IP Library Granted Patent US 8,552,996
Granted Patent B2
US 8,552,996 · App. 12/707,891 · Granted Oct 8, 2013

Mobile terminal apparatus and method of starting application

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,552,996
App. No.
12/707,891
Granted
Oct 8, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A mobile terminal apparatus includes a display section, a touch panel section detecting a touch on a display area of the display section, a pattern detection section detecting a pattern input into a specific area of the touch panel section, and a storage section. The storage section stores a relationship between the pattern input into the touch panel section and an application to be started correspondingly to the pattern in an application table. A control section determines an application corresponding to the pattern detected by the pattern detection section on the basis of the application table stored in the storage section and starting the determined application.

Claims (17)

1. A mobile terminal apparatus comprising:

a display section;

a touch panel section detecting a touch on a display area of the display section;

a pattern detection section detecting a pattern input into a specific area of the touch panel section;

a storage section storing a relationship between the pattern input into the touch panel section and an application to be started correspondingly to the pattern in an application table; and

a control section determining an application corresponding to the pattern detected by the pattern detection section on the basis of the application table stored in the storage section and starting the determined application, wherein the control section, when the application corresponding to the pattern detected by the pattern detection section is started, removes the specific area from display, and reinserts the specific area to be displayed in response to an actuation of a key displayed on the display section even if the application is running, said control section terminating all previously invoked applications in response to a predetermined pattern detected by the pattern detection section.

2. The mobile terminal apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the application table allows setting a pattern corresponding to each application to any single pattern.

3. The mobile terminal apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the display section displays an icon for performing pattern detection by the pattern detection section, and

if an operation specifying the icon is performed on the touch panel section, the specific area for detecting a pattern by the pattern detection section is displayed on the display section.

4. The mobile terminal apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising, if the icon is being displayed on the display section, an operation section having a key switch allowing appearance of the specific area on the display section in order for the pattern detection section to perform pattern detection.

5. A method of starting an application, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a pattern input into a specific area of a touch panel;

storing a relationship between the pattern input into the touch panel and an application to be started correspondingly to the pattern in an application table; and

determining an application corresponding to the pattern detected by the touch panel on the basis of the application table and starting the determined application, wherein

the control section, when the application corresponding to the pattern detected by the pattern detection section is started, removes the specific area from display, and reinserts the specific area to be displayed in response to an actuation of a key displayed on the display section even if the application is running, said control section terminating all previously invoked applications in response to a predetermined pattern detected by the pattern detection section.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF PARTIAL RIGHTS Recorded Jul 22, 2013
From: SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS AB
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 030851/0665 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 20, 2012
From: SONY ERICSSON MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS AB
To: SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS AB
Reel/Frame 028081/0600 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 18, 2010
From: MORITA, HIROSHI
To: SONY ERICSSON MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS AB
Reel/Frame 023956/0472 →