Method of operating a background content and terminal supporting the same

• US 9,696,870 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2012
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Park, Youngjoo, Park, Sehwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Yang, Ryan R
• Application Number:
  US13/662,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20130106904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,709 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 2203/04808 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 3/04817 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• 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 method of outputting background content, which includes outputting a complex area by outputting a background content area in which a background content designated as a start content is output and outputting a function selection area to the background content area, the function selection area including items for selecting at least one specific function supported by a terminal, receiving an input signal for removing the function selection area, and outputting a background screen including only the background content area according to the received input signal for removing the function selection area.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a background content of a mobile electronic device comprising a touch screen display that includes a display panel configured to display a screen and a touch panel configured to receive touch inputs on the screen, the method comprising:

providing, for displaying on the screen, a first layer which includes a background content and does not include an item for executing an application on the mobile electronic device based on a selection of the item;

providing, for displaying, over the first layer, one or more layers including a second layer which includes an item for executing an application on the mobile electronic device based on a selection of the item; and

in response to receiving a touch input on the screen via the touch panel, removing the second layer displayed over the first layer in such a way that no additional layer other than the one or more layers is provided for displaying over the first layer in relation to the touch input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second layer is removed so that no item corresponding to an application executable on the mobile electronic device is displayed over which the second layer occupied before being removed.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input on the touch screen for searching for other background content; and

providing a first layer on which to display the other background content according to the input for searching for the other background content.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein providing a first layer on which to display the other background content comprises:

identifying a list of background content when the input for searching the other background content is generated;

selecting the other background content based on the identified list of background content and the generated input; and

providing the first layer on which to display the selected other background content.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the background content comprises at least one of:

at least one of a still image, a video, an avatar, or a slide image; and

an audio file associated with at least one of the still image, the video, the avatar, or the slide image, and activated when a corresponding background content is outputted.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving an input for recalling the removed second layer; and

outputting again the one or more layers including the second layer over the first layer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

outputting a specific content;

outputting a setting item for designating the specific content as a background content according to generation of an input and registering the specific content to a list of background content, when the setting item for designating the specific content as the background content is selected; and

outputting a setting item for removing the background content from the list of the background content according to generation of an input when the background content is being outputted and removing the background content from the list of the background content according to selection of the setting item.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein removing the second layer comprises:

fading away a first portion of the second layer to a first direction; and

fading away a second portion different from the first portion of the second layer to a second direction opposite to the first direction.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving corresponding update information from an external device according to at least one of a predetermined interval, real time, or an event occurring, when the background content provided in the first layer is a content having an update function according to update information; and

updating a content of the background content to be output by applying the received update information to a corresponding background content.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause a mobile electronic device to execute the method of claim 1.

11. A mobile electronic device for displaying a background content, the mobile electronic device comprising:

a touch screen display that includes a display panel configured to display a screen and a touch panel configured to receive touch inputs on the screen; and

a processor configured to;

control to provide, for displaying on the screen, a first layer which includes a background content and does not include an item for executing an application on the mobile electronic device based on a selection of the item, control to provide, for displaying over the first layer, one or more layers including a second layer which includes an item for executing an application on the mobile electronic device based on a selection of the item; and

in response to receiving a touch input on the screen via the touch panel, control to remove the second layer displayed over the first layer in such a way that no additional layer other than the one or more layers is provided for displaying over the first layer in relation to the touch input.

12. The mobile electronic device of claim 11, wherein, when the second layer is removed and an input for searching for other background content is received, the processor controls to provide a first layer on which to display other background content to the touch screen according to the input for searching for other background content.

13. The mobile electronic device of claim 12, wherein the processor controls to identify a list of background content when the input for searching for other background content is generated, select the other background content based on the identified list of background content and the generated input, and provide the first layer on which to display the selected other background content.

14. The mobile electronic device of claim 12, wherein, in response to receiving an input for calling the removed second layer, the touch screen outputs again the one or more layers including the second layer over the first layer.

15. The mobile electronic device of claim 11, wherein the second layer is removed by a first portion of the second layer fading away to a first direction and a second portion different from the first portion of the second layer fading away to a second direction opposite to the first direction.

16. The mobile electronic device of claim 11, wherein the processor receives corresponding update information from an external device according to at least one of a predetermined interval, real time, or an event occurring, when the background content provided in the first layer is a content having an update function according to update information and updates a content of the background content to be output by applying the received update information to a corresponding background content.

17. The mobile electronic device of claim 11, wherein the background content comprises at least one of:

at least one of a still image, a video, an avatar, or a slide image; and

an audio file associated with at least one of the still image, the video, the avatar, or the slide image, and activated when a corresponding background content is outputted.

18. The mobile electronic device of claim 11, wherein the second layer is removed so that no item corresponding to an application executable on the mobile electronic device is displayed over which the second layer occupied before being removed.