PORTABLE TERMINAL AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING OUTPUT THEREOF

• US 20100093402A1
• Filed: 09/09/2009
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: JEON, Byung-Su, CHOI, Hyun-Bo
• Granted Patent: US 8,224,258 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• 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 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A portable terminal includes a main body, a display, a plurality of sensors and a plurality of light elements. The main body includes a wireless communication unit. The display is coupled to the main body and is configured to output visible information. The plurality of sensors is coupled to the body and located at a peripheral region surrounding the display. A corresponding at least one sensor of the sensors is configured to receive user input for controlling a function associated with the visible information. The plurality of light elements is configured to output visible light. Each of the light elements is associated with one of the sensors to output the visible light proximate to the associated sensor. The corresponding at least one sensor is determined by which of the plurality of sensors is configured to permit controlling of the function associated with the visible information.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

outputting visible information on a display that is associated with the mobile terminal; and

outputting visible light proximate to a corresponding first at least one sensor of a plurality of sensors, the plurality of sensors being coupled to the mobile terminal and being located at a peripheral region surrounding the display, the first at least one sensor being determined by which of the plurality of sensors is configured to permit controlling of a function associated with the visible information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the sensors comprises an optical sensor, each of the optical sensors being configured to output visible light and to detect a change in the light.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the optical sensors comprises a light emitting element located within an associated one of the optical sensors.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

sequentially sensing movement of an object by the optical sensors, each of the optical sensors being configured to detect at least one of the distance between the optical sensor and an object causing the change in the light output by a light emitting element associated with the optical sensor, the period of time during which the object approaches the optical sensor, the object ceasing to approach the optical sensor, the direction in which the approach is released, the quantity of re-approaches of the object after the release of the approach, or the direction of movement of the object.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ceasing to output the visible light proximate to the first at least one sensor after a preset time elapses.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the visible information is a first visible information, the method further comprising:

displaying second visible information on the display responsive to an input received by the first at least one sensor.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

displaying the second visible information so that it at least partially overlaps the first visible information.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the form of the second visible information is changeable.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the second visible information includes information that causes a change in the first visible information.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein a second at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors is configured to permit controlling of a function associated with the second visible information, wherein the first at least one sensor is different than the second at least one sensor.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein if either or both of the first at least one sensor or the second at least one sensor are activated to permit receiving of an input, the method further comprises:

deactivating remaining sensors of the plurality of sensors, the deactivating not permitting receiving of an input.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

generating alarm light from a light element associated with each of the remaining sensors, regardless if an input is received at either or both of the first at least one sensor or the second at least one sensor.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the generating the alarm light is intermittently performed either simultaneously for all of the remaining sensors or the generating is performed for each of the remaining sensors in a sequential manner.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing the first at least one sensor to a third at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors to permit the third at least one sensor to control the function associated with the visible information.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

performing the changing responsive to a change in orientation of the display.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a touch screen configured to receive touch input, the touch input permitting the controlling of the function associated with the visible information.

17. A portable terminal comprising:

a main body comprising a wireless communication unit;

a display coupled to the main body and being configured to output visible information;

a plurality of sensors being coupled to the body and located at a peripheral region surrounding the display, wherein a corresponding at least one sensor of the sensors is configured to receive user input for controlling a function associated with the visible information; and

a plurality of light elements configured to output visible light, each of the light elements being associated with one of the sensors to output the visible light proximate to the associated sensor, the corresponding at least one sensor being determined by which of the plurality of sensors is configured to permit controlling of the function associated with the visible information.

18. The terminal of claim 17, wherein:

each of the sensors comprises an optical sensor, each of the optical sensors being configured to output visible light and to detect a change in the light, and

each of the optical sensors comprising one of the plurality of light elements.

19. The terminal of claim 17, wherein each of the sensors comprises an optical sensor and each of the optical sensors being configured to output non-visible light and to detect a change in the light.

20. The terminal of claim 17, wherein:

the visible information is a first visible information, and

the display is configured to output second visible information responsive to input received by the corresponding at least one sensor.

21. The terminal of claim 17, wherein the display occupies a central region of a surface of the main body, and the sensors are located at a peripheral region surrounding the display.