Method and apparatus for inputting function of mobile terminal using user's grip posture while holding mobile terminal
First Claim
1. A method of inputting a function of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:
- recognizing a grip posture of a user gripping the mobile terminal, wherein the recognized grip posture is one of a plurality of grip postures; and
detecting a function corresponding to the recognized grip posture,wherein the recognizing a grip posture comprises;
receiving output signals from a plurality of touch sensors on the mobile terminal; and
recognizing the grip posture using the output signals from the touch sensors, wherein the recognizing the grip posture using the output signals comprises;
dividing the surface of the mobile terminal into a plurality of portions;
detecting a number of contact points, a contact width of each detected contact point, and a distance between adjacent contact points in each portion of the mobile terminal using the sensor output signals; and
determining the user'"'"'s grip posture using the detected number of contact points, the contact width of each detected contact point, and the distance between adjacent contact points in each portion of the mobile terminal,wherein the method is performed using at least one computer system, andwherein the recognized grip posture changes function and display orientation of a screen of the mobile terminal.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for and a method of inputting a function of a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone, in which a grip posture of a user who holds the mobile terminal is recognized and a function corresponding to the recognized grip posture is detected. The method includes: recognizing a grip posture of a user who uses the mobile terminal; detecting a function corresponding to the recognized grip posture; and performing the detected function. Accordingly, by considering user'"'"'s grip postures formed when performing the functions of a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone, specific functions are respectively matched to a plurality of grip postures, a grip posture of a user who is holding the mobile terminal is recognized, and a function corresponding to the recognized grip posture is automatically performed without any operation such as an additional key input operation. Therefore, a complex input unit or input method is not required even when diverse functions are provided by the mobile terminal, and the user can easily and conveniently use the mobile terminal.
32 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method of inputting a function of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:
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recognizing a grip posture of a user gripping the mobile terminal, wherein the recognized grip posture is one of a plurality of grip postures; and detecting a function corresponding to the recognized grip posture, wherein the recognizing a grip posture comprises; receiving output signals from a plurality of touch sensors on the mobile terminal; and recognizing the grip posture using the output signals from the touch sensors, wherein the recognizing the grip posture using the output signals comprises; dividing the surface of the mobile terminal into a plurality of portions; detecting a number of contact points, a contact width of each detected contact point, and a distance between adjacent contact points in each portion of the mobile terminal using the sensor output signals; and determining the user'"'"'s grip posture using the detected number of contact points, the contact width of each detected contact point, and the distance between adjacent contact points in each portion of the mobile terminal, wherein the method is performed using at least one computer system, and wherein the recognized grip posture changes function and display orientation of a screen of the mobile terminal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of inputting a function of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:
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recognizing a grip posture of a user gripping the mobile terminal, wherein the recognized grip posture is one of a plurality of grip postures; and detecting a function corresponding to the recognized grip posture, wherein the recognizing the grip posture comprises; dividing the surface of the mobile terminal into a plurality of portions; detecting a number of contact points, a contact width of each detected contact point, and a distance between adjacent contact points in each portion of the mobile terminal; and determining the user'"'"'s grip posture using the detected number of contact points, the contact width of each detected contact point, and the distance between adjacent contact points in each portion of the mobile terminal, wherein the method is performed using at least one computer system, and wherein the recognized grip posture changes function and display orientation of a screen of the mobile terminal. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. A function input apparatus included in a mobile terminal, the apparatus comprising:
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a grip posture recognition unit to recognize a grip posture of a user gripping the mobile terminal, wherein the recognized grip posture is one of a plurality of grip postures; and a function detection unit to detect a function corresponding to the recognized grip posture, wherein the grip posture recognition unit comprises; a plurality of touch sensors; a contact detection unit to detect whether the user contacts individual portions into which the surface of the mobile terminal is divided based on output signals from touch sensors in the individual portions; and a grip posture determining unit to determine the user'"'"'s grip posture using the detection result for each portion, wherein the contact detection unit detects a number of contact points, a contact width of each detected contact point, and a distance between adjacent contact points in each portion, and the grip posture determining unit determines the user'"'"'s grip posture using the detected number of contact points, the contact width of each detected contact point, and the distance between adjacent contact points at each portion, and wherein the recognized grip posture changes function and display orientation of a screen of the mobile terminal. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A function input apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
