SELECTING INPUT/OUTPUT COMPONENTS OF A MOBILE TERMINAL

• US 20110045812A1
• Filed: 03/04/2010
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Ho-Soo, Min, Seong-Uk
• Granted Patent: US 8,712,393 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• 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 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6008 in the transmitter circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6016 in the receiver circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• 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 2250/22 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

Abstract

A device includes a first microphone at a first position on the device, a second microphone at a second position on the device, a first speaker at a third position on the device, and a second speaker at a fourth position on the device. The first, second, third, and fourth positions of the device are different positions. The device also includes a controller configured to determine a physical characteristic of the device. The controller is further configured to select, based on the determined physical characteristic, among the first microphone at the first position on the device and the second microphone at the second position on the device. The controller is additionally configured to select, based on the determined physical characteristic, among the first speaker at the third position on the device or the second microphone at the fourth position on the device.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a first microphone at a first position on the device;

a second microphone at a second position on the device;

a first speaker at a third position on the device;

a second speaker at a fourth position on the device, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth positions of the device are different positions; and

a controller configured to;

determine a physical characteristic of the device,

select, based on the determined physical characteristic, among the first microphone at the first position on the device and the second microphone at the second position on the device, and

select, based on the determined physical characteristic, among the first speaker at the third position on the device or the second microphone at the fourth position on the device.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to:

select, if the determined physical characteristic is a first physical characteristic, the first microphone at the first position on the device and the first speaker at the third position on the device;

activate, based on the selected first microphone at the first position on the device and the first speaker at the third position on the device, the first microphone at the first position on the device and the first speaker at the third position on the device; and

deactivate, based on the selected first microphone at the first position on the device and the first speaker at the third position on the device, the second microphone at the third position on the device and the second speaker at the fourth position on the device.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the controller is configured to:

select, if the determined physical characteristic is a second physical characteristic, the second microphone at the third position on the device and the second speaker at the fourth position on the device;

activate, based on the selected second microphone at the third position on the device and the second speaker at the fourth position on the device, the second microphone at the third position on the device and the second speaker at the fourth position on the device; and

deactivate, based on the selected second microphone at the third position on the device and the second speaker at the fourth position on the device, the first microphone at the first position on the device and the first speaker at the third position on the device.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein:

activation of the first microphone at the first location of the device and the first speaker at the third location of the device and deactivation of the second microphone at the third location of the device and the second speaker at the fourth location of the device constitute a first operation mode of the controller; and

activation of the second microphone at the third location of the device and the second speaker at the fourth location of the device and deactivation of the first microphone at the first location of the device and the first speaker at the third location of the device constitute a second operation mode of the controller,

wherein the controller is configured to select, based on the determined physical characteristic, among the first and second operation modes.

5. The device of claim 1 further comprising a sensing unit wherein:

to determine the physical characteristic of the device, the controller is configured to receive and process data from the sensing unit related to a sensed posture of the device; and

the controller is configured to select among the microphone and the speaker based on the processed data related to the sensed posture.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein:

the sensing unit includes one or more accelerometers;

to determine the physical characteristic of the device, the controller is configured to receive and process data from the one or more accelerometers related to a sensed posture of the device; and

the controller is configured to select among the microphone and the speaker based on the processed data related to the sensed posture.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein:

the one or more accelerometers are configured to sense one or more rotational direction angles of the device;

to determine the physical characteristic of the device, the controller is configured to receive and process data from the sensing unit related to the one or more rotational direction angles of the device; and

the controller is configured to select among the microphone and the speaker based on the processed data related to the one or more rotational direction angles of the device.

8. The device of claim 1 further comprising a display, wherein the controller is configured to select, based on the determined physical characteristic, among a first orientation of a graphical user interface to be rendered on the display and a second orientation of the graphical user interface to be rendered on the display.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the controller includes one or more processors.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the device is a mobile telephone.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising a first camera and a second camera, wherein the controller is configured to:

select, based on the determined physical characteristic, the first and second cameras for use in generating a three-dimensional image.

