Mobile terminal and method for operating rear surface input unit of same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016306524-A1
Application number	US-201415100942-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 26, 2014
Priority date	Dec 10, 2013
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal adapted to guide a plurality of functions, performable on the current screen, to a front display unit in accordance with user interaction on a rear surface input unit, and relates to a method for operating the rear surface input unit of same, and the present invention comprises the steps of: displaying content on the front display unit; detecting a first input on the rear surface input unit; displaying, through a guide unit, at least one function performable on the current screen on the front display unit on the basis of the type of first input detected; and performing the function in accordance with a second input on the rear surface input unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A mobile terminal, comprising:
a display unit disposed on a front surface to display content on a screen; a rear input unit disposed on a rear surface to sense a user input; and a controller configured to display at least one function currently executable on a screen on a front display unit through a guide section based on the displayed content type and an input type applied to the rear input unit.

2 . The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the rear input unit is a push button or touch button or a push button or touch button provided with a fingerprint recognition sensor.

3 . The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the user input comprises a press and touch to at least one or more buttons provided on the rear input unit.

4 . The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein a type of the content comprises a standby screen, a text, an image, a webpage and a function application screen of the mobile terminal, and a type of the user input is one of a short or long press, a short touch, a long touch and a scrolling.

5 . The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the guide section comprises an indicator having the same position, shape and size as those of the rear input unit, and is displayed in a transparent or semi-transparent manner when a first input is applied to the rear input unit.

6 . The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller determines one function based on the content type and input type among multi-functions set to the rear input unit during the sensing of a first input to the rear input unit and then displays it on the guide section, and performs the relevant function during the sensing of a second input.

7 . The mobile terminal of claim 6 , wherein the first and the second input are press inputs to one of a center button, an up button and a down button of the rear input unit.

8 . The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises an icon indicating a function and an icon indicating a selection direction of the function on the guide section.

9 . The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller allocates functions executable on current content to each direction among multi-functions set to the rear input unit to display them on the guide section during the sensing of a first input to the rear input unit, and executes a function corresponding to the direction of a second input during the sensing of the second input to the rear input unit.

10 . The mobile terminal of claim 9 , wherein the first input is a press input to a center button of the rear input unit, and the second input is a press input to a center button or up/down button of the rear input unit.

11 . The mobile terminal of claim 9 , wherein the first input is a press or touch input to a center button of the rear input unit, and the second input is a scroll input to a center button thereof.

12 . The mobile terminal of claim 9 , wherein the controller performs user authentication through fingerprint recognition during the sensing of a first input, and recognizes the direction of a second input through fingerprint recognition to select a function in the relevant direction during the sensing of the second input.

13 . An rear input unit operation method, the method comprising:
displaying content on a front display unit; sensing a first input to a rear input unit; displaying at least one function currently executable on a screen on the front display unit through a guide section based on a type of the sensed first input; and performing the function according to a second input to the rear input unit.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the rear input unit is a push button or touch button or a push button or touch button provided with a fingerprint recognition sensor.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein a type of the content comprises a standby screen, a text, an image, a webpage and a function application screen of the mobile terminal, and a type of the first input is one of a short or long press, a short touch, a long touch and a scrolling.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein at least one function currently executable on the screen is one function determined according to a type of the content and a type of the first input among multi-functions set to the rear input unit.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the guide section is implemented with an indicator having the same position, shape and size as those of the rear input unit, and displayed in a transparent or semi-transparent manner when a first input is applied to the rear input unit.

18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the guide section comprises an icon indicating a function and an icon indicating a selection direction of the function.

19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein at least one function currently executable on the screen comprises a plurality of functions executable on current content and allocated to each direction.

20 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first and the second input are press inputs to one of a center button, an up button and a down button of the rear input unit.

21 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first input is a press input to a center button of the rear input unit, and the second input is a press input to a center button or up/down button of the rear input unit.

22 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first input is a press or touch input to a center button of the rear input unit, and the second input is a scroll input to a center button thereof.

23 . The method of claim 13 , wherein said performing the function comprises:
recognizing the direction of a second input through a fingerprint recognition sensor; and selecting and executing a function corresponding to the recognized direction of the second input.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Park Jiyoung
• Choi Jaeho
• Kim Sujin
• Yoon Sunghye
• Chi Jumin
• Noh Sukhoon
• Kim Younghoon
• Lee Kyungjik
• Kim Sangwook

Classifications

• G06F3/0487 Primary

  using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser · CPC title

• G06V40/13

  Sensors therefor · CPC title

• G06F3/04817 Primary

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

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06K9/00013

  Physics · mapped topic