Mobile terminal and control method thereof

• US 8,601,543 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2011
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Daehee, We, Inhwan, Park, Taesun
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Luu
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOLMES, ANGELA R
• Application Number:
  US13/093,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20110296493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: 726/3, 726/9, 710/305, 370/311, 455/574
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards

Abstract

A mobile terminal and a control method thereof are provided. The mobile terminal selects a method of interfacing an identification device with the mobile terminal according to whether the mobile terminal enters a sleep mode.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

an interface unit configured to interface with an identification device that stores authentication information for authenticating permissions to use the mobile terminal; and

a controller stored on a memory of the mobile terminal, the controller configured to;

control the interface unit to interface with the identification device according to either a first mode or a second mode;

set an interface mode of the interface unit with the identification device to the first mode when the mobile terminal is powered on;

cause the mobile terminal to enter a sleep mode when a consumption current of the mobile terminal meets a first threshold;

switch the interface mode of the interface unit with the identification device from the first mode to the second mode when the mobile terminal enters the sleep mode;

cause the mobile terminal to end the sleep mode when the consumption current of the mobile terminal meets a second threshold; and

switch the interface mode of the interface unit with the identification device from the second mode to the first mode when the mobile terminal ends the sleep mode,

wherein the identification device comprises a first interface module configured for use with the first mode and a second interface module configured for use with the second mode,

wherein the controller is further configured to cause transmitting of a control signal for activating the second interface module when the mobile terminal enters the sleep mode,

wherein the consumption current of the mobile terminal is, greater when the interface unit interfaces with the first interface module of the identification device than when the interface unit interfaces with the second interface module of the identification device,

wherein the controller is further configured to control the interface unit to interface with the first interface module to periodically receive or transmit a signal for confirming whether the identification device is interfaced with the mobile terminal, and the authentication information,

wherein the controller is further configured to control the interface unit to interface with the second interface module to periodically receive or transmit only the signal for confirming whether the identification device is interfaced with the mobile terminal,

wherein the first interface module corresponds to a universal serial bus (USB) scheme; and

the second interface module corresponds to an international organization for standardization (ISO) scheme.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause transmitting of a control signal for deactivating the first interface module when the mobile terminal enters the sleep mode.

3. A control method of a mobile terminal, the control method comprising:

interfacing with an identification device that stores authentication information for authenticating permission to use the mobile terminal according to either a first mode of a second mode, wherein the identification device comprises a first interface module configured for use with the first mode and a second interface module configured for use with the second mode;

setting an interface mode of an interface unit of the mobile terminal with the identification device to the first mode when the mobile terminal is powered on;

controlling the interface unit to interface with the first interface module to periodically receive or transmit a signal for confirming whether the identification device is interfaced with the mobile terminal, and the authentication information;

causing the mobile terminal to enter a sleep mode when a consumption current of the mobile terminal meets a first threshold;

switching the interface mode of the interface unit with the identification device from the first mode to the second mode when the mobile terminal enters the sleep mode;

controlling the interface unit to interface with the second interface module to periodically receive or transmit only the signal for confirming whether the identification device is interfaced with the mobile terminal;

causing the mobile terminal to end the sleep mode when the consumption current of the mobile terminal meets a second threshold; and

switching the interface mode of the interface unit with the identification device from the second mode to the first mode when the mobile terminal ends the sleep mode,

wherein the consumption current of the mobile terminal is, greater when the interface unit interfaces with the first interface module of the identification device than when the interface unit interfaces with the second interface module of the identification device,

wherein the first interface module corresponds to a universal serial bus (USB) scheme; and

the second interface module corresponds to an international organization for standardization (ISO) scheme.