Mobile terminal and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9280263-B2
Application number	US-201313795037-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2013
Priority date	Oct 23, 2012
Publication date	Mar 8, 2016
Grant date	Mar 8, 2016

Abstract

A mobile terminal capable of sensing a touch input, and a control method thereof are provided. The mobile terminal includes: a display unit configured to display screen information; a sensing unit configured to sense a touch input applied to the display unit; and a controller configured to display an indicator bar including at least one icon together with the screen information, and select any one of icons displayed in the indicator bar.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile terminal comprising:
a touch screen; and
a controller configured to:
display a first indicator bar including a first plurality of icons to a region of the touch screen in response to an initial detection of a first multi-finger touch input applied to the touch screen, wherein a position of the region of the touch screen is determined by a direction of fingertips of the first multi-finger touch input with respect to the touch screen,
display a visual cue adjacent to the first indicator bar while the first indicator bar is displayed on the touch screen,
move a position of the visual cue when a continuous drag of the first multi-finger touch input is detected on the touch screen,
select an icon disposed in a position adjacent to the visual cue in response to a removal of the continuous drag of the first multi-finger touch input, and
display a second indicator bar, different from the first indicator bar and including a second plurality of icons, on another region different from the region of the touch screen in response to an initial detection of a second multi-finger touch input applied to the touch screen, wherein a total number of fingers used in the second multi-finger touch input is different from a total number of fingers used in the first multi-finger touch input, and
wherein the first plurality of icons on said first indicator bar corresponds to applications previously set in the mobile terminal and the second plurality of icons on said second indicator bar corresponds to applications previously set by the user.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller determines a shape of the first indicator bar according to a type of the first multi-finger touch input applied to the touch screen.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller determines at least one icon included in first plurality of icons included in the first indicator bar according to a type of the first multi-finger touch input applied to the touch screen.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller detects a distance of the first multi-finger touch input traveled during the continuous drag to determine the position of the visual cue.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein when the first multi-finger touch input is released, the controller executes a function corresponding to the selected icon.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , further comprising: an audio output unit, wherein the controller outputs at least one of an audio signal and a vibration signal through the audio output unit, during the continuous drag of the first multi-finger touch input.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 4 , wherein when the distance of the first multi-finger touch input is longer than a pre-set length, the controller displays a scroll bar on the touch screen and displays scroll icons in the first indicator bar based on a touch input applied to the scroll bar.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 4 , wherein the controller selects any one of the first plurality of icons displayed at the first indicator bar based on the distance of the first multi-finger touch input and the controller generates a control command in relation to the selected icon based on a touch input continued from the first touch input and in a direction different from a direction of the first multi-finger touch input.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8 , wherein the controller executes a function corresponding to the selected icon based on an attribute of the touch input.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 8 , wherein when the touch input in the direction is sensed, the controller displays different icons in relation to the selected icon on the touch screen.

11. A control method of a mobile terminal including a touch screen, the method comprising:
sensing a first multi-finger touch input applied to the touch screen;
displaying a first indicator bar including a first plurality of icons to a region of the touch screen in response to an initial detection of a first multi-finger touch input applied to the touch screen, wherein a position of the region on the touch screen is determined by a direction of fingertips of the first multi-finger touch input with respect to the touch screen;
displaying a visual cue adjacent to the first indicator bar while the first indicator bar is displayed at the touch screen;
moving a position of the visual cue when a continuous drag of the first multi-touch input is detected on the touch screen;
selecting an icon disposed in a position adjacent to the visual cue in response to a removal of the continuous drag of the first multi-finger touch inputs and
displaying a second indicator bar, different from the first indicator bar and including a second plurality of icons, on another region different from the region of the touch screen in response to an initial detection of a second multi-finger touch input applied to the touch screen, wherein a total number of fingers used in the second multi-finger touch input is different from a total number of fingers used in the first multi-finger touch input, and
wherein the first plurality of icons on said first indicator bar corresponds to applications previously set in the mobile terminal and the second plurality of icons on said second indicator bar corresponds to applications previously set by the user.

12. The control method of claim 11 , wherein the selecting of the icon comprises:
detecting a distance of the first multi-finger touch input traveled during the continuous drag; and
selecting the icon disposed in a position most adjacent to the visual cue based on the distance of the first multi-finger touch input traveled during the continuous drag.

Assignees

• Kim Changmok
• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Changmok

Classifications

• G06F1/1626

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · CPC title

• G06F3/04842

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

• G06F3/04883

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

• G06F2203/04808

  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 title