Mobile terminal and control method thereof

• US 8,928,723 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2012
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kang, Hyunho, Lee, Jinhee, Park, Areum, Kim, Hanbee, Kim, Younga, Rhee, Taeryung
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US13/713,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20130250034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 342/464, 345/204, 348/14.02, 348/46, 379/201.1, 379/388.01, 379/424, 455/456.1, 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 455/567, 715/716, 715/848
• US Class Current: 348/14.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• 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 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/144 camera and display on the same optical axis, e.g. optically multiplexing the camera and display for eye to eye contact
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

A mobile terminal capable of recognizing at least one of the presence or absence of a user and a location of the user are provided. The mobile terminal includes: a terminal main body; a user tracking unit configured to recognize at least one of the presence or absence of a user and a location of the user within a certain range based on the terminal main body; and a controller configured to generate a control signal for controlling a function of the terminal based on at least one of the presence or absence of the user or the user location.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a memory configured to store information, the information comprising first information associated with a first user of the mobile terminal and at least one image including a first user image corresponding to the first user;

a display configured to display screen information;

a camera configured to obtain a user image; and

a controller configured to;

recognize a user based on the obtained user image and the stored information;

control a function of the terminal based on the recognized user;

cause the display to display first screen information according to the first information; and

cause the display to display second screen information that is different from the first screen information when a second user is recognized while the first screen information is displayed.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to recognize the user based on information obtained by at least a microphone or an infrared sensor.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein:

the first screen information comprises a text message; and

the second screen information comprises a portion of the text message.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the second screen information is a substitute image not related to the first screen information.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to convert a first menu into a second menu when the second user is recognized.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to activate the display when the user is recognized.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 6, wherein:

the user is recognized when the user is positioned within a certain range from the terminal;

the controller is further configured to deactivate the display when the user is positioned outside the certain range; and

the controller is further configured to re-activate the display when an event is recognized or when the user is re-recognized to be located within the certain range.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the memory to store information associated with a different user and an image corresponding to the different user.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein:

the controller is further configured to select a video call mode or a voice call mode based on recognition of the user; and

when the user is not recognized during video call communication or when the user is recognized to be outside of the certain range in the video call mode, the controller is further configured to cause transmission of a substitute image, instead of the user image, to a counterpart or to convert the video call mode to the voice call mode.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display to redisplay the first screen information when the second user is no longer recognized by the user tracking unit.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the second screen information based on second information associated with the second user stored in the memory.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the function based on movement of the recognized user.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a microphone configured to receive a voice signal,

wherein the controller is further configured to control the function based on the received voice signal.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the mobile terminal is configured to be coupled to an external device; and

the controller is further configured to cause the external device coupled to the mobile terminal to move based on a location of the recognized user such that the display is directed toward the location of the recognized user.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

recognize the user by comparing the obtained user image with the at least one image stored in the memory; and

retrieve information associated with the user from the memory based on the recognized user.

16. A control method of a mobile terminal comprising a display configured to display screen information and a memory configured to store information, the method comprising:

storing first information associated with a first user and at least one image including a first user image corresponding to the first user;

obtaining a user image via a camera to recognize a user based on the obtained user image and the stored information;

controlling a function of the terminal based on the recognized user;

displaying first screen information according to the first information; and

displaying second screen information that is different from the first screen information when a second user is recognized while the first screen information is displayed.

17. The control method of claim 16, further comprising:

recognizing the user based on additional information obtained via at least a microphone or an infrared sensor.

18. The control method of claim 16, further comprising:

recognizing a voice signal; and

controlling the function based on the recognized voice signal.

19. The control method of claim 16, wherein the second screen information is a substitute image not related to the first screen information.