Mobile terminal including touch screen and method of controlling operation thereof

• US 8,584,043 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2008
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Cho, Hang Jun, Kim, Min Joo, Yoon, Jeong Hyuk, Kang, Yoon Hwan, Lee, Sang Hyun, Park, Min Soo, Suh, Hyo Jin, Cho, Hye Youn, Shin, Hye Eun, Hwang, Se Il
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdul-Ali, Omar
• Assistant Examiner(s): BHARGAVA, ANIL K
• Application Number:
  US12/209,827
• Publication Number:
  US 20090077497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,887 Days
• Field of Search: 715/814, 715/838
• US Class Current: 715/838
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• 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 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations

Abstract

A mobile terminal including a touch screen and a method of controlling an operation thereof are provided. The method of controlling an operation of a mobile terminal includes: displaying a thumbnail image corresponding to an image file on a touch screen to be randomly overlapped; selecting any one of thumbnail images by touch input; and displaying the selected thumbnail image together with an option icon for selecting a quick menu to be distinguished from other thumbnail images. Therefore, a list of stored image files can display thumbnail images in a new arrangement manner and it possible to quickly enter a related menu from the thumbnail image.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an operation of a mobile communication device equipped with a touch screen, the method comprising:

displaying on the touch screen a plurality of thumbnail images, each thumbnail image corresponding to an image file stored in the mobile communication device, the plurality of thumbnail images overlapped on the touch screen;

selecting a first thumbnail image located at a first position on the touch screen in response to a touch input to the first thumbnail image;

displaying the selected first thumbnail image in a manner to be distinguished from other thumbnail images of the plurality of thumbnail images by placing an icon for initiating a

display of a menu on an icon display area of the selected first thumbnail image;

one of

(a) in response to a touch to the icon,

displaying a turning over of the first thumbnail image with the icon to display the menu on a reverse side of the turned over first thumbnail image, a size of the displayed menu being larger than a size of the first thumbnail image, and

automatically redisplaying the first thumbnail image if a touch input is not detected on the menu within a first predetermined time after displaying the menu; and

(b) if there is no touch to the icon,

displaying a first image and first image control icons corresponding to the first thumbnail image on a full screen of the touch screen when a touch input is detected in an image display area of the first thumbnail image, the first image control icons being located on at least one vertical border area of the touch screen, and

automatically removing the first image control icons from the touch screen if a touch input is not detected on the first image control icons within a second predetermined time after displaying the first image control icons, while maintaining the first image on the touch screen; and

adjusting a brightness of the first image in response to a user input of touching and dragging in a predetermined direction on the first image while the first image is displayed, the brightness of the first image being adjusted in proportion to a dragged distance.

2. The method of claim 1, the step of displaying the selected first thumbnail image with an icon comprising:

displaying the first thumbnail image with the icon together with the plurality of thumbnail images.

3. The method of claim 2, the step of displaying the selected first thumbnail image with an icon with the plurality of thumbnail images comprising one of:

enlarging and displaying the first thumbnail image with the icon in a second position on the touch screen; and

displaying the first thumbnail image with the icon in a second position on the touch screen without enlarging the first thumbnail image.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second position comprises one of:

a position substantially centered on the touch screen; and

a position substantially centered on a center point of the first position.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the menu comprises:

displaying at least one of an image transmission menu item, an image deletion menu item, a send-to-background menu item, and an image edit menu item.

6. The method of claim 5, the step of displaying at least one of an image transmission menu item, an image deletion menu item, a send-to-background menu item, and an image edit menu item comprising:

displaying the send-to-background menu item; and

displaying the first image corresponding to the first thumbnail image as a background image on the touch screen in response to a touch input to the send-to-background menu item.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the selected first thumbnail image comprises:

displaying date information corresponding to when an image generation date in addition to the icon on a lower end of the selected thumbnail image.

8. The method of claim 7, the step of displaying the first image control icons comprising:

displaying a plurality of menu icons on a first vertical border of the touch screen; and

displaying one of a menu icon and a control bar on a second vertical border of the touch screen.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of displaying one of a menu icon and a control bar comprises:

displaying the control bar on the second vertical border of the touch screen, the control bar configured to perform one of a corresponding first image zoom function and a corresponding first image quality adjustment function.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising one of:

adjusting an image quality of the first image in response to a first drag input to the first image; and

zooming in or out of the first image in response to a second drag input to the first image.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying on the touch screen a plurality of thumbnail images comprises:

determining whether or not thumbnails for all images stored in the mobile communication device can be displayed in the plurality of thumbnail images; and

if thumbnails for all stored image files cannot be displayed in the plurality of thumbnail images, displaying one of forward and back movement icons with the plurality of thumbnail images, the forward and back movement icons used to replace at least one displayed thumbnail image with another thumbnail image.

12. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a touch screen; and

a controller operatively connected to the touch screen and configured to

display a plurality of thumbnail images on the touch screen, each thumbnail image corresponding to an image file stored in the mobile communication device,

display an icon with the plurality of thumbnail images, the icon used to display other thumbnail images which are not displayed on the touch screen,

select a first thumbnail image from the plurality of thumbnail images in response to a touch input to the first thumbnail image,

display the selected first thumbnail image in a first manner to be distinguished from other thumbnail images of the plurality of thumbnail images by differently displaying an edge of the selected first thumbnail image,

display a first image corresponding to the selected first thumbnail image and control icons on a full screen of the touch screen after the selected first thumbnail image is displayed in the first manner to be distinguished from the other thumbnail images, the control icons being located on at least one border of the touch screen,

automatically remove the control icons from the touch screen if a touch input is not detected on the control icons within a predetermined time after displaying the control icons, while maintaining the first image on the full screen of the touch screen,

set the selected first thumbnail image as a background of a current wallpaper image in response to a touch input to the displayed control icons,

generate a new wallpaper image by combining the current wallpaper and a plurality of thumbnail images set as the background, and

display the new wallpaper image on the touch screen in response to a predetermined user input, the plurality of thumbnail images being overlapped on the touch screen.

13. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to display the selected first thumbnail image in a second manner to be distinguished from the other thumbnail images by enlarging a size of the selected thumbnail image.

14. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to

display a plurality of menu icons on a first vertical border of the touch screen, and

display one of a menu icon and a control bar on a second vertical border of the touch screen.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 14,

wherein the controller is configured to display the control bar on the second vertical border of the touch screen, and

wherein the control bar is configured to perform one of a corresponding first image zoom function and a corresponding first image quality adjustment function.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to perform one of:

adjust an image quality of the first image in response to a first drag input to the first image, and

zoom in or out of the first image in response to a second drag input to the first image.

17. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to display the plurality of thumbnail images in response to a user input to the mobile communication device.

18. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to

determine whether or not thumbnail images for all images stored in the mobile communication device can be displayed on the touch screen, and

if thumbnail images for all stored image files cannot be displayed on the touch screen, display one of forward and back movement icons with the plurality of thumbnail images, the forward and back movement icons being used to display other thumbnail images which are not displayed on the touch screen.

19. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the control icons comprise at least one of an image transmission menu item, an image deletion menu item, a send-to-background menu item, and an image edit menu item.

20. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a touch screen; and

a controller operatively connected to the touch screen and configured to

display on the touch screen a plurality of thumbnail images, each thumbnail image corresponding to an image file stored in the mobile communication device, the plurality of thumbnail images overlapped on the touch screen;

select a first thumbnail image located at a first position on the touch screen in response to a touch input to the first thumbnail image;

display the selected first thumbnail image in a manner to be distinguished from other thumbnail images of the plurality of thumbnail images by placing an icon for initiating a display of a menu on an icon display area of the selected first thumbnail image;

one of

(a) in response to a touch to the icon,

display a turning over of the first thumbnail image with the icon to display the menu on a reverse side of the turned over first thumbnail image, a size of the displayed menu being larger than a size of the first thumbnail image, and

automatically redisplay the first thumbnail image if a touch input is not detected on the menu within a first predetermined time after displaying the menu; and

(b) if there is no touch to the icon,

display a first image and first image control icons corresponding to the first thumbnail image on a full screen of the touch screen when a touch input is detected in an image display area of the first thumbnail image, the first image control icons being located on at least one vertical border area of the touch screen, and

automatically remove the first image control icons from the touch screen if a touch input is not detected on the first image control icons within a second predetermined time after displaying the first image control icons, while maintaining the first image on the touch screen; and

adjust a brightness of the first image in response to a user input of touching and dragging in a predetermined direction on the first image while the first image is displayed, the brightness of the first image being adjusted in proportion to a dragged distance.