Mobile terminal and controlling method thereof

• US RE46,225 E1
• Filed: 04/30/2014
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Chung, Jin Woo, Suh, Hyo Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): Saadat, Cameron
• Application Number:
  US14/266,698
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 715/769, 715/835
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally

Abstract

A method for controlling a mobile terminal includes displaying icons within a region of a display of the mobile terminal, forming a group icon as being associated with a plurality of the icons, displaying the group icon within the region of the display to permit user access to the plurality of icons which are each associated with the group icon, ceasing the displaying of the plurality of icons which are each associated with the group icon, and generating a menu in response to selection of the group icon, the menu comprising selectable operations individually relating to at least one of the plurality of icons which are each associated with the group icon.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

displaying a group icon which is associated with a first icon and a second icon;

receiving an input for the group icon;

determining a group action associated with the first icon and the second icon according to whether a first file type associated with the first icon and a second file type associated with the second icon are a same type or not; and

executing the group action in response to the received input,

wherein the determining comprises;

when the first file type and the second file type are the same type, the group action is determined as an action that sequentially executes functionality associated with the first icon and the second icon, and

when the first file type and the second file type are not the same type, the group action is determined as an action that simultaneously executes functionality associated with the first icon and functionality associated with the second icon.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a menu comprising a list of applications associated with the first icon and the second icon is displayed in response to execution of the group.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the group icon comprises:

displaying the group icon using symbol images that represent each of the first icon and the second icon.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to the displaying of the group icon,

displaying the first icon and the second icon within a specific region of a display of the mobile terminal; and

forming the group icon which is associated with the first icon and the second icon.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the forming of the group icon comprises:

when the first file type and the second file type are the same type, the group icon associated with the first icon and the second icon is formed automatically.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the forming of the group icon comprises:

if the first icon and the second icon are selected by a user input, the group icon associated with the first icon and the second icon is formed.

7. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display configured to display a group icon which is associated with a first icon and a second icon;

a user input unit configured to receive an input; and

a control unit hardware controller configured to;

determine a group action associated with the first icon and the second icon according to whether a first file type associated with the first icon and a second file type associated with the second icon are a same type or not;

execute the group action in response to the received input;

determine the group action as an action that sequentially executes functionality associated with the first icon and the second icon when the first file type and the second file type are the same type, and

determinesdetermine the group action as an action that simultaneously executes functionality associated with the first icon and functionality associated with the second icon when the first file type and the second file type are not the same type.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein a menu comprising a list of applications associated with the first icon and the second icon is displayed on the display in response to execution of the group action.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein,

the display displays the group icon using symbol images that represent each of the first icon and the second icon.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein,

prior to the of displaying the group icon,

the display displays the first icon and the second icon, and

the control unit hardware controller forms the group icon which is associated with the first icon and the second icon.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein,

the control unit hardware controller forms the group icon associated with the first icon and the second icon automatically when the first file type and the second file type are the same type.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein,

if the user input unit receives the input that selects the first icon and the second icon, the control unit hardware controller forms the group icon associated with the first icon and the second icon.

13. A mobile terminal comprising:

a touchscreen; and

a hardware controller configured to;

display a first icon, a second icon, and a third icon on the touchscreen,

display a group icon associated with the first icon and the second icon on the touchscreen in response to a touch input of touch-dragging the first icon to the second icon such that the first icon is at least in part overlapped with the second icon on the touchscreen,

wherein a first icon symbol indicating the first icon and a second icon symbol indicating the second icon are displayed within the group icon,

display a title of the group icon after the touch input of the touch-dragging the first icon to the second icon, the title comprising text characters,

associate the third icon with the group icon in response to a touch input of touch-dragging the third icon to the group icon,

wherein the title of the group icon is not changed after the third icon is associated with the group icon,

display a third icon symbol indicating the third icon together with the first and second symbols within the group icon, wherein each of the first icon symbol, the second icon symbol, and the third icon symbol is a non-text icon only that is displayed within a graphical boundary of the displayed group icon,

display a menu comprising a first item, a second item, and a third item respectively corresponding to the first icon symbol, the second icon symbol, and the third icon symbol in response to a touch input received at the group icon, wherein the first item is user-selectable for executing a first application associated with content of the first icon symbol, wherein the second item is user-selectable for executing a second application associated with content of the second icon symbol, and wherein the third item is user-selectable for executing a third application associated with content of the third icon symbol,

