Mobile terminal and method for controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10133310-B2
Application number	US-201514657117-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2015
Priority date	Nov 10, 2014
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed is a mobile terminal using a display unit and a control method thereof. The mobile terminal includes a controller which displays first screen information corresponding to a first application on a first display region disposed on an inner surface when the mobile terminal is open, and converts the first screen information into second screen information when a folding event is generated. Further, the controller converts the first screen information or the second screen information into third screen information which is different from the second screen information when an angle between first and second regions of the first display region corresponding to the folding event is less than a reference value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile terminal, comprising: a terminal body comprising an inner side and an outer side and configured to be converted between an open configuration and a folded configuration; a display comprising an inner display region disposed on the inner side and configured to be bent about a specific region; a hinge unit corresponding to the specific region, the hinge unit comprising an elastic member and a protrusion configured to limit a folding range of the terminal body in a backwards direction, wherein the elastic member is configured to bias the terminal body to the open configuration; a sensor configured to sense whether the display is folded in the backwards direction via hinge unit or the display is folded in a forward direction via the hinge unit; and a hardware controller configured to: cause the display to display on the inner display region first screen information and second screen information in a first screen mode region when the terminal body is in the open configuration, wherein the first screen information corresponds to a first application; in response to a backward bending event of the terminal body about the specific region, cause the display to display on the inner display region the first screen information in a second screen mode without displaying the second screen information; in response to the terminal body being biased to the open configuration by the elastic member following the backward bending event of the terminal body, cause the display to maintain display of the first screen information in the second screen mode without displaying the second screen information; in response to a forward bending event of the terminal body about the specific region, divide the inner region into a first region and a second region based on the specific region; cause the display to display a part of the first screen information on a part of the first display region according to a forward-folded degree of the specific region; and cause the second region to be converted into an inactive state wherein a part of the first region is covered by a bent portion of the terminal body corresponding to the second region, wherein when the first region and the second region are in a locked state, the controller is further configured to: cause the second region to release the locked state in response to a plurality of touch inputs applied to the second region which match a preset pattern; and cause the first region to release the locked state in response to a drag input received from one end to another end of the specific region.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein:
the specific region defines a division between the first region and the second region of the inner display region; and
the angle of the forward bending event corresponds to a rotational degree between a surface corresponding to the first region and surface corresponding to the second region.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2 , wherein:
the controller is further configured to cause the display to display second screen information related to the first screen information according to the forward bending event;
the first screen information corresponds to an execution screen displayed on an entire part of the inner display region; and
the second screen information comprises a plurality of execution screens displayed on the first region and the second region.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 2 , wherein:
the controller is further configured to terminate the display of the first screen information or the second screen information and cause the display to display third screen information when an angle of the forward bending event is less than a threshold value; and
the third screen information comprises an execution screen displayed on a third region of the inner display region.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 4 , wherein:
the third screen information comprises an input area for inputting security-related information corresponding to the part of the first screen information, and
the controller is further configured to:
terminate the displaying of the third screen information and cause the display to display second screen information updated with the security-related information when the terminal body is moved to the open configuration; and
cause the display to display an indicator on an outer display region of the display that the security-related information has been applied to the second screen information.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display to display the part of the first screen information when:
an angle of the forward bending event is maintained for a threshold length of time; or
a touch input applied to the first display region is maintained for another threshold length of time.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display to display a first image object on the specific region in response to the forward bending event, the first image object related to display settings.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
cause the display to display a plurality of icons in response to a touch drag input to the displayed first image object, the plurality of icons displayed along a path of the touch drag input on the specific region; and
apply a setting of the display setting based on a touch input to one of the plurality of icons.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display to:
cease displaying the first image object after a threshold length of time; and
re-display the first image object in response to a touch input to the specific region while an angle of the forward bending event is maintained.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display to display a second image object on the specific region related to at least a second application in response to a touch input to the specific region.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
cause the display to display a plurality of application icons in response to a touch drag input to the displayed second image object, the plurality of application icons displayed along a path of the touch drag input on the specific region; and
execute an application corresponding to a selected one of the plurality of application icons;
terminate the displaying of the first screen information or the second screen information and cause the display to display an execution screen of the executed application.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein:
the specific region defines a division between the first region and the second region of the inner display region; and
the controller is further configured to:
cause the display to display a plurality of settings icons in response to a touch drag input to the specific region, the plurality of settings icons displayed along a path of the touch drag input; and
apply a setting in response to a touch input to one of the plurality of settings icons;
wherein the setting is changed based on a forward bending angle between a surface corresponding to the first region and a surface corresponding to the second region.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein:
the specific region defines a division between the first region and the second region of the inner display region; and
the controller is further configured to:
cause the display to display a plurality of application icons in response to a first touch drag input to the specific region, the plurality of application ico

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Samsick
• Yu Donghwan
• Lee Seojin

Classifications

• G06F2203/04803

  Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas · CPC title

• G06F3/04817

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title

• G06F1/1681

  Details related solely to hinges (hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683) · CPC title

• G09G2340/0464

  Positioning · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title