MOBILE TERMINAL AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20150026613A1
• Filed: 12/09/2013
• Published: 01/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: KWON, Yunmi, JUNG, Hyemi, KWON, Arim
• Granted Patent: US 9,965,166 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• 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 1/1694 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 2200/1636 Sensing arrangement for detection of a tap gesture on the housing
• 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 2203/04108 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 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

Provided is a mobile terminal including a main body of the terminal, a sensing unit that detects a tap on the main body, a controller that, if the tap corresponding to a predetermined condition is applied to the main body, controls at least one function that is executable on the terminal, in which the controller performs at least one control operation, based on a position to which the tap is applied.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a main body of the terminal;

a sensing unit that detects a tap on the main body;

a controller that, if the tap corresponding to a predetermined condition is applied to the main body, controls at least one function that is executable on the terminal,

wherein the controller performs at least one control operation, based on a position to which the tap is applied.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein if a first tap is detected in which the main body is tapped on a first reference number of times, and then a second tap is detected in which the main body is tapped on a second reference number of times, the controller performs the at least one control operation.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein only if the second tap is detected within predetermined time after the first tap is detected, the controller performs the at least one control operation, corresponding to the second tap.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein corresponding to the second tap, the controller changes setting information relating to a function corresponding to screen information that is output on a display unit, among functions that run currently and

wherein if the first tap is applied, the controller outputs guide information on the setting information that is controllable, according to a position to which the second tap is applied.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit that is located in the main body,

wherein the sensing unit is configured in such a manner as to detect the tap on the main body also in a state where the display unit is inactivated.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein if the tap corresponding to a predetermined condition is applied in the state where the display unit is inactivated, information relating to information that is displayed on the position to which the tap is applied is displayed on the display unit, among items of initial screen information that are displayed on the display unit when the display unit switches from an inactivated state to an activated state.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 6, wherein the initial screen information corresponds to a locked screen, and

wherein when the tap is applied to a first region of display regions of the display unit, time information is displayed, and when the tap is applied to a second region different from the first region of the display regions of the display unit, a home screen page is output.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein if a specific function is being executed in the state where the display unit is inactivated, the controller controls the specific function while maintaining the inactivated state of the display unit, corresponding to the detected tap.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein if the tap is detected a predetermined number of times within predetermined time, the controller changes a setting value for any one of the functions that run on the terminal, and the changed setting value relates to information that is output to and is input from a position that corresponds to the position to which the tap is applied.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 9, further comprising:

a microphone that is located in the main body and configured to receive voice information; and

a speaker that is formed on the main body and configured to output audio information,

wherein in a state where the microphone and the speaker are all activated, when the tap is applied to surroundings of a region in which the microphone is located, the controller changes a setting value associated with the microphone, and when the tap is applied to surroundings of a region in which the speaker is located, the controller changes a setting value associated with the speaker.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the controller performs control in such a manner that the extent to which the setting value is changed varies depending on strength with which the tap is applied.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the terminal includes multiple input and output constituent elements, and

wherein the controller performs control of whether or not to activate the constituent element located in the position to which the tap on the main body is applied.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein if a camera is located in the position to which the tap is applied, the camera is activated or inactivated, and

wherein if a flash is located in the position to which the tap is applied, the flash is activated or inactivated.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the main body of the terminal includes a front surface in which a display unit is located and a rear surface facing the front surface, and

wherein if the tap corresponding to a predetermined condition is applied to the rear surface, the controller outputs status information relating to the terminal by voice.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein concurrent running of multiple applications on the terminal is possible, and

wherein if the tap corresponding to the predetermined condition is applied to a predetermined region of the main body, the controller terminates at least one of the running multiple applications.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 15, wherein the controller sequentially terminates the running multiple applications each time the tap corresponding to the predetermined condition is applied.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the sensing unit detects the tap on the main body and the tap on an object in which the main body is placed, and

wherein when the tap on the object is detected by the sensing unit, the controller executes a voice recognition function or controls an activated state of a display unit.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein when the tap on the object is detected in a state where the display unit is activated, a period of time for which the display unit is activated is extended.

19. A method of controlling a mobile terminal, comprising:

detecting a first tap in which a main body of the terminal is tapped on a first reference number of times;

is detecting a second tap in which the main body is tapped on a second reference number of times after the first tap is detected; and

controlling at least one function that is executable on the terminal if the second tap is applied within predetermined time after the first tap is detected.

20. The method of 19, wherein if a specific function is being executed in a state where a display unit is inactivated, a controller controls the specific function while maintaining the inactivated state of the display unit, corresponding to the second tap.