Abstract:
The mobile electronic device for reproducing digital content includes a body and a content transmission interface connector. The body is configured to store and process the digital content, where the digital content includes high-quality uncompressed video data. The content transmission interface connector includes a male connector configured to be connected directly to an external display device and configured to output the digital content to the external display device.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2009-0036068, filed on Apr. 24, 2009, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field 
         [0003]    Example embodiments of inventive concepts relate to mobile electronic devices, for example, to a mobile electronic device having a content transmission interface that may be connected directly to an external display device. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    As digital multimedia content has come into widespread use, various types of mobile electronic devices, e.g., mobile phones, portable multimedia players (PMPs), MP3 players, and digital cameras, which are capable of reproducing digital multimedia content have become widely spread. However, such mobile electronic devices include relatively small-sized displays, which may inconvenience users watching content on such mobile electronic devices. Accordingly, various content transmission interface methods have been introduced in order to connect a mobile electronic device to an external display device, e.g., a monitor or a television (TV), so that a user can watch content on a relatively larger display device indoors. The HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a representative content transmission interface method. The HDMI is advantageous in that high-quality uncompressed data can be displayed securely on a display device based on the HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection). However, the HDMI requires an HDMI cable in order to connect two devices to each other, thereby increasing installation costs and causing inconvenience to a user. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    Example embodiments of inventive concepts provide a mobile electronic device having a content transmission interface that can be connected directly to an external display device without having to use a cable. 
         [0007]    Example embodiments of inventive concepts also provides a mobile electronic device having a content transmission interface for displaying content supplied from an external source device on an external display device while saving power consumption. 
         [0008]    According to example embodiments of inventive concepts, a mobile electronic device for reproducing digital content includes a body and a content transmission interface connector. The body is configured to store and process the digital content, where the digital content includes high-quality uncompressed video data. The content transmission interface connector includes a male connector configured to be connected directly to an external display device and configured to output the digital content to the external display device. 
         [0009]    In example embodiments of inventive concepts, the content transmission interface connector is at least one of a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) connector, a D-sub connector, and a digital visual interface (DVI) connector, and the male connector of the content transmission interface connector is inserted directly into a corresponding port of the external display device. 
         [0010]    In example embodiments of inventive concepts, the body includes a memory device configured to store the digital content, a processor configured to process the digital content, where processing of the digital content includes decoding and reproducing of the digital content, and a power controller configured to control supply of power to the memory device and the processor. 
         [0011]    In example embodiments of inventive concepts, the mobile electronic device further includes a universal serial bus (USB) connector including a male connector configured to be connected to an external source device, wherein the mobile electronic device is configured to transmit data of the external source device to the external display device. 
         [0012]    In example embodiments of inventive concepts, the power controller is configured to supply power to the memory device and configured to not supply power to the processor, when the USB connector is connected to the external source device, and the power controller is configured to supply power to both to the memory device and the processor when the content transmission interface connector is only connected to the external display device. 
         [0013]    According to example embodiments of inventive concepts, a mobile electronic device for reproducing digital content includes a memory device, a processor, a content transmission interface connector and a central processing unit (CPU). The memory device is configured to store digital content. The processor is configured to process the digital content, where the processing of the digital content includes decoding and reproducing of the digital content. The content transmission interface connector including a male connector is configured to be connected directly to an external display device to output the digital content decoded by the processor. The central processing unit (CPU) is configured to control an overall operation of the mobile electronic device. 
         [0014]    In example embodiments of inventive concepts, the mobile electronic device further includes a random access memory (RAM), a user interface unit configured to provide an interface between the mobile electronic device and a user, and a display unit for displaying the digital content. 
         [0015]    According to example embodiments of inventive concepts, a mobile electronic device for reproducing digital content includes a body and a content transmission interface connector. The body is configured to store and process digital content, where the digital content includes high-quality uncompressed video data. The content transmission interface connector is configured to detachably connect to an external display device and is configured to output the digital content to the external display device without a cable, wherein the content transmission interface connector is at least one of a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) connector, a D-sub connector, and a digital visual interface (DVI) connector. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    Example embodiments of inventive concepts will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0017]      FIG. 1A  illustrates a manner in which a mobile electronic device having a content transmission interface is connected to a display device, according to example embodiments of inventive concepts; 
           [0018]      FIG. 1B  illustrates another manner in which a mobile electronic device having a content transmission interface is connected to a display device, according to example embodiments of inventive concepts; 
           [0019]      FIG. 2A  is a block diagram schematically illustrating an internal structure of a mobile electronic device having a content transmission interface, according to example embodiments of inventive concepts; 
           [0020]      FIG. 2B  is another block diagram schematically illustrating an internal structure of a mobile electronic device having a content transmission interface, according to example embodiments of inventive concepts; 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating the mobile electronic device of  FIG. 2A , according to example embodiments of inventive concepts; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating the mobile electronic device of  FIG. 2B , according to example embodiments of inventive concepts. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0023]    Example embodiments of inventive concepts may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. In the drawings, the size and relative sizes of layers and regions may be exaggerated for clarity. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. 
