Device having display buttons and display method and medium for the device

• US 20070270178A1
• Filed: 02/09/2007
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Yeun-bae, Bang, Won-chul, Sohn, Jun-Il, Choi, Eun-seok, Kim, Dong-yoon
• Granted Patent: US 8,024,004 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/550.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675

Abstract

Provided is a device and a display method and medium for the device. The device includes a sensing unit sensing the acceleration of gravity affecting the device on fixed coordinates with respect to the device, a calculator calculating a tilted figure of the device using the sensing result, a plurality of buttons displaying a plurality of images in response to a control signal, and a controller generating the control signal for commanding to display images indicated by image data corresponding to the calculation result from among prepared image data.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a sensor to sense acceleration of gravity affecting the device on fixed coordinates with respect to the device;

a calculator to calculate a tilted figure of the device using sensing result from the sensor;

a controller to generate a control signal for commanding display of images, which are indicated by image data corresponding to the titled figure from among predetermined image data; and

a plurality of buttons to display the plurality of images in response to the control signal.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is activated when a predetermined button included in the device is operated.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the sensor is activated while the predetermined button is being operated.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the sensor is activated from when the predetermined button is operated to when the predetermined button is operated again.

5. The device of claim 2, wherein the sensor is activated only when an operation of the predetermined button begins and when the operation of the predetermined button ends.

6. The device of claim 2, wherein the predetermined button is operated by at least one of pressing and touching.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the tilted figure of the device is at least one of a tilted direction of the device and a tilted degree of the device.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of buttons comprise a single display panel for displaying the plurality of images in response to the control signal.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined image data is stored inside or outside the device.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising a main display to display more than one image according to a sequence corresponding to the tilted figure.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the brightness of each of the plurality of images and the brightness of backlight of each of the plurality of buttons is adjusted according to a tilted figure of the device.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein a dimension of the coordinates is a 3-dimension.

13. A device comprising:

a sensor to sense acceleration of gravity affecting the device on fixed coordinates with respect to the device;

a calculator to calculate a tilted figure of the device using sensing result from the sensor;

a controller to generate the control signal for commanding display of images, which are indicated by image data corresponding to a trend of a change of the tilted figure from among predetermined image data; and

a plurality of buttons to display a plurality of images in response to a control signal

14. A display method for a device having a plurality of buttons, the method comprising:

sensing acceleration of gravity affecting the device on fixed coordinates with respect to the device;

calculating a tilted figure of the device using sensing result; and

displaying a plurality of images indicated by image data corresponding to the tilted figure from among predetermined image data on the plurality of buttons.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the sensing of the acceleration of gravity is performed when a predetermined button included in the device is operated.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the tilted figure of the device is at least one of a tilted direction of the device and a tilted degree of the device.

25. At least one computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions that control at least one processor to implement the method of claim 14.

17. A display method performed in a device having a plurality of buttons, the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of images corresponding to a plurality of higher-layer functions available in the device on the plurality of buttons;

sensing acceleration of gravity affecting the device on fixed coordinates with respect to the device;

calculating a tilted figure of the device using sensing result and selecting a higher-layer function corresponding to the tilted figure from among the plurality of higher-layer functions; and

displaying a plurality of images corresponding to a plurality of lower-layer functions belonging to the selected higher-layer function on the plurality of buttons.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the selecting comprises selecting a phone call function, and

the displaying of the plurality of images corresponding to the plurality of lower-layer functions comprises displaying an image denoting a call start function, an image denoting a call end function, and numerals 0 through 9 on the plurality of buttons.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the selecting comprises selecting a message function, and

the displaying of the plurality of images corresponding to the plurality of lower-layer functions comprises displaying an image denoting a received message check function and an image denoting a message editing and sending function.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the selecting comprises selecting a new message editing function, and

the displaying of the plurality of images corresponding to the plurality of lower-layer functions comprises displaying a plurality of letters inputtable into the device on the plurality of buttons.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the letters are numerals, Korean consonants, Korean vowels, English alphabet (capitals), English alphabet (lowercase), special characters, or emoticons.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the selecting comprises selecting an image capture function, and

the displaying of the plurality of images corresponding to the plurality of lower-layer functions comprises displaying an image denoting a flash adjustment function, an image denoting a zoom in function, an image denoting a zoom out function, and an image denoting capturing on the plurality of buttons.

26. At least one computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions that control at least one processor to implement the method of claim 17.

23. A display method performed in a device having a plurality of buttons, the method comprising:

sensing acceleration of gravity affecting the device on fixed coordinates with respect to the device;

calculating a tilted figure of the device using the sensing result; and

displaying a plurality of images indicated by image data corresponding to a trend of a change of the tilted figure from among predetermined image data on the plurality of buttons.

27. At least one computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions that control at least one processor to implement the method of claim 23.

24. A device comprising:

a plurality of buttons to display a plurality of images corresponding to a plurality of higher-layer functions available in the device;

a sensor to sense acceleration of gravity affecting the device on fixed coordinates with respect to the device; and

a calculator to calculate a tilted figure of the device using sensing result and selecting a higher-layer function corresponding to the tilted figure from among the plurality of higher-layer functions displayed on the display buttons,

wherein the plurality of buttons display a plurality of images corresponding to a plurality of lower-layer functions belonging to the selected higher-layer function on the plurality of buttons in place of the plurality of images corresponding to the plurality of higher-level functions.