Portable electronic device and method of controlling the same

• US 8,970,494 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2009
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Hwang, Jun-Sik
• Primary Examiner(s): Young, Wayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): FISCHER, MARK L
• Application Number:
  US12/549,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20100053083A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,013 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

A portable electronic device including a first input/output unit including a monostable display element, a second input/output unit including a bistable display element, a main setting unit configured to selectively set either one of the first and second input/output units as a main input/output unit and the other one of the first and second input/output units as a sub input/output unit, and a conversion unit configured to convert the sub input/output unit into a touch pad for inputting a command on the main input/output unit.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a first input/output unit formed on a front side of the portable electronic device;

a second input/output unit formed on a rear side of the portable electronic device;

a camera sensor formed on at least one of the front side and the rear side, and configured to sense a user;

a main setting unit configured to;

determine one of the first input/output unit and the second input/output unit as a main input/output unit based on a result of the sense, wherein a side comprising the main input/output unit corresponds to a side facing the user among the front side and the rear side; and

set another one different from the one of the first input/output unit and the second input/output unit as a sub input/output unit for receiving user input associated with contents output on the main input/output unit,

wherein the contents output on the main input/output unit are controlled based on the user input received via the sub input/output unit.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1,

further comprising a sensor unit having a gravity sensor configured to sense gravity.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1,

further comprising a sensor unit having an illuminance sensor configured to sense an amount of illuminance.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first input/output unit and second input/output unit respectively include a first display element and a second display element for displaying a video signal having a different frame rate from each other.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 4, wherein the second display element is an electronic paper display element.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a user input unit for receiving a user input to set the main input/output unit,

wherein the main setting unit sets either one of the first input/output unit or the second input/output unit as the main input/output unit according to the user input received through the user input unit.

7. A method of controlling a portable electronic device, the method comprising:

displaying first information via a first input/output unit formed on a front side of the portable electronic device;

displaying second information via a second input/output unit formed on a rear side of the portable electronic device;

sensing, via a camera sensor formed on at least one of the front side and the rear side, a user;

determining, via a main setting unit of the portable electronic device, one of the first input/output unit and the second input/output unit as a main input/output unit based on a result of the sensing, wherein a side comprising the main input/output unit corresponds to a side facing the user among the front side and the rear side; and

setting another one different from the one of the first input/output unit and the second input/output unit as a sub input/output unit for receiving user input associated with contents output on the main input/output unit,

wherein the contents output on the main input/output unit are controlled based on the user input received via the sub input/output unit.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising a sensor unit having a gravity sensor configured to sense gravity.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising a sensor unit having an illuminance sensor configured to sense an amount of illuminance.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the first input/output unit and second input/output unit respectively include a first display element and a second display element for displaying a video signal having a different frame rate from each other.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second display element is an electronic paper display element.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the portable electronic device comprises a user input unit to set the main input/output unit, and

wherein the main setting unit sets either one of the first input/output unit or the second input/output unit as the main input/output unit according to the user input received through the user input unit.