Mobile terminal device

• US 8,072,492 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2005
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishi, Takahiro, Toma, Tadamasa, Sugio, Toshiyasu, Matsui, Yoshinori, Kondo, Satoshi, Sasai, Hisao
• Primary Examiner(s): PHILIPPE, GIMS S
• Application Number:
  US10/594,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20070216760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,394 Days
• Field of Search: 348/152, 348/14.01, 348/14.02, 455/522.1, 455/412.1, 455/556.1
• US Class Current: 348/152
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording

Abstract

To provide a mobile terminal device which can perform an operation reflecting the intention of a user when an event, such as the arrival of an incoming phone call or an email, occurs while a television broadcast is being displayed, and which can also improve the operability. A mobile terminal device is composed of: a TV reception unit which receives a television broadcast signal; an output control unit which controls outputs of video and audio of the television broadcast, auxiliary information of the television broadcast, the email, audio of the phone call, and video and audio of a video phone call, to a first display unit, a second display unit, and an audio reproduction unit; a recording control unit which records a television broadcast program onto a recording medium; a reproduction control unit which reproduces the television broadcast program recorded on the recording medium; a control unit which controls an operation performed when the email or the phone call is receives while the television broadcast is being displayed; and an unfold/fold detection unit which detects whether the mobile terminal device is folded or unfolded.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal device comprising:

a broadcast reception unit operable to receive a television broadcast signal;

a display unit operable to display video;

an audio reproduction unit operable to reproduce audio; and

a control unit operable, when an event occurs while the received television broadcast is being outputted by said display unit and said audio reproduction unit, to control at least one of a displaying of video of the television broadcast by said display unit, a reproduction of audio of the television broadcast by said audio reproduction unit, and the event.

2. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising

a transmission/reception unit operable to transmit and receive an email,

wherein the event is a reception of the email, and

wherein said control unit is operable, when the email is received, to control the displaying of the video of the television broadcast, the reproduction of the audio of the television broadcast, and a processing of the email.

3. The mobile terminal device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a storage unit operable to record the received television broadcast; and

a recording control unit operable to control the recording of the television broadcast into said storage unit,

wherein when the email is received, said control unit is operable to instruct said recording control unit to record the television broadcast and to have said display unit display the email.

4. The mobile terminal device according to claim 3,

wherein after having said display unit display the email, said control unit is operable to have said audio reproduction unit reproduce the audio of the received television broadcast.

5. The mobile terminal device according to claim 3, further comprising

an operation reception unit operable to receive an operation from a user,

wherein when the email is received, said control unit is operable:

to inquire of the user whether or not to display the email before instructing said recording control unit to record the television broadcast and having said display unit display the email; and

to control a processing of the television broadcast and a processing of the email on the basis of an answer received by said operation reception unit from the user in response to the inquiry.

6. The mobile terminal device according to claim 5,

wherein when the answer is to display the email, said control unit is operable to instruct said recording control unit to record the television broadcast and operable to have the email displayed.

7. The mobile terminal device according to claim 3, further comprising

a reproduction control unit operable to reproduce the recorded television broadcast,

wherein when the displaying of the email is terminated, said control unit is operable to instruct said reproduction control unit to reproduce the recorded television broadcast.

8. The mobile terminal device according to claim 3,

wherein when the displaying of the email is terminated, said control unit is operable to notify the user that the television broadcast aired during the displaying of the email has been recorded.

9. The mobile terminal device according to claim 3,

wherein when the displaying of the email is terminated, said control unit is operable to inquire of the user whether or not to reproduce the television broadcast having been recorded during the displaying of the email.

10. The mobile terminal device according to claim 2,

wherein when the email is received, said control unit is operable to have said display unit display the email, and to have said audio reproduction unit reproduce the audio of the received television broadcast after having the display unit display the email.

11. The mobile terminal device according to claim 2, further comprising an output control unit operable to split a screen area of said display unit into split areas and to display the video of the television broadcast and the email on the split areas, respectively,

wherein when the email is received, said control unit is operable to instruct said output control unit to display the video of the television broadcast and the email on the split areas, respectively.

12. The mobile terminal device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a second display unit operable to display; and

an output control unit operable to have the video of the television broadcast and the email displayed on said display unit and said second display unit, respectively,

wherein when the email is received, said control unit is operable to instruct said output control unit to display the video of the television broadcast and the email.

