Method and apparatus for icon based application control

1. A method for icon based application control, comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a detection signal indicative of a pre-defined user action on an icon representing an application in a graphical user interface (GUI);

determining, based on the received detection signal, whether to execute the application or to change adjustable settings of the application;

upon determining to change the adjustable settings, extracting adjustable settings of the application; and

providing, by the processor, a setting interface for the icon in the GUI to enable a user in order to adjust the adjustable settings for the application to be performed via the setting interface by providing, via the GUI, a mapping of pre-defined locations in the GUI with setting adjustments to enable the user's moving reaction of the icon located at the center of the GUI to one of the pre-defined locations, the pre-defined locations including at least four different locations located at the four cardinal directions from the icon, (i) a first of the at least four different locations, upon selection, enables or disables notification, (ii) a second of the at least four different locations, upon selection, enables or disables data network, (iii) a third of the at least four different locations, upon selection, enables or disables privacy access, and (iv) a fourth of the at least four different locations, upon selection, clears a default value.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing, by the processor, the setting interface for the icon in the GUI to enable the adjustments of the settings for the application to be performed via the setting interface further comprises:

providing a popup menu in association with the icon in the GUI to enable the adjustments of the settings for the application to be performed via the popup menu.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing, by the processor, the setting interface for the icon in the GUI to enable the adjustments of the settings for the application to be performed via the setting interface further comprises:

providing, via the GUI, a mapping of pre-defined reactions by a user with setting adjustments to enable the setting adjustment via the pre-defined actions by the user.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein providing, via the GUI, the mapping of pre-defined reactions by the user with the setting adjustments to enable the setting adjustments via the pre-defined actions by the user further comprises at least one of:

providing a mapping of pre-defined gestures in the GUI with the setting adjustments to enable the setting adjustments via gesture detection; and

providing a mapping of pre-defined voices with the setting adjustments to enable the setting adjustments via voice recognition.

5. An electronic device, comprising:

a memory configured to store applications with associated settings; and

a processor configured to receive a detection signal indicative of a pre-defined user action on an icon representing an application in a graphic user interface (GUI), determine, based on the received detection signal, whether to execute the application or to change adjustable settings of the application, upon determining to change the adjustable settings, extract adjustable settings of the application, and provide a setting interface for the icon in the GUI to enable a user in order to adjust the adjustable settings for the application to be performed via the setting interface by providing, via the GUI, a mapping of pre-defined locations in the GUI with setting adjustments to enable the user's moving reaction of the icon located at the center of the GUI to one of the pre-defined locations, the pre-defined locations including at least four different locations located at the four cardinal directions from the icon, (i) a first of the at least four different locations, upon selection, enables or disables notification, (ii) a second of the at least four different locations, upon selection, enables or disables data network, (iii) a third of the at least four different locations, upon selection, enables or disables privacy access, and (iv) a fourth of the at least four different locations, upon selection, clears a default value.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , further comprising:

a display configured to receive signals generated from the processor and provide the GUI according to the received signals.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , further comprising:

an user input component configured to generate detection signals in response to user reactions, and provide the detection signals to the processor.

8. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the display is configured to generate detection signals in response to user reactions on the display, and provide the detection signals to the processor.

9. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to provide a popup menu in association with the icon in the GUI to enable the adjustments of the settings for the application to be performed via the popup menu.

10. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to provide, via the GUI, a mapping of pre-defined locations in the GUI with setting adjustments to enable a moving reaction of the icon to one of the pre-defined locations.

11. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to provide, via the GUI, a mapping of pre-defined gestures in the GUI with the setting adjustments to enable the setting adjustments via gesture detection.

12. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to provide a mapping of pre-defined voices with the setting adjustments to enable the setting adjustments via voice recognition.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing program instructions for causing a processor to execute operations for icon-based application control, the operations comprising:

receiving a detection signal indicative of a pre-defined user action on an icon representing an application in a graphical user interface (GUI);

determining, based on the received detection signal, whether to execute the application or to change adjustable settings of the application;

upon determining to change the adjustable settings, extracting adjustable settings of the application; and

providing a setting interface for the icon in the GUI to enable a user in order to adjust the adjustable settings for the application to be performed via the setting interface by providing, via the GUI, a mapping of pre-defined locations in the GUI with setting adjustments to enable the user's moving reaction of the icon located at the center of the GUI to one of the pre-defined locations, the pre-defined locations including at least four different locations located at the four cardinal directions from the icon, (i) a first of the at least four different locations, upon selection, enables or disables notification, (ii) a second of the at least four different locations, upon selection, enables or disables data network, (iii) a third of the at least four different locations, upon selection, enables or disables privacy access, and (iv) a fourth of the at least four different locations, upon selection, clears a default value.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the operation of providing the setting interface for the icon in the GUI to enable the adjustments of the settings for the application to be performed via the setting interface further comprises at least one of:

providing a popup menu in association with the icon in the GUI to enable the adjustments of the settings for the application to be performed via the popup menu;

providing a mapping of pre-defined gestures in the GUI with the setting adjustments to enable the setting adjustments via gesture detection; and

providing a mapping of pre-defined voices with the setting adjustments to enable the setting adjustments via voice recognition.