Mobile communication terminal with touch screen and information inputing method using the same

• US 8,174,496 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2007
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Sagong, Phil
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Prabodh M
• Application Number:
  US11/735,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20080188267A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,852 Days
• Field of Search: 345/1.1, 345/156, 345/158, 345169-175, 455/566, 455/574, 455/575.1, 178/18.01, 358/400, 358/403, 715/702, 715/810, 715/700, 713/182, 235/383
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/68 with means for recording information, e.g. telephone number during a conversation recording of telephone conversations H04M1/656

Abstract

A mobile terminal communication method, which includes activating a touch screen of the mobile terminal, entering into an inactive touch screen mode preventing information from being entered on the touch screen of the mobile terminal while a function is executed on the terminal, receiving an input signal through a specified key arranged on the terminal during a time when the inactive touch screen mode is entered, and entering into an active touch screen mode allowing information to be entered on the touch screen in accordance with the received input signal.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal communication method, comprising:

activating a touch screen of the mobile terminal;

activating a key to generate a signal;

entering into an inactive touch screen mode preventing information from being entered on the touch screen of the mobile terminal while a function is executed on the terminal based on the generated signal;

receiving an input signal through a specified key arranged on the terminal during a time when the inactive touch screen mode is entered and the function is executed on the terminal; and

entering into an active touch screen mode allowing information to be entered on the touch screen and displaying an information input region on the touch screen in accordance with the received input signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the function corresponds to a phone call being connected.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

re-entering the inactivation touch screen mode when information is not input onto the touch screen for a predetermined amount of time after the active touch screen mode has been entered.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information input region includes a keypad including touch buttons that may be touched to input information.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

displaying a display window for displaying information input using the keypad.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

displaying a function button that may be touched to perform a specified function and a call button that may be touched to connect another party to the phone call that is connected.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

displaying an input mode selection window including at least one input mode touch button that may be touched to designate an input characteristic of the touch buttons included in the keypad.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the input characteristics of the touch buttons included in the keypad include at least one of a language input, a character input, a numeral input, and a sign input.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one touch button in the input mode selection window includes a single button that changes the input characteristics of the touch buttons included in the keypad, said single button changing the input characteristics based on a length of time the single button is touched or a number of times the single button is successively touched.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one touch button in the input mode selection window includes a plurality of touch mode buttons, each touch mode button corresponding to a different input mode characteristic.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the information input region includes a writing input window allowing information to be written on the writing input window.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying a display window on the touch screen for displaying the information written on the writing input window.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying a memo function button that may be touched to save the information writing on the writing input window as a memo, and a call button that may be touched to connect another party to a call that is connected.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein information related to the executing function is displayed on the touch screen while the function is executed on the terminal.

15. A mobile terminal communication method, comprising:

activating a touch screen of the mobile terminal;

activating a key to generate a signal;

entering into an inactive touch screen mode preventing information from being entered on the touch screen of the mobile terminal while a function is executed on the terminal based on the generated signal;

receiving an input signal through a specified key arranged on the terminal during a time when the inactive touch screen mode is entered and the function is executed on the terminal;

entering into an active touch screen mode allowing information to be entered on the touch screen in accordance with the received input signal; and

displaying a list of functions that may be touched and executed on the touch screen in accordance with the received input signal.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein information related to the executing function is displayed on the touch screen while the function is executed on the terminal.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the list of functions that may be touched and executed include at least one of a camera function, a music function, a video function, an electronic-book function and a web-search function.

18. A mobile communication terminal, comprising:

a touch screen;

a first key button and a second key button; and

a control unit configured to enter into an inactive touch screen mode preventing information from being entered on the touch screen of the mobile terminal while a function is executed on the terminal based on a signal generated by the second key button, to receive an input signal through the first key button during a time when the inactive touch screen mode is entered and the function is executed on the mobile terminal, and to enter into an active touch screen mode allowing information to be entered on the touch screen and display an information input region on the touch screen in accordance with the received input signal.

19. The mobile communication terminal of claim 18, wherein the function corresponds to a phone call being connected.

20. The mobile communication terminal of claim 18, wherein the control unit re-enters the inactivation touch screen mode when information is not input onto the touch screen for a predetermined amount of time after the active touch screen mode has been entered.

21. The mobile communication terminal of claim 18, wherein the information input region includes a keypad including touch buttons that may be touched to input information.

22. The mobile communication terminal of claim 21, wherein the control unit further displays a display window for displaying information input using the keypad.

23. The mobile communication terminal of claim 21, wherein the control unit further displays a function button that may be touched to perform a specified function and a call button that may be touched to connect another party to the phone call that is connected.

24. The mobile communication terminal of claim 18, wherein information related to the executing function is displayed on the touch screen while the function is executed on the mobile terminal.

26. The mobile communication terminal of claim 21, wherein the control unit further displays an input mode selection window including at least one input mode touch button that may be touched to designate an input characteristic of the touch buttons included in the keypad.

27. The mobile communication terminal of claim 26, wherein the input characteristics of the touch buttons included in the keypad include at least one of a language input, a character input, a numeral input, and a sign input.

28. The mobile communication terminal of claim 26, wherein the at least one touch button in the input mode selection window includes a single button that changes the input characteristics of the touch buttons included in the keypad, said single button changing the input characteristics based on a length of time the single button is touched or a number of times the single button is successively touched.

29. The mobile communication terminal of claim 26, wherein the at least one touch button in the input mode selection window includes a plurality of touch mode buttons, each touch mode button corresponding to a different input mode characteristic.

30. The mobile communication terminal of claim 18, wherein the information input region includes a writing input window allowing information to be written on the writing input window.

31. The mobile communication terminal of claim 30, wherein the control unit further displays a display window on the touch screen for displaying the information written on the writing input window.

32. The mobile communication terminal of claim 30, wherein the control unit further displays a memo function button that may be touched to save the information writing on the writing input window as a memo, and a call button that may be touched to connect another party to a call that is connected.

25. A mobile communication terminal, comprising:

a touch screen;

a first key button and a second key button; and

a control unit configured to enter into an inactive touch screen mode preventing information from being entered on the touch screen of the mobile terminal while a function is executed on the terminal based on a signal generated by the second key button, to receive an input signal through the first key button during a time when the inactive touch screen mode is entered and the function is executed on the mobile terminal, to enter into an active touch screen mode allowing information to be entered on the touch screen in accordance with the received input signal, and to display a list of functions that may be touched and executed on the touch screen in accordance with the received input signal.

33. The mobile communication terminal of claim 25, wherein information related to the executing function is displayed on the touch screen while the function is executed on the mobile terminal.

34. The mobile communication terminal of claim 25, wherein the list of functions that may be touched and executed include at least one of a camera function, a music function, a video function, an electronic-book function and a web-search function.