Portable terminal and method for controlling external apparatus thereof

• US 10,177,927 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2014
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Kim, Jee-hyeok, Kim, Young-jin
• Primary Examiner(s): Sax, Steven
• Application Number:
  US14/326,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20150026599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,644 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1836 with heterogeneous network architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

A portable terminal and a method for controlling an external apparatus thereof are provided. The method for controlling an external apparatus of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes display, when an application to perform chatting with a user of another portable terminal is executed, a chatting screen including at least one icon corresponding to an external apparatus, obtaining, when one of the at least one icon is selected, information regarding an external apparatus corresponding to the selected one icon, and transmitting the information regarding the external apparatus to the other portable terminal.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an external apparatus by a first portable terminal, the method comprising:

receiving, from a server when an application to perform chatting with a user of a second portable terminal is executed, a list of external apparatuses controllable by the second portable terminal;

identifying, from the list of external apparatuses, an external apparatus controllable by both the first portable terminal and the second portable terminal;

displaying, by the first portable terminal, when the application to perform chatting with the user of the second portable terminal is executed, a chatting screen including a chatting area, a text input area, and at least one icon representing the identified external apparatus;

selecting one icon of the at least one icon by dragging and dropping the one icon of the at least one icon to the text input area of the chatting screen;

obtaining, by the first portable terminal, when the one icon of the at least one icon is selected, information regarding an external apparatus corresponding to the selected one icon;

transmitting, by the first portable terminal, the information regarding the external apparatus and a control command corresponding to the selected icon to the second portable terminal; and

controlling the external apparatus corresponding to the selected icon in accordance with the control command.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

recommending, when there is a first external apparatus which is controllable by the second portable terminal but not controllable by the first portable terminal, a service regarding the first external apparatus.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, when information regarding a second external apparatus is received from the second portable terminal, an icon corresponding to the second external apparatus on the chatting screen.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

transmitting, when the icon corresponding to the second external apparatus is selected, the information regarding the second external apparatus received from the second portable terminal and a second control command to the second external apparatus.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

transmitting, when communication between the first portable terminal and the second external apparatus is not established, a signal to request communication to the second external apparatus.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the obtaining information regarding the external apparatus comprises:

obtaining, when the external apparatus corresponding to the selected one icon is a television, information regarding a currently-displayed channel from the television.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the displaying comprises:

recommending, while chatting is performed with users of a plurality of other portable terminals and when the first portable terminal does not control a third external apparatus which is controllable by more than a predetermined number of portable terminals from among the plurality of other portable terminals, a service regarding the third external apparatus.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to perform the method of claim 1.

8. A first portable terminal comprising:

a display;

an input device configured to receive a user command;

a transceiver configured to perform communication with outside; and

at least one processor configured to;

control the transceiver, when an application to perform chatting with a user of a second portable terminal is executed, to receive, from a server, a list of external apparatuses controllable by the second portable terminal,

control the display to identify, from the list of external apparatuses, an external apparatus controllable by both the first portable terminal and the second portable terminal,

control the display of the first portable terminal, when the application to perform chatting with the user of the second portable terminal is executed, to display a chatting screen including a chatting area, a text input area, and at least one icon representing the identified external apparatus,

control to receive, via the input device, the user command selecting one icon of the at least one icon by dragging and dropping the one icon of the at least one icon to the text input area of the chatting screen, and

control the transceiver of the first portable terminal, when a user command to select one of the at least one icon is input through the input device, to obtain information regarding the external apparatus corresponding to the selected one icon,

transmit the information regarding the external apparatus and a control command corresponding to the selected icon to the second portable terminal, and

control the external apparatus corresponding to the selected icon in accordance with the control command.

9. The first portable terminal as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to recommend, when there is a first external apparatus which is controllable by the second portable terminal but not controllable by the first portable terminal, a service regarding the first external apparatus.

10. The first portable terminal as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the display, when information regarding a second external apparatus is received from the second portable terminal, to display an icon corresponding to the second external apparatus on the chatting screen.

11. The first portable terminal as claimed in claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the transceiver, when the icon corresponding to the second external apparatus is selected, to transmit the information regarding the second external apparatus received from the second portable terminal and a control command to the second external apparatus.

12. The first portable terminal as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the transceiver, when communication between the first portable terminal and the second external apparatus is not established, to transmit a signal to request communication to the second external apparatus.

13. The first portable terminal as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the transceiver, when the external apparatus corresponding to the selected one icon is a television, to obtain information regarding a currently-displayed channel from the television.

14. The first portable terminal as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to, while chatting is performed with users of a plurality of other portable terminals, when the first portable terminal does not control a third external apparatus which is controllable by more than a predetermined number of portable terminals from among the plurality of other portable terminals, recommend a service regarding the third external apparatus.

15. A method for controlling an external apparatus by a first portable terminal, the method comprising:

receiving, from a server when an application to perform chatting with a user of a second portable terminal is executed, a list of external apparatuses controllable by the second portable terminal;

identifying, from the list of external apparatuses, an external apparatus controllable by both the first portable terminal and the second portable terminal;

displaying, by the first portable terminal, when the application to perform chatting with the user of the second portable terminal is executed, a chatting screen including a chatting area, a text input area, and at least one icon representing the identified external apparatus;

displaying, by the first portable terminal, when information regarding a second external apparatus is received from the second portable terminal, an icon representing the second external apparatus in the chatting area of the chatting screen;

transmitting, by the first portable terminal, when the icon representing the second external apparatus is selected in the chatting area of the chatting screen, the information regarding the second external apparatus and a control command to the second external apparatus corresponding to the selected icon; and

controlling the second external apparatus corresponding to the selected icon in accordance with the control command.

16. A first portable terminal comprising:

a display;

an input device configured to receive a user command;

transceiver configured to perform communication with outside; and

at least one processor configured to;

receive, from a server when an application to perform chatting with a user of a second portable terminal is executed, a list of external apparatuses controllable by the second portable terminal;

identify, from the list of external apparatuses, an external apparatus controllable by both the first portable terminal and the second portable terminal;

control the display of the first portable terminal, when the application to perform chatting with the user of the second portable terminal is executed, to display a chatting screen including a chatting area, a text input area, and at least one icon representing the identified external apparatus,

control the display of the first portable terminal, when information regarding a second external apparatus is received from the second portable terminal, to display an icon representing the second external apparatus in the chatting area of the chatting screen,

control the at least one processor, when the icon representing the second external apparatus is selected in the chatting area of the chatting screen through the input device, to transmit the information regarding the second external apparatus and a control command to the second external apparatus corresponding to the selected icon, and

control the external apparatus corresponding to the selected icon in accordance with the control command.