MOBILE TERMINAL AND CONTROLLING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20130205210A1
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Published: 08/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: JEON, Taeyoung, WOO, Seunghyun, JUNG, Hayang, PARK, Jiyoung, KIM, Sujin, JANG, Sukjin
• Granted Patent: US 9,772,767 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/716
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Disclosed are a mobile terminal and controlling method thereof. The mobile terminal is controllable in response to a pinch-in/out touch gesture. The present invention includes activating a 1^st application file via a specific application, displaying a 1^st file image corresponding to the 1^st application file on a touch screen in a single view state of displaying a single file image on the touchscreen, receiving a pinch-in touch gesture performed on the touchscreen, and switching the single view state to a multi-view state of displaying a plurality of file images in response to the reception of the pinch-in touch gesture. A 2^nd file image corresponding to each of at least one 2^nd application file and the 1^st file image are displayed on the touchscreen in the multi-view state. The 1^st application file and the at least one 2^nd application file are activated by the specific application.

Claims

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

activating a first application file executable by a specific application;

displaying a first file image corresponding to the first application file on a touchscreen of the mobile terminal, the first file image being displayed in a single view state of which a single file image is displayed on the touchscreen;

receiving a first pinch-in touch gesture input via the touchscreen while the first file image is displayed in the single view state; and

switching from the single view state to a multi-view state of which a plurality of file images are displayed in response to the first pinch-in touch gesture input,

wherein the plurality of file images displayed in the multi-view state comprise the first file image and a second file image corresponding to a second application file executable by the specific application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first pinch-in touch gesture input comprises touching at least two points on the touchscreen and then dragging substantially towards each other such that a distance between the touched at least two points decreases.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

decreasing a size of the first file image in response to the first pinch-in touch gesture input.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second touch gesture input in the multi-view state via the touchscreen;

decreasing a size of the first file image or increasing a number of file images in the multi-view state in response to the second touch gesture input;

selecting the second file image from the plurality of file images displayed in the multi-view state;

activating the second application file when the second file image is selected;

switching from the multi-view state to the single view state when the second file image is selected; and

displaying the second file image in the single view state.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying information indicating that the activated first application file is being executed by the specific application in the single view state;

continuously displaying the information after switching to the multi-view state until the second file image is selected to activate the second application file;

switching back to the single view state when the second file image is selected in the multi-view state; and

displaying information indicating that the activated second application file is being executed by the specific application in the single view state.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific application comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a music application, an Internet application, a word processor application, and an image application.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

each of the first application file and the second application file comprises a music file activated by the music application when the specific application comprises the music application; and

the first file image and the second file image comprise a first album image associated with first application file and a second album image associated with the second application file, respectively.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein each of the first file image and the second file image includes information indicating whether a corresponding application file has been saved when the specific application comprises the word processor application or the image application.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

stopping executing the first application file by the specific application when the first pinch-in touch gesture input continues or a further pinch-in touch gesture input is received after switching to the multi-view state.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

switching from the multi-view state to a list view state of which the first application file and the second application file are listed in a file list without the first file image and the second file image when the first pinch-in touch gesture input continues or a further pinch-in touch gesture input is received after switching to the multi-view state.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

including summary information regarding the first application file and summary information regarding the second application file in the first file image and the second file image, respectively, when the first pinch-in touch gesture input continues or a further pinch-in touch gesture input is received after switching to the multi-view state.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing an execution status of the first application file or a position of the first application file being executed by the specific application in association with the first application file when switched to the multi-view state.

13. A mobile terminal comprising:

a touchscreen configured to;

display a first file image corresponding to a first application file executable by a specific application in a single view state of which a single file image is displayed; and

receive a first pinch-in touch gesture input while the first file image is displayed in the single view state; and

a controller configured to;

control the touchscreen to switch from the single view state to a multi-view state of which a plurality of file images are displayed in response to the first pinch-in touch gesture input,

wherein the plurality of file images displayed in the multi-view state comprise the first file image and a second file image corresponding to a second application file executable by the specific application.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the first pinch-in touch gesture input comprises touching at least two points on the touchscreen and then dragging substantially towards each other such that a distance between the touched at least two points decreases.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to control the touchscreen to decrease a size of the first file image in response to the first pinch-in touch gesture input.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein:

the touchscreen is further configured to receive a second touch gesture input in the multi-view state; and

the controller is further configured to;

control the touchscreen to decrease a size of the first file image or increase a number of file images in response to the second touch gesture input;

select the second file image from the plurality of file images displayed in the multi-view state;

activate the second application file;

control the touchscreen to switch from the multi-view state to the single view state when the second file image is selected; and

control the touchscreen to display the second file image in the single view state.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to control the touchscreen to:

display information indicating that the activated first application file is being executed by the specific application in the single view state;

continue displaying the information after switching to the multi-view state until the second file image is selected to activate the second application file;

switch back to the single view state when the second file image is selected in the multi-view state; and

display information indicating that the activated second application file is being executed by the specific application in the single view state.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the specific application comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a music application, an Internet application, a word processor application, and an image application.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 18, wherein:

each of the first application file and the second application file comprises a music file activated by the music application when the specific application comprises the music application; and

the first file image and the second file image comprise a first album image associated with first application file and a second album image associated with the second application file, respectively.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 18, wherein each of the first file image and the second file image includes information indicating whether a corresponding application file has been saved when the specific application comprises the word processor application or the image application.

21. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to stop executing the first application file by the specific application when the first pinch-in touch gesture input continues or a further pinch-in touch gesture input is received via the touchscreen after switching to the multi-view state.

22. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to control the touchscreen to switch from the multi-view state to a list view state of which the first application file and the second application file are listed in a file list when the first pinch-in touch gesture input continues or a further pinch-in touch gesture input is received via the touchscreen after switching to the multi-view state.

23. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to control the touchscreen to include summary information for the first application file and summary information for the second application file in the first file image and the second file image, respectively, when the first pinch-in touch gesture input continues or a further pinch-in touch gesture input is received via the touchscreen after switching to the multi-view state.

24. The mobile terminal of claim 13, further comprising a memory, wherein the controller if further configured to control the memory to store an execution status of the first application file or a position of the first application file being executed by the specific application in association with the first application file when switched to the multi-view state.