Mobile terminal and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9830075-B2
Application number	US-201514602086-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2015
Priority date	Jul 25, 2014
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

A mobile terminal including a terminal body having an inner surface, an outer surface and side surfaces, and configured to be opened into an open state and closed into a closed state; a touch screen having first and second regions disposed on the inner surface, a third region disposed on the outer surface, and a fourth region disposed on the side surface between the first and third regions, in the closed state; and a controller configured to display an execution screen to at least one of the first and second regions in the open state, display information related to the execution screen on at least one of the third and fourth regions, based on a closed type of the terminal body corresponding folding closed the terminal body, and execute a function related to the displayed information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:
a terminal body having an inner surface, an outer surface and side surfaces, and configured to be opened into an open state where the inner surface is exposed to an upper side, and closed into a closed state where the outer surface and the side surface are exposed to an upper side while the inner surface is covered;
a touch screen having a first region and a second region disposed on the inner surface, a third region disposed on the outer surface, and a fourth region disposed on the side surface between the first region and the third region, in the closed state; and
a controller configured to:
display an execution screen of at least one application to at least one of the first and second regions in the open state,
display information related to the execution screen on at least one of the third and fourth regions, based on a closed type of the terminal body corresponding to an occurred folding event of folding closed the terminal body, and
execute a function related to the displayed information based on a received touch input applied to the corresponding first, second, third or fourth regions where the information is displayed.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensing unit configured to sense the closed type of the terminal body by detecting a gradient change at the first and second regions when the folding event occurs,
wherein the controller is further configured to activate one of the third and fourth regions based on the detected closed type, such that the information related on the execution screen is displayed on the activated display region.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2 , wherein upon detection of a first closed type where a gradient change is detected only from the first region, the controller is further configured to display a first image indicating the execution screen-related information on the third region,
wherein upon detection of a second closed type where a gradient change is detected from the first and second regions, the controller is further configured to display a second image indicating the execution screen-related information, on the fourth region, and
wherein the first image is different from the second image.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 3 , wherein upon detection of the first closed type, the controller is further configured to activate the fourth region, and
wherein when a drag input toward the fourth region from the third region is applied to the first image, the controller is further configured to change a size or a shape of the first image along a path of the drag input to thus extend up to the fourth region, and execute a function corresponding to the first image.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 3 , wherein upon detection of the first closed type, the controller is further configured to activate the fourth region, and
wherein when a function corresponding to the first image is performed in the first closed type, the controller is further configured to display, on the fourth region, a third image associated with the execution of the function corresponding to the first image.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , further comprising:
a wireless communication unit configured to transmit and receive a message,
wherein the controller is further configured to display a message transceived through the wireless communication unit on the first and second regions in the open state, and
wherein when a folding event occurs on the touch screen when a written message has not been sent, the controller is further configured to display an icon for sending the written message on one of the third and fourth regions, based on a closed type corresponding to the folding event.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein when the folding event occurs when at least one task is being performed on the execution screen, the controller is further configured to display a first icon indicating that the task is being performed, on one of the third and fourth regions, and change the first icon into a second icon when the task is completed.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to block input of a control command applied to the third and fourth regions during the folding event, and
wherein when the open state is converted into the closed state based on the folding event, the controller is further configured to activate one of the third and fourth regions and release the blocking, based on a closed type corresponding to the folding event.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the fourth region disposed on the side surface extends from the third region and has a predetermined curvature, and
wherein when a folding event occurs on the touch screen, the controller is further configured to display information on the execution screen on the third region and part of the fourth region along the curvature, or only on the fourth region, based on a closed type corresponding to the folding event.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein when an event occurs from at least one application in the open state, the controller is further configured to output an alarm informing the event,
wherein when a drag input toward the fourth region from the first region is applied to one side of the first region in response to the alarm, the controller is further configured to execute a first function related to the event, and
wherein when the drag input applied to one side of the first region is ended within the first region, the controller is further configured to execute a second function related to the event.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10 , wherein when the open state is converted into the closed state in response to the alarm, the controller is further configured to display an image object related to processing of the event, to one of the third and fourth regions, and
wherein when a drag input applied to the image object is out of a reference range, the controller is further configured to execute a third function related to the event.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein when a touch input is not applied to one of the third and fourth regions where information on the execution screen has been displayed, for a preset time in the closed state, the information disappears, and
wherein when an opening event occurs in the closed state, the controller is further configured to re-display the disappeared information or display other information on one of the third and fourth regions.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 12 , wherein when the opening event occurs in a first closed state where the first region is folded to cover the second region, the controller is further configured to display information on the execution screen or other information on the execution screen on the third region, and
wherein when the opening event occurs in a second closed state where the fourth region is exposed to an upper side and the first region faces the second region, the controller is further configured to display information on the execution screen or other information on the execution screen on the fourth region.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13 , wherein when a touch input is applied to the fourth region in the second closed state, the controller is further configured to display icons of applications corresponding to the execution screen based on a point where the touch input has been applied.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein when the open state is converted into the closed state in response to the folding event, and when the closed state is re-converted into the open state when a

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Samsick
• Yu Donghwan
• Lee Seojin

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

• G06F3/04845

  for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour · CPC title

• G06F1/1677

  for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• H04M1/0245

  using open/close detection · CPC title