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

• US 20100267424A1
• Filed: 04/20/2010
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Ryu, Moo Ryong, Kim, Jung Mi, Eom, Kwang Ho, Kim, Jeong Hwa, KIM, Jong Hwan
• Granted Patent: US 9,008,730 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/047 Vibrating means for incoming calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

Method for providing feedback includes detecting user input relative to a location of a display of a mobile terminal, such that the user input includes an initial region of input and an ending region of input. One operation includes generating, responsive to the user input, a first haptic feedback at a first location of a mobile terminal, such that the first location corresponds to the initial region of input. Another operation includes generating, responsive to the user input, a second haptic feedback at a second location of the mobile terminal, such that the second location corresponds to the ending region of input, and the second haptic feedback begins at a point of time that occurs after the first haptic feedback has begun.

Claims

1. A method for providing feedback, the method comprising:

detecting user input relative to a location of a display of a mobile terminal, wherein the user input comprises an initial region of input and an ending region of input;

generating, responsive to the user input, a first haptic feedback at a first location of a mobile terminal, wherein the first location corresponds to the initial region of input; and

generating, responsive to the user input, a second haptic feedback at a second location of the mobile terminal, wherein the second location corresponds to the ending region of input, and wherein the second haptic feedback begins at a point of time that occurs after the first haptic feedback has begun.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second haptic feedback begins at a point of time that occurs after the first haptic feedback has ceased.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second haptic feedback occurs during a point of time that partially overlaps in time the generated first haptic feedback.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user input represents actual user contact with the mobile terminal.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user input represents a proximity touch input that is non-actual contact proximate to the display.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user input comprises dragging input such that the user input is maintained from the initial region of input to the ending region of input.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user input comprises a tap input such that the initial region of input represents a discrete input that is separate from the ending region of input.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second haptic feedbacks are vibration effects.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying dial keys in a substantially circular arrangement on the display of the mobile terminal, wherein each of the dial keys relate to a particular number;

receiving a dragging user input initiating at a first location which generally corresponds to a selected one of the dial keys and extending in a generally counter-clockwise manner about a center-point defined by the dial keys, wherein the dragging user input represents an input number that corresponds to the number of the selected one of the dialed keys,

generating, responsive to each instance of the receiving of the dragging user input, a third haptic feedback at the mobile terminal, the third haptic feedback repeating a number of times which correspond to the input number; and

repeatedly performing the receiving of the dragging user input to form a call number comprising a plurality of the input numbers.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a plurality of objects on the display of the mobile terminal;

detecting second user input relative to a displayed location of a selected object of the plurality of objects;

changing the displayed location of the selected object corresponding to a location at which the second user input is detected;

initiating a drop operation when the second user input ceases, the drop operation causing the selected object to be displayed at a last displayed location corresponding to the location at which the second user input was last detected; and

generating a third haptic feedback at third and fourth locations of the mobile terminal when the last displayed location of the selected object overlaps with at least a portion of a displayed location of any of the other displayed plurality of objects.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of objects represent an image.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of objects represent a window.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying one of a plurality of images on the display of the mobile terminal;

receiving a dragging user input relative to a displayed location of a selected image of the plurality of images, the dragging user input comprising a velocity;

generating, responsive to the dragging user input, a third haptic feedback at the mobile terminal, the third haptic feedback occurring at a plurality of locations and having an intensity which corresponds to the velocity of the dragging user input; and

displaying another one of the plurality of images on the display responsive to the dragging user input.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying one of a plurality of images on the display of the mobile terminal;

receiving a dragging user input relative to a displayed location of a selected image of the plurality of images, the dragging user input comprising a direction;

generating, responsive to the dragging user input, a third haptic feedback at the mobile terminal, the third haptic feedback occurring at a plurality of locations in a staggered manner that generally reflects the direction of the dragging user input; and

displaying another one of the plurality of images on the display responsive to the dragging user input.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a map on the display of the mobile terminal, the map representing a general location at which the mobile terminal is located; and

providing third haptic feedback at one of a plurality of different locations of the mobile terminal to reflect a suggested and corresponding change in travel direction along a suggested travel path, wherein each of the plurality of different locations corresponds to a different direction of travel along the suggested travel path.

16. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a display;

an input sensor configured to detect user input relative to a location of the display, wherein the user input comprises an initial region of input and an ending region of input;

a first haptic feedback element configured to generate, responsive to the user input, a first haptic feedback at a first location, wherein the first location corresponds to the initial region of input; and

a second haptic feedback element configured to generate, responsive to the user input, a second haptic feedback at a second location, wherein the second location corresponds to the ending region of input, and wherein the second haptic feedback begins at a point of time that occurs after the first haptic feedback has begun.

17. A method for providing feedback, the method comprising:

displaying an object on a display of a mobile terminal;

detecting first user input and second user input relative to the display and proximate to the object;

determining a decrease in relative distance between the first and second user input, wherein the decrease in relative distance occurs when there is a relative decrease in distance between a location of the display associated with the detected first user input and a location of the display associated with the detected second user input;

determining an increase in relative distance between the first and second user input, wherein the increase in relative distance occurs when there is a relative increase in distance between a location of the display associated with the detected first user input and a location of the display associated with the detected second user input;

generating, responsive to the detecting of the first user input, a first haptic feedback at a first location of the mobile terminal;

generating, responsive to the detecting of the second user input, a second haptic feedback at a second location of the mobile terminal;

providing a relative increase in intensity of the second haptic feedback responsive to the increase in relative distance; and

providing a relative decrease in the intensity of the second haptic feedback responsive to the decrease in relative distance.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

repeatedly decreasing an intensity of the first haptic feedback after the generating of the second haptic feedback has occurred; and

ceasing the generating of the first haptic feedback after the generating of the second haptic feedback has been generated for a period of time.

19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

ceasing the generating of the first haptic feedback at about the same time the generating of the second haptic feedback is initially generated.

20. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

performing an enlarging operation for the object responsive to the increase in relative distance between the first and second user input, wherein the enlarging operation comprises increasing a displayed size of the object relative to a previously displayed size of the object; and

performing a decreasing operation for the object responsive to the decrease in relative distance between the first and second user input, wherein the decreasing operation comprises decreasing a displayed size of the object relative to a previously displayed size of the object.

21. A method for providing feedback, the method comprising:

receiving, at a mobile terminal, a communication from a third party, the communication being one of a plurality of different communication types; and

generating one of a plurality of haptic feedback operations according to which of the plurality of different communication types the communication relate is.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the plurality of different communication types comprise a short message service (SMS), a multimedia messaging service (MMS), email, party class of the third party.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the plurality of different communication types comprises a voice call and a file download, the method further comprising:

performing a first haptic feedback operation when the communication is the file download, wherein the first haptic feedback operation comprises;

generating a first haptic feedback at a first location of the mobile terminal;

generating a second haptic feedback at a second location of the mobile terminal;

generating a third haptic feedback at a third location of the mobile terminal; and

varying a time period of when the generating of each of the first, second, and third, haptic feedbacks occurs, the varying reflecting progression of the file download to the mobile terminal.