MOBILE TERMINAL AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF THE MOBILE TERMINAL

• US 20110076003A1
• Filed: 03/29/2010
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: CHO, Hye Youn, Kwon, Yea Eun
• Granted Patent: US 8,391,697 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/297
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/20 visible in viewfinder
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• 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 1/72403 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• 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 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

A mobile terminal and a method of controlling the operation of the mobile terminal are provided. The method includes operating a camera provided in a main body of the mobile terminal in a first camera mode, and displaying a screen corresponding to an operation selected during the first camera mode on a display module; and if a 360-degree rotation of the main body about a predetermined axial direction is detected, operating the camera in a second camera mode and displaying a screen corresponding to an operation selected during the second camera mode on the display module. Therefore, it is possible to easily switch the mobile terminal from one camera mode to another camera mode in accordance with the movement of the main body of the mobile terminal.

Claims

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

operating a camera provided in a main body of the mobile terminal in a first camera mode, and displaying a screen corresponding to an operation selected during the first camera mode on a display module; and

if it is determined that the main body has been rotated once about a predetermined axial direction, operating the camera in a second camera mode and displaying a screen corresponding to an operation selected during the second camera mode on the display module.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first and second camera modes is a photo capture mode and the other camera mode is a video capture mode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first and second camera modes is a normal mode and the other camera mode is a macro mode.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sensing a movement of the main body with the use of a motion sensor.

5. A mobile terminal comprising:

a camera configured to be provided in a main body of the mobile terminal;

a motion sensor configured to sense a movement of the main body;

a display module configured to display a screen associated with the operation of the camera; and

a controller configured to operate the camera in a first camera mode and display a screen corresponding to an operation selected during the first camera mode on the display module, wherein, if sensing data provided by the motion sensor indicates that the main body has been rotated once about a predetermined axial direction, the controller sets the camera in a second camera mode and displays a screen corresponding to an operation selected during the second camera mode on the display module.

6. A method of controlling the operation of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

operating a first camera provided at the front of a main body of the mobile terminal in a first camera mode, and displaying a screen corresponding to an operation selected during the first camera mode on a display module;

if it is determined that the main body has been rotated once about a predetermined axial direction, terminating the first camera mode; and

operating a second camera provided at the rear of the main body in a second camera mode and displaying a screen corresponding to an operation selected during the second camera mode on the display module.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein one of the first and second camera modes is a video call mode and the other camera mode is an image capture mode.

8. A mobile terminal comprising:

a first camera configured to be provided at the front of a main body of the mobile terminal;

a second camera configured to be provided at the rear of the main body;

a motion sensor configured to sense a movement of the main body;

a display module configured to display a screen associated with the operation of the first or second camera; and

a controller configured to operate the first camera in the first camera mode and display a screen corresponding to an operation selected during the first camera mode on the display module, wherein, if sensing data provided by the motion sensor indicates that the main body has been rotated once about a predetermined axial direction, the controller terminates the first camera mode, sets the second camera in a second camera mode and displays a screen corresponding to an operation selected during the second camera mode on the display module.

9. A method of controlling the operation of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

operating a camera provided in a main body of the mobile terminal in a first camera mode, and displaying a screen corresponding to an operation selected during the first camera mode on a display module; and

if an amount of light incident upon the lens of the camera is less than a reference level, switching the camera to a second camera mode and displaying a screen corresponding to an operation selected during the second camera mode on the display module.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein one of the first and second camera modes is a photo capture mode and the other camera mode is a video capture mode.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein one of the first and second camera modes is a normal mode and the other camera mode is a macro mode.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein one of the first and second camera modes is a normal video call mode and the other camera mode is a privacy protection video call mode.

13. A mobile terminal comprising:

a camera configured to be provided in a main body of the mobile terminal;

a photosensitive sensor configured to determine an amount of light incident upon the lens of the camera;

a display module configured to display a screen associated with the operation of the camera; and

a controller configured to operate a camera provided in the main in a first camera mode and display a screen corresponding to an operation selected during the first camera mode on the display module, wherein, if sensing data provided by the photosensitive sensor indicates that an amount of light incident upon the lens of the camera is less than a reference level, the controller switches the camera to a second camera mode and displays a screen corresponding to an operation selected during the second camera mode on the display module.

14. A method of controlling the operation of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

operating a first camera provided at the front of a main body of the mobile terminal in a first camera mode, and displaying a screen corresponding to an operation selected during the first camera mode on a display module; and

if an amount of light incident upon the lens of the camera is less than a reference level, terminating the first camera mode, operating a second camera provided at the rear of the main body in a second camera mode, and displaying a screen corresponding to an operation selected during the second camera mode on the display module.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein one of the first and second camera modes is a video call mode and the other camera mode is an image capture mode.

16. A mobile terminal comprising:

a first camera configured to be provided at the front of a main body of the mobile terminal;

a second camera configured to be provided at the rear of the main body;

a photosensitive sensor configured to determine an amount of light incident upon the lens of the camera;

a display module configured to display a screen associated with the operation of the first or second camera; and

a controller configured to operate the first camera in a first camera mode and display a screen corresponding to an operation selected during the first camera mode on the display module, wherein, if sensing data provided by the photosensitive sensor indicates that an amount of light incident upon the lens of the camera is less than a reference level, the controller terminates the first camera mode, operates the second camera in a second camera mode, and displays a screen corresponding to an operation selected during the second camera mode on the display module.