Control apparatus for mobile terminal and control method thereof

• US 9,910,521 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2014
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Ahn, Yeongnam, Moon, Yoonji, Jung, Egun, Lee, Haein
• Primary Examiner(s): BARRETT, RYAN S
• Application Number:
  US14/500,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20150095826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0269 mounted in a fixed curved configuration, e.g. display curved around the edges of the telephone housing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

This specification relates to a control apparatus for a mobile terminal, capable of checking information through first and/or second sub display(s) in an easy, convenient manner, and a control method thereof. The control apparatus includes a main display that is located on a front surface of the mobile terminal, a first sub display that extends from the main display and is located on the left of the mobile terminal, a second sub display that extends from the main display and is located on the right of the mobile terminal, a communication unit that is configured to receive event information, and a controller that is configured to generate indication information indicating that the event information has been received, and output the indication information on the first or second sub display while the mobile terminal is gripped by a user.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for a mobile terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a main display that is located on a front surface of the mobile terminal;

a first sub display that extends from the main display and is located on a left side of the mobile terminal;

a second sub display that extends from the main display and is located on a right side of the mobile terminal;

a communication unit; and

a controller operably coupled with the main display, the first sub display, the second sub display, and the communication unit and configured to;

generate indication information indicating event information received via the communication unit; and

cause displaying of the indication information on the first or second sub display, the indication information not displayed on the main display, while the mobile terminal is gripped by a user,

wherein the indication information is displayed on the first sub display when a first number of touch inputs received via the first sub display is less than a second number of touch inputs received via the second sub display, the touch inputs received via the first sub display and the second sub display while the mobile terminal is gripped by the user, and

wherein a first display area of the first sub display is wider than a second display area of the second sub display when the first number of touch inputs is less than the second number of touch inputs, and the indication information is displayed on the first display area of the first sub display while the mobile terminal is gripped by the user.

2. The control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the second sub display to display the indication information when the second number is less than the first number.

3. The control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause displaying of the indication information on the first or second sub display according to a posture of the mobile terminal.

4. The control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause displaying of the indication information on the first or second sub display when the main display faces a direction of gravity.

5. The control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

detect a user direction while the mobile terminal is gripped; and

cause the first sub display to display the indication information when a direction of the first sub display and the detected user direction are matched.

6. The control apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a first directional microphone that is configured to receive a first sound received in a direction of the first sub display; and

a second directional microphone that is configured to receive a second sound received in a direction of the second sub display,

wherein the controller is further configured to;

cause displaying of the indication information on the first sub display by recognizing that the user is located in the direction of the first sub display when a preset user voice is recognized from the first sound of the first and second sounds, and

cause displaying of the indication information on the second sub display by recognizing that the user is located in the direction of the second sub display when the preset user voice is recognized from the second sound of the first and second sounds.

7. The control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause displaying of the event information corresponding to the indication information on the main display when the indication information displayed on the first or second sub display is dragged into the main display.

8. The control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

cause displaying of contents on the main display;

cause displaying of icons indicating application programs for processing the contents on the first or second sub display; and

execute an application program corresponding to one of the icons to process the contents when the contents are moved to the one icon through drag and drop.

9. The control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

cause displaying of contents on the main display;

cause displaying of a first icon indicating an application program for processing the contents on the first sub display;

cause displaying of a second icon for transmitting the contents to a preset recipient on the second sub display; and

cause transmission of the contents to the recipient corresponding to the second icon through an application program cooperative with the second icon when the contents are moved to the second icon through drag and drop.

10. The control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

cause displaying of a graphic object corresponding to one application on the first and second sub displays; and

execute the application corresponding to the graphic object when the graphic object is selected,

wherein an execution screen of the application is displayed on the main display, and a display state of the graphic object on the first and second sub displays is maintained, independent of the execution screen displayed on the main display.

11. The control apparatus of claim 10, wherein the graphic object corresponds to a plurality of applications, and wherein the controller is further configured to cause displaying of a select window on the main display when the graphic object is selected, the select window configured to select an application to be displayed on the main display from the plurality of applications.

12. The control apparatus of claim 10, wherein the main display is divided into a plurality of distinctive portions, and wherein the controller is further configured to cause displaying of an application corresponding to the graphic object on a portion without the application displayed, among the plurality of portions when the graphic object is selected.

13. The control apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to:

cause the main display to display an application corresponding to the graphic object based on a touch input applied to the graphic object; and

thereafter cause re-displaying of a screen before the application is executed on the main display when a touch input is applied to the graphic object again.

14. The control apparatus of claim 10, wherein each of the first and second sub displays is divided into a plurality of distinctive portions, and wherein the controller is further configured to cause displaying of graphic objects corresponding to different types of applications on a respectively corresponding portion of the plurality of portions.

15. The control apparatus of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to:

cause displaying of at least one shortcut icon corresponding to the application;

cause displaying of a graphic object corresponding to the application on the first or second sub display when the shortcut icon is moved from the main display to the first or second sub display through drag and drop; and

cause removal of the graphic object displayed on the first or second sub display when the graphic object displayed on the first or second sub display is moved from the first or second sub display to the main display through drag and drop.

16. The control apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to:

set a lock function for an activation of the application based on a user input; and

execute the application when a user input for releasing the lock function is applied after the graphic object is touched.

17. The control apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to:

set a lock function for a change of a screen displayed on the main display based on a user input; and

execute the change of the screen displayed on the main display when a user input for releasing the lock function is applied after the graphic object is touched.

18. A control method for a mobile terminal comprising a main display that is located on a front surface of the mobile terminal, a first sub display that extends from the main display and is located on a left side of the mobile terminal, and a second sub display that extends from the main display and is located on a right side of the mobile terminal, the method comprising:

receiving event information through a wireless communication network;

generating indication information indicating that the event information has been received; and

displaying the indication information on the first or second sub display, the indication information not displayed on the main display, while the mobile terminal is gripped by a user,

wherein the indication information is displayed on the first sub display when a first number of touch inputs received via the first sub display is less than a second number of touch inputs received via the second sub display, the touch inputs received via the first sub display and the second sub display while the mobile terminal is gripped by the user, and

wherein a first display area of the first sub display is wider than a second display area of the second sub display when the first number of touch inputs is less than the second number of touch inputs, and the indication information is displayed on the first display area of the first sub display while the mobile terminal is gripped by the user.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

displaying a graphic object corresponding to at least one application on the first and second sub displays;

executing the application corresponding to the graphic object when the graphic object is selected;

displaying an execution screen of the application on the main display; and

maintaining a display state of the graphic object on the first and the second sub displays, independent of the execution screen displayed on the main display.