TERMINAL AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING BROADCASTING THEREIN

• US 20090247220A1
• Filed: 03/13/2009
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: You, Soo Lim, CHO, Beom Seok
• Granted Patent: US 8,170,046 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/556.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/42 Arrangements for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/57 for mobile receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A mobile terminal including a user input unit configured to select a first broadcast channel, and a controller configured to buffer broadcast data relevant to at least one second broadcast channel different than the first broadcast channel for a predetermined time if the first broadcast channel is selected and to stop buffering the broadcast data relevant to the at least one second broadcast channel when the predetermined time expires.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a user input unit configured to select a first broadcast channel; and

a controller configured to buffer broadcast data relevant to at least one second broadcast channel different than the first broadcast channel for a predetermined time if the first broadcast channel is selected and to stop buffering the broadcast data relevant to the at least one second broadcast channel when the predetermined time expires.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a timer configured to start counting the predetermined time when the first broadcast channel is selected.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the first channel is selected when a broadcasting function of the mobile terminal is initiated.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to buffer the broadcast data relevant to the at least one second broadcast channel for the predetermined time if the first broadcast channel is switched to the at least one second broadcast channel.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a remaining amount of battery capacity of the mobile terminal, and to stop buffering the broadcast data relevant to the at least one second broadcast channel when the remaining amount of battery capacity is less than a predetermined threshold.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless communication unit configured to receive the broadcast relevant data,

wherein the controller is further configured to receive and buffer the broadcast data relevant to the at least one second broadcast channel based on a time slicing operation such that the broadcast data relevant to the at least one second broadcast channel is only received in an ON period of the time splicing operation.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless communication unit configured to receive per-channel identification information; and

a memory configured to store the per-channel identification information,

wherein the controller is further configured to identify the broadcast data relevant to at the least one second channel using the per-channel identification information.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the user input unit is further configured to receive a command signal for at least one of a channel entry operation to enter the first broadcast channel and a channel switching operation in which the first broadcast channel is switched to the at least one second broadcast channel.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the at least one second broadcast channel includes at least one of neighbor channels of the selected first broadcast channel, user-preferred channels, user-specified channels, previously selected channels, channels based on a channel selection pattern and a combination of the above channels.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to automatically set without user intervention the at least one second broadcast channel to be at least one of preset buffering target channels, a number of the buffering target channels, a buffering execution time, a buffering period, and a buffering sequence.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to automatically set the at least one second broadcast channel according to a remaining quantity of a battery of the terminal.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a display configured to display information indicating the broadcast data relevant to the at least one second broadcast channel is being buffered.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the display is further configured to display the information indicating the broadcast data of the at least one second broadcast channel is being buffered when the first broadcast channel is selected and the controller is entering the first broadcast channel or when the controller switches into the at least one second broadcast channel from the first broadcast channel.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the display is further configured to display information indicating an amount of time left for buffering the broadcast data relevant to the at least one second broadcast channel.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the display is further configured to display information indicating the buffering of the broadcast data relevant to the at least one second broadcast channel will be performed in a certain amount of time.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the user input unit is further configured to receive at least one of a buffering stop signal to stop buffering the broadcast data relevant to the at least one second broadcast channel, a buffering command signal to display information about the buffering of the broadcast data relevant to the at least one second broadcast channel, and a buffering target channel editing signal to edit the buffering of the at least one second broadcast channel.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 12, further comprising:

an output unit configured to output a broadcast signal corresponding to the selected first broadcast channel,

wherein the controller is further configured to buffer the broadcast relevant data for the at least one second broadcast channel when outputting the broadcast signal via the output unit.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein the display is further configured to display information indicating how much time is left before the output broadcast signal is going to end.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein the controller is further configured to buffer the broadcast data relevant to the at least one second channel when the broadcast signal is stopped being output or a predetermined time before the broadcast signal is stopped from being output.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein the controller is further configured to buffer the broadcast data relevant to the at least one second channel at a random point from when the broadcast program corresponding to the first broadcast channel is being output.

21. A method of controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

selecting a first broadcast channel; and

buffering broadcast data relevant to at least one second broadcast channel different than the first broadcast channel for a predetermined time when the first broadcast channel is selected and stopping the buffering the broadcast data relevant to the at least one second broadcast channel when the predetermined time expires.