MOBILE TERMINAL AND OPERATING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20110279388A1
• Filed: 11/15/2010
• Published: 11/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Chae, Jongkwon, JUNG, Jongcheol
• Granted Patent: US 9,063,648 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• 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 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A mobile terminal and an operating method thereof are provided. The operating method includes displaying an object list including one or more objects on a display module of the mobile terminal, detecting a first enlarge command from a first area of the display module where a particular object from the object list is displayed, the area indicating a targeted region within a predetermined distance from the particular object, wherein the first enlarge command corresponds to first positioning at least two touch points on the display module and then increasing a distance between the at least two touch points, and activating the particular object from the object list in response to the first enlarge command.

Claims

1. An operating method of a mobile terminal, the operating method comprising:

displaying an object list including one or more objects on a display module of the mobile terminal;

detecting a first enlarge command from a first area of the display module where a particular object from the object list is displayed, the area indicating a targeted region within a predetermined distance from the particular object, wherein the first enlarge command corresponds to first positioning at least two touch points on the display module and then increasing a distance between the at least two touch points; and

activating the particular object from the object list in response to the first enlarge command.

2. The operating method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a window for the activated particular object on the display module in response to the first enlarge command.

3. The operating method of claim 2, further comprising

detecting a reduce command from the window that corresponds to the activated particular object, wherein the reduce command corresponds to first positioning at least two touch points on the display module and then reducing a distance between the at least two points;

and

deleting the window and inactivating the particular activated object in response to the reduce command.

4. The operating method of claim 2, further comprising:

if the activated particular object is a menu icon, performing a function corresponding to the menu icon in the window.

5. The operating method of claim 2, further comprising:

if the activated particular object is an icon representing a data file that can be played, playing the data file in the window.

6. The operating method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying additional information on the activated particular object in the window.

7. The operating method of claim 2, further comprising:

detecting a second enlarge command from the window that corresponds to the activated particular object; and

enlarging the window by a predetermined size in response to the second enlarge command.

8. The operating method of claim 2, further comprising:

moving the window to a second area of the display module, wherein the second area corresponds to a location where the window has been touched and dragged to.

9. An operating method of a mobile terminal, the operating method comprising:

displaying an object list including at least one inactivated object, and two or more windows respectively corresponding to two or more activated objects on a display module of the mobile terminal;

detecting a group control signal from the display module, wherein the group control signal corresponds to touching an area of a predetermined size on the display module and dragging the area to a predetermined direction; and

executing the group control signal in response to the detected group control signal.

10. The operating method of claim 9, wherein the group control signal includes at least a first group control signal and second group control signal, the first group control signal corresponds to touching and dragging the area toward a first direction, and the second group control signal corresponds to touching and dragging the area toward a second direction, which is opposite to the first direction.

11. The operating method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting a first group control signal on the display module;

inactivating operations of the activated objects all together in response to the detected first group control signal; and

minimizing the windows all together or deleting the windows all together in response to the first group control signal.

12. The operating method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting a second group control signal on the display module;

reactivating operations of the inactivated objects, that were inactivated in response to the first group control signal, in response to the second group control signal; and

displaying all the windows corresponding to the reactivated objects back on the display module in response to the second group control signal.

13. The operating method of claim 12, wherein the displaying the windows back on the display module includes displaying the windows in a different arrangement by changing at least one of the size of the windows and the distance between the windows.

14. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display module configured to display an object list including one or more objects; and

a controller configured to detect an enlarge command from an area of the display module where a particular object from the object list is displayed, and to activate the particular object within the area,

wherein the enlarge command corresponds to first positioning at least two touch points on the display module and then increasing a distance between the at least two touch points.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to display a window for the activated particular object on the display module in response to the enlarge command.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to detect a reduce command from the window, and to delete the window and inactivate the activated object in response to the detected reduce command, and

wherein the reduce command corresponds to first positioning at least two touch points on the display module and then reducing a distance between the at least two touch points.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 15, wherein, if the activated particular object is a menu icon, the controller performs a function corresponding to the menu icon in the window.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 15, wherein, if the activated particular object is an icon representing a data file that can be played, the controller plays the data file in the window.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 15, wherein the controller displays additional information on the activated particular object in the window.

20. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display module configured to display an object list including at least one inactivated object and two or more windows respectively corresponding to two or more activated objects; and

a controller configured to inactivate the activated objects all together if a group control signal is detected from the display module, the group control signal corresponding to dragging on the display module toward a first direction while touching more than a predefined percentage of the area of the display module.

21. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein the controller deletes the windows all together in response to the group control signal.