Mobile terminal performing a different operation based on a type of a tap applied to a display and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9811196-B2
Application number	US-201314389990-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2013
Priority date	Aug 6, 2013
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed is a mobile terminal including: a display unit; a touch sensor configured to sense a tap applied to the display unit; and a controller configured to control at least one of functions executable in the mobile terminal when a tap corresponding to a pre-set scheme is applied to the display unit, wherein the touch sensor is formed to sense the tap by using different schemes in an activated state or deactivated state of the display unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile terminal comprising:
a display unit;
a proximity sensor configured to detect an object within a reference distance from the proximity sensor;
a touch sensor configured to sense a tap applied to the display unit; and
a controller configured to:
perform one of a plurality of operations in response to a tap applied to the display unit and in response to whether the object is detected as being positioned within the reference distance from the proximity sensor, the tap being applied while the display unit is in a deactivated state, wherein:
the plurality of operations comprise a first operation, a second operation, and a third operation;
the first operation is performed when the tap does not correspond to a pre-set condition and the proximity sensor does not detect the object within the reference distance, and the first operation comprises:
maintaining the deactivated state of the display unit; and
periodically driving the touch sensor with a first period;

the second operation is performed when the tap corresponds to the pre-set condition and the proximity sensor does not detect the object within the reference distance, and the second operation comprises:
switching the display unit from the deactivated state to an activated state; and
periodically driving the touch sensor with a second period shorter than the first period; and
the third operation is performed when the proximity sensor detects the object within the reference distance, and the third operation comprises:
maintaining the deactivated state of the display unit; and
controlling the touch sensor to be deactivated.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine a type of a tap object used to tap the display unit via at least one of an accelerometer or the touch sensor in response to the tap; and
perform any one of the plurality of operations based on the type of the tap object.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , further comprising an audio output unit,
wherein the controller is further configured to control the audio output unit to output audio data while maintaining the deactivated state of the display unit, and
wherein the audio data is output when an execution of a voice recognition function is initiated and the audio data is output to receive a voice input from a user.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the tap applied to the display unit includes a first tap input applied on a first spot of the deactivated display unit and a second tap input on the deactivated display unit, and wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine a region of the display unit that corresponds to the first tap input,
determine if the second tap input is applied within the region in a predefined time period from the first tap input,
in response to the second tap input being applied within the region in the predefined time period, activate the display unit and periodically drive the touch sensor with the second period, and
in response to the second tap input being applied to a spot outside of the region, maintain the deactivation of the display unit and periodically drive the touch sensor with the first period.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 4 , wherein the controller is further configured to continue to drive the touch sensor with the first period until the second tap input is applied within the region of the display unit that corresponds to the first tap input.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 4 , wherein the first region corresponds to a narrow region considered as a same spot as the first tap input.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 4 , wherein the predefined time period is 200 milliseconds to 2 seconds.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 4 , wherein the first period to drive the touch sensor is set so the touch sensor is deactivated a predetermined number of times per second.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8 , wherein the predetermined number of times includes at least 20 times per second.

10. A mobile terminal comprising:
a display unit;
a proximity sensor configured to detect an object positioned within a reference distance from the proximity sensor;
a touch sensor configured to sense a tap applied to the display unit; and
a controller configured to:
perform one of a plurality of operations in response to a tap applied to the display unit and in response to whether the object is detected as being positioned within the reference distance from the proximity sensor, the tap being applied while the display unit is in a deactivated state, wherein:
the plurality of operations comprise a first operation, a second operation, and a third operation;
the first operation is performed when the tap does not correspond to a pre-set condition and the proximity sensor does not detect the object within the reference distance, and the first operation comprises:
maintaining the deactivated state of the display unit; and
periodically driving the touch sensor with a first period;

the second operation is performed when the tap corresponds to the pre-set condition and the proximity sensor does not detect the object within the reference distance, and the second operation comprises:
switching the display unit from the deactivated state to an activated state;
periodically driving the touch sensor with a second period shorter than the first period; and

the third operation is performed when the proximity sensor detects the object within the reference distance and the third operation comprises:
maintaining the deactivated state of the display unit; and
periodically driving the touch sensor with a third period greater than the second period.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine a type of a tap object used to tap the display unit via at least one of an accelerometer or the touch sensor in response to the tap; and
perform any one of the plurality of operations based on the type of the tap object.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 10 , further comprising an audio output unit,
wherein the controller is further configured to control the audio output unit to output audio data while maintaining the deactivated state of the display unit, and
wherein the audio data is output when an execution of a voice recognition function is initiated and the audio data is output to receive a voice input from a user.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 10 , wherein the tap applied to the display unit includes a first tap input applied on a first spot of the deactivated display unit and a second tap input on the deactivated display unit, and
wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine a region of the display unit that corresponds to the first tap input,
determine if the second tap input is applied within the region in a predefined time period from the first tap input,
in response to the second tap input being applied within the region in the predefined time period, activate the display unit and periodically drive the touch sensor with the second period, and
in response to the second tap input being applied to a spot outside of the region, maintain the deactivation of the display unit and periodically drive the touch sensor with the first period.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to continue to drive the touch sensor with the first period until the second tap input is applied within the region of the display unit that corresponds to the first tap input.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 13 , wherein the first region corresponds to a narrow region

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Yang Eunmo
• Cho Hangshin
• Byun Joonwon
• Ha Jeunguk
• Sin Mansoo

Classifications

• G06F1/3231

  Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users · CPC title

• H04M1/67

  by electronic means · CPC title

• G06F1/1626 Primary

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

• H04M2250/22

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

• G06F3/04883

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