MOBILE TERMINAL AND SCREEN DISPLAYING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20090239588A1
• Filed: 03/18/2009
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Nam, Seung Woo
• Granted Patent: US 8,160,652 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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 mobile terminal and method for displaying on a touch screen information associated with an item displayed on the touch screen when an object is in near-proximity to the displayed item. A sensing unit senses a real-touch and a proximity-touch of the touch screen and a controller displays the information associated with the specific item on the touch screen.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a display including a touch screen;

a sensing unit for sensing an object in near-proximity to the touch screen; and

a controller for displaying information associated with an item displayed on the touch screen when the object is in near-proximity to the item.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller executes a function associated with the item when the object contacts the item on the touch screen.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller displays additional information associated with the item when the object contacts the item on the touch screen.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller facilitates the information associated with the item to disappear from the display when the object is no longer in near-proximity to the touch screen.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the information disappears after a predetermined time from when the object is no longer in near-proximity to the touch screen.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the item comprises an item displayed in a phone book list.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 6, wherein the information associated with the item displayed in the phone book list comprises at least one of:

an image;

recent call information;

message transceiving information;

a current position; and

a current state.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the item comprises a group of contact addresses.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the information associated with the group of contact addresses comprises a plurality of contact names arranged in an order according to one of most recently called and most frequently called.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the item is a menu item related to a specific function.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the information associated with the menu item comprises at least one of a sub-menu of the menu and an explanation of the menu.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the information associated with the item comprises an option menu associated with the item.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the information associated with the item comprises a plurality of contents associated with the item, and wherein the controller displays the plurality of contents in an order according to one of most recently used and most frequently used.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the item is a word displayed on the touch screen and the information comprises dictionary information for the word.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the item is a virtual input button displayed on the touch screen and the information comprises a plurality of input symbols associated with the virtual input button.

16. A method for displaying information on a mobile terminal touch screen, the method comprising:

sensing an object in near-proximity to the touch screen; and

displaying information associated with an item displayed on the touch screen when the object is in near-proximity to the item.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

executing a function associated with the item when the object contacts the item on the touch screen.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying additional information associated with the item when the object contacts the item on the touch screen.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the information associated with the item disappears from the display when the object is no longer in near-proximity to the touch screen.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the information disappears after a predetermined time from when the object is no longer in near-proximity to the touch screen.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the item comprises an item displayed in a phone book list.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the information associated with the item displayed in the phone book list comprises at least one of:

an image;

recent call information;

message transceiving information;

a current position; and

a current state.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the item displayed comprises a group of contact addresses.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the information associated with the group of contact addresses comprises a plurality of contact names arranged in an order according to one of most recently called and most frequently called.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the item is a menu item related to a specific function.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the information associated with the menu item comprises at least one of a sub-menu of the menu and an explanation of the menu.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein the information associated with the item comprises an option menu associated with the item.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein the information associated with the item comprises a plurality of contents associated with the item, and wherein the controller displays the plurality of contents in an order according to one of most recently used and most frequently used.

29. The method of claim 19, wherein the item is a word displayed on the touch screen and the information comprises dictionary information for the word.

30. The method of claim 19, wherein the item is a virtual input button displayed on the touch screen and the information comprises a plurality of input symbols associated with the virtual input button.