Apparatus and method for controlling mobile terminal

• US 20090201260A1
• Filed: 08/08/2008
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Chang, Wook, Park, Joon-ah, Lee, Hyun-jeong
• Granted Patent: US 9,060,068 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A mobile terminal control apparatus and method. The mobile terminal control apparatus includes a plurality of touch sensors formed on a rear of the mobile terminal, a touch recognition unit recognizing a touch of a finger sensed by the plurality of touch sensors and displaying a user interface on a front screen of the mobile terminal according to the recognized touch of the finger, and an execution unit recognizing a change in the touch of the finger, and executing the displayed user interface on the basis of the result of the recognition. The mobile terminal may control user interfaces of a mobile terminal without fingers overlapping a screen of the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal control apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of touch sensors on a rear of the mobile terminal;

a touch recognition unit recognizing a touch of a finger sensed by at least one of the plurality of touch sensors and displaying a user interface on a front screen on a front of the mobile terminal according to the recognized touch of the finger; and

an execution unit recognizing a change in the touch of the finger and executing the displayed user interface on the basis of the result of the recognition.

2. The mobile terminal control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the change in the touch of the finger includes a change in an area of the least one touch sensor touched by the finger, a change in strength of touch pressure applied by the finger, or a change in a touch operation.

3. The mobile terminal control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the execution unit recognizes a signal sensed by the at least one touch sensor and executes the displayed user interface according to a change in an area of the plurality of touch sensors from which the signal is sensed.

4. The mobile terminal control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the execution unit executes the displayed user interface when a strength of touch pressure applied by the finger exceeds a predetermined value.

5. The mobile terminal control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the execution unit corrects a change in the touch of the finger and executes the displayed user interface according to a result of the correction of the change in the touch of the finger.

6. The mobile terminal control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the touch recognition unit displays the user interface on an area of the front screen of the mobile terminal, which corresponds to an area of the plurality of touch sensors touched by the finger.

7. The mobile terminal control apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when all user interfaces are not capable of being displayed on the front screen of the mobile terminal, based a result of the recognition of the touch of the finger, the touch recognition unit displays a sub user interface additionally on the front screen of the mobile terminal.

8. The mobile terminal control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the touch recognition unit displays a guide line, corresponding to a recognized shape of the finger, on the front screen of the mobile terminal.

9. The mobile terminal control apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a storage unit storing the user interface according to a use frequency of the user interface, wherein the touch recognition unit displays on the front screen of the mobile terminal the user interface stored in the storage unit according to the use frequency.

10. The mobile terminal control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of touch sensors are on the rear and lateral sides of the mobile terminal.

11. The mobile terminal control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of touch sensors are arranged in a grid format.

12. A mobile terminal control method, comprising:

recognizing a touch of a finger sensed by at least one of a plurality of touch sensors on a rear of the mobile terminal;

displaying a user interface on a front screen of the mobile terminal according to the recognized touch of the finger; and

recognizing a change in the touch of the finger and executing the user interface based on a result of the recognition of the change in the touch of the finger.

13. The mobile terminal control method of claim 12, wherein the recognizing of the change in the touch of the finger and the executing of the user interface comprises:

recognizing a change an area of the plurality of touch sensors touched by the finger, a change in strength of touch pressure applied by the finger, or a change in a touch operation, as sensed by the plurality of touch sensors; and

displaying the user interface on an area of the front screen of the mobile terminal, which correspond to the area touched by the finger based on a result of the recognition of the change to the area of the plurality of touch sensors.