls the second subgroup touch-available icons to slidably appear into the inner area using the side corresponding to the opposite direction as the boundary.

8. The terminal of claim 7, wherein if the first touch-drag is carried out in the opposite direction on the touch screen, the control unit controls the second subgroup touch-available icons to slidably disappear into the outer area from the inner area using the side corresponding to the opposite direction as the boundary.

9. The terminal of claim 8, wherein if the first touch-drag is carried out one more time in the opposite direction on the touch screen, the control unit controls the first subgroup touch-available icons to slidably disappear into the outer area from the inner area using the side corresponding to the opposite direction as the boundary.

10. The terminal of claim 1, wherein there are more than two touch-available icons which are classified into a first group and a second group,

wherein the control unit controls each of the first and second groups to move between the inner and outer areas of the touch screen by taking a corresponding one of sides of the touch screen as a boundary, and

wherein if the first touch-drag is carried out in a first direction on the touch screen, the control unit controls the first group to slidably disappear into the outer area from the inner area using a first side corresponding to the first direction as a first boundary, and also controls the second group to slidably appear into the inner area using a second side opposite to the first side as a second boundary.

11. The terminal of claim 10, wherein the control unit is further configured to display the execution image behind the first and second groups, and render the execution image fixedly staying on the touch screen while the first group slidably disappears out of the touch screen and the second group slidably appear into the touch screen.

12. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the executed specific function is an audio play function, and

wherein the control unit is further configured to display the execution image related to the executed audio play function in a full-screen mode, and

control the window to slidably appear over the execution image while continuing to execute the audio play function in the background.

13. The terminal of claim 12, wherein the control unit is further configured to display a touch soft button for replying to the received incoming message.

14. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the window for received message slidably appears across a second one of the four sides of the touch screen in response to the second touch-drag.

15. A method of displaying menu icons in a terminal, the method comprising:

providing, via a wireless communication unit of the mobile terminal, wireless communication with at least one other terminal;

receiving, via a control unit of the mobile terminal, a touch-drag signal indicating a first touch-drag in a horizontal direction on a touch screen of the terminal, the touch screen having four sides to form a rectangular shape;

slidably moving a group of touch-available icons between outer and inner areas of the touch screen horizontally across a first one of the four sides of the touch screen in the direction of the first touch-drag, the group of touch-available icons following along the first touch-drag on the touch screen,

wherein the group of touch-available icons are touch-dragged and moved to the outer area of the touch screen, such that the group of touch-available icons completely slide out the inner area of the touch screen across the first one of the four sides thereof to disappear from the touch screen without leaving a trace for the group of touch-available icons at the first side thereof;

in response to selection of one of the touch-available icons, executing a specific function to display an execution image related to the executed specific function on the touch screen;

receiving a message while the specific function is being executed;

displaying a message reception indicator indicating that the message is received;

receiving a second touch-drag in a first vertical direction on the touch screen;

controlling a window for the received message to slidably appear over the execution image in the first vertical direction such that the window completely covers the execution image on the touch screen;

receiving a third touch-drag in a second vertical direction opposite to the first vertical direction on the touch screen; and

controlling the window for the received message to slidably disappear to reveal the execution image in the second vertical direction.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

selectively activating the touch screen using a touch screen activation key; and

moving the group of touch-available icons between the outer and inner areas of the touch screen after the touch screen is activated.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the group of touch-available icons are classified into a plurality of sub groups in accordance of a type of each of the touch-available icons,

wherein the touch-available icons belonging to each of the groups corresponds to at least one of sides of the touch screen, and

wherein in the moving step, the touch-available icons belonging to each of the groups are moved between the outer and inner areas by taking each corresponding side as a boundary.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein if the first touch-drag is carried out in the prescribed direction on the touch screen, specific touch-available icons among the touch-available icons belonging to a specific group located in the outer area beyond the side corresponding to the opposite direction slidably appear into the inner area using the side corresponding to the opposite direction as a boundary.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein if the first touch-drag is carried out in the direction opposite to the prescribed direction on the touch screen, the touch-available icons on the touch screen slidably disappear into the outer area from the inner area using the side corresponding to the opposite direction as the boundary.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein if the specific touch-available icons belonging to the specific group are divided into first subgroup touch-available icons and second subgroup touch-available icons and if the first touch-drag is carried out in the prescribed direction on the touch screen, the first subgroup touch-available icons slidably appear into the inner area using the side corresponding to the opposite direction as the boundary.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein if the first touch-drag is carried out on the touch screen one more time, the second subgroup touch-available icons slidably appear into the inner area using the side corresponding to the opposite direction as the boundary.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein if the first touch-drag is carried out in the opposite direction on the touch screen, the second subgroup touch-available icons slidably disappear into the outer area from the inner area using the side corresponding to the opposite direction as the boundary.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein if the first touch-drag is carried out one more time in the opposite direction on the touch screen, the first subgroup touch-available icons slidably disappear into the outer area from the inner area using the side corresponding to the opposite direction as the boundary.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein there are more than two touch-available icons which are classified into a first group and a second group,

wherein each of the first and second groups moves between the inner and outer areas of the touch screen by taking a corresponding one of sides of the touch screen as a boundary, and

wherein if the first touch-drag is carried out in a first direction on the touch screen, the first group slidably disappears into the outer area from the inner area using a first side corresponding to the first direction as a first boundary, and the second group slidably appears into the inner area using a second side opposite to the first side as a second boundary.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the execution image is displayed behind the first and second groups, and the execution image fixedly stays on the touch screen while the first group slidably disappears out of the touch screen and the second group slidably appear into the touch screen.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the executed specific function is an audio play function, and

wherein the method further comprises:

displaying the execution image related to the executed audio play function in a full-screen mode; and

controlling the window to slidably appear over the execution image while continuing to execute the audio play function in the background.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

displaying a touch soft button for replying to the received incoming message.

28. The method of claim 15, wherein the window for received message slidably appears across a second one of the four sides of the touch screen in response to the second touch-drag.