Electronic device combining functions of touch screen and remote control and operation control method thereof

An electronic device remotely controlling an external device, the electronic device comprising:

• a touch display;
• and
• a controller configured:
• to execute an application program for controlling the external device, to control the touch display to display a first menu page of the application program, the first menu page including at least one menu item of a first type for controlling the external device,
• to determine whether to control the external device or to control the electronic device based on a touch received on the touch display and whether a touch move is received on the touch display after the touch,
• based on determining there is the touch at a position on which a menu item of the at least one menu item of the first type is displayed and determining there is the touch move after the touch, to control the external device by:
• transmitting a first command signal to control the external device to perform an operation corresponding to the menu item of the first type when the touch at the position of the menu item of the first type occurs and the touch is released without the touch move, and
• to transmitting a second command signal to control the external device to perform the operation corresponding to the menu item of the first type repeatedly when the touch at the position of the menu item of the first type is maintained for at least a predetermined time period, until the touch move or the touch being released occurs, and
• based on determining there is the touch move after the touch, to control the electronic device by to control the touch display to display a second menu page of the application program when the touch move after the touch at the position of the menu item of the first type occurs, the second menu page including at least one menu item of a second type for controlling the external device.

A non-transitory computer readable recording medium comprising a program for executing an operation control method of an electronic device having a touch display, the electronic device remotely controlling an external device, the operation control method comprising:

• executing an application program for controlling the external device;
• controlling the touch display to display a first menu page of the application program, the first menu page including at least one menu item of a first type for controlling the external device;
• determining whether to control the external device or to control the electronic device based on a touch received on the touch display and whether a touch move is received on the touch display after the touch,
• based on determining there is the touch at a position on which a menu item of the at least one menu item of the first type is displayed and determining there is no touch move after the touch, controlling the external device by:
• transmitting a first command signal to control the external device to perform an operation corresponding to the menu item of the first type when the touch at the position of the menu item occurs and the touch is released without the touch move;
• and
• transmitting a second command signal to control the external device to perform the operation corresponding to the menu item of the first type repeatedly when the touch at the position of the menu item of the first type is maintained for at least a predetermined time period, until the touch move or the touch being released occurs;
• and
• based on determining there is the touch move after the touch, controlling the electronic device by displaying a second menu page of the application program, the second menu page including at least one menu item of a second type for controlling the external device.