Mobile terminal and control method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10587742-B2
Application number	US-201515569733-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2015
Priority date	Apr 27, 2015
Publication date	Mar 10, 2020
Grant date	Mar 10, 2020

Abstract

Provided are a mobile terminal and a control method therefor. The mobile terminal includes: a touchscreen disposed on one side of a main body of the terminal; a push key mounted on the main body to receive a push input; and a controller that displays virtual keys associated with the settings or control of the terminal on the touchscreen when the push key is pushed, and executes functions associated with a speech recognition mode when a set period of time elapses without at least one touch input on the virtual keys being sensed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mobile terminal comprising:
a touchscreen disposed on one side of a main body of the terminal;
a push key mounted on the main body to receive a push input;
an audio output unit disposed on the main body; and
a controller that:
causes the touchscreen to display virtual keys associated with settings or control of the terminal in response to the push input received on the push key;
executes functions associated with a speech recognition mode when a set period of time elapses without receiving at least one touch input on the virtual keys by:
causing the audio output unit to output guidance information for the speech recognition mode after a first period of time elapses without receiving a touch input on the virtual keys; and
executing the speech recognition mode after a second period of time elapses after the guidance information is output;

deactivates the touchscreen when the speech recognition mode is executed; and
terminates the speech recognition mode and causes the touchscreen to re-display the virtual keys in response to a push input received on the push key while the speech recognition mode is executed.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller causes the touchscreen to stop displaying the virtual keys in response to a push input received on the push key prior to an elapse of the first period of time.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the speech recognition mode comprises first and second speech recognition modes in which different processing results are output for a same voice command entered through a microphone on the main body, and
wherein the controller executes the first speech recognition mode in response to a command after the set period of time elapses without receiving at least one touch input on the virtual keys.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 3 , wherein the controller executes the second speech recognition mode in response to touching or pushing a home key on the terminal in a preset pattern.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 3 , wherein a processing result for the first speech recognition mode is output through the audio output unit, and a processing result for the second speech recognition mode is output through the touchscreen.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 3 , wherein the first speech recognition mode is executed according to a selection by a user.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller asks for authentication information upon receiving a user request to execute a particular function in the speech recognition mode.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7 , wherein the authentication information is requested in a case when a lock function is enabled in the terminal.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 7 , wherein the authentication information is not requested when the authentication information request is disabled in speech recognition mode settings.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 9 , wherein the particular function comprises at least either a Call function or a Read messages function, and
wherein once the authentication information request is disabled, at least either the Call function or the Read messages function is executed without asking for the authentication information upon receiving the user request while the terminal is locked.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller checks whether a destination number is included in saved contacts, upon receiving a user request for making a call in the speech recognition mode.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 11 , wherein the controller outputs a guide requesting other information associated with a phone number in response to a voice input including the phone number to call, the phone number included in the saved contacts.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the speech recognition mode is executed after the set period of time elapses without receiving at least one touch input on the virtual keys, and
wherein a phrase prompting a user to speak a voice command is output when no voice command is received from the user in the speech recognition mode.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13 , wherein the phrase is displayed on the touchscreen and disappears when a voice command received from the user is recognized.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the speech recognition mode is executed after the set period of time elapses without receiving at least one touch input on the virtual keys, and
wherein the speech recognition mode offers control functions associated with turning on/off alarms.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 15 , wherein multiple alarms set on the terminal are turned off altogether when a voice command for turning off the alarms is received from the user in the speech recognition mode.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Cho Junho
• Choi Jungkyu
• Kim Youngwoo
• Choi Huran
• Yi Daeyeon

Classifications

• G06F3/167 Primary

  Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback · CPC title

• G06F3/04883

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• H04M2250/74

  with voice recognition means · CPC title

• H04M2250/22

  including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector · CPC title

• G06F3/04886

  by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus · CPC title