TERMINAL AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20090298537A1
• Filed: 05/12/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Choi, Kyung Dong
• Granted Patent: US 8,649,824 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/021 using combined folding and rotation motions combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel 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 1/236 including keys on side or rear faces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/531 being rotatable or detachable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/651 for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A terminal and method of controlling the same are disclosed, by which user'"'"'s convenience for photography using a terminal can be further enhanced. The terminal includes a camera, a display, a user input having a camera shutter key, and a controller for controlling at least one of more menu icons displayed in a standby mode to be displayed by being overlapped with a camera preview image. A see-through image seen through a transparent display can become a camera preview image.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a camera;

a display;

a user input having a camera shutter key; and

a controller configured to display at least one standby mode menu icon, when the mobile terminal is in a standby mode, by overlapping the at least one standby mode menu icon with a preview image obtained from the camera.

2. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to remove the at least one standby mode menu icon when the camera shutter key is half pressed.

3. The terminal of claim 2, wherein the at least one standby mode menu icon is non-transparent or semi-transparent.

4. The terminal of claim 1, wherein

the at least one standby mode menu icon is non-transparent, and

the controller is configured to cause the at least one standby mode menu icon to become semi-transparent when the camera shutter key is half pressed.

5. The terminal of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to cause the at least one standby mode menu icon to fade-out or to disappear instantaneously.

6. The terminal of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to execute an auto-focus function when the camera shutter key is half pressed.

7. The terminal of claim 2, comprising;

a first body; and

a second body,

wherein the first and second bodies are configured to be opened and closed by sliding or swinging, and

wherein the controller is configured to display the at least one standby mode menu icon when the first and second bodies shift to an open state from a closed state.

8. The terminal of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to display a preset standby image instead of the preview image when the camera shutter key is not manipulated for a predetermined period of time after the first and second bodies shift to the open state from the closed state.

9. The terminal of claim 1, wherein

the mobile terminal is a bar type terminal, and

the controller is further configured to overlap the at least one standby mode menu icon with the preview image when the camera shutter is half pressed.

10. The terminal of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to remove the at least one standby mode menu icon when a prescribed period of time expires after the camera shutter has been half pressed.

11. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the camera shutter key is configured to be manipulated in accordance with three steps.

12. The terminal of claim 11, wherein the control unit is further configured to perform at least one of the following functions

overlap the at least one standby mode menu icons with the preview image when the camera shutter is manipulated as a first of the three steps,

remove the at least one of the standby mode menu icon to and execute an auto-focus function when the camera shutter is manipulated as a second of the three steps, and

cause a photographic function to be executed when the camera shutter is manipulated as a third of the three steps.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal is a bar type terminal, the method further comprising:

overlapping the at least one standby mode menu icon with the preview image when the camera shutter is half pressed.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

removing the at least one standby mode menu icon when a prescribed period of time expires after the camera shutter has been half pressed.

13. A method of controlling a mobile terminal having a camera, a user input having a camera shutter key, and a camera, the method comprising:

displaying a camera preview image; and

displaying at least one standby mode menu icon, when the mobile terminal is in a standby mode, by overlapping the at least one standby mode with a preview image obtained from the camera.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

removing the at least one standby mode menu icon when the camera shutter key is half pressed.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one standby mode menu icon is non-transparent or semi-transparent.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one standby mode menu icon is non-transparent, the method further comprising:

changing the at least one standby mode menu icon to become semi-transparent when the camera shutter key is half pressed.

17. The method of claim 14, the step of removing comprising one of:

fading out the at least one standby mode menu icon; and

removing the at least one standby mode menu icon instantaneously.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

executing an auto-focus function when the camera shutter key is half pressed.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the mobile terminal includes a first and second bodies configured to be opened and closed by sliding or swinging, the method further comprising:

displaying the at least one standby mode menu icon when the first and second bodies shift to an open state from a closed state.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

displaying a preset standby image instead of the preview image when the camera shutter key is not manipulated for a predetermined period of time after the first and second bodies shift to the open state from the closed state.

23. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

manipulating the camera shutter key in accordance with three steps.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

overlapping the at least one standby mode menu icons with the preview image when the camera shutter is manipulated as a first of the three steps,

removing the at least one of the standby mode menu icon to and execute an auto-focus function when the camera shutter is manipulated as a second of the three steps, and

executing a photographic function when the camera shutter is manipulated as a third of the three steps.