Mobile terminal and method for controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9756166-B2
Application number	US-201414464136-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2014
Priority date	Feb 7, 2014
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

A mobile terminal and a method for controlling the same are provided. The mobile terminal includes a terminal body, a wireless communication unit configured to connect a wireless device to the terminal body to perform wireless communication with the terminal body, a sensing unit sensing that the terminal body approaches a user's head in a state in which a call for the terminal body is set to be connected to the external device through wireless communication, and a controller configured to, when it is determined that the terminal body has approached the user's head within a reference range according to the sensing results, control the wireless communication unit to transfer the call from the external device to the terminal body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile terminal comprising:
a terminal body;
a wireless communication unit configured to connect an external device to the terminal body to perform wireless communication with the terminal body;
a sensing unit configured to sense that the terminal body approaches a user's head; and
a controller configured to:
set a phone call of the terminal body to be received by the external device through wireless communication when the external device and the terminal body are connected through wireless communication,
sense a distance between the terminal body and the user's head during the phone call being performing by the terminal body,
detect that the phone call of the terminal body is received by the external device and the terminal body approaches the user's head within a reference range during the phone call received by the external device,
only transfer the phone call from the external device to the terminal body while maintaining a state of wireless communication between the external device and the terminal body,
output an alarm in response to transferring the phone call,
control the external device to gradually increase a magnitude of a voice signal of the phone call output to the external device and display a first feedback message to a display unit of the terminal body as the terminal body gradually moves away from the user's head according to the sensing results,
control the external device to gradually reduce the magnitude of the voice signal of the phone call output to the external device and display a second feedback message to the display unit as the terminal body gradually approaches the user's head according to the sensing results, and
set a next phone call of the terminal body to be received by the external device in response to detecting an ending of the phone call being performed by the terminal body.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication includes Bluetooth communication or Wi-Fi communication.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1 ,
wherein the display unit is configured to output a first icon representing a state of wireless communication between the terminal body and the external device, and
wherein when the phone call is transferred from the external device to the terminal body in a state in which the first icon is output, the controller provides control such that a second icon corresponding to the transfer of the phone call is output to the display unit or the external device.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein when the terminal body approaches the user's head within the reference range according to the sensing results, the controller is further configured to:
control the wireless communication unit such that data, of the phone call, corresponding to the wireless communication is continuously output by the external device.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein, in a state in which the phone call is set to be received by the external device or after the phone call is transferred from the external device to the terminal body, when wearing of the external device is not sensed for a pre-set period of time, the controller releases the connection between the terminal body and the external device.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the sensing unit senses that the terminal body approaches the user's head, on the basis of image information obtained through a camera.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the sensing unit senses that the terminal body approaches the user's head through a proximity sensor provided in the terminal body.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein when the phone call is transferred from the external device to the terminal body, the controller controls an output unit of the terminal body to output first vibration, and
after the first vibration is output, when the phone call is transferred back from the terminal body to the external device, the controller controls the output unit to output second vibration.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to set the next phone call of the terminal body by classifying the phone call into a call in a call mode or a call in a call standby mode,
wherein, when the phone call is transferred from the external device to the terminal body in the call mode and the phone call is ended, the controller maintains the state in which the next phone call is set to be received by the external device, and
wherein, when the phone call is transferred from the external device to the terminal body in the call standby mode and the phone call is ended, the controller controls the wireless communication unit to release the state in which the external device is set to receive the next phone call.

10. A method for controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:
connecting the mobile terminal and an external device such that the mobile terminal and the external device perform wireless communication;
setting a phone call of the mobile terminal to be received by the external device through wireless communication when the external device and the mobile terminal are connected through wireless communication;
sensing a distance between the terminal body and the user's head during the phone call being performing by the terminal body;
detecting that the phone call of the mobile terminal is received by the external device and the mobile terminal approaches the user's head within a reference range during the phone call received by the external device;
only transferring the phone call from the external device to the mobile terminal while maintaining a state of wireless communication between the external device and the terminal body,
outputting an alarm in response to transferring the phone call;
controlling the external device to gradually increase a magnitude of a voice signal of the phone call output to the external device and displaying a first feedback message to a display unit of the terminal body as the terminal body gradually moves away from the user's head according to the sensing results;
controlling the external device to gradually reduce the magnitude of the voice signal of the phone call output to the external device and displaying a second feedback message to the display unit as the terminal body gradually approaches the user's head according to the sensing results; and
setting a next phone call of the terminal body to be received by the external device in response to detecting an ending of the phone call being performed by the terminal body.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the wireless communication includes at least one of Bluetooth communication and Wi-Fi communication.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
providing control such that data, of the phone call, corresponding to the wireless communication is continuously output by the external device.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Cho Sungil
• Yeo Junhee
• Jung Youngkyung
• Kim Boram

Classifications

• H04M1/605

  involving control of the receiver volume to provide a dual operational mode at close or far distance from the user · CPC title

• H04M19/048 Primary

  Arrangements providing optical indication of the incoming call, e.g. flasher circuits · CPC title

• H04M1/6066

  including a wireless connection · CPC title

• H04M1/7253 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04M1/72412 Primary

  using two-way short-range wireless interfaces · CPC title