Mobile terminal and idle screen display method for the same

• US 20080092081A1
• Filed: 09/19/2007
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Jin Yong, Hong, Nho Kyung, Jong, In Won, Jeon, Hee Kyung, Youn, Su Jung, Baek, Sung Hwan
• Granted Patent: US 8,286,105 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/840
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations

Abstract

A mobile terminal and idle screen display method for the same are provided. The mobile terminal includes a memory unit for storing an idle screen image, a display unit for displaying the idle screen image, an input means for generating a selection signal to select a zone of the idle screen image, and a control unit for controlling transmission of the idle screen image from the memory unit to the display unit, for zooming-in, and for displaying a selected zone of the idle screen image.

Claims

1. An idle screen display method for menu navigation through links in a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

selecting a zone of an idle screen;

determining whether the selected zone is zoomable; and

zooming in, if the selected zone is zoomable, and displaying the selected zone.

2. The idle screen display method of claim 1, wherein the idle screen comprises:

a link zone for, upon selection, zooming in; and

an ordinary zone different from the link zone.

3. The idle screen display method of claim 2, wherein the link zone has at least one upper level link leading to a link page having at least one lower level link.

4. The idle screen display method of claim 3, wherein the link page comprises:

a lower level link zone for, upon selection, zooming in; and

an ordinary zone different from the lower level link zone.

5. The idle screen display method of claim 3, wherein the link page comprises:

an item for, upon selection, providing at least one of a display of contents of the item and an activation of an application associated with the item; and

an ordinary zone separated from the item.

6. The idle screen display method of claim 3, wherein the link page comprises at least one of a button for returning to the previous screen and another button for returning to the idle screen.

7. The idle screen display method of claim 6, wherein the button causes zooming-out for returning to the previous screen.

8. The idle screen display method of claim 3, wherein the selecting of the zone of the idle screen comprises selecting the zone using at least one of a key event from a keypad and a touch event from a touch screen.

9. An idle screen display method for a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

displaying an idle screen image comprising overlapping image elements having at least one link;

selecting one of the image elements having a link; and

moving to a zoomed-in image element indicated by a lower level link of the selected image element.

10. The idle screen display method of claim 9, wherein the lower level link comprises:

an item for, upon selection of the zoomed-in image element, providing at least one of a display of contents of the item and an activation of an application associated with the item; and

an ordinary zone separated from the item.

11. The idle screen display method of claim 9, wherein the lower level link comprises at least one of a button for returning to the previous screen and another button for returning to the idle screen image.

12. The idle screen display method of claim 11, wherein the button causes zooming-out for returning to the previous screen.

13. The idle screen display method of claim 9, wherein the selecting of the one of the image elements having a link comprises selecting using at least one of a key event from a keypad and a touch event from a touch screen.

14. A mobile terminal comprising:

an idle screen image having at least one upper level menu;

a first link page for zooming in and displaying one of the at least one upper level menu and having at least one lower level menu related to the selected upper level menu;

a second link page for zooming in and displaying one of the at least one lower level menu and having at least one item related to the selected lower level menu; and

an item screen for displaying, upon selection of one of the at least one item, contents of the selected item.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the first link page comprises a zoom-out button for returning to the idle screen image through a screen change according to zooming out.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the second link page comprises:

a zoom-out button for returning to the first link page through a screen change according to zooming out; and

an initialization button for returning to the idle screen image through a screen change according to at least one of zooming out and page switching.

17. A mobile terminal comprising:

a memory unit for storing an idle screen image;

a display unit for displaying the idle screen image;

an input means for generating a selection signal to select a zone of the idle screen image; and

a control unit for controlling transmission of the idle screen image from the memory unit to the display unit, and for zooming-in and displaying a selected zone of the idle screen image.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein the input means comprises at least one of a key input unit for generating a key event and a touch screen for generating a touch event.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein the idle screen image comprises:

a link zone zoomed-in upon selection; and

an ordinary zone different from the link zone,

wherein the link zone has at least one upper level link leading to a link page having at least one lower level link.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 19, wherein the link page comprises:

a lower level link zone for, upon selection, zooming in; and

an ordinary zone different from the lower level link zone.

21. The mobile terminal of claim 19, wherein the link page comprises:

an item for, upon selection, providing at least one of a display of contents of the item and an activation of an application associated with the item; and

an ordinary zone different from the item.

22. The mobile terminal of claim 19, wherein the link page comprises at least one of a zoom-out button for returning to the previous screen and an initialization button for returning to the idle screen image.