Mobile terminal and method of controlling the same

• US 8,564,549 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2009
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jong Hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Batista, Marcos
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fang, Keith
• Application Number:
  US12/508,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20100105428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,551 Days
• Field of Search: 345 11- 23, 345/169, 345/32, 345/7, 345/203, 4555561-5562, 455/566, 348/744
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/14 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/26 Projecting separately subsidiary matter simultaneously with main image
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 29/00 Combinations of cameras, projectors or photographic printing apparatus with non-photographic non-optical apparatus, e.g. clocks or weapons; Cameras having the shape of other objects combinations with flash apparatus G03B15/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0272 for a projector or beamer module assembly constructional features of projectors per se G03B21/00; constructional details of projectors using electronic spatial light modulators per se H04N9/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3173 wherein the projection device is specially adapted for enhanced portability

Abstract

A mobile terminal includes a display configured to display content, a projector configured to project at least a portion of the content onto a display surface which is externally located relative to the mobile terminal, and a control unit configured to detect user input to the mobile terminal, the user input causing the projector to project a cursor onto the display surface along with the projected content.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a touchscreen configured to display content comprising a rectangular-shaped image;

a projector configured to project at least a portion of the content onto a display surface which is externally located relative to the mobile terminal; and

a control unit configured to detect touch on the touchscreen, the detected touch on the touchscreen causing the projector to project a cursor onto the display surface along with the projected content,

cause the projector to project the projected content in a top-to-bottom direction such that two long sides of the rectangular-shaped image of the projected content are arranged in parallel with the top-to-bottom direction, when the rectangular-shaped image is a portrait-type image whose top side is located at a short side of the touchscreen, and

cause the projector to project the projected content in a left-to-right direction such that the two long sides of the rectangular-shaped image of the projected content are arranged in parallel with the left-to-right direction, when the rectangular-shaped image is a landscape-type image whose top side is located at a long side of the touchscreen.

2. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the cursor is movable over portions of the display surface responsive to the touch on the touchscreen.

3. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first sensor configured to detect a proximity-touch relative to the mobile terminal;

wherein the touchscreen is configured to detect a contact-touch relative to the mobile terminal;

wherein if the proximity touch is detected by the first sensor, the control unit is further configured to cause positioning of the cursor on the display surface in a manner that corresponds to a location at which the proximity touch is detected by the first sensor; and

wherein if the contact-touch is detected by the touchscreen, the control unit is further configured to control an object displayed on the touchscreen in a manner that corresponds to a location at which the contact-touch is detected by the touchscreen.

4. The mobile terminal according to claim 3, wherein

if the detected proximity touch comprises a dragging, the control unit is further configured to cause movement of the cursor that corresponds to a direction of the dragging of the detected proximity touch;

and wherein

if the contact-touch comprises a dragging, the control unit is further configured to cause scrolling of the displayed content in a direction which corresponds to a direction of the dragging of the detected contact-touch.

5. The mobile terminal according to claim 3, wherein the first sensor comprises a proximity sensor.

6. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of keys individually corresponding to one of a plurality of regions of the content that is projected onto the display surface; and

wherein the control unit is further configured to project the cursor within a particular one of the plurality of regions of the content responsive to user input to a corresponding one of the plurality of keys.

7. The mobile terminal according to claim 6, wherein the control unit is further configured to cause the projector to project a semi-transparent overlay onto the display surface, wherein the overlay generally corresponds to the plurality of regions of the content.

8. The mobile terminal according to claim 6, wherein the control unit is further configured to cause the projector to project the content to be visually divided into the plurality of regions onto the display surface.

9. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein if no touch is detected for a threshold period of time, the control unit is further configured to cause the projector to terminate projecting the cursor onto the display surface.

10. The mobile terminal according to claim 9, wherein if further touch is detected after the threshold period of time, the control unit is further configured to cause the projector to again project the cursor onto the display surface at a location that generally corresponds to a location that the cursor was projected onto the display surface that was prior to the threshold period of time.

11. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

a navigation key comprising a plurality of directional keys, wherein the control unit is further configured to cause the projector to project the cursor onto the display surface at a location which generally corresponds to a direction of a selected one of the plurality of directional keys.

12. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the projected content except the cursor is displayed on the touchscreen.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to change an direction of the projected content between the left-to-right direction and the top-to-bottom orientation based on a user input.

14. A method of controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

displaying content on a touchscreen physically coupled to the mobile terminal, wherein the content comprises a rectangular-shaped image;

projecting at least a portion of the content onto a display surface which is externally located relative to the mobile terminal;

detecting a touch on the touchscreen;

projecting a cursor onto the display surface along with the projected content responsive to the detected touch on the touchscreen;

projecting the projected content in a top-to-bottom direction such that two long sides of the rectangular-shaped image of the projected content are arranged in parallel with the top-to-bottom direction, when the rectangular-shaped image is a portrait-type image whose top side is located at a short side of the touchscreen; and

projecting the projected content in a left-to-right direction such that the two long sides of the rectangular-shaped image of the projected content are arranged in parallel with the left-to-right direction, when the rectangular-shaped image is a landscape-type image whose top side is located at a long side of the touchscreen.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

projecting the cursor onto the display surface without displaying the cursor on the touchscreen of the mobile terminal.

16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

detecting either a proximity-touch relative to the mobile terminal or a contact-touch relative to the mobile terminal;

wherein if the proximity touch is detected, the method further comprises positioning the cursor on the display surface in a manner that corresponds to a location at which the proximity touch is detected by a first sensor; and

wherein if the contact-touch is detected, the method further comprises controlling an object displayed on the display in a manner that corresponds to a location at which the contact-touch is detected the touchscreen.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein

if the detected proximity touch comprises a dragging, the method further comprises causing movement of the cursor that corresponds to a direction of the dragging of the detected proximity touch;

and wherein

if the contact-touch comprises a dragging, the method further comprises causing scrolling of the touchscreen in a direction which corresponds to a direction of the dragging of the detected contact-touch.

18. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

projecting a semi-transparent overlay onto the display surface, wherein the overlay generally corresponds to a plurality of regions of the content.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein:

the content which is projected onto the display surface, is visually divided into a plurality of regions.

20. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

moving the cursor over portions of the display surface responsive to the touch on the touchscreen.