New LG patent

LG patents MOBILE TERMINAL HAVING ACOUSTIC TRANSDUCER AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

Abstract
A mobile terminal having acoustic transducers and method for using the same are provided. The acoustic transducers are detachably mounted in a terminal body. When the acoustic transducers are mounted in the terminal body, they are operated as speakers, and when the acoustic transducers are separated from the terminal body, the acoustic transducers are operated as at least one of a wireless earphone and the microphone.

Description

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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001]Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 119(a), this application claims the benefit of earlier filing date and right of priority to Korean Application No. 10-2006-0042128, filed May 10, 2006, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002]The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and, more particularly, to a mobile terminal that can be used as a speaker when mounted in a terminal body and can be used as a wireless earphone when separated from the terminal body.

DISCUSSION OF THE RELATED ART

[0003]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the related art mobile terminal 100. The related art mobile terminal 100 includes a display unit 110 including a display 112 for displaying information, a terminal body 120 connected with the display unit 110 such that it can be opened and closed and having a keypad 122 mounted on its front surface for inputting information, a hinge part 130 rotatably connecting the display unit 110 and the terminal body 120, and a pair of speakers 132 fixed at both ends of the hinge part 130 and generating a sound.

[0004]A microphone 124 is mounted at a lower end of the terminal body 120 and a receiver 114 for generating a sound in a call mode is mounted on the display unit 110.

[0005]When a user of the mobile 100 terminal enjoys music, the mobile terminal implements three-dimensional stereo sound through the pair of speakers 132, and when the mobile terminal is in the call mode, the display unit 110 is opened and implements the call mode by using the microphone 124 and the receiver 114.

[0006]However, the related art mobile terminal 100 has a problem because the pair of speakers are fixed at the terminal body, the user must use a separate earphone or headset to make and receive a call while driving, for example. Even if the user achieves mobile freedom by using the headset along with the mobile terminal 100, the user must separately carry the headset and plug it into the mobile terminal each time the user wishes to make or receive calls. In addition, when the user changes the mobile terminal 100 to the call mode while he/she is enjoying music, the user must hold the terminal to perform call communication by using the receiver and microphone mounted on the terminal, causing user inconvenience.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007]An object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal having acoustic transducers that can be used as a speaker when mounted in the terminal body and that can be used as a wireless earphone and microphone when separated from the terminal.

[0008]In an aspect of the present invention, a mobile terminal, includes a terminal body; and a pair of acoustic transducers detachably mounted in the terminal body, wherein when the pair of acoustic transducers are mounted in the terminal body, each of the acoustic transducers is operated as one of a speaker and a microphone, and wherein when the acoustic transducers are separated from the terminal body each of the acoustic transducers are operated as one of a wireless earpiece and the microphone.

[0009]It is contemplated that one of the acoustic transducers is detachably mounted at one side of the terminal body and the other acoustic transducer is detachably mounted at another side of the terminal body. It is further contemplated that when the pair of acoustic transducers are mounted in the terminal body, both transducers are operated as speakers, and when the mobile terminal operates in a call mode one of the acoustic transducers is operated as the microphone and the other one is operated as the speaker.

[0010]It is contemplated that when the pair of acoustic transducers are separated from the terminal body, they are operated as wireless earpieces, and when the pair of transducers are separated from the terminal body and the mobile terminal is operating in a call mode, one acoustic transducer is operated as the microphone and the other acoustic transducers is operated as the wireless earpiece. It is further contemplated that when the pair of acoustic transducers are separated from the terminal body in a call mode, one of the acoustic transducers is operated as the wireless earpiece and microphone while the other acoustic transducers is operated as the wireless earpiece.

[0011]It is contemplated that each of the acoustic transducers include a sound input and output unit outputting sounds and converting sounds into electrical signals; and a main body part connected with the sound input and output unit and having a wireless communication module and a battery mounted therein. It is further contemplated that the mobile terminal further includes receiving ports formed at the terminal body to receive the acoustic transducers therein, wherein each receiving port includes a corresponding connection terminal electrically connecting an acoustic transducer and the terminal body.

