TERMINAL AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20090227295A1
• Filed: 01/22/2009
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Hyoung Soo
• Granted Patent: US 8,723,810 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A mobile terminal is presented. The mobile terminal includes a touchscreen for receiving an input, an output unit for outputting a vibration while a pointer contacts and moves along an input area of the touchscreen, and a control unit for controlling a characteristic of the vibration according to at least one of an attribute of the pointer, an attribute of the input area, or a combination thereof.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a touchscreen for receiving an input;

an output unit for outputting a vibration while a pointer contacts and moves along an input area of the touchscreen during a writing mode; and

a control unit for controlling a characteristic of the vibration according to at least one of an attribute of the pointer, an attribute of the input area, or a combination thereof.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the vibration characteristic according to a type of virtual material comprising the input area on the touchscreen.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the vibration characteristic according to a virtual type of writing instrument represented by the pointer on the touchscreen.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the type of virtual material comprising the input area is set as a background on the touchscreen.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein the type of writing instrument the pointer is virtually represented by is set as a cursor on the touchscreen.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the vibration characteristic according to a size of the pointer contact with the input area.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the vibration characteristic according to a moving speed of the pointer along the input area.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein the control unit controls the vibration characteristic according to a virtual frictional force between the type of virtual material comprising the input area and the virtual writing instrument moving along the input area.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the vibration characteristic according to a contact pressure of the pointer on the input area.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the control unit outputs a sound when the pointer contacts and moves along the input area.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the output unit to start outputting the vibration when the pointer contacts the input area.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the output unit to start outputting the vibration when the pointer begins moving along the input area.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the output unit to end output of the vibration when the pointer no longer contacts the input area.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the output unit to end output of the vibration when the pointer stops moving along the input area.

15. A method of vibrating a mobile terminal, comprising:

outputting a vibration when a pointer touches and moves along an input area of a touchscreen; and

controlling a characteristic of the vibration according to at least one of an attribute of the pointer, an attribute of the input area, or a combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising controlling the characteristic of the vibration according to a type of virtual material comprising the input area on the touchscreen.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising controlling the characteristic of the vibration according to a virtual type of writing instrument represented by the pointer on the touchscreen.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising setting the type of virtual material comprising the input area as a background on the touchscreen.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising virtually representing the type of writing instrument represented by the pointer as a cursor on the touchscreen.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising controlling the vibration characteristic according to a size of the pointer contact with the input area.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising controlling the vibration characteristic according to a moving speed of the pointer along the input area.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising controlling the vibration characteristic according to a virtual frictional force between the type of virtual material comprising the input area and the virtual writing instrument moving along the input area.

23. The method of claim 15, further comprising controlling the vibration characteristic according to a contact pressure of the pointer on the input area.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising outputting a sound when the pointer contacts and moves along the input area.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein outputting the vibration further comprises starting the vibration output when the pointer contacts the input area.

26. The method of claim 15 wherein outputting the vibration further comprises starting the vibration output when the pointer begins moving along the input area.

27. The method of claim 15, wherein outputting the vibration further comprises ending the vibration output when the pointer no longer contacts the input area.

28. The method of claim 15, wherein outputting the vibration further comprises ending the vibration output when the pointer stops moving along the input area.