Mobile communication terminal and message display method therein

• US 7,953,431 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2006
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Yeon Woo, Jeon, Soo Jin, Lee, Sang Hyuck, Cheon, Jee Young, Weon, Dong Jun, Jo, Seon Tae, Lee, Seung Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): THIER, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US11/534,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20070072633A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,709 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/563, 455/566, 455/567
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit
• 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 method is provided for displaying a message in a mobile communication terminal. According to one example, the method includes the steps of receiving a first message, displaying the first message on a first display of the terminal, and displaying a message preparation window on a second display of the terminal simultaneously with the display of the first message. Since the terminal user can prepare a response text message to a received text message while viewing the received text message, the preparation of the response text message can be more conveniently achieved.

Claims

1. A message display method in a mobile communication terminal, the method comprising:

receiving a message from a specific party;

displaying the received message from the specific party on a first display portion of a display of the terminal;

displaying a message editing interface on a second display portion of the terminal to enable editing a response message to the received message from the specific party via user contact with the second display portion of the terminal, wherein the first display portion and the second display portion are displayed on at least one touch screen of the terminal;

transmitting the response message to the specific party;

storing previously received messages and previously transmitted messages, the previously received messages including the message received from the specific party and messages received from other parties, and the previously transmitted messages including the response message transmitted to the specific party and messages transmitted to other parties;

displaying a list comprising distinct names or distinct telephone numbers of sources of the previously received messages and recipients of the previously transmitted messages, the list including the name or telephone number of the specific party, wherein a message previously received from one source of the list is displayed simultaneously with the displaying of the list;

selecting the specific party from the list to retrieve only messages received from the specific party among the previously received messages and messages previously transmitted to the specific party among the previously transmitted messages;

displaying a first message list on the display of the terminal;

displaying a second message list on the display of the terminal, wherein the first message list includes the previously received messages of only a single party, which is the specific party, and wherein the second message list includes the previously transmitted messages of only a single party, which is the specific party, and wherein the first message list is distinct from the second message list;

displaying simultaneously, on the display, message received dates and message transmission dates, wherein the message received dates and the message transmission dates are displayed to be aligned vertically, relative to each other, and at locations within the first message list and the second message list;

providing a message input mode responsive to user input, wherein the message input mode permits user entry of a message for sending to the specific party, wherein the message input mode is provided after the first message list and the second message list have been displayed for a period of time, and wherein during the period of time, no message editing interface is displayed;

displaying, while in the message input mode, content associated with a message of the first message list on the first display portion of the terminal; and

displaying, while in the message input mode, the message editing interface on the second display portion of the terminal, wherein the message editing interface includes a soft keypad.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication terminal further comprises an input unit configured for voice input and voice recognition, and wherein the response message is prepared by a voice via the input unit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of a content of the received message from the specific party can be copied and pasted into the message editing interface.

4. A mobile communication terminal, comprising:

a touch screen;

a message processing unit for transmitting or receiving a message;

at least two display portions including a first display portion and a second display portion for displaying the received message and to simultaneously display a message editing interface for enabling creation of a response message to the received message via user contact with the second display portion, the first display portion and the second display portion being included in the touch screen; and

a controller for controlling the message processing unit and the touch screen, wherein the controller is configured to;

transmit the response message to a specific party;

store previously received messages and previously transmitted messages, the previously received messages including a message received from the specific party and messages received from other parties, and the previously transmitted messages including the response message transmitted to the specific party and messages transmitted to other parties;

cause displaying of a list comprising distinct names or distinct telephone numbers of sources of the previously received messages and recipients of the previously transmitted messages, the list including the name or telephone number of the specific party, wherein a message previously received from one source of the list is displayed simultaneously with the displaying of the list;

select the specific party from the list to retrieve only messages received from the specific party among the previously received messages and messages previously transmitted to the specific party among the previously transmitted messages;

cause displaying of a first message list on the touch screen of the terminal;

cause displaying of a second message list on the touch screen of the terminal, wherein the first message list includes the previously received messages of only a single party, which is the specific party, and wherein the second message list includes the previously transmitted messages of only a single party, which is the specific party, and wherein the first message list is distinct from the second message list;

cause simultaneously displaying of message received dates and message transmission dates on the touch screen, wherein the message received dates and the message transmission dates are displayed to be aligned vertically, relative to each other, and at locations within the first message list and the second message list;

provide a message input mode responsive to user input, wherein the message input mode permits user entry of a message for sending to the specific party, wherein the message input mode is provided after the first message list and the second message list have been displayed for a period of time, and wherein during the period of time, no message editing interface is displayed;

cause displaying of, while in the message input mode, content associated with a message of the first message list on the first display portion of the terminal; and

cause displaying of, while in the message input mode, the message editing interface on the second display portion of the terminal, wherein the message editing interface includes a soft keypad.

5. The mobile communication terminal of claim 4, further comprising an input unit configured for voice input and voice recognition, wherein a command is input by a voice via the input unit.

6. The mobile communication terminal of claim 4, further comprising an input unit configured for voice input and voice recognition, wherein the response message is prepared by a voice via the input unit.

7. The mobile communication terminal of claim 6, wherein the voice input via the input unit is converted into a corresponding text to be displayed on the message editing interface.

8. The mobile communication terminal of claim 4, further comprising an input unit for inputting several kinds of information.

9. The mobile communication terminal of claim 8, wherein the input unit includes a keypad via which the several kinds of information can be input.

10. The mobile communication terminal of claim 8, wherein the input unit is configured for voice input and voice recognition, and wherein the several kinds of information can be input by a voice via the input unit.

11. The mobile communication terminal of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of a content of the received message from the specific party can be copied and pasted into the message editing interface.