Mobile terminal and control method for the mobile terminal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016014264-A1
Application number	US-201414562487-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 5, 2014
Priority date	Jul 14, 2014
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A mobile terminal including a terminal body; a wireless communication unit configured to provide wireless communication; a display unit, and a controller configured to deactivate the display unit, and receive a plurality of taps applied to the deactivated display unit, and display information of a preset function on the display unit based on a tapped pattern formed with the plurality of taps matching a preset pattern and a current state of the terminal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A mobile terminal, comprising:
a terminal body; a wireless communication unit configured to provide wireless communication; a display unit; and a controller configured to: deactivate the display unit, receive a plurality of taps applied to the deactivated display unit, and display information of a preset function on the display unit based on a tapped pattern formed with the plurality of taps matching a preset pattern and a current state of the terminal.

2 . The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to switch at least part of the display unit to an activate state and display the information of the preset function based on a last tap of the plurality of taps maintaining contact on the display unit.

3 . The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the preset function corresponds to a multimedia function or a camera function when the current state of the terminal is a horizontal state.

4 . The mobile terminal of claim 3 , further comprising:
a camera provided on a rear surface of the terminal body, wherein the controller is further configured to perform the multimedia function or the camera function based on a state of the camera.

5 . The mobile terminal of claim 4 , wherein the
controller is further configured to perform the multimedia function when the state of the camera is in an image unreceivable state and perform the camera function when the state of the camera is in an image receivable state.

6 . The mobile terminal of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first camera on a front surface of the terminal body and a second camera on a rear surface of the terminal body, wherein the controller is further configured to activate the first camera when the current state of the mobile terminal indicates the mobile terminal is inclined more than a predetermined angle and activate the second camera when the state of the mobile terminal indicates the mobile terminal is not inclined more than the predetermined angle.

7 . The mobile terminal of claim 6 , wherein the controller is further configured to maintain an active state of the first or second camera even when a last tap of the plurality of taps is no longer maintained.

8 . The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the tapped pattern is linked with a specific person's identification information, and
wherein the preset function is associated with the specific person's identification information.

9 . The mobile terminal of claim 8 , wherein the preset function includes a plurality of preset functions associated with the specific person's identification information, and
wherein the controller is further configured to perform any one of the plurality of preset functions according to the current state of the terminal.

10 . The mobile terminal of claim 8 , further comprising:
a proximity sensor unit configured to sense whether or not an object exists within a preset distance from the terminal body, wherein the preset function includes calling an external terminal indicated by the specific person's identification information when the proximity sensor senses the object within the preset distance.

11 . The mobile terminal of claim 8 , wherein the preset function includes a route guidance function using destination information associated with the specific person's identification information when the mobile terminal is placed on an external object.

12 . The mobile terminal of claim 8 , further comprising:
a light-emitting unit configured to emit light having any one of a plurality of colors, wherein the controller is further configured to display notification information using the light emitting-emitting unit indicating the applied plurality of taps matching the preset pattern are linked with the specific person's identification information.

13 . The mobile terminal of claim 1 , further comprising:
a proximity sensor unit configured to sense whether or not an object is covering at least a portion of the display unit, wherein the preset function includes displaying notification information indicating an occurrence of an event on the mobile terminal in a remaining portion of the display unit which is not covered by the object.

14 . The mobile terminal of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
receive a selection of a corresponding notification included in the displayed notification information, activate a partial portion of the display unit, and display screen information linked with the corresponding notification on the activated partial portion of the display unit.

15 . The mobile terminal of claim 3 , wherein the current state of the terminal includes the mobile terminal facing an external terminal for short range wireless communication, and
wherein the preset function includes transmitting information to the external terminal that corresponds to the preset pattern.

16 . The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
execute an application on the mobile terminal in a background state while maintaining the deactivated display unit, and wherein the preset function includes controlling the application in the background state based on a touch drag gesture received following a last tap of the plurality of taps.

17 . The mobile terminal of claim 16 , wherein the background application includes playing music, and
wherein the preset function includes controlling a volume of the playing music based a direction of the touch drag gesture.

18 . A method of controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:
deactivating, via a controller of the mobile terminal, a display unit of the mobile terminal; receiving a plurality of taps applied to the deactivated display unit; and displaying, via the controller, information of a preset function on the display unit based on a tapped pattern formed with the plurality of taps matching a preset pattern and a current state of the terminal.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
switching at least part of the display unit to the activate state; and displaying the information of the preset function based on a last tap of the plurality of taps maintaining contact on the display unit.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the preset function corresponds to a multimedia function or a camera function when the current state of the terminal is a horizontal state.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Yim Soyeon
• Lee Jisun
• Lee Seojin
• Seol Jie

Classifications

• H04M1/72463

  to restrict the functionality of the device · CPC title

• G06F2200/1637

  Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer · CPC title

• G06F2200/1636

  Sensing arrangement for detection of a tap gesture on the housing · CPC title

• H04M2250/22

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

• H04M1/67

  by electronic means · CPC title