Mobile terminal capable of controlling various operations using a multi-fingerprint-touch input and method of controlling the operation of the mobile terminal

• US 8,745,490 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2010
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jong Hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Beck, Alexander S
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZHENG, CHARLES H
• Application Number:
  US12/716,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20100225607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,553 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 715700-866
• US Class Current: 715/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/40 by quorum, i.e. whereby two or more security principals are required
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A mobile terminal and a method of controlling the mobile terminal are provided. The method includes displaying an operation screen on a display module capable of identifying a fingerprint; if a multi-fingerprint-touch input including first and second fingerprint-touch inputs is received through the display module, selecting a locked operation menu from the operation screen; and if fingerprint information of the multi-fingerprint-touch input is authenticated, unlocking and then executing the selected operation menu. Therefore, it is possible to perform fingerprint authentication and the execution of an operation at the same time in response to a multi-fingerprint-touch input.

Claims

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

displaying an operation screen on a display module configured to identify a fingerprint;

selecting a locked operation menu corresponding to a multi-fingerprint-touch input from the operation screen when the multi-fingerprint-touch input is received via the display module, wherein the multi-fingerprint-touch input includes a first fingerprint-touch input for selecting a first icon from the operation screen and a second fingerprint-touch input for selecting a second icon from the operation screen, the first and second fingerprint-touch inputs received at the same time;

unlocking and executing the selected locked operation menu when fingerprint information related to the multi-fingerprint-touch input is authenticated; and

outputting a haptic effect indicating whether the fingerprint information is authenticated,

wherein executing the selected locked operation menu comprises;

performing an operation corresponding to the second icon with regard to the first icon when the first icon is an item icon and the second icon is a function icon, and

performing a first operation corresponding to the first icon and a second operation corresponding to the second icon at the same time when the first icon is a first menu icon and the second icon is a second menu icon.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting a password for unlocking the selected locked operation menu when the fingerprint information is not authenticated.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a menu asking whether to execute the selected locked operation menu when the fingerprint information is authenticated.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising outputting an alarm signal indicating whether the fingerprint information is authenticated.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a plurality of pieces of fingerprint information for use in authenticating the fingerprint information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting an item corresponding to the received first fingerprint-touch input from the operation screen when first fingerprint information related to the first fingerprint-touch input is authenticated; and

performing a predefined operation on the selected item when second fingerprint information related to the second fingerprint-touch input is authenticated.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising displaying the selected item such that the selected item may be easily distinguished from non-selected items displayed on the operation screen.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising generating a haptic effect corresponding to the selected item.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving another multi-fingerprint-touch input via the display module while an operation screen corresponding to a selected operation mode is displayed;

detecting a direction of the received another multi-fingerprint-touch input; and

performing an operation corresponding to the detected direction with regard to the selected operation mode.

10. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display module configured to identify a fingerprint and display an operation screen; and

a controller configured to;

receive a multi-fingerprint-touch input via the display module;

select a locked operation menu corresponding to the multi-fingerprint-touch input from the operation screen when the multi-fingerprint-touch input is received;

unlock and execute the selected locked operation menu when fingerprint information related to the multi-fingerprint-touch input is authenticated;

output a haptic effect indicating whether the fingerprint information is authenticated,

wherein the multi-fingerprint-touch input includes a first fingerprint-touch input for selecting a first icon from the operation screen and a second fingerprint-touch input for selecting a second icon from the operation screen, the first and second fingerprint-touch inputs received at the same time,

wherein the controller is further configured to;

perform an operation corresponding to the second icon with regard to the first icon when the first icon is an item icon and the second icon is a function icon; and

perform a first operation corresponding to the first icon and a second operation corresponding to the second icon at the same time when the first icon is a first menu icon and the second icon is a second menu icon.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to control the display module to display a menu for requesting a password to unlock the selected locked operation menu when the fingerprint information is not authenticated.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 10, further comprising a memory configured to store a plurality of pieces of fingerprint information for use in the authentication of the fingerprint information.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein

the controller is further configured to:

select an item corresponding to the received first fingerprint touch input from the operation screen when first fingerprint information related to the first fingerprint-touch input is authenticated; and

perform a predefined operation on the selected item when second fingerprint information related to the second fingerprint-touch input is authenticated.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13, further comprising a memory configured to store a plurality of pieces of fingerprint information for use in authenticating the first fingerprint information and the second fingerprint information.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive another multi-fingerprint-touch input via the display module while an operation screen corresponding to a selected operation mode is displayed;

detect a direction of the received another multi-fingerprint-touch input; and

perform an operation corresponding to the detected direction with regard to the selected operation mode.