Mobile terminal and method for displaying information

• US 8,448,071 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2009
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jungwoo, Ahn, Hye-Sang, Bae, Kwon Han, Lee, Yong Deok
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Matt
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tuan S
• Application Number:
  US12/547,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20100302179A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 Days
• Field of Search: 715/746
• US Class Current: 715/746
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1618 the display being foldable up to the back of the other housing with a single degree of freedom, e.g. by 360° rotation over the axis defined by the rear edge of the base enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• 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 2250/16 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 mobile terminal and method for displaying information in the mobile terminal may be provided that includes first and second touch screens, and a controller to display both an item list including a plurality of information items and first information related to a first information item selected from the item list on the first touch screen. The controller may display one of the item list and the first information on the second touch screen when the second touch screen is activated based on manipulation of the mobile terminal. The controller may display second information associated with a second information item on the touch screen on which the first information is already displayed as the second information item is selected from the item list in a state that the first information item is selected.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a first touch screen;

a second touch screen to display in a preview state or in a manipulation-available state; and

a controller configured to display, on the first touch screen in a single touch screen state, both an item list including a plurality of information items and a first information associated with a first information item selected from the item list, wherein the first information is displayed in one of the preview state or the manipulation-available state,

wherein one of the first information or the item list is moved from the first touch screen to the second touch screen, when the second touch screen is activated, such that the moved one of the first information or the item list is displayed on the second touch screen, and

when a second information item is selected from the displayed item list, the controller to display a second information associated with the selected second information item on a same touch screen that displays the first information in the manipulation-available state.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the manipulation-available state allows information to be input.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein when an information item selected from the item list changes based on a touch movement on the touch screen displaying the item list, the controller is configured to change a preview image according to information associated with the selected information item based on change of the information item.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to display in a highlighting manner at least one information item that can interwork with the selected first information item.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the first touch screen is provided on a first body of the mobile terminal, and the second touch screen is provided on a second body of the mobile terminal,

wherein when the mobile terminal is in a closed configuration, a side facing a surface of the first body where the first touch screen is formed and a side facing a surface of the second body where the second touch screen is formed are brought into a surface-contact, and

when the mobile terminal is in an open configuration, the first touch screen and the second touch screen are positioned on a substantially same plane and the second touch screen is activated when the mobile terminal changes from the closed configuration to the open configuration.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein one of the first information and the second information is used in executing an application related to the other one of the first information and the second information.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 6, wherein when one of the first information item or the second information item is a message item or an e-mail item, content included in the other one of the first information item and the second information item is used for a message writing application or an e-mail writing application associated with the message item or the e-mail item.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the second information item is selected when a touch operation for selecting the second information item is performed while a touch operation for selecting the first information item is maintained.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein when the second information item is selected through a proximity touch at a first proximity distance, the controller displays the second information in the preview state, and when the second information item is selected through a proximity touch at a second proximity distance different from the first proximity distance or with a contact touch, the controller displays the second information in the manipulation-available state.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

change at least one of an amount and a manipulation attribute of the first information displayed on the first touch screen in the single touch screen state, and

display the changed first information on one of the first touch screen or the second touch screen when both the first touch screen and the second touch screen are activated.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to display the first information in a form of brief information on the first touch screen in the single touch screen state, and when the second touch screen is activated, the controller is configured to change the amount of the first information from the form of brief information into a form of detailed information and display the detailed information on the one of the first touch screen or the second touch screen.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to display the first information in the preview state, and when the second touch screen is activated, the controller is configured to change the manipulation attribute of the first information displayed in the preview state into the manipulation-available state and display the first information in the manipulation-available state on the one of the first touch screen or the second touch screen.

13. A method for displaying information in a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

displaying an item list including a plurality of information items on a first touch screen;

displaying a first information associated with a first information item selected from the displayed item list together with the item list on the first touch screen;

when a second touch screen is activated, moving one of the first information or the item list from the first touch screen to the second touch screen, and displaying the moved one of the first information or the item list on the second touch screen; and

when a second information item is selected from the item list in a state that the first information item is selected, displaying a second information associated with the selected second information item on a same touch screen that displays the first information in a manipulation-available state.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first information is displayed in a form of brief information, and when the second touch screen is activated, the first information is displayed in a form of detailed information.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first information is displayed in a preview state, and when the second touch screen is activated, the first information is displayed in the manipulation-available state.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein when an information item selected from the displayed item list changes based on a touch movement on the touch screen displaying the item list, a preview image is displayed according to information associated with the selected information item based on change of the information item.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the first touch screen is provided on a first body of the mobile terminal, and the second touch screen is provided on a second body of the mobile terminal,

wherein when the mobile terminal is in a closed configuration, a side facing a surface of the first body where the first touch screen is formed and a side facing a surface of the second body where the second touch screen is formed are brought into a surface-contact, and

when the mobile terminal is in an open configuration, the first touch screen and the second touch screen are positioned on a substantially same plane and the second touch screen is activated when the mobile terminal changes from the closed configuration to the open configuration.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

changing at least one of an amount and a manipulation attribute of the first information displayed on the first touch screen in the single touch screen state, and

displaying the changed first information on one of the first touch screen or the second touch screen when both the first touch screen and the second touch screen are activated.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first information is displayed in a form of brief information on the first touch screen in the single touch screen state, and when the second touch screen is activated, the amount of the first information is changed from the form of brief information into a form of detailed information and the detailed information is displayed on the one of the first touch screen or the second touch screen.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first information is displayed in the preview state, and when the second touch screen is activated, the manipulation attribute of the first information displayed in the preview state is displayed into the manipulation-available state and the first information in the manipulation-available state is displayed on the one of the first touch screen or the second touch screen.