MOBILE TERMINAL AND TOUCH RECOGNITION METHOD THEREFOR

• US 20090061947A1
• Filed: 02/12/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Chea, Jin-Hwan, PARK, Sun-Myung, Choi, Cha-Bong
• Granted Patent: US 8,340,725 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

Disclosed is a touch recognition method for preventing an execution of a function associated with an icon by unintentionally touching the icon when a slide-type mobile terminal performs a sliding motion and a mobile terminal implementing such method. If a pre-command is inputted by a touch through the touch screen of the mobile terminal, a pre-command operation that is predetermined is performed. If a sliding motion is detected while the pre-command is performed, the pre-command operation is cancelled.

Claims

1. A method of wirelessly communicating with a mobile terminal having first and second portions and having a touch screen, comprising:

detecting a touch input on an icon or menu displayed on the touch screen;

performing a predetermined pre-command operation in response to the first touch;

detecting a position of a first portion of the mobile terminal relative to a second portion of the mobile terminal, the first and second portions being configured to slide relative to each other; and

cancelling the predetermined pre-command operation if the step of detecting detects that the first and second portions have slid into a closed position while the pre-command operation is being performed.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a second touch input for an operation command while the pre-command operation is being performed; and

performing an operation associated with the touched icon or menu according to the operation command.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second portions are configured to slide up or slide down relative to each other.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting a touch input comprises one of:

detecting a touch held for a predetermined period of time,

detecting a touch and release, and

detecting an additional touch within a predetermined period of time after detecting the first touch.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of detecting a second touch comprises one of:

detecting at least two consecutive touches,

detecting a touch and release, and

detecting a touch held for a predetermined period of time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-command operation is a operation to distinguish the icon or menu from untouched icons by changing or adding at least one of a shape, a color, brightness, a shadow, an animated element, a text and vibration associated with the selected icon or menu.

7. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a communication module configured to wirelessly communicate with a base station;

a first and second body configured to slide relative to one another;

a sensing portion configured to detect one of an open configuration and a closed configuration of the first and second body;

a touch screen disposed in least one of the first body and the second body, the touch screen configured to present a display; and

a controlling portion disposed in one of the first body or the second body and configured to execute an operation in response to both the touch input and an input from the sensing portion, said controller configured to cause the display to change said display in response to a touch input.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the sensing portion comprises:

one or more hall sensors in one of the first and second body; and

a magnet in another of the first body and the second body and having a different length or size from the one or more hall sensors.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the one or more hall sensors are positioned in a position where a magnetic force of the magnet can be detected when the two bodies are in the closed configuration, where the magnetic force can be detected even while the two bodies are in an intermediate position between the open and closed configuration, and where the magnetic force is not detected when the two bodies are in the open configuration.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the controlling portion is configured to

highlight an icon or menu on the touch screen if the icon or menu in response to a touch, and

cancel the highlighting of the icon or menu if the closed position is detected within a predetermined time after the touch is released.

11. The mobile terminal of the claim 7, wherein the controlling portion is configured to

highlight an icon or menu displayed on the touch screen after the icon or menu in response to a touch,

execute a function associated with the icon or menu if the touch is maintained for a predetermined period of time, and

cancel the highlighting of the icon or menu if the closed position is detected before the predetermined period of time has passed.

12. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a communication module configured to wirelessly communicate with a base station;

a first and second body configured to slide relative to one another;

means for detecting one of an open configuration and a closed configuration of the first and second body;

a touch screen disposed in least one of the first body and the second body, the touch screen configured to present a display and to change said display in response to a touch input; and

a controlling portion disposed in one of the first body or the second body and configured to execute an operation in response to both the touch input and an input from the sensing portion.