Electronic device and method of controlling the same

• US 8,508,331 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2011
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jaehong, Lee, Haesoo
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): DARAMOLA, ISRAEL O
• Application Number:
  US13/087,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20110291794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 340/3.1, 340/5.2, 340/584, 315/131
• US Class Current: 340/3.1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/008 involving trading of energy or energy transmission rights
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

An electronic device is provided that comprises a communication unit; an output unit; and a controller configured to output at least one of a first user interface and a second user interface through the output unit, in a case of entering a high rate time slot determined based on electricity rate information received through the communication unit while outputting contents through the output unit, wherein the first user interface queries whether to continuously output the contents through the output unit and wherein the second user interface is to receive a selection associated with a replacement electronic device for outputting the contents.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a communication unit;

an output unit; and

a controller configured to output at least one of a first user interface and a second user interface through the output unit, in a case of entering a high rate time slot determined based on electricity rate information received through the communication unit while outputting contents through the output unit,

wherein the first user interface queries whether to continuously output the contents through the output unit and wherein the second user interface is to receive a selection associated with a replacement electronic device for outputting the contents.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller automatically outputs the second user interface after receiving an output stop signal of the contents through the first user interface.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein whether to output the first and second user interfaces is set or varied by a user.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein in a case where only the first user interface is set to be output among the first and second user interfaces, the controller automatically selects the replacement electronic device based on a predetermined criterion after receiving an output stop signal of the contents through the first user interface.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the controller outputs a control signal associated with outputting the contents by the selected replacement electronic device.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein when the replacement electronic device is selected through the second user interface, the controller is configured to output a control signal associated with outputting the contents by the selected replacement electronic device.

7. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the control signal includes at least one of notification information notifying an information that the selected replacement electronic device will play the contents, charge remaining information of the selected replacement electronic device, and power state information of the selected replacement electronic device.

8. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the control signal includes source information of the contents, wherein the controller transmits the source information to the selected replacement electronic device through the communication unit.

9. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the control signal includes an ON command signal for the selected replacement electronic device, wherein when the selected replacement electronic device is in an off state, the controller transmits the ON command signal to the selected replacement electronic device through the communication unit.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein when the controller automatically selects the replacement electronic device based on a predetermined criterion after receiving an output stop signal of the contents through the first user interface, or the replacement electronic device is selected through the second user interface, the controller transmits the contents to the selected replacement electronic device in a form of one of original data before the contents are decoded, decoded data, and data trans-coded to conform to device characteristics of the selected replacement electronic device.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein when the controller automatically selects the replacement electronic device based on a predetermined criterion after receiving an output stop signal of the contents through the first user interface, or the replacement electronic device is selected through the second user interface, the controller turns off the output unit.

12. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the replacement electronic device consumes less power than the electronic device for outputting the contents.

13. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller provides, through the second user interface, at least one of the replacement electronic device, a screen size of the replacement electronic device, a unit electricity rate of the replacement electronic device, a power state of the replacement electronic device, whether the replacement electronic device is a portable terminal, charge remaining of the replacement electronic device, and how long the contents may be played with the charge remaining.

14. An electronic device comprising:

a communication unit;

an output unit; and

a controller configured to automatically selects a replacement electronic device to output contents in a case of entering a high rate time slot according to electricity rate information received through the communication unit, and when the selected replacement electronic device is in an off state, transmits an ON command for turning on the selected replacement electronic device and source information for providing the contents to the selected replacement electronic device through the communication unit, wherein the source information includes at least one of website information and broadcast information including a broadcast channel.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the replacement electronic device is at least one of an electronic device consuming a minimum electricity rate to output the contents, an electricity device having a highest frequency of use, an electronic device designated by a user, a portable terminal, and an electronic device that consumes less power than an electronic device currently outputting the contents and has a largest screen size.

16. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the controller provides a fourth user interface that queries whether to the replacement electronic device outputs the contents, and when receiving a confirmation command through the fourth user interface, performs the transmission operation.

17. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the controller outputs at least one of notification information notifying an information that the selected replacement electronic device will play the contents, charge remaining information of the selected replacement electronic device, and power state information of the selected replacement electronic device.

18. A method for changing content playing devices, the method comprising:

outputting contents through an output unit;

receiving electricity rate information through a communication unit; and

outputting at least one of a first user interface and a second user interface through the output unit in a case entering a high rate time slot determined based on the electricity rate information received through the communication unit,

wherein the first user interface queries whether to continuously outputs the contents through the output unit and wherein the second interface is to receive a selection associated with a replacement electronic device for outputting the contents.

19. A method of changing content playing devices comprising:

outputting contents through an output unit;

receiving electricity rate information through a communication unit;

automatically selecting a replacement electronic device to output the contents in a case of entering a high rate time slot determined based on the received electricity rate information; and

transmitting an ON command for turning on the selected replacement electronic device and source information for providing the contents to the selected replacement electronic device through the communication unit when the selected replacement electronic device is in an off state,

wherein the source information includes at least one of website information and broadcast information including a broadcast channel.