Mobile communication device for searching data based on rotation degree and a method thereof

• US 20050243783A1
• Filed: 03/09/2005
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Sang-on, Lee, Woo-jong
• Granted Patent: US 7,369,872 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• 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 1/0243 using the relative angle between housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion

Abstract

Disclosed is a mobile communication device for searching data based on a rotation angle. The mobile communication device includes a body; a geomagnetic sensor for detecting a rotation angle of the body based on an axis perpendicular to the earth surface; a main memory for storing an image corresponding to the rotation angle; a display unit for displaying the image on a screen; and a control unit for, if the rotation angle detected in the geomagnetic sensor is changed, extracting an image corresponding to the changed rotation angle from the main memory and controlling the display unit to display the image. With this technology, data can be searched conveniently without manipulating keys many times.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a body;

a geomagnetic sensor for detecting a rotation angle of the body based on an axis perpendicular to the earth surface;

a main memory for storing a first image corresponding to the rotation angle;

a display unit for displaying the first image on a screen; and

a control unit for, if the rotation angle detected in the geomagnetic sensor is changed, extracting a second image corresponding to the changed rotation angle from the main memory and controlling the display unit to display the second image.

2. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein the main memory stores a telephone number corresponding to each of the images.

3. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

a key input unit for receiving an external signal; and

a communication module for, if a predetermined image is displayed on the screen and a call connection request signal is inputted through the key input unit, dialing the telephone number corresponding to the displayed image.

4. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 3, wherein the communication module dials the telephone number corresponding to the displayed image automatically, if the displayed image is displayed on the screen for a predetermined time.

5. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 3, wherein the control unit controls the display unit to display all image data stored in the main memory on the edge of the screen in a direction corresponding to the rotation angle of each image, if a selection signal for selecting a rotation recognition mode is inputted through the key input unit.

6. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 5, wherein the control unit controls the display unit to display an image corresponding to the rotation angle detected in the geomagnetic sensor in the center of the screen, among all the images stored in the main memory.

7. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein the geomagnetic sensor comprises:

a geomagnetism detecting module having an X-axis fluxgate and a Y-axis fluxgate for detecting electric signals corresponding to geomagnetism from the X and Y-axis fluxgates, individually, the X and Y-axis fluxgates being orthogonal to each other;

a signal processing unit for converting the electric signals detected from the X and Y-axis fluxgates into output values of X and Y axes and outputting the X and Y-axis output values; and

a geomagnetism computing unit for normalizing the X and Y-axis output values into values in a predetermined range and computing the rotation angle based on the normalized X and Y-axis output values.

8. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 7, wherein the geomagnetism computing unit computes the rotation angle based on equations expressed as:

1^st Quadrant;

rotation angle=tan<sup>−

1</sup>(Y/X)
2^nd and 3^rd Quadrants;

rotation angle=180°

+tan<sup>−

1</sup>(Y/X)
4^th Quadrant;

rotation angle=360°

+tan<sup>−

1</sup>(Y/X)

wherein the first to fourth quadrants are obtained by dividing the rotation range of the body on a 90°

basis and X and Y denote the normalized X and Y-axis output values, respectively.

9. A method for searching data in a mobile communication device, comprising:

a) detecting a rotation angle of the mobile communication device based on an axis perpendicular to the earth surface;

b) extracting a first image corresponding to the rotation angle;

c) displaying the first image on a screen; and

d) if the rotation angle is changed, extracting a second image corresponding to the changed rotation angle and displaying the second image on the screen.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

e) receiving a call connection request signal while a predetermined image is displayed on the screen; and

f) dialing a telephone number corresponding to the displayed image.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising dialing the telephone number corresponding to the displayed image automatically, if the displayed image is displayed on the screen for a predetermined time.

12. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein, in the step c), all image data stored in the mobile communication device are displayed on the edge of the screen in a direction corresponding to the rotation angle corresponding to each image, and an image corresponding to the rotation angle of the mobile communication device is displayed in the center of the screen.

13. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein, in the step a), the rotation angle is detected by using a biaxial fluxgate sensor.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the step a) comprises:

a1) detecting electric signals corresponding to geomagnetism from the biaxial fluxgate sensor;

a2) converting the electric signals detected from the biaxial fluxgate sensor into output values of X and Y axes and outputting the X and Y-axis output values;

a3) normalizing the X and Y-axis output values into values of a predetermined range; and

a4) computing the rotation angle based on the normalized X and Y-axis output values.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the rotation angle is computed based on equations expressed as:

1^st Quadrant;

rotation angle=tan<sup>−

1</sup>(Y/X)
2^nd and 3^rd Quadrants;

rotation angle=180°

+tan<sup>−

1</sup>(Y/X)
4^th Quadrant;

rotation angle=360°

+tan<sup>−

1</sup>(Y/X)

wherein the first to fourth quadrants are obtained by dividing the rotation range of the body on a 90°

basis and X and Y denote the normalized X and Y-axis output values, respectively.