TERMINAL AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20090244019A1
• Filed: 11/10/2008
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: CHOI, KYUNG DONG
• Granted Patent: US 9,274,681 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04802 3D-info-object: information is displayed on the internal or external surface of a three dimensional manipulable object, e.g. on the faces of a cube that can be rotated by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A mobile terminal and method of controlling the same are disclosed. The mobile terminal includes a touchscreen and a control unit for receiving a first command according to a state of an object in near-proximity to the touchscreen, and receiving a second command according to a state of the object contacting the touchscreen.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a touchscreen; and

a control unit for receiving a first command according to a state of an object in near-proximity to the touchscreen, and receiving a second command according to a state of the object contacting the touchscreen.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein if one of the first command and second command is received, the control unit switches a menu currently executed in the mobile terminal.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein if the other of the first command and second command is received, the control unit receives a command relative to the menu currently executed in the mobile terminal.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the control unit receives a menu switching command when the object is in near-proximity to the touchscreen and moved along the touchscreen while in near-proximity to the touchscreen.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the first command is related to a first group of menus and the second command is related to a second group of menus in the mobile terminal.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the control unit simultaneously executes at least two menus on the touchscreen, and wherein the control unit receives the first command for one of the at least two menus and receives the second command for the other of the at least two menus.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 6, wherein the control unit displays images corresponding to each menu overlapping each other on the touchscreen, and wherein the first command is related to the menu having an image overlapped on the touchscreen and the second command is related to the menu having an image visible on the touchscreen.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 6, wherein the control unit displays images corresponding to each menu overlapping each other on the touchscreen, and wherein the second command is related to the menu having an image overlapped on the touchscreen and the first command is related to the menu having an image visible on the touchscreen.

9. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a touchscreen; and

a control unit for determining whether to receive a command according to a state of an object in near-proximity to the touchscreen, or according to a state of the object contacting the touchscreen.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the control unit displays an icon on the touchscreen for switching between receiving a command according a state of an object in near-proximity to the touchscreen and receiving a command according to a state of the object contacting the touchscreen.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 9, further comprising:

a switch for enabling the control unit to receive a command according to at least one of a state of the object in near-proximity to the touchscreen and a state of the object contacting the touchscreen.

12. A method for controlling a mobile terminal having a touchscreen, the method comprising:

controlling the mobile terminal according to at least one of a first command and second command;

receiving the first command when a state of an object is in near-proximity to the touchscreen; and

receiving the second command when a state of the object contacts the touchscreen.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising switching a menu currently executed in the mobile terminal if one of the first command and second command is received.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving a command relative to the menu currently executed in the mobile terminal if the other of the first command and second command is received.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving a menu switching command when the object is in near-proximity to the touchscreen and moved along the touchscreen while in near-proximity to the touchscreen.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the first command is related to a first group of menus and the second command is related to a second group of menus in the mobile terminal.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

simultaneously executing at least two menus on the touchscreen;

receiving the first command for one of the at least two menus; and

receiving the second command for the other of the at least two menus.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying images corresponding to each menu overlapping each other on the touchscreen,

wherein the first command is related to the menu having an image overlapped on the touchscreen and the second command is related to the menu having an image visible on the touchscreen.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying images corresponding to each menu overlapping each other on the touchscreen,

wherein the second command is related to the menu having an image overlapped on the touchscreen and the first command is related to the menu having an image visible on the touchscreen.

20. A method for controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

determining whether to receive a command according to a state of an object in near-proximity to the touchscreen, or according to a state of the object contacting the touchscreen.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

displaying an icon on the touchscreen for switching between receiving a command according a state of an object in near-proximity to the touchscreen and receiving a command according to a state of the object contacting the touchscreen.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

providing a switch on the mobile terminal for enabling the mobile terminal to receive a command according to at least one of a state of the object in near-proximity to the touchscreen and a state of the object contacting the touchscreen.