Broadcast receiver, mobile device, service providing method, and broadcast receiver controlling method

• US 20110043326A1
• Filed: 12/28/2009
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Sang-kwon, Hyun, Lyun-sik, Kim, Sung-joo, Choi, Hyok-sung, Yu, Hee-seok, Han, Se-jun, Kim, Ho-joong
• Granted Patent: US 9,232,193 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.8
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A broadcast receiver includes a mode determination unit to determine a current operation mode among a plurality of operation modes, a communication interface to transmit the determined current operation mode to a mobile device through interactive communication, and to receive a control command from the mobile device, and a controller to provide a service of the determined current operation mode according to the control command received from the mobile device. Accordingly, a user controls the broadcast receiver through the mobile device according to the operation mode so that user'"'"'s convenience is improved.

Claims

1. A broadcast receiver which supports a plurality of operation modes, comprising:

a mode determination unit to determine a current operation mode among the plurality of operation modes;

a communication interface to transmit the determined current operation mode to a mobile device through interactive communication, and to receive a control command from the mobile device; and

a controller to provide a service of the determined current operation mode according to the control command received from the mobile device.

2. The broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operation modes are at least one of a television (TV) view mode, a movie mode, a game mode, an internet mode, and a text input mode.

3. The broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein, if the control command from the mobile device is to move to a predetermined area on a user interface (UI) window providing the service, the mode determination unit determines that the operation mode has been changed.

4. The broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller assigns an identification code to the mobile device, and the communication interface encrypts the determined current operation mode and the control command from the mobile device with the identification code and transmits and receives the operation mode and the control command.

5. The broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit to display service screens of the operation mode; and

a storage unit to store a plurality of user interface (UI) windows corresponding to the operation modes,

wherein the controller controls the communication interface to transmit a UI window corresponding to the current operation mode determined by the mode determination unit to the mobile device.

6. The broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 5, wherein the controller controls the communication interface to transmit different UI windows to a plurality of mobile devices.

7. The broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a display unit to display service screens of the operation mode, wherein, if the current operation mode is the text input mode, the controller controls the display unit to receive and display characters input through the mobile device on a real time basis or collectively.

8. A mobile device which controls a broadcast receiver supporting a plurality of operation modes, the mobile device comprising:

a communication interface to receive information regarding a current operation mode among the plurality of operation modes through interactive communication;

a user interface to display a user interface (UI) window corresponding to the received information regarding the current operation mode and to receive a control command regarding the broadcast receiver; and

a controller to control the communication interface to transmit the input control command to the broadcast receiver.

9. The mobile device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the operation modes are at least one of a television (TV) view mode, a movie mode, a game mode, an internet mode, and a text input mode.

10. The mobile device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the communication interface receives an identification code from the broadcast receiver, and encrypts the information regarding the current operation mode and the control command with the identification code and receives and transmits the information regarding the current operation mode and the control command.

11. The mobile device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the communication interface receives a UI window corresponding to the current operation mode, and the controller displays the received UI window on the user interface.

12. The mobile device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the communication interface receives information regarding a service of the current operation mode of the broadcast receiver, and displays the information regarding the service along with the UI window corresponding to the current operation mode.

13. The mobile device as claimed in claim 9, wherein, if the current operation mode is the text input mode, the controller controls the communication interface to transmit characters input through the user interface on a real time basis or collectively.

14. A service providing method of a broadcast receiver which supports a plurality of operation modes, the method comprising:

determining a current operation mode among the operation modes;

transmitting the determined current operation mode to a mobile device through interactive communication;

receiving a control command from the mobile device; and

providing a service of the determined current operation mode according to the control command received from the mobile device.

15. The service providing method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the operation modes are at least one of a television (TV) view mode, a movie mode, a game mode, an internet mode, and a text input mode.

16. The service providing method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the determining the current operation mode comprises determining that the current operation mode has been changed if the control command from the mobile device is to move to a predetermined area on a user interface (UI) window providing the service.

17. The service providing method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting an identification code assigned to the mobile device, and encrypting the determined current operation mode and the received control command with the identification code.

18. The service providing method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting a pre-stored user interface (UI) window corresponding to the determined current operation mode to the mobile device.

19. The service providing method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting pre-stored different UI windows to a plurality of mobile devices.

20. A method for controlling a broadcast receiver which supports a plurality of operation modes, by a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving information regarding a current operation mode among the plurality of operation modes through interactive communication;

displaying a user interface (UI) window corresponding to the received information regarding the current operation mode;

receiving a control command regarding the broadcast receiver; and

transmitting the control command to the broadcast receiver.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the operation modes are at least one of a television (TV) view mode, a movie mode, a game mode, an internet mode, and a text input mode.

22. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the receiving the information regarding the current operation mode comprises receiving an identification code from the broadcast receiver, and encrypting the information regarding the current operation mode and the control command with the identification code.

23. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the receiving the information regarding the current operation mode comprises receiving a UI window corresponding to the current operation mode, and the displaying comprises displaying the received UI window on a user interface.

24. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the receiving the information regarding the current operation mode comprises receiving information regarding a service of the current operation mode of the broadcast receiver, and the displaying comprises displaying the information regarding the service along with the UI window corresponding to the current operation mode.