MOBILE TERMINAL AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20130285951A1
• Filed: 04/11/2013
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: JEON, Taeyoung, NA, Sungchae
• Granted Patent: US 9,575,589 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/011 Emotion or mood input determined on the basis of sensed human body parameters such as pulse, heart rate or beat, temperature of skin, facial expressions, iris, voice pitch, brain activity patterns
• 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 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A mobile terminal including a display unit, a sensing unit configured to acquire one or more pieces of first external state information, a wireless communication unit configured to acquire one or more pieces of second external state information, and a controller configured to change the input mode of the mobile terminal to at least one of a touch input mode with respect to a touch input corresponding to a touch operation performed on the display unit and a non-touch input mode with respect to a non-touch input that does no involves a touch operation performed on the display unit according to at least one of the first external state information and the second external state information, and to change a display screen of the display unit based on the input according to the changed input mode.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display unit;

a sensing unit configured to acquire one or more pieces of first external state information;

a wireless communication unit configured to acquire one or more pieces of second external state information; and

a controller configured to;

change an input mode of the mobile terminal to at least one of a touch input mode with respect to a touch input corresponding to a touch operation performed on the display unit and a non-touch input mode with respect to a non-touch input that does not involve a touch operation performed on the display unit according to at least one of the first external state information and the second external state information; and

change a display screen of the display unit based on an input according to the changed input mode.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller selects at least one of the touch input and the non-touch input by combining a plurality of pieces of the first external state information and the second external state information.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the plurality of pieces of the first external state information and the second external state information includes an ambient temperature of the mobile terminal.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller changes the touch input mode or the non-touch input mode when at least one of the first external state information and the second external state information changes.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein, when the mobile terminal is in a lock screen state in the touch input mode, the controller changes the input mode of the mobile terminal to the non-touch input mode by combining a plurality of pieces of the first external state information and the second external state information, and cancels the lock screen state according to a non-touch input upon change of the mobile terminal to the non-touch input mode.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein, when the mobile terminal is in a lock screen state in the touch input mode, the controller changes the mobile terminal to the non-touch input mode by combining a plurality of pieces of the first external state information and the second external state information and, at the same time, cancels the lock screen state.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller displays, on the display unit, a screen different from a screen displayed in the touch input mode when the input mode of the mobile terminal changes to the non-touch input mode.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the controller changes at least one of a size of displayed icons, arrangement of the icons, positions of the icons, an activated icon among the icons, and a deactivated icon among the icons in the non-touch input mode and the touch input mode.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the first external state information and the second external state information include at least one of an ambient temperature of the mobile terminal, a temperature of the mobile terminal, shaking of the mobile terminal, a posture of the mobile terminal when gripped, an orientation of the mobile terminal, information about whether an external object approaches the mobile terminal, an increase/decrease in the pressure applied to the mobile terminal, an ambient humidity of the mobile terminal, an image of surroundings of the mobile terminal, location of the mobile terminal, and time when the mobile terminal is used.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the non-touch input corresponds to at least one of a specific motion applied to the mobile terminal, a specific pressure applied to the mobile terminal, voice of a user of the mobile terminal, blowing of the user of the mobile terminal, a gesture of the user of the mobile terminal, tilting of the mobile terminal, and a direction of the eyes of the user of the mobile terminal toward a specific point of the mobile terminal.

11. A method for controlling a mobile terminal including a display unit, comprising:

acquiring one or more pieces of first external state information through a sensing unit of the mobile terminal;

acquiring one or more pieces of second external state information through a wireless communication unit of the mobile terminal;

changing an input mode of the mobile terminal to at least one of a touch input mode with respect to a touch input corresponding to a touch operation performed on the display unit and a non-touch input mode with respect to a non-touch input that does not involve a touch operation performed on the display unit, according to at least one of the first external state information and the second external state information; and

changing a display screen of the display unit based on an input according to the changed input mode.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein changing the input mode of the mobile terminal comprises selecting at least one of the touch input and the non-touch input by combining a plurality of pieces of the first external state information and the second external state information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of pieces of the first external state information and the second external state information includes an ambient temperature of the mobile terminal.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising changing the touch input mode or the non-touch input mode when at least one of the first external state information and the second external state information changes.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying, on the display unit, a screen different from a screen displayed in the touch input mode when the input mode of the mobile terminal changes to the non-touch input mode.

16. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display unit;

a sensing unit configured to acquire one or more pieces of external state information; and

a controller configured to;

change an input mode of the mobile terminal to one of a touch input mode with respect to a touch input corresponding to a touch operation performed on the display unit and a non-touch input mode with respect to a non-touch input that does not involve a touch operation performed on the display unit, according to the external state information; and

change a display screen of the display unit based on an input according to the changed input mode.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 16, wherein the sensing unit comprises at least one of a posture detection sensor, a pressure sensor, a humidity sensor and a temperature sensor.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 16, wherein the plurality of pieces of the external state information includes an ambient temperature of the mobile terminal and a posture of the mobile terminal.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 16, wherein the external state information includes at least one of an ambient temperature of the mobile terminal, a temperature of the mobile terminal, shaking of the mobile terminal, a posture of the mobile terminal when gripped, an orientation of the mobile terminal, information about whether an external object approaches the mobile terminal, an increase/decrease in the pressure applied to the mobile terminal, an ambient humidity of the mobile terminal, an image of surroundings of the mobile terminal, location of the mobile terminal, and time when the mobile terminal is used.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 16, wherein the external state information includes a variation in temperature in different regions of the mobile terminal.