Mobile terminal and screen control method thereof

• US 8,599,148 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2009
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Chung, Jin-Woo, Kim, Moon-Ju, Ryu, Hye-Jin, Lee, Dong-Seok
• Primary Examiner(s): SPAR, ILANA L
• Application Number:
  US12/414,916
• Publication Number:
  US 20090256814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,708 Days
• Field of Search: 345/102, 345173-178, 178 1801- 2004, 463/31
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A mobile terminal is provided. The mobile terminal includes a display for sensing at least one of a touch or an approach of a pointing means and a controller for controlling brightness of a sensed area according to the sensed touch or the approach of the pointing means.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display for sensing at least a touch on the display or an approach of a pointing means proximate to a sensed area on the display; and

a controller for controlling brightness of the display at the sensed area according to the touch or the approach of the pointing means, the controller configured to;

apply an illumination only to the sensed area where the approach of the pointing means is sensed while the mobile terminal is in a standby mode in which a display light of the display is turned off, wherein a radius of the illumination is a preset value, and the illumination generates a searchlight effect;

expand the radius of the illumination in proportion to a duration of the pointing means detected at the sensed area, such that a size of the illumination generating the searchlight effect remains smaller than a size of the display; and

reduce the brightness of the display at the sensed area in response to an increase in a distance from the sensed area to the pointing means.

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

a touch sensor for sensing the touch; and

a proximity sensor for sensing the approach of the pointing means.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller controls a power supply to a backlight of the display corresponding to the sensed area, wherein the backlight adjusts the brightness of the sensed area.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller replaces a first color of information displayed in an area outside of the sensed area with a darker color.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller executes a function associated with the sensed area if a predetermined distance between the pointing means and the display is maintained for a predetermined time.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller executes a function associated with the sensed area if a touch is detected after the approach of the pointing means.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to expand the radius of the illumination while a position of a center of the sensed area remains fixed.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to expand the radius of the illumination and a radius of the sensed area at a same rate.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to expand the radius of the illumination and the radius of the sensed area incrementally.

7. A screen control method of a mobile terminal, the screen control method comprising:

applying an illumination only to a sensed area of a touch screen of the mobile terminal where an approach of a pointing means is sensed while the mobile terminal is in a standby mode in which a display light of the touch screen is turned off, wherein a radius of the illumination is a preset value, and the illumination generates a searchlight effect;

determining a duration during which the pointing means is held proximate to the sensed area;

expanding the radius of the sensed area illumination in proportion to the duration during which the pointing means is held, such that a size of the illumination generating the searchlight effect remains smaller than a size of the touch screen; and

reducing a brightness of the illumination in response to an increase in a distance from the sensed area to the pointing means.

8. The screen control method of claim 7, further comprising:

executing a function associated with the sensed area if a touch is detected in the sensed area of the touch screen.

9. The screen control method of claim 7, further comprising converting information associated with the sensed area to an audio signal output via an audio output unit.

10. The screen control method of claim 7, further comprising executing a function associated with the sensed area if a predetermined distance between the pointing means and the display is maintained for a predetermined time.

11. The screen control method of claim 7, wherein applying the illumination comprises controlling a power supply to a backlight of the touch screen corresponding to the sensed area to adjust the brightness of the illumination at the sensed area.

12. The screen control method of claim 7, wherein applying the illumination comprises replacing a color of information displayed in an area outside of the sensed area with a darker color.

14. The screen control method of claim 7, wherein expanding the radius of the illumination comprises expanding the radius of the illumination while a position of a center of the sensed area remains fixed.

15. The screen control method of claim 7, further comprising turning on the display light if a touch is detected on the touch screen.

16. The screen control method of claim 7, wherein expanding the radius of the illumination comprises expanding the radius of the illumination and a radius of the sensed area at a same rate.

17. The screen control method of claim 7, wherein expanding the radius of the illumination is performed incrementally.