Mobile terminal having multimedia reproduction controls

• US 8,923,840 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2007
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lim, Sang Yeon, Park, Yeon Woo, Hong, Seung Eon
• Primary Examiner(s): Iqbal, Khawar
• Application Number:
  US11/740,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20070249335A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,806 Days
• Field of Search: 455/90.3, 455/422.1, 4555751-5754, 455/566, 345/174, 345/173, D14/138.AD
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• 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 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/18 including more than one keyboard unit

Abstract

A slider-type mobile terminal has multimedia reproduction controls disposed along one edge of a fixed body that are exposed when the slider body is closed. Alternatively, the multimedia display disposed on the slider body, has a touch screen for displaying the multimedia reproduction controls. Terminal controls are disposed on the slider body, and are illuminated under control of the terminal controller, and are not illuminated when multimedia is being reproduced.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a first body comprising a first input unit and a second input unit, wherein the first and second input units are located on a first face of the first body;

a second body connected to the first body and comprising a display unit;

a slider connecting the first body and the second body and configured to close or open the mobile terminal by a sliding motion such that the first input unit is concealed when the mobile terminal is closed via the slider and the second input unit is always visible whether the mobile terminal is open or closed via the slider; and

a control unit configured to control terminal operations and multimedia reproduction,

wherein the second body further comprises a third input unit that is located on a second face of the second body on which a display screen of the display unit is located,

wherein the third input unit comprises a luminescent device that is separate from the display unit on the second face of the second body,

wherein the second face of the second body, on which the third input unit and the display screen are located, is always visible whether the mobile terminal is open or closed via the slider, and

wherein the luminescent device is not illuminated during the multimedia reproduction while the multimedia is displayed on the display unit.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the display unit comprises a touchscreen.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the second input unit is located at an edge area of the first face of the first body.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein the edge area is located along one of two long sides of the first body.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the slider slides in a longitudinal direction of the first body.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the display screen of the display unit is located on a substantially central portion of a front side of the second body.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the multimedia reproduction comprises mobile broadcasting.

8. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the first input unit comprises at least a numeric keypad and the luminescent device comprises a luminescent touch pad.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to control the luminescent device to illuminate the third input unit in response to an event.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein an exterior color of the third input unit appears same as an exterior color of the second body when the luminescent device is not illuminated.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the first input unit is concealed while the second input unit is visible when the mobile terminal is closed via the slider.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the slider is in contact with at least the first face of the first body or a third face of the second body that is located on an opposite side of the second face.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the second body is positioned on top of the first face of the first body such that at least a portion of the first face is always concealed by the second body whether the mobile terminal is open or closed via the slider.

14. A mobile terminal comprising:

a main body having a numeric keypad and at least one input unit configured for controlling multimedia reproduction, wherein the numeric keypad and the at least one input unit are located on a same face of the main body;

a slider connected to the main body such that the numeric keypad of the main body is exposed when the mobile terminal is opened via a sliding motion;

a second body connected to the main body via the slider, the second body having a display unit; and

a control unit configured for controlling terminal operations and the multimedia reproduction,

wherein when the mobile terminal is completely closed via the slider, the numeric keypad is concealed and a portion on the same face of the main body is exposed revealing the at least one input unit dedicated for controlling the multimedia reproduction,

wherein the second body further comprises an input unit that is located on a same face of the second body as a display screen of the display unit,

wherein the input unit of the second body comprises a luminescent device that is separate from the display unit on the same face of the second body,

wherein the same face of the second body, on which the input unit and the display screen are located, is always visible whether the mobile terminal is open or closed via the slider, and

wherein the luminescent device is not illuminated during the multimedia reproduction while the multimedia is displayed on the display unit.

15. The terminal of claim 14, wherein the same face of the main body has a substantially rectangular shape and the exposed portion of the same face is located along one of two long edges of the same face of the main body.

16. The terminal of claim 14, wherein the display unit comprises a touchscreen that is located on a substantially central part of a front face of the second body.

17. The terminal of claim 14, wherein the main body has a rectangular shape having a long axis and the slider slides in a direction parallel to the long axis of the main body.

18. The terminal of claim 14, wherein the multimedia reproduction comprises displaying a mobile broadcast.

19. A mobile terminal comprising:

a main body having a first input unit and a second input unit; and

a slider slidably connected to the main body and having a touchscreen,

wherein the main body comprises a first portion that is covered by the slider when the slider is completely closed with respect to the main body and a second portion that extends from the first portion in a vertical direction with respect to a sliding direction of the slider such that the second portion is not covered by the slider even when the slider is completely closed with respect to the main body,

wherein the first input unit is located on the first portion and the second input unit is located on the second portion, the second input unit comprising a plurality of input keys arranged along the sliding direction,

wherein the slider further comprises a third input unit that is located on a same face of the slider as the touchscreen,

wherein the third input unit comprises a luminescent device that is separate from the touchscreen on the same face of the slider,

wherein the same face of the slider, on which the third input unit and the touchscreen are located, is always visible whether the slider is open or closed with respect to the main body, and

wherein the luminescent device is not illuminated when multimedia is reproduced and displayed on the touchscreen.