Mobile terminal and display method thereof

• US 8,169,448 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2009
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Chang-On
• Primary Examiner(s): HUBER, PAUL W
• Application Number:
  US12/369,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20090231244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1692 the I/O peripheral being a secondary touch screen used as control interface, e.g. virtual buttons or sliders
• 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 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• 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: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit

Abstract

A display unit includes a transparent light emitting element and displaying information on both sides thereof; a sensing unit for detecting the direction in which the screen of the display unit faces; and a controller for determining a placed state of the display unit according to the detected screen direction and changing information displayed on the display unit according to the determined placed state of the display unit. The screen direction may be one of a first direction in which a front surface of the display unit faces upward, and a second direction in which a rear surface of the display unit faces upward. By using the transparent display device, information can be displayed by using both surfaces of the display device, and displayed information can be changed according to a placed state of the display device. Thus, the users'"'"' interest and fun can be aroused and user convenience can be provided.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display unit comprising a first side for displaying first information and a second side defined opposite to the first side for displaying second information;

a sensing unit for detecting a physical state of the display unit; and

a controller for;

controlling the display unit to display the first information on the first side when the sensing unit detects that the first side faces a first direction that enables a user to view the first side; and

controlling the display unit to display second information associated with the first information on the second side when the sensing unit detects that the display unit is rotated, while displaying the first information, such that the first side faces a second direction that does not enable the user to view the first side.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the display unit is a transparent organic light emitting element.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the sensing unit detects the physical state according to a direction that the first side faces.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the first information is an image and the second information is information associated with the image.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the first information is an image thumbnail gallery and the second information is a slide show of images included in the image thumbnail gallery.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the first information is a current time and the second information is a menu for adjusting information associated with the current time.

7. A display method of a mobile terminal comprising:

detecting, via a sensing device, a physical state of a display device comprising a first side and a second side defined opposite to the first side;

displaying first information on the first side when the sensing device detects that the first side faces a first direction that enables a user to view the first side; and

displaying second information associated with the first information on the second side when the sensing unit detects that the display unit is rotated, while displaying the first information, such that the first side faces a second direction that does not enable the user to view the first side.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the display device is a transparent organic light emitting element.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting the physical state of the display device comprises:

detecting a direction that the first side faces; and

determining the physical state of the display device according to the detected direction.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the first information is an image and the second information is information associated with the image.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the first information is an image thumbnail gallery and the second information is a slide show of images included in the image thumbnail gallery.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the first information is a current time and the second information is a menu for adjusting information associated with the current time.