Mobile terminal using proximity sensor and method of controlling the mobile terminal

• US 9,213,449 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2009
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Bong, Byung Eun
• Primary Examiner(s): BHARGAVA, ANIL K
• Application Number:
  US12/486,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20100005390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,372 Days
• Field of Search: 715/702, 715/823, 715/769
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• 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 and a method of controlling the mobile terminal are provided. The method includes displaying a first screen on a display module; if a pressure-touch input is detected from the first screen, displaying one or more menu items associated with the first screen; choosing one of the menu items according to a level of pressure corresponding to the pressure-touch input; and if a predetermined amount of time elapses after the choosing of one of the menu items, performing an operation corresponding to the chosen menu item. Therefore, it is possible to control various operations performed by the mobile terminal in response to a pressure-touch input.

Claims

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

displaying a first screen on a display module;

receiving a pressure touch-and-drag input, having a diagonal direction, at the display module;

selecting an area of the first screen corresponding to a drag distance of the received pressure touch-and-drag input;

displaying a plurality of menu items associated with the selected area on the display module, wherein the displayed menu items are varied according to a drag direction of the received pressure touch-and-drag input;

selecting at least one of the menu items according to a level of pressure corresponding to the received pressure touch-and drag input; and

displaying an image indicating the level of pressure corresponding to the pressure touch-and-drag input.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the selected menu item differently from one or more other menu items.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the pressure touch-and-drag input is detected from the first screen or another screen, enlarging the selected area at a scale corresponding to the level of pressure corresponding to the pressure touch-and-drag input.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when another pressure touch-and-drag input is detected from the first screen or another screen along a first direction, displaying the menu items associated with one or more first screen or another screen.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising,

when another pressure touch-and-drag input is detected from the first screen along a second direction, displaying a second screen on the display module.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when a pressure touch input is detected from the first screen, displaying one or more menu items associated with the first screen,

wherein, when the first screen is a screen including a list of files and one of the files is pressure-touched, the method further comprises holding a delete-lock on the pressure-touched file.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when another pressure touch-and-drag input is detected from the first screen or another screen along a first direction, scrolling a displayed file list by an amount corresponding to the level of pressure corresponding to the pressure touch-and-drag input.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the pressure touch-and-drag input is detected at a location on the screen different from a location where the selected menu item is located,

a first menu item of the plurality of menu items is selected when the pressure touch-and-drag input on the screen corresponds to a first pressure level, and

a second menu item of the plurality of menu items simultaneously displayed on the display module is selected when the pressure touch-and-drag input on the screen corresponds to a second pressure level different from the first pressure level.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

performing an operation corresponding to the first menu item when a predetermined amount of time elapses after the first menu item is selectively selected from the plurality of menu items based on the first pressure level.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when a pressure touch input is detected from the first screen, displaying one or more menu items associated with the first screen; and

selecting the one or more menu items according to the level of pressure corresponding to the received pressure touch-and-drag input.

11. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display module configured to display a first screen;

a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure touch-and-drag input on the touch screen from the display module and output a pressure signal indicating a level of pressure corresponding to the detected pressure touch-and-drag input, the pressure touch-and-drag input having a diagonal direction; and

a controller configured to;

select an area of the first screen corresponding to a drag distance of the detected pressure touch-and-drag input,

control the display module to display a plurality of menu items associated with the selected area, the displayed menu items being varied according to a drag direction of the detected pressure touch-and-drag input, and

select at least one of the menu items according to the level of pressure corresponding to the detected pressure touch-and-drag input,

wherein the controller displays, on the display module, an image corresponding to the pressure signal.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein, when another pressure touch-and-drag input is detected from the first screen or another screen along a first direction, the controller moves the first screen or the another screen by an amount corresponding to the pressure signal.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein:

the pressure touch-and-drag input is detected at a location on the screen different from a location where the selected menu item is located,

a first menu item of the plurality of menu items is selected when the pressure touch-and-drag input on the screen corresponds to a first pressure level, and

a second menu item of the plurality of menu items simultaneously displayed on the display module is selected when the pressure touch-and-drag input on the screen corresponds to a second pressure level different from the first pressure level.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to perform an operation corresponding to the first menu item when a predetermined amount of time elapses after the first menu item is selectively selected from the plurality of menu items based on the first pressure level.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 11,

wherein, when a pressure touch input is detected from the first screen, the controller is further configured to:

control the display module to display one or more menu items associated with the first screen, and

select the one or more menu items according to the level of pressure corresponding to the detected pressure touch-and-drag input.