User interface method and apparatus for mobile terminal having touchscreen

Abstract

A user interface method and apparatus for a mobile terminal having a touchscreen are provided. The apparatus and method improve interactivity using a toolbar menu mode screen which allows a user to execute functions and commands with drag and drop behaviors on the touchscreen to graphical objects such as toolbar, icons, and other active objects. An interface apparatus includes a touchscreen unit that displays a screen including a second region for presenting a toolbar having at least one User Interface (UI) element representing a specific function and a first region for activating, when the UI element is dragged from the toolbar and dropped in the first region on the touchscreen, the function represented by the UI element. The interface apparatus also includes a control unit which detects a drag and drop action of the UI element and activates, when the drag and drop action is detected, the function associated with the UI element in the form of an active function object. The interface apparatus of the present invention registers the frequently used functions with the toolbar in the form of icons such that, when an icon is dragged from the toolbar to the main window, the function represented by the icon is activated.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A portable communication device comprising:
 a touchscreen display;   a memory configured to store an image as associated with an external device and identification information corresponding to the external device;   communication circuitry to establish a communication connection with a wireless network; and   a processor configured to:
 present, via the touchscreen display, a first image corresponding to the stored image, the first image including at least a portion of the stored image, 
 receive, via the touchscreen display, a first user input with respect to the first image, 
 in response to the first user input, present, via the touchscreen display, a window including a second image corresponding to the stored image and a plurality of items, the second image including at least a portion of the stored image, the plurality of items including a specified item indicative of a specified function to be performed with respect to the external device, 
 receive, via the touchscreen display, a second user input with respect to the specified item, and 
 perform the specified function in response to the second user input, the performing of the specified function including transmitting, via the communication connection, a signal to the external device using the identification information. 
   
     
     
         2 . The portable communication device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the identification information includes a name corresponding to a user of the external device and a phone number corresponding to the external device, and   wherein the processor is further configured to:
 store, in the memory, the image as part of the identification information. 
   
     
     
         3 . The portable communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 perform the presenting of the first image based at least part on a third user input to select the stored image from a plurality of images stored in the memory.   
     
     
         4 . The portable communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 perform the presenting of the first image in a first region of the touchscreen, and   present another plurality of items in a second region of the touchscreen while the first image is presented, the other plurality of items including a first item indicative of a first function to execute a phonebook application and a second item indicative of a second function to execute a call application.   
     
     
         5 . The portable communication device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the memory is further configured to store another image as associated with another external device and another identification information corresponding to the other external device, and   wherein the processor is further configured to present, via the touchscreen display, a third image corresponding to the other image at least partially while the first image is displayed, the third image including at least a portion of the other image.   
     
     
         6 . The portable communication device of  claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 perform the presenting of the third image such that the first image and the third image are aligned in a vertical or a horizontal direction.   
     
     
         7 . The portable communication device of  claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 maintain the presenting of the third image after the window is presented.   
     
     
         8 . The portable communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the specified function includes a first function to make a voice call with respect to the external device, a second function to make a video call with respect to the external device, or a third function to send a message with respect to the external device. 
     
     
         9 . The portable communication device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the plurality of items includes a first item indicative of a first function to make a voice call with respect to the external device, a second item indicative of a second function to make a video call with respect to the external device and a third item indicative of a third function to send a message with respect to the external device, and   wherein the specified function includes one function selected from the first, second, and third functions based at least in part on the second user input.   
     
     
         10 . The portable communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 as at least part of the presenting of the window, display the second image in a first region of the window and the plurality of items in a second region of the window, the second region of the window being located below the first region of the window.   
     
     
         11 . The portable communication device of  claim 1 , wherein a resolution of the second image is larger than the resolution of the first image. 
     
     
         12 . A portable communication device comprising:
 a touchscreen display;   a memory configured to store an image as associated with an external device and identification information corresponding to the external device; and   a processor configured to:
 present, via the touchscreen display, a first image corresponding to the stored image, the first image including at least a portion of the stored image, 
 receive, via the touchscreen display, a user input with respect to the first image, and 
 in response to the user input, present, via the touchscreen display, a window including a second image corresponding to the stored image and a plurality of items, the second image including at least a portion of the stored image, the plurality of items including a specified item indicative of a specified function to be performed based at least in part on the identification information. 
   
     
     
         13 . The portable communication device of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 perform the presenting of the first image based at least part on another user input to select the stored image from a plurality of images stored in the memory.   
     
     
         14 . The portable communication device of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the memory is further configured to store another image as associated with another external device and another identification information corresponding to the other external device, and   wherein the processor is further configured to present, via the touchscreen display, a third image corresponding to the other image at least partially while the first image is displayed, the third image including at least a portion of the other image.   
     
     
         15 . The portable communication device of  claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 maintain the presenting of the third image after the window is presented.   
     
     
         16 . The portable communication device of  claim 12 , wherein a size of the first image is smaller than the size of the second image. 
     
     
         17 . The portable communication device of  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of items includes a first item indicative of a first function to make a voice call with respect to the external device and a second item indicative of a second function to make a video call with respect to the external device. 
     
     
         18 . A portable communication device comprising:
 a touchscreen display;   a memory configured to store an image as associated with an external device and identification information corresponding to the external device;   communication circuitry to establish a communication connection with a wireless network; and   a processor configured to:
 present, via the touchscreen display, a graphical user interface corresponding to the image, 
 receive, via the touchscreen display, a first user input with respect to the graphical user interface, 
 in response to the first user input, present, via the touchscreen display, a window including at least one portion of the image and a plurality of items, the plurality of items including a first item indicative of a first function to make a voice call with respect to the external device and a second item indicative of a second function to make a video call with respect to the external device, 
 receive, via the touchscreen display, a second user input with respect to the plurality of items, 
 based at least in part on a determination that the second user input corresponds to the first item, transmit, via the communication connection, a first call request with respect to the voice call using the identification information, and 
 based at least in part on a determination that the second user input corresponds to the second item, transmit, via the communication connection, a second call request with respect to the video call using the identification information. 
   
     
     
         19 . The portable communication device of  claim 18 ,
 wherein the plurality of items further includes a third item indicative of a third function to send a message with respect to the external device, and   wherein the processor is further configured to:
 based at least in part on a determination that the second user input corresponds to the third item, transmit, via the communication connection, the message using the identification information. 
   
     
     
         20 . The portable communication device of  claim 18 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 as at least part of the presenting of the window, display the at least one portion of the image in a first region of the window and the plurality of items in a second region of the window, the second region of the window being located below the first region of the window.