Mobile terminal and control method thereof

• US 9,673,817 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2014
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Hong, Hyongpyo, Park, Misuk, Lee, Kunsik, Cha, Youngkyung, Kang, Gooryong, Kim, Hyungjin
• Primary Examiner(s): SHARMA, SUJATHA R
• Application Number:
  US14/324,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20150008975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0393 Accessories for touch pads or touch screens, e.g. mechanical guides added to touch screens for drawing straight lines, hard keys overlaying touch screens or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/941 using an optical detector H03K17/968 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/95 using a magnetic detector
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/955 using a capacitive detector

Abstract

A method for operating a terminal according to an embodiment includes detecting an object that contacts the terminal, determining an operation of the terminal corresponding to the detected object, and performing the determined operation of the terminal.

Claims

1. A method for operating a terminal detecting an object that contacts the terminal, the method comprising:

detecting a content pad attached to the terminal, wherein the content pad is detached from or attached to the terminal;

determining an operation of the terminal corresponding to the detected object; and

performing the determined operation of the terminal, wherein the determining the operation of the terminal corresponding to the detected object includes;

determining a type of the attached content pad;

retrieving content corresponding to the determined type of the content pad; and

determining the operation of the terminal corresponding to the retrieved content.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining the type of the attached content pad includes:

detecting a distance between the terminal and the content pad; and

determining the type of the content pad on the basis of the detected distance.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the performing the determined operation of the terminal includes;

executing the content corresponding to the type of the content pad;

receiving a user input for controlling the content; and

performing the operation of the terminal for the content according to the received user input.

4. A terminal for detecting an object that contacts the terminal, the terminal comprising:

a proximity sensor module configured to detect a content pad attached to the terminal, wherein the content pad is detached from or attached to the terminal; and

a controller that determines a type of the attached content pad, retrieves content corresponding to the determined type of the content pad, determines the operation of the terminal for the retrieved content, and perform the determined operation of the terminal.

5. The terminal according to claim 4, wherein the proximity sensor module detects a distance between the terminal and the attached content pad, and the controller determines the type of the terminal on the basis of the detected distance.

6. The terminal according to claim 4, wherein the proximity sensor module receives a user input for controlling the content, and the controller executes the retrieved content and performs the operation of the terminal according to the user input.

7. The terminal according to claim 4, wherein the proximity sensor module irradiates light to the content pad, and receives light reflected from the content pad, and the controller determines whether the content pad is attached on the basis of an amount of the received light.

8. The terminal according to claim 7, further including an optical guide for guiding light irradiated from the proximity sensor module.

9. The terminal according to claim 6, wherein the proximity sensor module includes:

a first proximity sensor module configured to detect the content pad; and

a second proximity sensor module configured to detect the user input.

10. The terminal according to claim 9, wherein

the first proximity sensor module is provided with a plurality of proximity sensors arranged in a row on a corner side of the terminal, and detects a length of an inner corner side of the content pad on the basis of a distance between the inner corner side and at least one of the plurality of proximity sensors which has detected the inner corner side of the content pad, and

the controller determines a type of the content pad on the basis of the detected length of the inner corner side.

11. The terminal according to claim 9, wherein the second proximity sensor module includes at least one of:

a plurality of first sensors provided to a left side of the terminal;

a plurality of second sensors provided to a right side of the terminal;

a plurality of third sensors provided to a lower side of the terminal; and

a plurality of fourth sensors provided to an upper side of the terminal.