Control of input/output through touch

• US 9,344,622 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2014
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Bong Soo
• Primary Examiner(s): Sitta, Grant
• Application Number:
  US14/280,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20140253775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6008 in the transmitter circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6016 in the receiver circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces

Abstract

A mobile terminal which includes a touch-screen display method thereof are provided. The mobile terminal includes a touch-screen display; a camera configured to capture image data; a sensing unit located in a corresponding area of the camera; and a controller configured to: receive a first touch gesture in the corresponding area of the camera, turn on the camera in response to the received first touch gesture and display a preview image on the touch-screen display, receive a second touch gestures in the corresponding area of the camera, said first touch gesture being different than the second touch gesture, and capture the image data in response to the second touch gesture, wherein the camera and the sensing unit are mounted on an area of the mobile terminal that excludes the touch-screen display.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a touch-screen display;

a camera configured to capture image data;

a sensing unit located in a first area at or immediately adjacent of the camera; and

a controller configured to;

receive a first touch gesture in the first area of the camera,

turn on the camera in response to the received first touch gesture and display a preview image on the touch-screen display,

receive a second touch gesture in the first area of the camera, said first touch gesture being different than the second touch gesture, and

capture the image data in response to the second touch gesture,

wherein the camera and the sensing unit are mounted on an area of the mobile terminal remote from the touch-screen display.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the first touch gesture includes at least one of a contact touch and a proximity touch.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the second touch gesture includes at least one of a contact touch and drag gesture and a proximity touch and drag gesture.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to perform a zooming function of the camera in response to a third touch gesture.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the second touch gesture includes at least one of a vertical contact touch and drag gesture and a vertical proximity touch and drag gesture and the third touch gesture includes at least one of a horizontal contact touch and drag gesture and a horizontal proximity touch and drag gesture.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to perform a zoom-in function in response to the third touch gesture including at least one of a contact touch and drag gesture and a proximity touch and drag gesture from left to right and to perform a zoom-out function in response to the third touch gesture including at least one of a contact touch and drag gesture and a proximity touch and drag gesture from right to left.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 4, further comprising:

a light emitting element surrounding the camera,

wherein the controller is further configured to control the light emitting element to emit light to indicate an amount of the zooming function being performed.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to control the light emitting element to increase an amount of light emitted as the zooming function increases and to decrease the amount of light as the zooming function decreases.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the light emitting elements has a ring shape surrounding the camera.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a current operating state of the mobile terminal, and convert a mode of the camera to a video phone mode in response to the first touch gesture when the current operating state of the mobile terminal is receiving a call.

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

receiving, via a sensing unit located in a first area at or immediately adjacent of a camera of the mobile terminal, a first touch gesture in the first area;

turning on the camera, via a controller of the mobile terminal, in response to the received first touch gesture and displaying a preview image on the touch-screen display;

receiving, via the controller, a second touch gesture in the first area of the camera, said first touch gesture being different than the second touch gesture; and

capturing, via the controller, image data included in the preview image in response to the second touch gesture,

wherein the camera and the sensing unit are mounted on an area of the mobile terminal that excludes the touch-screen display.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first touch gesture includes at least one of a contact touch and a proximity touch.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the second touch gesture includes at least one of a contact touch and drag gesture and a proximity touch and drag gesture.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

performing a zooming function of the camera in response to a third touch gesture.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second touch gesture includes at least one of a vertical contact touch and drag gesture and a vertical proximity touch and drag gesture and the third touch gesture includes at least one of a horizontal contact touch and drag gesture and a horizontal proximity touch and drag gesture.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

performing a zoom-in function in response to the third touch gesture including at least one of a contact touch and drag gesture and a proximity touch and drag gesture from left to right; and

performing a zoom-out function in response to the third touch gesture including at least one of a contact touch and drag gesture and a proximity touch and drag gesture from right to left.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

controlling a light emitting element surrounding the camera to emit light to indicate an amount of the zooming function being performed.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

controlling the light emitting element to increase an amount of light emitted as the zooming function increases and to decrease the amount of light as the zooming function decreases.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the light emitting elements has a ring shape surrounding the camera.

20. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining a current operating state of the mobile terminal; and

converting a mode of the camera to a video phone mode in response to the first touch gesture when the current operating state of the mobile terminal is receiving a call.