METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING MULTI-TASKING OPERATION FOR TERMINAL DEVICE PROVIDED WITH TOUCH SCREEN

• US 20090113355A1
• Filed: 10/29/2008
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Koo, Yoon-Hee
• Granted Patent: US 8,321,811 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/863
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A method of controlling a terminal device, and which includes executing a first function on the terminal device, displaying at least one function icon for executing at least one second function that is different than the first function being executed, and selectively executing the second function simultaneously with the first function when said at least one function icon is selected.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a terminal device, the method comprising:

executing a first function on the terminal device;

displaying at least one function icon for executing at least one second function that is different than the first function being executed; and

selectively executing the second function simultaneously with the first function when said at least one function icon is selected.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying at least one control icon for controlling the second function when said at least one function icon is selected.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

removing the displayed at least one control icon if the at least one control icon is not selected for a predetermined amount of time or another function icon is selected.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing the displayed at least one function icon to another function icon for selecting another function that is different than the first function, when the at least one function is selected in a predetermined touching manner.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectively executing step comprises:

determining if the second function can be simultaneously executed with the first function;

executing the second function simultaneously with the first function when the determining step determines the first and second functions can be executed together simultaneously; and

allowing the second function to be executed and pausing the first function when the determining step determines the first and second functions can not be executed together simultaneously.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second call function comprises a call request function.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein when the first function requires outputting audio information that would interfere with the call request function, the method further comprises:

continuing the execution of the first function while the call request function is attempted;

determining if the call request function is accepted; and

pausing the executing of the first function and allowing the call request function to be completed when the determining step determines the call request function is accepted.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

displaying a keypad including numbers to be input for dialing another party,

wherein the first function is continued to be executed while the keypad is displayed.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one function icon comprises at least one of a music function icon corresponding to a music function, a radio broadcast function icon corresponding to a radio broadcast function, a picture function icon corresponding to a picture function, a text function icon corresponding to a text function, a motion picture function icon corresponding to motion picture function, and a call request function corresponding to a call request function.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an incoming call request prior to selectively executing the second function simultaneously with the first function;

displaying a prompt asking whether or not the incoming call request should be accepted;

determining if the incoming call request will interrupt the first function; and

pausing the executing of the first function and allowing the incoming call request be accepted when the determining step determines the incoming call request will interrupt the first function.

11. A terminal device, comprising:

a control unit configured to execute a first function on the terminal device; and

a display unit configured to display at least one function icon for executing at least one second function that is different than the first function being executed,

wherein the control unit is further configured to selectively execute the second function simultaneously with the first function when said at least one function icon is selected.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the display unit is further configured to display at least one control icon for controlling the second function when said at least one function icon is selected.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the control unit is further configured to remove the displayed at least one control icon if the at least one control icon is not selected for a predetermined amount of time or another function icon is selected.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the display unit is further configured to change the displayed at least one function icon to another function icon for selecting another function that is different than the first function, when the at least one function is selected in a predetermined touching manner.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the control unit is further configured to determine if the second function can be simultaneously executed with the first function, to execute the second function simultaneously with the first function when the first and second functions can be executed together simultaneously, and to allow the second function to be executed and pause the first function when the first and second functions can not be executed together simultaneously.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the second call function comprises a call request function.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein when the first function requires outputting audio information that would interfere with the call request function, the control unit is further configured to continue the execution of the first function while the call request function is attempted, to determine if the call request function is accepted, and to pause the executing of the first function and allow the call request function to be completed when the control unit determines the call request function is accepted.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the display unit is further configured to display a keypad including numbers to be input for dialing another party, and to continue executing the first function to be executed while the keypad is displayed.

19. The device of claim 11, wherein the at least one function icon comprises at least one of a music function icon corresponding to a music function, a radio broadcast function icon corresponding to a radio broadcast function, a picture function icon corresponding to a picture function, a text function icon corresponding to a text function, a motion picture function icon corresponding to motion picture function, and a call request function corresponding to a call request function.

20. The device of claim 11, further comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive an incoming call request,

wherein the display unit is further configured to display a prompt asking whether or not the incoming call request should be accepted, and

wherein the control unit is further configured to determine if the incoming call request will interrupt the first function, and to pause the executing of the first function and allow the incoming call request be accepted when the control unit determines the incoming call request will interrupt the first function.