Mobile terminal using proximity sensor and control method thereof

• US 8,373,666 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2008
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jung, Jang Jae
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nadkarni, Sarvesh J
• Application Number:
  US12/260,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20090251423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,567 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-178
• 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/945 Proximity switches H03K17/96 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal using a proximity sensor and a control method thereof. According to the control method of a mobile terminal, a moving image screen in which a moving image is played is displayed on a touch screen and the play speed of the moving image is controlled based on a proximity signal detected by the proximity sensor. Further, when a touch signal is input through the touch screen, a moving image screen is captured and a capture image is created. According to the present invention, various screen controls can be performed using the proximity sensor.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a touchscreen configured for displaying a moving image on a screen on which a moving image is displayed;

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

a controller configured for;

controlling a play speed of the moving image to slow when the object is in near-proximity to the touchscreen;

returning the play speed of the moving image from slow to an original play speed when the object is not detected by the proximity sensor;

pausing a playback of the moving image and displaying a paused screen on the touchscreen in response to the object contacting a central region of the screen, the paused screen including a plurality of image frames comprising an image frame contacted by the object, a predetermined number of image frames previous to the contacted image frame and a predetermined number of image frames subsequent to the contacted image frame;

capturing an image frame of the plurality of displayed image frames of the paused screen when a first touch input in a first direction is received via the paused screen;

capturing an image frame of the plurality of displayed image frames of the paused screen and switching an operation mode of the mobile terminal from a moving image playback mode to a communication mode for transmitting the captured image frame when a second touch input in a second direction is received via the paused screen; and

controlling the touchscreen to display a screen control menu when the object contacts a boundary region of the screen or a portion of the touchscreen outside the screen.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured for incrementally moving the image based on a movement of the object along the touchscreen while contacting the touchscreen.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured for capturing an image frame of the moving image based on a movement of the object along the touchscreen while contacting the touchscreen.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured for capturing an image frame of the moving image and facilitating transmission of the captured image frame based on a movement of the object along the touchscreen while contacting the touchscreen.

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

capturing an image frame of the paused screen and moving the captured image to a storage folder when a third touch input in a third direction is received via the paused screen; and

displaying an image frame before the paused screen or after the paused screen when a fourth touch input in a fourth direction is received via the paused screen.

6. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a touchscreen configured for displaying a moving image on a screen on which a moving image is displayed;

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

a controller configured for;

controlling a play speed of the moving image to slow when a first object having a size smaller than a reference size is in near-proximity to the touchscreen;

returning the play speed of the moving image from slow to an original play speed when the object is not detected by the proximity sensor;

controlling a brightness of the screen when a second object having a size larger than the reference size is in near proximity to the touchscreen and returning the brightness of the screen to an original brightness level when the object is not detected by the proximity sensor; and

controlling the touchscreen to display a screen capture menu in response to the first object contacting the touchscreen,

wherein the screen capture menu comprises an option for capturing a current image frame of the screen, an option for displaying image frames previous and subsequent to the current image frame or an option for capturing image frames previous and subsequent to the current image frame.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 6, wherein:

the controller is further configured for controlling the touchscreen to display a selection menu based on a state of the second object in near-proximity to the touchscreen; and

the selection menu comprises a function for continuing to watch a current broadcast, a function for watching a stored broadcast, or a function for ending broadcast watching.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 6, wherein the screen capture menu is displayed on the touchscreen as a pop-up window.

9. A method for controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

displaying a moving image on a screen displayed on a touchscreen of the mobile terminal;

sensing an object in near-proximity to the touchscreen;

controlling a play speed of the moving image to slow when the object is in near-proximity to the touchscreen;

controlling movement of the moving image to stop when the object contacts a central region of the screen;

returning the play speed of the moving image from slow or stop to an original play speed when the object is not detected by the proximity sensor;

pausing a playback of the moving image and displaying a paused screen on the touchscreen in response ti the object contacting a central region of the screen, the paused screen including a plurality of the image frames comprising an image frame contacted by the object, a predetermined number of image frames previous to the contacted image frame and a predetermined number of image frames subsequent to the contacted image frame;

capturing an image frame of the plurality of displayed image frames of the paused screen when a first touch input in a first direction is received via the paused screen;

capturing an image frame of the paused screen when a first touch input in a first direction is received via the paused screen and switching an operation mode of the mobile terminal from a moving image playback mode to a communication mode for transmitting the captured image frame when a second touch input in a second direction is received via the paused screen; and

controlling the touchscreen to display a screen control menu when the object contacts a boundary region of the screen or a portion of the touchscreen outside the screen.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising controlling the touchscreen to incrementally move the image based on a movement of the object along the touchscreen while contacting the touchscreen.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising capturing an image frame of the moving image based on a movement of the object along the touchscreen while contacting the touchscreen.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising capturing an image frame of the moving image and facilitating transmission of the captured image frame based on a movement of the object along the touchscreen while contacting the touchscreen.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein displaying a the paused screen further comprises:

capturing an image frame of the paused screen and moving the captured image to a storage folder when a third touch input in a third direction is received via the paused screen; and

displaying an image frame before the paused screen or after the paused screen when a fourth touch input in a fourth direction is received via the paused screen.

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

displaying a moving image on a screen displayed on a touchscreen of the mobile terminal;

sensing an object in near-proximity to the touchscreen;

controlling a play speed of the moving image to slow when a first object having a size smaller than a reference size is in near-proximity to the touchscreen;

returning the play speed of the moving image from slow to an original play speed when the object is not detected by the proximity sensor;

controlling a brightness level of the screen when a second object having a size larger than the reference size is in near proximity to the touchscreen;

returning the brightness of the screen to an original brightness level when the object is not detected by the proximity sensor; and

controlling the touchscreen to display a screen capture menu in response to the first object contacting the touchscreen,

wherein the screen capture menu comprises a function for capturing a current image frame, a function for displaying a plurality of image frames of the moving image, or a function for capturing a plurality of image frames of the moving image.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

controlling the touchscreen to display a selection menu based on a state of the second object in near-proximity to the touchscreen,

wherein the selection menu comprises a function for continuing to watch a current broadcast, a function for watching a stored broadcast, or a function for ending broadcast watching.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the screen capture menu is displayed on the touchscreen as a pop-up window.