Patent ID: 8880044

Claim:
A mobile terminal, comprising: a display unit including a touchscreen configured to display a plurality of menu items; a sensing unit configured to receive proximity touch input for selecting a menu item among the plurality of menu items; a controller configured to: select one menu item of the plurality of menu items indicated by the proximity touch when a distance between a pointer for inputting the proximity touch input and the touchscreen enters a first range; wherein as the distance between the pointer and the touchscreen is decreased, in response to the distance between the pointer and the touchscreen entering a second range whose maximum value is less than a maximum value of the first range, the controller is further configured to control the touchscreen to display a predetermined number of sub-menu items subordinated to the selected menu item; wherein the predetermined number of sub-menu items are determined based on an order of frequency of use or time of use among all sub-menu items subordinated to the selected menu item; and wherein as the distance between the pointer and the touchscreen is decreased, in response to the distance between the pointer and the touchscreen entering a third range whose maximum value is less than the maximum value of the second range, the controller is further configured to control the touchscreen to display a number of sub-menu items subordinated to the selected menu-item that is greater than the predetermined number of sub-menus; wherein in response to one of a number of sub-menu items being selected, the controller is configured to cause the display unit to display an overlaying interface selectable by the proximity touch input; wherein the overlaying interface comprises a plurality of editing operation icons related to the selected sub-menu item; wherein the plurality of editing operation icons comprise one or more visual direction indicators that display a corresponding position of the plurality of editing operation icons on the touchscreen; and wherein in response to detection of the proximity touch input moving in a specific direction indicated by the one or more visual direction indicators, the controller is configured to perform a corresponding editing operation of the plurality of editing operation icons.