Electronic device and method of controlling the same

• US 9,348,441 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2013
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Jaejoon, Han, Changeui, Park, Jaehan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hicks, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Castiaux, Brent D
• Application Number:
  US13/754,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20130194217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• Field of Search: 715/834
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electronic device and a method of controlling the same. The present invention provides a new user interface for selecting, executing and controlling an item displayed on a touch screen included in the electronic device. Particularly, the present invention provides an electronic device and a method of controlling the same to manipulate the touch screen included in the electronic device while hardly changing the positions of the hands of a user when the touch screen is manipulated with both hands of the user.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a touch screen configured to display a first item group that includes a first plurality of items, wherein the first item group includes all items on the entire touch screen that can be selected; and

a controller configured to;

receive touch input on two different regions of the touch screen, wherein the two different regions correspond to edges or corners on the touch screen, and

control the touch screen to provide a first control area and a second control area, the first control area to display a first plurality of colors, each color corresponding to a different one of the first plurality of items, the second control area for executing an item of the first plurality of items displayed on the touch screen in response to the touch input, wherein the two different regions are regions in which the first control area and the second control area are displayed,

wherein in response to a touch received at the first control area, the controller is further configured to navigate among the first plurality of items displayed on the touch screen based on a relationship between the first plurality of items and the first plurality of colors, and

in response to a touch at the second control area, the controller is further configured to execute a selected item of the first plurality of items;

wherein the controller is configured to;

display a screen for executing the selected item on the touch screen, the displayed screen including the first plurality of items;

in response to selection of one of the first plurality of items displayed on the screen, display, on the screen, a second item group that is different from the first item group displayed on the screen;

control the touch screen to configure the first control area to display a second plurality of colors, such that the reconfigured first control area corresponds to the second item group displayed on the screen; and

reconfigure the second control area to correspond the second item group displayed on the screen, and display a speech bubble showing information relating to functions of the reconfigured second control area.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller activates the first control area and the second control area in response to the electronic device receiving a first command, and the controller to deactivate the first control area and the second control area in response to the electronic device re-receiving the first command or receiving a second command that is different from the first command.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller displays the first plurality of colors such that the colors are visually distinguished from each other.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein in response to receiving a touch to a specific color of the first plurality of colors, the controller selects an item corresponding to the touched specific color and visually emphasizes the selected item.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the controller displays a visual indicator with regard to the selected item.

6. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the controller displays the second control area as a plurality of sub-areas, sets a first sub-area of the plurality of sub-areas as a touch area for executing the selected item, and allocates at least one function to a second sub-area of the plurality of sub-areas.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein in response to a touch at the first control area, the controller navigates among the second plurality of items based on a relationship between the second plurality of items and the second plurality of colors.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the controller maintains functions allocated to the sub-areas of the second control area when the screen for executing the selected item is displayed.

9. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the controller allocates at least one new function to at least one sub-area of the second control area when the screen for executing the selected item is displayed.

24. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to zoom in or zoom out specific items of the first plurality of items in response to a touch at the second control area.

25. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to scroll up or down, in response to a touch at the first control area, to move to a next page or a previous page, or exit a currently activated application in response to a touch at the second control area.

26. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of items includes at least one of a menu, a widget, a folder or a file.

10. A method of controlling a mobile terminal that includes a touch screen, the method comprising:

displaying, on the touch screen, a first item group that includes a first plurality of items, wherein the first item group includes all items on the entire touch screen that can be selected;

receiving touch input on two different regions of the touch screen, wherein the two different regions correspond to edges or corners on the touch screen;

providing a first control area and a second control area on the touch screen, the first control area displaying a first plurality of colors, each color corresponding to a different one of the first plurality of items, the second control area for executing an item of the first plurality of items displayed on the touch screen in response to the touch input, wherein the two different regions are regions in which the first control area and the second control area are displayed;

navigating among the first plurality of items displayed on the touch screen based on a relationship between the first plurality of items and the first plurality of colors in response to a touch received at the first control area; and

executing a specific item of the first plurality of items in response to a touch received at the second control area;

wherein the method further comprising;

in response to selection of one of the first plurality of items displayed on the screen, displaying, on the screen, a second item group that is different from the first item group displayed on the screen;

reconfiguring the first control area to display a second plurality of colors, such that the reconfigured first control area corresponds to the second item group displayed on the screen; and

reconfiguring the second control area to correspond to the second item group displayed on the screen, and displaying a speech bubble showing information relating to functions of the reconfigured second control area.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein providing the first control area and the second control area is performed in response to the electronic device receiving a first command, and the method further comprises deactivating the first control area and the second control in response to the electronic device re-receiving the first command or receiving a second command that is different from the first command.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein providing the first control area and the second control area comprises displaying the first plurality of colors in the first control area such that the colors are visually distinguished from each other.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising in response to receiving a touch to a specific color, selecting an item corresponding to the touched specific color and visually emphasizing the selected item.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising displaying a visual indicator with regard to the selected item.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising displaying the second control area as a plurality of sub-areas, setting a first sub-area of the plurality of sub-areas as a touch area for executing the selected item, and allocating at least one function to a second one of the plurality of sub-areas.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising

navigating among the second plurality of items based on a relationship between the second plurality of items and the second plurality of colors in response to touches received at the first control area.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising maintaining functions allocated to the sub-areas of the second control area when the screen for executing the selected item is displayed.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising allocating a new function to at least one sub-area of the second control area when the screen for executing the selected item is displayed.

19. An electronic device comprising:

a screen to display a plurality of items, the screen to receive touch inputs, wherein the plurality of items includes all items that can be selected; and

a controller to control the screen to display a first control area and a second control area, the first control area to include a plurality of different color indicators, wherein each color indicator of the first control area visually corresponds to a different one of the plurality of items displayed on the screen, the second control area including a plurality of sub-areas, each corresponding to a different function, wherein the two different regions are regions in which the first control area and the second control area are displayed, wherein the two different regions correspond to edges or corners on the screen,

wherein the controller to select one of the plurality of items based on a touch input at the first control area, and the controller to perform a specific function based on a touch input at the second control area;

wherein the controller is configured to;

display a screen for executing a selected item, the displayed screen including the first plurality of items,

in response to selection of one of the first plurality of items displayed on the screen, control the screen to display a first control area to display a second plurality of colors, such that the first control area corresponds to items of the second plurality of items displayed on the screen; and

reconfigure the second control area to correspond to the second plurality of items displayed on the screen, and display a speech bubble showing information relating to functions of the reconfigured second control area.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the controller controls the screen such that the plurality of different color indicators are visually distinguished from each other.

21. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the controller controls the screen to provide a visual identifier with respect to a selected one of the items.

22. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the specific function corresponds to execution of the selected item.

23. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the specific function includes returning the screen to a previous display of items, or displaying a home screen of the electronic device.