Mobile terminal using proximity sensor and method of controlling the mobile terminal

• US 8,369,887 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Cho, Seon Hwi, Kim, Jung Hwan, Choe, Min Wook
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOHLMAN, CHRISTOPHER J
• Application Number:
  US12/495,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20100004033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/012 Walk-in-place systems for allowing a user to walk in a virtual environment while constraining him to a given position in the physical environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72481 for visually impaired users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/047 Vibrating means for incoming calls

Abstract

A mobile terminal and a method of controlling the mobile terminal are provided. The mobile terminal may generate a haptic effect whose intensity or pattern corresponds to the type and importance of an event occurred therein. Therefore, it is possible for a user to easily identify the event based on the haptic effect. Since the mobile terminal generates a haptic effect in response to a command input thereto by the user, it is possible to prevent a command from being accidently input to the mobile terminal.

Claims

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

detecting an occurrence of an event, the event occurring in response to a request for access to the mobile terminal by an external mobile terminal;

determining whether the event is a haptic-effect-accompanying event;

detecting an identification information of the external mobile terminal from the detected event when the event is the haptic-effect-accompanying event;

determining whether a haptic-effect pattern corresponding to the detected identification information is set in advance in the mobile terminal when the detected identification information exists in a contact list of the mobile terminal, the haptic-effect pattern being varied according to the detected identification information; and

when the haptic-effect pattern is set in advance in the mobile terminal,

generating a haptic effect corresponding to the haptic-effect pattern, and

varying an image displayed on a screen of the mobile terminal in accordance with the haptic-effect pattern while simultaneously generating the haptic effect corresponding to the haptic-effect pattern,

wherein, when the event involves displaying a list of items with different importance levels in a display region of the mobile terminal,

the step of generating the haptic effect comprises generating the haptic effect in an area in the display region where an item of the list having a high importance level is displayed,

the method further comprises detecting a movement of a cursor toward the item with the high importance level, or detecting an object having a distance from the item with the high importance level that gradually changes, based on a signal provided by a proximity sensor, and

the step of generating the haptic effect further comprises varying an intensity of the haptic effect according to a corresponding one of the movement of the cursor or the distance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the haptic effect includes a vibration.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a haptic-effect intensity or the haptic-effect pattern corresponds to a shape of a letter in a name of the event.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a haptic-effect intensity or the haptic-effect pattern corresponds to a volume or an audio output pattern upon the occurrence of the event.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the mobile terminal is equipped with at least two subscriber identification module (SIM) cards or uses at least two phone numbers, numbering the at least two SIM cards or the at least two phone numbers; and

generating a second haptic effect corresponding to a number of a SIM card or a phone number that is used for the event.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the item with the high importance level is yet to appear in the display region, the step of generating the haptic effect further comprises:

generating the haptic effect in an area in the display region corresponding to a position of the item with the high importance level relative to a number of items currently being displayed in the display region.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the list is a list of received messages, a list of emails or a list of calls, the item with the high importance level includes an unread message, an unread email or a missed call or includes a message, an email or a call deemed important by a user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the event is an error event that occurs during an execution of an application in the mobile terminal, a haptic-effect intensity or the haptic-effect pattern corresponds to a type of error occurring during the execution of the application.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the error event includes an error event that occurs during a reception or display of a webpage or an error event that occurs during an opening of a document file, an audio file or a video file.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the event is an event associated with a payment of charges or a transmission of personal information, determining a distance between an object and a touch screen, on which a key to pay the charges or a key to input or send the personal information is displayed, based on a signal provided by a proximity sensor,

wherein the step of generating the haptic effect comprises varying an intensity of the haptic effect according to a distance between the object and the touch screen.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the event is an event associated with a payment of charges or a transmission of personal information, determining whether a command to pay the charges or a command to input or send the personal information has been issued, and generating a second haptic effect when the command to pay the charges or the command to input or send the personal information is determined to have been issued.

