Mobile terminal and method for operating a mobile terminal based on touch input

• US 10,055,037 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2012
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pantech Corporation (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pantech Incorporated
• Inventors: Lim, Hyeng-Keun, Moon, Sung-Ryun
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shen, Peijie
• Application Number:
  US13/713,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20130222288A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,077 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A mobile terminal and methods for operating a mobile terminal based on a touch input, including receiving at least one touch input to a touch panel of the mobile terminal, the touch panel including a first input area and a second input area; generating at least one touch sensed signal corresponding to the at least one touch input to one or more of the first input area and the second input area; generating at least one control signal corresponding to the at least one touch sensed signal, wherein the first input area remains activated in a power off state of the mobile terminal and the second input area is initially deactivated in the power off state. The mobile terminal and methods for operating the mobile terminal based on a touch input thereby provide for an improved design and enhanced reliability of operation.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal to operate based on a touch input, the mobile terminal comprising:

a unitary touch panel comprising a first input area and a second input area to receive at least one touch input to generate at least one touch sensed signal; and

a touch sensing unit to generate at least one control signal corresponding to the at least one touch sensed signal,

wherein the first input area remains activated in a power off state of the mobile terminal to generate the touch sensed signal to enable generation of the control signal for a power on state of the mobile terminal, the second input area is initially deactivated in the power off state and is activated by generation of the touch sensed signal corresponding to a touch input applied to the first input area in the power off state, and the mobile terminal is configured to require touch sensed signals corresponding to touch input to both of the first input area and the second input area by requiring a first touch sensed signal from the first input area for a period longer than a first reference time period of about 1 second and a sequential second touch sensed signal indicating a drag gesture from the second input area to allow a power on state of the mobile terminal.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the first input area generates the touch sensed signal corresponding to a power control signal to selectively control power to the mobile terminal, and

the second input area generates the touch sensed signal corresponding to the at least one power control signal to selectively control power to the mobile terminal or corresponding to a user input interrupt signal to selectively control at least one operation of the mobile terminal or execution of an application by the mobile terminal.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the touch sensing unit determines whether the one or more touch sensed signals correspond to a power control signal to selectively control power to the mobile terminal or to a user input interrupt signal to selectively control at least one operation of the mobile terminal or execution of an application by the mobile terminal, based on a current operation mode of the mobile terminal.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the touch sensing unit determines whether the received one or more touch sensed signals correspond to a power control signal to selectively control power to the mobile terminal or to a user input interrupt signal to selectively control at least one operation of the mobile terminal or execution of an application by the mobile terminal, based on at least one of the touch input being applied to the first input area for equal to, longer than, or shorter than the first reference time period or an input touch gesture to the second input area being maintained for equal to, longer than, or shorter than a second reference time period.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the control signal comprises a power control signal, the power control signal comprising at least one of

a power supply start control signal to enable powering on the mobile terminal to operate in an active mode,

a power supply stop control signal to enable powering off the mobile terminal to stop operation of the mobile terminal in the active mode,

a hold on control signal to enable selectively deactivating operation of parts of the mobile terminal to operate the mobile terminal in a hold on state, and

a hold off control signal to enable returning the mobile terminal from the hold on state to a power on state and the active mode.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein

the touch sensing unit remains activated in the power off state to enable receiving the at least one touch sensed signal to enable generation of the control signal to place the mobile terminal in a power on state.

7. The terminal of claim 1, wherein:

a power on state of the mobile terminal comprises one or more of an active mode in which power is supplied to the mobile terminal to operate normally, a hold on mode in which power is selectively supplied to the mobile terminal to deactivate operation of parts of the mobile terminal, and a touch sleep mode in which the touch input to the touch panel is absent for a reference time period and the mobile terminal operates as in the active mode other than the touch sensing unit to which power for operation is reduced, and

the power off state of the mobile terminal comprises a power off mode in which the power supplied to the mobile terminal is stopped, other than to first input area to enable generation of the at least one touch sensed signal and to the touch sensing unit to enable generation of at least one a control signal corresponding to the power on state.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the touch sensing unit determines whether the received at least one touch input corresponds to an incorrect operation condition of the mobile terminal based on a comparison with at least one reference incorrect operation condition.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a power controller to receive the at least one control signal from the touch sensing unit, when the at least one control signal generated by the touch sensing unit corresponds to a power control signal, and to selectively control a power on state and the power off state of the mobile terminal based on the power control signal; and

an operation controller to receive the at least one control signal from the touch sensing unit, when the at least one control signal generated by the touch sensing unit corresponds to a user input interrupt signal, and to selectively control at least one operation of the mobile terminal or execution of an application by the mobile terminal based on the user input interrupt signal.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein

