Abstract:
An apparatus and a method for configuring an idle screen in a terminal is provided. The apparatus includes a state sensor for sensing an environmental state a memory for storing a plurality of environmental state information items, each including at least one environmental state information, and a plurality of terminal function items, each associated with a corresponding environmental state information item and comprising at least one terminal function and a controller for when a change in a current environmental state is sensed while performing a selected terminal function, determining an environmental state information item corresponding to a changed environmental state, and updating the selected terminal function in a terminal function item corresponding to the determined environmental state information item, and when there is a request for displaying an idle screen, determining an environmental state item corresponding to the current environmental state from the memory, extracting one or more terminal functions of the terminal function item corresponding to the environmental state information item, and configuring the idle screen using the extracted one or more terminal functions.

Description:
PRIORITY 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/328,017 filed on Dec. 4, 2008, and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) to a Korean Patent Application filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Dec. 4, 2007, and assigned Serial No. 10-2007-0125048, the entire disclosure of each of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Disclosure 
         [0003]    The present disclosure relates generally to an apparatus and method for configuring an idle screen, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for analyzing functions of a terminal according to a user&#39;s environmental state, and configuring an idle screen in accordance with the analysis. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Generally, in a terminal such as a mobile communication terminal, in order to utilize a function of the terminal, a user searches for an established path that allows the user to utilize the corresponding terminal function. Recently, however, as the functions supported by the terminal are diversified and increased in number, the user is forced to search the menu screen every time to utilize the various terminal functions. More recent terminals support a function allowing the user to configure an idle screen with shortcut icons of the terminal functions that the user intends to utilize. This allows the user to directly utilize the desired terminal function by selecting a shortcut icon associated with the corresponding terminal function among the shortcut icons on the idle screen without the need for searching a separate menu screen provided for the terminal functions. 
         [0006]    In the configuration described above, when the user wants to utilize a function other than the terminal functions that he/she previously set on the idle screen, the user must reconfigure the idle screen to incorporate a shortcut icon for the corresponding terminal&#39;s function. 
         [0007]    In addition, since the terminal functions that the user intends to utilize may undergo a change according to environmental state information of the user, such as time, position, weather and temperature, and/or state information of the user, such as the user&#39;s mood, the conventional terminal has difficulty in providing a desirable idle screen for the user. 
       SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0008]    The present disclosure has been made to address at least the above problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the present disclosure provides an apparatus and method for analyzing terminal functions that a user desires to utilize, according to environmental state information of the user, and for configuring an idle screen suitable to a terminal use pattern of the user. 
         [0009]    According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus is provided for configuring an idle screen in a terminal. The apparatus includes a state sensor for sensing an environmental state a memory for storing a plurality of environmental state information items, each including at least one environmental state information, and a plurality of terminal function items, each associated with a corresponding environmental state information item and comprising at least one terminal function and a controller for when a change in a current environmental state is sensed while performing a selected terminal function, determining an environmental state information item corresponding to a changed environmental state, and updating the selected terminal function in a terminal function item corresponding to the determined environmental state information item, and when there is a request for displaying an idle screen, determining an environmental state item corresponding to the current environmental state from the memory, extracting one or more terminal functions of the terminal function item corresponding to the environmental state information item, and configuring the idle screen using the extracted one or more terminal functions. 
         [0010]    According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for configuring an idle screen in a terminal is provided. The method includes storing a plurality of environmental state information items, each including at least one environmental state information, and a plurality of terminal function items, each associated with a corresponding environmental state information item and each including at least one terminal function, performing a selected terminal function, when a change in a current environmental state is sensed while performing the selected terminal function, determining an environmental state information item corresponding to a changed environmental state, and updating the selected terminal function in a terminal function item corresponding to the determined environmental state information item, and when there is a request for displaying an idle screen, determining a current environmental state item corresponding to the current environmental state, extracting one or more terminal functions corresponding to the determined environmental state information item, and configuring the idle screen using the extracted terminal functions. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an idle screen configuring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating terminal functions corresponding to predetermined environmental state information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0014]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  are diagrams illustrating idle screens configured according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a control flowchart illustrating a procedure for analyzing terminal functions that a user intends to utilize, depending on the user&#39;s environmental state information, and configuring an idle screen depending on the analysis, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0016]    Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Similar components are designated by similar reference numerals although they are illustrated in different drawings. Detailed descriptions of constructions or processes known in the art may be omitted to avoid obscuring the subject matter of the present disclosure. 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  provides a detailed description of a structure and an operation of an apparatus for configuring an idle screen according to a user&#39;s environmental state at a terminal. The terminal can be a Personal Computer (PC) or a mobile communication terminal such as a mobile phone or a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), and the terminal is assumed herein to be a mobile communication terminal. 
