DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ACTIVATING SECURITY FUNCTION FOR CHATTING REGION

1 . A method that activates a security function, the method comprising:

displaying a chatting region on a display of a user device;

presenting chatting texts of multiple users on the displayed chatting region;

receiving a security request signal for requesting activation of the security function through a user interface;

receiving a signal for selecting a non-security region in the displayed chatting region through the user interface; and

displaying the non-security region differently from a security region in the displayed chatting region.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

if a request for the non-security region is input through the user interface, graphically modifying at least one of the security region and the non-security region on the basis of the input request.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the modifying includes:

if the request is to shift the non-security region, graphically modifying at least one of the security region and the non-security region to shift the non-security region from a first position to a second position;

if the request is to change a size of the non-security region, graphically modifying at least one of the security region and the non-security region to change the size of the non-security region from a first size to a second size; or

if the request is to randomly shift the non-security region, graphically modifying at least one of the security region and the non-security region to randomly shift the non-security region between at least two positions.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the displaying the non-security region differently from a security region is performed based on any one of the following methods comprising:

a first method that displays the non-security region differently from the security region by presenting an opaque image of the same size and shape as the security region on the display, and

a second method that displays the non-security region differently from the security region by dimly displaying the security region which is the rest of the displayed chatting region except the non-security region.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the security request signal is generated when a security icon presented on the display is selected through the user interface, and

wherein the method further comprises: if the security icon is reselected through the user interface, deactivating the security function.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the security region includes multiple surrounding regions of multiple chatting texts, respectively, and

wherein the method further comprises: if any one of the multiple surrounding regions is selected through the user interface, changing the selected surrounding region into the non-security region

7 . A method for providing an application operating in association with a device that performs a method for activating a security function,

wherein the device performs any one of the methods recited in claim 1 to claim 6 .

8 . A device comprising:

a display configured to display a chatting region and present chatting texts of multiple users on the displayed chatting region;

a signal input receiver configured to receive a security request signal for requesting activation of a security function through a user interface and receive a signal for selecting a non-security region in the displayed chatting region through the user interface; and

a security function controller configured to display the non-security region differently from a security region in the displayed chatting region.