         [0024]    It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another element, there are no intervening elements present. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items and may be abbreviated as “/”. 
         [0025]    It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first signal could be termed a second signal, and, similarly, a second signal could be termed a first signal without departing from the teachings of the disclosure. 
         [0026]    Spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like may be used herein for ease of description to describe the relationship of one component and/or feature to another component and/or feature, or other component(s) and/or feature(s), as illustrated in the drawings. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. The figures are intended to depict example embodiments and should not be interpreted to limit the intended scope of the claims. The accompanying figures are not to be considered as drawn to scale unless explicitly noted. 
         [0027]    The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” or “includes” and/or “including” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. 
         [0028]    Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and/or the present application, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. 
         [0029]      FIG. 1A  illustrates a manner in which a mobile electronic device  100  having a content transmission interface is connected to a display device  200  according to example embodiments of inventive concepts.  FIG. 1B  illustrates another manner in which a mobile electronic device  100 ′ having a content transmission interface is connected to a display device  200  according to example embodiments of inventive concepts. 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIG. 1A , the mobile electronic device  100  and the display device  200  may be connected directly to each other without an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) cable. The mobile electronic device  100  includes a body  110  and an HDMI connector  120 . The HDMI connector  120  is a male connector. If the HDMI connector  120  that is a male connector is inserted directly into an HDMI port  210  that is a female port of the display device  200 , then the mobile electronic device  100  and the display device  200  are connected to each other. The HDMI connector  120  may be installed inside the body  110  in such a manner that the HDMI connector  120  may slide out of the body  110  or may be firmly attached to one end of the body  110 . 
         [0031]    Referring to  FIG. 1B , the mobile electronic device  100 ′ may include not only an HDMI connector  120  which is a male connector but also a universal serial bus (USB) connector  130  which is also a male connector. For example, the USB connector  130  and the HDMI connector  120  are respectively disposed at both ends of a body  110 ′ to be opposite to each other. Thus, the display device  200  may be connected to an external source device  300  having a USB interface, e.g., a computer, via the USB connector  130  and the HDMI connector  120  in order to receive content from the external source device  300 . The USB connector  130  may be installed inside the body  110 ′ in such a manner that the USB connector  130  may slide out of the body  110 ′ or may be firmly attached to one end of the body  110 ′. The USB connector  130  may be connected directly to the external source device  300  or may be connected to the external source device  300  via a USB cable (not shown). 
         [0032]    Although  FIG. 1B  illustrates that the HDMI connector  120  and the USB connector  130  are disposed at both ends of the body  110 ′, respectively, example embodiments of inventive concepts are not limited thereto and the locations of the HDMI connector  120  and the USB connector  130  may vary according to the type or structure of the mobile electronic device  100 ′ or according to convenience of a user. 
         [0033]    The mobile electronic device  100  or  100 ′ may be a device that can store and reproduce digital content, e.g., a mobile phone, a portable multimedia player (PMP), an MP3 player, a digital camera, or a personal digital assistant (PDA). Other various elements may further be included in the mobile electronic device  100  or  100 ′ according to the type of the mobile electronic device  100  or  100 ′. For example, if the mobile electronic device  100  or  100 ′ is a mobile phone, then the mobile electronic device  100  or  100 ′ may further include an antenna, a transmitting/receiving processing unit, a controller, an input unit, a display unit, and a universal subscriber identity module (USIM) card. Alternatively, if the mobile electronic device  100  or  100 ′ is a digital camera, then the mobile electronic device  100  or  100 ′ may further include a camera module, a lens, and a flash. However, example embodiments of inventive concepts are not limited by the above description and the mobile electronic device  100  or  100 ′ may be embodied as various devices and other various elements may further be included therein. 
         [0034]      FIG. 2A  is a block diagram schematically illustrating an internal structure of a mobile electronic device  100  according to an example embodiments of inventive concepts. Referring to  FIG. 2A , the mobile electronic device  100  includes an HDMI connector  120 , a central processing unit (CPU)  10 , a multi-media processor (MMP)  20 , a random access memory (RAM)  30 , a user interface  40 , a memory device  60 , a power supply unit  70 , and a system bus  50  via which these elements are connected electrically to one another. 
         [0035]    The CPU  10  controls an overall operation of the mobile electronic device  100 . The RAM  30  stores information needed to operate the mobile electronic device  100 , e.g., operating system (OS) information, an application program, and cache data. 