the at least one control signal comprises a user interrupt control signal, the user interrupt control signal comprises one or more of at least one control signal to perform execution of an operation or an application by the mobile terminal, at least one control signal to perform a page turning operation for at least one page displayed on a display screen of a display unit of the mobile terminal, or at least one control signal to perform a volume control of sound for the mobile terminal.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a display to indicate the touch panel has received the at least one touch input in the power off state.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the generated at least one touch sensed signal corresponds to a power control signal to selectively control power supplied to the mobile terminal or to a user input interrupt signal to selectively control at least one operation of the mobile terminal or execution of an application by the mobile terminal, based on at least one of whether the touch input is applied to a first input area of the touch panel for equal to, longer than, or shorter than the first reference time period or whether an input touch gesture applied to the second input area of the touch panel is maintained for equal to, longer than, or shorter than a second reference time period.

12. A method for operating a mobile terminal based on a touch input, the method comprising:

receiving at least one touch input to a unitary touch panel of the mobile terminal, the touch panel comprising a first input area and a second input area;

generating at least one touch sensed signal corresponding to the at least one touch input to one or more of the first input area and the second input area;

generating at least one control signal corresponding to the at least one touch sensed signal,

wherein the first input area remains activated in a power off state of the mobile terminal to generate the touch sensed signal to enable generation of the control signal for a power on state of the mobile terminal, the second input area is initially deactivated in the power off state and is activated by generation of the touch sensed signal corresponding to a touch input applied to the first input area in the power off state, and touch sensed signals corresponding to touch input to both of the first input area and the second input area are required in a form of a first touch sensed signal from the first input area for a period longer than a first reference time period of about 1 second and a sequential second touch sensed signal indicating a drag gesture from the second input area to allow a power on state of the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

generating at least one power control signal according to a state of the mobile terminal and in response to the at least one touch sensed signal.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein generating the at least one control signal further comprises:

selectively generating a power supply start control signal as a power control signal to enable supplying power to the mobile terminal to operate in an active mode in which power is supplied to the mobile terminal to operate normally;

selectively generating a power supply stop control signal as the power control signal to enable a stopping operation of the mobile terminal in the active mode;

selectively generating a hold on control signal as the power control signal to enable deactivating operation of parts of the mobile terminal to operate the mobile terminal in a hold on state in which power is selectively supplied to the mobile terminal to deactivate operation of parts of the mobile terminal; and

selectively generating a hold off control signal as the power control signal to enable returning the mobile terminal from the hold on state to the power on state and the active mode.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

deactivating power supplied to the mobile terminal in the power off state, other than to enable generation of the at least one touch sensed signal and the at least one control signal to place the mobile terminal in a power on state.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein generating at least one touch sensed signal further comprises:

generating the touch sensed signal corresponding to a power control signal to selectively control power supplied to the mobile terminal when the touch sensed signal is generated based on the touch input to a first input area of the touch panel; and

generating the touch sensed signal corresponding to at least one of the power control signal or a user input interrupt signal to selectively control at least one operation of the mobile terminal or execution of an application by the mobile terminal when the touch sensed signal is generated based on the touch input to the second input area of the touch panel.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether the generated at least one touch sensed signal corresponds to a power control signal to selectively control power supplied to the mobile terminal or a user input interrupt signal to selectively control at least one operation of the mobile terminal or execution of an application by the mobile terminal, based on a current operation mode of the mobile terminal.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether the generated at least one touch sensed signal from the touch panel corresponds to an incorrect operation condition of the mobile terminal based on a comparison with at least one reference incorrect operation condition.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

selectively controlling a volume of sound for the mobile terminal based on the generated corresponding at least one control signal.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

selectively performing a page turning operation for at least one page displayed on a display screen of a display unit of the mobile terminal based on the generated corresponding at least one control signal.

22. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

selectively executing an operation or an application by the mobile terminal based on the corresponding generated at least one control signal.

23. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

indicating the touch panel is receiving the at least one touch input in the power off state.

24. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether an input touch gesture satisfies a reference gesture rate that represents an allowance criterion to recognize the at least one touch input to the touch panel.

25. A method for operating a mobile terminal based on a touch input, the method comprising:

activating a first input area of a unitary touch panel of the mobile terminal to generate at least one touch sensed signal in a power off state of the mobile terminal;

inactivating a second input area of the unitary touch panel in the power off state;

activating the second input area of the unitary touch panel to generate at least one second touch sensed signal when the at least one touch sensed signal is generated from the first input area in the power-off state; and

generating at least one control signal corresponding to both the generated at least one touch sensed signal from the first input area and the at least one second touch sensed signal from the second input area by requiring a first touch sensed signal from the first input area for a period longer than a first reference time period of about 1 second and a sequential second touch sensed signal indicating a drag gesture from the second input area to place the mobile terminal in a power-on state.