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

detecting the occurrence of an event;

classifying the event into one of

a first-event group including an event that occurs in response to a command to connect the mobile terminal to an external mobile terminal by a user,

a second-event group including an event that occurs in response to a request for access to the mobile terminal by an external mobile terminal, and

a third-event group including events that belong to neither the first- nor second-event group;

determining whether the event is a haptic-effect-accompanying event;

when the event is determined to be the haptic-effect-accompanying event, generating an event group specific haptic effect comprising a corresponding one of a first-event group haptic effect, a second-event group haptic effect and a third-event group haptic effect; and

varying an image displayed on a screen of the mobile terminal in accordance with the event group specific haptic effect while simultaneously generating the event group specific haptic effect,

wherein, when the event involves displaying a list of items with different importance levels in a display region of the mobile terminal, the method includes

generating another haptic effect in an area in the display region where an item of the list having a high importance level is displayed,

detecting a movement of a cursor toward the item with the high importance level, or detecting an object having a distance from the item with the high importance level that gradually changes, based on a signal provided by a proximity sensor, and

varying an intensity of the another haptic effect according to a corresponding one of the movement of the cursor or the distance.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first-event group includes one of an internet-access event, a Bluetooth network-access event, and an instant messenger network-access event, the second-event group includes one of a call-receiving event, a text message-receiving event, a multimedia message-receiving event and an email-receiving event and the third-event group includes one of an alarm event, a scheduler event, a battery alert event, and a missed call-alert event.

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

detecting the occurrence of an event;

determining whether the event is a haptic-effect-accompanying event;

when the event is determined to be the haptic-effect-accompanying event, generating a haptic effect corresponding to the event,

wherein, when the event involves an arrival of a schedule time set in the mobile terminal for a predetermined scheduled event, a pattern of the haptic effect corresponds to an importance level of the predetermined scheduled event; and

varying an image displayed on a screen of the mobile terminal in accordance with the importance level of the predetermined scheduled event while simultaneously generating the haptic effect in accordance with the pattern of the haptic effect that corresponds to the importance level of the predetermined scheduled event,

wherein, when the event involves displaying a list of items with different importance levels in a display region of the mobile terminal,

the step of generating the haptic effect comprises generating the haptic effect in an area in the display region where an item of the list having a high importance level is displayed,

the method further comprises detecting a movement of a cursor toward the item with the high importance level, or detecting an object having a distance from the item with the high importance level that gradually changes, based on a signal provided by a proximity sensor, and

the step of generating the haptic effect further comprises varying an intensity of the haptic effect according to a corresponding one of the movement of the cursor or the distance.

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

detecting the occurrence of an event;

determining whether the event is a haptic-effect-accompanying event;

when the event is determined to be the haptic-effect-accompanying event, generating a first haptic effect in accordance with a first haptic-effect pattern corresponding to the event;

when the event is an event that occurs in response to an issuance of a command to connect the mobile terminal to an external mobile terminal by a user,

determining whether there is a file that has been sent by the external mobile terminal, and

when there is a file that has been sent by the external mobile terminal, generating a second haptic effect in accordance with a second haptic-effect pattern corresponding to a type of the file sent by the external mobile terminal; and

varying an image displayed on a screen of the mobile terminal in accordance with one of the first haptic-effect pattern and the second haptic-effect pattern while simultaneously generating the one of the first and second haptic effects in accordance with the one of the first haptic-effect pattern and the second haptic-effect pattern,

wherein, when the event involves displaying a list of items with different importance levels in a display region of the mobile terminal, the method includes

generating another haptic effect in an area in the display region where an item of the list having a high importance level is displayed,

detecting a movement of a cursor toward the item with the high importance level, or detecting an object having a distance from the item with the high importance level that gradually changes, based on a signal provided by a proximity sensor, and

varying an intensity of the another haptic effect according to a corresponding one of the movement of the cursor or the distance.

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

detecting the occurrence of an event;

determining whether the event is a haptic-effect-accompanying event;

when the event is determined to be the haptic-effect-accompanying event, generating a haptic effect corresponding to the event,

wherein, when the event is an event that occurs in response to a command to connect the mobile terminal to an external mobile terminal by a user, a pattern of the haptic effect corresponds to a name or type of the event; and

varying an image displayed on a screen of the mobile terminal in accordance with the pattern while simultaneously generating the haptic effect in accordance with the pattern,

wherein, when the event involves displaying a list of items with different importance levels in a display region of the mobile terminal,

the step of generating the haptic effect comprises generating the haptic effect in an area in the display region where an item of the list having a high importance level is displayed,

the method further comprises detecting a movement of a cursor toward the item with the high importance level, or detecting an object having a distance from the item with the high importance level that gradually changes, based on a signal provided by a proximity sensor, and

the step of generating the haptic effect further comprises varying an intensity of the haptic effect according to a corresponding one of the movement of the cursor or the distance.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the information regarding the external mobile terminal includes a phone number or Bluetooth number of the external mobile terminal, an entry name or a group name to which the phone number or Bluetooth number of the external mobile terminal is registered in the mobile terminal, a phone ringtone corresponding to the phone number of the external mobile terminal, or a Bluetooth ringtone corresponding to the Bluetooth number of the external mobile terminal.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

when the phone number of the external mobile terminal is a blocked phone number or a number registered as a spam phone number, determining a distance between an object and a touch screen, on which a key to receive an incoming call is displayed, based on a signal provided by a proximity sensor,

wherein the step of generating the haptic effect comprises varying an intensity of the haptic effect according to the distance between the object and the touch screen.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

when the phone number of the external mobile terminal is a blocked phone number or a number registered as a spam phone number, determining whether a command to receive an incoming call has been issued, and generating a second haptic effect when the command to receive an incoming call is determined to have been issued.

20. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a haptic module configured to generate a haptic effect; and

a controller operatively connected to the haptic module and configured to;

detect an occurrence of an event, the event occurring in response to a request for access to the mobile terminal by an external mobile terminal,

determine that the event is a haptic-effect-accompanying event,

detect an identification information of the external mobile terminal from the detected event in response to the determination,

determine whether a haptic-effect pattern corresponding to the detected identification information is set in advance in the mobile terminal when the detected identification information exists in a contact list of the mobile terminal, the haptic-effect pattern being varied according to the detected identification information, and

when the haptic-effect pattern is set in advance in the mobile terminal,

generate a haptic effect corresponding to the haptic-effect pattern, and

vary an image displayed on a screen of the mobile terminal in accordance with the haptic-effect pattern while simultaneously generating the haptic effect corresponding to the haptic-effect pattern,

wherein, when the event involves displaying a list of items with different importance levels in a display region of the mobile terminal, the controller is configured to

generate the haptic effect in an area in the display region where an item with a high importance level is displayed, and

detect a movement of a cursor toward the item with the high importance level or detects an object having distance from the item with the high importance level that gradually changes based on a signal provided by a proximity sensor, and

vary an intensity of the haptic effect according to a corresponding one of the movement of the cursor or the distance between the object and the item with the high importance level.

21. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein the haptic effect includes a vibration.

22. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein a haptic-effect intensity or the haptic-effect pattern corresponds to a shape of a letter in a name of the event.

23. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein a haptic-effect intensity or the haptic-effect pattern corresponds to a volume or an audio output pattern.

24. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein, when the mobile terminal is equipped with at least two subscriber identification module (SIM) cards or uses at least two phone numbers, the controller is configured to number the at least two SIM cards or the at least two phone numbers and generate a second haptic effect corresponding to the number of a number of the SIM card or phone number that is used for the event.

25. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein, when the item with the high importance level is yet to appear in the display region, the controller is configured to generate the haptic effect in an area in the display region corresponding to a position of the item with the high importance level relative to a number of items currently being displayed in the display region.

26. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein, when the list is a list of received messages, a list of emails or a list of calls, the item with the high importance level includes an unread message, an unread email or a missed call or includes a message, an email or a call deemed important by a user.

27. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein, when the event is an error event that occurs during an execution of an application in the mobile terminal, a haptic-effect intensity or the haptic-effect pattern corresponds to a type of error occurred during the execution of the application.

28. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein, when the event is an event associated with a payment of charges or a transmission of personal information, the controller is configured to determine a distance between an object and a touch screen, on which a key to pay the charges or a key to input or send the personal information is displayed, based on a signal provided by a proximity sensor, and vary an intensity of the haptic effect according to the distance between the object and the touch screen.

29. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein, when the event is an event associated with a payment of charges or a transmission of personal information, the controller is configured to determine when a command to pay the charges or a command to input or send the personal information has been issued, and generate a second haptic effect when the command to pay the charges or the command to input or send the personal information is determined to have been issued.

30. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a controller configured to

detect an occurrence of an event,

classify the event into one of

a first-event group including events that occur in response to a command to connect the mobile terminal to an external mobile terminal by a user,

a second-event group including events that occur in response to a request for access to the mobile terminal by an external mobile terminal, and

a third-event group including events that belong to neither the first- nor second-event group,

determine whether the event is a haptic-effect-accompanying event,

when the event is determined to be the haptic-effect-accompanying event,

generate an event group specific haptic effect comprising a corresponding one of a first-event group haptic effect, a second-event group haptic effect and a third-event group haptic effect, and

vary an image displayed on a screen of the mobile terminal in accordance with the event group specific haptic effect while simultaneously generating the event group specific haptic effect,

wherein, when the event involves displaying a list of items with different importance levels in a display region of the mobile terminal, the controller is configured to

generate another haptic effect in an area in the display region where an item with a high importance level is displayed, and

detect a movement of a cursor toward the item with the high importance level or detects an object having distance from the item with the high importance level that gradually changes based on a signal provided by a proximity sensor, and

vary an intensity of the another haptic effect according to a corresponding one of the movement of the cursor or the distance between the object and the item with the high importance level.

31. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a controller configured to

detect an occurrence of an event,

determine whether the event is a haptic-effect-accompanying event,

when the event is determined to be the haptic-effect-accompanying event, generate a haptic effect corresponding to the event when the event is determined to be a haptic-effect-accompanying event,

wherein, when the event involves an arrival of a schedule time set in the mobile terminal for a predetermined scheduled event, a pattern of the haptic effect corresponds to an importance level of the predetermined scheduled event, and

vary an image displayed on a screen of the mobile terminal in accordance with the importance level of the predetermined scheduled event while simultaneously generating the haptic effect in accordance with the pattern of the haptic effect that corresponds to the importance level of the predetermined scheduled event,

wherein, when the event involves displaying a list of items with different importance levels in a display region of the mobile terminal, the controller is configured to

generate the haptic effect in an area in the display region where an item with a high importance level is displayed, and

detect a movement of a cursor toward the item with the high importance level or detects an object having distance from the item with the high importance level that gradually changes based on a signal provided by a proximity sensor, and

vary an intensity of the haptic effect according to a corresponding one of the movement of the cursor or the distance between the object and the item with the high importance level.

32. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a controller configured to

detect an occurrence of an event,

determine whether the event is a haptic-effect-accompanying event,

when the event is determined to be the haptic-effect-accompanying event, generate a first haptic effect in accordance with a first haptic-effect pattern corresponding to the event,

wherein, when the event is an event that occurs in response to a command to connect the mobile terminal to an external mobile terminal by a user,

determine when there is a file that has been sent by the external mobile terminal, and

when there is a file that has been sent by the external mobile terminal, generate a second haptic effect in accordance with a second haptic-effect pattern corresponding to a type of the file sent by the external mobile terminal, and

vary an image displayed on a screen of the mobile terminal in accordance with one of the first haptic-effect pattern and the second haptic-effect pattern while simultaneously generating the one of the first and second haptic effects in accordance with the one of the first haptic-effect pattern and the second haptic-effect pattern,

wherein, when the event involves displaying a list of items with different importance levels in a display region of the mobile terminal, the controller is configured to

generate another haptic effect in an area in the display region where an item with a high importance level is displayed, and

detect a movement of a cursor toward the item with the high importance level or detects an object having distance from the item with the high importance level that gradually changes based on a signal provided by a proximity sensor, and

vary an intensity of the another haptic effect according to a corresponding one of the movement of the cursor or the distance between the object and the item with the high importance level.

33. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a controller configured to

detect an occurrence of an event,

determine whether the event is a haptic-effect-accompanying event,

when the event is determined to be the haptic-effect-accompanying event, generate a haptic effect corresponding to the event,

wherein, when the event is an event that occurs in response to a command to connect the mobile terminal to an external mobile terminal by a user, a pattern of the first haptic effect corresponds to a name or type of the event, and

vary an image displayed on a screen of the mobile terminal in accordance with the pattern while simultaneously generating the haptic effect in accordance with the pattern,

wherein, when the event involves displaying a list of items with different importance levels in a display region of the mobile terminal, the controller is configured to

generate the haptic effect in an area in the display region where an item with a high importance level is displayed, and

detect a movement of a cursor toward the item with the high importance level or detects an object having distance from the item with the high importance level that gradually changes based on a signal provided by a proximity sensor, and

vary an intensity of the haptic effect according to a corresponding one of the movement of the cursor or the distance between the object and the item with the high importance level.

34. The mobile terminal of claim 33, wherein the information regarding the external mobile terminal includes a phone number or Bluetooth number of the external mobile terminal, an entry name or a group name to which the phone number or Bluetooth number of the external mobile terminal is registered in the mobile terminal, a phone ringtone corresponding to the phone number of the external mobile terminal, or a Bluetooth ringtone corresponding to the Bluetooth number of the external mobile terminal.

35. The mobile terminal of claim 34, wherein, when the phone number of the external mobile terminal is a blocked phone number or a number registered as a spam phone number, the controller is configured to determine a distance between an object and a touch screen, on which a key to receive an incoming call is displayed, based on a signal provided by a proximity sensor, and vary an intensity of the haptic effect according to the distance between the object and the touch screen.

36. The mobile terminal of claim 34, wherein, when the phone number of the external mobile terminal is a blocked phone number or a number registered as a spam phone number, the controller is configured to determine when a command to receive an incoming call has been issued, and generate a second haptic effect when the command to receive an incoming call is determined to have been issued.