Mobile terminal and method of selecting lock function

• US 20090061823A1
• Filed: 08/27/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Chu, Se Youp
• Granted Patent: US 8,909,195 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q

Abstract

A mobile terminal and a method of selecting a lock function thereof are provided. The method of selecting a lock function of a mobile terminal having a touch screen includes: measuring, when at least one touch occurs on the touch screen, at least one of a pressure, a current, and a capacitance of an area of the touch screen in which the touch occurs; and selecting, if at least one of the measured pressure, current, and capacitance is greater than or equal to a preset value, a lock function. Thus, by touching the touch screen in such a manner that a high current or capacitance may be measured in a specific area of the mobile terminal, a user can easily perform a desired function, thereby improving user convenience.

Claims

1. A method of selecting a lock function of a mobile terminal having a touch screen, comprising:

measuring, when at least one touch occurs on the touch screen, at least one of a pressure, a current, and a capacitance of an area of the touch screen in which the touch occurs; and

selecting, if at least one of the measured pressure, current, and capacitance is greater than or equal to a preset value, a lock function.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing a mode of the mobile terminal to a silent mode after selecting the lock function.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring at least one of a pressure, a current, and a capacitance of an area of the touch screen in which the touch occurs comprises detecting a pressure of an area of the touch screen in which the touch occurs and measuring at least one of a current and a capacitance according to the detected pressure.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring at least one of a pressure, a current, and a capacitance of an area of the touch screen in which the touch occurs comprises measuring at least one of a current and a capacitance of each of a plurality of areas of the touch screen in which a touch occurs and calculating at least one of the sum of the measured currents and the sum of the measured capacitances.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring at least one of a pressure, a current, and a capacitance of an area of the touch screen in which the touch occurs comprises measuring at least one of a current and a capacitance at a plurality of measuring points within a wide area of the touch screen in which the touch occurs and calculating at least one of the sum of the measured currents and the sum of the measured capacitances.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring at least one of a pressure, a current, and a capacitance of an area of the touch screen in which the touch occurs is performed when the mobile terminal is in a communication mode.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising displaying, when the mobile terminal is in the communication mode, if at least one of the measured pressure, current, and capacitance is less than or equal to a preset value, available menus on the touch screen.

8. A mobile terminal comprising:

a touch screen;

a measurement unit for measuring, when at least one touch occurs on the touch screen, at least one of a pressure, a current, and a capacitance of an area of the touch screen in which the touch occurs; and

a controller for selecting, if at least one of the measured pressure, current, and capacitance is greater than or equal to a set value, a lock function.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the controller changes a mode of the mobile terminal to a silent mode after selecting the lock function.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the measurement unit detects a pressure of an area of the touch screen in which the touch occurs and measures at least one of a current and a capacitance according to the detected pressure.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the measurement unit measures at least one of a current and a capacitance of each of plurality of areas of the touch screen in which a touch occurs and calculates at least one of the sum of the measured currents and the sum of the measured capacitances.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the measurement unit measures at least one of a current and a capacitance at a plurality of measuring points within a wide area of the touch screen in which the touch occurs and calculates at least one of the sum of the measured currents and the sum of the measured capacitances.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 8, further comprising a radio frequency (RF) unit for performing wireless communication with another terminal,

wherein, when the mobile terminal is in a communication mode using the RF unit, the controller drives the measurement unit.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the controller instructs the touch screen to display, if at least one of the measured pressure, current, and capacitance is less than or equal to a preset value in a communication mode, available menus on the touch screen.

15. A method of selecting a preset function of a mobile terminal having a touch screen, comprising:

measuring, when at least one touch occurs on the touch screen, at least one of a pressure, a current, and a capacitance of an area of the touch screen in which the touch occurs; and

initiating, if at least one of the measured pressure, current, and capacitance is greater than or equal to a preset value, the preset function.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the preset function is a lock function.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising changing a mode of the mobile terminal to a silent mode after initiating the preset function.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein measuring at least one of a pressure, a current, and a capacitance of an area of the touch screen in which the touch occurs comprises detecting a pressure of an area of the touch screen in which the touch occurs and measuring at least one of a current and a capacitance according to the detected pressure.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein measuring at least one of a pressure, a current, and a capacitance of an area of the touch screen in which the touch occurs comprises measuring at least one of a current and a capacitance of each of a plurality of areas of the touch screen in which a touch occurs and calculating at least one of the sum of the measured currents and the sum of the measured capacitances.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein measuring at least one of a pressure, a current, and a capacitance of an area of the touch screen in which the touch occurs comprises measuring at least one of a current and a capacitance at a plurality of measuring points within a wide area of the touch screen in which the touch occurs and calculating at least one of the sum of the measured currents and the sum of the measured capacitances.