MOBILE TERMINAL AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20110175930A1
• Filed: 01/14/2011
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Hyundong, HWANG, Inyong
• Granted Patent: US 9,116,594 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/629
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• 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: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A mobile terminal is provided that includes a display unit configured to display one or more windows at a time, and a controller configured to generate a first window and a second window separate from the first window when an event occurs in the first window. The controller is configured to control the display unit to display at least one of the first window and the second window. Methods for controlling the mobile terminal are also provided.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising;

a display unit configured to display one or more windows at a time; and

a controller being configured to generate a first window and a second window separate from the first window when an event occurs in the first window, the controller being configured to control the display unit to display at least one of the first window and the second window.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the display unit to display a first application in the first window and a second application in the second window, the second application corresponding to the occurring event, and

wherein the controller is configured to control the display unit to display the second application in the second window upon receiving a first input from the user.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein, when the event occurs, the controller is configured to display notification information indicating the occurrence of the event.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein the notification information includes at least one of an icon and a bar corresponding to the occurring event.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein the first user input includes contacting the notification information.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to extract information from the first application according to a second user input and to control the second application to process the extracted information.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 6, further comprising a wireless communication unit,

wherein the controller is configured to control the wireless communication unit to transmit the extracted information to a counterpart terminal through the second application.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the first window is a main window provided at an upper layer, and the second window is at least one sub-window provided at a lower layer.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to control the display unit to display a resized main window and the at least one sub-window adjacent the resized window such that the resized main window and the at least one sub-window do not overlap when a resizing command of the main window is received.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein an indicator for receiving the resizing command is displayed at one edge of the main window, and, when the indicator is selected, the controller causes the display unit to resize the main window.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the indicator identifies an application being executed in the at least one sub-window when the main window overlaps the at least one sub-window.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to control the display unit to switch the contents of the main window and the at least one sub-window upon an input from the user.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the first window is a main window provided at an upper layer, the second window includes a plurality of sub-windows provided at a lower layer, and the plurality of sub-windows are disposed in a predetermined direction based on size order in which the plurality of sub-windows have been generated.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to control the display unit to change the positions of the plurality of sub-windows and to display at least one of the plurality of sub-windows upon an input from the user.

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

displaying, via a display unit, a first window; and

generating a second window separate from the first window when an event occurs while displaying the first window.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first window is a main window and the second window is a sub-window, the method further comprising:

providing the main window on an upper layer in the display; and

providing the sub-window on a lower layer in the display.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, by a controller, a resizing command for the main window;

resizing the main window; and

displaying the sub-window adjacent the resized main window such that the sub-window does not overlap with the resized main window.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

displaying a first application in the first window; and

displaying a second application in the second window according to a first user input, the second application corresponding to the occurring event.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

extracting information corresponding to the first application; and

processing the extracted information by the second application.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising transmitting the extracted information to a counterpart terminal through the second application.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising displaying notification information indicating the occurrence of the event on the display unit.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first user input includes contacting the notification information.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the event is any one of a message reception, a video call signal, a voice call signal reception, and an alarm output.