MULTIMEDIA DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING OPERATION THEREOF

• US 20110160884A1
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: HWANG, Ho-ik, WON, Joon-ho, LEE, Soo-hyun, HWANG, Byeong-cheol
• Granted Patent: US 9,304,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00137 involving measures which result in a restriction to contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier to authorised users
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs

Abstract

A multimedia apparatus and a method for controlling operations thereof are provided. The multimedia apparatus includes an input unit for receiving a selection signal, a sensing unit for sensing disposition of the multimedia apparatus, and a controller for, if the selection signal is input, performing different operations depending on the disposition. Accordingly, various operations of the multimedia apparatus may be controlled by simple manipulation.

Claims

1. A multimedia apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

an input unit for receiving a selection signal;

a sensing unit for sensing disposition of the multimedia apparatus; and

a controller for, if the selection signal is input, performing different operations depending on the disposition.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

at least one button,

wherein the input unit receives at least one of a user'"'"'s motion of pressing the at least one button and a user'"'"'s motion of touching the at least one button as the selection signal.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input unit receives a user'"'"'s motion of shaking the multimedia apparatus as the selection signal.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an authentication unit for performing authentication of a user using the user'"'"'s identification information if the selection signal is input.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensing unit includes a sensor for sensing at least one of a change in an azimuth angle and a change in a gradient of the multimedia apparatus.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the performing of different operations comprises at least one of controlling power, controlling a play or a stop, controlling a volume, controlling a change in a play list, controlling a play mode, controlling a change of a folder, and controlling a setting.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a storage unit for storing information regarding mapping between the sensed disposition and the operations.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the controller performs the operations using the mapping information stored in the storage unit.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the mapping information is changeable by a user,

and further wherein the mapping information changed by the user is stored in the storage unit.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a communication interface unit for performing wired or wireless communication with an external apparatus and for transmitting data for outputting the operations as at least one of an audio signal and a video signal to an earphone that communicates with the multimedia apparatus.

11. A method for controlling an operation of a multimedia apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving a selection signal;

sensing disposition of the multimedia apparatus; and

if the selection signal is input, performing different operations depending on the disposition.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the receiving of the selection signal comprises receiving at least one of a user'"'"'s motion of pressing the at least one button and a user'"'"'s motion of touching the at least one button as the selection signal.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the receiving of the selection signal comprises receiving a user'"'"'s motion of shaking the multimedia apparatus as the selection signal.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

performing authentication of a user using the user'"'"'s identification information if the selection signal is input.

15. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the sensing of the disposition comprises including a sensor that senses at least one of a change in an azimuth angle and a change in a gradient of the multimedia apparatus.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the performing of the different operations comprises performing different operations including at least one of controlling power, controlling a play or a stop, controlling a volume, controlling a change in a play list, controlling a play mode, controlling a change of a folder, and controlling a setting.

17. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

storing information regarding mapping between the sensed disposition and the operations.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the performing of the different operations comprises performing the operations using the stored mapping information.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the mapping information is changeable by a user,

and further wherein the mapping information changed by the user is stored.

20. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

performing wired or wireless communication with an external apparatus, wherein the performing of the wired or wireless communication comprises transmitting data for outputting the operations as audio or video to an earphone which communicates with the multimedia apparatus.