Apparatus and method for configuring idle screen

• US 10,372,468 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2017
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Heo, Dong-Kyu, Shin, Dae-Kyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Ell, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US15/425,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20170147365A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• 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 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for configuring an idle screen in a terminal is provided. The apparatus includes a state sensor for sensing an environmental state a memory for storing a plurality of environmental state information items, each including at least one environmental state information, and a plurality of terminal function items, each associated with a corresponding environmental state information item and comprising at least one terminal function and a controller for when a change in a current environmental state is sensed while performing a selected terminal function, determining an environmental state information item corresponding to a changed environmental state, and updating the selected terminal function in a terminal function item corresponding to the determined environmental state information item, and when there is a request for displaying an idle screen, determining an environmental state item corresponding to the current environmental state from the memory, extracting one or more terminal functions of the terminal function item corresponding to the environmental state information item, and configuring the idle screen using the extracted one or more terminal functions.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a sensor;

a display;

a memory; and

a processor configured to at least;

control the memory to store environmental state information corresponding to an environmental state obtained via the sensor,

control the memory to store a use number of each function of the electronic device based on the environmental state information, in response to a request for displaying an idle screen on the display,

identify at least one function from among functions of the electronic device based on the use number and current environmental state information, the idle screen including icons corresponding to the functions of the electronic device, and display, on the display, the idle screen by adding at least one icon for executing the at least one function.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the environmental state information includes at least one of weather information, temperature information, time information, day information, or position information.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify whether there is a function that is identical to the at least one function from among the functions included in a function item of the electronic device when storing the use number of the each function of the electronic device, and

increase and store a number of uses of the identical function when there is a function that is identical to the selected at least one function.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify whether there is a function that is identical to the at least one function from among the functions included in a function item of the electronic device when storing the use number of the each function of the electronic device, and

add and store the at least one function to the function item when there is no a function that is identical to the at least one function.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, when displaying the idle screen, the processor is further configured to:

generate shortcut icons of the functions; and

configure the idle screen using the shortcut icons.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, when the at least one function is identified, the processor is further configured to:

identify an environmental state information item corresponding to the current environmental state information from the memory, and

perform an operation for the at least one function while updating the use number of the at least one function in a function item of the electronic device corresponding to the identified environmental state information item.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

the processor is further configured to:

obtain user state information via the sensor;

control the memory to store each of a plurality of environmental state information items and at least one function item so that they are associated with one of a plurality of user state information items each including at least one piece of the user state information; and

when there is a change in a current user state while performing the at least one function;

identify, from the memory, a user state information item and an environmental state information item corresponding to the changed user state and the current environmental state information, and

update the at least one function in a function item corresponding to the identified user state information item and the identified environmental state information item, and

when there is a request for displaying the idle screen;

identify, from the memory, a user state information item and an environmental state information item corresponding to a current user state and the current environmental state information,

identify, from the memory, functions corresponding to the identified user state information item and the identified environmental state information item, and

configure the idle screen using the identified functions.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the user state information includes at least one of a temperature or a body condition of the user.

9. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein, when the at least one function is identified, the processor is further configured to:

identify, from the memory, an environmental state information item and a user state information item corresponding to the current environmental state information and the current user state, and

perform an operation for the at least one function while updating the use number of the at least one function in the function item corresponding to the identified environmental state information item and the identified user state information item.

10. The electronic device of claim 7,

wherein, when there is a change in the current user state, the processor is further configured to:

identify, from the memory, a user state information item and an environmental state information item corresponding to the current user state and the current environmental state information, and

update the use number of the at least one function in the function item corresponding to the identified user state information item and the identified environmental state information item, and

wherein, when there is a request for displaying the idle screen, the processor is further configured to;

identify, from the memory, a user state information item and an environmental state information item corresponding to the current user state and the current environmental state information,

identify, from the memory, functions corresponding to the identified user state information item and the identified environmental state information item, and

configure the idle screen using the identified functions.

11. A storage medium of an electronic device storing instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform at least one operation, wherein the at least one operation comprises:

storing, in a memory of the electronic device, environmental state information corresponding to a environmental state obtained via a sensor of the electronic device;

storing a use number of each function of the electronic device based on the environmental state information in the memory, in response to a request for displaying the idle screen on a display of the electronic device;

identifying at least one function from among functions of the electronic device based on the use number and current environmental state information, the idle screen including icons corresponding to the functions of the electronic device; and

displaying, on the display, the idle screen by adding at least one icon for executing the at least one function.

12. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein storing the use number comprises:

identifying whether there is a function that is identical to the at least one function among the functions included in a function item of the electronic device; and

when there is a function that is identical to the at least one function, increasing and storing a number of uses of the identical function.

13. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein storing the use number comprises:

identifying whether there is a function that is identical to the at least one function among the functions included in a function item of the electronic device; and

when there is no a function that is identical to the at least one function, adding and storing the at least one function to the function item.

14. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein the at least one operation further comprises:

when the at least one function is identified, identifying an environmental state information item corresponding to the current environmental state information from the memory; and

performing an operation for the at least one function while updating the use number of the at least one function in a function item of the electronic device corresponding to the identified environmental state information item.

15. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein storing the environmental state information comprises:

obtaining user state information via the sensor; and

storing a plurality of environmental state information items and a plurality of function items each comprising functions of the electronic device so that each of the plurality of function items and each of the plurality of environmental state information items are associated with one of a plurality of user state information items including at least one piece of the user state information.

16. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one operation further comprises:

when there is a change in a current user state while performing the at least one function, identifying, from the memory, a user state information item and an environmental state information item corresponding to the changed user state and the current environmental state information.

17. The storage medium of claim 16, wherein storing the use number comprises:

updating the use number of the at least one function in a function item corresponding to the identified user state information item and the identified environmental state information item.

18. The storage medium of claim 16, wherein the at least one operation further comprises:

when there is a request for displaying the idle screen, identifying, from the memory, a user state information item and an environmental state information item corresponding to the current user state and the current environmental state information;

identifying, from the memory, functions corresponding to the identified user state information item and the identified environmental state information item; and

configuring the idle screen using the identified functions.

19. The storage medium of claim 16, wherein the at least one operation further comprises:

when the at least one function is identified, identifying, from the memory, an environmental state information item and a user state information item corresponding to the current environmental state information and the current user state; and

performing an operation for the at least one function while updating the use number of the at least one function in a function item corresponding to the identified environmental state information item and the identified user state information item.

20. The storage medium of claim 16, wherein the at least one operation further comprises:

when there is a request for displaying the idle screen while performing the at least one function;

identifying, from the memory, a user state information item and an environmental state information item corresponding to the current user state and the current environmental state information;

identifying, from the memory, functions corresponding to the determined user state information item and the determined environmental state information item;

generating shortcut icons of the identified functions; and

configuring the idle screen using the shortcut icons.