Mode switching method for mobile terminal

• US 9,467,556 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2007
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Ahn, Da Le, Yeo, Jae Woo, Kim, Sung Han, Choi, Kyu Ok
• Primary Examiner(s): Nealon, William
• Application Number:
  US11/775,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20080045207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,381 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 455/566, 345/156, 345/168
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• 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

Abstract

A mode switching method and a mobile terminal operating with the mode switching method capable of switching an operation mode in accordance with a geographic placement attitude of the mobile terminal are disclosed. A mobile terminal includes a placement attitude detection unit for capturing a placement attitude of the mobile terminal; a placement attitude retrieval unit for comparing a captured geographic placement attitude with previously stored reference placement attitudes and outputting a mode signal corresponding to a reference placement attitude matching the captured placement attitude; a key arrangement configuration unit for reconfiguring a key arrangement according to the mode signal; a control unit for switching to an operation mode indicated by the mode signal and determining a rotation of a screen image; and a display unit for displaying the screen image at different angle adaptive to the placement attitude of the mobile terminal under the control of the control unit.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display;

an orientation detection unit;

a storage unit which stores a plurality of reference orientations and, for each of the plurality of reference orientations, a corresponding operation mode, wherein a corresponding operation mode for at least one of the plurality of reference orientation is selected by a user input; and

a control unit which;

determines a reference orientation among the plurality of stored reference orientations which corresponds to a current orientation detected by the orientation detection unit;

identifies an operation mode corresponding to the determined reference orientation; and

switches to the identified operation mode if currently in another operation mode, and configures the display to display a screen with an orientation corresponding to the current orientation detected by the orientation detection unit.

2. A method for a mobile terminal, comprising:

storing a plurality of reference orientations and, for each of the plurality of reference orientations, a corresponding operation mode, wherein a corresponding operation mode for at least one of the plurality of reference orientations is selected by a user input;

detecting an orientation of the mobile terminal using an orientation detection unit;

determining a reference orientation among the plurality of stored reference orientations which corresponds to a current orientation detected by the orientation detection unit;

identifying an operation mode corresponding to the determined reference orientation; and

switching to the identified operation mode if currently in another operation mode, and configuring the display to display a screen with an orientation corresponding to the current orientation detected by the orientation detection unit.