[0012]It is contemplated that the connection terminals include a charging connection terminal for charging the battery of each of the acoustic transducers by using one of the power of the battery mounted in the terminal body and an extra power source connected with the mobile terminal. It is further contemplated that the mobile terminal further includes a locking part is formed between each acoustic transducer and the corresponding receiving port to prevent the acoustic transducers from being inadvertently released from the receiving ports, the locking part comprises a stopping protrusion disposed on an outer circumferential surface of the acoustic transducer and a stopping groove formed on an inner circumferential surface of the receiving port to allow the stopping protrusion to be stopped therein.

[0013]It is contemplated that mobile terminal further includes a control unit for operating the pair of acoustic transducers as a wireless headset including an earphone and a microphone when the mobile terminal is operating in a call mode and the acoustic transducers are separated from the terminal body. It is further contemplated that the control unit includes a separation detection unit detecting separation of at least one of the acoustic transducers is separated from the terminal body; a call signal detecting unit for detecting whether a call signal is generated; and a controller controlling the operation of the acoustic transducers according to signals received from the separation detection unit and the call signal detection unit.

[0014]In another aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling a plurality of acoustic transducers in a mobile terminal is provided, the method includes: controlling the plurality of acoustic transducers to operate as speakers when the acoustic transducers are mounted in a body of the mobile terminal; operating the plurality of acoustic transducers as wireless earphones when the plurality of acoustic transducers are separated from the body; and operating at least one of the plurality of acoustic transducers as a wireless earphone and the at least one of the plurality of acoustic transducers as a microphone when the mobile terminal is changed to a call mode while the plurality of acoustic transducers are separated from the body.

[0015]It is contemplated that the plurality of acoustic transducers are formed as a pair, and when the mobile terminal is changed to the call mode while the acoustic transducers are separated from the terminal body, one of the acoustic transducers is operated as the wireless earphone and the other of the acoustic transducer is operated as the microphone. It is further contemplated that the plurality of acoustic transducers are formed as a pair, and when the mobile terminal is changed to the call mode while the acoustic transducers are separated from the terminal body, one of the acoustic transducers is operated as the wireless earphone and the microphone and the other acoustic transducer is operated as the wireless earphone.

[0016]It is contemplated that the method further includes: generating a signal to alert a user when the mobile terminal is changed to a call mode; and operating each of the plurality of acoustic transducers as one of the wireless earphone and microphone after the user is alerted, wherein the call signal is one of a certain number of audible sounds, an audible sound for a predetermined length of time and a vibration sound. It is further contemplated that when the mobile terminal is changed to a call mode and a user initiates a call, the plurality of acoustic transducers is operated as the wireless earphone and at least one of plurality of transducers is operated as the microphone.

[0017]It is contemplated that when the plurality of acoustic transducers are separated from the terminal body, in the call mode, one of the acoustic transducers is operated as the wireless earphone and the other is operated as the microphone according to a user selection. It is further contemplated that when the pair of acoustic transducers are separated from the terminal body, in the call mode, one of the acoustic transducers is operated as both the wireless earphone and the microphone and the other transducer is operated as the wireless earphone according to a user selection.

[0018]In another aspect of the present invention, a mobile terminal includes: a terminal body; and a first headset detachably mounted in the terminal body, the first headset comprising a speaker assembly outputting audio information to a user, wherein the first headset outputs audio information when mounted in the body and operates as a wireless headset when separated from the terminal body.

[0019]It is contemplated that the mobile terminal further includes a second headset detachably mounted in the body, wherein at least one of the first and second headsets further comprises a microphone assembly to receive audible information from the user when the mobile terminal is configured to operate in a wireless communication mode. It is further contemplated that at least one of the first and second headsets is configured to form an earpiece assembly including the speaker assembly and microphone assembly.

[0020]It is contemplated that the first headset is configured to operate as the wireless earpiece and microphone when the mobile terminal operates in the wireless communication mode and the first headset is separated from the terminal body, and wherein the second headset is configured to operate as a second wireless earpiece. It is further contemplated that at least one of the first and second headsets further includes a main body connected with the speaker assembly and the microphone assembly, the main body including a wireless communication module and a battery mounted therein.

[0021]It is contemplated that the mobile terminal further includes at least one receiving port formed at the terminal body and receiving the at least one of the first and second headsets therein. It is further contemplated that the at least one receiving port includes a connection terminal electrically connecting the at least one of the first and second headsets and the terminal body.

[0022]Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained as particularly pointed out in the appended claims.