Mobile terminal with multiple display modules

• US 10,158,748 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2015
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Jun Serk, Kim, Jung Eun, Kim, Kang Min, Kang, Min Hun
• Primary Examiner(s): Fang, Keith
• Application Number:
  US14/788,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20150319282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit

Abstract

A mobile terminal equipped with first and second display modules provided at the front and the rear, respectively, and a method of controlling the mobile terminal, is provided. The method includes displaying a screen image related to a first operating mode on the first display module, if it is determined that the mobile terminal has been rotated on a predetermined axial direction, switching the mobile terminal from the first operating mode to a second operating mode; and displaying a screen image related to the second operating mode on the second display module. Therefore, it is possible to control various operations performed by the mobile terminal upon the motion of the mobile terminal using the first and second display modules.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a main body;

a first display positioned on a front surface of the main body;

a second display positioned on a rear surface of the main body;

a first speaker associated with the first display and configured to output a first audio signal;

a second speaker associated with the second display and configured to output a second audio signal;

a sensor configured to detect a rotation of the mobile terminal, wherein the rotation includes an orientation of the main body of the mobile terminal relative to a primary direction of gravitational acceleration; and

a controller configured to;

execute an application associated with audio output during a first state in which the rear surface of the mobile terminal faces down and the front surface of the mobile terminal faces up, wherein the application comprises an alarm application;

cause the first speaker to output the first audio signal generated by the execution of the application during the first state, wherein the first audio signal is associated with an alarm;

cause the first display to display a first indicator associated with the execution of the application during the first state;

cause the first speaker to stop an output of the first audio signal when it is determined based on the rotation detected by the sensor that the mobile terminal is rotated from the first state to a second state in which the rear surface of the mobile terminal faces up and the front surface faces down;

cause the second display to display a second indicator associated with the stopping the output of the first audio signal during the second state;

activate a snoozing function of the application when the mobile terminal is rotated from the first state to the second state; and

in response to termination of the snoozing function, cause the second speaker to output the second audio signal generated by the execution of the application during the second state.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the alarm application is executed at set alarm time.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the output of the first audio signal continues at least for a preset period of time during the first state when the mobile terminal is not rotated to the second state and no user input is received.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the second indicator comprises a plurality of selectable items, the controller further configured to:

select one of the plurality of selectable items displayed on the second display in response to a user command.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of selectable items represents a different length of snoozing associated with the snoozing function of the application.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

stop the output of the second audio signal in response to a user command; and

resume the stopped output of the second audio signal in a predetermined period of time during the second state without requiring a user input.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to select the first speaker or the second speaker based on the detected rotation of the mobile terminal.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to detect the rotation of the mobile terminal based on measurement data received from the sensor indicating that the mobile terminal is rotated more than ninety degrees in an axial direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the main body of the mobile terminal.

9. A method of controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

determining an orientation of a main body of the mobile terminal relative to a primary direction of gravitational acceleration by a sensor of the mobile terminal;

executing an application associated with audio output during a first state in which the rear surface of the mobile terminal faces down and a front surface of the mobile terminal faces up;

outputting, via a first speaker of the mobile terminal, a first audio signal generated by the execution of the application during the first state;

displaying a first indicator on a first display provided on a first surface of the mobile terminal during the first state, the first indicator being associated with the execution of the application;

stopping an output of the first audio signal when it is determined based on the orientation detected by the sensor that the mobile terminal is rotated from the first state to a second state in which the rear surface of the mobile terminal faces up and the front surface faces down;

displaying a second indicator on a second display provided on a second surface of the mobile terminal during the second state, the second indicator being associated with stopping the output of the audio signal;

activating a snoozing function of the application when the mobile terminal is rotated from the first state to the second state; and

in response to termination of the snoozing function, outputting by a second speaker of the mobile terminal a second audio signal generated by the execution of the application during the second state.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the application comprises an alarm application that is executed at set alarm time.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the output of the first audio signal continues at least for a preset period of time during the first state when the mobile terminal is not rotated to the second state and no user input is received.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the second indicator comprises a plurality of selectable items, the method further comprising:

selecting one of the plurality of selectable items displayed on the second display in response to a user command.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of selectable items represents a different length of snoozing associated with the snoozing function of the application.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

stopping the output of the second audio signal generated by the execution of the application during the second state;

resuming the stopped output of the second audio signal in a predetermined period of time during the second state without requiring a user input.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

selecting the first speaker or the second speaker based on the detected rotation of the mobile terminal.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

detecting the rotation of the mobile terminal based on measurement data received from the sensor of the mobile terminal indicating that the mobile terminal is rotated more than ninety degrees in an axial direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the main body of the mobile terminal.