Apparatus and method for displaying receiving sensitivity in mobile terminal

• US 20040166811A1
• Filed: 02/24/2004
• Published: 08/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Moon, Sung-Jun
• Application Number:
  US10/784,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20040166811A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/67.11
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/046 Displays or indicators
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/14 Systems for determining direction or deviation from predetermined direction aerial arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00; combinations of different interacting aerial units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q21/29; aerials or aerial systems providing at least two radiation patterns H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1257 using the received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/23 Indication means, e.g. displays, alarms, audible means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/27 for locating or positioning the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/29 Performance testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength

Abstract

A system and method for displaying a receiving sensitivity in a mobile terminal includes a display unit which displays a receiving sensitivity graph indicating a received signal strength at a current direction of the terminal. Also included is a direction measurement unit for periodically measuring a direction of a mobile terminal, a received signal strength indicator for measuring the received signal strength, a memory for storing direction information of a mobile terminal and a corresponding received signal strength, and a control unit for controlling storage of a newly-measured direction of a mobile terminal and a corresponding received signal strength when a direction of the mobile terminal changes. The current direction of the mobile terminal and a corresponding received signal strength may be recorded in memory along with previous position and signal strength information. When simultaneously displayed, a user can easily understand his or her peripheral receiving sensitivity situation and can find the best receiving sensitivity direction.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a memory;

a display unit;

a direction measurement unit which periodically measures a direction of the mobile terminal;

a received signal strength indicator which measures a received signal strength; and

a controller which controls the memory to store a newly-measured direction of the mobile terminal and a corresponding received signal strength when the mobile changes direction, and controls the display unit to display a receiving sensitivity graph which indicates the newly measured direction and corresponding signal strength.

2. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller controls the memory to store the newly-measured direction and corresponding received signal strength when a direction conversion angle of the terminal changes by more than a predetermined threshold value relative to a previous direction of the terminal.

3. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the receiving sensitivity graph displays the newly measured direction and corresponding received signal strength of the mobile terminal and at least one of a previous direction and received signal strength of the terminal recorded in the memory.

4. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the display unit displays a received signal strength indicator bar.

5. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the receiving sensitivity graph displays the newly measured direction of the mobile terminal and corresponding receiving signal strength with a predetermined angle on a horizontal axis denoting east and west directions and a vertical axis denoting south and north directions.

6. A method for displaying a receiving sensitivity in a mobile terminal, comprising:

periodically checking a direction of a mobile terminal;

measuring a received signal strength of a new direction when the mobile terminal changes direction;

storing information indicative of the new direction and received signal strength in a memory; and

displaying a receiving sensitivity graph which includes the new direction and received signal strength of the terminal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein measuring the received signal strength comprises:

checking whether a direction conversion angle exceeds a threshold value when the mobile terminal changes direction; and

measuring a received signal strength of the changed direction when the angle exceeds the threshold value.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the receiving sensitivity graph also displays at least one of a previous direction and signal strength of the terminal.

9. A method, comprising:

measuring a current direction and received signal strength of a mobile terminal; and

displaying the current direction and received signal strength on the terminal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said measuring includes:

taking a difference between the current direction and a previous direction of the terminal;

comparing the difference to a threshold value; and

measuring the received signal strength only when the difference exceeds the threshold value.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

taking a difference between the current direction and a previous direction of the terminal;

comparing the difference to a threshold value, wherein the current direction and received signal strength are displayed only when the difference exceeds the threshold value.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said displaying includes:

displaying the current direction and received signal strength in a graph.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the graph includes a pointer which indicates the current direction of the terminal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a length of the pointer indicates the received signal strength of the terminal in the current direction.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein said displaying further includes:

displaying at least one of a previous direction and received signal strength of the terminal.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said at least one of a previous direction and received signal strength are displayed simultaneously with the current direction and received signal strength.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein said displaying includes:

displaying a graph having a first data point representing the current direction and received signal strength and a plurality of additional data points representing previous directions and corresponding received signal strengths.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first and additional data points are connected to form an area graph which provides a visual indication of a direction in which a strongest received signal strength exists for the terminal.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein said displaying includes:

displaying an area graph at least partially based on the current direction and signal strength,

wherein the area graph includes a peak which indicates a direction in which a strongest received signal strength exists for the terminal.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the current direction and received signal strength is different from the strongest received signal strength.

21. A method, comprising:

measuring received signal strengths of a mobile terminal in a plurality of directions; and

displaying the received signal strengths in said directions simultaneously on the terminal.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said displaying includes:

displaying an area graph representing the received signal strengths in said directions.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said displaying includes:

identifying a current direction and received signal strength of the terminal on the graph.

24. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a detector that detects a current direction and received signal strength of the terminal; and

a display which displays the current direction and received signal strength detected by the terminal.

25. The terminal of claim 24, further comprising:

a controller which computes a difference between the current direction and a previous direction of the terminal, compares the difference to a threshold value, and activates the detector to detect the received signal strength only when the difference exceeds the threshold value.

26. The terminal of claim 24, further comprising:

a controller which computes a difference between the current direction and a previous direction of the terminal and compares the difference to a threshold value, wherein the display displays the current direction and received signal strength only when the difference exceeds the threshold value.

27. The terminal of claim 24, wherein the display displays a graph which includes the current direction and received signal strength.

28. The terminal of claim 27, wherein the graph includes a pointer which indicates the current direction of the terminal.

29. The terminal of claim 28, wherein a length of the pointer indicates the received signal strength of the terminal in the current direction.

30. The terminal of claim 24, wherein the display displays at least one of a previous direction and received signal strength of the terminal.

31. The terminal of claim 30, wherein said at least one of a previous direction and received signal strength are displayed simultaneously with the current direction and received signal strength.

32. The terminal of claim 24, wherein the display displays a graph having a first data point representing the current direction and received signal strength and a plurality of additional data points representing previous directions and corresponding received signal strengths.

33. The terminal of claim 32, wherein the first and additional data points are connected to form an area graph which provides a visual indication of a direction in which a strongest received signal strength exists for the terminal.

34. The terminal of claim 24, wherein the display displays an area graph which is at least partially based on the current direction and signal strength, and wherein the area graph includes a peak which indicates a direction in which a strongest received signal strength exists for the terminal.

35. The terminal of claim 34, wherein the current direction and received signal strength is different from the strongest received signal strength.

36. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a detector which detects received signal strengths of a mobile terminal in a plurality of directions; and

a display which displays the received signal strengths in said directions simultaneously on the terminal.

37. The terminal of claim 36, wherein the display displays an area graph representing the received signal strengths in said directions.

38. The terminal of claim 37, wherein the display displays information identifying a current direction and received signal strength of the terminal on the graph.

39. A computer-readable medium storing a program for measuring signal sensitivity for a mobile terminal, said program comprising:

a first code section which controls a detector to measure a current direction and received signal strength of the mobile terminal; and

a second code section which controls a display to display the current direction and received signal strength on the terminal.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the medium is an integrated circuit chip.