Mobile communication terminal with dual-display unit having function of editing captured image and method thereof

• US 7,471,890 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2006
• Issued: 12/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Yeon-Woo, Lee, Sang-Hyuck, Cheon, Jee-Young
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey; W. B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fenwick; Warren K
• Application Number:
  US11/502,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20070035616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 396/287, 455/566
• US Class Current: 396/287
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00424 using a list of graphical elements, e.g. icons or icon bar
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00453 arranged in a two dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00493 Particular location of the interface or console
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00496 Constructional details of the interface or console not otherwise provided for, e.g. rotating or tilting means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0096 Portable devices

Abstract

A mobile communication terminal with a camera and a dual-display unit, whereby, in an image capturing mode, a first display unit displays an image of a subject received through a camera in real time and a second display unit displays a still image of the subject captured according to an image capture command signal received from a user, and in an image editing mode, when one of at least two or more images displayed on the first display unit is selected, the selected image is displayed on the second display unit, and at the same time, when a certain function icon provided to the first display nit is selected, a function allocated to the selected function icon is executed. An image of a camera preview and a captured image are displayed on each different display unit, so a user can capture a moment an image is to be captured and check the recently captured image by naked eyes, enhancing user convenience and providing fun to users.

Claims

1. A method for dual-displaying captured images by using a mobile terminal having a camera, wherein a first display portion among first and second display portions provided in the mobile terminal displays a real-time image of an object received through the camera and, at the same time, the second display portion displays a still image of an object captured according to an image capture command signal received from a user,

wherein the still image of the object captured is displayed on the second display portion in response to the image capture command signal received from the user that includes a first touching of the first display portion and a dragging operation on the first display portion towards a direction of the second display portion.

5. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein one or more of the first and second display portions comprise a touch screen as a user interface.

2. A method for dual-displaying a captured image by using a mobile terminal having a camera, the method comprising:

(a) displaying an image of an object received through the camera on a first display portion among first and second display portions provided in the terminal in real time;

(b) obtaining a captured still image of the object according to an image capture command signal received from a user and storing the captured still image in a memory; and

(c) displaying the captured still image on the second display portion according to a display command signal received from the user,

wherein the image capture command signal received from the user includes a first touching of the first display portion and the display command signal received from the user includes a dragging operation on the first display portion towards a direction of the second display portion.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, in the step (c), still images captured in the step (b) are displayed in a thumbnail format in the image capture order according to a pre-set option.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein, in the step (c), the latest captured still image in the step (b) is displayed according to a pre-set option.

6. The method of claim 3 or 4, further comprising:

(d) managing respective still images displayed on the second display portion.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step (d) comprises:

selecting one or more still images displayed on the second display portion;

providing a menu for managing the displayed still images; and

selectively executing one of functions provided by the menu.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the menu has a function of storing the selected still image in a different folder.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the menu has a function of deleting the selected still image.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the menu has a function of transmitting the selected still image to outside through a mobile communication network.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the second display portion comprises a touch screen as a user interface, and the still image selection and the function selection in the step (d) are performed by using the touch screen.

12. A mobile terminal having a camera, the mobile terminal comprising:

a key input unit that receives various commands from a user;

a controller that outputs a first control signal to display a realtime image of an object received through the camera and a second control signal to display a still image of the object captured upon receiving an image capture command signal from the key input unit;

a first display portion that displays the real time image of the object according to the first control signal; and

a second display portion that displays the still image according to the second control signal,

wherein the first control signal includes a first touching of the first display portion and the second control signal includes a dragging operation on the first display portion towards a direction of the second display portion.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the second control signal is further to display still images in a thumbnail format in the captured order according to a pre-set option.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the second control signal is further to display a still image which has been captured most recently according to a pre-set option.

15. The mobile terminal of any one of claims 13 and 14, wherein one or more of the first and second display portions comprise a touch screen as a user interface in addition to the key input unit.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 13 or 14, further comprising:

a memory unit that stores the captured still image,

wherein the controller performs an operation of outputting a third control signal to store the captured still image in a memory unit.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 16, wherein when a select command signal with respect one or more of the still images displayed on the second display portion is received from the user, the controller provides a menu for managing the displayed still image, and when a select command signal with respect to one of functions provided by a menu is received from the user, the controller performs an operation of outputting a fourth control signal.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein the second display portion comprises a touch screen as a user interface separately from the key input unit, and the still image selection and the function selection are performed by using the touch screen.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein the menu is provided on the second display portion.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein the menu has a function of storing the selected still image in a different folder of the memory unit.

21. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein the menu has a function of deleting the selected still image from the memory unit.

22. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein the menu has a function of transmitting the selected still image through a wireless communication module.

23. A method for dual-displaying captured images by using a mobile terminal having a camera, the method comprising:

displaying, on a first display portion among first and second display portions provided in the mobile terminal, a real-time image of an object received through the camera and, at the same time, displaying, on the second display portion, at least one still image of an object captured according to an image capture command signal received from a user,

wherein captured still images are displayed in a thumbnail format in the image capture order according to a display command signal and a pre-set option, and

wherein the image capture command signal received from the user includes a first touching of the first display portion and the display command signal includes a dragging operation on the first display portion towards a direction of the second display portion.