Idle screen arrangement structure and idle screen display method for mobile terminal

Abstract

An idle screen arrangement structure and an idle screen display method for a mobile terminal are provided. The idle screen arrangement structure includes a base idle screen; and a plurality of different extended idle screens arranged in four or eight directions around the base idle screen. A first idle screen of the base idle screen and extended idle screens is displayed on the display unit. In response to an input of a screen-switch event, a second idle screen of the base idle screen and extended idle screens different from the first idle screen is displayed instead of the first idle screen. When the pointer is moved into a screen-switch region on the display unit, the first idle screen is switched to the second idle screen. The base and extended idle screens may have shortcuts to particular functions, and be switched one another in a circular or a non-circular manner.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a display unit; and   a control unit operatively coupled to the display unit, the control unit configured to:   present, via the display unit, a first screen including one or more icons;   identify an input in relation with at least a portion of the first screen;   determine whether an indication corresponding to the input has remained in a border region of the first screen for at least a specified period of time; and   present, via the display unit, a second screen based at least in part on a first determination that the indication has remained in the border region for at least the specified period of time.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said control unit is further configured to refrain from presenting, via the display unit, the second screen based at least in part on a second determination that the indication has remained in the border region for less than the specified period of time. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more icons comprises a shortcut to an application or a function of the application. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the application or the function is for providing at least one of a multimedia, a dictionary, a text message composition or a phonebook. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second screen comprises at least one icon. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first screen or the second screen comprises at least one of a photograph, a scheduler, a camera, a user-editable screen, a game, a favorite broadcast channel, a clock or a shortcut number. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the indication comprises an image representing a position of the input in relation with the first screen. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to replace the first screen with the second screen, the second screen for providing at least one of a camera function or a multimedia function. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to control a movement of the indication based at least in part on a movement of the input. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:
 determine a third determination that the first screen is a last screen of a set of one or more screens including the first screen in a direction corresponding to the border region; and   maintain presenting the first screen based at least in part on the third determination, regardless of the first determination.   
     
     
         11 . A method comprising:
 presenting, via a display unit operatively coupled to an electronic device, a first screen including one or more icons;   determining whether an object displayed in relation with the first screen has remained in a border region of the first screen for at least a specified period of time; and   presenting, via the display unit, a second screen based at least in part on a first determination that the object has remained in the border region for at least the specified period of time.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 refraining from presenting, via the display unit, the second screen based at least in part on a second determination that the object has remained in the border region for less than the specified period of time.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein each of the one or more icons comprises a shortcut to an application or a function of the application. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the application or the function is for providing at least one of a multimedia, a dictionary, a camera, a text message composition or a phonebook. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the second screen comprises at least one icon. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein presenting the second screen comprises:
 presenting, as the second screen, a screen including at least one of a photograph, a scheduler, a user-editable screen, a game, a favorite broadcast channels, a clock or a shortcut number.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein presenting the second screen comprises:
 replacing the first screen with the second screen, the second screen for providing at least one of a camera function or multimedia function.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 identifying an input in relation with the first screen.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the identifying comprises controlling a movement of the object based at least in part on the input. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the object comprises an image representing a position of the input. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein presenting the second screen comprises:
 determining a third determination that the first screen is a last screen of a set of one or more screens including the first screen in a direction corresponding to the border region; and   maintaining presenting the first screen based at least in part on the third determination, regardless of the first determination.   
     
     
         22 . A non-transitory machine-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 presenting, via the display unit, a first screen including one or more icons;   identifying an input in relation with at least a portion the first screen;   determining whether an indication corresponding to the input has remained in a border region of the first screen for at least a specified period of time;   presenting, via the display unit, a second screen based at least in part on a first determination that the indication has remained in the border region for at least the specified period of time; and   refraining from presenting, via the display unit, the second screen based at least in part on a second determination that the indication has remained in the border region for less than the specified period of time.