12. A method comprising:

determining a physical characteristic of a device, wherein the device includes;

a first microphone at a first position on the device,

a second microphone at a second position on the device,

a first speaker at a third position on the device, and

a second speaker at a fourth position on the device, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth positions of the device are different positions;

selecting, based on the determined physical characteristic, among the first microphone at the first position on the device and the second microphone at a second position on the device; and

selecting, based on the determined physical characteristic, among the first speaker at the third position on the device and the second microphone at a fourth position on the device.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

selecting, if the determined physical characteristic is a first physical characteristic, the first microphone at the first position on the device and the first speaker at the third position on the device;

activating, based on the selected first microphone at the first position on the device and the first speaker at the third position on the device, the first microphone at the first position on the device and the first speaker at the third position on the device; and

deactivating, based on the selected first microphone at the first position on the device and the first speaker at the third position on the device, the second microphone at the third position on the device and the second speaker at the fourth position on the device.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

selecting, if the determined physical characteristic is a second physical characteristic, the second microphone at the third position on the device and the second speaker at the fourth position on the device;

activating, based on the selected second microphone at the third position on the device and the second speaker at the fourth position on the device, the second microphone at the third position on the device and the second speaker at the fourth position on the device; and

deactivating, based on the selected second microphone at the third position on the device and the second speaker at the fourth position on the device, the first microphone at the first position on the device and the first speaker at the third position on the device.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein:

activation of the first microphone at the first location of the device and the first speaker at the third location of the device and deactivation of the second microphone at the third location of the device and the second speaker at the fourth location of the device constitute a first operation mode of the controller; and

activation of the second microphone at the third location of the device and the second speaker at the fourth location of the device and deactivation of the first microphone at the first location of the device and the first speaker at the third location of the device constitute a second operation mode of the controller,

further comprising selecting, based on the determined physical characteristic, among the first and second operation modes

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising sensing the characteristic of the device with a sensing unit, wherein:

determining the physical characteristic of the device includes receiving and processing data from the sensing unit related to a sensed posture of the device.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein:

the sensing unit includes one or more accelerometers; and

determining the physical characteristic of the device includes receiving and processing data from the one or more accelerometers related to a sensed posture of the device.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein:

the one or more accelerometers are configured to sense one or more rotational direction angles of the device; and

determining the physical characteristic of the device includes receiving and processing data from the one or more accelerometers related to the one or more rotational direction angles of the device.

19. The method of claim 12 further comprising selecting, based on the determined physical characteristic, among a first orientation of a graphical user interface to be rendered on a display and a second orientation of the graphical user interface to be rendered on the display.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein the device is a mobile telephone.

21. The method of claim 12 further comprising selecting, based on the determined physical characteristic, a first camera and a second camera for use in generating a three-dimensional image.

22. A method comprising:

means for determining a physical characteristic of a device, wherein the device includes;

a first microphone at a first position on the device,

a second microphone at a second position on the device,

a first speaker at a third position on the device, and

a second speaker at a fourth position on the device, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth positions of the device are different positions;

selecting, based on the determined physical characteristic, among the first microphone at the first position on the device and the second microphone at a second position on the device; and

selecting, based on the determined physical characteristic, among the first speaker at the third position on the device and the second microphone at a fourth position on the device.

23. A method comprising:

determining a physical characteristic of a device, wherein the device includes;

a first microphone at a first position on the device,

a second microphone at a second position on the device,

a first speaker at a third position on the device, and

a second speaker at a fourth position on the device, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth positions of the device are different positions;

means for selecting, based on the determined physical characteristic, among the first microphone at the first position on the device and the second microphone at a second position on the device; and

means for selecting, based on the determined physical characteristic, among the first speaker at the third position on the device and the second microphone at a fourth position on the device.