[0032] In the instance where the designated point is located on the desktop itself, and not on any icon, then, at 218, the control unit 12 may select at least one of the icons then displayed on the display screen. The selection may be based, for example, on a distance between the designated point and the icon (e.g., the closest icon to the designated point may be selected). At 220, the control unit may then execute a predefined action involving the selected icon.
[0033] Predefined actions may not be executed unless certain values are satisfied; they may also be dependent on one or more values, such as distance between the designated point and the selected icon. For example, the predefined action might only be executed when the distance between the designated point and the selected icon is less than a predetermined value. In this way, the user can determine (by setting the predetermined value) how carefully he must aim his stylus at the icon.
[0034] A predefined action may cause, for example, the pattern of movement of the selected icon to change. The pattern of movement of the selected icon may change, for example, to a circular pattern of motion substantially centered on the designated point on the screen.
[0035] The predefined action may alternatively or additionally involve changing a visual characteristic associated with the selected icon. Examples of visual characteristics that may be changed include size, color, shape, an animated feature of the icon, such as flapping of fins, wings, or arms, the running movement of legs, or shaking of all or part of the icon. Additionally, at 220, the predefined action may also include generating a sound.
[0036] Of course, the user may also set the predefined action to cause the launching of the application associated with the selected icon. In this event, the method may proceed to 224 and end. If the predefined action is not the launch of the application associated with the icon, then at 222 the method may return to 212 and continue as described above.
[0037] FIGS. 3A to 3E represent an illustrative sequence of exemplary screen shots of a mobile terminal performing one embodiment of the method of FIG. 2. For illustrative purposes, the icons of FIGS. 3A to 3E are represented as fish, and the user's perspective is from above. It will be understood that the icons could be represented, for example, as any life form, abstract shape, regular shape, inanimate object, photographic image, or any combinations of these and/or other categories of things. The shape and diversity of icons is not a limitation of the invention disclosed herein. In one non-limiting example, icons may be configured with an object oriented programming ("OOP") module. Likewise, the user's perspective is not limited to that illustrated in the figures presented herein.
[0038] In FIG. 3A, the control unit 12 of the mobile terminal 10 has caused a plurality of icons 302, 304, 306, 308, 310 to be displayed on the touch screen display 300. In the example of FIGS. 3A-3E, three icons 302, 304, and 310 may be associated with applications stored on the mobile terminal (television, messaging, and calendar, respectively). One icon 306, providing an alarm, may be a associated with function of the messaging icon 304. Another icon 308, may provide a link to an album of photographs stored in the memory 14 of the mobile terminal 12. For purposes of this example, it may be assumed that the control unit 12 has additionally caused the displayed icons to move about the touch screen display 300. It may be assumed, for purposes of this example, that out of a plurality of icons, the user has set parameters that allow about five icons to be displayed at any given time. Accordingly, one or more of the icons moving about the display would, within a given time period, disappear from the screen and be replaced by other icons representing other applications. The methods of disappearance and appearance may be made, for example, by any one or combination of the methods described above.
[0039] In FIG. 3B, a stylus 18 is illustrated as tapping or otherwise touching the surface of the touch screen 300 of the mobile terminal 10. By plan or by accident, the user's stylus has touched the display 300 at a point that is not occupied by an icon. The control unit 12 may detect and decode this touch as a designation of the X-Y coordinate of the cursor. The control unit 12 may select at least one icon according to a predetermined algorithm.
[0040] In FIG. 3C, the control unit 12 may calculate the distance (d.sub.1, d.sub.2, d.sub.3) from the designated point (d.sub.0) to each of the closest icons. In the example as illustrated in FIG. 3C, the distances to each icon 302, 304, and 310 are equivalent. Thus, the control unit 12 may select all three icons.
[0041] FIG. 3D illustrates the execution of one possible predefined action by each of the three icons. As illustrated, the predefined action may be to align each selected icon with the designated point (d.sub.0) such that the "front" of the icon faces the designated point and the "rear" of the icon extends in a radial direction outward from the designated point. The execution of this predefined action may provide a benefit in that three moving icons have moved to one location on the display. This grouping of icons may make it easier for the user to select the icon representing a desired application. FIG. 3D illustrates the user's selection of the icon associated with the message application 304. FIG. 3E illustrates one example of a launched message program.
[0042] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of another method in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Steps 200 through 210 of FIG. 2 are repeated in the embodiment of FIG. 4. Disclosure of these steps is described above, in relation to FIG. 2. At 412, a predefined event may be detected. Examples of predefined events include a reception of a message, for example, a message broadcast from remote source 24 (FIG. 1). Another example of a predefined event may be a message or warning generated by the mobile terminal, for example, a low battery signal. Still another example of a predefined event may be associated with an application running on the mobile terminal, for example, the control unit 12 may detect the setting of a flag by the calendar application; the flag may indicate that a predetermined alarm time has been reached.
[0043] The predefined event may be associated with a first application of the one or more applications of the mobile device. At 414, upon detection of the predefined event, the control unit 12 may cause an indicator icon to be displayed on the touch screen display. The indicator icon may provide a visual indication of the detection of the event. Substantially simultaneously, at 416, the icon associated with the first application is caused to appear (if not already displayed on the screen). At 418, the icon associated with the first application is caused change its pattern of movement such that the path taken by the icon associated with the first application intercepts the indicator icon. Alternatively, both icons could be made to intercept each other. At 420, upon interception, the control unit 12 may cause a visual interaction between the icon associated with the first application and the intercepted indicator icon to occur. Such an interaction may be referred to as an "animated event."
[0044] FIGS. 5A to 5E represent an illustrative sequence of exemplary screen shots of a mobile terminal performing one embodiment of the method of FIG. 4. In FIG. 5A, the control unit 12 of the mobile terminal 10 has caused a plurality of icons 302, 304, 306, 308, 310 to be displayed on the touch screen display 300.
[0045] In FIG. 5B, the control unit 12 has detected an event. The event may be decoded as a reception of a message, for example, from remote source 24. An indicator icon 512 representing the event may be displayed at a prescribed position on the screen 300. In the example of FIG. 5B, an envelope-type icon is displayed on an upper left corner of the screen 300 to indicate a reception of the message.
[0046] In FIG. 5C, the icon 306 for message application associated with the envelope type icon (i.e., the indicator icon 512) is illustrated as moving toward an intercept point with the indicator icon 512. FIG. 5D illustrates a state in which the icon representing the message application 306 intercepts the icon indicating the message reception 512. The control unit 12 may cause the intercepted pair of icons to perform some animated stunt, or may cause the intercepted icons to continue to move about the screen in a coupled position. For example, the fish's eye(s), mouth, and/or gill(s), may move and/or the fish's body may undulate, shake or wiggle. The envelope may, for example, increase or decrease in size, change color, and/or it's sealing flap may open and close. If the event was an alarm and the indicating icon was an alarm clock, then, for example, the alarm clock may vibrate, shake, spin its arms, and/or radiate curved lines to visually depict an alarm sound. Of course these lists are meant to be illustrative and in no way limiting. FIG. 5E illustrates that the user may select to receive and open the message by designating a point on the icon 306 (or indicator icon 512).
[0047] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as illustrated by the exemplary embodiments described herein. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
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