Mobile terminal capable of providing haptic effect and method of controlling the mobile terminal

• US 8,306,576 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2009
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Cho, Seon Hwi, Kim, Tae Yong, Kim, Jong Hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Brandt, Christopher M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gao, Jing
• Application Number:
  US12/473,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20090325647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: 455/567, 379/418
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

A method of controlling a mobile terminal and which includes storing a plurality of haptic vibrations respectively representing different functions performed in a single application to be executed on the mobile terminal, executing a function for the single application is on the mobile terminal, selecting a corresponding haptic vibration that represents the function executing on the terminal, and generating the selected corresponding haptic vibration using a plurality of vibration modules disposed on the mobile terminal in which a first vibration module is activated and at least one second vibration module is activated to represent the function being executed on the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

pre-storing a plurality of haptic vibrations respectively representing different variations in a screen image, the plurality of haptic vibrations having different patterns or intensities according to the variations in the screen image;

displaying a first screen image corresponding to an execution of a function on a display module;

detecting a variation of display in a screen being displayed by the display module, the detected variation comprising a variation of display in the first screen image, a variation of displaying a popup window on the first screen image, a variation of displaying a second screen image corresponding to a predetermined operation instead of the first screen image or a variation of a brightness of the screen being displayed by the display module;

selecting a haptic vibration corresponding to the detected variation from the plurality of haptic vibrations; and

generating the selected haptic vibration using at least one vibration module disposed on the mobile terminal in which the at least one vibration module is activated to represent the detected variation,

wherein an intensity of the selected haptic vibration is automatically adjusted according to a brightness level of the screen currently being displayed by the display module if the detected variation is the variation of the brightness of the screen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of vibration modules are disposed at different positions on the mobile terminal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a first vibration module is disposed in a central area of the mobile terminal and at least one second vibration module is disposed at an area outside of the central area of the mobile terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein when the function currently being executed on the mobile terminal is a web browser function corresponding to a particular webpage, the generating step first activates at least one second vibration module and then activates a first vibration module to represent a change of an item displayed on the particular webpage.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein when the function currently being executed on the mobile terminal is a web browser function corresponding to a particular webpage, the generating step first activates a first vibration module and then activates at least one second vibration module to represent data has been successfully transferred to the particular webpage.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the detected variation in the first screen image includes an appearance of a new indicator icon on the first screen image or a disappearance of an existing indicator icon on the first screen image.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the detected variation in the first screen image includes a change of a shape of at least one indicator icon on the first screen image.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the detected variation in the first screen image includes a change of a scale of the first screen image.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the detected variation in the first screen image includes a rotation of the first screen image.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the detected variation in the first screen image includes a change of a shape of the first screen image.

11. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one other terminal;

a memory configured to store in advance a plurality of haptic vibrations respectively representing different variations in a screen image, the plurality of haptic vibrations having different patterns or intensities according to the variations in the screen image;

a display module configured to display a first screen image corresponding to an execution of a function on a display module;

at least one vibration module disposed on the mobile terminal; and

a controller configured to detect a variation of display in a screen being displayed by the display module, to select a haptic vibration corresponding to the detected variation from the plurality of haptic vibrations stored in the memory, and to activate the at least one vibration module to generate the selected haptic vibration,

wherein the detected variation comprises a variation of display in the first screen image, a variation of displaying a popup window on the first screen image, a variation of displaying a second screen image corresponding to a predetermined operation instead of the first screen image or a variation of a brightness of the screen being displayed by the display module, and

wherein an intensity of the selected haptic vibration is automatically adjusted according to a brightness level of the screen currently being displayed by the display module if the detected variation is the variation of the brightness of the screen.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein a plurality of vibration modules are disposed at different positions on the mobile terminal.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein a first vibration module is disposed in a central area of the mobile terminal and at least one second vibration module is disposed at an area outside of the central area of the mobile terminal.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein when the function currently being executed on the mobile terminal is a web browser function corresponding to a particular webpage, the controller is further configured to first activate at least one second vibration module and then activate a first vibration module to represent a change of an item displayed on the particular webpage.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein when the function currently being executed on the mobile terminal is a web browser function corresponding to a particular webpage, the controller is further configured to first activate a first vibration module and then activate at least one second vibration module to represent data has been successfully transferred to the particular webpage.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the detected variation in the first screen image includes an appearance of a new indicator icon on the first screen image or a disappearance of an existing indicator icon on the first screen image.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the detected variation in the first screen image includes a change of a shape of at least one indicator icon on the first screen image.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the detected variation in the first screen image includes a change of a scale of the first screen image.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the detected variation in the first screen image includes a rotation of the first screen image.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the detected variation in the first screen image includes a change of a shape of the first screen image.