MOBILE TERMINAL USING PROXIMITY TOUCH AND WALLPAPER CONTROLLING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20090289914A1
• Filed: 05/19/2009
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: CHO, Seon-Hwi
• Granted Patent: US 8,576,181 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0393 Accessories for touch pads or touch screens, e.g. mechanical guides added to touch screens for drawing straight lines, hard keys overlaying touch screens or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Discloses are a mobile terminal having a proximity touch and a method for controlling a display screen thereof. A difference of recognition rates caused by a minute difference of capacitances generated when a human body approaches a touch screen depending on users can be calibrated to be suitable for each user. Also, in the state of the recognition rate being calibrated, operations of objects, i.e., icons, avatars and menus, displayed on a wallpaper and displaying effects on the wallpaper can variously be controlled according to a user'"'"'s proximity touch, thereby allowing users to control the display screen more conveniently and accurately.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display having a touch screen;

a sensing unit configured to detect a proximity touch; and

a controller configured to calibrate a difference of recognition rates caused due to a difference of capacitances upon a pointer inputting a proximity touch at a maximum proximity position and at a minimum proximity position.

2. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the pointer comprises one of stylus pen and a finger.

3. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the maximum proximity position and the minimum proximity position are discriminated by recognizing the change in the proximity position of the pointer within a proximity touch detecting region or by using a subject with a maximum height and a minimum height.

4. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller displays reference figures indicating the maximum proximity position and the minimum proximity position and a guide figure increased or decreased in size in cooperation with the movement of the pointer, thus to set a maximum capacitance and a minimum capacitance when the size of the guide figure is the same to that of the reference figures.

5. The terminal of claim 4, wherein the reference figure comprises a circle and other polygons.

6. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller displays a reference figure indicating a minimum proximity position when a real touch is detected and a guide figure increased in size in cooperation with the movement of the pointer, while displaying a reference figure indicating a maximum proximity position when a proximity touch is detected, and a guide figure decreased in size in cooperation with the movement of the pointer.

7. The terminal of claim 1, wherein when a subject with a maximum height and a minimum height is positioned on the touch screen, the controller calibrates a minimum capacitance when the pointer inputs a touch at the maximum position and calibrates a maximum capacitance when the pointer inputs a touch at the minimum position.

8. The terminal of claim 7, wherein the subject is made of a material which does not affect a capacitance.

9. A method for calibrating a proximity touch recognition rate in a mobile terminal comprising:

displaying a proximity touch calibration screen;

detecting an initial touch input by a pointer on the calibrations screen;

displaying different reference figures for calibrating a recognition rate according to a type of the detected touch, and a guide circle increased or decreased in size in cooperation with the movement of the pointer; and

comparing the guide figure with the reference figure according to the change in the proximity position of the pointer so as to calibrate a maximum capacitance and a minimum capacitance.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the reference figure comprises a circle and other polygons.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the pointer comprises one of stylus pen and a finger.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein a reference figure indicating a minimum proximity position and a guide circle increased in size in cooperation with the movement of the pointer are displayed when the detected touch is a real touch.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein a reference figure indicating a maximum proximity position and a guide circle decreased in size in cooperation with the movement of the pointer are displayed when the detected touch is a proximity touch.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the calibrating of the capacitance comprises setting a maximum capacitance and a minimum capacitance when the guide figure is the same to the reference figure due to the proximity position being closer or farther.

15. A mobile terminal comprising:

a touch screen configured to display a plurality of objects on a screen and detect a real touch on a surface contact point or a proximity touch of a pointer; and

a controller configured to control operations relating to the objects according to a sensing signal provided from the touch screen.

16. The terminal of claim 15, wherein the objects comprise icons, avatars and menus, and the screen is a wallpaper configured in a form of animation or flash.

17. The terminal of claim 15, wherein the operations relating to the objects comprise sizes, movement speeds, movements, vibration and effect sounds of the objects.

18. The terminal of claim 15, wherein the controller controls the objects to be differently displayed according to proximity position and proximity speed, and displays an object hidden in a corresponding position when the pointer comes close to a predetermined region of the screen.

19. A method for displaying a screen of a mobile terminal comprising:

displaying a plurality of objects on a screen;

detecting a real touch on a surface contact point or a proximity touch of a pointer by use of a touch screen; and

controlling operations relating to the objects according to a sensing signal provided from the touch screen.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the objects comprise icons, avatars and menus, and the screen is a wallpaper configured in a form of animation or flash.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the operations relating to the objects comprise sizes, movement speeds, movements, vibration and effect sounds of the objects.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

checking a region where the proximity touch is detected;

displaying a menu or icon hidden in the corresponding region according to a proximity position; and

returning the screen to an original state thereof when the proximity touch is released.