Mobile terminal and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9733752-B2
Application number	US-201514795658-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2015
Priority date	Nov 20, 2013
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

A mobile terminal including a touch screen configured to switch between an inactivated state in which illumination is not applied to the touch screen and an activated state in which illumination is applied to the touch screen, and a controller configured to release a locked state of the mobile terminal and switch the touch screen to the activated state, when a plurality of touch inputs is input in the inactivated state and the plurality of touch inputs matches a predefined pattern. Further, the predetermined pattern is initially set using a quadrant image displayed on the touch screen in the activated state, touch inputs for setting the predetermined pattern are applied to at least one of quadrant I, II, III and IV included in the quadrant image displayed on the touch screen in the activated state of the touch screen, a first touch input included in the plurality of touch inputs in the inactivated state is applied to the touch screen, and quadrant areas on the touch screen for receiving the plurality of touch inputs in the inactivated state change based on a first touch position of the first touch input and a second touch position of a second touch input of the plurality of touch inputs in the inactivated state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:
a touch screen configured to switch between an inactivated state in which illumination is not applied to the touch screen and an activated state in which illumination is applied to the touch screen; and
a controller configured to release a locked state of the mobile terminal and switch the touch screen to the activated state, when a plurality of touch inputs is input in the inactivated state and the plurality of touch inputs matches a predefined pattern,
wherein the predetermined pattern is initially set using a quadrant image displayed on the touch screen in the activated state,
wherein touch inputs for setting the predetermined pattern are applied to at least one of quadrant I, II, III and IV included in the quadrant image displayed on the touch screen in the activated state of the touch screen,
wherein a first touch input included in the plurality of touch inputs in the inactivated state is applied to the touch screen,
wherein quadrant areas on the touch screen for receiving the plurality of touch inputs in the inactivated state change based on a first touch position of the first touch input and a second touch position of a second touch input of the plurality of touch inputs in the inactivated state, and
wherein the controller is further configured to set the quadrant areas on the touch screen based on the positions of the first and second touch inputs.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller sets the quadrant areas to be smaller when the first and second touch inputs are closer together and sets the quadrants areas to be larger when the first and second touch inputs are farther apart.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of touch inputs include consecutive touch inputs on the quadrant areas in any numbered order and shape that matches a predetermined passcode.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 3 , wherein the shape of the predetermined pattern is defined by connecting points of the plurality of touch inputs.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the quadrant areas occur anywhere on the touch screen such that the predetermined pattern can be input anywhere on the touch screen in the inactivated state.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of touch inputs occur on a lower left hand corner or lower right hand corner of the touch screen such that the predetermined pattern can be input via a thumb of a hand holding the mobile terminal.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the inactivated state of the touch screen is free of any guide for inputting the predetermined pattern in order to release the locked state of the mobile terminal.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to display a home screen or a most recently used screen when the locked state of the mobile terminal is released.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to turn on a light emitting element with a first color when the plurality of touch inputs match the predetermined pattern and turn on the light emitting element with a second color when the plurality of touch inputs do not match the predetermined pattern.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to release the locked state of the mobile terminal when the plurality of touch inputs match the predetermined pattern without displaying a passcode screen for entering a passcode for releasing the locked state.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to maintain the inactivated state of the touch screen and the locked state of the mobile terminal when the plurality of touch inputs do not match the predetermined pattern.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to switch the inactivated state of the touch screen into the activated state and display a lock screen with a password window for releasing the locked state of the mobile terminal, if the plurality of touch inputs are input incorrectly a set number of times without matching the predetermined pattern.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to output guidance information indicating that the plurality of touch inputs applied on the touch screen do not match the predetermined pattern.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller determines that the plurality of touch inputs matches the predefined pattern based on an orientation of the mobile terminal when receiving the plurality of touch inputs.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the quadrants areas on the touch screen are equal areas.

16. A method of controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:
switching, via a touch screen, between an inactivated state in which illumination is not applied to the touch screen and an activated state in which illumination is applied to the touch screen; and
releasing, via the controller, a locked state of the mobile terminal and switching the touch screen to the activated state, when a plurality of touch inputs is input in the inactivated state and the plurality of touch inputs matches a predefined pattern,
wherein the predetermined pattern is initially set using a quadrant image displayed on the touch screen in the activated state,
wherein touch inputs for setting the predetermined pattern are applied to at least one of quadrant I, II, III and IV included in the quadrant image displayed on the touch screen in the activated state of the touch screen,
wherein a first touch input included in the plurality of touch inputs in the inactivated state is applied to on the touch screen,
wherein quadrant areas on the touch screen for receiving the plurality of touch inputs in the inactivated state change based on a first touch position of the first touch input and a second touch position of a second touch input of the plurality of touch inputs in the inactivated state, and
wherein the method further comprises setting, via the controller, the quadrant areas on the touch screen based on the positions of the first and second touch inputs.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Park Jongseok
• Ji Jaeyoung
• Lee Younghoon
• Jeong Byoungzoo
• Kim Nayeoung
• Yi Gijae
• Choi Jinhae
• Kim Youngjoon
• Won Yoonchan
• Cho Hangshin
• Lee Soohyun

Classifications

• 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

• G06F21/31

  User authentication · CPC title

• G06F3/041

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title

• G06F2203/04104

  Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger · CPC title