         [0036]    The memory device  60  stores data that includes digital content, such as audio/video content. The memory device  60  may be a flash memory device but is not limited thereto. Although not shown in the drawings, the memory device  60  may include a memory unit and a memory controller that controls data to be written to or to be read from the memory unit. 
         [0037]    For example, the MMP  20  unzips, decodes, and reproduces the digital content. 
         [0038]    The user interface  40  provides an interface between the mobile electronic device  100  and a user. The power supply unit  70  supplies power to the internal constitutional elements of the mobile electronic device  100 , e.g., the CPU  10 , the MMP  20 , the RAM  30 , the user interface  40 , and the memory device  60 . The power supply unit  70  may receive power from a battery (not shown) and supply the power to the internal constitutional elements. 
         [0039]    The HDMI connector  120  may be a male connector and may be connected directly to the HDMI port  210  of the external display device  200  of  FIG. 1A . 
         [0040]    The mobile electronic device  100  may further include other devices, such as a display unit (not shown). Also, as described above, various other elements may further be included in the mobile electronic device  100  according to the type of the mobile electronic device  100 . 
         [0041]      FIG. 2B  is another block diagram schematically illustrating an internal structure of a mobile electronic device  100 ′ according to example embodiments of inventive concepts. The mobile electronic device  100 ′ may be a multimedia drive. For example, the mobile electronic device  100 ′ may not only act as a data storage device, such as a USB memory, but also reproduce and display content stored therein on an external display device (not shown). 
         [0042]    To this end, the mobile electronic device  100 ′ may include an HDMI connector  120 , a USB connector  130 , a memory device  140 , a processor  150 , and a power controller  160 . 
         [0043]    Similar to the memory device  60  illustrated in  FIG. 2A , the memory device  140  may store data that includes digital content, such as audio/video content. As described above, the memory device  140  may be a flash memory device but is not limited thereto. 
         [0044]    The HDMI connector  120  may be a male connector and may be connected directly to the HDMI port  220  of the external display device  200  of  FIG. 1B . The USB connector  130  may also be a male connector and may be connected to the external source device  300  of  FIG. 1B . 
         [0045]    The processor  150  unzips, decodes, and reproduces the digital content. The processor  150  may be the multi-media processor (MMP). 
         [0046]    The power controller  160  controls supply of power to the memory device  140  and the processor  150 . If the USB connector  130  is connected to an external source device, e.g., a computer, then the power controller  160  supplies power only to the memory device  140  and does not supply power to the processor  150 . If the HDMI connector  120  is connected to an external display device, e.g., a plasma display panel (PDP) television, then the power controller  160  supplies power to both the memory device  140  and the processor  150 . 
         [0047]    The power controller  160  may, for example, receive power via a power line, e.g., a 5V power line, of the HDMI connector  120  or the USB connector  130  and supply the power to the memory device  140  and the processor  150 . 
         [0048]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating the mobile electronic device  100  of  FIG. 2A , according to example embodiments of inventive concepts.  FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating the mobile electronic device  100 ′ of  FIG. 2B , according to example embodiments of inventive concepts. 
         [0049]    Referring to  FIGS. 1A ,  2 A, and  3 , if the mobile electronic device  100  is connected directly to the display device  200  via the HDMI connector  120  at step S 310 , then the MMP  20  decodes and outputs predetermined content from among content stored in the memory device  60  at step S 320 . Next, the display device  200  receives and displays the output content at step S 330 . 
         [0050]    Referring to  FIGS. 1B ,  2 B, and  4 , if the mobile electronic device  100 ′ is connected to the external source device  300  via the USB connector  130  at step S 410 , then the power controller  160  supplies power only to the memory device  140  and does not supply power to the processor  150  at step S 420 . Next, the memory device  140  receives digital content from the external source device  300  via the USB connector  130  and then stores the digital content at step S 430 . 
         [0051]    Next, if the mobile electronic device  100 ′ is connected to the display device  200  via the HDMI connector  120  at step S 440 , then the power controller  160  supplies power to both the memory device  140  and the processor  150  at step S 450 . Next, the processor  150  decodes and output predetermined content from among the content stored in the memory device  140  at step S 460 . 
         [0052]    Thereafter, the display device  200  receives the content from the processor  150  and displays the content at step S 470 . 
         [0053]    Example embodiments of inventive concepts are not limited by the HDMI standards. For example, the mobile electronic device  100  or  100 ′ may include a D-sub connector or a digital visual interface (DVI) connector that is a male connector to be connected directly to an external display device according to the type or characteristics of the mobile electronic device  100  or  100 ′. 
         [0054]    Example embodiments of inventive concepts may be embodied in hardware, software, firmware or combination thereof. 
         [0055]    While inventive concepts have been particularly shown and described with reference to example embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims.