MOBILE TERMINAL HAVING JOG DIAL AND CONTROLLING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20070021152A1
• Filed: 07/18/2006
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: JUNG, Hwan-Chul
• Granted Patent: US 8,278,546 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/564
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0041 in coded form
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/241 Scratch effects, i.e. emulating playback velocity or pitch manipulation effects normally obtained by a disc-jockey manually rotating a LP record forward and backward
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/021 Mobile ringtone, i.e. generation, transmission, conversion or downloading of ringing tones or other sounds for mobile telephony; Special musical data formats or protocols herefor mobile telephone transmission specifically adapted for electrophonic musical tools or instruments G10H2240/251
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files

Abstract

A mobile terminal having a disc-like interface and a controlling method thereof allows various functions to be controlled and pre-stored sound effects are outputted when performing music playback music such that an improved user interface and more intuitive control can be provided.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal having a jog dial, comprising:

a display which displays various types of information and user interfaces;

a memory which stores data;

a rotatable jog dial which allows a user to operate functions;

a sensor which senses a rotation of the jog dial and generates a signal according to the sensed rotation;

an output unit which outputs an audio signal; and

a controller which controls the display, the memory, the rotatable jog dial, the sensor and the output unit to perform functions based upon the signal generated by the sensor,

wherein the controller controls outputting of sound effects stored in the memory based upon the signal generated by the sensor while the mobile terminal plays music.

2. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the sensor senses a rotation direction of the jog dial and a rotated degree of the jog dial when it is rotated, and generates a signal based upon the sensed rotation direction and rotated degree.

3. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein when the controller controls a music playback function or outputs at least one sound effect stored in the memory based upon the signal generated by the sensor.

4. The terminal according to claim 3, wherein the music playback function is one of a playback of a preceding song, a playback of a succeeding song, a rewind, a fast-forward, a pause and a loop.

5. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the controller pauses music being played, then outputs the a sound effect and then continues to play the music.

6. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the controller reduces a volume of music being played, then outputs a sound, and then returns the volume to its previous level.

7. The terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the controller outputs a sound effect while rewinding or fast-forwarding music, and then plays the music.

8. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the controller synthesizes music to be played with a sound effect corresponding to a rotation of the jog dial to form new music data, and stores the new music data in the memory.

9. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the controller indicates an operation state of the mobile terminal on the display when a sound effect is outputted.

10. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the jog dial comprises:

a rotation plate which is rotated by a user;

a rotation portion contacting the rotation plate which transfers a rotation force of the rotation plate to the sensor; and

a rotation axis which the rotation plate and the rotation portion rotate about.

11. The terminal according to claim 10, wherein the rotation portion is provided with a plurality of reference protrusions or reference points to determine a rotation direction or rotated degree of the rotation plate.

12. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the jog dial comprises a touch panel which senses user touch inputs and generates a signal when it senses user touch inputs.

13. A method of controlling a mobile terminal having a jog dial, comprising:

selecting music to be played;

playing the selected music;

determining whether a rotation of a jog dial is sensed while playing the music; and

when the rotation of the jog dial is sensed, controlling a playback function or outputting a sound effect.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the sound effect is outputted after adjusting a volume of the music being played or pausing the music being played.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising encoding the music with the sound effect to form an encoded sound, and storing the encoded sound as new music data.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the playback function is controlled or the sound effect is outputted according to a rotation direction or rotated degree of the jog dial.

17. A wireless telecommunication device, comprising:

a transceiver which sends and receives signals via a wireless interface;

a screen which displays information;

a memory which stores data;

a control disk which receives circular user finger touch inputs;

a processor which controls the transceiver, the screen, the memory and the control disk to allow a user to communicate via the transceiver, and navigate through data stored in the memory based on user manipulation of the control disk, and with information regarding the data being displayed on the screen.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein the user may play multimedia by navigating through the data.

19. The device according to claim 18, wherein the control disk comprises a touch-sensitive panel that receives user finger movements thereon by detecting changes in capacitance or resistance along the panel.

20. The device according to claim 18, wherein the control disk comprises a rotatable plate having an appropriate thickness and diameter that receives user finger movements thereon by detecting a rotation direction and angle of the disk.