This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2007-0020278 filed on Feb. 28, 2007, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
This present invention relates to a mobile terminal and corresponding method that displays an analog-type dial on a touch screen of the mobile terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile terminals now provide many addition functions besides the basic call service. For example, users can now access the Internet, send and receive voice and text messages, play music, watch videos, perform scheduling tasks, etc. Most young people today now consider a mobile terminal a necessity. However, older people often only want a mobile terminal to perform basic call functions and are not interested in sending text messages, downloading music, etc. Further, because of the complexity of cell phones, many older people do not own cell phones.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to address the above-noted and other problems.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal that is easy to operate for older people.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a nostalgic telephone dial on a touch screen of the terminal.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the present invention provides in one aspect 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.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a mobile terminal including a touch screen display configured to display a plurality of soft keys, and a controller configured to execute a function on the terminal when one of the soft keys is touched and slid on the touch screen display of the touch input device and an input instruction is entered to execute the assigned function.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings, which are given by illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:
Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals will be used to describe the same or similar elements.
The transceiver 10 transmits and receives signals with a base station (not shown) to perform a communication function for the mobile communication terminal 100. Further, the memory 20 stores programs for controlling an overall operation of the terminal 100, and various data input, output and processed during the operations of the mobile communication terminal 100. The memory 20 may also store abbreviated numbers for performing functions such as connecting a call to a phone number corresponding to the selected abbreviated number (i.e., speed dialing functions). The memory 20 may also store various menus for setting a standby screen, background screen, ring tone, etc.
In addition, the input 30 includes various buttons for inputting information such as numbers and characters. The input 30 also includes function buttons for selecting various functions and direction buttons for selecting a specific direction. Further, the input 30 may be implemented as a keypad, a touchpad, a jog dial, a touch screen, or a joystick, which includes direction keys.
The display 40 displays a variety of information such as status information, menu options for selecting different features on the terminal 100, etc. In addition, the display 40 may include a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) or an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display. The display 40 may also include two or more display devices such as an external display device and an internal display device. Further, the display device may include a touch screen that a user can touch to select or input information into the terminal 100. The touch screen also displays various information to the user. Hereinafter, the reference numeral 40 is used to describe a touch screen, which is implemented as the display 40.
Also, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the touch screen 40 also displays a dial that the user can touch and drag (or slide) to perform a dialing operation. That is, the displayed dial includes a rotary dial that the user can dial to perform a dialing operation. Further, the displayed dial may also be used by the user to perform other functions in addition to the dialing operation. These features will be discussed in more detail later.
The controller 50 includes a processor that controls an overall operation of the terminal 100 based on the programs and data stored at the memory 20. For example, the controller 50 receives an input of a specific number key when the user touches a specific number key or position on the touch screen 40. The controller 50 also executes a specific function corresponding to specific number keys the user touches and slides or drags.
In addition, the audio processor 60 processes audio signals decoded by the controller 50 and outputs the signals via a speaker SPK under control of the controller 50. The audio processor 60 also processes audio signals from a microphone MIC and transmits the processed audio signals to the controller 50.
In addition, the vibrator 70 generates a vibration for a predetermined time period under control of the controller 50. For example, if a specific soft key displayed on the display 40 is touched, the controller 50 may control the vibrator 70 to generate a vibration for a predetermined time period. The vibrator 70 may also vibrate when an incoming call is received so as to notify the user about the incoming call. A description of the rotary dial being displayed on the touch screen 40 and being used to perform dialing and other operations will now be described.
In more detail,
In addition, the soft keys 220 are displayed along the peripheral of a circle (i.e., as a rotary dial). Also, each of the soft keys 220 is separated a predetermined distance from each other such that the user can easily touch and slide or drag a particular soft key 220. Further, it also possible to display the soft keys 220 in an oval or a looped curve shape.
Note that in the arrangement in
Hereinafter, the rotary dial arrangement shown in
As shown in
Further, when the number “3” has been preset to correspond with particular information, the controller 50 also displays information related to the touched number.
Next,
In addition, the speed at which the rotary casing 230 is returned to its original position is preferably faster than the speed at which the user rotates the rotary casing 230 in the clockwise direction. The controller 50 may also output a rotational clicking sound when the rotary casing 230 is returned to its original position to imitate the rotational clicking sound of antique rotary dial telephones. The user may also advantageously set the rotational speed of the rotary dial casing 230 using the appropriate menu options on the terminal.
