MOBILE TERMINAL AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20130250034A1
• Filed: 12/13/2012
• Published: 09/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Hanbee, Kang, Hyunho, Lee, Jinhee, Park, Areum, Kim, Younga, Rhee, Taeryung
• Granted Patent: US 8,928,723 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/144 camera and display on the same optical axis, e.g. optically multiplexing the camera and display for eye to eye contact
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

A mobile terminal capable of recognizing at least one of the presence or absence of a user and a location of the user are provided. The mobile terminal includes: a terminal main body; a user tracking unit configured to recognize at least one of the presence or absence of a user and a location of the user within a certain range based on the terminal main body; and a controller configured to generate a control signal for controlling a function of the terminal based on at least one of the presence or absence of the user or the user location.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a terminal main body;

a user tracking unit configured to recognize at least one of the presence or absence of a user and a location of the user within a certain range based on the terminal main body; and

a controller configured to generate a control signal for controlling a function of the terminal based on at least one of the presence or absence of the user or the user location.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the user tracking unit recognizes at least one of the presence or absence of a user and a location of the user by using at least one of a camera, a microphone, and an infrared sensor.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the controller controls at least one of screen information displayed on a display unit and a volume of a voice output to an audio output unit based on at least one of the presence or absence of a user and a location of the user.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein the controller controls at least one of a size of contents, an interval between contents, and an alignment scheme of contents displayed on the display unit based on at least one of the presence or absence of a user and a location of the user.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein the user tracking unit tracks a field of vision of the user within a certain viewing range based on the display unit, and

when the field of vision of the user is fixed to the display unit, the controller auto-scrolls screen information displayed on the display unit.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein the controller determines whether to activate the display unit based on at least one of the presence or absence of a user and a location of the user.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 6, wherein when the user is not recognized or the user is recognized to be located outside of a certain range based on the main body, the controller deactivates the display unit, and

when an event occurs or the user is recognized to be located within a certain range based on the main body, the controller activates the display unit.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the controller selects any one of a video call mode and a voice call mode based on at least one of the presence or absence of the user and the location of the user.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein when the user is not recognized during video call communication or when the user is recognized to be outside of the certain range based on the main body, the controller transmits a substitute image to a counterpart or convert the mobile terminal to a voice call mode.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein in a state in which screen information is displayed on the display unit, when a different user is recognized through the user tracking unit, the controller displays different screen information on the display unit.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the controller determines the different screen information displayed on the display unit based on at least one of the location of the user and information regarding the different user stored in the memory.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein when the user movement is sensed through the user tracking unit, the controller generates a control signal for controlling a function of the terminal based on the sensed movement.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the mobile terminal further comprising:

is a microphone for receiving a voice signal of the user,

wherein the controller generates a control signal for controlling a function of the terminal based on the received voice signal.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein in order to control a direction in which the display unit faces, the controller transmits a control signal according to the location of the user to an external device adjacent to the main body.

15. A control method of a mobile terminal including a terminal main body, the method comprising:

recognizing at least one of the presence or absence of a user and a location of the user within a certain range based on the main body; and

generating a control signal for controlling a function of the terminal based on at least one of the presence or absence of the user and the location of the user.

16. The control method of claim 15, wherein the recognizing at least one of the presence or absence of the user and the location of the user comprises:

recognizing at least one of the presence or absence of the user and the location of the user by using at least one of a camera, a microphone, and an infrared sensor.

17. The control method of claim 16, wherein the generating of the control signal comprises:

generating a control signal for controlling at least one of screen information displayed on a display unit and a volume of a voice output to an audio output unit.

18. The control method of claim 17, wherein the generating of a control signal for controlling screen information displayed on the display unit comprises:

generating a control signal for controlling at least one of a size of contents, an interval between contents, and an alignment scheme of contents.