Mobile terminal and method for controlling same

• US 9,532,199 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2014
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Na, Sungchae, Na, Changju, Kim, Jeongeun
• Primary Examiner(s): SIVJI, NIZAR N
• Application Number:
  US14/652,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20150319589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/642 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and, more specifically, to a mobile terminal and a method for controlling the same which are capable of automatically responding to a caller when a user cannot respond to a call or when a given condition is satisfied. The method for controlling a mobile terminal related to an embodiment of the present invention may comprise the steps of: activating an automatic response function when a preset activation condition is satisfied; accepting a voice call when a call signal is received form a caller; performing an authentication procedure determining an automatic response type: and performing a function requested by the caller through at least one, corresponding to the determined response type, among voice, text and a graphic user interface, within a range corresponding to the result of the authentication procedure, while the accepted voice call is connected.

Claims

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

activating an automatic response function;

accepting a voice call in response to an incoming call signal originated from a device of a caller without requiring a user input in response to the incoming call signal, the incoming signal received by the mobile terminal while the automatic response function has been activated;

performing an authentication procedure with regard to the caller to determine whether the caller is a user or owner of the mobile terminal;

determining a response mode, the response mode comprising at least one of a voice mode, a text mode, or a graphic user interface mode;

transmitting an automatic response history to the caller device when the caller is the user or owner of the mobile terminal; and

responding to the caller device via the determined response mode according to a result of the authentication procedure by at least one of;

performing a function requested by the caller if the caller is the user or owner of the mobile terminal;

not performing the requested function if the caller is not the user or owner of the mobile terminal;

or

informing the caller that the caller is not the user or owner of the mobile terminal when the function requested by the caller is not performed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the authentication procedure is performed using a voice of the caller recognized in the course of the accepted voice call; and

the authentication procedure is performed based on whether the caller is the user or owner of the mobile terminal, a person recognized as an acquaintance, or a person recognized as a stranger.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

transmitting a text message corresponding to at least one portion of the recognized voice of the caller to the caller device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the responding to the caller device comprises informing at least one available function according to the result of the authentication procedure to the caller.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at least transmitting a voice message, transmitting a text message, or causing display of a graphic user interface at the caller device in consideration of a type of the caller device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a signal to the caller device,

wherein the signal is for requesting the caller device to run a prescribed application to enable display of a response history at the caller device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a request for additional information to an external server to receive the additional information in response to a request by the caller for the additional information associated with the function.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

storing the received additional information in a memory.

9. A mobile terminal comprising:

a wireless communication unit; and

a controller configured to;

activate an automatic response function;

accept a voice call in response to an incoming call signal originated from a device of a caller without requiring a user input in response to the incoming call signal, the incoming signal received via the wireless communication unit while the automatic response function has been activated;

perform an authentication procedure with regard to the caller to determine whether the caller is a user or owner of the mobile terminal;

determine a response mode, the response mode comprising at least one of a voice mode, a text mode, or a graphic user interface mode;

cause the wireless communication unit to transmit an automatic response history to the caller device when the caller is the user or owner of the mobile terminal; and

respond to the caller device via the determined response mode according to a result of the authentication procedure by at least one of;

performing a function requested by the caller if the caller is the user or owner of the mobile terminal;

not performing the requested function if the caller is not the user or owner of the mobile terminal;

or

informing the caller that the caller is not the user or owner of the mobile terminal when the function requested by the caller is not performed.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein:

the authentication procedure is performed using a voice of the caller recognized in the course of the accepted voice call; and

the authentication procedure is performed based on whether the caller is the user or owner of the mobile terminal, a person recognized as an acquaintance, or a person recognized as a stranger.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the wireless communication unit to transmit a text message corresponding to at least one portion of the recognized voice of the caller to the caller device.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the wireless communication unit to transmit information informing at least one available function according to the result of the authentication procedure to the caller.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the wireless communication unit to transmit at least a voice, a text message or a signal causing display of a graphic user interface at the caller device in consideration of a type of the caller device.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the wireless communication unit to transmit a signal, wherein the signal is for requesting the caller device to run a prescribed application to enable display of a response history at the caller device.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the wireless communication unit to transmit a request for additional information to an external server to receive the additional information in response to a request by the caller for the additional information associated with the function.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 15, further comprising a memory, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the memory to store the received additional information.