Mobile device and control method thereof

• US 8,649,826 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2010
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Im, Ki-hong, Yook, Hyun-gyoo, Kim, Jeong-yun
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US12/957,959
• Publication Number:
  US 20110130173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 455/567, 455/90.2, 455/566, 455/550.1, 455/418, 455/557, 455/414.1, 340/407.1, 340/407.2, 345/156, 345/173, 715/702, 715/701, 710/58, 710/62
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 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 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• 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
• 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: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/047 Vibrating means for incoming calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

The mobile device for providing a haptic function includes a vibration unit which generates vibration for a tactile effect as the haptic function; and a control unit which includes a platform providing an application programming interface (API) corresponding to the haptic function and having a plurality of parameters, executes an application prepared by the API, determines a characteristic of the vibration based on the plurality of parameters set up in the application, and controls the vibration unit to generate the vibration having the determined characteristic.

Claims

1. A mobile device for providing a haptic function, the mobile device comprising:

a vibration unit which generates vibration for a tactile effect as the haptic function; and

a control unit which comprises a platform providing an application programming interface (API) corresponding to the haptic function, which executes an application prepared by the API that is downloaded from an external device and is installed on the mobile device, and which analyzes a plurality of parameters provided by the executed application to the API; and

which comprise at least two values indicating at least two of a strength, a time period, and a frequency attribute of the vibration; and

determines a characteristic of the vibration provided by the mobile device based on the analyzed plurality of parameters set up in the application, and controls the vibration unit to generate the vibration having the determined characteristic,

wherein the application provides a function supplemented with the at least one haptic function described by the plurality of parameters, and

wherein the haptic function is performed when the application is executed.

2. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the vibration comprises at least one of a state, a style, and a type of the vibration.

3. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of parameters comprise a value indicating strength of the vibration, a value indicating time period of the vibration, and a value indicating a frequency characteristic of the vibration.

7. The mobile device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit which displays an image; and

a user input unit which receives an input of a user.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the vibration comprise at least two of a state, a style, and a type of the vibration.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the characteristics of the vibration comprise at least one of a state, a, style, and a type of the vibration,

the style is selected from one of a smooth vibration, a strong vibration, and a sharp vibration,

the state is selected from one of not playing, playing, and paused, and

the type is selected from one of a periodic vibration, a magsweep vibration, a timeline vibration, and a streaming vibration.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of parameters comprises a value for determining at least one of attach level, attach time, duration, fade level, fade time, magnitude, period, speed, and style.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein an API platform interface performs an interface between an operation system and the application and comprises the API for supporting the installed application to generate the haptic function.

4. A control method for a mobile device which provides a haptic function, the control method comprising:

downloading an application from an external device;

installing the downloaded application on the mobile device,

executing the installed application prepared by an application programming interface (API) that is provided by a platform of the mobile device, and corresponds to the haptic function;

analyzing a plurality of parameters provided by the executed application to the API and which comprise at least two values indicating at least two of a strength, a time period, and a frequency attribute of the vibration;

determining a characteristic of vibration for a tactile effect as the haptic function based on the analyzed parameters set up in the application; and

generating the vibration having the determined characteristic,

wherein the application provides a function supplemented with the at least one haptic function described by the plurality of parameters, and

wherein the haptic function is performed when the application is executed.

5. The control method according to claim 4, wherein the characteristic of the vibration comprises at least one of a state, a style, and a type of the vibration.

6. The control method according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of parameters comprises a value indicating a strength of the vibration, a value indicating time period of the vibration, and a value indicating a frequency characteristic of the vibration.

15. The control method according to claim 4, wherein an API platform interface performs an interface between an operation system and the application and comprises the API for supporting the installed application to generate the haptic function.

8. A control method comprising:

downloading the application from an external device;

installing the application, which provides a haptic function, on a mobile device;

providing, on the mobile device, an application programming interface (API);

executing the application by the API;

analyzing a plurality of parameters set up in the application and provided by the executed application to the API, which comprise at least two values indicating at least two of a strength, a time period, and a frequency attribute of the vibration;

determining a characteristic of vibration for a tactile effect as the haptic function based on the analyzed parameters; and

generating the vibration having the determined characteristic,

wherein the application provides a function supplemented with the at least one haptic function described by the plurality of parameters, and

wherein the haptic function is performed when the application is executed.

9. The control method according to claim 8, wherein the characteristic of the vibration comprises at least one of a state, a style, and a type of the vibration.

10. The control method according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of parameters comprise a value indicating a strength of the vibration, a value indicating time period of the vibration, and a value indicating a frequency characteristic of the vibration.

16. The control method according to claim 8, wherein an API platform interface performs an interface between an operation system and the application and comprises the API for supporting the installed application to generate the haptic function.

17. A mobile device for providing a haptic function, the mobile device comprising:

a vibration unit which generates vibration for a tactile effect as the haptic function; and

a control unit which comprises a platform providing an application programming interface (API) corresponding to the haptic function, which executes an application prepared by the API that is downloaded from an external device and is installed on the mobile device, and which analyzes a plurality of parameters provided by the executed application to the API; and

which comprise at least two values indicating at least two of a strength, a time period, and a frequency attribute of the vibration; and

determines a characteristic of the vibration provided by the mobile device based on the analyzed plurality of parameters set up in the application, and controls the vibration unit to generate the vibration having the determined characteristic,

wherein;

the style is selected from one of a smooth vibration, a strong vibration, and a sharp vibration,

the state is selected from one of not playing, playing, and paused, and

the type is selected from one of a periodic vibration, a magsweep vibration, a timeline vibration, and a streaming vibration, and

the characteristic of the vibration comprises at least two of a state, a style, and a type of the vibration,

wherein the application provides a function supplemented with the at least one haptic function described by the plurality of parameters, and

wherein the haptic function is performed when the application is executed.