13. The mobile terminal device according to claim 2, further comprising

an output control unit operable to display the email by overlaying the displaying of the email on the video of the television broadcast displayed on the display unit,

wherein when the email is received, said control unit is operable to instruct said output control unit to display the email by overlaying the displaying of the email on the video of the television broadcast.

14. The mobile terminal device according to claim 11, further comprising

an operation reception unit operable to receive an operation from the user,

wherein when the email is received, said control unit is operable:

to inquire of the user whether or not to display the email before instructing said output control unit to display the video of the television broadcast and the email on the split areas, respectively, and

to control the displaying of the video of the television broadcast and the displaying of the email on the basis of an answer received by said operation reception unit from the user in response to the inquiry.

15. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising

a transmission/reception unit operable to transmit and receive a phone call,

wherein the event is a reception of the phone call, and

said control unit is operable, when the phone call is received, to control the displaying of the video of the television broadcast, the reproduction of the audio of the television broadcast, and a processing of the phone call.

16. The mobile terminal device according to claim 15,

wherein when the phone call is received, said control unit is operable to have a call-answering machine pick up the phone call.

17. The mobile terminal device according to claim 15, comprising

an operation reception unit operable to receive an operation from the user,

wherein when the phone call is received, said control unit is operable:

to inquire of the user whether or not to pick up the phone call; and

to control a processing of the television broadcast and a processing of the phone call on the basis of an answer received by said operation reception unit from the user in response to the inquiry.

18. The mobile terminal device according to claim 17,

wherein when the answer is not to pick up the phone call, said control unit is operable to have a call-answering machine pick up the phone call.

19. The mobile terminal device according to claim 17, further comprising:

a storage unit operable to record the received television broadcast; and

a recording control unit operable to control the recording of the television broadcast into said storage unit,

wherein when the answer is to pick up the phone call, said control unit is operable to instruct said recording control unit to record the television broadcast and operable to perform a phone conversation processing.

20. The mobile terminal device according to claim 19, further comprising

a reproduction control unit operable to reproduce the recorded television broadcast,

wherein when the phone call is finished, said control unit is operable to instruct said reproduction control unit to reproduce the recorded television broadcast.

21. The mobile terminal device according to claim 19,

wherein when the phone call is finished, said control unit is operable to notify the user that the television broadcast aired during the phone call has been recorded.

22. The mobile terminal device according to claim 19,

wherein when the phone call is finished, said control unit is operable to inquire of the user whether or not to reproduce the television broadcast having been recorded during the phone call.

23. The mobile terminal device according to claim 17,

wherein when the answer is to pick up the phone call, said control unit is operable to display the video of the received television broadcast and to perform a phone conversation processing.

24. The mobile terminal device according to claim 23,

wherein when the answer is to pick up the phone call, said control unit is operable to display the video of the received television broadcast, to perform the phone conversation processing, and to reproduce a mixture of the audio of the television broadcast and audio of the phone call.

25. The mobile terminal device according to claim 23, further comprising:

a second audio reproduction unit operable to reproduce audio; and

an output control unit operable to have said audio reproduction unit and said second audio reproduction unit reproduce the audio of the television broadcast and the audio of the phone call, respectively,

wherein when the answer is to pick up the phone call, said control unit is operable to have the video of the received television broadcast displayed, to perform the phone conversation processing, and to instruct said output control unit to reproduce the audio of the television broadcast and the audio of the phone call.

26. The mobile terminal device according to claim 17,

wherein the phone call is a phone call accompanied by video,

wherein said mobile terminal device further comprises:

an output control unit operable to split a screen area of said display unit into split areas and to display the video of the television broadcast and the video of the phone call on the split areas, respectively, and

wherein said control unit is operable, when the answer is to pick up the phone call, to instruct said output control unit to display the video of the television broadcast and the video of the phone call on the split areas, respectively.

27. The mobile terminal device according to claim 17,

wherein the phone call is a phone call accompanied by video,

wherein said mobile terminal device further comprises:

a second display unit operable to display; and

an output control unit operable to display the video of the television broadcast and the video of the phone call on said display unit and said second display unit, respectively, and

wherein said control unit is operable, when the answer is to pick up the phone call, to instruct said output control unit to display the video of the television broadcast and the video of the phone call.

28. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, having a first main body unit and a second main body unit which are connected via a connection unit to be able to overlap each other, and further comprising:

a storage unit operable to record the received television broadcast;

a recording control unit operable to control the recording of the television broadcast into said storage unit; and

an open/close detection unit operable to detect whether the first main body unit and the second main body unit overlap each other or are opened,

wherein the event is the overlapping of the first main body unit and the second main body unit, and

wherein said control unit is operable, when said open/close detection unit detects the overlapping of the first main body unit and the second main body unit, to instruct said recording control unit to record the television broadcast.

29. The mobile terminal device according to claim 28, further comprising

a reproduction control unit operable to reproduce the recorded television broadcast,

wherein when said open/close detection unit detects that the first main body unit and the second main body unit are opened from a state of the overlapping, said control unit is operable to instruct said recording control unit to record the television broadcast.

30. The mobile terminal device according to claim 28,

wherein when said open/close detection unit detects that the first main body unit and the second main body unit are reopened from a state of the overlapping, said control unit is operable to notify the user that the television broadcast has been recorded during a period of time from the overlapping to the reopening.

31. The mobile terminal device according to claim 28,

wherein when said open/close detection unit detects that the first main body unit and the second main body unit are reopened from a state of the overlapping, said control unit is operable to inquire of the user whether or not to reproduce the television broadcast having been recorded during a period of time from the overlapping to the reopening.

32. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, having a first main body unit and a second main body unit which are connected via a connection unit to be able to overlap each other, and further comprising

an open/close detection unit operable to detect whether the first main body unit and the second main body unit overlap each other or are opened,

wherein the event is the overlapping of the first main body unit and the second main body unit, and

wherein said control unit is operable, when said open/close detection unit detects the overlapping of the first main body unit and the second main body unit, to control the reception of the television broadcast and the displaying of the video of the television broadcast.

33. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1,

wherein when said open/close detection unit detects the overlapping of the first main body unit and the second main body unit, said control unit is operable to stop the displaying of the video of the television broadcast.

34. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1,

wherein when said open/close detection unit detects the overlapping of the first main body unit and the second main body unit, said control unit is operable to stop the reception of the television broadcast.

35. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, having a first main body unit and a second main body unit which are connected via a connection unit able to overlap each other, and further comprising

an open/close detection unit operable to detect whether the first main body unit and the second main body unit overlap each other or are opened,

wherein the event is the overlapping of the first main body unit and the second main body unit, and

wherein said control unit is operable, when said open/close detection unit detects the overlapping of the first main body unit and the second main body unit, to instruct a separate device to record the television broadcast.

36. The mobile terminal device according to claim 35, further comprising:

a storage unit operable to record the received television broadcast; and

a recording control unit operable to control the recording of the television broadcast into the storage unit,

wherein said control unit is operable to instruct said recording control unit to record the television broadcast, and to instruct said recording control unit to terminate the recording of the television broadcast in accordance with a notification from the separate device that the recording has been started.

37. The mobile terminal device according to claim 35,

wherein when receiving a notification from the separate device that the recording has been terminated, said control unit is operable to notify the user that the television broadcast has been recorded by the separate device.

38. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising

an operation reception unit operable to receive an operation from the user,

wherein the event is a reception of a predetermined operation by said operation reception unit, and

wherein said control unit is operable, when said operation reception unit receives the predetermined operation, to stop the displaying of the video of the television broadcast, the reproduction of the audio of the television broadcast, or the reception of the television broadcast.

39. The mobile terminal device according to claim 38,

wherein after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the predetermined operation was received, said control unit is operable to notify the user that the predetermined period of time has elapsed.

40. The mobile terminal device according to claim 39,

wherein said control unit is operable to notify the user that the predetermined period of time has elapsed by a vibration, a sound, a light emission, or a displayed indication.

41. The mobile terminal device according to claim 38,

wherein when the predetermined operation is received while the displaying of the video of the television broadcast or the reception of the television broadcast is stopped, said control unit is operable to resume the displaying of the video of the television broadcast, the reproduction of the audio of the television broadcast, or the reception of the television broadcast.

42. The mobile terminal device according to claim 38,

wherein after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the predetermined operation was received, said control unit is operable to resume the displaying of the video of the television broadcast, the reproduction of the audio of the television broadcast, or the reception of the television broadcast.

43. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising

a commercial detection unit operable to detect a commercial,

wherein the event is the detection of the commercial by said commercial detection unit, and

wherein said control unit is operable, when said commercial detection unit detects the commercial, to stop the displaying of the video of the television broadcast or the reproduction of the audio of the television broadcast.

44. The mobile terminal device according to claim 43,

wherein when said commercial detection unit detects an end of the commercial, said control unit is operable to resume the displaying of the video of the television broadcast or the reproduction of the audio of the television broadcast that was stopped.

48. The mobile terminal device according to claim 4, further comprising

an operation reception unit operable to receive an operation from a user,

wherein when the email is received, said control unit is operable:

to inquire of the user whether or not to display the email before giving instructing said recording control unit to record the television broadcast and having said display unit display the email; and

to control a processing of the television broadcast and a processing of the email on the basis of an answer received by said operation reception unit from the user in response to the inquiry.

49. The mobile terminal device according to claim 6, further comprising

a reproduction control unit operable to reproduce the recorded television broadcast,

wherein when the displaying of the email is terminated, said control unit is operable to instruct said reproduction control unit to reproduce the recorded television broadcast.

50. The mobile terminal device according to claim 6,

wherein when the displaying of the email is terminated, said control unit is operable to notify the user that the television broadcast aired during the displaying of the email has been recorded.

51. The mobile terminal device according to claim 6,

wherein when the displaying of the email is terminated, said control unit is operable to inquire of the user whether or not to reproduce the television broadcast having been recorded during the displaying of the email.

52. The mobile terminal device according to claim 12, further comprising

an operation reception unit operable to receive an operation from the user,

wherein when the email is received, said control unit is operable:

to inquire of the user whether or not to display the email before instructing said output control unit to display the video of the television broadcast and the email, and

to control the displaying of the video of the television broadcast and the displaying of the email on the basis of an answer received by said operation reception unit from the user in response to the inquiry.

53. The mobile terminal device according to claim 13, further comprising

an operation reception unit operable to receive an operation from the user,

wherein when the email is received, said control unit is operable:

to inquire of the user whether or not to display the email before giving the instruction to display the email by overlaying the displaying of the email on the video of the television broadcast, and

to control the displaying of the video of the television broadcast and the displaying of the email on the basis of an answer received by said operation reception unit from the user in response to the inquiry.

54. The mobile terminal device according to claim 39,

wherein when the predetermined operation is received while the displaying of the video of the television broadcast or the reception of the television broadcast is stopped, said control unit is operable to resume the displaying of the video of the television broadcast, the reproduction of the audio of the television broadcast, or the reception of the television broadcast.

55. The mobile terminal device according to claim 40,

wherein when the predetermined operation is received while the displaying of the video of the television broadcast or the reception of the television broadcast is stopped, said control unit is operable to resume the displaying of the video of the television broadcast, the reproduction of the audio of the television broadcast, or the reception of the television broadcast.

45. A control method used by a mobile terminal device which reproduces a television broadcast signal, said control method comprising:

a broadcast reception step of receiving a television broadcast signal;

a display step of displaying video;

an audio reproduction step of reproducing audio; and

a control step of, when an event occurs while the received television broadcast is being outputted in said display step and said audio reproduction step, controlling at least one of a displaying of video of the television broadcast in said display step, a reproduction of audio of the television broadcast in said audio reproduction step, and the event.

46. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium having stored thereon a program for controlling a mobile terminal device which reproduces a television broadcast signal, wherein, when executed, said program causes the mobile terminal device to perform a method comprising:

a broadcast reception step of receiving a television broadcast signal;

a display step of displaying video;

an audio reproduction step of reproducing audio; and

a control step of, when an event occurs while the received television broadcast is being outputted in said display step and said audio reproduction step, controlling at least one of a displaying of video of the television broadcast in said display step, a reproduction of audio of the television broadcast in said audio reproduction step, and the event.

47. An integrated circuit for controlling a mobile terminal device which reproduces a television broadcast signal, said integrated circuit comprising:

a broadcast reception unit operable to receive a television broadcast signal; and

a control unit operable, when an event occurs while the received television broadcast is being outputted, to control at least one of a displaying of video of the television broadcast, a reproduction of audio of the television broadcast, and the event.