Reproducing apparatus and method for automatically converting output mode based on movements of casing

• US 8,718,308 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2007
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Soon, Cho, Jang-hwan, Jeong, Byong-woo, Cho, Kyung-suk
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Paul
• Application Number:
  US11/698,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20080019550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,657 Days
• Field of Search: 381/123, 381/333, 381/334, 381/335, 381/332, 381/336, 455/569.1, 455/575.1, 455/575.4
• US Class Current: 381/334
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• 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 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1688 the I/O peripheral being integrated loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/01 Input selection or mixing for amplifiers or loudspeakers for hearing aids H04R25/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/03 Connection circuits to selectively connect loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S

Abstract

A reproducing apparatus for automatically converting an output mode based on movements of a casing, and methods thereof. A reproducing apparatus having a first and a second casings includes an internal output unit outputting at least one of reproduced audio and video; an external output unit outputting at least one of the reproduced audio and video to an external device casing; a detector detecting movements of the second casing; and a control unit controlling such that at least one reproduced audio and video is outputted to at least one of the internal output unit and the external output unit. Accordingly, there is no need for a user to change the output mode, thereby reducing inconvenience for the user.

Claims

1. A reproducing apparatus having a first casing couple to a second casing, the apparatus comprising:

an internal output unit configured to output reproduced audio, the internal output unit being provided inside the second casing;

an external output unit configured to output the reproduced audio to an external device;

a detector configured to detect movements of the second casing relative to the first casing; and

a control unit configured to control the transmission of the reproduced audio to the internal output unit when the second casing is open and to control the transmission of the reproduced audio to the external output unit when the second casing is closed based on the detection, by the detector, of the movement of the second casing relative to the first casing,

wherein the internal output unit is exposed when the second casing is open, and wherein the second casing has a preset angle of inclination with respect to the first casing when opened after being slidably guided along a lower surface of the first casing, and

wherein the control unit controls such that the reproduced audio is output, via the internal output unit, when the second casing is moved slidingly from a position where the second casing covers the first casing to a position where the second casing uncovers the first casing.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detector is disposed in the first casing to detect movements of the second casing relative to the first casing based on whether an emission is detected from electronic parts of the second casing.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the emission from the electronic parts comprises one of electric components, magnetic components, electromagnetic components, and light components.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the detector detects movements of the second casing relative to the first casing based on whether a magnetic field, emitted by a magnet of a speaker provided in the second casing, is detected.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the detector comprises one of a vertical magnetic sensor to sense the magnetic field through a sensor surface vertical to the magnetic field, and a horizontal magnetic sensor to sense the magnetic field through a sensor surface horizontal to the magnetic field.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second casing comprises one side that is a side from which the reproduced audio files are output through the internal output unit.

7. A method for reproducing audio in a reproducing apparatus having a first casing coupled to a second casing, the method comprising:

detecting a position of the second casing relative to the first casing; and

controlling the output of reproduced audio to an internal output component when the second casing is open and controlling the output of the reproduced audio to an external output component when the second casing is closed based on the detected position of the second casing relative to the first casing,

wherein the internal output component is exposed when the second casing is open, and wherein the second casing has a preset angle of inclination with respect to the first casing when opened after being slidably guided along a lower surface of the first casing,

wherein the internal output component is located inside second casing, and

wherein controlling the output of reproduced audio comprises outputting the reproduced audio to an internal output unit when the second casing is moved from a position in which the first casing is covered by the second casing to a position in which the first casing is not covered by the second casing.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the detecting of the position of the second casing relative to the first casing comprises detecting movements of the second casing relative to the first casing based on whether an emission from electric parts of the second casing is detected.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the emission from the electric parts comprises any one of electric components, magnetic components, electromagnetic components, and light components.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the detecting of the position of the second casing comprises detecting movements of the second casing based on whether a magnetic field emitted from a magnet of a speaker in the second casing is detected.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the controlling of the output of the reproduced audio based on the detected position of the second casing relative to the first casing comprises outputting the reproduced audio through the internal output unit, which is located in one side of the second casing.

12. A reproducing apparatus having a first casing coupled to a second casing, the apparatus comprising:

a detector configured to detect movements of the second casing relative to the first casing;

a control unit configured to set an output mode of a reproduced signal, based on the detected movements of the second casing relative to the first casing; and

an internal output unit provided inside the second casing,

wherein, when the second casing is open, the internal output unit is exposed and the reproduced signal is output to the internal output unit, and wherein the second casing has a preset angle of inclination with respect to the first casing when opened after being slidably guided along a lower surface of the first casing, and

wherein the control unit sets the output mode such that the reproduced audio is output via the internal output unit when the second casing is moved from a position where the second casing covers the first casing to a position where the second casing uncovers the first casing.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the detector is disposed in the first casing and detects movements of the second casing relative to the first casing based on whether an emission is detected from electronic parts of the second casing.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the emission from the electronic parts comprises electric components.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the emission from the electronic parts comprises magnetic components.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the emission from the electronic parts comprises electromagnetic components.

17. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the emission from the electronic parts comprises light components.

18. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the detector detects movements of the second casing relative to the first casing based on whether a magnetic field, emitted by a magnet of a speaker provided in the second casing, is detected.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the detector comprises a vertical magnetic sensor to sense the magnetic field through a sensor surface vertical to the magnetic field.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the detector comprises a horizontal magnetic sensor to sense the magnetic field through a sensor surface horizontal to the magnetic field.

21. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the second casing comprises one side that is a side from which the reproduced signal is output through the internal output unit.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a portable apparatus having a first casing coupled to a second casing, perform a method comprising:

detecting a position of the second casing relative to the first casing; and

controlling an output of reproduced audio based on the detected position of the second casing relative to the first casing,

wherein, when the second casing is open, an internal output unit is exposed and the reproduced audio is output to the internal output unit, and wherein the second casing has a preset angle of inclination with respect to the first casing when opened after being slidably guided along a lower surface of the first casing,

wherein the internal output unit is located inside second casing, and

wherein controlling the output of the reproduced audio comprises outputting the reproduced audio via an internal output unit provided within the second casing when the second casing is moved from a position where the second casing covers the first casing to a position where the second casing uncovers the first casing.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 22, wherein the detecting of the position comprises detecting movements of the second casing relative to the first casing based on whether an emission is detected from electronic parts of the second casing.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 23, wherein the emission from the electronic parts comprises electric components.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 23, wherein the emission from the electronic parts comprises magnetic components.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 23, wherein the emission from the electronic parts comprises electromagnetic components.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 23, wherein the emission from the electronic parts comprises light components.

28. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 23, wherein the detecting of the position of the second casing comprises detecting movements of the second casing relative to the first casing based on whether a magnetic field, emitted by a magnet of a speaker provided in the second casing, is detected.