Mobile terminal and method of controlling the operation of the mobile terminal

Abstract

A method of displaying items on a mobile terminal includes displaying a first icon group of a plurality of icons on a display of the mobile terminal, such that each icon of the first icon group is associated with an application that is executable on the mobile terminal. Also performed is detecting user contact at a first location of the display relative to a displayed location of a particular icon of the first icon group and detecting further user contact representing a dragging over a distance beginning from the first location, such that the dragging represents substantially continual user contact from the first location over the distance. Also, after the dragging occurs over a threshold distance, displaying a second group of icons in an icon display region, such that each icon of the second icon group is associated with an application that is executable on the mobile terminal.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of displaying items on a display of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:
 displaying a first icon group including a plurality of icons on the display, wherein each of the plurality of icons are displayed at as being aligned with a respective locations one of a plurality of visibly defined rows on the display, and wherein a first icon of the plurality of icons of the first icon group is displayed at a first displayed location on the display and the first icon is to be touched; 
 displaying simultaneously, for each of the plurality of icons, respective icon related information within a respective one of the plurality of visibly defined rows;  
 performing a predefined operation corresponding to a the touched first icon of the plurality of icons of the first icon group in response to a first user input, which is a touch input, that is received at the display, wherein the first user input is received while the first icon group is displayed; 
 displaying a at least one second icon group including at least one icon in response to a second user input received at the display, wherein the second user input, which is different from the first user input, comprises a dragging touch input more than a threshold distance beginning from a received at a location that corresponds to the first displayed location of a the first icon of the plurality of icons of the first icon group, at least one icon of wherein the at least one second icon is different from the touched first icon of the first icon group and the at least one second icon group represents a predefined operation that can be performed at the mobile terminal, and wherein the at least one icon of the second icon group is different from the touched icon of the first icon group terminal; and 
 after the dragging more than the threshold distance touch input and while user contact is maintained at an area corresponding to the visibly defined row associated with the first icon and at the display as part of the second user input,:  
 continuing the displaying of remaining icons of the plurality of icons of the first icon group at the respective locations of as being aligned with a respective one of the plurality of visibly defined rows on the display with, 
 continuing the displaying, for the remaining icons of the plurality of icons, respective icon related information within a respective one of the plurality of visibly defined rows, 
 continuing the displaying of the at least one second icon group and,  
 no longer displaying the first icon of the plurality of icons of the first icon group at the first displayed location, and 
 displaying the first icon at a second displayed location which is different than the first displayed location. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein each icon of the first icon group is an upper-level icon, and each icon of the at least one second icon group is a lower-level icon. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the predefined operation of each icon of the second icon group represents a separate application that is executable at the mobile terminal. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one second icon group comprises is one of an icon related to a call operation and or an icon related to a message operation. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein each icon of the first icon group includes icon information in an icon information region of the corresponding icon. 
     
     
       6. The method of claim  5  1, further comprising:
 modifying or editing the icon related information associated with one of the plurality of icons of the first icon group in accordance with a user input. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 displaying a dragged icon on the display at locations that correspond to the dragging touch input of the received second user input, wherein display characteristics of the dragged icon are different from display characteristics of other icons of the first icon group. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one second icon group is displayed in response to the second user input reaching the threshold distance. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of icons included in the first icon group are displayed as a vertical list. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 displaying, on the display, a screen related to the predefined operation corresponding to the first icon in response to the first user input such that the first icon group is not displayed after receiving the first user input. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein one icon of the second icon group is an icon included in the first icon group. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 moving the first icon of the first icon group from the first displayed location to a different the second displayed location that corresponds with a current location of the second user input. 
 
     
     
       13. A mobile terminal, comprising:
 a memory storing computer-readable code;  
 a display; and 
 a controller processor operably coupled to the display and the memory and being configured to:
 causeexecute the computer-readable code to control the display to display a first icon group including a plurality of icons, wherein each of the plurality of icons are displayed atas being aligned with a respective locationsone of a plurality of visibly defined rows on the display, and wherein a first icon of the plurality of icons of the first icon group is displayed at a first displayed location on the display and the first icon is to be touched; 
 execute the computer-readable code to control the display to display simultaneously, for each of the plurality of icons, respective icon related information within a respective one of the plurality of visibly defined rows; 
 execute the computer-readable code to perform a predefined operation corresponding to a the touched first icon of the plurality of icons of the first icon group in response to a first user input, which is a touch input, that is received at the display, wherein the first user input is received while the first icon group is displayed; 
 causeexecute the computer-readable code to control the display to display aat least one second icon group including at least one icon in response to a second user input is received at the display, wherein the second user input, which is different from the first user input, comprises a dragging touch input more than a threshold distance beginning from a received at a location that corresponds to the first displayed location of a the first icon of the plurality of icons of the first icon group, wherein at least one icon of the at least one second icon is different from the touched first icon of the first icon group and the at least one second icon group represents a predefined operation that can be performed at the mobile terminal, and wherein the at least one icon of the second icon group is different from the touched icon of the first icon group; and 
 after the dragging more than the threshold distance touch input and while user contact is maintained at an area corresponding to the visibly defined row associated with the first icon and at the display as part of the second user input, execute the computer-readable code to: 
 control the display to continue the display of remaining icons of the plurality of icons of the first icon group at the respective locations of as being aligned with a respective one of the plurality of visibly defined rows on the displaywith, 
 control the display to continue the display, for the remaining icons of the plurality of icons, respective icon related information within a respective one of the plurality of visibly defined rows, 
 control the display to continue the display of the at least one second icongroup and, 
 control the display to no longer displaying display the first icon of the plurality of icons of the first icon group at the first displayed location, and 
 
 control the display to display the first icon at a second displayed location which is different than the first displayed location. 
 
     
     
       14. The mobile terminal of  claim 13 , wherein each icon of the first icon group is an upper-level icon, and each icon of the at least one second icon group is a lower-level icon. 
     
     
       15. The mobile terminal of  claim 13 , wherein the predefined operation of each icon of the second icon group represents a separate application that is executable at the mobile terminal. 
     
     
       16. The mobile terminal of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one second icon group comprises is one of an icon related to a call operation and or an icon related to a message operation. 
     
     
       17. The mobile terminal of  claim 13 , wherein each icon of the first icon group includes icon information in an icon information region of the corresponding icon. 
     
     
       18. The mobile terminal of claim  17  13, wherein the controller processor is further configured to:
 execute the computer-readable code to modify or edit the icon related information associated with one of the plurality of icons of the first icon group in accordance with a user input. 
 
     
     
       19. The mobile terminal of  claim 13 , wherein the controller processor is further configured to:
 execute the computer-readable code to cause the display to display a dragged icon at locations that correspond to the dragging touch input of the received second user input, wherein display characteristics of the dragged icon are different from display characteristics of other icons of the first icon group. 
 
     
     
       20. The mobile terminal of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one second icon group is displayed in response to the second user input reaching the threshold distance. 
     
     
       21. The mobile terminal of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of icons included in the first icon group are displayed as a vertical list. 
     
     
       22. The mobile terminal of  claim 13 , wherein the controller processor is further configured to:
 execute the computer-readable code to cause the display to display a screen related to the predefined operation corresponding to the first icon in response to the first user input such that the first icon group is not displayed after receiving the first user input. 
 
     
     
       23. The mobile terminal of  claim 13 , wherein one icon of the second icon group is an icon included in the first icon group. 
     
     
       24. The mobile terminal of  claim 13 , wherein the controller processor is further configured to:
 execute the computer-readable code to move the first icon of the first icon group from the first displayed location to a differentthe second displayed location that corresponds with a current location of the second user input. 
 
     
     
       25. The method of claim 1, wherein each icon of the first icon group includes a symbol that corresponds to an application.  
     
     
       26. The method of claim 1, wherein the icon related information respectively associated with each of the plurality of icons of the first icon group is modifiable by a user.  
     
     
       27. The method of claim 1, wherein the icon related information respectively associated with each of the plurality of icons of the first icon group includes text.  
     
     
       28. A mobile terminal, comprising:
 a memory storing computer-readable code;   a display; and   a processor operably coupled to the display and the memory and being configured to:   execute the computer-readable code to control the display to display a first item group including a plurality of items, wherein each of the plurality of items are displayed as being aligned with a respective one of a plurality of visibly defined rows on the display, and wherein a first item of the plurality of items of the first item group is displayed at a first displayed location on the display and the first item is to be touched;   execute the computer-readable code to control the display to display simultaneously, for each of the plurality of items, respective item related information within a respective one of the plurality of visibly defined rows;   execute the computer-readable code to perform a predefined operation corresponding to the touched first item of the plurality of items of the first item group in response to a first user input, which is a touch input, that is received at the display, wherein the first user input is received while the first item group is displayed;   execute the computer-readable code to control the display to display at least one second item in response to a second user input received at the display, wherein the second user input, which is different from the first user input, comprises a dragging touch input more than a threshold distance received at a location that corresponds to the first displayed location of the first item of the plurality of items of the first item group, wherein the at least one second item is different from the touched first item of the first item group and the second item represents a predefined operation that can be performed at the mobile terminal; and   after the dragging touch input and while user contact is maintained at an area corresponding to the visibly defined row associated with the first item and at the display as part of the second user input, execute the computer-readable code to:   control the display to continue the display of remaining items of the plurality of items of the first item group as being aligned with a respective one of the plurality of visibly defined rows on the display,   control the display to continue the display of the at least one second item,   control the display to no longer display the first item of the plurality of items of the first item group at the first displayed location, and   control the display to display the first item at a second displayed location which is different than the first displayed location.