MOBILE TERMINAL AND SCREEN DISPLAYING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20140267160A1
• Filed: 03/17/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: KIM, Tae Hun, KIM, Dong Kyu, JU, Wan Ho
• Granted Patent: US 9,052,808 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal. Specifically to a mobile terminal including a display including a touchscreen, a sensing unit for sensing an object contacting the touchscreen and the object in near-proximity to the touchscreen, and a controller for controlling information appearing on the display according to the object contacting the touchscreen and movement of the object relative to the touchscreen.

Claims

1. The mobile terminal, comprising:

a touchscreen configured to display a content in a content display area therein, and

a controller configured to;

cause the touchscreen to display a first graphic element in response to sensing the object in near-proximity to a first edge region of the content display area, wherein the first graphic element indicates a first scroll direction;

cause the touchscreen to display a second graphic element in response to sensing the object in near-proximity to a second edge region of the content display area, wherein the first edge region and the second edge region are located at opposing sides of the content display area, and wherein the second graphic element indicates a second scroll direction;

cause the touchscreen to scroll the content in the content display area in the first scroll direction in response to sensing that the object is in near-proximity to the first edge region; and

cause the touchscreen to scroll the content in the content display area in the second scroll direction in response to sensing that the object is in near-proximity to the second edge region.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein a displayed location of the first graphic element is within the first edge region, and a displayed location of the second graphic element is within the second edge region.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the content is repeatedly scrolled in the first scroll direction in response to repeated sensing that the object is in near-proximity to the first edge region, and

wherein the content is repeatedly scrolled in the second scroll direction in response to repeated sensing that the object is in near-proximity to the second edge region.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to:

scroll the content in the first scroll direction as long as the object stays in near-proximity to the first edge region,

terminate scrolling the content in the first direction when the object is no longer in near-proximity to the first edge region,

scroll the content in the second scroll direction as long as the object stays in near-proximity to the second edge region, and

terminate scrolling the content in the second scroll direction when the object is no longer in near-proximity to the second edge region.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the touchscreen to display a third graphic element in response to sensing the object in near-proximity to a third edge region of the content display area, wherein a displayed location of the third graphic element is within the third edge region, and wherein the third graphic element indicates a third scroll direction which corresponds to the third edge region.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the touchscreen to display a fourth graphic element in response to sensing the object in near-proximity to a fourth edge region of the content display area, wherein the third edge region and the fourth edge region are located at another opposing sides of the content display area.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to:

cause the touchscreen to scroll the content in the content display area in the third scroll direction in response to sensing that the object is in near-proximity to the third edge region; and

cause the touchscreen to scroll the content in the content display area in the fourth scroll direction in response to sensing that the object is in near-proximity to the fourth edge region.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to sense the object in near-proximity to the touchscreen.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the sensor is configured to sense the object in near-proximity to the touchscreen using electromagnetic force without a mechanical contact.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the object is sensed in near-proximity to the touchscreen when the object is located within a predetermined distance but apart from the touchscreen.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

start scrolling the content in the first scroll direction when the object stays in near-proximity to the first edge region for a predetermined time, and

start scrolling the content in the second scroll direction when the object stays in near-proximity to the second edge region for a predetermined time.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

cause the touchscreen to display a third graphic element in response to sensing that the object is located in near-proximity to a location on a specific region of the content display area;

wherein a displayed location of the third graphic element corresponds to the location on the specific portion at which the object is sensed; and

wherein a change in location at which the object is sensed causes a corresponding change in the displayed location of the third graphic element.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the specific region is a center region of the content display area.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the touchscreen to display a fourth graphic element in response to sensing the object in near-proximity to a fourth edge region of the content display area;

wherein the third edge region and the fourth edge region are located at another opposing sides of the content display area; and

wherein the first edge region, the second edge region, the third edge region, and the fourth edge region encompass the specific region.

