MOBILE TERMINAL AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20150026647A1
• Filed: 07/15/2014
• Published: 01/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: PARK, Mihyun, LIM, Gukchan, KIM, Seonghyok, PARK, Yonghahk, KIM, Younghan
• Granted Patent: US 9,606,721 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/863
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• 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 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3246 by software initiated power-off
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 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 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A mobile terminal is provided a mobile terminal and a control method thereof according to exemplary embodiments. The mobile terminal includes a main body that is configured to be wearable on a specific portion of a user'"'"'s body, a sensing unit that is configured to sense whether or not the main body has been worn, and also sense a user gesture for deciding the worn position of the main body, and a controller that is configured to decide the worn position of the main body according to the sensed user gesture, and setting a user input for generating a first control command in a different manner based on the decided worn position. With the configuration, the main body may sense the worn position by itself so as to provide a user interface, which is more intuitive and convenient for the user, according to the sensed worn position.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a main body configured and sized to be placed on a part of a user'"'"'s body;

a display comprising a touchscreen and configured to display information and to receive a touch input;

a sensor configured to sense contact between the main body and the user'"'"'s body; and

a controller configured to;

recognize a user input for informing that the main body is in contact with a specific part of the user'"'"'s body; and

cause the display to display a first user interface when the specific part is in contact with the main body and to display a second user interface when a different part of the user'"'"'s body is in contact with the main body.

2. The terminal of claim 1, further comprising an output unit configured to output a message, wherein:

the sensor comprises a gyro sensor; and

the controller is further configured to;

cause the output unit to output a request message for requesting the user input when the main body is in contact with the user'"'"'s body, the user input comprising a preset gesture that is recognizable by the sensor; and

determine that the main body is in contact with the specific part by analyzing a sensor value generated by the gesture when the user input is received.

3. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the specific part of the user'"'"'s body based on a specific pattern of the user input generated during a preset period of time when the contact between the main body and the user'"'"'s body is sensed.

4. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the contact between the main body and the specific part based on whether a connector coupled to the main body is in contact with the user'"'"'s body and a biological signal of the user'"'"'s body sensed by the sensor.

5. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

cause the display to display a menu for allowing selection of a first mode or a second mode, each of the first and second modes determining the specific part that is in contact with the main body differently;

cause the display to display a list in the first mode, the list including parts of the body with which the main body can be in contact and to receive the user input for selecting one of the parts included in the displayed list; and

determine the specific part in the second mode based on the user input corresponding to a gesture generated by the user without displaying the list.

6. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

cause the display to display information on a first region of a display screen and to display keys for controlling the information on a second region of the display screen; and

arrange the first region and the second region of the display screen based on the determined specific part of the user'"'"'s body such that the first region and the second region are arranged differently on the display screen when a different part of the user'"'"'s body is in contact with the main body.

7. The terminal of claim 6, wherein the second region is arranged at a right side of the display screen and the first region is arranged at a left side of the second region when the main body is located at a left wrist of the user.

8. The terminal of claim 6, wherein the second region is arranged at a left side of the display screen and the first region is arranged at a right side of the second region when the main body is located at a right wrist of the user.

9. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display to:

change a lock screen according to the specific part, the lock screen displayed when the terminal is in a locked state in which input of a control command associated with an application is restricted; and

display an idle screen according to the specific part in response to an input for releasing the terminal from the locked state, the displayed idle screen based on a part of the user'"'"'s body with which the main body is in contact.

10. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

activate a first function corresponding to a first input when the specific part is a first part of the user'"'"'s body; and

deactivate the first function corresponding to the first input when the specific part is changed from the first part to a second part of the user'"'"'s body.

11. The terminal of claim 1, further comprising an output unit configured to output at least visual or audible information, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the output unit to:

output event information related to occurrence of an event based on the specific part; and

output an alarm for notifying occurrence of the event in a different manner based on the specific part.

12. The terminal of claim 1, further comprising an output unit, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the output unit to output a notification notifying the specific part when it is determined that the main body is in contact with the specific part of the user'"'"'s body.

13. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display to display a third user interface different from the first and second user interface when the main body is removed from the specific part.

14. A mobile terminal comprising:

an output unit configured to output at least visual or audible information;

a wireless communication unit configured to communicate with an external device comprising a sensor configured to sense a biological signal of a user; and

a controller is configured to;

determine whether the user is asleep or awake based on the sensed biological signal when a wake-up function is set in the mobile terminal;

cause the output unit to output an alarm at specific time corresponding to the wake-up function when it is determined that the user is asleep, the specific time determined based on the sensed biological signal; and

deactivate the wake-up function when it is determined that the user is awake.

15. The terminal of claim 14, wherein the output unit comprises a display and the controller is further configured to cause the display to display a graphic user interface (GUI) for deactivating the wake-up function when user manipulation of the terminal is detected.

16. The terminal of claim 14, wherein:

the wireless communication unit is further configured to receive a signal from an external sensor mounted at at least one home appliance or home facility when operation of the at least one home appliance or home facility is sensed by the external sensor; and

the controller is further configured to determine that the user is awake in response to the signal received from the external sensor.

17. The terminal of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to:

suppress an event notification in response to a first event received while the user is determined to be asleep such that no event notification is output in response to the first event; and

cause the output unit to output an event notification in response to a second event received when the user is determined to be awake.

18. The terminal of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to:

calculate a stress level of the user based on the sensed biological signal;

deactivate a notification function associated with an event received when the calculated stress level exceeds a preset value; and

suppress a notification message of low importance when the calculated stress level exceeds the preset value.

19. The terminal of claim 14, further comprising a storage unit configured to store history of alarm time for a preset period of time, the history of alarm time being a collection of time at which the user feels comfortable to wake up,

wherein the controller is further configured to cause the output unit to inform an optimal alarm time based on the stored history of alarm time in response to a user request.

20. The terminal of claim 14, wherein:

the wireless communication unit is further configured to communicate with the external device worn on a wrist of the user; and

the controller is further configured to;

analyze information received from the external device, the information related to the user'"'"'s pulse;

monitor whether current time falls within a preset alarm time range; and

control the output unit to output an alarm at a time determined by the controller based on the received information, the alarm time within the preset alarm time range.