Mobile terminal and control method therefor

• US 10,587,742 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2015
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Cho, Junho, Choi, Jungkyu, Kim, Youngwoo, Choi, Huran, Yi, Daeyeon
• Primary Examiner(s): Sharma, Neeraj
• Application Number:
  US15/569,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20180131802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,645 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means

Abstract

Provided are a mobile terminal and a control method therefor. The mobile terminal includes: a touchscreen disposed on one side of a main body of the terminal; a push key mounted on the main body to receive a push input; and a controller that displays virtual keys associated with the settings or control of the terminal on the touchscreen when the push key is pushed, and executes functions associated with a speech recognition mode when a set period of time elapses without at least one touch input on the virtual keys being sensed.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a touchscreen disposed on one side of a main body of the terminal;

a push key mounted on the main body to receive a push input;

an audio output unit disposed on the main body; and

a controller that;

causes the touchscreen to display virtual keys associated with settings or control of the terminal in response to the push input received on the push key;

executes functions associated with a speech recognition mode when a set period of time elapses without receiving at least one touch input on the virtual keys by;

causing the audio output unit to output guidance information for the speech recognition mode after a first period of time elapses without receiving a touch input on the virtual keys; and

executing the speech recognition mode after a second period of time elapses after the guidance information is output;

deactivates the touchscreen when the speech recognition mode is executed; and

terminates the speech recognition mode and causes the touchscreen to re-display the virtual keys in response to a push input received on the push key while the speech recognition mode is executed.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller causes the touchscreen to stop displaying the virtual keys in response to a push input received on the push key prior to an elapse of the first period of time.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the speech recognition mode comprises first and second speech recognition modes in which different processing results are output for a same voice command entered through a microphone on the main body, and

wherein the controller executes the first speech recognition mode in response to a command after the set period of time elapses without receiving at least one touch input on the virtual keys.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein the controller executes the second speech recognition mode in response to touching or pushing a home key on the terminal in a preset pattern.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein a processing result for the first speech recognition mode is output through the audio output unit, and a processing result for the second speech recognition mode is output through the touchscreen.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein the first speech recognition mode is executed according to a selection by a user.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller asks for authentication information upon receiving a user request to execute a particular function in the speech recognition mode.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the authentication information is requested in a case when a lock function is enabled in the terminal.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the authentication information is not requested when the authentication information request is disabled in speech recognition mode settings.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the particular function comprises at least either a Call function or a Read messages function, and

wherein once the authentication information request is disabled, at least either the Call function or the Read messages function is executed without asking for the authentication information upon receiving the user request while the terminal is locked.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller checks whether a destination number is included in saved contacts, upon receiving a user request for making a call in the speech recognition mode.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the controller outputs a guide requesting other information associated with a phone number in response to a voice input including the phone number to call, the phone number included in the saved contacts.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the speech recognition mode is executed after the set period of time elapses without receiving at least one touch input on the virtual keys, and

wherein a phrase prompting a user to speak a voice command is output when no voice command is received from the user in the speech recognition mode.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the phrase is displayed on the touchscreen and disappears when a voice command received from the user is recognized.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the speech recognition mode is executed after the set period of time elapses without receiving at least one touch input on the virtual keys, and

wherein the speech recognition mode offers control functions associated with turning on/off alarms.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 15, wherein multiple alarms set on the terminal are turned off altogether when a voice command for turning off the alarms is received from the user in the speech recognition mode.