# US 2014/0194089 A1 · Method of displaying icons according to service usage states and mobile terminal supporting the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0194089 A1 - Document ID: US20140194089A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/152,527 - Filed: 2014-01-10 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-10 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Jinyoung PARK; Yongho YOU - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140194089A1 ## CPC - H04M 15/61: {based on the service used} - H04L 12/1435: {volume-based} - H04M 1/724: User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones - H04W 4/18: Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals - H04L 12/141: {Indication of costs} - H04L 12/1417: {Advice of charge with threshold, e.g. user indicating maximum cost} - H04M 1/72403: with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality - H04M 15/852: {Low balance or limit reached} - H04M 2250/22: including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A method and apparatus for displaying icons according to data communication service usage states are provided. The method includes collecting information on the remaining service amount for at least one service having a service usage limit; and displaying a color adjusted icon based on the remaining service amount. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of displaying icons for a mobile terminal, according to service usage states, the method comprising: examining a network connection state for at least one service having a usage limit; displaying, when the mobile terminal is connected to a network permitting unlimited free-of-charge service usage, an icon associated with the service as an icon filled with a color image; and displaying, when the mobile terminal is connected to a network restricting service usage according to the usage limit, the icon associated with the service as a color adjusted icon composed of a black-and-white image representing the used service amount and a color image representing a remaining service amount. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: connecting to a service provider server to collect information on the used and remaining service amounts; and receiving information on the used and remaining service amounts from the service provider server. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: displaying, when the remaining service amount is less than or equal to a threshold value, a warning message; and outputting guidance information recommending an additional service purchase and handling an additional service purchase according to an input signal. ### Claim 4 A mobile terminal supporting icon display based on service usage states, the mobile terminal comprising: a communication unit configured to support network access for at least one service having a usage limit; a control unit configured to control a process of displaying, when the communication unit is connected to a network permitting unlimited free-of-charge service usage, an icon associated with the service as an icon filled with a color image, and displaying, when the communication unit is connected to a network restricting service usage according to the usage limit, the icon associated with the service as a color adjusted icon composed of a black-and-white image representing the used service amount and a color image representing the remaining service amount; and a display unit to display the color adjusted icon. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the control unit comprises at least one of: a service network examiner configured to, for a service, connect to a service provider server to collect information on the used and remaining service amounts, and to receive information on the used and remaining service amounts from the service provider server; and a service terminal examiner configured to, for a service, accumulate and store information on service usage and compute the remaining service amount by subtracting the used service amount from the total service amount stored in advance. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein, when the remaining amount of a service is less than or equal to a threshold value, the control unit controls the display unit to display a warning message. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the control unit controls the display unit to output guidance information recommending an additional service purchase and handles an additional service purchase according to an input signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein, when the remaining amount of a service is less than or equal to a threshold value, the display unit outputs a warning message in an icon associated with the service. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the control unit controls, in response to an input event, an operation to display the remaining service amount corresponding to the color image as text information at the icon. ### Claim 10 (depends on 4) The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the display unit displays an icon associated with a composite service as a color adjusted icon composed of distinct color images corresponding respectively to the remaining amounts of multiple component services. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein, when a component service is changed to an unlimited free-of-charge service, the control unit controls the display unit to display the color adjusted icon without a color image related to the changed component service. ### Claim 12 A method of displaying icons according to service usage states for a mobile terminal, the method comprising: collecting information on a remaining service amount for at least one service having a usage limit; and displaying a color adjusted icon according to the information on the remaining service amount. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising making an output request for an icon display screen, wherein collecting the information comprises collecting information on the remaining service amount for icons that are contained in the icon display screen and are linked with services having a usage limit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving an input event for indicating an icon from the icon display screen, wherein collecting the information comprises collecting information on the remaining amount of a service associated with the indicated icon. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the input event corresponds to hovering of a touch object on a touch panel displaying icons without contact. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein collecting the information comprises: collecting information on a total service amount; accumulating and storing a used service amount; and computing the remaining service amount by subtracting the used service amount from the total service amount. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: connecting to a service provider server and receiving information on the used and remaining service amounts therefrom on a periodic basis; and synchronizing the used and remaining service amounts obtained by computation, with the used and remaining service amounts received from the service provider server. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein collecting the information comprises: connecting through a service network examiner to a service provider server providing the service on a periodic basis; and receiving information on the remaining service amount from the service provider server. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein collecting the information further comprises allocating network examiners that are used to connect to individual service provider servers providing services linked with icons. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein displaying the color adjusted icon comprises one of: outputting a color image portion corresponding to the remaining service amount and outputting a black-and-white image portion corresponding to the used service amount; selecting one of predefined color adjusted icons corresponding to a remaining service amount from an icon table and outputting the selected color adjusted icon; and removing color of a portion of a color image icon corresponding to the remaining service amount. ### Claim 21 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising: receiving an input event occurring on the icon; and hiding, upon receipt of the input event, a color image portion of the icon and outputting text information indicating, on the icon, the remaining service amount. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, further comprising recovering, when the input event is released or a preset duration expires, the color image portion of the icon. ### Claim 23 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein displaying the color adjusted icon further comprises displaying an icon associated with a composite service as a color adjusted icon composed of distinct color images corresponding respectively to the remaining amounts of multiple component services. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein displaying the color adjusted icon further comprises removing, when a component service is changed to an unlimited free-of-charge service, a color image related to the changed component service from the color adjusted icon. ### Claim 25 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein displaying the color adjusted icon comprises displaying, when a service linked with an icon is changed to an unlimited free-of-charge service in response to a network connection state change, the icon as an icon composed of a color image corresponding to a 100-percent remaining service amount. ### Claim 26 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein displaying the color adjusted icon comprises displaying, when the remaining service amount is less than or equal to a threshold value, a warning message on the icon. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the displaying of the color adjusted icon further comprises performing a procedure for requesting and handling an additional service purchase.