Mobile terminal and event processing method

• US 10,205,818 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2018
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Kyu-Ok, Bang, Won-Chul
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Mahendra
• Application Number:
  US16/049,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20180338030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 197 Days
• Field of Search: 455567, 4554141, 455418, 715863, 3405451, 340 732
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/047 Vibrating means for incoming calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/048 Arrangements providing optical indication of the incoming call, e.g. flasher circuits
• 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: H04W 68/005 Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication

Abstract

Provided is a mobile terminal having a sensor detecting movement thereof and an event processing method. The mobile terminal includes: an orientation detector for monitoring, in response to detection of an event, movement of the mobile terminal for a preset time duration to identify an orientation of the mobile terminal; and a controller for processing the event in an operating mode corresponding to the identified orientation. As a result, the user can readily switch operating modes of the mobile terminal by changing orientations thereof.

Claims

1. A portable communication device comprising:

a speaker;

a display;

a sensor to detect an orientation of the portable communication device; and

a processor adapted to;

output, via the speaker, an audio signal in response to an incoming event received while the portable communication device is in a first orientation;

determine, using the sensor, that the orientation of the portable communication device is changed, while the audio signal is outputted, from the first orientation to a second orientation such that the display faces downward;

determine that the portable communication device is maintained in the second orientation during a specified period of time after the orientation is changed from the first orientation to the second orientation; and

mute the audio signal based at least in part on the determining that the portable communication device is maintained in the second orientation during the specified period of time.

2. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to:

display, via the display, a user interface corresponding to the incoming event, at least temporarily, concurrently with the audio signal being outputted via the speaker.

3. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to:

display, via the display, a user interface corresponding to the incoming event based at least in part on a determination that the orientation of the portable communication device is changed from the second orientation to the first orientation or a third orientation such that the display faces upward.

4. The portable communication device of claim 3, wherein the processor is adapted to:

perform the displaying of the user interface, at least temporarily, while the audio signal is maintained as muted.

5. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to:

turn off the display based at least in part on the determining that the portable communication device is maintained in the second orientation during the specified period of time.

6. The portable communication device of claim 1, further comprising a vibrator, wherein the processor is adapted to:

output, via the vibrator, a vibration corresponding to the incoming event, at least temporarily, concurrently with the outputting of the audio signal; and

stop the outputting of the vibration substantially simultaneously with the muting of the audio signal.

7. The portable communication device of claim 1, further comprising an alert lamp including a light emitting diode (LED), wherein the processor is adapted to:

present, via the LED, a light corresponding to the incoming event, at least temporarily, concurrently with the outputting of the audio signal; and

stop the presenting of the light substantially simultaneously with the muting of the audio signal.

8. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to:

refrain from muting the audio signal based at least in part on a determination that the portable communication device is not maintained in the second orientation during the specified period of time.

9. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to:

enable a function allowing the muting of the audio signal based at least in part on a user input before the incoming event is received.

10. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to:

identify an alarm event as at least part of the incoming event.

11. A portable communication device comprising:

a speaker;

a display;

a sensor to detect an orientation of the portable communication device; and

a processor adapted to;

output, via the speaker, an audio signal in response to a specified event identified while the portable communication device is in a first orientation;

determine, using the sensor, whether the orientation of the portable communication device is changed, while the audio signal is outputted, from the first orientation to a specified orientation such that the display faces downward;

mute the audio signal based at least in part on a determination that the orientation of the portable communication device is changed from the first orientation to the specified orientation; and

refrain from muting the audio signal based at least in part on a determination that the orientation of the portable communication device is not changed from the first orientation to the specified orientation.

12. The portable communication device of claim 11, wherein the processor is adapted to:

identify a call received from an external electronic device as at least part of the specified event.

13. The portable communication device of claim 11, wherein the processor is adapted to:

display, via the display, a user interface corresponding to the specified event, at least temporarily, concurrently with the audio signal being outputted via the speaker.

14. The portable communication device of claim 11, further comprising a vibrator, wherein the processor is adapted to:

output, via the vibrator, a vibration corresponding to the specified event, at least temporarily, concurrently with the outputting of the audio signal; and

stop the outputting of the vibration substantially simultaneously with the muting of the audio signal.

15. The portable communication device of claim 11, wherein the processor is adapted to:

detect, via the sensor, the orientation of the portable communication device prior to the outputting of the audio signal; and

refrain from outputting the audio signal based at least in part on a determination that the orientation of the portable communication device corresponds to the specified orientation.

16. The portable communication device of claim 11, wherein the processor is adapted to:

determine that the portable communication device is maintained in the specified orientation during a specified period of time after the orientation is changed from the first orientation to the specified orientation; and

perform the muting based at least in part on the determining that the portable communication device is maintained in the specified orientation during the specified period of time.

17. A portable communication device comprising:

a speaker;

a display;

a sensor to detect an orientation of the portable communication device; and

a processor adapted to;

output, via the speaker, an audio signal in response to a specified event identified while the portable communication device is in a first orientation;

determine, using the sensor, that the orientation of the portable communication device is changed, while the audio signal is outputted, from the first orientation to a second orientation such that the display faces downward;

determine that the orientation of the portable communication device is changed from the second orientation to the first orientation or a third orientation within a specified period of time after the orientation of the portable communication device is changed from the first orientation to the second orientation; and

mute the audio signal based at least in part on a determination that the orientation of the portable communication device is not changed from the second orientation to the first orientation or the third orientation within the specified period of time.

18. The portable communication device of claim 17, further comprising a vibrator, wherein the processor is adapted to:

output, via the vibrator, a vibration corresponding to the specified event, at least temporarily, concurrently with the outputting of the audio signal; and

stop the outputting of the vibration substantially simultaneously with the muting of the audio signal.

19. The portable communication device of claim 17, wherein the processor is adapted to:

refrain from muting the audio signal based at least in part on a determination that the orientation of the portable communication device is changed from the second orientation to the first orientation or the third orientation within the specified period of time.

20. The portable communication device of claim 17, wherein the processor is adapted to:

enable a function allowing the muting of the audio signal based at least in part on a user input prior to the outputting of the audio signal.