MOBILE TERMINAL AND METHOD FOR DISPLAYING WIRELESS DEVICES THEREOF

• US 20090270093A1
• Filed: 10/15/2008
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: LEE, Dong-Hyun
• Granted Patent: US 8,700,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/434
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A mobile terminal including a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with wireless devices to be connected with the mobile terminal, a display unit configured to display information about the wireless devices, an input unit configured to input search information including at least one of a distance range to search for the wireless devices and a type of the wireless devices, and a controller configured to control the wireless communication unit to search for the wireless devices based on the input search information and to control the display unit to display responding wireless devices that responded to the search by the wireless communication unit according to the input search information.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with wireless devices to be connected with the mobile terminal;

a display unit configured to display information about the wireless devices;

an input unit configured to input search information including at least one of a distance range to search for the wireless devices and a type of the wireless devices; and

a controller configured to control the wireless communication unit to search for the wireless devices based on the input search information and to control the display unit to display responding wireless devices that responded to the search by the wireless communication unit according to the input search information.

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

a memory configured to store information about distance ranges and corresponding transmitted signal strengths for the wireless communication to use to communicate with the wireless communication device,

wherein the controller searches the memory for a specific signal strength that corresponds to the input distance range and controls the wireless communication unit to use the specific signal strength when searching for the wireless devices.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the memory is further configured to store a plurality of skins, and

wherein the controller controls the display unit to display the wireless devices that responded to the search on a skin extracted from the memory according to a signal strength and type of a corresponding wireless.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein the plurality of skins stored in the memory include at least a two-dimensional skin and a three-dimensional skin.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the distance range input by the input is less than a maximum range such that the controller controls a signal strength in a search mode or a scan mode for the wireless devices to be less than a signal strength used in a maximum signal strength mode.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the input unit is further configured to select one of the displayed wireless devices, and the controller is further configured to control the display unit to display a list of services that can be executed by the selected wireless device.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the display unit to display a plurality of regions indicating a signal strength from the mobile terminal for each of the displayed wireless device, and to display information relating to each wireless device in a corresponding region.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the controller controls the display unit to display the plurality of regions using dividing lines and a plurality of colors so that each region is distinguished from one another.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the display unit to display at least one of name information and an image indicating types of each responded wireless device.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the display unit to display a plurality of regions and to display same types of wireless devices on a same region.

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

inputting search information including at least one of a distance range to search for wireless devices and a type of the wireless devices to be connected to the mobile terminal;

searching for the wireless devices based on the input search information; and

displaying responding wireless devices that responded to the search by the wireless communication unit according to the input search information.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

storing information about distance ranges and corresponding transmitted signal strengths for the wireless communication to use to communicate with the wireless communication device,

wherein the searching step searches the memory for a specific signal strength that corresponds to the input distance range and uses the specific signal strength when searching for the wireless devices.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the storing step stores a plurality of skins, and

wherein the displaying step display the wireless devices that responded to the search on a skin extracted from the memory according to a signal strength and type of a corresponding wireless.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the stored plurality of skins stored include at least a two-dimensional skin and a three-dimensional skin.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the input distance range is less than a maximum range such that the searching step uses a signal strength in a search mode or a scan mode for the wireless devices to be less than a signal strength used in a maximum signal strength mode.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

selecting one of the displayed wireless devices,

wherein the displaying step displays a list of services that can be executed by the selected wireless device.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the displaying step displays a plurality of regions indicating a signal strength from the mobile terminal for each of the displayed wireless device, and displays information relating to each wireless device in a corresponding region.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the displaying step displays the plurality of regions using dividing lines and a plurality of colors so that each region is distinguished from one another.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the displaying step displays at least one of name information and an image indicating types of each responded wireless device.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the displaying step displays a plurality of regions and to display same types of wireless devices on a same region.