Mobile terminal and control method

• US 8,634,818 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2011
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pantech Corporation (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pantech Corporation (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Tae Young, Kim, Tae Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US13/191,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20120052847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/550.1, 455/414.1, 455/420, 358/1.15, 725/62
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services

Abstract

A mobile terminal and control method to share content with a device and control the device are provide. The mobile terminal includes a communication unit to communicate with a host and the device; a search unit to receive content information and device information; an input unit to receive a content selection signal and a device selection signal; and a control unit to control the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal receives content information from a host and selects content to be outputted to a device selected from device information from the host. The mobile terminal controls the selected device using control commands transmitted to the selected device based on a control mode. If the control mode is not stored in the mobile terminal, the mobile terminal may receive the control mode from the host.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a communication unit to communicate with a host and a device;

a search unit to receive content information and device information from the host;

an input unit to receive a content selection signal and a device selection signal; and

a control unit to transmit to the host a control command to control a selected content corresponding to the content selection signal to be outputted to a selected device corresponding to the device selection signal.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the control unit generates a control command for the selected device based on a control mode and transmits the control command to the selected device or host.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein if the control unit does not have a control mode for the selected device, the control unit receives the control mode from the host.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein if the control unit does not have a control mode for the selected device, the control unit receives the control mode from the selected device.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the search unit receives device information from the host if a content selection signal is received through the input unit.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory unit to store the content information,

wherein if the input unit receives the content selection signal and the device selection signal, the control unit transmits to the host a control command to control a selected content corresponding to the content selection signal.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 6, further comprising

a display unit,

wherein if the content selection signal and the device selection signal are received, the control unit displays a control image for controlling the selected device on the display unit and controls the selected device through the control image.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the control unit receives additional information including one or more of information about the content, evaluation details, directions or outlines about the selected content from the host or the selected device.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the control unit displays the additional information.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the control unit further transmits a control command specifying an output method for the selected content to the host.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the control unit transmits a control command for recovering the selected content to the host or the selected device.

12. A control method of a mobile terminal, comprising:

receiving content information and device information from a host;

receiving a content selection signal and a device selection signal;

generating a control command for controlling a content corresponding to the content selection signal; and

transmitting the control command to the host.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving of the content selection signal comprises:

storing content information; and

receiving a content selection signal.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

controlling a device corresponding to the device selection signal.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the controlling a device further comprises:

generating a control command for the selected device based on a control mode.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein if the control mode is not available for the selected device, receiving the control mode.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the controlling the device comprises transmitting to the host or the selected device a control command for controlling the device.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a device selection signal.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the controlling of the selected device comprises receiving additional information about the content.

20. A system for sharing content, comprising:

a mobile terminal;

a host; and

a plurality of devices,

wherein the mobile terminal receives content information and device information from the host, selects content from the content information and selects at least one device from the plurality of devices, transmits information containing the selection of the content and the selected device to the host;

wherein the host transmits the content to the selected device, and

wherein the mobile terminal controls the selected device, via the host, based on a control mode.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein if the mobile terminal does not have a control mode to control the device stored therein, the mobile terminal receives the control mode from the host or the selected device.