Terminal and menu display method thereof

• US 9,621,710 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2009
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Jun-Serk, Kim, Moon-Ju, Ryu, Hye-Jin, Lee, Dong-Seok
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Heffington, John M
• Application Number:
  US12/403,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20100062811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,951 Days
• Field of Search: 715829, 715738
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/236 including keys on side or rear faces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72472 wherein the items are sorted according to specific criteria, e.g. frequency of use
• 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: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42208 Display device provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children

Abstract

A method for displaying menu items and a terminal for implementing the same are disclosed to improve user convenience. The terminal includes: a display unit; a controller for displaying arbitrary menu items on the display unit such that menu items at a particular position are differentiated from menu items at a different position, and a user input unit for selectively rearranging the position of the menu items by a user.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display configured to be touch sensitive and having a specific region, wherein one or more graphical icons are displayed on the display; and

a controller configured to;

receive a first touch input for selecting a graphical icon from among the one or more graphical icons;

determine a selection frequency of the selected graphical icon in response to the first touch input, wherein the controller determines a selection frequency of each of the one or more graphical icons whenever one of the one or more graphical icons is selected, wherein priority information related to the selection frequency of each of the one or more graphical icons is stored in a memory;

display, at the specific region of the display, at least one graphical icon having a high selection frequency relative to the selection frequencies of the one or more graphical icons, wherein the at least one graphical icon is displayed at the specific region according to the priority information, and wherein a size of the at least one graphical icon provided in the specific region of the display is larger than other graphical icons provided in a remaining area of the display,

receive a second touch input for moving a first graphical icon among the at least one graphical icon included in the specific region;

determine whether or not the first graphical icon is moved to the specific region or outside the specific region in response to the second touch input, wherein;

when the first graphical icon is moved within the specific region, sizes of the first graphical icon and the specific region are maintained, and

when the first graphical icon is moved to outside the specific region from the specific region, sizes of the first graphical icon and the specific region are reduced;

receive a third touch input for moving a second graphical icon included in outside of the specific region;

determine whether or not the second graphical icon is moved to within the specific region or outside the specific region in response to the third touch input, wherein;

when the second graphical icon is moved within outside the specific region, sizes of the second graphical icon and the specific region are maintained, and

when the second graphical icon is moved to within the specific region from outside the specific region, sizes of the second graphical icon and the specific region are enlarged.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein a position of the specific region is changed according to a fourth touch input.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller provides an indication of a size and a position of the specific region using at least one of a background color or an outline for display on the display.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller displays the other graphical icons provided in the remaining area in a size or a color distinguishable from the at least one graphical icon.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the controller displays the size of the other graphical icons provided in the remaining area to be smaller than the size of the at least one graphical icon provided in the specific region.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the size of the at least one graphical icon provided in the specific region is larger than a size of the other graphical icons provided in the remaining area.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller:

changes locations of the specific region and the remaining area based on a command,

wherein sizes of the specific region and remaining area do not change when the locations of the specific region and the remaining area change.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein icons in the specific region do not change in size when the location of the specific region is moved, and wherein icons in the remaining area do not change in size when the location of the remaining area is moved.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein:

the specific region is at a first location,

the remaining area is at a second location, and

when the locations of the specific region and the remaining area are moved, the specific region is moved to the second location and the remaining area is moved to the first location.

7. A method for controlling a mobile terminal, comprising:

displaying one or more graphical icons on a display, wherein the display includes a specific region;

receiving, via the display, a first touch input for selecting a graphical icon from among the one or more graphical icons;

determining a selection frequency of the selected graphical icon in response to the first touch input;

determining a selection frequency of each of the one or more graphical icons whenever one of the one or more graphical icons is selected;

storing, in a memory, priority information related to the selection frequency of each of the one or more graphical icons;

displaying, at the specific region of the display, at least one graphical icon having a high selection frequency relative to the selection frequencies of the one or more graphical icons, wherein the at least one graphical icon is displayed at the specific region according to the priority information;

receiving a second touch input for moving a first graphical icon among the at least one graphical icon included in the specific region;

determining whether or not the first graphical icon is moved to the specific region or outside the specific region in response to the second touch input, wherein;

when the first graphical icon is moved within the specific region, sizes of the first graphical icon and the specific region are maintained, and

when the first graphical icon is moved to outside the specific region from the specific region, sizes of the first graphical icon and the specific region are reduced;

receiving a third touch input for moving a second graphical icon included in outside of the specific region;

determining whether or not the second graphical icon is moved to within the specific region or outside the specific region in response to the third touch input, wherein;

when the second graphical icon is moved within outside the specific region, sizes of the second graphical icon and the specific region are maintained, and

when the second graphical icon is moved to within the specific region from outside the specific region, sizes of the second graphical icon and the specific region are enlarged.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a position of the specific region is changed according to a fourth touch input.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

controlling a size and a position of the specific region using at least one of a background color or an outline to be displayed on the display.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

displaying the other graphical icons provided in the remaining area in a size or a color distinguishable from the at least one graphical icon.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

displaying a size of other graphical icons provided in a remaining area to be smaller than a size of the at least one graphical icon provided in the specific region.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the size of a at least one graphical icon provided in the specific region is larger than a size of a other graphical icons provided in a remaining area.

16. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

changing locations of the specific region and the remaining area based on a command,

wherein sizes of the specific region and remaining area do not change when the locations of the specific region and the remaining area change.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein icons in the specific region do not change in size when the location of the specific region is moved, and wherein icons in the remaining area do not change in size when the location of the remaining area is moved.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the specific region is at a first location,

the remaining area is at a second location, and

when the locations of the specific region and the remaining area are moved, the specific region is moved to the second location and the remaining area is moved to the first location.