Mobile terminal and method for displaying wireless devices thereof

• US 8,700,035 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2008
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Dong-Hyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): OLIVER, GERALD L
• Application Number:
  US12/252,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20090270093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,008 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/66.1, 455/67.11, 455/67.14, 455/67.5, 455/56.1, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/566, 455/115.3, 455/134, 455/161.3, 455/226.2, 455/226.3, 455/416, 455/434, 455/456.3, 455/457, 455/513, 345/419, 345/589, 345/593, 345/594, 345/597, 345/636, 345/650, 345/664, 345/665, 345/156, 345/501, 345/653, 345/679, 715/716, 715/719, 715/733, 715736-740, 715/744, 715/763, 715/764, 715/836, 715854-860, 715/862, 715/864, 715/848, 715/850, 715/852, 340/988, 340/989, 340/990, 340/995.1, 340/995.11, 340/995.12, 701/207, 701/208, 701/211, 701/212, 701/213, 701/214, 701/215, 342/118
• US Class Current: 455/434
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A mobile terminal including a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with wireless devices to be connected with the mobile terminal, a display unit configured to display information about the wireless devices, an input unit configured to input search information including at least one of a distance range to search for the wireless devices and a type of the wireless devices, and a controller configured to control the wireless communication unit to search for the wireless devices based on the input search information and to control the display unit to display responding wireless devices that responded to the search by the wireless communication unit according to the input search information.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a wireless communication unit;

a display unit;

an input unit;

a memory; and

a controller configured to;

display on the display unit a range setting screen for setting a distance range up to which an RF signal generated by the wireless communication unit can reach in response to an input for setting the distance range received via the input unit, the range setting screen comprising an input window for selecting the distance range in response to the input for setting the distance range;

unilaterally set a power level of the RF signal according to the distance range set in response to the input by accessing information mapping distance ranges to corresponding power levels of the RF signal, wherein the information mapping the distance rages to the corresponding power levels of the RF signal is stored in the memory;

transmit, via controlling the wireless communication unit, the RF signal of the power level to limit a search for at least one wireless device present within the distance range so that battery consumption of the mobile terminal is reduced compared to a search for the at least one wireless display on the display unit a range setting screen for setting a distance range up to which an device with no limit set on the power level of the RF signal;

display on the display unit the at least one wireless device when the at least one wireless device responds to the RF signal; and

transmit, via controlling the wireless communication unit, an RF signal of a power level to limit a scan for a particular wireless device among the at least one wireless device displayed on the display unit within the distance range in response to an input for pairing the particular wireless device with the mobile terminal.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the distance range is set to be less than a maximum distance range of the RF signal.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the display unit to display a list of services executable by one of the at least one wireless device responding to the RF signal in response to a selection of the one of the at least one wireless device via the input unit.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the display unit to display a plurality of regions indicating signal strengths for the at least one wireless device responding to the RF signal, and to display information relating to each one of the at least one wireless device responding to the RF signal in a corresponding region.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the controller controls the display unit to display the plurality of regions using dividing lines and a plurality of colors so that the plurality of regions are distinguished from each other.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the display unit to display a name or an image indicating a type of each one of the at least one wireless device responding to the RF signal.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the display unit to display a plurality of regions and to display a same type of the at least one wireless device responding to the RF signal on each one of the plurality of regions.

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

displaying a range setting screen for setting a distance range up to which an RF signal can reach in response to an input, the range setting screen comprising an input window for selecting the distance range in response to the input for setting the distance range;

unilaterally setting a power level of the RF signal according to the distance range set in response to the input by accessing information mapping distance ranges to corresponding power levels of the RF signal, wherein the information mapping the distance ranges to the corresponding power levels of the RF signal is stored in a memory of the mobile terminal;

transmitting the RF signal of the power level to limit a search for at least one wireless device present within the distance range so that battery consumption of the mobile terminal is reduced compared to a search for the at least one wireless device with no limit set on the power level of the RF signal;

displaying the at least one wireless device when the at least one wireless device responds to the RF signal; and

transmitting an RF signal of a power level to limit a scan for a particular wireless device of the at least one wireless device displayed on the display unit within the distance range in response to an input for pairing the particular wireless device with the mobile terminal.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the distance range is set to be less than a maximum range of the RF signal.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

displaying a list of services provided by the one of the at least one responding wireless device responding to the RF signal in response to a selection of the one of the at least one wireless device via the input unit.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the displaying the at least one wireless device comprises displaying a plurality of regions indicating signal strengths for the at least one wireless device responding to the RF signal, and displaying information relating to each one of the at least one wireless device responding to the RF signal in a corresponding region.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the displaying the at least one wireless device comprises displaying the plurality of regions using dividing lines and a plurality of colors so that the plurality of regions are distinguished from each other.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the displaying the at least one wireless device comprises displaying name or an image indicating a type of each one of the at least one wireless device responding to the RF signal.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the displaying the at least one wireless device comprises displaying a plurality of regions and displaying a same type of the at least one wireless device responding to the RF signal on each one of the plurality of regions.

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

displaying, on a display unit, a screen for setting a distance range up to which an RF signal can reach in response to a first input and for setting a type of wireless devices in response to a second input, the screen for setting the distance range comprising an input window for selecting the distance range in response to the first input;

unilaterally setting a power level of the RF signal according to the distance range set in response to the first input by accessing information mapping distance ranges to corresponding power levels of the RF signal, wherein the information mapping the distance ranges to the corresponding power levels of the RF signal is stored in a memory of the mobile terminal;

transmitting the RF signal of the power level to limit a search for at least one wireless device of the type of wireless devices set by the second input present within the distance range so that battery consumption of the mobile terminal is reduced compared to a search for the at least one wireless device with no limit set on the power level of the RF signal;

displaying, on the display unit, the at least one wireless device when the at least one wireless device responds to the RF signal; and

transmitting an RF signal of a power level to limit a scan for a particular wireless device of the at least one wireless device displayed on the display unit within the distance range in response to a third input for pairing the particular wireless device with the mobile terminal.