ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20110037712A1
• Filed: 07/26/2010
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Ko, Wooseok, Choi, Kyuho, Kim, Sungil, Eom, Kwangho, Kim, Jonghwan, Kim, Ilkon, Doo, Wonjung, Kim, Taejoo, Kwon, Sungjin, Lee, Taejin
• Granted Patent: US 9,571,625 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/025 LAN communication management
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/04 Exchange of auxiliary data, i.e. other than image data, between monitor and graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• 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: 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
• 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: H04M 2250/64 file transfer between terminals download of applications H04M1/72406; transfer of messages, e.g. SMS, e-mail or MMS H04M1/7243
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A mobile terminal is presented. The mobile terminal includes a display module, a short-range communication module configured to perform short-range communication, and a controller configured to search for at least one device available for short-range communication via the short-range communication module, acquire location information of the at least one searched other electronic device, and display the at least one searched electronic device reflecting the acquired location information on the display module.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display module;

a short-range communication module configured to perform short-range communication; and

a controller configured to search for at least one device available for short-range communication via the short-range communication module, acquire location information of the at least one searched other electronic device, and display the at least one searched electronic device reflecting the acquired location information on the display module.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller acquires identification information of the at least one searched device via the short-range communication module.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the identification information is at least one of a communication state, a communication available speed, a remaining memory capacity of the at least one searched device, or the name of the at least one searched device.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller acquires an image reflecting a real space and displays the acquired image in an overlapping manner on the displayed at least one searched device.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the image reflecting the real space is an image received in real time via a camera or an image stored in a memory.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the image reflecting the real space is a real image or a virtual image simulating the real space.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller displays at least one of an emphasis line outlining the at least one searched device located within a display range of the display module and an icon indicating the type or state of the at least one searched device located within the display range of the display module.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the controller displays an indicator indicating at least one of the location or direction of another at least one searched electronic device located outside the display range of the display module.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller exchanges data with a selected at least one searched device via the short-range communication module when a signal for selecting the at least one searched devices is received.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 9, further comprising:

a touch pad configured to generate a touch signal according to a touch operation,

wherein the selecting signal is generated via a touch operation performed on the touch pad, and the data exchange is initiated via a drag-and-drop operation on the at least one searched device.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 9, further comprising:

a motion sensor configured to generate a motion signal corresponding to a motion,

wherein at least one of the selecting signal and the data exchange is initiated by a motion signal generated from the motion sensor according to a motion toward the least one searched device.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein at least one of the selecting signal and the data exchange is initiated when the distance between the mobile terminal and the at least one searched device is less than or equal to a predetermined distance.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the location information comprises at least one of the distance, height, or direction to the at least one searched device.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the location information is acquired by using at least one of wireless local area network (WLAN), ultra-wide band (UWB), ZigBee™

, near field electromagnetic ranging (NFER), and radio-frequency identification (RFID).

15. The mobile terminal of claim 14, further comprising:

a location information module configured to assist the acquirement of the location information.

16. A method for controlling a device, the method comprising:

searching for at least one device available for short-range communication via a short-range communication module located in a mobile terminal;

acquiring location information of the at least one searched device; and

displaying the at least one searched device reflecting the acquired location information on a display module of the mobile terminal.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

acquiring identification information of the at least one searched device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the identification information is at least one of a communication state, a communication available speed, a remaining memory capacity of the at least one searched device, or the name of the at least one searched device.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

acquiring an image reflecting a real space.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the image reflecting the real space is one of a image received in real time through a camera or an image stored in a memory.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the image reflecting the real space is a real image or a virtual image simulating the real space.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein, an emphasis line outlining the at least one searched device located within a display range of the display module and an icon indicating the type or state of the at least one searched device located within the display range of the display module are displayed.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein, an indicator indicating at least one of the location or direction of at least one other searched device located outside the display range of the display module is displayed.

24. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

selecting the at least one searched device and exchanging data with the selected electronic device.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein, the data to be exchanged is drag-and-dropped to the selected at least one searched device.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the selecting of the at least one searched device and exchanging of data are performed via a motion toward the at least one searched device.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the selecting of the at least one searched device and exchanging of data are performed when the distance between the at least one searched device and the mobile terminal is less than or equal to a predetermined distance.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein the location information comprises at least one of a distance, a height, or a direction of the at least one searched device.

29. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display;

a short-range communication module configured to perform short-range communication; and

a controller configured to display a device map showing notification information regarding at least one device, and perform data communication with the at least one device selected via an input signal,

wherein the at least on device is displayed as an icon according to an input control signal for data communication.

30. The mobile terminal of claim 29, wherein the controller transmits the selected content to the selected at least one device when content to be transmitted is selected.

31. The mobile terminal of claim 29, wherein the controller transmits a screen image being displayed on the display of the mobile terminal to the selected at least one device when the input signal is received.

32. The mobile terminal of claim 29, wherein the input signal is generated by one of a touch input applied to a touch screen of the display of the mobile terminal, a pre-set touch gesture input, a motion input on a motion sensor of the mobile terminal, a voice input based on a voice recognition module of the mobile terminal, a blow input, and a non-contact type proximity touch input on a proximity sensor of the mobile terminal.

33. The mobile terminal of claim 29, wherein the selected at least one device comprises at least one of a device previously registered as a subject of the data communication or a device searched to be available for short-range communication.

34. The mobile terminal of claim 29, wherein the controller manages devices to be subjects of the data communication via device maps by groups formed based on a previously designated sorting reference.

35. The mobile terminal of claim 34, wherein when the control signal is input, the controller searches for a device available for short-range communication with the mobile terminal by using the short-range communication module, and displays a device map of a group including the searched electronic device among the device maps of the respective groups on a display screen.

36. The mobile terminal of claim 34, further comprising:

a location information module configured to acquire information regarding the location of the at least one device,

the controller acquires a current location of the at least one device by using the location information module and displays a device map of a group determined to be similar to the acquired current location of the at least one device.

37. The mobile terminal of claim 29, wherein the device map also displays notification information regarding the at least one device via an image reflecting a real space.

38. The mobile terminal of claim 29, wherein the device map also displays notification information regarding the at least one device via a map image that may be acquired according to a particular location.

39. The mobile terminal of 38, wherein the notification information regarding the electronic device is displayed on the device map by reflecting a relative direction and distance according to the current location of the mobile terminal.

40. The mobile terminal of 29, wherein the notification information regarding the electronic device is displayed on the device map by reflecting a relative direction and distance according to the current location of the mobile terminal.

41. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display unit configured to display a three-dimensional virtual reality image for a space in which devices are located; and

a controller configured to set and display device icons corresponding to the devices in the a three-dimensional virtual reality image, and display a menu for controlling at least one device corresponding to at least one device icon selected from the device icons.

42. The mobile terminal of claim 41, further comprising:

a wireless communication unit configured to connect the at least one device to a control server which controls the mobile terminal such that the mobile terminal and the at least one device may communicate with each other,

wherein the controller transfers a command corresponding to a control operation selected from the menu to the control server via the wireless communication unit.

43. The mobile terminal of claim 41 wherein when a first device icon is dragged to a second device icon on the three-dimensional virtual reality image, the controller displays a control menu for a first device and second devices each, respectively, corresponding to the first device icon and second device icon.

44. The mobile terminal of claim 41, wherein the device icon is set by using an image corresponding to the device.

45. A network system comprising:

at least one device located in a structure;

a mobile terminal configured to set and display device icons corresponding to the at least one device on a screen that displays a three-dimensional virtual reality image of the structure, and display a menu for controlling a selected at least one device corresponding to a device icon selected from among the device icons; and

a control server configured to be connected with the mobile terminal such that the mobile terminal can communicate with the selected at least one device and control the selected at least one device.