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a sensor unit having a plurality of touch sensors individually detecting a user'"'"'s contact with the mobile terminal, the detected contact defining a detected grip posture; a grip posture recognition unit to recognize a grip posture based on the detected grip posture from the sensor unit, wherein the recognized grip posture is one of a plurality of grip postures; and a function detection unit to detect a function corresponding to the recognized grip posture, wherein the grip posture recognition unit comprises; a characteristic extraction unit to extract characteristic data of a detected grip posture; and a memory search unit to search a memory and to output as the recognized grip posture a grip posture which is defined in characteristic data stored in the memory that corresponds to the characteristic data of detected grip posture, wherein the characteristic data comprises a number of contact points in each portion, a contact width of each detected contact point, and a distance between adjacent contact points in each portion, which are used to determine the user'"'"'s grip posture, and wherein the recognized grip posture changes function and display orientation of a screen of the mobile terminal. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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28. A method of inputting a function of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:
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recognizing a grip posture of a user gripping the mobile terminal, wherein the recognized grip posture is one of a plurality of grip postures; and detecting a function corresponding to the recognized grip posture, wherein the recognizing a grip posture comprises; receiving output signals from a plurality of touch sensors on the mobile terminal; and recognizing the grip posture using the output signals from the touch sensors, wherein the recognizing the grip posture using the output signals comprises; dividing the surface of the mobile terminal into a plurality of portions; detecting a number of contact points, a contact width of each detected contact point, a distance between adjacent contact points, and a total width of detected contact points in each portion of the mobile terminal using the sensor output signals; and determining the user'"'"'s grip posture using the detected number of contact points, the contact width of each detected contact point, the distance between adjacent contact points, and a total width of detected contact points in each portion of the mobile terminal, wherein the method is performed using at least one computer system, and wherein the recognized grip posture changes function and display orientation of a screen of the mobile terminal.
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29. A method of inputting a function of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:
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recognizing a grip posture of a user gripping the mobile terminal, wherein the recognized grip posture is one of a plurality of grip postures; and detecting a function corresponding to the recognized grip posture, wherein the recognizing the grip posture comprises; dividing the surface of the mobile terminal into a plurality of portions; detecting a number of contact points, a contact width of each detected contact point, a distance between adjacent contact points, and a total width of detected contact points in each portion of the mobile terminal; and determining the user'"'"'s grip posture using the detected number of contact points, the contact width of each detected contact point, the distance between adjacent contact points, and a total width of detected contact points in each portion of the mobile terminal, wherein the method is performed using at least one computer system, and wherein the recognized grip posture changes function and display orientation of a screen of the mobile terminal.
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30. A function input apparatus included in a mobile terminal, the apparatus comprising:
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a grip posture recognition unit to recognize a grip posture of a user gripping the mobile terminal, wherein the recognized grip posture is one of a plurality of grip postures; and a function detection unit to detect a function corresponding to the recognized grip posture, wherein the grip posture recognition unit comprises; a plurality of touch sensors; a contact detection unit to detect whether the user contacts individual portions into which the surface of the mobile terminal is divided based on output signals from touch sensors in the individual portions; and a grip posture determining unit to determine the user'"'"'s grip posture using the detection result for each portion, wherein the contact detection unit detects a number of contact points, a contact width of each detected contact point, a distance between adjacent contact points, and a total width of detected contact points in each portion, and the grip posture determining unit determines the user'"'"'s grip posture using the detected number of contact points, the contact width of each detected contact point, the distance between adjacent contact points, and a total width of detected contact points at each portion, and wherein the recognized grip posture changes function and display orientation of a screen of the mobile terminal.
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31. A function input apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
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a sensor unit having a plurality of touch sensors individually detecting a user'"'"'s contact with the mobile terminal, the detected contact defining a detected grip posture; a grip posture recognition unit to recognize a grip posture based on the detected grip posture from the sensor unit, wherein the recognized grip posture is one of a plurality of grip postures; and a function detection unit to detect a function corresponding to the recognized grip posture, wherein the grip posture recognition unit comprises; a characteristic extraction unit to extract characteristic data of a detected grip posture; and a memory search unit to search a memory and to output as the recognized grip posture a grip posture which is defined in characteristic data stored in the memory that corresponds to the characteristic data of detected grip posture, wherein the characteristic data comprises a number of contact points in each portion, a contact width of each detected contact point, a distance between adjacent contact points, and a total width of detected contact points in each portion, which are used to determine the user'"'"'s grip posture, and wherein the recognized grip posture changes function and display orientation of a screen of the mobile terminal.
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Specification