Mobile terminal comprising rotary type input device and method of setting sensitivity using the same

• US 8,159,476 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2007
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jin Hee
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kevin M
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALMEIDA, CORY A
• Application Number:
  US12/002,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20080165124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,741 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184
• US Class Current: 345/184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

This document relates to a mobile terminal comprising a rotary type input device and a method of setting a sensitivity using the same. The mobile terminal comprises a display unit for displaying a selection indicator, an input unit comprising a rotary type input device, which is rotated and moved in one or more directions, and configured to set sensitivity information indicating a sensitivity when the rotary type input device is rotated and moved, and a controller for sensing the rotary movement of the rotary type input device and controlling movement of the selection indicator, based on the sensitivity information set by the input unit. Accordingly, there is an advantage in that a user can set a rotation sensitivity of the rotary type input device.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a display unit for displaying a selection indicator;

an input unit comprising a rotary type input device, which is rotated and moved in one or more directions, and configured to set sensitivity information indicating a sensitivity when the rotary type input device is rotated and moved, the rotary type input device including a plurality of locknuts defining basic rotation angles, each locknut having a magnetic field, and a sensor unit generating rotation signals when the sensor unit is magnetically coupled to at least one of the locknuts; and

a controller for sensing the rotary movement of the rotary type input device and controlling movement of the selection indicator, based on the sensitivity information set by the input unit,

wherein the controller is configured to display a menu including a plurality of sensitivity information,

wherein the sensitivity information includes a basic rotation recognition angle at which the controller recognizes a basic input signal,

wherein the basic rotation recognition angle is an integer times the basic rotation angle, and

wherein the controller is configured to change the basic rotation recognition angle through the menu.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the sensitivity information includes information corresponding to a recognition cycle where the rotation signals are recognized as basic input signals for moving the selection indicator.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein:

the controller controls the recognition cycle to be faster than a specific reference, so that the selection indicator moves at a speed faster than a specific speed, when the sensitivity information is set to be more sensitive than a reference, and

the controller controls the recognition cycle to be slower than the specific reference, so that the selection indicator moves at a speed slower than the specific speed, when the sensitivity information is set to be less sensitive than the reference.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the rotary type input device comprises one of a jog disk, a jog dial, and a jog shuttle.

5. A mobile terminal, comprising:

an input unit comprising a rotary type input device that is rotated and moved in one or more directions, the rotary type input device including a plurality of locknuts defining basic rotation angles, each locknut having a magnetic field, and a sensor unit generating rotation signals when the sensor unit is magnetically coupled to at least one of the locknuts;

a display unit for displaying a selection indicator that is moved according to the rotary movement of the rotary type input device;

a memory unit for storing a basic rotation recognition angle based on the rotation speed of the input unit; and

a controller for variably controlling a moving speed of the selection indicator based on a speed at which the rotary type input device is rotated and moved,

wherein the moving speed of the selection indicator is adjusted by changing the basic rotation recognition angle stored in the memory unit.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein the controller increases the moving speed of the selection indicator when the speed at which the rotary type input device is rotated and moved is faster than a reference time, and decreases the moving speed of the selection indicator when the speed at which the rotary type input device is rotated and moved is slower than the reference time.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein the rotary type input device comprises one of a jog disk, a jog dial, and a jog shuttle.

8. A mobile terminal, comprising:

an input unit comprising a rotary type input device, which is rotated and moved in one or more directions and generates rotation signals at specific angles, the rotary type input device including a plurality of locknuts defining basic rotation angles, each locknut having a magnetic field, and a sensor unit generating rotation signals when the sensor unit is magnetically coupled to at least one of the locknuts;

a display unit for displaying a selection indicator that is moved according to the rotation signals of the rotary type input device;

a memory unit for sequentially storing the generated rotation signals; and

a controller for controlling specific rotation signals, which are accumulated and are not processed on a system queue of the memory unit, to be deleted so that the selection indicator is moved when the rotary movement of the rotary type input device is finished.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein a reference where the controller determines whether the rotary movement of the rotary type input device has been finished includes a time when one rotation signal is stored in the memory unit and processed by the controller.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the rotary type input device comprises one of a jog disk, a jog dial, and a jog shuttle.

11. A method of setting a sensitivity of a rotary type input device, the rotary type input device including a plurality of locknuts defining basic rotation angles, each locknut having a magnetic field, and a sensor unit generating rotation signals when the sensor unit is magnetically coupled to at least one of the locknuts, the method comprising:

displaying a user interface for setting sensitivity information;

setting the sensitivity information when the rotary type input device that is rotated and moved in one or more directions is rotated and moved, the rotary type input device generating rotation signals at specific angles during the time of the rotary movement;

displaying a selection indicator; and

sensing the rotary movement of the rotary type input device and moving and displaying the selection indicator, based on the sensitivity information,

wherein the sensitivity information is set through the user interface, and

wherein changing the sensitivity information changes the specific angles at which the rotation signals are generated.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the sensitivity information includes information corresponding to a recognition cycle where the rotation signals are recognized as basic input signals for moving the selection indicator.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

when the sensitivity information is set to be more sensitive than a reference, the recognition cycle is set to be faster than a specific reference, so that the selection indicator moves at a speed faster than a specific speed, and

when the sensitivity information is set to be less sensitive than the reference, the recognition cycle is set to be slower than the specific reference, so that the selection indicator moves at a speed slower than the specific speed.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the rotary type input device comprises one of a jog disk, a jog dial, and a jog shuttle.

15. A method of setting a sensitivity of a rotary type input device, the rotary type input device including a plurality of locknuts defining basic rotation angles, each locknut having a magnetic field, and a sensor unit generating rotation signals when the sensor unit is magnetically coupled to at least one of the locknuts, the method comprising:

displaying a selection indicator that is moved when the rotary type input device, which is rotated and moved in one or more directions, is rotated and moved; and

variably controlling and displaying a moving speed of the selection indicator according to a speed at which the rotary type input device is rotated and moved,

wherein a basic rotation recognition angle based on the rotation speed of the input unit is stored in a memory unit, and

wherein the moving speed of the selection indicator is adjusted by changing the basic rotation recognition angle.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

when the speed at which the rotary type input device is rotated and moved is faster than a reference time, the moving speed of the selection indicator is increased, and when the speed at which the rotary type input device is rotated and moved is slower than the reference time, the moving speed of the selection indicator is decreased.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the rotary type input device comprises one of a jog disk, a jog dial, and a jog shuttle.

18. A method of setting a sensitivity of a rotary type input device, the rotary type input device including a plurality of locknuts defining basic rotation angles, each locknut having a magnetic field, and a sensor unit generating rotation signals when the sensor unit is magnetically coupled to at least one of the locknuts, the method comprising:

displaying a selection indicator;

sequentially storing rotation signals, which are generated when the rotary type input device for moving the selection indicator is rotated and moved; and

if the rotary movement of the rotary type input device is finished, controlling specific ones of the stored rotation signals, which are accumulated and are not processed on a system queue of a memory unit, to be deleted so that the selection indicator is moved.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein a reference for determining whether the rotary movement of the rotary type input device has been finished includes a time when one rotation signal is stored and then processed so that the selection indicator is moved.