Task Display Switching Method Portable Apparatus and Portable Communications Apparatus

Abstract

A task display switching method, a portable apparatus and a portable communications apparatus which, when a plurality of software applications are activated and processed in parallel, make it possible to switch a display between each of the software applications with ease. According to the task display switching method, a portable apparatus capable of processing a plurality of tasks in parallel and of displaying a plurality of display regions for displaying data, an icon associated with a task displayed on a first display region is generated automatically or manually, and the generated icon is displayed in a second display region. When any icon thus generated is selected from a plurality of icons displayed on the second display region, the task associated with the selected icon is restored and displayed in the first display region.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mobile phone comprising:
 an operating unit configured to receive user input on the mobile phone;   a display unit configured to provide a main display area and a sub display area on one display screen;   a speaker;   a memory storing an operating system and a plurality of software applications executable on the mobile phone, the software applications including an e-mail software application, a web browser, and an audio player software application, the web browser providing a search operation on the Internet, the memory further storing identification information including a telephone number;   a short-range communication unit configured to provide short-range wireless communication;   a modulator configured to modulate a transmission signal for phone call operation of the mobile phone;   a demodulator configured to demodulate a reception signal for the phone call operation of the mobile phone;   a signal processor configured to process a demodulated signal from the demodulator and to output the transmission signal to the modulator; and   a controller configured to run two or more of the plurality of software applications in parallel, and to control what is displayed on the display unit,   wherein the controller controls the display unit to display on the main display area a first software application,   wherein the controller controls the display unit to display on the sub display area a first icon corresponding to the first software application and a second icon corresponding to a second software application running in parallel, and   wherein the controller controls the display unit to alternate between the main display area and the sub display area.   
     
     
         2 . The mobile phone of  claim 1 , wherein the second icon tracks changes in a state of the second software application and changes itself in accordance therewith. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile phone of  claim 1 , wherein the second icon is displayed in a predetermined area within the sub display area. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile phone of  claim 1 , wherein sizes of the main display area and the sub display area are changeable. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile phone of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the icons displayed on the sub display area is a reduction type icon. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile phone of  claim 5 , wherein the controller controls the display unit to display the reduction type icon and a non-reduction type icon on the sub display area. 
     
     
         7 . The mobile phone of  claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the display unit to display an icon showing cumulative communication usage. 
     
     
         8 . The mobile phone of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the controller controls the display unit to display an audio screen on the main display area when the audio player software application is active, and   wherein, when a telephone call is received while the audio screen is displayed on the main display area, the controller controls the display unit to switch the main display area from the audio screen to a call data screen that includes a telephone number of a caller.   
     
     
         9 . The mobile phone of  claim 8 , wherein the audio player software application is temporarily stopped during the telephone call. 
     
     
         10 . The mobile phone of  claim 9 , wherein the controller automatically reactivates the audio player software application from the point at which the audio player software application is temporally stopped after the telephone call is terminated, and controls the display unit to display the audio screen on the main display area. 
     
     
         11 . The mobile phone of  claim 1 , wherein the mobile phone is configured to connect to the Internet during a phone call. 
     
     
         12 . The mobile phone of  claim 11 , wherein the controller activates the web browser in response to an operation performed with the operating unit during the phone call and controls the display unit to display the web browser on the main display area while the controller continues to process the phone call. 
     
     
         13 . A mobile phone comprising:
 an operating unit configured to receive user input on the mobile phone;   a display unit configured to provide a main display area and a sub display area on one display screen;   a speaker;   a memory storing an operating system and a plurality of software applications executable on the mobile phone, the software applications including an e-mail software application, a web browser, and an audio player software application, the web browser providing a search operation on the Internet, the memory further storing identification information including a telephone number;   a short-range communication unit configured to provide short-range wireless communication;   a modulator configured to modulate a transmission signal for phone call operation of the mobile phone;   a demodulator configured to demodulate a reception signal for the phone call operation of the mobile phone;   a signal processor configured to process a demodulated signal from the demodulator and to output the transmission signal to the modulator; and   a controller configured to run two or more of the plurality of software applications in parallel, and to control what is displayed on the display unit,   wherein the controller controls the display unit to display on the main display area a first software application,   wherein the controller controls the display unit to display on the sub display area an icon corresponding to a second software application running in parallel to the first software application, and   wherein the controller controls the display unit to alternate between the main display area and the sub display area.   
     
     
         14 . The mobile phone of  claim 13 , wherein the icon tracks changes in a state of the second software application and changes itself in accordance therewith. 
     
     
         15 . The mobile phone of  claim 13 , wherein the icon is displayed in a predetermined area within the sub display area. 
     
     
         16 . The mobile phone of  claim 13 , wherein sizes of the main display area and the sub display area are changeable. 
     
     
         17 . The mobile phone of  claim 13 , wherein the icon is a reduction type icon. 
     
     
         18 . The mobile phone of  claim 17 , wherein the controller controls the display unit to display the reduction type icon and a non-reduction type icon on the sub display area. 
     
     
         19 . The mobile phone of  claim 13 , wherein the controller controls the display unit to display an icon showing cumulative communication usage. 
     
     
         20 . The mobile phone of  claim 13 ,
 wherein the controller controls the display unit to display an audio screen on the main display area when the audio player software application is active, and   wherein, when a telephone call is received while the audio screen is displayed on the main display area, the controller controls the display unit to switch the main display area from the audio screen to a call data screen that includes a telephone number of a caller.   
     
     
         21 . The mobile phone of  claim 20 , wherein the audio player software application is temporarily stopped during the telephone call. 
     
     
         22 . The mobile phone of  claim 21 , wherein the controller automatically reactivates the audio player software application from the point at which the audio player software application is temporally stopped after the telephone call is terminated, and controls the display unit to display the audio screen on the main display area. 
     
     
         23 . The mobile phone of  claim 13 , wherein the mobile phone is configured to connect to the Internet during a phone call. 
     
     
         24 . The mobile phone of  claim 23 , wherein the controller activates the web browser in response to an operation performed with the operating unit during the phone call and controls the display unit to display the web browser on the main display area while the controller continues to process the phone call.