Mobile terminal and screen displaying method thereof

• US 8,160,652 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2009
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Nam, Seung Woo
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Daniel D
• Application Number:
  US12/406,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20090239588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 345/173, 715/863, 715/753
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• 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 mobile terminal and method for displaying on a touch screen information associated with an item displayed on the touch screen when an object is in near-proximity to the displayed item. A sensing unit senses a real-touch and a proximity-touch of the touch screen and a controller displays the information associated with the specific item on the touch screen.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a touch sensitive display including a touch screen for displaying an item related to a specific function;

a sensing unit for at least sensing a contact touch or sensing an object in near-proximity to the displayed item; and

a controller for;

controlling the touch sensitive display to display first information associated with the displayed item in a pop-up window at a predetermined area of the touch sensitive display when the controller receives a first sensing signal from the sensing unit indicating that the object is in near-proximity to the displayed item, wherein the first information comprises at least one sub-menu of the displayed item;

receiving a second sensing signal from the sensing unit indicating that a sub-menu of the at least one sub-menu is contact touched;

controlling the touch sensitive display to display second information associated with the contact touched sub-menu;

controlling the touch sensitive display to stop displaying the pop-up window when the sensing unit senses that the object is not positioned within a predetermined distance of the touch sensitive display; and

executing the specific function related to the displayed item when the controller receives a third sensing signal from the sensing unit indicating that the predetermined area of the touch sensitive display is contact touched.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further for controlling the touch sensitive display to stop displaying the pop-up window a predetermined time after the sensing unit senses that the object is not positioned within the predetermined distance of the touch sensitive display.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the item is a phone book list.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein the at least one sub-menu comprises at least:

an image;

recent call information;

message transceiving information;

a current position;

or

a current state.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the item comprises a group of contact addresses.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein the at least one sub-menu comprises a plurality of contact names arranged in an order according to most recently called or most frequently called.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one sub-menu comprises a plurality of contents associated with the displayed item; and

the controller is further for displaying the plurality of contents in an order according to most recently used or most frequently used.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the item is a word and the at least one sub-menu comprises dictionary information for the word.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the item is a virtual input button and the at least one sub-menu comprises a plurality of input symbols associated with the virtual input button.

10. A method for displaying information on a touch sensitive display of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

displaying an item on the touch sensitive display, wherein the item is related to a specific function;

receiving a first sensing signal indicating that an object is in near-proximity to the displayed item;

controlling the touch sensitive display to display first information associated with the displayed item in a pop-up window at a predetermined area of the touch sensitive display, wherein the first information comprises at least one sub-menu of the displayed item;

receiving a second sensing signal indicating that a sub-menu of the at least one sub-menu is contact touched;

controlling the touch sensitive display to display second information associated with the contact touched sub-menu;

controlling the touch sensitive display to stop displaying the pop-up window upon sensing that the object is not positioned within a predetermined distance of the touch sensitive display; and

executing the specific function related to the displayed item upon receiving a third sensing signal indicating that the predetermined area of the touch sensitive display is contact touched.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein controlling the touch sensitive display to stop displaying the pop-up window comprises controlling the touch sensitive display to stop displaying the pop-up window a predetermined time after sensing that the object is not positioned within the predetermined distance of the touch sensitive display.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the item is a phone book list.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one sub-menu comprises at least:

an image;

recent call information;

message transceiving information;

a current position;

or

a current state.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the item comprises a group of contact addresses.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one sub-menu comprises a plurality of contact names arranged in an order according to most recently called or most frequently called.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the at least one sub-menu of the item comprises a plurality of contents associated with the displayed item; and

the plurality of contents are displayed in an order according to most recently used or most frequently used.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the item is a word and the at least one sub-menu comprises dictionary information for the word.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the item is a virtual input button and the at least one sub-menu comprises a plurality of input symbols associated with the virtual input button.