Mobile terminal and controlling method thereof

• US 9,483,160 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2013
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jung, Jong Cheol, Kim, Hong Joo, Yun, Jae Woong
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Yongjia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shiberou, Mahelet
• Application Number:
  US14/097,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20140096055A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0354 with detection of 2D relative movements between the device, or an operating part thereof, and a plane or surface, e.g. 2D mice, trackballs, pens or pucks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• 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 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A mobile terminal and controlling method thereof are disclosed, by which a selection and/or execution of an application can be designated using a list of applications currently executed in a multitasking environment. The present invention includes a display unit, a user input unit configured to receive an input of a command from a user, and a controller, when a plurality of applications are being executed, if there is a first input via the user input unit, controlling a list of a plurality of the currently executed applications to be displayed on a first region, the controller, if one of at least one or more applications running in the background in the list is selected by a second input via the user input unit, controlling the selected application to be displayed on a second region of the display unit by having a prescribed visual effect applied thereto.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a touchscreen; and

a controller configured to;

cause the touchscreen to display a screen comprising data;

cause the touchscreen to display a region indicator according to a first input received at the touchscreen, wherein a portion of the data of the screen that is located within a boundary defined by the region indicator is continued to be displayed while the first input is being received at the touchscreen;

cause the touchscreen to display a menu when contact with the touchscreen of the first input has ended, wherein the menu is displayed at a first region of the touchscreen that corresponds to the region indicator, wherein a size of the first region depends on the first input, wherein the menu comprises a plurality of items, wherein each item of the plurality of items is associated with an application executable at the mobile terminal; and

cause the touchscreen to display an executing application, that is associated with a first item of the plurality of items, at a second region that corresponds to the first region, wherein the displaying of the executing application is in response to an input received at the first item.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1,

wherein the menu is displayed at the first region that visually blocks a portion of the screen of the touchscreen.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1,

wherein the executing application is displayed at the second region that visually blocks a portion of the screen of the touchscreen.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1,

wherein the first region is different than the second region.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1,

wherein the menu is displayed at the first region as a new window.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to:

cause the touchscreen to display a scroll bar at the new window for scrolling the menu to permit displaying of additional items of the menu.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1,

wherein the first input comprises a touch and drag input received at the touchscreen.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7,

wherein the size of first region depends on a length of the drag input.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 7,

wherein the touch and drag input comprises a touch input at a first point and then a drag input to a second point while maintaining a touched state.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 7,

wherein the menu is displayed at the first region after completion of the drag input.

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

receive a function selection of a menu before the displaying of the menu, wherein the function is a multitasking function.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 1,

wherein the first region has a rectangular shape.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a proximity sensor configured to receive a proximity touch.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 1,

wherein a displayed location of the region indicator on the touchscreen corresponds to a location of the touchscreen at which the first input is received.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the displaying of the region indicator occurs during the receiving of the first input.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 1,

wherein the plurality of items of the menu comprise text.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 1,

wherein the touchscreen is further configured to receive user input via a stylus pen.

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

cause the touchscreen to display the executing application on a whole screen of the touchscreen.

19. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a touchscreen; and

a controller configured to;

cause the touchscreen to display a screen comprising data;

cause the touchscreen to display a region indicator according to a first input received at the touchscreen, wherein a portion of the data of the screen that is located within a boundary defined by the region indicator is continued to be displayed while the first input is being received at the touchscreen;

cause the touchscreen to display a menu when contact with the touchscreen of the first input has ended, wherein the menu is displayed at a first region having a location that corresponds to a location of the touchscreen at which the first input is received, wherein the menu comprises a plurality of items, wherein each item of the plurality of items is associated with an application executable at the mobile terminal; and

cause the touchscreen to display an executing application, that is associated with a first item of the plurality of items, at a second region that corresponds to the first region, wherein the displaying of the executing application is in response to an input received at the first item.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 19,

wherein the first input comprises a touch and drag input received at the touchscreen.

21. The mobile terminal of claim 20,

wherein the touch and drag input comprises a touch input at a first point and then a drag input to a second point while maintaining a touched state.

22. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a touchscreen; and

a controller configured to;

cause the touchscreen to display a screen comprising data;

cause the touchscreen to display a region indicator according to a first input received at the touchscreen, wherein a portion of the data of the screen that is located within a boundary defined by the region indicator is continued to be displayed while the first input is being received at the touchscreen;

cause the touchscreen to display a menu when contact with the touchscreen of the first input has ended, wherein the menu is displayed at a first region having a location that corresponds to a location of the touchscreen at which the first input is received, wherein a size of the first region depends on the first input, wherein the menu comprises a plurality of items, wherein each item of the plurality of items is associated with an application executable at the mobile terminal; and

cause the touchscreen to display an executing application, that is associated with a first item of the plurality of items, at a second region that corresponds to the first region, wherein the displaying of the executing application is in response to an input received at the first item.

23. The mobile terminal of claim 22,

wherein the menu is displayed at the first region that visually blocks a portion of the screen of the touchscreen.

24. The mobile terminal of claim 22,

wherein the executing application is displayed at the second region that visually blocks a portion of the screen of the touchscreen.

25. The mobile terminal of claim 22,

wherein the first region is different than the second region.

26. The mobile terminal of claim 22,

wherein the menu is displayed at the first region as a new window.

27. The mobile terminal of claim 26, wherein the controller is further configured to:

cause the touchscreen to display a scroll bar at the new window for scrolling the menu to permit displaying of additional items of the menu.

28. The mobile terminal of claim 22,

wherein the first input comprises a touch and drag input received at the touchscreen.

29. The mobile terminal of claim 28,

wherein the size of first region depends on a length of the drag input.

30. The mobile terminal of claim 28,

wherein the touch and drag input comprises a touch input at a first point and then a drag input to a second point while maintaining a touched state.

31. The mobile terminal of claim 28,

wherein the menu is displayed at the first region after completion of the drag input.

32. The mobile terminal of claim 22, wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive a function selection of a menu before the displaying of the menu, wherein the function is a multitasking function.

33. The mobile terminal of claim 22,

wherein the first region has a rectangular shape.

34. The mobile terminal of claim 22, further comprising:

a proximity sensor configured to receive a proximity touch.

35. The mobile terminal of claim 22,

wherein a displayed location of the region indicator on the touchscreen corresponds to the location of the touchscreen at which the first input is received.

36. The mobile terminal of claim 35, wherein the displaying of the region indicator occurs during the receiving of the first input.

37. The mobile terminal of claim 22,

wherein the plurality of items of the menu comprise text.

38. The mobile terminal of claim 22,

wherein the touchscreen is further configured to receive user input via a stylus pen.

39. The mobile terminal of claim 22, wherein the controller is further configured to:

cause the touchscreen to display the executing application on a whole screen of the touchscreen.