Apparatus and method for automatic display control in mobile terminal

• US 8,284,215 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2006
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Dong Sub, Choi, Moon Hyuk, Ban, Seong Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): McDowell, Jr., Maurice L
• Application Number:
  US11/604,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20070232336A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,142 Days
• Field of Search: 345/659, 345/1.1
• US Class Current: 345/659
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1671 Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop G06F1/1666 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/02 Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• 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: G09G 3/36 using liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders

Abstract

An apparatus and method for automatically controlling screens displayed on two display units installed in a mobile terminal are provided, in which, an event is identified, if an event occurs, and on and off states of the display units are controlled, if the event is identified as a control operation of the display units corresponding to a user'"'"'s key input. If the event is identified as a control operation of the display units corresponding to an operation of a sensor, the display units are automatically controlled corresponding to rotation of the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a control unit for controlling a corresponding mode setting and operation of a sensing unit, if a setting change signal is inputted corresponding to an automatic on and off function of a display unit, and controlling on and off states of the corresponding display unit, if rotation information of the entire mobile terminal is inputted;

a first display unit and a second display unit for automatically switching on and off according to the control of the control unit, and displaying transmitted image data on screens corresponding to the on and off states; and

a sensing unit for detecting the rotation of the entire mobile terminal, and generating and transmitting corresponding rotation information.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising a memory unit for storing programs for executing automatic on and off control of the first display unit and second display unit and setting information related to the automatic on and off control of the first display unit and second display unit.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the memory unit comprises:

a program for extracting, from a value detected by the sensing unit, operation control information of the display units for the control of the first display unit and second display unit;

a program for automatically controlling on and off states of the first display unit and second display unit according to the operation control information; and

a program for automatically controlling display of additional function screen data provided for the first display unit and second display unit.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the automatic on and off control of the first display unit and second display unit by comparing a specific value obtained from the rotation information of the entire mobile terminal with a critical value.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising an image processing unit for transmitting image data according to specification of the first display unit and second display unit, and for transmitting the image data to at least one of the first display unit and second display unit.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the sensing unit includes at least one of an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the rotation information of the entire mobile terminal comprises three (3)-dimensional sensor information.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising an additional function change control unit for controlling a changeover between additional functions displayed on the first display unit and second display unit according to the control of the control unit, and for controlling automatic display of additional function screen data corresponding to the on and off states of the first display unit and second display unit.