Mobile terminal having rotating input device and method for operating the mobile terminal

• US 7,765,495 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2008
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Ju-Hyun, Choi, Kyoo-Sung
• Primary Examiner(s): HAILU, TADESSE
• Application Number:
  US12/014,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20080172634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 715/822, 715/834, 715/864, 715/830, 455/556.1, 455/550.1, 345/169, 345/184, 345/157
• US Class Current: 715/864
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 11/043 Protective lens closures or lens caps built into cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

A method for displaying icons on a mobile terminal having a front side and an opposing rear side includes displaying a plurality of icons on a display located on the front side of the mobile terminal, receiving user input responsive to user-driven rotation of a rotatable wheel located on the rear side of the mobile terminal, and selectively highlighting individual icons of the plurality of icons responsive to the user-driven rotation of the wheel.

Claims

1. A method for displaying icons on a mobile terminal having a front side and an opposing rear side, the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of icons on a display located on the front side of the mobile terminal;

receiving user input responsive to user-driven rotation of a rotatable wheel located on the rear side of the mobile terminal;

selectively displaying, responsive to the user input, one of a plurality of indicators within a central region defined by a generally circular arrangement of the plurality of icons, each of the plurality of indicators being uniquely associated with one of the plurality of icons; and

selectively highlighting individual icons of the plurality of icons responsive to the user-driven rotation of the wheel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of indicators is an enlarged version of the associated icon.

3. A method for displaying icons on a mobile terminal having a front side and an opposing rear side, the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of icons on a display in a generally circular arrangement, the display located on the front side of the mobile terminal;

receiving user input responsive to user-driven rotation of a rotatable wheel located on the rear side of the mobile terminal which is opposite to the front side on which the display is located; and

selectively displaying, responsive to the user input, one of a plurality of indicators within a central region defined by the generally circular arrangement of the plurality of icons,

wherein each of the plurality of indicators is uniquely associated with one of the plurality of icons.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of indicators is an enlarged version of the associated icon.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

initiating one of a plurality of modes associated with the selectively displayed indicator in response to sensory touching of the selectively displayed indicator.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of modes comprises at least one of:

a camera mode;

a music mode;

a video mode;

a calendar mode;

an email mode;

a calendar mode; and

a contact list mode.

7. A method for operating a mobile terminal having a front side and an opposing rear side, the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of icons on a display located on the front side of the mobile terminal;

receiving user input responsive to user-driven rotation of a rotatable wheel located on the rear side of the mobile terminal;

selectively displaying, responsive to the user input, one of a plurality of indicators within a central region defined by a generally circular arrangement of the plurality of icons, each of the plurality of indicators being uniquely associated with one of the plurality of icons; and

indicating the one of the plurality of icons responsive to the user-driven rotation of the wheel.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

selecting a menu mode in response to pressing a key button or the wheel in order to display the plurality of icons corresponding to a plurality of menu items.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

selecting the indicated icon in response to pressing a switch located on the rear side of the mobile terminal.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

selecting the indicated icon in response to pushing the wheel.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

selecting the indicated icon in response to sensory touching of the icon.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the indicated one of the plurality of icons is an enlarged version of the associated icon displayed in the circular arrangement.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

rotating the wheel to move to a next icon among the plurality of icons.

14. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

displaying a control indicator for adjusting one of volume and zooming.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

rotating the wheel to adjust the volume or the zooming.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein one of the plurality of icons corresponds to a camera mode for operating a camera.

17. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display located on the front side of the mobile terminal and displaying a plurality of icons;

an input unit located on the rear side of the mobile terminal and comprising a rotatable wheel, the input unit receiving user input responsive to user-driven rotation of the rotatable wheel; and

a control unit selectively highlighting individual icons of the plurality of icons in response to rotation of the wheel, the control unit controlling the display to selectively display, responsive to the user input, one of a plurality of indicators within a central region defined by a generally circular arrangement of the plurality of icons, each of the plurality of indicators being uniquely associated with one of the plurality of icons.

18. A mobile terminal having a front side and an opposing rear side, the mobile terminal comprising:

a display for displaying a plurality of icons in a generally circular arrangement, the display located on the front side;

an input unit comprising a rotatable wheel located on the rear side of the mobile terminal which is opposite to the front side on which the display is located, the input unit receiving user input responsive to rotation of the rotatable wheel; and

a control unit controlling the display to selectively display, responsive to the user input, one of a plurality of indicators within a central region defined by the generally circular arrangement of the plurality of icons, each of the plurality of indicators being uniquely associated with one of the plurality of icons.