Terminal and method of controlling the same

• US 8,649,824 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2009
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Choi, Kyung Dong
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Huy C
• Application Number:
  US12/464,469
• Publication Number:
  US 20090298537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,736 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/021 using combined folding and rotation motions combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• 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 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/236 including keys on side or rear faces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/531 being rotatable or detachable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/651 for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A terminal and method of controlling the same are disclosed, by which user'"'"'s convenience for photography using a terminal can be further enhanced. The terminal includes a camera, a display, a user input having a camera shutter key, and a controller for controlling at least one of more menu icons displayed in a standby mode to be displayed by being overlapped with a camera preview image. A see-through image seen through a transparent display can become a camera preview image.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a camera;

a display;

a user input having a camera shutter input; and

a controller configured to when the mobile terminal is in a standby mode, display at least one icon,

when the camera becomes activated, keep displaying the at least one icon by overlapping the at least one icon with a preview image obtained from the camera, and

remove the at least one icon when the camera shutter input is half pressed, wherein the standby mode is a mode where the camera has not been activated, and

wherein the at least one icon is non-transparent or semi-transparent.

2. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the at least one icon is non-transparent, and the controller is configured to remove the at least one icon by causing the at least one icon to become semi-transparent when the camera shutter input is half pressed.

3. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to cause the at least one icon to fade-out or to disappear instantaneously.

4. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to execute an auto-focus function when the camera shutter input is half pressed.

5. The terminal of claim 1, comprising;

a first body; and

a second body,

wherein the first and second bodies are configured to be opened and closed by sliding or swinging, and wherein the controller is configured to activate the camera when the first and second bodies shift to an open state from a closed state.

6. The terminal of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to display a preset standby image instead of the preview image when the camera shutter input is not manipulated for a predetermined period of time after the first and second bodies shift to the open state from the closed state.

7. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to remove the at least one icon when a prescribed period of time expires after the camera shutter has been half pressed.

8. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the camera shutter input is configured to be manipulated in accordance with three steps.

9. The terminal of claim 8, wherein the control unit is further configured to perform at least one of the following functions overlap the at least one icons with the preview image when the camera shutter is manipulated as a first of the three steps, remove the at least one of the icon to and execute an auto-focus function when the camera shutter is manipulated as a second of the three steps, and cause a photographic function to be executed when the camera shutter is manipulated as a third of the three steps.

10. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

display the at least one icon at a specific position on the display when the mobile terminal is in the standby mode;

when the camera becomes activated, keep displaying the at least one icon substantially at the same specific position on the display by overlapping the at least one icon with a preview image obtained from the camera.

11. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

display the at least one icon and at least one indicator when the mobile terminal is in the standby mode;

when the camera becomes activated, keep displaying the at least one icon and the at least one indicator by overlapping the at least one icon and the at least one indicator with a preview image obtained from the camera.

12. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

simultaneously render the at least one icon to become semi-transparent or fully transparent and execute at least one of an auto-focus function and an auto-exposure function.

13. A method of controlling a mobile terminal having a camera, a user input having a camera shutter input, and a camera, the method comprising:

displaying at least one icon, when the mobile terminal is in a standby mode, and

keep displaying the at least one icon, when the camera is activated, by overlapping the at least one standby icon with a preview image obtained from the camera; and

removing the at least one icon when the camera shutter input is half pressed,

wherein the standby mode is a mode where the camera has not been activated, and

wherein the at least one icon is non-transparent or semi-transparent.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one icon is non-transparent, and

wherein the step of removing the at least one icon comprises changing the at least one icon to become semi-transparent. when the camera shutter input is half pressed.

15. The method of claim 13, the step of removing comprising one of:

fading out the at least one icon; and

removing the at least one icon instantaneously.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

executing an auto-focus function when the camera shutter input is half pressed.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the mobile terminal includes a first and second bodies configured to be opened and closed by sliding or swinging, the method further comprising:

activating the camera when the first and second bodies shift to an open state from a closed state.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying a preset standby image instead of the preview image when the camera shutter input is not manipulated for a predetermined period of time after the first and second bodies shift to the open state from the closed state.

19. The method of claim 13, the step of removing the at least one icon comprising:

removing the at least one icon when a prescribed period of time expires after the camera shutter has been half pressed.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

manipulating the camera shutter input in accordance with three steps.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

overlapping the at least one icons with the preview image when the camera shutter is manipulated as a first of the three steps,

removing the at least one of the icon to and execute an auto-focus function when the camera shutter is manipulated as a second of the three steps, and

executing a photographic function when the camera shutter is manipulated as a third of the three steps.