Apparatus and method for sharing contents

1. An apparatus for sharing contents, comprising:

a touch screen configured to sense a user input with respect to a graphical user interface for one or more of displaying or sharing contents wherein the graphical user interface is partitioned into (i) a main area for displaying one or more the contents and (ii) a device list area comprising a plurality of icons corresponding to external devices with which the apparatus is configured to be connected to share at least one of the contents; and

a processor, including one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), configured to

detect a first touch input received by the touch screen and generate a first electrical signal based on the first touch input,

generate, in response to the first electrical signal, a first transmission image of a first content of the contents when the first touch input is detected and the first electrical signal indicates instructions for dragging the first content and dropping the first content onto a first external device among the external devices indicated in the device list area,

connect the apparatus to the first external device to share the first content so that the first content is displayed on the first external device based on the first touch input,

insert a control interface in the first transmission image,

transmit the control interface to the first external device,

control playback of the first content according to input information manipulating the control interface when the input information is received from the first external device,

detect a second touch input received by the touch screen and generate a second electrical signal based on the second touch input,

generate, in response to the second electrical signal, a second transmission image of a second content of the contents when the second touch input is detected and the second electrical signal indicates instructions for dragging the second content and dropping the second content onto a second external device among the external devices indicated in the device list area,

connect the apparatus to the second external device to share the second content so that the second content is displayed on the second external device based on the second touch input, and

release a connection with the first external device based on (1) a determination that the apparatus is connected with the first external device when the second touch input is detected, and (2) a determination that the apparatus is pre-set to prevent the apparatus from being simultaneously connected with the first external device and the second external device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein

the processor is further configured to

detect a third touch input received by the touch screen and generate a third electrical signal based on the third touch input, and

generate, in response to the third electrical signal, a third transmission image of a third content of the contents when the third touch input is detected and the third electrical signal indicates instructions for dragging the third content and dropping the third content onto the second external device among the external devices indicated in the device list area, and

the apparatus further comprises:

a communication unit configured to

establish a connection with the first external device or the second external device based on the first touch input or the second touch input,

transmit the first transmission image to the first external device by way of an established connection with the first external device,

transmit the second transmission image to the second external device by way of an established connection with the second external device, and

transmit the third transmission image to the second external device by way of the established connection with the second external device based on the third touch input.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the icons corresponding to the external devices included in the device list area are displayed when the first touch input or the second touch input is received and the first electrical signal indicates instructions for dragging the first content to the device list area or the second electrical signal indicates instructions for dragging the second content to the device list area.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the icons corresponding to the external devices included in the device list area are displayed in one side edge of the graphical user interface when the first electrical signal indicates instructions for dragging the first content to the one side edge of the graphical user interface or the second electrical signal indicates instructions for dragging the second content to the one side edge of the graphical user interface.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to

detect a third touch input received by the touch screen and generate a third electrical signal based on the third touch input,

generate, in response to the third electrical signal, a third transmission image of a third content of the contents when the third touch input is detected and the third electrical signal indicates instructions for dragging the third content and dropping the third content onto a third external device among the external devices indicated in the device list area,

connect the apparatus to the third external device to share the third content so that the third content is displayed on the third external device based on the third touch input, and

maintain a connection with the second external device based on (1) a determination that the apparatus is connected with the second external device when the third touch input is detected, and (2) a determination that the apparatus is pre-set to allow the apparatus to be simultaneously connected with the second external device and the third external device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a memory configured to store the instructions to share the contents.

7. A method performed by an apparatus for sharing contents, the apparatus including one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) to execute the method comprising:

displaying (i) a main area for displaying one or more the contents and (ii) a device list area comprising a plurality of icons corresponding to external devices with which the apparatus is configured to be connected to share at least one of the contents;

detecting a first touch input received by a touch screen of the apparatus and generating a first electrical signal based on the first touch input;

generating, in response to the first electrical signal, a first transmission image of a first content of the contents when the first touch input is detected and the first electrical signal indicates instructions for dragging the first content and dropping the first content onto a first external device among the external devices indicated in the device list area;

connecting the apparatus to the first external device to share the first content so that the first content is displayed on the first external device based on the first touch input,

inserting a control interface in the first transmission image;

transmitting the control interface to the first external device;

controlling playback of the first content according to input information manipulating the control interface when the input information is received from the first external device; and

detecting a second touch input received by the touch screen and generating a second electrical signal based on the second touch input;

generating, in response to the second electrical signal, a second transmission image of a second content of the contents when the second touch input is detected and the second electrical signal indicates instructions for dragging the second content and dropping the second content onto a second external device among the external devices indicated in the device list area;

connecting the apparatus to the second external device to share the second content so that the second content is displayed on the second external device based on the second touch input; and

releasing a connection with the first external device based on (1) a determination that the apparatus is connected with the first external device when the second touch input is detected, and (2) a determination that the apparatus is pre-set to prevent the apparatus from being simultaneously connected with the first external device and the second external device.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

detecting a third touch input received by the touch screen and generating a third electrical signal based on the third touch input;

generating, in response to the third electrical signal, a third transmission image of a third content of the contents when the third touch input is detected and the third electrical signal indicates instructions for dragging the third content and dropping the third content onto the second external device among the external devices indicated in the device list area;

establishing a connection with the first external device or the second external device based on the first touch input or the second touch input;

transmitting the first transmission image to the first external device by way of an established connection with the first external device;

transmitting the second transmission image to the second external device by way of an established connection with the second external device; and

transmitting the third transmission image to the second external device by way of the established connection with the second external device based on the third touch input.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

causing the icons corresponding to the external devices included in the device list area to be displayed when the first touch input or the second touch input is received and the first electrical signal indicates instructions for dragging the first content to the device list area or the second electrical signal indicates instructions for dragging the second content to the device list area.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the icons corresponding to the external devices included in the device list area are displayed in one side edge of the graphical user interface when the first electrical signal indicates instructions for dragging the first content to the one side edge of the graphical user interface or the second electrical signal indicates instructions for dragging the second content to the one side edge of the graphical user interface.

11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

detecting a third touch input received by the touch screen and generate a third electrical signal based on the third touch input;

generate, in response to the third electrical signal, a third transmission image of a third content of the contents when the third touch input is detected and the third electrical signal indicates instructions for dragging the third content and dropping the third content onto a third external device among the external devices indicated in the device list area;

connect the apparatus to the third external device to share the third content so that the third content is displayed on the third external device based on the third touch input; and

maintaining a connection with the second external device based on (1) a determination that the apparatus is connected with the second external device when the third touch input is detected, and (2) a determination that the apparatus is pre-set to allow the apparatus to be simultaneously connected with the second external device and the third external device.