Mobile terminal and control method thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and a control method thereof. The mobile terminal displays a plurality of figures arranged in a first composition on a touch screen when a specific mode is locked, rearranges the plurality of figures in a second composition different from the first composition upon receiving a specific input, and determines whether to unlock the specific mode on the basis of a pattern which is input using the plurality of figures arranged in the first or second composition.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A mobile terminal, comprising:
 a touch screen located on a first side of the mobile terminal;   an input unit located on the first side of the mobile terminal, wherein the touch screen is different from the input unit, and wherein the location of the input unit is different from the location of the touch screen;   a memory configured to store an unlocking pattern; and   a controller configured to:
 cause the touch screen to display a first plurality of figures in a first area of the touch screen in a locked mode, wherein the first plurality of figures are displayed in a row-column format in which adjacent figures within a row are located at a first interval distance relative to each other; 
 cause the touch screen to display initially a second plurality of figures in a second area of the touch screen in response to receiving an input at the input unit, wherein the second area is smaller than the first area, wherein the displaying of the second plurality of figures occurs in the locked mode, wherein the second plurality of figures are displayed in a row-column format in which adjacent figures within a row are located at a second interval distance relative to each other, wherein an orientation of the row-column format of the second plurality of figures is the same as an orientation of the row-column format of the first plurality of figures, and wherein the second interval distance is less than the first interval distance; and 
 cause the touch screen to display a screen in an unlocked mode when a touch pattern received at the second area of the touch screen corresponds to the stored unlocking pattern, wherein the touch pattern is received at the second area after the second plurality of figures are displayed in the second area. 
   
     
     
       2. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the first area is an overall area of the touch screen. 
     
     
       3. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of figures are evenly arranged relative to each other in the first area. 
     
     
       4. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the input unit comprises a push button. 
     
     
       5. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 cause the touch screen to display the screen in the unlocked mode when the touch pattern is received in a particular order at particular figures of the second plurality of figures.   
     
     
       6. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 cause the touch screen to display a screen in the unlocked mode when a touch pattern received at the first area of the touch screen corresponds to the stored unlocking pattern.   
     
     
       7. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the touch pattern represents touch input received at particular figures of the second plurality of figures. 
     
     
       8. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the touch pattern represents drag input received at two or more adjacent figures of the second plurality of figures. 
     
     
       9. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of figures and the second plurality of figures are displayed in 2D or 3D. 
     
     
       10. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 cause the touch screen to terminate the displaying of the first plurality of figures after receiving the input at the input unit.   
     
     
       11. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the touch pattern is a tapping. 
     
     
       12. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein a number of figures that define the first plurality of figures is same as a number of figures that define the second plurality of figures, and wherein the input at the input unit is received during a period of time that the first plurality of figures are displayed. 
     
     
       13. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein a number of figures that define the first plurality of figures is same as a number of figures that define the second plurality of figures, and wherein the row-column format of the first plurality of figures is same as the row-column format of the second plurality of figures. 
     
     
       14. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the input unit comprises a dome switch. 
     
     
       15. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the input unit comprises a touch pad. 
     
     
       16. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the user input comprises a physical contact with the input unit. 
     
     
       17. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 cause the touch screen to continue to display the second plurality of figures in the second area in a locked state until a touch pattern received at the second area of the touch screen corresponds to the stored unlocking pattern.   
     
     
       18. An unlocking method for a mobile terminal having a touch screen and an input unit that is at a location that is different from a location of the touch screen, the method comprising:
 displaying, on the touch screen, a first plurality of figures in a first area of the touch screen in a locked mode, and wherein the first plurality of figures are displayed in a row-column format in which adjacent figures within a row are located at a first interval distance relative to each other;   displaying initially, on the touch screen, a second plurality of figures in a second area of the touch screen in response to receiving an input at the input unit, wherein the second area is smaller than the first area, wherein the displaying of the second plurality of figures occurs in the locked mode, wherein the second plurality of figures are displayed in a row-column format in which adjacent figures within a row are located at a second interval distance relative to each other, wherein an orientation of the row-column format of the second plurality of figures is the same as an orientation of the row-column format of the first plurality of figures, and wherein the second interval distance is less than the first interval distance; and   displaying, on the touch screen, a screen in an unlocked mode when a touch pattern received at the second area of the touch screen corresponds to a stored unlocking pattern, wherein the touch pattern is received at the second area after the second plurality of figures are displayed in the second area.   
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first plurality of figures are evenly arranged relative to each other in the first area. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the input unit comprises a push button. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the touch pattern represents touch input received at particular figures of the second plurality of figures. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the touch pattern represents drag input received at two or more adjacent figures of the second plurality of figures. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 terminating the displaying of the first plurality of figures after receiving the input at an input unit of the mobile terminal.   
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 18 , wherein a number of figures that define the first plurality of figures is same as a number of figures that define the second plurality of figures, and wherein the input at the input unit is received during a period of time that the first plurality of figures are displayed. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 18 , wherein a number of figures that define the first plurality of figures is same as a number of figures that define the second plurality of figures, wherein the row-column format of the first plurality of figures is same as the row-column format of the second plurality of figures. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the input unit comprises a dome switch. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the input unit comprises a touch pad. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the user input comprises a physical contact with the input unit. 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 continuing to display the second plurality of figures in the second area in a locked state until a touch pattern received at the second area of the touch screen corresponds to the stored unlocking pattern.   
     
