Mobile terminal and method for controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10001903-B2
Application number	US-201514602003-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2015
Priority date	Jan 22, 2014
Publication date	Jun 19, 2018
Grant date	Jun 19, 2018

Abstract

A mobile terminal including a wireless communication unit configured to provide wireless communication; a touch screen; and a controller configured to: display a list of previously executed applications as thumbnail images on the touch screen, display first and second slot indicators respectively indicating positions of first and second execution areas, receive a selection input of a first previously executed application from the displayed list, and display an execution screen of the selected first previously executed application on the first execution area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:
a wireless communication unit configured to provide wireless communication;
a touch screen; and
a controller coupled to the wireless communication unit and the touch screen, the controller configured to:
display a list of recently executed applications as thumbnail images on the touch screen,
display first and second slot indicators together with at least a portion of the list of recently executed applications, the first slot and second slot indicators indicating a position and a size of first and second execution areas, respectively, wherein the first and second slots indicators are displayed after in time the list of recently executed applications is displayed,
receive a first selection input of a first application from the displayed list and a second selection input of a second application from the displayed list, and
once the first and second selection inputs are received, display at the same time an execution screen of the selected first and second applications on the first and second execution areas of the touch screen, respectively, together with the list of recently executed applications, wherein the first slot indicator is replaced with the first execution area on which the execution screen of the first application is displayed and wherein the second slot indicator is replaced with the second execution area on which the execution screen of the second application is displayed.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the thumbnail images correspond to snapshot images of application execution screens of the applications.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
display the first and second slot indicators at a top of the list of recently executed applications.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
display a guide message indicating the first and second applications can be selected from the displayed list and added to the first and second execution areas to display the execution screens of the selected first and second applications.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 2 , wherein the first and second slot indicators comprise graphical representations outlining an area of the touch screen to display the execution screens of the selected first and second applications.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
display a keypad on the touch screen for entering data used by the first executed application, and
rearrange at least one of the size and the position of the first and second execution areas so the first and second execution areas do not overlap with the displayed keypad.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the first selection input of the first application corresponds to touching and dragging of the thumbnail image of the first application to the first execution area.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
display the list of recently executed applications as thumbnail images in response to a selection of a soft key displayed on the touch screen.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
receive a touch selection of the execution screen of the first application displayed in the first execution area, and display a keypad on the touch screen for entering data used by the first executed application, and wherein the keypad replaces the list of recently executed applications.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
display the execution screen of the first executed application on an entire area of the touch screen before the selection input is received,
display the list of recently executed applications including the first executed application on the touch screen in response to a selection of a key button on the mobile terminal,
receive an input for displaying a dual window including the first and second execution areas on the touch screen,
display a list of application icons in response to the input for displaying the dual window,
receive a selection of two of the application icons in the displayed list of application icons, and
display the execution screen of the first and second applications in the first and second execution areas.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10 , wherein the list of application icons corresponds to frequently used applications.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein no execution screen of an application is displayed in the first slot indicator.

13. A method of controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:
displaying, via a touch screen of the mobile terminal, a list of recently executed applications as thumbnail images on the touch screen;
displaying, via the touch screen, first and second slots indicators together with at least a portion the list of recently executed applications, the first and second slot indicators indicating a position and a size of first and second execution areas, respectively, wherein the and second slots indicators are displayed after in time the list of recently executed applications is displayed;
receiving, via a controller of the mobile terminal, a first selection input of a first application from the displayed list and a second selection input of a second application from the displayed list; and
once the first and second selection inputs are received, displaying at the same time, via the touch screen, an execution screen of the selected first and second applications on the first and second execution areas of the touch screen, respectively, together with the list of recently executed applications, wherein the first slot indicator is replaced with the first execution area on which the execution screen of the first application is displayed and wherein the second slot indicator is replaced with the second execution area on which the execution screen of the second application is displayed.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the thumbnail images correspond to snapshot images of application execution screens of the applications.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
displaying the first and second slot indicators at a top of the list of recently executed applications.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
displaying a guide message indicating the first and second applications can be selected from the displayed list and added to the first and second execution areas to display the execution screens of the selected first and second applications.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first and second slot indicators comprise graphical representations outlining an area of the touch screen to display the execution screens of the selected first and second applications.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first selection input of the first application corresponds to touching and dragging of the thumbnail image of the first application to the first execution area.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
displaying the list of recently executed applications as thumbnail images in response to a selection of a soft key displayed on the touch screen.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Yi Sohoon
• Park Hyekyung
• Chi Jumin

Classifications

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/1626

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · CPC title

• G06F3/04883

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• G06F3/04817 Primary

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title

• G06F3/0486

  Drag-and-drop · CPC title