MOBILE TERMINAL CAPABLE OF PROVIDING HAPTIC EFFECT AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE MOBILE TERMINAL

• US 20090325647A1
• Filed: 05/27/2009
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Tae Yong, Kim, Jong Hwan, CHO, Seon Hwi
• Granted Patent: US 8,306,576 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

A method of controlling a mobile terminal and which includes storing a plurality of haptic vibrations respectively representing different functions performed in a single application to be executed on the mobile terminal, executing a function for the single application is on the mobile terminal, selecting a corresponding haptic vibration that represents the function executing on the terminal, and generating the selected corresponding haptic vibration using a plurality of vibration modules disposed on the mobile terminal in which a first vibration module is activated and at least one second vibration module is activated to represent the function being executed on the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of haptic vibrations respectively representing different functions performed in a single application to be executed on the mobile terminal;

executing a function for the single application on the mobile terminal;

selecting a corresponding haptic vibration that represents the function executing on the terminal; and

generating the selected corresponding haptic vibration using a plurality of vibration modules disposed on the mobile terminal in which a first vibration module is activated and at least one second vibration module is activated to represent the function being executed on the mobile terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of vibration modules are disposed at different positions on the mobile terminal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first vibration module is disposed in a central area of the mobile terminal and the at least one second vibration module is disposed at an area outside of the central area of the mobile terminal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein when the function for the single application currently being executed on the mobile terminal is an incoming function, the generating step first activates the at least one second vibration module and then activates the first vibration module to represent the incoming function.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the incoming function includes at least one of an incoming email, incoming message, and incoming phone call.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein when the function for the single application currently being executed on the mobile terminal is an outgoing function, the generating step first activates the first vibration module and then activates the at least one second vibration module to represent the outgoing function.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the outgoing function includes at least one of an outgoing email, outgoing message, and outgoing phone call.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein when the function for the single application currently being executed on the mobile terminal is a web browser function corresponding to a particular webpage, the generating step first activates the at least one second vibration module and then activates the first vibration module to represent a change of an item displayed on the particular webpage.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein when the function for the single application currently being executed on the mobile terminal is a web browser function corresponding to a particular webpage, the generating step first activates the first vibration module and then activates the at least one second vibration module to represent data has been successfully transferred to the particular webpage.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein when the function for the single application currently being executed on the mobile terminal is a missed incoming function, the generating step first activates the at least one second vibration module and then activates the first vibration module to represent the missed incoming function.

11. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one other terminal;

a memory configured to store a plurality of haptic vibrations respectively representing different functions performed in a single application to De executed on the mobile terminal;

a plurality of vibration modules disposed on the mobile terminal; and

a controller configured to select a corresponding haptic vibration that represents a function of the single application executing on the terminal, and to activate a first vibration module and at least one second vibration module to represent the function of the single application being executed on the mobile terminal.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the plurality of vibration modules are disposed at different positions on the mobile terminal.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the first vibration module is disposed in a central area of the mobile terminal and the at least one second vibration module is disposed at an area outside of the central area of the mobile terminal.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein when the function for the single application currently being executed on the mobile terminal is an incoming function, the controller is further configured to first activate the at least one second vibration module and then activate the first vibration module to represent the incoming function.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the incoming function includes at least one of an incoming email, and incoming message, and incoming phone call.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein when the function for the single application currently being executed on the mobile terminal is an outgoing function, the controller is further configured to first activate the first vibration module and then activate the at least one second vibration module to represent the outgoing function.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 16, wherein the outgoing function includes at least one of an outgoing email, and outgoing message, and outgoing phone call.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein when the function for the single application currently being executed on the mobile terminal is a web browser function corresponding to a particular webpage, the controller is further configured to first activate the at least one second vibration module and then activate the first vibration module to represent a change of an item displayed on the particular webpage.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein when the function for the single application currently being executed on the mobile terminal is a web browser function corresponding to a particular webpage, the controller is further configured to first activate the first vibration module and then activate the at least one second vibration module to represent data has been successfully transferred to the particular webpage.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein when the function for the single application currently being executed on the mobile terminal is a missed incoming function, the controller is further configured to first activate the at least one second vibration module and then activate the first vibration module to represent the missed incoming function.