Mobile terminal and controlling method thereof

• US 9,704,386 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2014
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoon, Sunghye, Kim, Sujin, Chi, Jumin, Park, Jiyoung, Choi, Jaeho
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Yong Hang
• Application Number:
  US14/445,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20150061842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 340 125, 340 1222
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/04 using radio waves radio-controlled time-pieces G04R
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances

Abstract

A mobile terminal and controlling method thereof are disclosed, by which a mobile terminal of a watch type or an external device can be remotely controlled. The present invention includes a display unit configured to display information, a wireless communication unit configured to communicate with an external device as a target of a remote control, a sensing unit configured to sense a motion of the mobile terminal and a variation according to a muscle movement of a part having the mobile terminal worn thereon, and a controller creating a control command for remotely controlling either the mobile terminal and the external device based on a sensing signal of the sensing unit.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal of a watch type wearable on a user'"'"'s wrist, comprising:

a display unit configured to display information;

a wireless communication unit configured to communicate with an external device as a target of a remote control;

a sensing unit configured to sense a motion of the mobile terminal and a variation according to a muscle movement of a part having the mobile terminal worn thereon; and

a controller configured to;

create a control command for remotely controlling either the mobile terminal or the external device based on a sensing signal of the sensing unit,

create the control command depending on one of a first combination and a second combination,

wherein the first combination is comprised of the motion of the mobile terminal and a sound generated from the motion of the mobile terminal, and

wherein the second combination is comprised of a motion of a finger of an arm having the mobile terminal worn thereon and a sound generated from the motion of the finger, and

determine a control mode based on a location of an arm having the mobile terminal worn thereon, wherein the control mode includes a self-control mode controlling the mobile terminal and a remote control mode controlling the external device.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein if the motion of the mobile terminal or the motion of the finger is detected, the controller creates the control command for moving a pointer displayed on the mobile terminal or the external device along the motion of the mobile terminal or the motion of the finger.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein if a motion of bobbing the finger is detected, the controller creates the control command for clicking a point indicated by the pointer.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein the controller controls a feedback of clicking the point indicated by the pointer to be outputted.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein if a motion of tapping a floor surface with two fingers is detected, the controller creates the control command for selecting a data within an area set by end and start points from data displayed through the display unit or the external device.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein a location of the start point is changed in response to a motion of one of the two fingers, and

wherein a location of the end point is changed in response to a motion of the other.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein if the motion of the arm having the mobile terminal worn thereon in the air is detected, the controller creates the control command for performing a page turning to be performed on the mobile terminal or the external device.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein if there occurs a situation that a text should be inputted to at least one of the mobile terminal or the external device, the controller controls a mode of the mobile terminal to be set to at least one of a handwritten input mode or a voice input mode.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, while the mode of the mobile terminal is set to the handwritten input mode, if the motion of the finger is detected, the controller inputs a text corresponding to the motion of the finger to be inputted to at least one of the mobile terminal or the external device.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein while the mode of the mobile terminal is set to the voice input mode, if a user'"'"'s voice is inputted, the controller inputs a text converted from the voice to the at least one of the mobile terminal or the external device.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein if an icon is selected from one of the display unit and the external device, the controller controls a preview of the selected icon to be displayed through the other one of the mobile terminal and the external device.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein if a content currently outputted through one of the mobile terminal and the external device is displayed by being enlarged, the controller controls a mini-map of the content to be displayed through the other one of the mobile terminal and the external device.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein if a prescribed content is selected from a content list displayed through the display unit, the controller controls the selected content to be displayed through the external device.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein if the arm having the mobile terminal worn thereon is bent, the control command is applied to the mobile terminal, and

wherein if the arm having the mobile terminal worn thereon is stretched, the control command is applied to the external device.

15. A method of controlling a mobile terminal of a watch type wearable on a user'"'"'s wrist, comprising steps of:

sensing, via a sensing unit, a motion of the mobile terminal and a variation according to a muscle movement of a part having the mobile terminal worn thereon;

remotely controlling, via a controller, either the mobile terminal or an external device based on a control command,

wherein the control command is created depending on one of a first combination and a second combination,

wherein the first combination is comprised of the motion of the mobile terminal and a sound generated from the motion of the mobile terminal, and

wherein the second combination is comprised of a motion of a finger of an arm having the mobile terminal worn thereon and a sound generated from the motion of the finger; and

determining, via the controller, a control mode based on a location of an arm having the mobile terminal worn thereon, wherein the control mode includes a self-control mode controlling the mobile terminal and a remote control mode controlling the external device.