         [0018]    A controller  100  controls the overall operation of the mobile communication terminal. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller  100  checks if there is a key input for selecting a predetermined terminal function through a key input unit  101 . If there is a key input for selecting a predetermined terminal function, the controller  100  senses the current environmental state by means of a state sensor  102 . The ‘environmental state’ means the user&#39;s surrounding environmental state that undergoes a change according to a periodic or predetermined rule, such as day, time, position, weather and temperature. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller  100  can further sense, by means of the state sensor  102 , a user state such as mood, temperature and body condition of the user in addition to the current environmental state. 
         [0019]    Thereafter, the controller  100  checks an environmental state information item corresponding to the currently sensed environmental state among multiple environmental state information items stored in a memory  104 . The controller  100  updates the selected terminal function in a terminal function item corresponding to the checked environmental state item. For example, assume that the current environmental state is ‘Day: Tuesday’, ‘Time: 8:00˜9:00’, ‘Position: Subway’, ‘Weather: Cloudy’, and ‘Temperature: 12° C.’. If there is a key input for selecting a music function through the key input unit  101 , the controller  100  checks an environmental state information item corresponding to the current environmental state shown in an item # 2  of  FIG. 2  among the environmental state information items stored in the memory  104 . The controller  100  updates the music function in the terminal function item corresponding to the checked environmental state information item. For example, if there is a music function among the terminal functions stored in the terminal function item, the controller  100  increases the number of uses of the corresponding music function, and stores (updates) it. If the number of uses of the music function stored in the memory  104  is 4, the updated number of uses of the music function is 5. If there is no terminal function coincident with the music function among the terminal functions stored in the terminal function item, the controller  100  adds the music function to the corresponding terminal function item, and stores it. 
         [0020]    The controller  100  performs the selected terminal function operation while updating the selected terminal function in the terminal function item. The controller  100  checks if there is a change in environmental state information sensed through the state sensor  102  in the course of performing the selected terminal function operation. If there is a change, the controller  100  checks an environmental state information list corresponding to the changed environmental state through the memory  104 . The controller  100  updates the selected terminal function in the terminal function item corresponding to the checked environmental state information list. The controller  100  then checks if there is a key input for ending the ongoing terminal function operation through the key input unit  101 , and if there is the key input, the controller  100  checks the current environmental state sensed through the state sensor  102 . The controller  100  checks an environmental state information item corresponding to the currently sensed environmental state among the environmental state information items stored in the memory  104 . For example, assume that the user&#39;s currently sensed environmental state is ‘Day: Monday’, ‘Time: 8:00˜9:00’, ‘Position: Subway’, ‘Weather: Sunny’ and ‘Temperature: 20° C.’. If the current environmental state has changed to the environmental state that ‘Day: Monday’, ‘Time: 9:00˜10:00’, ‘Position: Office’, ‘Weather: Sunny’ and ‘Temperature: 22° C.’, the controller  100  checks items corresponding to the current environmental state among the environmental state information items stored in the memory  104 . If there is an item corresponding to the current environmental state shown in an item #(n+1) of  FIG. 2  among the checked environmental state information items, the controller  100  extracts terminal functions corresponding to the environmental state information item #(n+1), such as music, call, schedule, message, etc. The controller  100  generates shortcut icons of the extracted terminal functions, configures an idle screen with the generated shortcut icons, and then displays it on a display  103 . If there is no environmental state information item corresponding to the current environmental state among the environmental state information items stored in memory  104 , the controller  100  continues to display the current idle screen on the display  103 . 
         [0021]    In the course of performing the selected terminal function operation, if there is a key input for ending the ongoing terminal function operation through the key input unit  101 , the controller  100  checks the environmental state information item corresponding to the current environmental state. The controller  100  extracts the terminal functions corresponding to the checked environmental state information item by means of the memory  104 . The controller  100  then generates shortcut icons of the extracted terminal functions, configures an idle screen with the generated shortcut icons, and then displays it on the display  103 . For example, assume that a video function, a music function, a message function and a camera function (not shown) are included in a terminal function item corresponding to the current environmental state information item # 1  of  FIG. 2  on the idle screen configured with 3 shortcut icons. In this case, the idle screen configured with the shortcut icons of the terminal functions can be shown as  FIG. 3A . If there is a key input for selecting the camera function from the user, the controller  100  performs a camera function operation while updating the number of uses of the camera function in the terminal function item corresponding to the current environmental state information item # 1  of  FIG. 2 . Thereafter, if there is a request to end the camera function operation, the controller  100  checks the environmental state information item corresponding to the current environmental state, and extracts 3 terminal functions among the terminal functions corresponding to the checked environmental state information item in descending order of the number of uses. If the 3 extracted terminal functions include the video function, the music function and the camera function, the controller  100  generates shortcut icons of the extracted terminal functions, configures an idle screen with the generated shortcut icons, and then displays it on the display  103 . The displayed idle screen can be shown as  FIG. 3B . If there are terminal functions having an identical number of uses among the terminal functions, the controller  100  continues to display the existing idle screen, or the controller  100  reconfigures the idle screen by adding a shortcut icon of the newly updated terminal function, and then displays it on the display  103 . 
