Mobile terminal for displaying functions and display controlling method thereof

• US 9,495,058 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2011
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Choonjae, Lee, Jiyoun, Jang, Hyungtae, Lee, Minjeong, Song, Younghoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong, Hien
• Application Number:
  US13/332,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20120306927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,792 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04807 Pen manipulated menu
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A mobile terminal and display controlling method thereof are disclosed, by which a different function may be executed in accordance with whether a means for touching a touchscreen is a user finger or a touch pen.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a touch screen configured to;

display information; and

receive a touch input via at least a finger of a user or a touch pen; and

a controller configured to;

determine whether the touch input was received via the finger of the user or via the touch pen;

cause the touch screen to display a first screen corresponding to a first function when it is determined that the touch input is received via the finger of the user;

determine whether the touch pen is a dedicated touch pen that is dedicatedly used for the mobile terminal when it is determined that the touch input was received via the touch pen;

cause the touch screen to display a second screen corresponding to a second function when it is determined that the touch input is received via the dedicated touch pen; and

execute the first function and the second function in a same application or execute the first function via a first application and execute the second function via a second application different from the first application; and

cause the touch screen to display a list including a plurality of contacts corresponding to a plurality of counterparts wherein the touch input is received at a specific contact included in the displayed list;

wherein one of the first function or the second function comprises causing the touch screen to display contact information related to the specific contact and the other of the first function or the second function comprises transmitting data to the specific contact.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the first function comprises an information display function; and

the second function comprises an information input function.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the first function comprises a function that does not involve information input; and

the second function is a touch pen dedicated function.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the touch input was received via the finger of the user or the touch pen based on at least a touch size, a touch pressure, an electrostatic variation attributed to the received touch input, or a temperature variation attributed to the received touch input.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless communication unit configured to receive a prescribed signal from the touch pen,

wherein the controller is further configured to determine that the touch input was received via the touch pen based on the received prescribed signal.

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

cease execution of the first function and begin execution of the second function when the touch input is received via the touch pen while the first screen is displayed on the touch screen; and

cease execution of the second function and begin execution of the first function when the touch input is received via the finger of the user while the second screen is displayed on the touch screen.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the controller is further configured to control the touch screen to display a calendar comprising at least one scheduled event, wherein the touch input is received at a specific scheduled event of the displayed at least one scheduled event; and

one of the first function or the second function comprises causing the touch screen to display information related to the specific scheduled event, and

another of the first function or the second function comprises causing the touch screen to display a screen for adding a scheduled event to the calendar for a date corresponding to the specific scheduled event or causing the touch screen to display a screen for editing the specific scheduled event.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the controller is further configured to control the touch screen to display a map, wherein the touch input is received at a specific point of the displayed map;

one of the first function or the second function comprises causing the touch screen to enlarge the map centering on the specific point; and

another of the first function or the second function comprises setting a place corresponding to the specific point as a destination or causing the touch screen to display a screen for inputting a memo related to the specific point.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the controller is further configured to control the touch screen to display an image list including at least one image, wherein the touch input is received at a specific image of the displayed at least one image;

one of the first function or the second function comprises causing the touch screen to display an enlarged view of the specific image; and

another of the first function or the second function comprises transmitting the specific image or causing the touch screen to display a screen for inputting a memo related to the specific image.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the controller is further configured to control the touch screen to display a webpage including an input region, wherein the touch input is received at the displayed input region;

one of the first function or the second function comprises causing the touch screen to display a virtual keypad; and

another of the first function or the second function comprises causing the touch screen to display a direct input window configured for receiving handwriting input.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the controller is further configured to control the touch screen to display a specific page of a plurality of pages of an electronic book (e-book), wherein the touch input is received at the displayed specific page;

the first function comprises causing the touch screen to cease displaying the specific page and to display another page of the plurality of pages of the e-book; and

the second function comprises activating a mode for receiving pen drawing input via the touch pen.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the second screen is a touch pen dedicated home screen; and

the controller is further configured to control the touch screen to display the touch pen dedicated home screen in response to the touch input via the touch pen to a home screen displayed on the touch screen or to an unlock region of a locked screen displayed on the touch screen.

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

control the touch screen to display a locked screen including at least one indicator for an application requiring a touch input via the touch pen;

control the touch screen to display an unlocked screen in response to the touch input via the touch pen, wherein the touch input is received at a specific one of the at least one indicator; and

execute an application corresponding to the specific one of the at least one indicator.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the touch screen to display:

a function key related to the touch pen when the second screen is displayed on the touch screen; and

at least one indicator related to a touch pen dedicated application in response to a second touch input via the touch pen to the function key.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to activate a mode for controlling execution of a function and controlling a screen displayed on the touch screen based on whether the touch input was received via the finger of the user or via the touch pen.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to recognize the touch pen as being associated with the mobile terminal.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the touch screen to:

display at least one object;

increase a displayed size of the at least one object to at least a predetermined reference size when the touch input is received via one of the finger of the user or the touch pen; and

decrease the displayed size of the at least one object to less than the predetermined reference size when the touch input is received via another of the finger of the user or the touch pen.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 17, further comprising a memory for storing information,

wherein the predetermined reference size is determined based on object size information saved in the memory or object size information received from an external server.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein the controller is further configured to control the touch screen to:

display at least one application indicator;

increase a displayed size of the at least one application indicator to at least a predetermined reference size when the touch input is received via one of the finger of the user or the touch pen; and

decrease the displayed size of the at least one application indicator to less than the predetermined reference size when the touch input is received via another of the finger of the user or the touch pen.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein the controller is further configured to:

control the touch screen to display a first number of objects of the at least one object when the displayed size of the at least one object is less than the predetermined reference size; and

control the touch screen to display a second number of the at least one object when the displayed size of the at least one object is greater than the predetermined reference size;

wherein the first number is greater than the second number.

21. A method of controlling a display in a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

receiving a touch input on a touch screen of the mobile terminal via at least a finger of a user or a touch pen;

determining whether the touch input was received via the finger of the user or via the touch pen;

displaying a first screen corresponding to a first function when it is determined that the touch input is received via the finger of the user;

determining whether the touch pen is a dedicated touch pen that is dedicatedly used for the mobile terminal when it is determined that the touch input was received via the touch pen;

displaying a second screen corresponding to a second function when it is determined that the touch input is received via the dedicated touch pen; and

executing the first function and the second function in a same application or executing the first function in a first application and executing the second function in a second application different from the first application; and

displaying a list including a plurality of contacts corresponding to a plurality of counterparts wherein the touch input is received at a specific contact included in the displayed list;

wherein one of the first function or the second function comprises displaying contact information related to the specific contact and the other of the first function or the second function comprises transmitting data to the specific contact.