Searching method and mobile device using the method

• US 8,776,141 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2012
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Eunjung, Lee, Sangyun, Cho, Haejin
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHNURR, JOHN R
• Application Number:
  US13/527,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20130104172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 725/37, 725/60, 725/85, 725/105, 725/109, 725/110, 725/131, 725/133
• US Class Current: 725/60
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9032 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12

Abstract

A method of controlling a mobile device and which includes wirelessly communicating, via a wireless communication unit of the mobile terminal, with an external reproduction device reproducing content on a display of the reproduction device; inputting, via an input unit of the mobile terminal, a search request requesting information about at least one item identifiable in the reproducing content; searching, via a controller of the mobile terminal, the information about said at least one item; and displaying, on a display unit of the mobile terminal, the information found during the search.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a mobile device, the method comprising:

wirelessly communicating, via a wireless communication unit of the mobile terminal, with an external reproduction device reproducing content on a display of the reproduction device;

inputting, via an input unit of the mobile terminal, a search request requesting information about at least one item identifiable in the reproducing content, wherein the input search request includes timing information including a timing at which the search request is input;

controlling, via the controller of the mobile terminal, the external reproducing device to transmit image information to the mobile terminal, wherein the image information includes an image captured before the timing at which the search request is input, an image captured at the timing the search request is input, and an image captured after the time at which the search request is input;

displaying, on the display unit of the mobile terminal, only the captured images before, at and after the timing at which the search request is input;

selecting, via the input unit, one of the images captured before, at and after the timing at which the search request is input;

searching, via a controller of the mobile terminal, said selected one of the images for the information about said at least one item;

displaying, on a display unit of the mobile terminal, the information found during the search;

storing at least a user-specified item in a memory associated with the mobile terminal;

searching if the stored user-specified item is displayed on the external reproducing device when the content is reproduced on the external reproducing device; and

searching for information about the stored user-specified item and displaying said information about the stored user-specific item on the display unit when the stored user-specified item is displayed on the external reproducing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifiable at least one item includes at least one of an identifiable object, a sound being output with the content being reproduced, and metadata associated with the content being reproduced.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the identifiable object includes at least one of a person or outfit being worn by the person in the reproduced content.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the searching step searches for detailed information about the identifiable object including a price and a brand of the outfit worn by the person, detailed information about the sound being output including a title and artist of the sound being output, and detailed information corresponding to metadata associated with the content being reproduced including a title and summary of the content being reproduced.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, on the display unit of the mobile terminal, the same content being reproduced on the display of the external reproduction device; and

inputting the search request by touching said at least one item identifiable in the content being displayed on the display unit of the mobile terminal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying step displays the information found during the search as on overlay overlaying content being displayed on the mobile terminal.

7. A mobile device, comprising:

a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with an external reproduction device reproducing content on a display of the reproduction device;

a display unit;

an input unit configured to input a search request requesting information about at least one item identifiable in the reproducing content, wherein the input search request includes timing information including a time at which the search request is input;

a controller configured to;

control the external reproducing device to transmit image information to the mobile terminal, wherein the image information includes an image captured before the timing at which the search request is input, an image captured at the timing the search request is input, and an image captured after the timing at which the search request is input,

display only the captured images before, at and after the timing at which the search request is input on the display unit,

receive a selection of one of the images captured before, at and after the timing at which the search request is input,

search said selected one of the images for the information about said at least one item, and

display the information found during the search on the display unit; and

a memory configured to store at least a user-specified item,

wherein the controller is further configured to search if the stored user-specified item is displayed on the external reproducing device when the content is reproduced on the external reproducing device, search for information about the stored user-specified item, and display said information about the stored user-specified item on the display unit when the stored user-specified item is displayed on the external reproducing device.

8. The mobile device of claim 7, wherein the identifiable at least one item includes at least one of an identifiable object, a sound being output with the content being reproduced, and metadata associated with the content being reproduced.

9. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the identifiable object includes at least one of a person or outfit being worn by the person in the reproduced content.

10. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to search for detailed information about the identifiable object including a price and a brand of the outfit worn by the person, detailed information about the sound being output including a title and artist of the sound being output, and detailed information corresponding to metadata associated with the content being reproduced including a title and summary of the content being reproduced.

11. The mobile device of claim 7, wherein the display unit is further configured to display the same content being reproduced on the display of the external reproduction device, and

wherein the input unit is further configured to receive a selection signal indicating a touching of said at least one item identifiable in the displayed content to correspond to the search request.

12. The mobile device of claim 7, wherein the displaying unit is further configured to display the information found during the search as on overlay overlaying content being displayed on the mobile terminal.