MOBILE TERMINAL

• US 20120212430A1
• Filed: 06/03/2011
• Published: 08/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: JUNG, Hojae, KIM, Yung, CHI, Jumin
• Granted Patent: US 8,922,506 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2011/002 for portable handheld communication devices, e.g. mobile phone, pager, beeper, PDA, smart phone
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/32 Means for saving power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724631 by limiting the access to the user interface, e.g. locking a touch-screen or a keypad
• 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

Abstract

A mobile terminal and a control method of a mobile terminal are disclosed. The mobile terminal and a control method thereof provide a user interface allowing for a user to easily and effectively control the mobile terminal through an interaction between a certain case and the mobile terminal when the mobile terminal is accommo the case in a lock mode.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a sensing unit configured to determine if the mobile terminal is received in an accommodation case; and

a controller configured to set an operation mode of the mobile terminal to either a lock mode or an unlock mode according to the determination by the sensing unit.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the sensing unit is further configured to determine if the mobile terminal is received in the accommodation case by sensing whether a first contact point on a body of the mobile terminal is brought into contact with a second contact point on the accommodation case.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the sensing unit includes an illumination sensor configured to sense external brightness; and

the illumination sensor is located such that it is blocked when the mobile terminal is accommodated in the accommodation case.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising a touch screen configured to display information and wherein:

the accommodation case has an opening corresponding to at least a portion of the touch screen; and

the controller is further configured to control the touch screen to display information on a region of the touch screen corresponding to the opening when the mobile terminal is accommodated in the accommodation case, the information indicating occurrence of a particular event.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to release the lock mode and control the touch screen to display an image related to the particular event when the mobile terminal is drawn out of the accommodation case.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 4, further comprising a user input unit configured to receive user input related to operation of the mobile terminal and wherein the controller is further configured to execute a function related to the particular event upon receiving an input via the user input for executing the function related to the particular event unit when the mobile terminal is accommodated in the accommodation case.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to control the touch screen to display information received via the user input on the region of the touch screen corresponding to the opening when the particular event comprises reception of information.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 6, wherein the user input unit includes at least a gyro sensor for sensing movement of the mobile terminal or a pressure sensor for sensing pressure applied to the mobile terminal.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the particular event comprises at least reception of a call, completion of downloading, reception of information, or completion of a pre-set task.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 4, further comprising a user input unit configured to receive user input related to operation of the mobile terminal and wherein the controller is further configured to:

control the touch screen to display items on the region of the touch screen corresponding to the opening according to a user input received via the user input unit;

receive an input to select one of the displayed items; and

control the touch screen to display an image related to the selected item on the region of the touch screen corresponding to the opening.

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

determining if the mobile terminal is received in an accommodation case; and

setting an operation mode of the mobile terminal to either a lock mode or an unlock mode according to the determination.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining if the mobile terminal is received in the accommodation case comprises sensing whether a first contact point on a body of the mobile terminal is brought into contact with a second contact point on the accommodation case.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein determining if the mobile terminal is received in the accommodation case comprises sensing external brightness with an illumination sensor that is located such that it is blocked when the mobile terminal is accommodated in the accommodation case.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising controlling a touch screen of the mobile terminal to display information on a region of the touch screen corresponding to an opening in the accommodation case when the mobile terminal is accommodated in the accommodation case, wherein the information indicates occurrence of a particular event.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising releasing the lock mode and displaying an image related to the particular event on the touch screen when the mobile terminal is drawn out of the accommodation case.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising executing a function related to the particular event upon receiving an input for executing the function related to the particular event when the mobile terminal is accommodated in the accommodation case.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising displaying received information on the region of the touch screen corresponding to the opening when the particular event comprises reception of information.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein receiving the input for executing the function related to the particular event comprises at least sensing a movement of the mobile terminal or sensing pressure applied to the mobile terminal.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the particular event comprises at least reception of a call, completion of downloading, reception of information, or completion of a pre-set task.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

displaying items on the region of the touch screen corresponding to the opening according to a received user input;

receiving an input to select one of the displayed items; and

displaying an image related to the selected item on the region of the touch screen corresponding to the opening.