MOBILE TERMINAL AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE MOBILE TERMINAL

• US 20110034208A1
• Filed: 08/05/2010
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Seol, Jindoo, GU, Heummo, Shin, Sanghoon
• Granted Patent: US 8,787,892 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality

Abstract

A mobile terminal and a method of controlling the mobile terminal are provided. The method includes locking the mobile terminal; if a communication event occurs, displaying communication event alert information on a display module; and if a predefined gesture input is received in connection with the communication event alert information, unlocking the mobile terminal and entering an operating mode corresponding to the communication event. Therefore, it is possible to readily unlock the mobile terminal and place the mobile terminal in any operating mode in response to a gesture input.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

placing the mobile terminal in a lock state;

if a communication event occurs, displaying communication event alert information on a display module; and

if a predefined gesture input is received in connection with the communication event alert information, releasing the mobile terminal from the lock state and entering an operating mode corresponding to the communication event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication event includes receiving a message, receiving a call and receiving email.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the gesture input is a user input generated by touching and dragging on the display module in a predefined manner.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if a predefined gesture input for releasing the mobile terminal from the lock state is received, releasing the mobile terminal from the lock state

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if a predefined gesture input for displaying ‘

help’

information is received, displaying a ‘

help’

window showing a plurality of previously-registered gesture inputs and their functions on the display module.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a menu for adjusting the rate of recognition of a gesture input.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a menu for registering a gesture input in response to a user input.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a trajectory of the predefined gesture input.

9. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display module; and

a controller configured to display communication event alert information on a display module if a communication event occurs when the mobile terminal is placed in a lock state, wherein, if a predefined gesture input is received in connection with the communication event alert information, the controller releases the mobile terminal from the lock state and enters an operating mode corresponding to the communication event.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the gesture input is a user input generated by touching and dragging on the display module in a predefined manner.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein, if a predefined gesture input for releasing the mobile terminal from the lock state is received, the controller releases the mobile terminal from the lock state.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein, if a predefined gesture input for displaying ‘

help’

information is received, the controller displays a ‘

help’

window showing a plurality of previously-registered gesture inputs and their functions on the display module.

13. A method of controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

displaying an operation screen on a display module;

receiving a multi-gesture input including first and second gesture inputs; and

if there are one or more characters represented by the multi-gesture input, displaying a menu or an item list whose name includes the characters represented by the multi-gesture input on the display module.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising, if there are one or more functions represented by the multi-gesture input, executing the functions in a multitasking mode.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising, if one of a number of items in the item list is selected in response to a touch input, performing an operation corresponding to the selected item.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising displaying at least one gesture icon corresponding to a previously-registered gesture input and at least one function icon corresponding to a function and associating the function with the previously-registered gesture input by dragging and dropping the gesture icon onto the function icon.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising displaying at least one group of menus as a tab and associating the group of menus with the previously-registered gesture input by dragging and dropping the gesture icon onto the tab.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising, after the associating of the function with the previously-registered gesture input, displaying the gesture icon differently from other gesture icons so as to be easily recognizable.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising, if a command to display ‘

help’

information is received, displaying a ‘

help’

window showing a plurality of previously-registered gesture inputs and their functions.

20. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display module configured to display an operation screen; and

a controller configured to receive a multi-gesture input including first and second gesture inputs, wherein, if there are one or more characters represented by the multi-gesture input, the controller displays a menu or an item list whose name includes the characters represented by the multi-gesture input on the display module.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein, if there are one or more functions represented by the multi-gesture input, the controller executes the functions in a multitasking mode.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein, if one of a number of items in the item list is selected in response to a touch input, the controller performs an operation corresponding to the selected item.