Apparatus and method of user-based mobile terminal display control using grip sensor

• US 9,189,127 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2012
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Jun-Seok, Shim, Jae-Sung
• Primary Examiner(s): SALOMON, PHENUEL S
• Application Number:
  US13/682,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20130159931A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1671 Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop G06F1/1666 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1636 Sensing arrangement for detection of a tap gesture on the housing
• 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 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

User-based control over the operation of a mobile terminal is provided in response to detecting a user'"'"'s touched position on one or more grip sensors in the mobile terminal. At least one icon set by the user to be displayed in response to detection of at least a predetermined amount of pressure on an actuated grip sensor is displayed depending on the detected touch position.

Claims

1. A method to operate a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

receiving a command to set the one or more sensors to display a sensor set mode;

permitting a selection of at least one list of a plurality of lists included in the sensor set mode;

permitting a selection of at least one icon to be stored in at least one selected list among icons stored in the mobile terminal;

incorporating at least one selected icon into the at least one selected list;

detecting a position of a touch input using one or more sensors of the mobile terminal, wherein the one or more sensors are located at one or more first locations; and

displaying on a screen of the mobile terminal at least one previously set icon in response to detecting the position of the touch input using the one or more sensors, wherein the at least one previously set icon is located at a second location different from the one or more first locations and is previously set to be associated with the one or more sensors, wherein displaying the at least one previously set icon in response to detecting the position of the touch input comprises loading a stored icon list that corresponds to the detected position of the touch input, and wherein the stored icon list comprises the at least one previously set icon.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one sensor of the one or more sensors is provided on at least one of an upper side, a lower side, a left side, and a right side of the mobile terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning a label to at least one sensor of the one or more sensors of the mobile terminal as a function of an orientation of the mobile terminal, wherein the label comprises at least one of an upper side, a lower side, a left side, and a right side; and

determining the position of the touch input using the label.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

changing the label of the at least one sensor of the one or more sensors of the mobile terminal to a different label as a function of a change in orientation of the mobile terminal, wherein the different label comprises the upper side, the lower side, the left side, and the right side; and

determining the position of the detected touch using the different label.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the lists comprise an upper grip sensor set list, a lower grip sensor set list, a left grip sensor set list, and a right grip sensor set list.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a grip sensor that operates when detecting a pressure at or above a predetermined pressure.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one icon allows the user to select at least one of a sound, a volume, a screen, or a control.

8. An apparatus of a mobile terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a controller configured to detect a position of a touch input using one or more sensors of the mobile terminal, wherein the one or more sensors are located at one of more first locations; and

a display unit configured to display on a screen of the mobile terminal at least one previously set icon in response to detecting the position of the touch input, wherein the at least one previously set icon located at a second location different from the one or more first locations and is previously set to be associated with the one or more sensors,

wherein the controller is configured to load a stored icon list that corresponds to the detected position of the touch input, wherein the stored icon list comprises the at least one previously set icon, and wherein the display unit is configured to receive a command to set the one or more sensors to display a sensor set mode;

an input unit configured to permit a selection of at least one list of a plurality of lists included in the sensor set mode, and to permit a selection of at least one icon to be stored in at least one selected list among icons stored in the mobile terminal; and

a storage configured to incorporate at least one selected icon into the at least one selected list.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more sensors are located on at least one of an upper side, a lower side, a left side, and a right side of the mobile terminal, and wherein the one or more sensors comprise a grip sensor configured to detect a grip pressure that is greater than set grip pressure.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to assign a label to at least one sensor of the one or more sensors of the mobile terminal as a function of an orientation of the mobile terminal, wherein the label comprises at least one of an upper side, a lower side, a left side, and a right side, and to determine the position of the touch input using the label.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to:

change the label of the at least one sensor of the one or more sensors of the mobile terminal to a different label as a function of a change in orientation of the mobile terminal, wherein the different label comprises the upper side, the lower side, the left side, and the right side; and

determine the position of the detected touch using the different label.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the lists comprise an upper grip sensor set list, a lower grip sensor set list, a left grip sensor set list, and a right grip sensor set list.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a grip sensor that is configured to operate when detecting at least a set pressure.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one icon allows the user to select at least one of a sound, a volume, a screen, or a control.

15. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a display screen;

one or more grip sensors; and

a controller configured to;

receive a command to set the one or more sensors to display a sensor set mode,

permit a selection of at least one list of a plurality of lists included in the sensor set mode,

permit a selection of at least one icon to be stored in at least one selected list among icons stored in the mobile terminal,

incorporate at least one selected icon into the at least one selected list, and

display at least one previously set icon on the display screen in response to detecting a pressure of at least a predetermined amount of pressure on one grip sensor of the one or more grip sensors located at one or more first locations, wherein the at least one previously set icon is located at a second location different from the one or more first locations and is previously set to be associated with the one or more sensors,

wherein the controller is configured to load a stored icon list that corresponds to a grip sensor position of the one grip sensor when the pressure is detected, wherein the stored icon list comprises the at least one previously set icon.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 15, further comprising:

a storage configured to store one or more lists of icons associated with the one or more grip sensors, each list including one or more icons to be displayed on the display screen in response to detecting at least the predetermined amount of pressure on a respective grip sensor of the one or more grip sensors.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 16, wherein at least one of the one or more lists includes user-selected icons.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 16, wherein the one or more lists comprise multiple lists and at least two of the multiple lists include different sets of icons.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 15, wherein the lists comprise an upper grip sensor set list, a lower grip sensor set list, a left grip sensor set list, and a right grip sensor set list.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 15, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a grip sensor that is configured to operate when detecting at least a set pressure.