         [0022]    If there is no key input for selecting a terminal function through the key input unit  101  and there is a change in the current environmental state, the controller  100  checks an environmental state information item corresponding to the changed environmental state from the memory  104 . The controller  100  extracts terminal functions corresponding to the checked environmental state information item by means of the memory  104 . The controller  100  then generates shortcut icons of the extracted terminal functions, configures an idle screen with the generated shortcut icons, and then displays it on the display  103 . However, if there is no change in the current environmental state, the controller  100  continues to display the existing idle screen. 
         [0023]    The key input unit  101  has a key for selecting a predetermined terminal function, and a key for displaying an idle screen, and delivers key data corresponding to the key pressed by the user to the controller  100 . 
         [0024]    The state sensor  102  senses day and time information transmitted from the day and time information system, and weather information transmitted from the weather information system. The state sensor  102  includes a position sensing device such as Global Positioning System (GPS) for sensing positional coordinates of the user, and a sensor such as a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature. The state sensor  102 , as described above in connection with the controller  100 , can further include a sensor for sensing user state information such as mood, temperature and body condition of the user. Alternatively, the user can set the user state information. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, positional coordinates of the terminal sensed through the position sensing device can be set using a position name desired by the user, such as subway, office and home, as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0025]    The display  103  displays an idle screen configured with shortcut icons of the terminal functions. 
         [0026]    The memory  104  stores at least one terminal function in a terminal function item corresponding to multiple environmental state information items composed of at least one environmental state information. 
         [0027]    With reference to  FIG. 4 , a detailed description will now be made of a procedure for analyzing terminal functions that a user intends to utilize, according to the environmental state at the terminal of  FIG. 1 , and for configuring an idle screen in accordance with a terminal use pattern of the user, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the following description, the environmental state information item corresponding to the current environmental state is the current environmental state information item. 
         [0028]    In step  400 , the controller  100  keeps an idle state. In step  401 , the controller  100  determines whether a terminal function is selected through the key input unit  101 . If a terminal function is selected, the controller  100  proceeds to step  403 , and otherwise, the controller  100  proceeds to step  402 . 
         [0029]    In step  403 , the controller  100  updates the selected terminal function in a terminal function item corresponding to the current environmental state information. In step  404 , the controller  100  performs an operation for the selected terminal function. In step  405 , the controller  100  determines whether there is a change in the current environmental state in the course of performing the operation for the selected terminal function. If there is a change, the controller  100  proceeds to step  406 , and otherwise, the controller proceeds to step  407 . In step  406 , the controller  100  updates the ongoing terminal function in the terminal function item corresponding to the current environmental state information. 
         [0030]    In step  407 , the controller  100  determines whether an event for displaying the idle screen has occurred. If the event has occurred, the controller  100  proceeds to step  408 , and otherwise, the controller returns to step  404  where it continuously performs the operation for the selected terminal function. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the event for displaying the idle screen is a request for ending the operation for the selected terminal function. 
         [0031]    The controller  100  extracts terminal functions corresponding to the current environmental state information in step  408 , and generates shortcut icons of the extracted terminal functions in step  409 . In step  410 , the controller  100  configures an idle screen with the generated shortcut icons, and displays the idle screen. 
         [0032]    In step  402 , the controller  100  determines whether there is a change in the current environmental state. If there is a change, the controller  100  proceeds to step  407 , and otherwise, the controller proceeds to step  411 . In step  406 , the controller  100  updates the ongoing terminal function in the terminal function item corresponding to the current environmental state information, and then performs steps  407 ˜ 410 . In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the event for displaying the idle screen is a change in the current environmental state information. 
         [0033]    In step  411 , the controller  100  determines whether a terminal power is turned off. If the terminal power is turned off, the controller  100  ends the idle screen configuring procedure, and otherwise, the controller  100  returns to step  401  where it checks if there is a request for selecting a terminal function. Thereafter, the controller  100  performs steps  402 ˜ 411 . 
         [0034]    Although a description of the present disclosure has been made for a method of configuring an idle screen in the mobile communication terminal, however the proposed idle screen configuring method can be used in other terminals, such as a PC. 
         [0035]    A terminal is provided that analyzes terminal functions that a user intends to utilize, according to the environmental state, and provides an idle screen suitable to a terminal use pattern of the user, making it possible to easily and rapidly provide the desired idle screen to the user without the user&#39;s need for configuring the idle screen. 
         [0036]    While the disclosure has been shown and described with reference to a certain preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.