Method and apparatus for providing a changed shortcut icon corresponding to a status thereof

• US 9,465,514 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2014
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Won, Sung-Joon, Chong, Jae-Yoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US14/224,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20140317527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 715761-765, 715/840, 715851-855
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04897 Special input arrangements or commands for improving display capability

Abstract

A method of controlling a mobile apparatus which provides a changed shortcut icon corresponding to a status of the mobile apparatus is provided. The method includes displaying a shortcut icon, corresponding to a function in the mobile apparatus, on a display unit; recognizing the status of the mobile apparatus; changing an initial entry point of the shortcut icon to a changed entry icon as a function of the status; detecting an execution gesture for executing the shortcut icon; and executing the function using the changed entry point when the execution gesture is detected.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a mobile apparatus which provides a changed shortcut icon corresponding to a status of the mobile apparatus, the method comprising:

displaying a shortcut icon, corresponding to a function of the mobile apparatus, on a display unit;

recognizing the status of the mobile apparatus;

changing an initial entry point of the shortcut icon to a changed entry point in correspondence with the status;

displaying a changed shortcut icon, which has a shape changed to correspond to the changed entry point, on the display unit;

detecting an execution gesture for executing the shortcut icon; and

executing the function using the changed entry point.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the function is an application.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the status of the mobile apparatus includes at least one of a latest status of the application, a status of a neighboring application or a neighboring widget, a status including at least one of time, a position and information on a user'"'"'s log, a status of connection with an external apparatus, a status of a finger input or an electronic pen input, and a sensor based status.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an initialization of an application;

changing the changed entry point of the shortcut icon to the initial entry point;

detecting a gesture for executing the shortcut icon; and

executing the application using the initial entry point.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the changed shortcut icon has an identical image to the shortcut icon, and a text changed to reflect the changed entry point.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the status of the mobile apparatus includes a status of a neighboring application or a neighboring widget, and changing the initial entry point of the shortcut icon to the changed entry point according to the status further comprises:

detecting an action which is executed in the neighboring application or the neighboring widget; and

changing the initial entry point of the shortcut icon to the changed entry point in response to the action.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the status of the mobile application includes a status of a connection with an external apparatus, and changing the initial entry point of the shortcut icon to the changed entry point according to the status further comprises:

extracting information on a user'"'"'s log; and

changing the initial entry point of the shortcut icon to the changed entry point as a function of the information on the user'"'"'s log.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the status of the mobile apparatus includes a status of a finger input or an electronic pen input, and changing the initial entry point of the shortcut icon to the changed entry point according to the status further comprises:

changing the initial entry point of the shortcut icon to the changed entry point as a function of the status of the finger input or the electronic pen input.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a change gesture for changing the shortcut icon;

extracting at least one recommended entry point corresponding to the status of the mobile apparatus, when the change gesture is detected; and

receiving a selection for one of the at least one recommended entry point,

wherein in changing the initial entry point of the shortcut icon to the changed entry point according to the status, the initial entry point of the shortcut icon is changed to the changed entry point by the selected and recommended entry point.

10. An apparatus for providing a changed shortcut icon corresponding to a status of the apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a display unit configured to display a shortcut icon; and

a controller configured to control the display unit to display the shortcut icon, which corresponds to a function, to recognize the status of the mobile apparatus, to change an initial entry point to a changed entry point in correspondence with the status, to display a changed shortcut icon, which has a shape changed to correspond to the changed entry point, on the display unit, to detect a gesture for an execution of the shortcut icon, and to execute the function using the changed entry point.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the function is an application.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the status of the mobile apparatus includes at least one of a latest status of the application, a status of a neighboring application or a neighboring widget, a status including at least one of time, a position and information on a user'"'"'s log, a status of connection with an external apparatus, a status of a finger input or an electronic pen input, and a sensor based status.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to detect an initialization of an application, to change the changed entry point of the shortcut icon back to the initial entry point to detect a gesture for an execution of the shortcut icon, and to execute the application using the initial entry point.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the changed shortcut icon has an identical image to the shortcut icon, and a text changed to reflect the changed entry point.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the status of the mobile apparatus includes a status of a neighboring application or a neighboring widget, and in the changing of the initial entry point of the shortcut icon to the changed entry point according to the status, the controller detects an action which is executed in the neighboring application or the neighboring widget, and changes the initial entry point of the shortcut icon to the changed entry point in response to the action.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the status of the mobile application includes a status of a connection with an external apparatus, and in the changing of the initial entry point of the shortcut icon to the changed entry point according to the status, the controller extracts information on a user'"'"'s log when the external apparatus is connected to the mobile apparatus, and changes the initial entry point of the shortcut icon to the changed entry point as a function of the information on the user'"'"'s log.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the status of the mobile apparatus includes a status of a finger input or an electronic pen input, and in the changing of the initial entry point of the shortcut icon to the changed entry point according to the status, the controller changes the initial entry point of the shortcut icon to the changed entry point as a function of the status of the finger input or the electronic pen input.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the controller detects a change gesture for changing the shortcut icon, extracts at least one recommended entry point corresponding to the status of the mobile apparatus, when the change gesture is detected, and receives a selection for one of the at least one recommended entry point, and wherein in the changing of the initial entry point of the shortcut icon to the changed entry point according to the status, the controller changes the initial entry point of the shortcut icon to the changed entry point by the selected and recommended entry point.