APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DRIVING COMMUNICATION TERMINAL

• US 20110300881A1
• Filed: 02/23/2011
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: SIM, Jae Kwang, KIM, Hark Sang, PARK, Sang Ryul
• Granted Patent: US 9,083,787 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/26 Devices for calling a subscriber H04M1/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72481 for visually impaired users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for driving a communication terminal are provided. A method for driving a communication terminal according to the present invention includes determining, when a proximity of an object is detected, data based on a proximity duration for which the proximity is maintained, and executing, when an execution request is detected, a function corresponding to the data. Since a specific function is executed in response to the information on the proximity of an object to the communication terminal, there is no need to display touch keys on the screen, resulting in improvement of user'"'"'s convenience.

Claims

1. A method for driving a communication terminal, the method comprising:

determining, when a proximity of an object is detected, data based on a proximity duration for which the proximity is maintained; and

executing, when an execution request is detected, a function corresponding to the data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating of the determining of the data before the execution request is detected.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises a part of a phone number and the executing of the function comprises making a call to the phone number.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining of the data comprises:

measuring the proximity duration between the time when the proximity of the object is detected and a current time;

retrieving, when the proximity of the object is released, an indication number corresponding to the proximity duration; and

determining the indication number as a digit of the phone number.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising notifying of the indication number corresponding to the proximity duration when the indication number is retrieved.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the notifying of the indication number comprises outputting the indication number as a voice sound.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the retrieving of the indication number comprises confirming the indication number as a digit of the phone number.

8. An apparatus for driving a communication terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a sensor for sensing proximity of an object within a range of a threshold distance; and

a control unit for determining, when the proximity of the object is detected, data based on a proximity duration for which the proximity is maintained and for executing, when an execution request is detected, a function corresponding to the data.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the control unit repeats the determining of the data input.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a radio frequency unit for transmitting a call to a phone number under the control of the control unit, wherein the data is a part of the phone number.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control unit measures the proximity duration between the time when the proximity of the object is detected and a current time, retrieves, when the proximity of the object is released, an indication number corresponding to the proximity duration, and determines the indication number as one of digits of the phone number.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control unit notifies of the indication number corresponding to the proximity duration when the indication number is retrieved.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising an audio processing unit for outputting, when the indication number is retrieved, the indication number as a voice sound under the control of the control unit.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control unit confirms the indication number as a digit of the phone number.