Mobile terminal and method of controlling the same

• US 8,331,991 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2008
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Tae Hun, Jung, Jang Jae
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): HU, RUI MENG
• Application Number:
  US12/173,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20090088218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,610 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 4555751-5759, 345/689, 345/173
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof

Abstract

A mobile terminal, computer program product, and method for controlling the same are disclosed, by which a terminal user is enabled to input specific commands to the mobile terminal with minimum effort in a manner of configuring a display screen with consideration of enhanced user'"'"'s convenience. The present invention includes a display unit, a wireless communication unit for an internet access, a user input unit for receiving an input from a user, and a control unit controlling both a text input box and an indicator indicating one selected from the group consisting of at least two functions of the text input box to be displayed on a standby image of the display unit.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a display unit;

a wireless communication unit configured to establish an Internet access; and

a control unit configured to

display on the display unit a text input box on a standby image, the text input box selectively usable for a first search category and a second search category, and

display a current category indicator indicating a current search category of the text input box,

wherein, when the current category indicator is selected to change the current search category, the current search category of the text input box is changed from the first search category to the second search category, and an appearance of the current category indicator for the text input box is changed to indicate the changed search category,

wherein the changed appearance of the current category indicator is being displayed with the text input box, and

wherein the first search category is for searching information via the Internet access, and the second search category is for searching information within the terminal.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to

distinguish between at least two input pattern types input into the text input box to produce a distinguished pattern type, and

automatically select one of the first and second search categories based upon the distinguished pattern type.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein

the control unit is configured to display a category selection screen when the control unit is unable to distinguish between the at least two input pattern types input into the text input box.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein

the control unit is configured to display one of a color of the text input box, a location of the text input box within the display unit, a non-text image, and a text character as the current search indicator.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein

when the text input box is selected for inputting a text therein, the control unit is further configured to display a list of texts recently inputted to the selected text input box.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein

the display unit comprises a touchpad, and

the control unit is configured to select one of the first and second search categories in response to a touch to the current search indicator.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein

the display unit comprises a touchpad, and

the control unit is configured to display a toggle switch or a slide switch as the current search indicator.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to display the current search indicator in a common body with the text input box.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein

the display unit comprises a touchpad, and

the control unit is configured to

display a slide switch as the current search indicator, and

select one of the first and second search categories when the text input box is dragged in a predetermined direction.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein

the display unit comprises a touchpad, and

the control unit is configured to

display a plurality of touch icons corresponding to the first and second search categories as the current search indicator, and

select one of the first and second search categories in response to a touch to the corresponding touch icon.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein

the display unit comprises a touchpad, and

the control unit is configured to display one of at least two different virtual keypads on the touchpad in response to a user input, the displayed virtual keypad selected by the control unit configured to match with a current one of the first and second search categories.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 11, further comprising:

a keypad separate from the display unit, wherein

the control unit is configured to prevent the virtual keypad from being displayed when the keypad is activated.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 11, further comprising:

a keypad separate from the display unit, wherein

the control unit is configured to cause a displayed virtual keypad to disappear when the keypad is activated.

14. A method of controlling a mobile terminal, comprising:

establishing an Internet access via a wireless connection;

by the mobile terminal, a text input box on a standby image of the mobile terminal, the text input box selectively usable for a first search category and a second search category; and

displaying, by the mobile terminal, a current category indicator indicating a current search category of the text input box,

wherein, when the current category indicator is selected to change the current search category, the current search category of the text input box is changed from the first search category to the second search category, and an appearance of the current category indicator for the text input box is changed to indicate the changed search category,

wherein the changed appearance of the current category indicator is being displayed with the text input box, and

wherein the first search category is for searching information via the Internet access, and the second search category is for searching information within the terminal.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

distinguishing between at least two input pattern types input into the text input box to produce a distinguished pattern type, and

automatically selecting one of the first and second search categories based upon the distinguished pattern type.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

displaying a category selection screen when the step of distinguishing is unable to distinguish between the at least two input pattern types input into the text input box.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

displaying one of a color of the text box, a location of the text box within a display, a non-text image, and a text character as the current category indicator.

18. The method of claim 14,

further comprises displaying a list of texts recently inputted to the selected text input box when the text input box is selected for inputting a text therein.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the terminal comprises a touchpad, the method further comprising:

selecting one of the first and second search categories in response to a touch to the current category indicator.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the terminal comprises a touchpad, the method further comprising:

displaying a toggle switch or a slide switch as the current category indicator.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

displaying the current category indicator in a common body with the text input box.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the terminal comprises a touchpad, the method further comprising:

displaying a slide switch as the current category indicator, and

selecting one of the first and second search categories when the text input box is dragged in a predetermined direction.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein the terminal comprises a touchpad, the method further comprising:

displaying a plurality of touch icons corresponding to the first and second search categories as the current category indicator, and

selecting one of the first and second search categories in response to a touch to the corresponding touch icon.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein the terminal comprises a touchpad, the method further comprising:

displaying one of at least two different virtual keypads on the touchpad in response to a user input, including selecting the displayed virtual keypad to match with a current one of the first and second search categories.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the mobile terminal includes a keypad separate from a display unit, the method further comprising:

preventing the virtual keypad from being displayed when the keypad is activated.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the mobile terminal includes a keypad separate from a display unit, the method further comprising:

causing a displayed virtual keypad to disappear when the keypad is activated.