Mobile communication terminal including two lamps for incoming call notification and method for providing GPS services using the same

• US 20040157587A1
• Filed: 01/20/2004
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Geun-Tae
• Granted Patent: US 7,212,812 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/048 Arrangements providing optical indication of the incoming call, e.g. flasher circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver

Abstract

Disclosed are a mobile communication terminal including two lamps and a method for providing GPS services using the terminal, so as to promote users'"'"' convenience while providing various kinds of services. The device and method aim to support increasingly-diversified services of mobile communication terminals and particularly to allow the two lamps to be applied in providing services such as a GPS service which need to provide information indicating two navigation directions. Two lamps for incoming call notification are mounted on the external of the terminal. Each of the lamps is composed of a light emitting element. A display controller is provided inside the terminal for controlling the two lamps.

Claims

1. A mobile communication terminal including two lamps for incoming call notification, the terminal comprising:

two lamps for incoming call notification externally mounted on the mobile communication terminal, each of the lamps including a light emitting element; and

display control means internally mounted on the mobile communication terminal for individually controlling the two lamps.

2. The mobile communication terminal as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a front folder including a center hinge arm;

a rear folder including two side-hinge arms having an internal space of predetermined dimensions; and

a hinge device mechanically connecting the front folder with the rear folder,

said two lamps being provided on the side-hinge arms of the rear folder.

3. The mobile communication terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said two lamps includes a predetermined number of light emitting elements of different colors.

4. The mobile communication terminal as set forth in claim 3, wherein the display control means controls the two lamps to emit light alternately when an incoming call signal is received.

5. A method for providing GPS services using a mobile communication terminal which includes two lamps for incoming call notification, the method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving GPS information from a GPS service provider;

b) extracting left-turn and right-turn information from the GPS information; and

c) activating the two lamps as left and right lamps in concert with the extracted left-turn and right-turn information to provide navigation direction.

6. The method as set forth in claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

d) checking whether a call signal for establishing a call connection is received;

e) if the checked result of step d) is that the call signal is received, checking whether GPS information is currently displayed through the two lamps;

f) if the checked result of step e) is that a first lamp of the two lamps currently displays GPS information including left-turn or right-turn information, allowing a second lamp of the two lamps to emit light that is a different color than the color of said first lamp; and

g) if the checked result of step e) is that the two lamps are not displaying GPS information, operating the two lamps in a normal incoming call notification mode.

7. The method as set forth in claim 5, wherein the steps are performed using an external display device interconnected with the two lamps, the external display device being mounted on a cradle of the mobile communication terminal.

8. The method as set forth in claim 5, wherein the steps are performed using an external display device interconnected with the two lamps, the external display device being externally mounted on the mobile communication terminal.