# US 8,787,986 B2 · Mobile terminal and operation control method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,787,986 B2 - Document ID: US8787986B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/691,278 - Filed: 2012-11-30 - Published: 2013-05-09 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: LG Electronics Inc. - Applicants: LG Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Jungsu Lee; Jinwook Choi; Seungwon Lee; Seungcheon Baek - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8787986B2 ## CPC - G06F 1/1694: {the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer} - G06F 1/3231: Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users - G06F 3/005: {Input arrangements through a video camera} - G06F 3/013: {Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence)} - H04M 1/67: by electronic means - H04W 4/50: Service provisioning or reconfiguring - H04W 12/08: Access security - H04W 88/02: Terminal devices - H04M 2250/12: including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion - H04M 2250/22: including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector - H04M 2250/52: including functional features of a camera - H04W 4/025: {using location based information parameters} - H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication - H04W 52/0254: {detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device} - H04W 52/027: {by controlling a display operation or backlight unit} - Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management - Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract A mobile terminal and an operation control method thereof in which a delay time of the screen lock execution is controlled according to the type of application, are discussed. The mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include an input unit configured to receive a user input; an execution controller configured to execute screen lock if the user input is not received for a first delay time; and a change controller configured to extend the first delay time to a second delay time based on the user's gaze information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A mobile terminal, comprising: a mobile communication unit configured to transmit and receive a radio signal over a communication network; a display unit configured to display visual information processed in the mobile terminal; an input unit configured to receive a user input; at least one sensor configured to detect user's gaze information; an execution controller configured to execute screen lock when detecting a lack of the user input for a first delay time T1; and a change controller configured to change the first delay time T1 based on the user's gaze information, wherein the change controller determines that a user substantially stares at the display unit based on the user's gaze information, the user's gaze information including an image of the user, wherein the change controller further configured to extend the first delay time T1 to a second delay time T2 when the change controller determines that the user substantially stares at the display unit based on the user's gaze information, and wherein the change controller further determines that the user substantially stares at the display unit when the change controller detects an area of the user including the user's face from the image and a size of the area is larger than a threshold value. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one optical sensor for capturing the image of the user. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the user's gaze information further includes information indicating whether the area of the user including the user's face is detected from the image of the user which is captured by the at least one optical sensor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the change controller further configured to reduce the first delay time T1 to a third delay time T3 when the change controller determines that the user does not substantially stare at the display unit based on the user's gaze information. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the user's gaze information further indicates gaze time indicating a period the user substantially stares the display unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising: wherein the change controller further changes the first delay time T1 to the second delay time T2 based on a type of application, and the type of application is classified according to whether the user's gaze at the visual information is required. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one acceleration sensor for detecting tilt of the mobile terminal and/or at least one touch sensor for detecting a grip type of the mobile terminal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the user's gaze information further indicates the tilt of the mobile terminal and/or the user's grip type of the mobile terminal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the change controller changes the first delay time T1 to the second delay time T2 further based on the user's application execution pattern or screen lock release pattern. ### Claim 10 A method of controlling the operation of a mobile terminal, the method comprising: detecting user's gaze information which includes an image of a user; and executing screen lock at a first delay time T1 or changing the first delay time T1 by determining whether the user substantially stares at a display unit of the mobile terminal based on the user's gaze information; wherein the changing step further comprises extending the first delay time T1 to a second delay time T2 when determining that the user substantially stares at the display unit based on the user's gaze information, and wherein the determining step determines that the user substantially stares at the display unit when an area of the user including the user's face is detected from the image and a size of the area is larger than a threshold value. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, the method further comprising: capturing the image of the user for detecting the user's gaze information. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the user's gaze information further includes information indicating whether the area of the user including the user's face is detected from the captured image of the user. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the changing step further comprises: reducing the first delay time T1 to a third delay time T3 when determining that the user does not substantially stare at the display unit based on the user's gaze information. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the user's gaze information further indicates gaze time indicating a period the user substantially stares the display unit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the changing step further comprises: Changing the first delay time T1 to the second delay time T2 based on a type of application, wherein the type of application is classified according to whether the user's gaze at the visual information is required. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, the method further comprising: detecting tilt of the mobile terminal or a user's grip type of the mobile terminal. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the user's gaze information further indicates tilt of the mobile terminal or the user's grip type of the mobile terminal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the changing step further comprises: changing the first delay time T1 to the second delay time T2 further based on the user's application execution pattern or screen lock release pattern.