MOBILE TERMINAL WITH VARIABLE DISPLAY CONTROL

• US 20090069056A1
• Filed: 09/09/2008
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Sang-Hyun, Choi, Hye Jin
• Granted Patent: US 8,260,373 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/022 in absence of operation, e.g. no data being entered during a predetermined time
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A mobile terminal with display control is disclosed. A method of controlling a display screen in the mobile terminal includes recognizing an operation mode of the mobile terminal, wherein the operation mode is associated with displaying information on a display at a first display state with a display control expiration period, displaying display control status information on a portion of the display prior to the display control expiration period, and adjusting the display control expiration period in response to recognizing an external user input.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a display screen in a wireless mobile terminal, the method comprising:

recognizing an operation mode of the mobile terminal, wherein the operation mode is associated with displaying information on a display at a first display state with a display control expiration period;

displaying display control status information on a portion of the display prior to the display control expiration period; and

adjusting the display control expiration period in response to recognizing an external user input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the display control expiration period is associated with controlling display illumination.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the display control status information comprises a remaining time before transitioning from the first display state to a second display state.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the external user input is recognized through one of contact on a touch screen and a predetermined switch.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the display control status information comprises a time line bar representing a remaining time before transitioning from the first display state to a second display state.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the display control expiration period is adjusted in response to the external user input that comprises a touch and drag motion.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the display control expiration period is adjusted in response to multiple external user inputs.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the display remains at the first display state upon recognizing the external user input and until a further external user input is recognized.

9. A method of controlling a display screen in a wireless mobile terminal, the method comprising:

recognizing an operation mode of the mobile terminal, wherein the operation mode is associated with displaying information on a display at a first display state such that the information is visible;

displaying the information on the display at the first display state and starting a first preset period;

timing the first preset period; and

displaying display control status information on a portion of the display after the first preset period ends.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the display control status information comprises a remaining time before transitioning from the first display state to a second display state.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second display state comprises a less illuminated state or a turned-off state.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transitioning from the first display state to the second display state after a display control expiration period ends, wherein the display control expiration period starts when the first preset period ends and the display control status information is displayed during the display control expiration period.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

increasing the display control expiration period before the display control expiration period ends, wherein the first display state is maintained during the display control expiration period.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the display is in a less illuminated state compared to the first display state during the display control expiration period.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

adjusting a display control expiration period in response to the display control status information, wherein the display control expiration period, which is associated with controlling a display state, starts when the first preset period ends.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

turning off the display after a display control expiration period if no input is received by the wireless mobile terminal during the display control expiration period, wherein the display control expiration period, which starts after the preset period ends, is associated with controlling a display state.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

decreasing illumination on the display after a display control expiration period ends if no input is received by the wireless mobile terminal during the display control expiration period, wherein the display control expiration period, in which the display control status information is displayed, starts after the first preset period ends.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

turning off the display in response to an external user input, wherein the external user input is recognized through one of contact on a touch screen and a predetermined switch.

19. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

displaying the information continuously at the first display state in response to an external user input, wherein the external user input is recognized through one of contact on a touch screen and a predetermined switch.

20. A wireless mobile terminal, comprising:

a display unit displaying information at a first display state, the display unit displaying display control status information on a portion of a display screen prior to a display control expiration period;

a user input unit for recognizing an external user input to adjust the display control expiration period; and

a control unit configured to recognize an operation mode of the mobile terminal and display the display control expiration period on the display unit, wherein the operation mode is associated with displaying information on the display unit at the first display state.

21. The wireless mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein the display control expiration period is associated with controlling display illumination.

22. The wireless mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein the display control status information comprises a remaining time before transitioning from the first display state to a second display state.

23. The wireless mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein the external user input is recognized through one of contact on a touch screen and a predetermined switch.

24. The wireless mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein the display control status information comprises a time line bar representing a remaining time before transitioning from the first display state to a second display state.

25. The wireless mobile terminal of claim 24, wherein the display control expiration period is adjusted in response to the external user input that comprises a touch and drag motion.

26. The wireless mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein the display control expiration period is adjusted in response to multiple external user inputs.

27. The wireless mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein the display remains at the first display state upon recognizing the external user input and until a further external user input is recognized.