Mobile terminal and method of controlling the same

• US 8,674,934 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2009
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jong Hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen, Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): REGN, MARK W
• Application Number:
  US12/541,497
• Publication Number:
  US 20100056224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/1.1, 345/1.3
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• 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 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal including at least two display areas and a method of controlling the same. The mobile terminal of the present invention includes at least two display areas. A user can input a control command to the mobile terminal by moving the mobile terminal or manipulating user manipulating portions included in the mobile terminal. A controller controls a display area corresponding to an input type of the control signal, from among the display areas displayed in the mobile terminal. A user can control the mobile terminal including the at least two display areas easily and simply.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a mobile terminal comprising at least first and second display areas, the mobile terminal operable in an open configuration and a closed configuration, the method comprising:

setting a display area corresponding to a movement type of the mobile terminal and a display effect for notifying a selected display area;

receiving a gyro signal from a gyro sensor in the mobile terminal indicating the mobile terminal is being rotated in a first direction;

selecting, via a controller of the mobile terminal, the first display area from among the at least first and second display areas that corresponds to a rotating direction of the mobile terminal;

receiving a gyro signal from the gyro sensor indicating the mobile terminal is maintaining a state in which it is rotated in the first direction;

performing an operation on the first display area based on the maintaining the state of the mobile terminal rotated in the first direction;

detecting information of a user input unit included in the mobile terminal; and

changing the selected first display area or controlling the operation in response to a control signal corresponding to the detected information of the user input unit and based on an assigned different priority to an operation related to the gyro sensor and an operation related to user input unit when the user input unit is manipulated while the mobile terminal is being rotated,

wherein the setting the display area and the display effect comprises;

in response to selection of a setting menu, displaying a setting window for enabling a user to set up a movement type that can be input to the mobile terminal and a display area corresponding to the movement type; and

displaying an effect setting window for enabling an indicator icon to be displayed in a selected display area or enabling the user to change at least one of a brightness, sharpness, and color of the selected display area, such that the user can identify which display area has been selected in response to a movement of the mobile terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating vibration in the first display area, displaying the indicator icon in the first display area, or changing the at least one of a brightness, sharpness, and color of the first display area to indicate the first display area is selected.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information of the user input unit includes at least one of whether the user input unit has been manipulated, a type, a manipulation velocity, a number of times of manipulation, and a manipulation pattern of the manipulated user input unit.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the user input unit comprises at least one of a hard key, jog wheel, track ball, joystick, touch screen, touch pad, touch wheel, user input sensor, and soft key displayed in one of the at least first and second display areas.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein if the priority assigned to the user input unit is higher than the rotating of the mobile terminal, and if the touch wheel is manipulated, the method further comprises dragging a list displayed in the first display area, displaying an object corresponding to a highlighted item or an icon in the first display area, executing an application corresponding to a highlighted item or an icon in the first display area, displaying information or an icon of a displayed object in the first display area, or sequentially displaying objects included in a list in the first display area.

6. A mobile terminal operable in an open configuration and a closed configuration, comprising:

at least first and second display areas;

a gyro sensor; and

a controller configured to;

receive a gyro signal from a gyro sensor in the mobile terminal indicating the mobile terminal is being rotated in a first direction,

select the first display area from among the at least first and second display areas that corresponds to a rotation direction of the mobile terminal,

receive a gyro signal from the gyro sensor indicating the mobile terminal is maintaining a state in which it is rotated in the first direction,

perform an operation on the first display area based on the maintaining the state of the mobile terminal rotated in the first direction,

detect information of the user input unit, and

change the selected first display area or control the operation in response to a control signal corresponding to the detected information of the user input unit and based on an assigned different priority to an operation related to the gyro sensor and an operation related to the user input unit when the user input unit is manipulated while the mobile terminal is being rotated,

wherein, in response to selection of a setting menu, the controller is configured to;

display a setting window for enabling a user to set up a movement type that can be input to the mobile terminal and a display area corresponding to the movement type,

display an effect setting window for enabling an indicator icon to by displayed in a selected display area or enabling the user to change at least one of a brightness, sharpness, and color of the selected display area, such that the user can identify which display area has been selected in response to the movement of the mobile terminal, and

set the display area corresponding to the movement type and a display effect for notifying a selected display area based on a user command input through the setting window and the effect setting window.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 6, wherein the controller generates vibration in the first display area, displays the indicator icon in the first display area, or changes the at least one of a brightness, sharpness, and color of the first display area to indicate the first display area has been selected.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 6, wherein the information of the user input unit includes at least one of whether the user input unit has been manipulated, a type, a manipulation velocity, a number of times of manipulation, and a manipulation pattern of the manipulated user input unit.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the user input unit comprises at least one of a hard key, jog wheel, track ball, joystick, touch screen, touch pad, touch wheel, user input sensor, and soft key displayed in one of the at least first and second display areas.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein if the priority assigned to the user input is higher than the rotating of the mobile terminal, and if the touch wheel is manipulated, the controller drags a list displayed in the first display area, displays an object corresponding to a highlighted item or an icon in the first display area, executes an application corresponding to a highlighted item or an icon in the first display area, displays information or an icon of a displayed object in the first display area, or sequentially displays objects included in a list in the first display area.