Mobile device and method for providing user interface (UI) thereof

• US 9,389,723 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2014
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Bo-min, Park, Min-kyu, Park, Yong-gook, Kim, Hyun-jin, Kang, Tae-young, Jung, Han-chul, Yang, Ji-sun, Cha, Sang-ok
• Primary Examiner(s): Pervan, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/587,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20150116269A1
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• Field of Search: 178 1801- 1907, 345173-178, 715700-866
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• 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 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• 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: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A mobile device and a method for providing a User Interface (UI) thereof are provided. The mobile device includes a pressure detecting unit configured to detect a pressure, a user interface unit configured to perform a user interface, and a control unit configured to control the user interface unit to activate when the pressure detecting unit detects pressure and determine a function being performed by a user interface input through the user interface unit and the pressure detected at the pressure detecting unit.

Claims

1. A mobile device, comprising:

a pressure detecting unit configured to detect pressure;

a user interface unit configured to perform a user interface; and

a control unit configured to control the user interface unit to activate when the pressure detecting unit detects pressure and to determine a function being performed by a user interface input through the user interface unit and the pressure detected at the pressure detecting unit.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the user interface unit comprises:

a proximity sensor unit configured to detect whether a user moves closer to the proximity sensor unit and detect a presence of a proximate gesture;

a touch detecting unit configured to detect a touch manipulation; and

a button unit configured to detect a button manipulation,

wherein the control unit is further configured to control at least one of the proximity sensor unit, the touch detecting unit, and the button unit to activate when the pressure detecting unit detects pressure.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the user interface unit comprises a proximity sensor unit configured to detect whether a user moves closer to the proximity sensor unit and detect a presence of a proximate gesture,

wherein the control unit is further configured to control the function to perform when the pressure detecting unit detects the pressure and the proximity sensor unit detects the presence of the proximate gesture, and

the function to be performed is related to a specific application currently being executed.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the user interface unit comprises a touch detecting unit configured to detect a touch manipulation,

wherein the control unit is further configured to control the function to perform when the pressure detecting unit detects the pressure and the touch detecting unit detects the touch manipulation, and

the function to be performed is related to a specific application currently being executed.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the user interface unit comprises a button unit configured to detect a button manipulation,

wherein the control unit is further configured to control the function to perform when the pressure detecting unit detects the pressure and the button unit detects the button manipulation, and

the function to be performed is related to a specific application which is currently being executed.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to determine the function to be performed by the user interface input through the user interface unit, based on a magnitude of the pressure detected at the pressure detecting unit.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the pressure detecting unit comprises at least one pressure detecting area, and

wherein the control unit is further configured to determine the function to be performed by a user interface input through the user interface unit, based on the at least one pressure detecting area, that detects the pressure.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to determine the function to be performed by a user interface input through the user interface unit, based on a number of times the pressure detecting unit detects the pressure.

9. A method for providing a User Interface (UI), comprising:

detecting, at a pressure detecting unit, a pressure;

activating a user interface unit that provides a user interface, when the pressure detecting unit detects the pressure;

performing the user interface through the user interface unit; and

determining a function being performed by the user interface input through the user interface unit and the pressure detected at the pressure detecting unit.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

detecting whether a user moves closer to the proximity sensor unit and detecting a presence of a proximate gesture, through a proximity sensor unit;

detecting a touch manipulation, through a touch detecting unit; and

detecting a button manipulation, through a button unit,

wherein activating the user interface unit includes activating at least one of the proximity sensor unit, the touch detecting unit, and the button unit when the pressure detecting unit detects the pressure.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising performing the function when the pressure detecting unit detects the pressure and the proximity sensor unit detects the presence of the proximate gesture,

wherein the function to be performed is related to a specific application which is currently being executed.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising performing the function when the pressure detecting unit detects the pressure and the touch detecting unit detects the touch manipulation,

wherein the function to be performed is related to a specific application which is currently being executed.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising performing the function when the pressure detecting unit detects the pressure and the button unit detects the button manipulation,

wherein the function to be performed is related to a specific application which is currently being executed.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining the function to be performed by the user interface input through the user interface unit, based on a magnitude of the pressure detected at the pressure detecting unit.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining the function to be performed by the user interface, based on the pressure detecting area from among at least one pressure detecting area of the pressure detecting unit for detecting the pressure.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining the function to be performed by the user interface, based on a number of times the pressure detecting unit detects the pressure.