15. A method of scrolling for a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

displaying a content in a content display area on a touchscreen, and

displaying, on the touchscreen, a first graphic element in response to sensing the object in near-proximity to a first edge region of the content display area, wherein the first graphic element indicates a first scroll direction;

displaying, on the touchscreen, a second graphic element in response to sensing the object in near-proximity to a second edge region of the content display area, wherein the first edge region and the second edge region are located at opposing sides of the content display area, and wherein the second graphic element indicates a second scroll direction;

scrolling the content in the content display area in the first scroll direction in response to sensing that the object is in near-proximity to the first edge region; and

scrolling the content in the content display area in the second scroll direction in response to sensing that the object is in near-proximity to the second edge region.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a displayed location of the first graphic element is within the first edge region, and a displayed location of the second graphic element is within the second edge region.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the content is repeatedly scrolled in the first scroll direction in response to repeated sensing that the object is in near-proximity to the first edge region, and

wherein the content is repeatedly scrolled in the second scroll direction in response to repeated sensing that the object is in near-proximity to the second edge region.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

scrolling the content in the first scroll direction as long as the object stays in near-proximity to the first edge region,

terminating scrolling the content in the first scroll direction when the object is no longer in near-proximity to the first edge region,

scrolling the content in the second scroll direction as long as the object stays in near-proximity to the second edge region, and

terminating scrolling the content in the second scroll direction when the object is no longer being in near-proximity to the second edge region.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

displaying, on the touchscreen, a third graphic element in response to sensing the object in near-proximity to a third edge region of the content display area, wherein a displayed location of the third graphic element is within the third edge region, and wherein the third graphic element indicates a third scroll direction which corresponds to the third edge region.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

displaying, on the touchscreen, a fourth graphic element in response to sensing the object in near-proximity to a fourth edge region of the content display area, wherein the third edge region and the fourth edge region are located at another opposing sides of the content display area.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

scrolling the content in the content display area in the third scroll direction in response to sensing that the object is in near-proximity to the third edge region; and

scrolling the content in the content display area in the fourth scroll direction in response to sensing that the object is in near-proximity to the fourth edge region.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

sensing the object in near-proximity to the touchscreen via a sensor.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the object in near-proximity to the touchscreen is sensed via the sensor using electromagnetic force without a mechanical contact.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the object is sensed in near-proximity to the touchscreen when the object is located within a predetermined distance but apart from the touchscreen.

25. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

starting scrolling the content in the first scroll direction when the object stays in near-proximity to the first edge region for a predetermined time, and

starting scrolling the content in the second scroll direction when the object stays in near-proximity to the second edge region for a predetermined time.

26. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

displaying, on the touchscreen, a third graphic element in response to sensing that the object is located in near-proximity to a location on a specific region of the content display area, wherein a displayed location of the third graphic element corresponds to the location on the specific portion at which the object is sensed; and

wherein a change in location at which the object is sensed causes a corresponding change in the displayed location of the third graphic element;

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the specific region is a center region of the content display area.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

executing a different function other than a content scroll function when the object is located in near-proximity to the specific region.

29. A method of scrolling for a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

displaying a content on a touchscreen, and

displaying, on the touchscreen, a first graphic element in response to sensing the object in near-proximity to a first edge region of a currently viewable portion of the displayed content, wherein the first graphic element indicates a first scroll direction;

displaying, on the touchscreen, a second graphic element in response to sensing the object in near-proximity to a second edge region of the currently viewable portion of the displayed content, wherein the first edge region and the second edge region are located at opposing sides of the currently viewable portion of the displayed content, and wherein the second graphic element indicates a second scroll direction;

scrolling the content in the first scroll direction in response to sensing that the object is in near-proximity to the first edge region; and

scrolling the content in the second scroll direction in response to sensing that the object is in near-proximity to the second edge region.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

displaying, on the touchscreen, a third graphic element in response to sensing that the object is located in near-proximity to a location on a specific region of the currently viewable portion of the displayed content, wherein a displayed location of the third graphic element corresponds to the location on the specific region at which the object is sensed; and

wherein a change in location at which the object is sensed causes a corresponding change in the displayed location of the third graphic element.