USER INTERFACE FOR A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20090197635A1
• Filed: 08/21/2008
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kwon, Youk, KIM, Joo Min
• Granted Patent: US 8,423,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• 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 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials

Abstract

A mobile device and a method for controlling a user interface of the mobile device are disclosed. According to an embodiment, there is provided a method for controlling a user interface of a mobile device which has a plurality of different operation modes and at least one function predesignated for each of the operation modes, the method comprising: detecting a movement of the mobile device as applied by a gesture of a user; determining a current operation mode of the mobile device among the plurality of operation modes; and performing the at least one function predesignated for the determined current operation mode, according to the detected movement of the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a user interface of a mobile device which has a plurality of different operation modes and at least one function predesignated for each of the operation modes, the method comprising:

detecting a movement of the mobile device as applied by a gesture of a user;

determining a current operation mode of the mobile device among the plurality of operation modes; and

performing the at least one function predesignated for the determined current operation mode, according to the detected movement of the mobile device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determined operation mode of the mobile device is one of an internet browsing mode, an MP3 player mode, a video player mode, a broadcast signal receiver mode, a video recorder mode, a photographing mode, a photo viewing mode, a voice recorder mode, an electronic organizer mode, and a calendar mode.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the gesture of user is one of tilting the mobile device by a certain angle, moving the mobile device in parallel to the user'"'"'s body, and moving the mobile device forward and backward with respect to the user'"'"'s body.

4. The method according to claim 1, before detecting the movement of the mobile device, the method further comprising:

determining if a gesture by the user for activating a gesturing mode of the mobile device is made,

wherein the detecting the mobile movement is performed when the mobile device is in the gesturing mode.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the gesture for activating the gesturing mode is shaking the mobile device at least once, pressing a virtual button on the mobile device, or pressing a physical button on the mobile device.

6. The method according to claim 4, farther comprising:

detecting a gesture by the user for deactivating the gesturing mode; and

deactivating the gesturing mode based on the detection result.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the gesture for activating the gesturing mode and the gesture for deactivating the gesturing mode are the same.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the gesture applied to the mobile device includes at least one of rolling, pitching, yawing, and transition.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the steps are activated and performed while a predetermined area of a touch screen of the mobile device is touched and held.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the determining step determines that the current operation mode of the mobile device is an internet browsing mode, the gesture applied to the mobile terminal includes tilting the mobile device by a certain angle, and the at least one function performed for the internet browsing mode includes:

scrolling a page displayed on a display of the mobile device to a certain direction according to the movement of the mobile device, and/or

zooming in or out of the page displayed on the display according to the movement of the mobile device, and/or

jumping from a currently displayed web page to another web page among multiple web pages according to the movement of the mobile device.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein a speed of the scrolling of the page is varied proportional to the tilted angle of the mobile device.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the determining step determines that the current operation mode of the mobile device is a multimedia playing mode, the gesture applied to the mobile device includes tilting the mobile device by a certain angle, and the at least one function performed for the multimedia playing mode comprises:

jumping from a multimedia file currently being played to a next multimedia file, and

playing said next multimedia file through an output unit of the mobile device.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the determining step determines that the current operation mode of the mobile device is a multimedia playing mode, the gesture applied to the mobile device includes tilting the mobile device, and the at least one function performed for the multimedia playing mode comprises:

fast-forwarding or fast-backwarding within a multimedia file currently being played, according to the detected movement of the mobile device.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the multimedia file is one of an audio file, and a video file, the video file including at least one of a moving video and a still image.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the determining step determines that the current operation mode of the mobile device is a multimedia playing mode, the gesture applied to the mobile device includes tilting the mobile device by a certain angle, and the at least one function performed for the multimedia playing mode comprises:

varying an audio volume of the mobile device according to the detected movement of the mobile device.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the audio volume of the mobile device is varied proportional to a distance between a user'"'"'s body and the mobile device, the distance being varied by the movement of the mobile device.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the determining step determines that the current operation mode of the mobile device is a broadcast signal receiver mode, and the at least one function performed for the broadcast signal receiver mode comprises:

jumping from a currently displayed channel to a next channel, and

displaying said next channel on a display of the mobile device.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the determining step determines that the current operation mode of the mobile device is a photographing mode, and the at least one function performed for the photographing mode comprises:

displaying a control menu for capturing an image by the mobile device in the photographing mode.

19. A method for controlling a user interface of a mobile device configured to support multiple tasks, the method comprising:

detecting a movement of the mobile device as applied by a user'"'"'s gesture;

moving from a task window displayed on the mobile device to another task window according to the detected movement of the mobile device, when the mobile device includes a plurality of active task windows; and

displaying, on a display of the mobile device, a part or entirety of one or more active task windows according the moving step.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the gesture applied to the mobile device includes a transition gesture, and

the moving step moves through the plurality of active task windows seamlessly according to the transition gesture, which is displayed on the display in the displaying step.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the gesture applied to the mobile device farther includes a pitching gesture, and the moving step includes zooming in or out of the displayed part or entirety of one or more active task windows according to the pitching gesture.

22. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

closing all the plurality of active task windows in response to a certain movement of the mobile device as applied by a designated gesture of the user.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the designated gesture includes shaking the mobile device at least once.

24. The method according to claim 19, wherein the user'"'"'s gesture is at least one of rolling, pitching, yawing and transition.

25. A method for controlling a user interface of a mobile device, the method comprising:

detecting a gesture of one of tilting, yawing, or transitioning the mobile device to the left or to the right; and

performing an action corresponding to a left-click or a right-click on a mouse of a personal computer according to the detected gesture.

26. A method for controlling a user interface of a mobile device configured to support multiple tasks, the method comprising:

determining if a predetermined movement of the mobile device as applied by a user'"'"'s gesture is detected, when there exist a plurality of active task windows on the mobile device; and

closing all the active task windows of the mobile device when the predetermined movement of the mobile device is detected.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the predetermined movement includes shaking of the mobile device.

28. A mobile device which has a plurality of different operation modes and at least one function predesignated for each of the operation modes, the mobile device comprising:

a detector configured to detect a movement of the mobile device as applied by a gesture of a user; and

a controller configured to determine a current operation mode of the mobile device among the plurality of operation modes; and

to perform the at least one function predesignated for the determined current operation mode, according to the detected movement of the mobile device.

29. A mobile device for controlling a user interface, the mobile device configured to support multiple tasks and comprising:

a detector configured to detect a movement of the mobile device as applied by a user'"'"'s gesture;

a display; and

a controller, by controlling the display, configured to move from a task window displayed on the display to another task window according to the detected movement of the mobile device, when a plurality of task windows are active; and

to display, on the display, a part or entirety of one or more active task windows according to said moving to the another task window.

30. A mobile device for controlling a user interface, the mobile device comprising:

a detector configured to detect a gesture of one of tilting, yawing, or transitioning the mobile device to the left or to the right; and

a controller configured to perform an action corresponding to a left-click or a right-click on a mouse of a personal computer according to the detected gesture.

31. A mobile device for controlling a user interface, the mobile device configured to support multiple tasks and comprising:

a detector configured to detect a predetermined movement of the mobile device as applied by a user'"'"'s gesture; and

a controller configured to determine if the predetermined movement of the mobile device is detected, when there exist a plurality of active task windows on the mobile device; and

to close all the active task windows of the mobile device when the predetermined movement of the mobile device is detected.