Selecting input/output components of a mobile terminal

• US 8,712,393 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2010
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Ho-Soo, Min, Seong-Uk
• Primary Examiner(s): HTUN, SAN A
• Application Number:
  US12/717,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20110045812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,517 Days
• Field of Search: 455418-420, 455/425, 455/432.3, 455/550.1, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/566, 455/5, 455/69.1, 4555751-5758, 455/90.3, 455/149, 455346-350, 367118-130, 379/433.02, 379/433.03, 379/432, 379/420, 381300-311, 381/26, 381/85, 381111-117, 381/122, 700/25, 700/28, 700/58, 700 62- 64, 704270-278
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6008 in the transmitter circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6016 in the receiver circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• 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

Abstract

A device includes a first microphone at a first position on the device, a second microphone at a second position on the device, a first speaker at a third position on the device, and a second speaker at a fourth position on the device. The first, second, third, and fourth positions of the device are different positions. The device also includes a controller configured to determine a physical characteristic of the device. The controller is further configured to select, based on the determined physical characteristic, among the first microphone at the first position on the device and the second microphone at the second position on the device. The controller is additionally configured to select, based on the determined physical characteristic, among the first speaker at the third position on the device and the second speaker at the fourth position on the device.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a first camera positioned at a rear surface of the device;

a second camera positioned at the rear surface of the device;

a first microphone at a first position on the device;

a second microphone at a second position on the device;

a first speaker at a third position on the device;

a second speaker at a fourth position on the device, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth positions of the device are different positions; and

a controller configured to;

determine whether a current mode of the device is a call mode,

determine a posture of the device,

select, based on the determined posture and determining that the current mode is the call mode, among the first microphone at the first position on the device and the second microphone at the second position on the device,

select, based on the determined posture and determining that the current mode is the call mode, among the first speaker at the third position on the device and the second speaker at the fourth position on the device,

capture a two-dimensional (2D) image through the first camera when the posture of the device is a pre-set first posture, and

capture a three-dimensional (3D) image through the first and second cameras when the posture of the device is a pre-set second posture, wherein the pre-set first posture and the pre-set second posture are different each other.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to:

select, if the posture characteristic is a first posture and the determined current mode is the call mode, the first microphone at the first position on the device and the first speaker at the third position on the device;

activate, based on the selected first microphone at the first position on the device and the first speaker at the third position on the device, the first microphone at the first position on the device and the first speaker at the third position on the device; and

deactivate, based on the selected first microphone at the first position on the device and the first speaker at the third position on the device, the second microphone at the second position on the device and the second speaker at the fourth position on the device.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the controller is configured to:

select, if the determined posture is a second posture and the determined current mode is the call mode, the second microphone at the second position on the device and the second speaker at the fourth position on the device;

activate, based on the selected second microphone at the second position on the device and the second speaker at the fourth position on the device, the second microphone at the second position on the device and the second speaker at the fourth position on the device; and

deactivate, based on the selected second microphone at the second position on the device and the second speaker at the fourth position on the device, the first microphone at the first position on the device and the first speaker at the third position on the device.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein:

wherein the controller is configured to determine the current mode of the device by determining whether the device is in the call mode, a video call mode, a multimedia reproduction mode, or a camera mode.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein:

activation of the first microphone at the first location of the device and the first speaker at the third location of the device and deactivation of the second microphone at the second location of the device and the second speaker at the fourth location of the device constitute a first operation state of the controller; and

activation of the second microphone at the second location of the device and the second speaker at the fourth location of the device and deactivation of the first microphone at the first location of the device and the first speaker at the third location of the device constitute a second operation state of the controller,

wherein the controller is configured to select, based on the determined posture, among the first and second operation states.

6. The device of claim 1 further comprising a sensing unit wherein:

to determine the posture of the device, the controller is configured to receive and process data from the sensing unit related to a sensed posture of the device; and

the controller is configured to select among the microphone and the speaker based on the processed data related to the sensed posture.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein:

the sensing unit includes one or more accelerometers;

to determine the posture of the device, the controller is configured to receive and process data from the one or more accelerometers related to a sensed posture of the device; and

the controller is configured to select among the microphone and the speaker based on the processed data related to the sensed posture.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein:

the one or more accelerometers are configured to sense one or more rotational direction angles of the device;

to determine the posture of the device, the controller is configured to receive and process data from the sensing unit related to the one or more rotational direction angles of the device; and

the controller is configured to select among the microphone and the speaker based on the processed data related to the one or more rotational direction angles of the device.

