Mobile terminal and control method slidably displaying multiple menu screens

• US 9,128,544 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2009
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Chun, Jin-Woo
• Primary Examiner(s): Sitta, Grant
• Assistant Examiner(s): HERMANN, KIRK W
• Application Number:
  US12/467,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20100182248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,304 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A terminal for simply selecting one of menus in multitasking operation and displaying the selected menu as an entire image on a screen in consideration of user convenience, and its control method are disclosed. The terminal includes a display module; a user input unit configured to detect a touch input; and a controller configured to slide currently executed menus according to a pre-set method if the input touch continues by longer than a particular time, selecting one of executed screen image of the slid menu, and display it as an entirely magnified image.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a display unit configured to display a screen of a first application being executed;

a user input unit configured to receive an input, wherein the user input unit comprises at least one of a mechanical key, a dome switch or a touch pad; and

a controller configured to;

display, on the display unit, an image corresponding to an executed screen of a second application in response to the input received via the user input unit, wherein the image corresponding to the executed screen of the second application is overlapped with the screen of the first application on the display unit,

adjust a transparency of the image corresponding to the executed screen of the second application, wherein at least a portion of the screen of the first application is seen when the transparency of the image corresponding to the executed screen of the second application is adjusted,

display, on the display unit, a screen of the second application being executed in a full screen mode when the image corresponding to the executed screen of the second application is selected, and

display, on the display unit, an image corresponding to an executed screen of a third application with the image corresponding to the executed screen of the second application,

wherein the touch pad is disposed on the display unit, and

wherein the images corresponding to the executed screens of the second application and the third application are moved in a direction in response to a specific touch input applied on the display unit.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein a size of the screen of the first application is maintained constantly although the image corresponding to the executed screen of the second application is overlapped with the screen of the first application based on the input received via the user input unit, and

wherein the image corresponding to the executed screen of the second application is a reduced image of the executed screen of the second application.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the screen of the first application is presented as a full screen,

wherein the screen of the first application disappears when the image corresponding to the executed screen of the second application overlapped with the screen of the first application is selected, and

wherein the screen of the second application is displayed as a full screen after the screen of the first application disappears.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein a size of the screen of the first application is larger than the image corresponding to the executed screen of the second application.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the image corresponding to the executed screen of the third application is displayed by sliding the image corresponding to the executed screen of the second application.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1,

wherein the image corresponding to the executed screen of the second application is displayed when a touch input for displaying an application list of one or more applications which are executed in a multi-tasking manner is received at the touch pad.

2. The mobile terminal of 1, wherein the first application and the second application are executing in a multi-tasking manner on the mobile terminal.

8. A control method of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

displaying, on a display unit, a screen of a first application being executed;

receiving an input via a user input unit, wherein the user input unit comprises at least one of a mechanical key, a dome switch or a touch pad;

displaying, on the display unit, an image corresponding to an executed screen of a second application in response to the input received via the user input unit, wherein the image corresponding to the executed screen of the second application is overlapped with the screen of the first application being executed;

adjusting a transparency of the image corresponding to the executed screen of the second application, wherein at least a portion of the screen of the first application is seen when the transparency of the image corresponding to the executed screen of the second application is adjusted;

displaying, on the display unit, a screen of the second application in a full screen mode when the image corresponding to the executed screen of the second application is selected; and

displaying, on the display unit, an image corresponding to an executed screen of a third application with the image corresponding to the executed screen of the second application,

wherein the touch pad is disposed on the display unit, and

wherein the images corresponding to the executed screens of the second application and the third application are moved in a direction in response to a specific touch input applied on the display unit.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein an empty space is positioned between the images corresponding to the executed screens of the second application and the third application.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the images corresponding to the executed screens of the second application and the third application are positioned vertically.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein the image corresponding to the executed screen of the third application is displayed by sliding the image corresponding to the executed screen of the second application.

11. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a display unit;

a user input unit configured to receive an input, wherein the user input unit comprises at least one of a mechanical key, a dome switch or a touch pad; and

a controller configured to;

display, on the display unit, one or more images corresponding to an executed screen of one or more applications in response to the input, wherein the one or more images are one or more reduced images corresponding to each executed screen of the one or more applications, and wherein each of the one or more applications is executed in a multi-tasking manner on the mobile terminal,

adjust a transparency of one of the one or more images corresponding to the each executed screen of the one or more applications,

display, on the display unit, a screen of one application of the one or more applications in a full screen mode when a reduced image corresponding to the one application is selected, and

display, on the display unit, an image corresponding to an executed screen of another application of the one or more applications by sliding the one or more images corresponding to the each executed screen of the one or more applications in response to a touch input applied on the display unit, wherein the touch pad is disposed on the display unit.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the one or more images are overlapped with a screen of a first application being executed on the display unit.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein screen information related to the one or more images are displayed transparently so the screen of the first application can be seen.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein an image corresponding to an executed screen of a second application is displayed based on sliding the one or more images.

13. The mobile terminal of 12, wherein a size of the screen of the first application is maintained constantly although the one or more images are overlapped with the screen of the first application based on the input received via the user input unit.

16. A control method of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

receiving an input via a user input unit, wherein the user input unit comprises at least one of a mechanical key, a dome switch or a touch pad;

displaying, on a display unit one or more images corresponding to an executed screen of one or more applications in response to the input, wherein each of the one or more applications is executed in a multi-tasking manner on the mobile terminal, and wherein the one or more images are one or more reduced images corresponding to the each executed screen of the one or more applications;

adjusting a transparency of one of the one or more images corresponding to the each executed screen of the; and

displaying, on the display unit, one application of the one or more applications in a full screen mode when a reduced image corresponding to the one application is selected; and

displaying, on the display unit, an image corresponding to an executed screen of another application of the one or more applications by sliding the one or more images corresponding to the each executed screen of the one or more applications in response to a touch input applied on the display unit, wherein the touch pad is disposed on the display unit.