     
       30. A mobile terminal, comprising:
 a touch screen; and   a controller configured to:   in response to the mobile terminal not being manipulated for a predetermined time in an activation mode in which information or a command can be received through a touch operation of a user via the touch screen, enter a lock mode to lock the activation mode;   in response to an input for unlocking the locked activation mode, cause the touch screen to display a first plurality of figures for unlock in a first area of the touch screen in the locked mode, wherein the first plurality of figures are displayed in a first row-column format in which a closest spacing distance between adjacent figures within a row is a first distance;   cause the touch screen to replace the first plurality of figures with a second plurality of figures for unlock in a second area of the touch screen in the locked mode in response to a drag input received on the touch screen while the first plurality of figures are displayed, wherein displaying of the second plurality of figures in the second area occurs subsequent to the displaying of the first plurality of figures, wherein the second area is smaller than the first area, wherein the second plurality of figures are displayed in a second row-column format in which a closest spacing distance between adjacent figures within a row is a second distance, and wherein the second distance is less than the first distance; and   cause the touch screen to display a screen in an unlocked mode in response to a touch pattern received on the touch screen displaying the second plurality of figures, the touch pattern corresponding to a previously registered unlocking pattern.   
     
     
       31. The mobile terminal of claim 30, wherein a location of the second area in the touch screen varies based on a direction of the drag input. 
     
     
       32. The mobile terminal of claim 31, wherein the location of the second area is biased to one corner of the touch screen. 
     
     
       33. The mobile terminal of claim 30, wherein the second area has a predetermined size. 
     
     
       34. The mobile terminal of claim 30, wherein a trajectory of the drag input is located outside the second plurality of figures. 
     
     
       35. The mobile terminal of claim 30, wherein an orientation of the second row-column format of the second plurality of figures is the same as an orientation of the first row-column format of the first plurality of figures. 
     
     
       36. The mobile terminal of claim 30, wherein the touch pattern corresponds to a trajectory generated by a drag input passing through two or more adjacent figures of the second plurality of figures in an order. 
     
     
       37. The mobile terminal of claim 30, wherein a number of the first plurality of figures is the same as a number of the second plurality of figures. 
     
     
       38. The mobile terminal of claim 30, wherein the first row-column format of the first plurality of figures is different in scale from the second row-column format of the second plurality of figures. 
     
     
       39. The mobile terminal of claim 30, wherein the controller is configured to:
 cause the touch screen to continue to display the second plurality of figures in the locked mode until the received touch pattern corresponds to the previously registered unlocking pattern.   
     
     
       40. A mobile terminal, comprising:
 a touch screen; and   a controller configured to:   in response to the mobile terminal not being manipulated for a predetermined time in an activation mode in which information or a command can be received through a touch operation of a user via the touch screen, enter a lock mode to lock the activation mode;   in response to an input for unlocking the locked activation mode, cause the touch screen to display a first plurality of figures for unlock in a first area of the touch screen in the locked mode, wherein the first plurality of figures are displayed in a row-column format in which a closest spacing distance between adjacent figures within a row is a first distance;   cause the touch screen to replace the first plurality of figures with a second plurality of figures for unlock in a second area of the touch screen in the locked mode in response to receiving a drag input while the first plurality of figures are displayed, wherein displaying of the second plurality of figures in the second area occurs subsequent to the displaying of the first plurality of figures, wherein the second area is smaller than the first area, wherein a location of the second area is biased to one corner of the touch screen, wherein the second plurality of figures are displayed in a row-column format in which a closest spacing distance between adjacent figures within a row is a second distance, and wherein the second distance is less than the first distance; and   cause the touch screen to display a screen in an unlocked mode in response to a touch pattern on the second area of the touch screen, the touch pattern corresponding to a previously registered unlocking pattern.   
     
     
       41. The mobile terminal of claim 40, wherein the second area has a predetermined size. 
     
     
       42. The mobile terminal of claim 40, wherein a trajectory of the drag input is located outside the second plurality of figures. 
     
     
       43. A method of unlocking a mobile terminal, comprising:
 in response to the mobile terminal not being manipulated for a predetermined time in an activation mode in which information or a command can be received through a touch operation of a user via the touch screen, entering a lock mode to lock the activation mode;   in response to an input for unlocking the locked activation mode, displaying a first plurality of figures for unlock in a first area of a touch screen in the locked mode, wherein the first plurality of figures are displayed in a first row-column format in which a closest spacing distance between adjacent figures within a row is a first distance;   replacing the first plurality of figures with a second plurality of figures for unlock in a second area of the touch screen in the locked mode in response to a drag input received on the touch screen while the first plurality of figures are displayed, wherein displaying of the second plurality of figures in the second area occurs subsequent to the displaying of the first plurality of figures, wherein the second area is smaller than the first area, wherein the second plurality of figures are displayed in a second row-column format in which a closest spacing distance between adjacent figures within a row is a second distance, and wherein the second distance is less than the first distance; and   displaying a screen in an unlocked mode in response to a touch pattern received on the touch screen displaying the second plurality of figures, the touch pattern corresponding to a previously registered unlocking pattern.   
     
     
       44. The method of claim 43, wherein a location of the second area in the touch screen varies based on a direction of the drag input. 
     
     
       45. The method of claim 44, wherein the location of the second area is biased to one corner of the touch screen.