Apparatus and method for sensing folder rotation status in a portable terminal

• US 20070167199A1
• Filed: 01/04/2007
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kang, Byung-Han
• Application Number:
  US11/649,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20070167199A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.300
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/021 using combined folding and rotation motions combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0241 using relative motion of the body parts to change the operational status of the telephone set, e.g. switching on/off, answering incoming call
• 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

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for sensing rotation angle of a folder in a portable terminal are provided. In the apparatus and method, a first motion sensor measures a roll, which is an up/down rotation angle of a main body and a pitch, which is a left/right rotation angle of the main body. A second motion sensor measures a roll, which is an up/down rotation angle of a folder and a pitch which is a left/right rotation angle of the folder. A controller measures up/down/left/right rotation status of the folder based on the main body using the difference between the rolls and pitches measured from the first motion sensor and the second motion sensor.

Claims

1. An apparatus for sensing rotation angle in a portable terminal, comprising:

a first motion sensor for measuring an up/down rotation angle and a left/right rotation angle of a first body;

a second motion sensor for measuring an up/down rotation angle and a left/right rotation angle of a second body which is connected to the first body; and

a controller for measuring up/down rotation angle of the second body based on the first body using the difference between the up/down rotation angle of the second body measured from the second motion sensor and the up/down rotation angle of the first body measured from the first motion sensor, and for measuring left/right rotation angle of the second body based on the first body using the difference between the left/right rotation angle of the second body measured from the second motion sensor and the left/right rotation angle of the first body measured from the first motion sensor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the up/down rotation angle is the rotation status of an X-axis of the portable terminal and the left/right rotation angle is the rotation status of a Y-axis of the portable terminal when a Z-axis lies in a direction of gravity.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first body is a main body and the second body is a folder in a folder-type portable terminal.

4. A method for sensing rotation angle in a portable terminal, comprising:

measuring an up/down rotation angle and a left/right rotation angle of a first body;

measuring an up/down rotation angle and a left/right rotation angle of a second body which is connected to the first body; and

measuring up/down rotation angle of the second body based on the first body using the difference between the up/down rotation angle of the second body measured from a second motion sensor and the up/down rotation angle of the first body measured from a first motion sensor; and

measuring left/right rotation angle of the second body based on the first body using the difference between the left/right rotation angle of the second body measured from the second motion sensor and the left/right rotation angle of the first body measured from the first motion sensor.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the up/down rotation angle is the rotation status of an X-axis of the portable terminal and the left/right rotation angle is the rotation status of a Y-axis of the portable terminal when a Z-axis lies in a direction of gravity.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the first body is a main body and the second body is a folder in a folder-type portable terminal.

7. An apparatus for sensing rotation angle of a folder in a portable terminal, comprising:

a first motion sensor for measuring a roll which is an up/down rotation angle of a main body and a pitch which is a left/right rotation angle of the main body;

a second motion sensor for measuring a roll which is an up/down rotation angle of a folder and a pitch which is a left/right rotation angle of the folder; and

a controller for measuring up/down and left/right rotation angle of the folder based on the main body using the difference between the rolls and pitches measured from the first motion sensor and the second motion sensor.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the up/down rotation angle is the rotation status of an X-axis of the portable terminal and the left/right rotation angle is the rotation status of a Y-axis of the portable terminal when Z-axis lies in a direction of gravity.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein an up/down rotation angle of the folder based on the main body is measured from the difference between a pitch of the folder (P2) and a pitch of the main body (P1), and left/right rotation angle of the folder based on the main body is measured from the difference between a roll of the folder (R2) and a roll of the main body (R1).

10. A method for sensing rotation angle of a folder in a folder-type portable terminal, comprising:

measuring a roll which is an up/down rotation angle of a main body and a pitch which is a left/right rotation angle of the main body;

measuring a roll which is an up/down rotation angle of a folder and a pitch which is a left/right rotation angle of the folder; and

subtracting the roll and pitch of the main body from the roll and pitch of folder and measuring up/down and left/right rotation angles between the main body and the folder.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the up/down rotation angle is the rotation status of an X-axis of the portable terminal and the left/right rotation angle is the rotation status of a Y-axis of the portable terminal when a Z-axis lies in a direction of gravity.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the up/down rotation angle of the folder based on the main body is measured from the difference between a pitch of the folder (P2) and a pitch of the main body (P1), and left/right rotation angle of the folder based on the main body is measured from the difference between a roll of the folder (R2) and a roll of the main body (R1).

13. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for sensing rotation angle of a folder in a folder-type portable terminal, comprising:

a first code segment, for causing a computing device to measure a roll which is an up/down rotation angle of a main body and a pitch which is a left/right rotation angle of the main body;

a second code segment, for causing a computing device to measure a roll which is an up/down rotation angle of a folder and a pitch which is a left/right rotation angle of the folder; and

a third code segment, for causing a computing device to subtract the roll and pitch of the main body from the roll and pitch of the folder and measuring up/down and left/right rotation angles between the main body and the folder.

14. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for sensing rotation angle of a second body in a portable terminal, comprising:

a first code segment, for causing a computing device to measure a roll which is an up/down rotation angle of a first body and a pitch which is a left/right rotation angle of the first body;

a second code segment, for causing a computing device to measure a roll which is an up/down rotation angle of a second body and a pitch which is a left/right rotation angle of the second body connected to the first body; and

a third code segment, for causing a computing device to subtract the roll and pitch of the first body from the roll and pitch of the second body and measuring up/down and left/right rotation angles between the first body and the second body.