SMART WATCH AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20150085621A1
• Filed: 12/12/2013
• Published: 03/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: HONG, Sayoon, KIM, Jongho, LEE, Doyoung
• Granted Patent: US 9,195,219 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 368/10
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 21/00 Producing acoustic time signals by electrical means for mechanical clocks or watches G04B21/08, G04B25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 3/002 Position, e.g. inclination dependent switches
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/00 Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces

Abstract

Discussed are a smart watch and a control method thereof. The smart watch includes a rotation sensor unit configured to sense a rotation direction and a rotation speed of the smart watch; a display unit configured to display visual information; and a processor configured to control the rotation sensor unit and the display unit and detect a first snap motion and a second snap motion of the smart watch. The first snap motion is detected when the smart watch rotates on an axis of rotation of the smart watch in a first direction at a first threshold speed or more, and the second snap motion is detected when the smart watch rotates on the axis of rotation in the first direction at less than the first threshold speed and then rotates in a second direction at a second threshold speed or more within a predetermined time.

Claims

1. A smart watch comprising:

a rotation sensor unit configured to sense a rotation direction and a rotation speed of the smart watch;

a display unit configured to display visual information; and

a processor configured to control the rotation sensor unit and the display unit,

wherein the processor is further configured to;

detect a first snap motion and a second snap motion of the smart watch,

wherein the first snap motion is detected when the smart watch rotates on an axis of rotation of the smart watch in a first direction at a speed higher than a threshold speed, and

wherein the second snap motion is detected, when the smart watch rotates on the axis of rotation in the first direction at a speed lower than the threshold speed and then rotates on the axis of rotation in a second direction at a speed higher than the threshold speed within a predetermined time, the second direction being an opposite direction of the first direction, and

execute a first command corresponding to the first direction when the first snap motion is detected, and execute a second command corresponding to the second direction when the second snap motion is detected.

2. The smart watch according to claim 1, wherein the processor detects the second snap motion, when the smart watch in a start position rotates in the first direction at the speed lower than the threshold speed and then rotates back to the start position in the second direction at the speed higher than the threshold speed within the predetermined time.

3. The smart watch according to claim 1, wherein the rotations of the smart watch in the first and second directions occur once the smart watch is worn on a wrist.

6. The smart watch according to claim 3, wherein the first direction is an outward direction and the second direction is an inward direction.

7. The smart watch according to claim 1, further comprising a position sensor unit configured to sense a position of the smart watch,

wherein the processor is further configured to detect a first position at which the display unit is located on a back side of a hand of a user and a second position at which the display unit is located on a palm side of the hand of the user.

8. The smart watch according to claim 7, wherein, when the processor detects the first position, the first direction is an outward direction and the second direction is an inward direction.

9. The smart watch according to claim 7, wherein, when detecting the first position, the processor is further configured to detect a tilt of the display unit;

and

wherein the first direction is an outward direction and the second direction is an inward direction when the detected tilt is within a predetermined tilt range, or wherein the first direction is the inward direction and the second direction is the outward direction when the detected tilt is outside the predetermined tilt range.

10. The smart watch according to claim 7, wherein, when the processor detects the second position, the first direction is an inward direction and the second direction is an outward direction.

11. The smart watch according to claim 7, wherein, when detecting the second position, the processor is further configured to detect a tilt of the display unit;

and

wherein the first direction is an inward direction and the second direction is an outward direction when the detected tilt is within a predetermined tilt range, or wherein the first direction is the outward direction and the second direction is the inward direction when the detected tilt is outside the predetermined tilt range.

12. The smart watch according to claim 1, wherein the first command and the second command correspond with each other.

13. The smart watch according to claim 1, wherein each of the first command and the second command corresponds to at least one among an audio control command, a video control command, a scroll control command, an execution control command, an icon movement control command, and a zoom in and out control command.

14. The smart watch according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a type of the first or second command based on an application being currently executed or based on an execution screen of an application being currently displayed.

15. The smart watch according to claim 1, further comprising a communication unit configured to transmit and receive data to and from an external device.

16. The smart watch according to claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to perform pairing with the external device using the communication unit and control the external device according to the first snap motion and the second snap motion.

17. The smart watch according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

provide a notification regarding an event when the event is generated in the smart watch, and

execute at least one of the first command and the second command corresponding to the notification when at least one of the first snap motion and the second snap motion is detected within a predetermined time after the notification has been provided.

18. The smart watch according to claim 1, wherein the display unit includes a flexible display panel.

19. The smart watch according to claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to determine an area in which the visual information is displayed on the display unit according to a tilt of the smart watch.

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

20. A control method of a smart watch, the smart watch including a rotation sensor unit and a processor, the method comprising:

sensing, by the rotation sensor unit, a rotation direction and a rotation speed of the smart watch;

detecting, by the processor, a first snap motion and a second snap motion of the smart watch,

wherein the first snap motion is detected when the smart watch rotates on an axis of rotation of the smart watch in a first direction at a speed higher than a threshold speed, and

wherein the second snap motion is detected, when the smart watch rotates on the axis of rotation in the first direction at a speed less than the threshold speed and then rotates on the axis of rotation in a second direction at a speed higher than the threshold speed within a predetermined time, the second direction being an opposite direction of the first direction; and

executing, by the processor, a first command corresponding to the first direction when the first snap motion is detected, and executing, by the processor, a second command corresponding to the second direction when the second snap motion is detected.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the detecting step detects the second snap motion, when the smart watch in a start position rotates in the first direction at the speed lower than the threshold speed and then rotates back to the start position in the second direction at the speed higher than the threshold speed within the predetermined time.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the rotations of the smart watch in the first and second directions occur once the smart watch is worn on a wrist.