1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of operating a flip or folder type mobile phone, and more particularly, a method of maintaining or terminating data communication performed in such a mobile phone.
2. Description of the Related Art
A flip-up or flip-down type mobile phone has a flip cover plate which, when performing communication, is opened by being flipped up or down from the main body of the phone. A folder type mobile phone comprises two foldable bodies, both containing electronic circuits, one of which holds a main body of the phone while the other holds a speaker or an LCD (liquid crystal display). Thus, both flip type and folder type mobile phones comprise two parts hinged together, one of which may be rotated along the hinge for the mobile phone to assume an open or closed position. Hereinafter, the term xe2x80x9cflip typexe2x80x9d will be used to also include xe2x80x9cfolder typexe2x80x9d.
The open or closed position (operational state) of such a flip type mobile phone can be detected by using various means, for example, a member moveable with the flip as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,185,790, variation of an electromagnetic field as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,690, and an optical sensor as in Korean Patent No. 97-78127. When the flip type mobile phone is opened in response to a call signal, a communication channel is established. When the flip is returned to the closed position after completing the call, the communication channel is terminated.
As communication technology develops, mobile phones are being provided with additional functions such as facsimile, electronic mail, video, data communications, etc. However, conventional mobile phones do not properly accommodate such additional functions. For example, when the flip of a conventional mobile phone is closed during data communication such as file transfer, the data communication is terminated, despite there being no need for the flip of the mobile phone to be kept open during such data communication. In fact, by having to keep the flip of the mobile phone open during data communication, the portability of the mobile phone is reduced. Furthermore, if the flip of the conventional mobile phone is inadvertently closed before completing data communication, the communication channel is cut off, thereby leading to an additional fee as the data communication needs to be repeated from the beginning, once the channel is re-established. Therefore, allowing the flip of the mobile phone to be closed during data communication would be desirable.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a mobile phone for and a method of maintaining data communication performed in a flip type mobile phone regardless of whether the flip is opened or closed.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a mobile phone for and a method of automatically terminating a communication channel if no change is detected in the operational state of the mobile phone within a given time after completing data communication.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a mobile phone for and a method of informing a user of a mobile phone that data communication is completed.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a mobile phone for and a method of terminating the communication channel if the mobile phone is repeatedly opened and closed.
One embodiment of the present invention sets out a mobile phone which includes a movable part capable of being positioned in an open or closed position; a sensor for generating an open or close signal according to the open or closed position, whereby a communication channel is terminated depending on the open or close signal; and a controller for determining whether an established communication represents data communication and for generating a signal for enabling or disabling the sensor from generating the open or close signal, the controller generating the disable signal during data communication to disable the sensor, thereby maintaining the communication channel regardless of the open or close signal.
Another embodiment of the present invention sets out a mobile phone which includes a movable part capable of being positioned so as for the mobile phone to be in an open or close position; a sensor for generating an open or close signal according to the open or close position; and a controller for determining whether an established communication represents a data communication and for maintaining the communication channel during the data communication regardless of the open or close signal.
The present invention further sets out a communication method comprising the steps of establishing a communication channel between a mobile phone and a base station, and generating a disable signal during data communication to disable an opening/closing sensor from generating a close signal, thereby maintaining said communication channel.
An additional embodiment of the present invention sets out a method for wireless communication between a base station and a flip or folder type mobile phone, in which the mobile phone includes two parts connected by a hinge mechanism so as to assume an open or closed position, an opening/closing sensor for generating an open or close signal according to the open or closed position, the opening/closing sensor being enabled or disabled by an enable or disable signal, whereby the flip or folder type mobile phone establishes or terminates a communication channel according to the open or close signal, the method comprising the steps of establishing a communication channel between the base station and the flip or folder type mobile phone, and generating the disable signal so as to maintain the communication channel during data communication even when the flip is closed, while generating the enable signal so as to terminate the communication channel during voice communication when the flip is closed.
Yet a further embodiment of the present invention sets out a method for wireless communication between a base station and a flip or folder type mobile phone, in which the mobile phone includes two parts connected by a hinge mechanism so as to assume an open or closed position, an opening/closing sensor for generating an open or close signal according to the open or closed position, the opening/closing sensor being enabled or disabled by an enable or disable signal, whereby the flip or folder type mobile phone establishes or terminates a communication channel according to the open or close signal, the method comprising the steps of establishing a communication channel between the base station and the flip or folder type mobile phone, and maintaining the communication channel during data communication even when the close signal is generated, while terminating the communication channel during voice communication when the close signal is generated.
The present invention will now be described more specifically with reference to the drawings attached by way of example only.