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

• US 20110086673A1
• Filed: 03/29/2010
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: CHO, Hye Youn, Lee, Dong Seok, Kwon, Yea Eun
• Granted Patent: US 8,869,071 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• 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 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A mobile terminal and a method of controlling the operation of the mobile terminal are provided. The method includes displaying a first list including one or more items on a display module provided in a main body of the mobile terminal; determining whether the main body has been rotated so as to turn the display module upside down; and if it is determined that the mobile terminal has been rotated so as to turn the display module upside down, displaying a second list, instead of the first list, on the display module. Therefore, it is possible to control various operations performed by the mobile terminal 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:

displaying a first list including one or more items on a display module provided in a main body of the mobile terminal;

determining whether the main body has been rotated so as to turn the display module upside down; and

if it is determined that the mobile terminal has been rotated so as to turn the display module upside down, displaying a second list, instead of the first list, on the display module.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second list is a list obtained by rearranging the items included in the first list in inverse order to that in the first list.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second list includes a number of secret items registered by a user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second list is a list obtained by rearranging the items included in the first list in consideration of the position of a scrollbar for scrolling the first list.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the second list comprises displaying the second list in the opposite direction to the first list.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a movement of the main body based on a variation in a sensing signal output by a motion sensor.

7. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display module configured to be provided in a main body of the mobile terminal and display a first list including one or more items;

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

a controller configured to determine whether the mobile terminal has been rotated so as to turn the display module upside down based on a sensing signal output by the motion sensor, wherein, if it is determined that the mobile terminal has been rotated so as to turn the display module upside down, the controller displays a second list, instead of the first list, on the display module.

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

playing a first file and displaying a screen regarding the playing of the first file on a display module provided in a main body of the mobile terminal;

determining whether the main body has been rotated so as to turn the display module upside down; and

if it is determined that the mobile terminal has been rotated so as to turn the display module upside down, playing a second file, instead of the first file, and displaying a screen regarding the playing of the second file on the display module.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second file is the next in a playlist to the first file.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the second file is the last in a playlist where the first file belongs.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the second file is a file selected in advance from a playlist where the first file belongs by a user.

12. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display module configured to be provided in a main body of the mobile terminal and display a screen regarding the playing of a file;

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

a controller configured to play a first file and determine whether the main body has been rotated so as to turn the display module upside down, wherein, if it is determined that the mobile terminal has been rotated so as to turn the display module upside down, the controller plays a second file, instead of the first file, and displays a screen regarding the playing of the second file on the display module.

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

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

determining whether the main body has been rotated so as to turn the display module upside down; and

if it is determined that the mobile terminal has been rotated so as to turn the display module upside down, switching the mobile terminal from the first operating mode to a second operating mode and displaying a screen corresponding to an operation, selected when the mobile terminal is placed in the second operating mode, on the display module.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein one of the first and second operating modes is a normal mode and the other operating mode is a theater mode.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein one of the first and second operating modes is a home mode and the other operating mode is an office mode.

16. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display module configured to be provided in a main body of the mobile terminal and display a screen corresponding to an operation, selected when the mobile terminal is placed in a first operating mode;

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

a controller configured to determine whether the main body has been rotated so as to turn the display module upside down, wherein, if it is determined that the mobile terminal has been rotated so as to turn the display module upside down, the controller switches the mobile terminal from the first operating mode to a second operating mode and displays a screen corresponding to an operation, selected when the mobile terminal is placed in the second operating mode, on the display module.

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

accessing a first website and displaying a webpage screen provided by the first website on a display module provided in a main body of the mobile terminal;

determining whether the main body has been rotated so as to turn the display module upside down; and

if it is determined that the mobile terminal has been rotated so as to turn the display module upside down, accessing a second website and displaying a webpage screen provided by the second website on the display module.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second website uses a different search engine from the first website.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising conducting a search at the second website using a keyword input into the webpage screen provided by the first website.

20. A mobile terminal comprising:

a wireless communication unit configured to provide an interface for access to a wireless internet;

a display module configured to display a webpage screen provided by a first website;

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

a controller configured to determine whether a main body of the mobile terminal has been rotated so as to turn the display module upside down, wherein, if it is determined that the mobile terminal has been rotated so as to turn the display module upside down, the controller accesses a second website using a different search engine from the first website and displays a webpage screen provided by the second website.