Mobile terminal and screen displaying method thereof

• US 8,310,456 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2009
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Dong Kyu, Ju, Wan Ho, Kim, Tae Hun
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAM, VINH TANG
• Application Number:
  US12/407,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20090237421A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 178/18.01
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal. Specifically to a mobile terminal including a display including a touchscreen, a sensing unit for sensing an object in near-proximity to the touchscreen, a controller for altering an image appearing on the display according to at least one of a duration of the object near the touchscreen and a distance of the object away from the touchscreen.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a display including a touchscreen;

a sensing unit for sensing an object in near-proximity to the touchscreen; and

a controller for;

controlling information appearing on the display according to at least duration of the object near the touchscreen, a position of the object relative to the touchscreen, a distance of the object away from the touchscreen or movement of the object relative to the touchscreen;

applying a scrolling function to the information appearing on the display in a direction related to a predetermined region of the touchscreen with which the object is in near-proximity; and

controlling a speed of the scrolling function according to the distance of the object away from the touchscreen.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the information appearing on the display is map information displayed on the touch screen.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the display is for displaying icons that correspond to predetermined regions of the touchscreen and indicate scroll directions.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein the icons are displayed when the object is in near-proximity to the touchscreen.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein

the controller is further for applying a reference point and reference lines intersecting the reference point to the information appearing on the display in order to indicate a location of the object in near-proximity to the touchscreen relative to the displayed information.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein the controller is further for fixing the reference point and reference lines when the object physically contacts the touchscreen at the reference point.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 6, wherein

the controller is further for distinguishing a designated region of the information appearing on the display when two sets of reference points and reference lines are fixed.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further for:

increasing the speed of the scroll function as the distance decreases; and

decreasing the speed of the scroll function as the distance increases.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further for:

increasing the speed of the scroll function as the distance increases; and

decreasing the speed of the scroll function as the distance decreases.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further for:

no longer applying the scroll function when the object is no longer in near-proximity; and

continuously applying the scroll function while the object remains in near-proximity.

11. A method for altering an image displayed on a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

displaying the image on a touchscreen;

sensing an object in near-proximity to the touchscreen; and

controlling information appearing on a display according to at least a duration of the object near the touchscreen, a position of the object relative to the touchscreen, a distance of the object away from the touchscreen or movement of the object relative to the touchscreen;

applying a scrolling function to the information appearing on the display in a direction related to a predetermined region of the touchscreen with which the object is in near-proximity; and

controlling a speed of the scrolling function according to the distance of the object away from the touchscreen.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the information appearing on the display is map information displayed on the touch screen.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying icons that correspond to predetermined regions of the touchscreen and indicate scroll directions.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising displaying the icons when the object is in near-proximity to the touchscreen.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

applying a reference point and reference lines intersecting the reference point to the information appearing on the display in order to indicate a location of the object in near-proximity to the touchscreen relative to the displayed information.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising fixing the reference point and reference lines when the object physically contacts the touchscreen at the reference point.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

distinguishing a designated region of the information appearing on the display when two sets of reference points and reference lines are fixed.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

increasing the speed of the scrolling function as the distance decreases; and

decreasing the speed of the scrolling function as the distance increases.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

increasing the speed of the scrolling function as the distance increases; and

decreasing the speed of the scrolling function as the distance decreases.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

no longer applying the scroll function when the object is no longer in near-proximity; and

continuously applying the scroll function while the object remains in near-proximity.