PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD FOR SELECTING OPERATION MODE THEREOF

• US 20080146298A1
• Filed: 06/18/2007
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: KWAK, Jae-Do
• Granted Patent: US 8,060,161 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0225 Rotatable telephones, i.e. the body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• 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 1/0243 using the relative angle between housings

Abstract

A portable electronic device includes: first and second bodies connected to be relatively movable; a position sensing unit configured to sense at least one relative position set between opened and closed positions of the first and second bodies; s and an output unit mounted on at least one of the first and second bodies and outputting an operation mode corresponding to the sensed relative position. A desired operation mode can be selected easily when the mobile terminal is moved to be opened and closed.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

first and second bodies connected to be relatively movable;

a position sensing unit configured to sense at least one relative position set between opened and closed positions of the first and second bodies; and

an output unit mounted on at least one of the first and second bodies and outputting an operation mode corresponding to the sensed relative position.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second bodies are connected such that they are relatively slidable.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the position sensing unit comprises:

at least one position indication element formed on one of the first and second bodies and indicating the at least one relative position between the opened and closed positions; and

a position recognizing unit formed on the other of the first and second bodies and recognizing the position indication element during the movement.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the operation mode comprise a standby mode, a power saving mode, a text transmission mode, a music play mode, an image capture mode and an Internet access mode.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

an input unit mounted on at least one of the first and second bodies and receiving a command for executing the outputted operation mode.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the output unit is a display and/or a speaker mounted on at least one of the first and second bodies.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device comprises a mobile terminal having a wireless communication module.

8. A portable electronic device comprising:

first and second bodies connected such that the bodies can be relatively movable with each other;

a position sensing unit configured to sense at least one relative position set between opened and closed positions of the first and second bodies; and

a control unit that executes an operation mode corresponding to the sensed relative position.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the position sensing unit comprises:

at least one position indication element formed on one of the first and second bodies and indicating the at least one position; and

a position recognizing unit formed on the other of the first and second bodies and recognizing the position indication element during the movement.

10. The device of claim 8, further comprising:

a display mounted on at least one of the first and second bodies and visually displaying the executed operation mode.

11. A portable electronic device comprising:

first and second bodies connected to be relatively movable;

a movement sensing unit configured to sense a relative movement between the first and second bodies;

an input unit mounted on one of the first and second bodies and receiving a command; and

an output unit mounted on one of the first and second bodies and outputting an operation mode according to the command inputted during the relative movement.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the movement sensing unit comprises:

an indication element formed on at least one of the first and second bodies; and

a recognizing unit formed on the other of the first and second bodies and recognizing the indication unit until the movement occurs.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the input unit comprises at least one input part that receives at least one command corresponding to the input part.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the first and second bodies are connected to be relatively slidable, and the input unit is formed as a touch pad on the body where the output unit is mounted.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the command input by sensing a touch on the touch pad and the relative sliding movement are simultaneously performed.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the output unit further comprises a display mounted on at least one of the first and second bodies and visually displaying the executed operation mode.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein the portable electronic device comprises a mobile terminal having a wireless communication module.

18. A method for selecting an operation mode comprising;

sensing at least one relative position set between closed and opened positions of first and second bodies as the second body is moved with respect to the first body;

outputting an operation mode corresponding to the sensed relative position; and

executing the outputted operation mode.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein, in the outputting step, the at least one relative position includes a plurality of relative positions, and the operation modes are sequentially outputted according to the sensed relative positions until one of the operation modes is executed.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein, in the executing step, the outputted operation mode is executed when the movement is stopped for a certain time.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein, in the executing step, the outputted operation mode is executed immediately before the movement is made at more than a certain speed.

22. A method for selecting an operation mode comprising:

receiving at least one of a plurality of commands by an input unit;

sensing a relative movement between first and second bodies as the second body is moved with respect to the first body; and

outputting an operation mode executed according to the command among the plurality of operation modes when the inputted command and the movement occur within a certain time.