Portable electronic device and method for selecting operation mode thereof

• US 8,060,161 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2007
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kwak, Jae-Do
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro; Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US11/764,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20080146298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,611 Days
• Field of Search: 455/400, 455/575, 455/574, 396/428, 396/429, 372/18, 372/97, 372/50.11, 372/23, 372/25, 372/50, 372/11, 345/173, 345/168, 345/158, 705/40
• US Class Current: 455/575.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0225 Rotatable telephones, i.e. the body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0241 using relative motion of the body parts to change the operational status of the telephone set, e.g. switching on/off, answering incoming call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0243 using the relative angle between housings

Abstract

A portable electronic device includes: first and second bodies connected to be relatively movable; a position sensing unit configured to sense at least one relative position set between opened and closed positions of the first and second bodies; and an output unit mounted on at least one of the first and second bodies and outputting an operation mode corresponding to the sensed relative position. A desired operation mode can be selected easily when the mobile terminal is moved to be opened and closed.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

first and second bodies connected to be relatively movable;

a movement sensing unit configured to sense a relative movement between the first and second bodies;

an input unit mounted on one of the first and second bodies and receiving a command; and

an output unit mounted on one of the first and second bodies and outputting an operation mode according to the command received during the relative movement of the first and second bodies,

wherein the input unit is formed as a touch pad on one of the first and second bodies where the output unit is mounted, and

the command is received when a touch on the touch pad and the relative movement of the first and second bodies are simultaneously performed.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the movement sensing unit comprises:

an indication element formed on at least one of the first and second bodies; and

a recognizing unit formed on the other of the first and second bodies and recognizing the indication unit until the relative movement occurs.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the input unit comprises at least one input part that receives at least one command corresponding to the input part.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the first and second bodies are connected to be relatively slidable.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the output unit further comprises a display mounted on at least one of the first and second bodies and visually displaying the executed operation mode.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device comprises a mobile terminal having a wireless communication module.