change the third icon into the third icon symbol such that the third icon is no longer displayed outside the group icon, after the third icon is associated with the group icon.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the hardware controller is configured to no longer display the first icon and the second icon outside the group icon after the group icon is generated.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the hardware controller is further configured to receive a group icon name associated with the group icon.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 15, wherein the hardware controller is configured to concurrently display the group icon, the title of the group icon, and the first and second icon symbols within the group icon.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 16, wherein the title of the group icon is displayed without hiding the first icon symbol and the second icon symbol.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the hardware controller is configured to concurrently display the group icon, the group icon, and the first to third icon symbols within the group icon.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 18, wherein the title of the group icon is displayed without hiding the first to third icon symbols.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the menu is displayed overlapping the group icon.

21. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the hardware controller is further configured to execute a group action in response to receiving an input for the group icon.

22. The mobile terminal of claim 21, wherein a first type of the first icon is the same as a second type of the second icon, and the hardware controller is configured to, as the group action, sequentially execute a first function associated with the first icon and a second function associated with the second icon.

23. The mobile terminal of claim 21, wherein a first type of the first icon is different from a second type of the second icon, and the hardware controller is configured to, as the group action, simultaneously display a first screen related to a first executed function associated with the first icon and a second screen related to a second executed function associated with the second icon.

24. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the third icon includes an image portion and a text portion, and

wherein the third icon symbol within the group icon includes the image portion of the third icon without including the text portion of the third icon.

25. A method of controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

displaying a first icon, a second icon, and a third icon on a touchscreen,

displaying a group icon associated with the first icon and the second icon on the touchscreen in response to a touch input of touch-dragging the first icon to the second icon such that the first icon is at least in part overlapped with the second icon on the touchscreen,

wherein a first icon symbol indicating the first icon and a second icon symbol indicating the second icon are displayed within the group icon,

displaying a title of the group icon after the touch input of the touch-dragging the first icon to the second icon, the title comprising text characters,

associating the third icon with the group icon in response to a touch input of touch-dragging the third icon to the group icon,

wherein the title of the group icon is not changed after the third icon is associated with the group icon,

displaying a third icon symbol indicating the third icon together with the first and second symbols within the group icon, wherein each of the first icon symbol, the second icon symbol, and the third icon symbol is a non-text icon only that is displayed within a graphical boundary of the displayed group icon,

displaying a menu comprising a first item, a second item, and a third item respectively corresponding to the first icon symbol, the second icon symbol, and the third icon symbol in response to a touch input received at the group icon, wherein the first item is user-selectable for executing a first application associated with content of the first icon symbol, wherein the second item is user-selectable for executing a second application associated with content of the second icon symbol, and wherein the third item is user-selectable for executing a third application associated with content of the third icon symbol,

maintaining the title of the group icon after the third icon is associated with the group icon, and

changing the third icon into the third icon symbol such that the third icon is no longer displayed outside the group icon, after the third icon is associated with the group icon.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

no longer displaying the first icon and the second icon outside the group icon after the group icon is generated.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving the title of the group icon.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

concurrently displaying the group icon, the title of the group icon, and the first and second icon symbols within the group icon.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the title of the group icon is displayed without hiding the first icon symbol and the second icon symbol.

30. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

concurrently displaying the group icon, the title of the group icon, and the first to third icon symbols within the group icon.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the title of the group icon is displayed without hiding the first to third icon symbols.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein the menu is displayed overlapping the group icon.

33. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

executing a group action in response to receiving an input for the group icon.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein a first type of the first icon is the same as a second type of the second icon, and the executing of the group action comprises sequentially executing a first function associated with the first icon and a second function associated with the second icon.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein a first type of the first icon is different from a second type of the second icon, and the executing of the group action comprises simultaneously displaying a first screen related to a first executed function associated with the first icon and a second screen related to a second executed function associated with the second icon.

36. The method of claim 25, wherein the third icon includes an image portion and a text portion, and

wherein the third icon symbol within the group icon includes the image portion of the third icon without including the text portion of the third icon.