Apparatus and method for function setting event in mobile terminal according to user position information

• US 8,055,250 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2006
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Hyun-Ji, Kim, Jae-Ho, Seo, Jeong-Wook
• Primary Examiner(s): AJIBADE AKONAI, OLUMIDE
• Application Number:
  US11/355,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20060189313A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,091 Days
• Field of Search: 4554141-4144, 4554561-4566, 455/457, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/418, 455/466, 455/566, 455/412.1, 455/458, 455/564, 455/565, 455/567, 455/569.1, 455/569.2
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver

Abstract

An apparatus and method for a function setting event in a mobile terminal according to user position information are disclosed. According to the apparatus and method, a character agent function is added to a mobile terminal, and when an event occurs in the mobile terminal, the event occurrence and process is expressed by corresponding character User Interfaces (UIs). When user position information confirming event and function setting related event occur, they can be expressed through the character agent function.

Claims

1. An apparatus for a function setting event in a mobile terminal according to user position information, the apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing character user interface images according to a user position information confirming event and a function setting event, and storing the user position information;

a global positioning system (GPS) receiving unit for receiving the user position information;

an event collection unit for sensing an event occurrence and generating an event message for identifying the corresponding event;

an agent control unit, comprising a plurality of specialists to perform an agent control according to a type of the events, for determining a specialist to perform an agent control corresponding to the event message, among the plurality of specialists, selecting a character user interface according to the events from among agent expressions of the determined specialist and outputting the character user interface on the mobile terminal; and

an agent expression unit for accessing and outputting a character image and text corresponding to the character user interface according to the events.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the agent control unit further comprises a specialist that generates a timer event when a user position information confirming time point arrives, the user position information is received from the GPS receiving unit if the timer event occurs, and a message is displayed for notifying the user'"'"'s present position and a corresponding character user interface.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the agent control unit causes display of the user position information and the present setting state of the mobile terminal received from the GPS receiving unit, the agent control unit further comprising a specialist for storing information being displayed in the memory.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the agent control unit further comprises a specialist that judges whether a pre-registered schedule to be carried out in the user'"'"'s present state exists according to the user position confirming event, and displays the pre-registered schedule depending on the existence of the pre-registered schedule or displays a message for suggesting registration of a schedule and a corresponding character user interface.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the agent control unit further comprises a specialist that judges whether any function set more than the predetermined number of times in the present position in the past exists according to the user position information confirming event, and displays a message for suggesting setting of the function and a corresponding character user interface depending on the existence of the set function.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the GPS receiving unit is configured to confirm a user'"'"'s position for a preset period set by the user.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the memory is configured to store the user position information received from the GPS receiving unit, delete the user position information stored in the memory if the specialist judges that the user exists in the present position for longer than a reference time, groups and stores the present position information and the setting state of the mobile terminal that exist for longer than the reference time.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the memory is configured to store:

a message for confirming the user position information and a corresponding character user interface;

a message for notifying storage of the user position information and the setting state of the mobile terminal and a corresponding character user interface;

a message for suggesting a schedule registration according to the user position information and a corresponding character user interface; and

a message for suggesting a change of the setting state of the mobile terminal according to the user position information and a corresponding character user interface.

9. A method for processing a function setting event in a mobile terminal according to user position information, the method comprising;

storing user position information confirming event when the user position information confirming event occurs;

confirming specialists preset to process a corresponding user position information confirming event among a plurality of specialists to perform an agent control according to a type of an event, in order to perform an agent control for the event;

performing an agent control for the corresponding event by calling the confirmed specialists;

confirming the results of the process by the specialists that have performed an agent control of the event; and

displaying on the mobile terminal an expression related to the results of the process preset by the specialists according to the results of process.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the specialists that confirm the user position information and the state information of the mobile terminal during the user position information confirming event comprise first and second specialists, the method further comprising:

confirming the user position information by the first specialist and judging whether the user has stayed in the position for a preset time;

storing the present position information and setting state of the mobile terminal by the second specialist; and

displaying a message for notifying the present position and the setting state of the mobile terminal and a corresponding character user interface.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the setting state of the mobile terminal comprises a reception notifying mode of the mobile terminal, a power on/off state, and setting states of respective menus.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

confirming the user position information for each preset time period by the first specialist;

storing, preferentially by the second specialist, the user'"'"'s present position information confirmed by the first specialist for the present time period in a memory;

judging, by the first specialist, a user'"'"'s departure from the present position if the user has stayed in the present position for less than a reference time; and

deleting, by the second specialist, the user position information preferentially stored in the memory by the second specialist.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the specialists that stores a schedule confirming event among the user position information confirming event and a setting state confirming event of the mobile terminal comprise third and fourth specialists, the method further comprising:

judging, by the third specialist, whether a pre-registered schedule to be carried out in the user'"'"'s position exists when the event occurs;

displaying a message for suggesting registration of a schedule to be carried out in the position and a corresponding character user interface if no schedule exists as a result of judgment;

confirming, by the fourth specialist, the setting state of the mobile terminal;

judging whether the present setting state is identical to the state of the mobile terminal previously set in the present position; and

displaying a message for suggesting a change of the present setting state of the mobile terminal to the previous setting state and a corresponding character user interface if the present setting state is not identical to the previous setting state as determined by the judging.

14. A method for processing a function setting event in a mobile terminal according to user location information, the method comprising:

confirming user location information received through a global positioning system (GPS) receiving unit for a preset period;

judging whether a user has stayed in the location for longer than a reference time;

storing the user location information and a state setting information of the mobile terminal if the user has stayed in the location for longer than the reference time as determined by the judging; and

second judging whether a pre-registered schedule to be carried out in the location exists after storing the user location information and the state setting information of the mobile terminal.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

confirming and storing the user location information in a memory for the preset period; and

deleting the user location information stored in the memory if the user has stayed in the location for less than the reference time.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

displaying a message for suggesting registration of a schedule to be carried out in the location and a corresponding character user interface if no schedule exists as determined by the second judging; and

receiving the registration of the schedule to be carried out in the location according to the user'"'"'s setting.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the pre-registered schedule comprises the schedule pre-registered in the location by the user and the location information registered when the schedule to be carried out in the location is registered.

18. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

third judging the setting state of the mobile terminal set more than a predetermined number of times in the location after storing the user location information and the state information of the mobile terminal;

displaying a message for suggesting change of the setting state of the mobile terminal and a corresponding character user interface if the set information of the mobile terminal set more than the predetermined number of times in the location as determined by the third judging; and

changing the function of the mobile terminal set in the location according to the user'"'"'s setting.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the setting state of the mobile terminal comprises a reception notifying mode of the mobile terminal, a power on/off state, and setting states of respective menus.