Mobile terminal including touch rotary dial display

• US 8,723,808 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2008
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jong Hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Davis, David D
• Application Number:
  US12/025,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20080204423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,290 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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: H04M 1/26 Devices for calling a subscriber H04M1/66 takes precedence
• 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 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72475 specially adapted for disabled users
• 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 method of executing a function through a touch input device. The method includes displaying a plurality of soft keys on a screen of the touch input device, and executing a function when one of the soft keys is touched and slid on the screen of the touch input device and an input instruction is entered to execute the assigned function.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a mobile terminal including a touch input device, the method comprising:

displaying a rotary dial including a plurality of soft keys in a circular pattern on a screen of the touch input device;

touch selecting one of the soft keys and sliding the selected soft key along the rotary dial to a rotary stopper displayed on the rotary dial, wherein the rotary dial rotates as the selected soft key is slid to the rotary stopper and the rotary stopper does not rotate as the rotary dial rotates;

displaying the selected soft key as being rotated back to its original displayed position as the selected rotary soft key is released from being touched;

displaying information corresponding to the selected and slid rotary soft key;

executing a function related to the displayed information when none of the soft keys is touch selected for a predetermined period after a last one of the soft keys is touch selected and slid to the rotary stopper, wherein the displayed information is a number or character corresponding to the selected and slid soft key when the selected and slid soft key is not slid into the rotary dial stopper but is released before the rotary dial stopper;

displaying an editor screen for editing a message on the screen of the touch input device, the editor screen comprising an information stored in a memory corresponding to the soft key when the soft key is selected and dragged into an inside area of the rotary dial; and

executing a function corresponding to a menu icon associated with the selected soft key when the soft key is selected and dragged to the menu icon displayed on an outside area of the rotary dial,

wherein the function related to the displayed information corresponds to a phone dialing function.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying all of the plurality of soft keys as being slid on the screen in concert with the touched and slid soft key.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying only the selected and slid soft key as being slid on the screen and not displaying other soft keys as being slid in concert with the selected and slid soft key.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating an alarm signal when the selected and slid soft key is slid to the predetermined position.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the selected and slid soft key being rotated back to its original position displays the selected and slid soft key being rotated back to its original displayed position with an accelerated speed being previously set by a user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a distance the selected and slid soft key is slid is longer than a predetermined reference,

wherein the executing step executes the function if the determining step determines the selected and slid soft key is slid past the predetermined reference and does not execute the function if the selected and slid soft key is not slid past the predetermined reference.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the function related to the displayed information further corresponds to one of a message editing function, and an Internet accessing function.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the executing step executes the function when the selected and slid soft key is slid to a menu option displayed on the screen.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the menu icon comprises at least one of call menu, message menu, search menu and interne menu.

10. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a touch screen display configured to display a rotary dial including a plurality of soft keys in a circular pattern; and

a controller configured to receive a touch selection signal indicating one of the soft keys has been touched and slid along the rotary dial and to a rotary stopper displayed on the rotary dial, to rotate the rotary dial as the selected soft key is slid to the rotary stopper and not to rotate the rotary stopper as the rotary dial rotates, to display the selected soft key as being rotated back to its original displayed position as the selected rotary soft key is released from being touched, to display information corresponding to the selected and slid rotary soft key, and to execute a function related to the displayed information when none of the soft keys is touch selected for a predetermined period after a last one of the soft keys is touch selected and slid to the rotary stopper,

wherein the displayed information is a number or character corresponding to the selected and slid soft key when the selected and slid soft key is not slid into the rotary dial stopper but is released before the rotary dial stopper,

wherein the function related to the displayed information corresponds to a phone dialing function, and

wherein the controller is further configured to;

display an editor screen for editing a message on the screen of the touch input device, the editor screen comprising an information stored in a memory corresponding to the soft key when the soft key is selected and dragged into an inside area of the rotary dial; and

execute a function corresponding to the menu icon associated with the selected soft key when the soft key is selected and dragged to the menu icon displayed on an outside area of the rotary dial.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to control the touch screen display to display all of the plurality of soft keys as being slid on the screen in concert with the selected and slid soft key.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to control the touch screen display to display only the selected and slid soft key as being slid on the touch screen display and not displaying other soft keys as being slid in concert with the selected and slid soft key.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to generate an alarm signal when the selected and slid soft key is slid to the predetermined position.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to control the touch screen display to display the selected and slid soft key being rotated back to its original position with an accelerated speed being previously set by a user.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether a distance the selected and slid soft key is slid is longer than a predetermined reference, and to execute the function if the controller determines the selected and slid soft key is slid past the predetermined reference and does not execute the function if the selected and slid soft key is not slid past the predetermined reference.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the function related to the displayed information further corresponds to one of a message editing function, and an Internet accessing function.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to execute the function when the selected and slid soft key is slid to a menu option displayed on the touch screen display.

18. A method of controlling a mobile terminal including a touch input device, the method comprising:

displaying an arc-shaped region including a first soft key corresponding to a first function and a second soft key according to a second function;

touch selecting one of the first soft key or the second soft key;

displaying information corresponding to the selected first key or second key;

dragging the selected soft key along the arc-shaped region toward a predetermined position on the arc-shaped region, wherein the predetermined position exists between the first soft key and the second soft key;

executing the function corresponding to the selected soft key when the dragging operation is sensed and the selected soft key is slid past the predetermined position, wherein the displayed information is a number or character corresponding to the selected and slid soft key when the selected and slid soft key is not slid into the rotary dial stopper but is released before the rotary dial stopper;

displaying an editor screen for editing a message on the screen of the touch input device, the editor screen comprising an information stored in a memory corresponding to the soft key when the soft key is selected and dragged into an inside area of the rotary dial; and

executing a function corresponding to the menu icon associated with the selected soft key when the soft key is selected and dragged to the menu icon displayed on an outside area of the rotary dial,

wherein the function corresponding to the selected soft key corresponds to a phone dialing function.

19. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a touch input device configured to display an arc-shaped region including a first soft key corresponding to a first function and a second soft key according to a second function; and

a controller configured to receive a touch selecting signal indicating one of the first soft key or the second soft key has been touch selected and dragged toward a predetermined position on the arc-shaped region, to display the touch selected key as moving toward the predetermined position on the arc-shaped region based on the received touch selecting signal, to display information corresponding to the touch selected key;

wherein the predetermined position exists between the first soft key and the second soft key, and to execute the function corresponding to the selected soft key when the dragging operation is sensed and the selected soft key is slid past the predetermined position,

wherein the displayed information is a number or character corresponding to the selected and slid soft key when the selected and slid soft key is not slid into the rotary dial stopper but is released before the rotary dial stopper,

wherein the function corresponding to the selected soft key corresponds to a phone dialing function, and

wherein the controller is further configured to;

display an editor screen for editing a message on the screen of the touch input device, the editor screen comprising an information stored in a memory corresponding to the soft key when the soft key is selected and dragged into an inside area of the rotary dial; and

execute a function corresponding to the menu icon associated with the selected soft key when the soft key is selected and dragged to the menu icon displayed on an outside area of the rotary dial.