MOBILE TERMINAL

• US 20150119112A1
• Filed: 11/25/2014
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: HWANG, Yong Jin, LEE, Yun Sung, THO, Gi Hoon, KIM, Min Soo, WON, Chang Bai, CHOI, Bo Ra, LEE, Kun Woo, MILES, Luke, LEE, Yu Ri
• Granted Patent: US 9,451,064 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• 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 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• 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: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/002 Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 other optical apparatus G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0268 including a flexible display panel
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/03 Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets
• 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: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A mobile terminal includes a body including a flexible portion, a display unit provided to the body, a sensing unit provided to the body and generating an electric signal in response to bending of the body, and a controller recognizing the electric signal and controlling the display unit according to the electric signal generated by the bending of the body.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a body comprising a flexible portion; and

a controller configured to cause the body to change its shape in response to an event recognized by the controller.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the changed shape is a curved shape.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the shape of the body is changed from a flat shape to the curved shape in response to the event.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising an actuator configured to change the shape of the body.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the actuator is formed of a shape memory alloy which is configured to alternate between an original shape and a deformed shape according to a temperature change.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein the shape memory alloy is disposed in the flexible portion of the body such that a shape change of the shape memory alloy causes the change of the body shape.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the body further comprises:

a first body portion formed of a flexible material to allow elastic deformation; and

at least one second body portion formed of a rigid material and coupled to the first body portion.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the actuator comprises:

a motor fixed to the first body portion for providing a driving force; and

a movable frame having one end connected to the motor for rotating the other end thereof.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the actuator further comprises a fixed frame placed in the first body portion, the fixed frame having the motor mounted thereto and the movable frame being rotatably connected to the fixed frame through the motor.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the movable frame is rotated with respect to the fixed frame to change a shape of the first body portion in response to a signal received from the controller.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the other end of the movable frame is connected to the at least one second body portion.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising a display, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display to display a menu for setting the shape of the body such that the shape of the body is changed according to the set shape.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein an entire surface of the body is formed of an elastic material.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13, further comprising an actuator configured to change the shape of the body, wherein the actuator comprises:

a fixed frame fixed in the body;

a motor connected to one end of the fixed frame for providing a driving force; and

a movable frame in the body, the movable frame rotatably connected to the motor.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the motor comprises:

a motor body fixed to the fixed frame; and

a rotation shaft connected to the motor body at one end thereof and rotatably connected to the movable frame at the other end thereof.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to bring the changed body shape back to an original body shape in response to an input received while the mobile terminal has the changed body shape.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to bring the changed body shape back to an original body shape after a preset period of time.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the event comprises receiving a phone call or message.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 18, wherein the body is bent when the phone call is received such that a portion of the body where a microphone is located is moved according to the bending of the body.

20. A method of controlling a mobile terminal comprising a body comprising a flexible portion, the method comprising:

changing a shape of the body from a first shape to a second shape in response to an event recognized by a controller of the mobile terminal.