Next,
In more detail, as shown in
Alternatively, if the soft key “3” was not previously set as a speed dial key, the controller 50 would enter the number 3 as part of a number to be dialed. Further, as shown in the
Further, the speed of the counterclockwise rotation may be faster for soft keys that are farther away from the stopper. For example, the counterclockwise speed of the rotary casing 230 may be faster when the user dials the soft key “8” than when the user dials the soft key “3”. In addition, the arrangement of the soft keys shown in the figures is only an example, and the arrangement of the soft keys may be inverted from that shown in the figures. For example,
As described above, the rotary dial casing 230 is rotated while the soft key is touched toward the stopper 240. However, rather than the whole casing including all the soft keys being rotated, it is also possible that only the touched soft key is displayed as being rotated when the user touches and slides the soft key.
In more detail,
Next,
A description of entering more than one number on terminal will now be given. As described with reference to
In more detail, in
Then, as shown in
Further, the user can also enter a telephone number that is not stored in the memory 20 in a similar manner. For example, if the user wants to dial the phone number “202-888-1234”, the user may sequentially input the numbers “2028881234” and slide the last number “4” to the stopper 240 to have the dialing operation performed. As the numbers are selected, the controller 50 displays each number in the inside area 250 so the user can see that the correct numbers have been successfully input. Alternatively, if the user does not touch any of the soft keys 210 for a predetermined amount of time after inputting the above numbers repeatedly, the controller 50 can perform a dialing operation for all numbers that have so far been input.
In the above descriptions, the number keys 210 are touched and slid along the direction of the rotary casing 230. However, it is also possible that the number keys 210 be touched and slid into the inside area 250 of the rotary dial casing 230 to execute various functions.
Note also that
Then, as shown in
Next,
When the user releases or drops the soft key “9” in the Call menu 610, the controller 50 initiates a call corresponding to a phone number associated with the speed dial number “9”. Similarly, if the user drags and drops the soft key “9” onto the message menu 620, an editor screen may be displayed for editing the information corresponding to speed dial number “9”.
Further, if the user drags and drops the soft key “9” onto the search menu 630, the controller 50 displays a search engine (such as GOOGLE) allowing the user to search for information on the Internet. The search function may also be a search window allowing the user to search files in a folder associated with the soft key “9”. The user may also advantageously associated each number with a different searching function (e.g., the soft key “9” corresponds the GOOGLE search, the soft key “8” corresponds to a file search on the terminal, etc).
In addition, if the user drags and drops the touched number key “9” onto the Internet connection menu 640, the controller 50 displays a website that corresponds to the particular soft key “9”. That is, the user may associate soft keys with favorite or particular web pages such that when the soft key is slid and dropped into the Internet menu 640, the appropriate web page is displayed on the touch screen 40. Further, the call menu 610, the message menu 620, the search menu 630, and the Internet menu 640 may be represented by specific icons to provide short cuts to execute the corresponding functions.
In the above-described embodiments, the stopper 240 is used as a reference point to determine whether or not to perform a dialing operation. However, in another embodiment, the reference point or threshold in which the dialing operation is to be performed may be set according to how far a distance one of the soft keys is slid. For example, the controller 50 may initiate a dialing operation when a soft key is slid past a predetermined threshold (a particular distance).
Further, if the touch keys are slid less than the predetermined threshold (distance), the controller 50 merely receives an input number corresponding to the touched number key, but does not execute the dialing operation. Further, in this embodiment, the slid direction of the touch key does not have to follow the circle of the rotary dial casing 230, and the direction may vary. That is, the sliding direction may be any other direction such as inward direction or outward direction of the rotary dial casing 230.
In yet another embodiment, the threshold in which a function such as the dialing operation is to be performed may be set according to how long a time lapse after the last one of the soft keys is touched. If none of the soft keys is touched for a predetermined time period after the last one of the soft keys is touched, the controller 50 may receive an input instruction to perform a function corresponding to the touched soft keys.
In yet another embodiment, the amount of time a particular touch key is touched may be used to determine whether the controller 50 performs the dialing operation or merely receives the number corresponding to the touched soft key. That is, a predetermined time period may be set as the threshold to determine the operations of the controller 50. That is, when the touch key is pressed for a time period that is longer than the predetermined time period, the controller 50 executes the corresponding function related to the touched soft key. Similarly, when the soft key is touched for a time period that is less than the threshold, the controller 50 merely receives the number (or character) corresponding to the touched soft key.
As the present invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, it should also be understood that the above-described embodiments are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description, unless otherwise specified, but rather should be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as defined in the appended claims, and therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims, or equivalence of such metes and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10-2007-0020278 | Feb 2007 | KR | national |