Apparatus and method for executing hot key function of mobile terminal

1. An apparatus to execute a hot key function of a mobile terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a touch detection unit to detect a touch on an item associated with a hot key function;

a motion detection unit to detect a motion direction of the mobile terminal; and

a controller configured to execute the hot key function if the touch detection unit detects the touch and the motion detection unit detects the motion direction of the mobile terminal,

wherein the hot key function comprises at least one of a data sorting function, a file data management function, a message management function, and a mode conversion function, and

wherein the controller is configured to convert an input mode of an input interface to a first input mode corresponding to a first motion direction if the hot key function corresponds to the mode conversion function and the motion direction of the mobile terminal corresponds to the first motion direction, and to convert an input mode of the input interface to a second input mode corresponding to a second motion direction if the hot key function corresponds to the mode conversion function and the motion direction of the mobile terminal corresponds to the second motion direction.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller determines whether a region receiving the touch is assigned as a region for a hot key function type among the data sorting function, the file data management function, the message management function, and the mode conversion function.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a sorting order of the data sorting function is determined according to the motion direction of the mobile terminal if the hot key function corresponds to the data sorting function.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hot key function further comprises a menu selection function.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to perform at least one operation among deleting a file or folder, creating a subfolder, copying a file or folder, relocating a file or folder, and changing a file name according to the motion direction of the mobile terminal if the hot key function corresponds to the file data management function.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to perform at least one operation among displaying a received message box, displaying a transmitted message box, displaying a message creating screen, and displaying an emoticon editing screen according to the motion direction of the mobile terminal if the hot key function corresponds to the message management function.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to perform at least one operation among deleting a portion corresponding to the item, inserting a blank to a portion corresponding to item, backspacing from a portion corresponding to the item according to the motion direction of the mobile terminal if the hot key function corresponds to the message management function.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to perform at least one operation among converting a mode for text input language, converting to a mode for number key input, converting to a mode for special character input, and converting a mode for a capital/small letter input according to the motion direction of the mobile terminal if the hot key function corresponds to the mode conversion function.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hot key function further comprises a searching function, and

the controller is configured to execute the searching function in association with the item according to a search criterion corresponding to the motion direction.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hot key function further comprises a communication function.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the motion direction is one of upward, downward, leftward, and rightward, and the controller respectively executes the first hot key function, a second hot key function, a third hot key function, or a hot key function according to the detected upward, downward, leftward, and rightward motion directions of the mobile terminal, respectively.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller executes a normal function if the region receiving the touch is not a hot key function region.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, if the motion direction is a first direction, the controller executes the first hot key function, and, if the motion direction is a second direction, the controller executes a second hot key function.

14. A method for executing a hot key function of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

detecting a touch on an item associated with a hot key function;

detecting a motion direction of the mobile terminal;

executing, by a controller of the mobile terminal, the hot key function if the touch is detected and the motion direction of the mobile terminal is detected,

wherein the hot key function comprises at least one of a data sorting function, a file data management function, a message management function, and a mode conversion function, and

wherein the controller is configured to convert an input mode of an input interface to a first input mode corresponding to a first motion direction if the hot key function corresponds to the mode conversion function and the motion direction of the mobile terminal corresponds to the first motion direction, and to convert an input mode of the input interface to a second input mode corresponding to a second motion direction if the hot key function corresponds to the mode conversion function and the motion direction of the mobile terminal corresponds to the second motion direction.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

determining whether a region receiving the touch is assigned as a region for a hot key function type among the data sorting function, the file data management function, the message management function, and the mode conversion function.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

executing one of a first hot key function, a second hot key function, a third hot key function, or a fourth hot key function if the motion direction is detected as one of an upward, a downward, a leftward, and a rightward motion direction, respectively.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to perform at least one operation among deleting a file or folder, creating a subfolder, copying a file or folder, relocating a file or folder, and changing a file name according to the motion direction of the mobile terminal if the hot key function corresponds to the file data management function.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein a sorting order of the data sorting function is determined according to the motion direction of the mobile terminal if the hot key function corresponds to the data sorting function.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to perform at least one operation among displaying a received message box, displaying a transmitted message box, displaying a message creating screen, and displaying an emoticon editing screen according to the motion direction of the mobile terminal if the hot key function corresponds to the message management function.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to perform at least one operation among deleting a portion corresponding to the item, inserting a blank to a portion corresponding to item, backspacing from a portion corresponding to the item according to the motion direction of the mobile terminal if the hot key function corresponds to the message management function.

21. The method of claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to perform at least one operation among converting a mode for text input language, converting to a mode for number key input, converting to a mode for special character input, and converting a mode for a capital/small letter input according to the motion direction of the mobile terminal if the hot key function corresponds to the mode conversion function.

22. A method for executing a hot key function of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

detecting a touch on an item associated with the hot key function;

detecting a motion direction of the mobile terminal;

executing, by a controller of the mobile terminal, the hot key function if the touch is detected and the motion direction of the mobile terminal is detected,

wherein the controller is configured to execute a first searching function in association with the item according to a first search criterion if the motion direction corresponds to a first direction, and to execute a second searching function in association with the item according to a second search criterion if the motion direction corresponds to a second direction.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the first searching function is performed in association with a first element of the item, and the second searching function is performed in association with a second element of the item.