PORTABLE DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20140085221A1
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Published: 03/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: KIM, Jihwan
• Application Number:
  US13/691,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20140085221A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Disclosed are a portable device and a control method thereof. The portable device includes a display unit to provide a visual user interface, a tactile feedback unit to provide a tactile user interface, and a control unit to control the other units. In an active mode in which the display unit and tactile feedback unit are in an activated state, the user'"'"'s gaze is detected at a first interval. The active mode is kept if the user'"'"'s gaze is detected, and is switched to a tactile-only mode if the user'"'"'s gaze is not detected. In the tactile-only mode, the display unit is deactivated and the tactile feedback unit is in the activated state. If a touch input is not detected for a second interval, the tactile-only mode is switched to a standby mode. In the standby mode, the display unit and tactile feedback unit are in an inactivated state.

Claims

1. A portable device comprising:

a display unit configured to provide a visual user interface;

a tactile feedback unit configured to provide a tactile user interface;

a sensor unit configured to detect the user'"'"'s gaze; and

a control unit configured to;

detect the user'"'"'s gaze at every first time interval in an active mode, wherein the display unit and the tactile feedback unit are in an activated state in the active mode;

keep the active mode if the user'"'"'s gaze is detected;

switch the portable device to a tactile-only mode if the user'"'"'s gaze is not detected, wherein the display unit is deactivated and the tactile feedback unit is kept in the activated state in the tactile-only mode; and

switch the portable device to a standby mode if a user touch input is not detected for a second time interval in the tactile-only mode, wherein the display unit is kept in an inactivated state and the tactile feedback unit is deactivated in the standby mode.

2. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein switching the portable device to the tactile-only mode includes detecting a user touch input, and switching the portable device to the tactile-only mode only when the user touch input is detected.

3. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein detection of the user'"'"'s gaze includes detecting the face, pupils, or blinking of a user to determine the presence or absence of the user'"'"'s gaze.

4. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein detection of the user'"'"'s gaze includes detecting the user'"'"'s gaze using an infrared camera included in the sensor unit when it is difficult to detect the user'"'"'s gaze due to low peripheral illumination.

5. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

detect the user'"'"'s gaze at every preset time interval in the tactile-only mode; and

switch the portable device to the active mode if the user'"'"'s gaze is detected.

6. The portable device according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit is configured to detect a user input, so as to switch the portable device from the standby mode to the active mode or to the tactile-only mode, and

wherein, based on the result of detecting the user'"'"'s gaze in the standby mode, the control unit switches the portable device to the active mode if the user'"'"'s gaze is detected, and switches the portable device to the tactile-only mode if the user'"'"'s gaze is not detected.

7. The portable device according to claim 6, wherein the user input is detected via a power button of the portable device.

8. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the active mode provides the visual user interface and the tactile user interface.

9. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the tactile-only mode provides the tactile user interface.

10. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the tactile user interface is provided based on at least one of a position, size and shape of an object displayed by the visual user interface.

11. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein deactivation of the display unit includes lowering a screen brightness of the display unit.

12. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein deactivation of the tactile feedback unit includes reducing intensity of tactile feedback provided by the tactile feedback unit.

13. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the tactile feedback unit generates tactile feedback using ultrasonic vibration, and controls intensity of the tactile feedback by changing a frequency and magnitude of the ultrasonic vibration.

14. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the tactile feedback unit provides tactile feedback by applying a fine current to the display unit, and controls the tactile feedback by adjusting strength and generation period of the fine current.

15. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the tactile feedback unit provides the tactile user interface independently of the visual user interface displayed on the display unit.

16. A method of controlling a portable device that provides tactile feedback, the method comprising:

detecting a user'"'"'s gaze at every first time interval when the portable device is in an active mode, wherein the portable device keeps a display unit and a tactile feedback unit in an activated state in the active mode;

keeping the portable device in the active mode if the user'"'"'s gaze is detected;

switching the portable device to a tactile-only mode if the user'"'"'s gaze is not detected, wherein the portable device deactivates the display unit and keeps the tactile feedback unit in the activated state in the tactile-only mode; and

switching the portable device to a standby mode if a touch input is not detected for a second time interval in the tactile-only mode of the portable device, wherein the portable device keeps the display unit in an inactivated state and deactivates the tactile feedback unit in the standby mode.

17. A method of controlling a portable device that provides tactile feedback, the method comprising:

detecting a user'"'"'s gaze and a touch input;

counting down a first timer if the user'"'"'s gaze is not detected, wherein the first timer is reset if the user'"'"'s gaze is detected;

deactivating a display unit if the first timer finished counting down;

counting down a second timer if the user'"'"'s gaze and the touch input are not detected, wherein the second timer is reset if the user'"'"'s gaze or the touch input is detected; and

deactivating a tactile feedback unit if the second timer finished counting down.

18. The control method according to claim 17, wherein a value of the first timer is less than a value of the second timer.

19. A portable device comprising:

a display unit configured to provide a visual user interface;

a tactile feedback unit configured to provide a tactile user interface; and

a control unit configured to;

detect the user'"'"'s gaze and a touch input;

count down a first timer if the user'"'"'s gaze is not detected, wherein the first timer is reset if the user'"'"'s gaze is detected;

deactivate the display unit if the first timer finished counting down;

count down a second timer if the user'"'"'s gaze and the touch input are not detected, wherein the second timer is reset if the user'"'"'s gaze or the touch input is detected; and

deactivate the tactile feedback unit if the second timer finished counting down.

20. The portable device according to claim 19, wherein a value of the first timer is less than a value of the second timer.