9. The device of claim 1 further comprising a display, wherein the controller is configured to select, based on the determined posture, among a first orientation of a graphical user interface to be rendered on the display and a second orientation of the graphical user interface to be rendered on the display.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the controller includes one or more processors.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the device is a mobile telephone.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the current mode of the device by determining whether the device is in the call mode, a video call mode, a multimedia reproduction mode, or a camera mode.

13. A method comprising:

determining a posture of a device, wherein the device includes;

a first microphone at a first position on the device,

a second microphone at a second position on the device,

a first speaker at a third position on the device,

a second speaker at a fourth position on the device, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth positions of the device are different positions;

a first camera positioned at a rear surface of the device; and

a second camera positioned at the rear surface of the device;

determining whether a current mode of the device is a call mode;

based on the determined posture and determining that the current mode is the call mode, selecting, by a controller of the device, among the first microphone at the first position on the device and the second microphone at a second position on the device;

based on the determined posture and determining that the current mode is the call mode, selecting, by the controller of the device, among the first speaker at the third position on the device and the second speaker at a fourth position on the device;

capturing a two-dimensional (2D) image through the first camera when the posture of the device is a pre-set first posture; and

capturing a three-dimensional (3D) image through the first and second cameras when the posture of the device is a pre-set second posture, and wherein the pre-set first posture and the pre-set second posture are different each other.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

selecting, if the determined posture is a first posture and the determined current mode is the call mode, the first microphone at the first position on the device and the first speaker at the third position on the device;

activating, based on the selected first microphone at the first position on the device and the first speaker at the third position on the device, the first microphone at the first position on the device and the first speaker at the third position on the device; and

deactivating, based on the selected first microphone at the first position on the device and the first speaker at the third position on the device, the second microphone at the second position on the device and the second speaker at the fourth position on the device.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

selecting, if the determined posture is a second posture and the determined current mode is the call mode, the second microphone at the second position on the device and the second speaker at the fourth position on the device;

activating, based on the selected second microphone at the second position on the device and the second speaker at the fourth position on the device, the second microphone at the second position on the device and the second speaker at the fourth position on the device; and

deactivating, based on the selected second microphone at the second position on the device and the second speaker at the fourth position on the device, the first microphone at the first position on the device and the first speaker at the third position on the device.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein:

activation of the first microphone at the first location of the device and the first speaker at the third location of the device and deactivation of the second microphone at the second location of the device and the second speaker at the fourth location of the device constitute a first operation state of the controller; and

activation of the second microphone at the second location of the device and the second speaker at the fourth location of the device and deactivation of the first microphone at the first location of the device and the first speaker at the third location of the device constitute a second operation state of the controller,

the method further comprising selecting, based on the determined posture, among the first and second operation states.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising sensing the characteristic of the device with a sensing unit, wherein:

determining the posture of the device includes receiving and processing data from the sensing unit related to a sensed posture of the device.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein:

the sensing unit includes one or more accelerometers; and

determining the posture of the device includes receiving and processing data from the one or more accelerometers related to a sensed posture of the device.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein:

the one or more accelerometers are configured to sense one or more rotational direction angles of the device; and

determining the posture of the device includes receiving and processing data from the one or more accelerometers related to the one or more rotational direction angles of the device.

20. The method of claim 13 further comprising selecting, based on the determined posture, among a first orientation of a graphical user interface to be rendered on a display and a second orientation of the graphical user interface to be rendered on the display.

21. The method of claim 13 wherein the device is a mobile telephone.

22. A device comprising:

a first camera positioned at a rear surface of the device;

a second camera positioned at the rear surface of the device;

a first microphone at a first position on the device;

a second microphone at a second position on the device;

a first speaker at a third position on the device;

a second speaker at a fourth position on the device, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth positions of the device are different positions; and

a controller configured to;

determine whether a current mode of the device is a call mode, wherein each mode of the device is associated with one or more device states,

determine a posture of the device, wherein each device state is associated with a posture of the device,

select, based on the determined posture, a device state from among the one or more device states associated with determining that the current mode is the call mode,

activate, based on the selected device state, one or more of the first microphone, the second microphone, the first speaker, and the second speaker,

deactivate, based on the selected device state, one or more of the first microphone, the second microphone, the first speaker, and the second speaker,

capture a two-dimensional (2D) image through the first camera when the posture of the device is a pre-set first posture, and

capture a three-dimensional (3D) image through the first and second cameras when the posture of the device is a pre-set second posture, wherein the pre-set first posture and the pre-set second posture are different each other.