Mobile terminal and control method for the mobile terminal

• US 9,413,876 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2014
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Seojin, Seol, Jie, Yim, Soyeon, Lee, Jisun
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHAI MINH
• Application Number:
  US14/562,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20160014264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/418, 455/419, 455/420, 455/550.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3234 Power saving characterised by the action undertaken
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1636 Sensing arrangement for detection of a tap gesture on the housing
• 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 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• 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 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

A mobile terminal including a terminal body; a wireless communication unit configured to provide wireless communication; a display unit, and a controller configured to deactivate the display unit, and receive a plurality of taps applied to the deactivated display unit, and display information of a preset function on the display unit based on a tapped pattern formed with the plurality of taps matching a preset pattern and a current state of the terminal.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a terminal body;

a wireless communication unit;

a display; and

a controller configured to;

sense a plurality of taps applied to the display in a deactivated state in which illumination is not applied to the display,

detect a current state of the terminal body when a tapped pattern formed with the plurality of taps matches a pre-set pattern,

release a lock state of the mobile terminal and switch the display from the deactivated state to an activated state in which illumination is applied to the display after detecting the current state of the terminal body, and

execute a preset function associated with the current state of the terminal body,

wherein information of the preset function is displayed on the activated display.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to switch at least part of the display to an activate state and display the information of the preset function based on a last tap of the plurality of taps maintaining contact on the display.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the preset function corresponds to a multimedia function or a camera function when the current state of the terminal is a horizontal state.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 3, further comprising:

a camera provided on a rear surface of the terminal body,

wherein the controller is further configured to perform the multimedia function or the camera function based on a state of the camera.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to perform the multimedia function when the state of the camera is in an image unreceivable state and perform the camera function when the state of the camera is in an image receivable state.

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

a first camera on a front surface of the terminal body and a second camera on a rear surface of the terminal body,

wherein the controller is further configured to activate the first camera when the current state of the mobile terminal indicates the mobile terminal is inclined more than a predetermined angle and activate the second camera when the state of the mobile terminal indicates the mobile terminal is not inclined more than the predetermined angle.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to maintain an active state of the first or second camera even when a last tap of the plurality of taps is no longer maintained.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the tapped pattern is linked with a specific person'"'"'s identification information, and

wherein the preset function is associated with the specific person'"'"'s identification information.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the preset function includes a plurality of preset functions associated with the specific person'"'"'s identification information, and

wherein the controller is further configured to perform any one of the plurality of preset functions according to the current state of the terminal.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 8, further comprising:

a proximity sensor unit configured to sense whether or not an object exists within a preset distance from the terminal body,

wherein the preset function includes calling an external terminal indicated by the specific person'"'"'s identification information when the proximity sensor senses the object within the preset distance.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the preset function includes a route guidance function using destination information associated with the specific person'"'"'s identification information when the mobile terminal is placed on an external object.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 8, further comprising:

a light-emitting unit configured to emit light having any one of a plurality of colors,

wherein the controller is further configured to display notification information using the light emitting-emitting unit indicating the applied plurality of taps matching the preset pattern are linked with the specific person'"'"'s identification information.

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

a proximity sensor unit configured to sense whether or not an object is covering at least a portion of the display,

wherein the preset function includes displaying notification information indicating an occurrence of an event on the mobile terminal in a remaining portion of the display which is not covered by the object.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive a selection of a corresponding notification included in the displayed notification information,

activate a partial portion of the display, and

display screen information linked with the corresponding notification on the activated partial portion of the display.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein the current state of the terminal includes the mobile terminal facing an external terminal for short range wireless communication, and

wherein the preset function includes transmitting information to the external terminal that corresponds to the preset pattern.

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

execute an application on the mobile terminal in a background state while maintaining the deactivated display, and

wherein the preset function includes controlling the application in the background state based on a touch drag gesture received following a last tap of the plurality of taps.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 16, wherein the background application includes playing music, and

wherein the preset function includes controlling a volume of the playing music based a direction of the touch drag gesture.

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

receiving a plurality of taps applied to a display in a deactivated state in which illumination is not applied to the display;

detecting a current state of the mobile terminal when a tapped pattern formed with the plurality of taps matches a pre-set pattern;

releasing a lock state of the mobile terminal and switching the display from the deactivated state to an activated state in which illumination is applied to the display after detecting the current state of the mobile terminal; and

executing a preset function associated with the current state of the mobile terminal,

wherein information of the preset function is displayed on the activated display.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

switching at least part of the display to the activate state; and

displaying the information of the preset function based on a last tap of the plurality of taps maintaining contact on the display.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the preset function corresponds to a multimedia function or a camera function when the current state of the terminal is a horizontal state.