DISPLAY DEVICE IN A MOBILE TERMINAL AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20110050975A1
• Filed: 08/24/2010
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: CHUNG, Jinwoo
• Granted Patent: US 8,405,571 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/333.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/102 Programmed access in sequence to addressed parts of tracks of operating record carriers access by moving the head G11B3/08, G11B5/54, G11B7/085, G11B21/022; by moving the record carrier G11B15/005, G11B17/005, by driving of both record carrier and head G11B15/1816
• 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 1/0241 using relative motion of the body parts to change the operational status of the telephone set, e.g. switching on/off, answering incoming call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

A mobile terminal and a method for displaying menus in the mobile terminal are disclosed herein. The mobile terminal includes a main body having a main display, a first sliding assembly including a first sub-display, and a second sliding assembly including a second sub-display slidably positioned on the main body. Various menus may be displayed on the main display, the first sub-display and the second sub-display based on the position of the first and second sliding assemblies and the orientation of the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A display device for a mobile terminal comprising:

a main display;

a first sub-display positioned on the main display;

a second sub-display positioned on the main display, wherein the first sub-display and the second sub-display are positioned on a rear surface of the main display adjacent to one another and configured to extend from the main display in opposite directions;

a sensor configured to detect a plurality of positions of at least one of the first or second sub-displays;

wherein

if the at least one of the first or second sub-displays is extended to a first position, the main display displays a first set of information, and

if the at least one of the first or second sub-displays is extended to a second position, the main display displays a second set of information.

2. The display device of claim 1, further comprising a camera, wherein when the at least one of the first or second sub-displays is moved to the first position, the main display displays a camera preview image captured by the camera, and the at least one of the first sub-display or the second sub-display displays a camera control menu.

3. The display device of claim 1, further comprising a memory and a camera,

wherein when the at least one of the first or second sub-displays is moved to the second position, the main display displays a camera preview image captured by the camera, the first sub-display displays at least one thumbnail image of an image stored in the memory, and the second sub-display displays a camera control menu.

4. The display device of claim 1, further comprising an orientation sensor that senses an orientation of the mobile terminal, wherein an orientation of the information displayed on the main display, the first sub-display, and the second sub-display are changed to correspond to the orientation of the mobile terminal.

5. The display device of claim 1, further comprising a stopper configured to position the at least one of the first or second sub-displays at the first position, wherein the stopper is formed on at least one of the main display, the first sub-display, or the second sub-display.

6. A method for controlling a display on a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

sliding at least one of a first sub-display or a second sub-display to extend from a main display, wherein the first sub-display and the second sub-display are positioned on a rear surface of the main display adjacent to one another and configured to extend in opposite directions;

sensing a position of the at least one of the first sub-display or the second sub-display;

displaying on the main display a first set of information if the at least one of the first sub-display or the second sub-display is at a first position; and

displaying on the main display a second set of information if the at least one of the first sub-display or the second sub-display is at a second position.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the displaying on the main display the first set of information includes

displaying a camera preview image captured by a built-in camera of the mobile terminal, and

displaying a camera control menu on at least one of the first sub-display or the second sub-display.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the displaying on the main display the second preset menu includes

displaying a camera preview image captured by a built-in camera of the mobile terminal,

displaying a gallery on the first sub-display, wherein the gallery includes at least one thumbnail image of images stored in the mobile terminal, and

displaying a camera control menu on the second sub-display.

11. A display device for a mobile terminal comprising:

a main body including a main display on a first surface;

a first sliding assembly positioned on a second surface of the main body and having a first sub-display;

a second sliding assembly positioned on the second surface of the main body and having a second sub-display, wherein the first and second sliding assemblies are positioned adjacent to one another and configured to slide in opposite directions to extend from the main body, wherein

if at least one of the first sliding assembly or the second sliding assembly is extended from the main display, information displayed on the main display or the at least one of the first or second sub-displays changes based on a distance in which the at least one of the first sliding assembly or the second sliding assembly is extended from the main body.

9. The method of claim 16, further comprising

detecting a change in an orientation of the mobile terminal, and

changing an orientation of the information displayed on the main display, the first sub-display and the second sub-display to correspond to the orientation of the mobile terminal.

10. The method of claim 16, wherein the sliding the at least one of the first or second sub-displays to extend from the main display includes holding the at least one of the first or second sub-displays at the first or second positions using a stopper provided on the mobile terminal.

12. The display device of claim 11, wherein the first sub-display displays a detailed information screen associated with the information displayed on the main display, and the second sub-display displays an input screen associated with the information displayed on the main display.

13. The display device of claim 11, further comprising a camera, wherein

the main display displays a preview image captured by the camera,

the first sub-display displays at least one thumbnail image of images stored on the mobile terminal, and

the second sub-display displays a camera control input screen.

14. The display device of claim 11, further comprising

a wireless communication interface configured to establish a connection with a server over a network, wherein

the main display displays a webpage received from the server, and

the first sub-display displays a browser history screen that includes at least one link to a previously visited webpage.

15. The display device of claim 11, wherein the at least one of the first or second sub-displays are touch screens, and wherein

the main display displays a text display screen, and

the at least one of the first or second sub-displays displays a keyboard.

16. The display device of claim 15, wherein the first sub-display displays a left-half of a qwerty keyboard and the second sub-display displays a right-half of a qwerty keyboard.

17. The display device of claim 15, wherein the first sub-display displays a number keypad and the second sub-display displays a special text keypad.

18. The display device of claim 11, wherein the main display, the first sub-display, and the second sub-display are touch screens, and wherein

the main display displays a qwerty keypad,

the first sub-display displays a number keypad, and

the second sub-display displays a recommended word list.

19. The display device of claim 11, wherein

the main display displays information associated with a first application program,

the at least one of the first or second sub-displays displays information associated with a second application program, wherein the first and second application programs operate concurrently.

20. The display device of claim 19, wherein the first application program is an Internet web browser, and the second application program is an MP3 player.