Mobile terminal and method for controlling the same

• US 9,880,809 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2014
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jieun
• Primary Examiner(s): Weng, Peiyong
• Application Number:
  US14/647,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20160259622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0381 Multimodal input, i.e. interface arrangements enabling the user to issue commands by simultaneous use of input devices of different nature, e.g. voice plus gesture on digitizer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• 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 3/0354 with detection of 2D relative movements between the device, or an operating part thereof, and a plane or surface, e.g. 2D mice, trackballs, pens or pucks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality

Abstract

A mobile terminal and a method for controlling the same are disclosed. The mobile terminal and the method for controlling the same according to the present invention can display content, activate the microphone and receive user voice upon reception of a scroll input, and search for a specific content related to a keyword included in the received user voice from an execution screen of a specific application displayed on the display unit. According to the present invention, it is possible to automatically turn on or off a voice recognition module by grasping intention of a user, thereby reducing battery power while improving user convenience.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a display unit;

a microphone; and

a controller configured to;

cause the display unit to display an execution screen of a specific application including at least one content;

determine whether a function corresponding to a scroll input is set when the scroll input is received through the display unit based on whether the scroll input is a first type corresponding to a control signal for activating the microphone or second type corresponding to the control signal for activating the microphone and a control signal for controlling execution of the corresponding function;

activate the microphone without executing the function in response to the scroll input when the function is not set;

execute the corresponding function and activate the microphone in response to the scroll input when the function is set;

receive a user voice through the activated microphone; and

search for a specific content related to a keyword included in the received user voice from the execution screen of the specific application displayed on the display unit.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display unit to display the specific content in a specific region thereof by automatically scrolling the execution screen of the specific application displayed on the display unit.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display unit to display the specific content such that the specific content or an outline including the specific content is discriminated from other content when the specific content is displayed in a specific region of the display unit.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising an audio output unit,

wherein the controller is further configured to cause the audio output unit to output a predetermined sound when the specific content is displayed in a specific region of the display unit.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising a haptic module,

wherein the controller is further configured to cause the haptic module to output vibration when the specific content is displayed in a specific region of the display unit.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a keyword from among words included in the user voice according to predetermined criteria.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising a camera,

wherein the controller is further configured to acquire a gaze direction of a user through the camera and to activate the microphone when the acquired gaze direction is opposite to a scroll direction of the content.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display unit to:

display a first specific content in a specific region of the display unit, and an indicator for guiding sliding input at one side of the display unit, when a plurality of specific content items has been searched; and

display a specific screen on which the specific content items are collected and displayed on the execution screen of the specific application in an overlapping manner, when a sliding input is applied to the indicator.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display unit to automatically increase or decrease a scroll speed of the execution screen of the specific application according to a position of the specific content in such a manner that the scroll speed decreases as the specific content approaches a specific region of the display unit.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display unit to display a user interface for confirming search of the specific content related to the keyword or to output a voice for confirming search of the specific content related to the keyword.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display unit to display a menu for editing the specific content as a pop-up window when the specific content has been searched.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause output of a predetermined sound or a vibration feedback when the specific content is not searched.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the microphone to be deactivated when the specific content has been searched or when a user voice is not received within a predetermined time.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display unit to display a specific indicator on a status bar or a pop-up window when the microphone is activated.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to search the execution screen of the specific application displayed on the display unit for a specific content related to a keyword included in a user voice received by activating a microphone of a wearable device when a specific control signal is received from a registered wearable device.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 15, wherein the wearable device transmits the user voice to the mobile terminal when the user voice received through the microphone of the wearable device exceeds a predetermined decibel.

17. A method for controlling a mobile terminal, comprising:

displaying an execution screen of a specific application including at least one content on a display unit;

receiving a scroll input through the display unit;

determining whether a function corresponding to the scroll input is set when the scroll input is received based on whether the scroll input is a first type corresponding to a control signal for activating the microphone or second type corresponding to the control signal for activating the microphone and a control signal for controlling execution of the corresponding function;

activating a microphone without executing the function in response to the scroll input when the function is not set;

executing the corresponding function and activating the microphone in response to the scroll input when the function is set;

receiving a user voice through the activated microphone; and

searching for a specific content related to a keyword included in the received user voice from the execution screen of the specific application displayed on the display unit.