Patent ID: 8650508

Claim:
A method of operating a mobile terminal, the method comprising: operating a touch input unit of the mobile terminal in a normal mode, wherein the touch input unit is separate from a display of the mobile terminal, the display configured to display a first screen, and the touch input unit comprising a touch screen configured to display a second screen relevant to the first screen, the second screen including a menu, the menu having at least one selectable item, each of the at least one selectable item not being displayed on the display of the mobile terminal and related to an operation of the mobile terminal; detecting a touch signal received on the second screen of the touch input unit while the touch input unit is in the normal mode; determining whether the detected touch signal is a single touch signal or a first multi-touch signal, the single touch signal related to selection of one item of the at least one selectable item; executing an operation corresponding to the one item of the at least one selectable item when the detected touch signal is the single touch signal; switching the touch input unit from the normal mode to a direction input mode when the detected touch signal is the first multi-touch signal; ceasing displaying the menu on the second screen of the touch input unit when switching the touch input unit from the normal mode to the direction input mode; detecting a second multi-touch signal on the second screen of the touch input unit while the touch input unit is in the direction input mode, the second multi-touch signal including a long touch signal detected at a first position on the second screen of the touch input unit and a tap signal detected simultaneously with the long touch signal at a second position on the second screen of the touch input unit; determining a direction represented by the second multi-touch signal based on a relative position of the second position on the second screen of the touch input unit in comparison to the first position on the second screen of the touch input unit when the tap signal is detected; and scrolling at least one object displayed on the first screen of the display in the determined direction.