Mobile terminal, television broadcast receiver, and device linkage method

Abstract

A mobile terminal capable of giving an instruction for a device linkage by simple operations, without any special hardware. The mobile terminal which is connected to a TV through a communication path includes: a communication I/F unit for communicating with the TV, a storage unit which stores content to be displayed on the TV; a display unit having a touch pad and a display screen; and a control unit which displays, on the display screen, a content icon associated with the content. When detecting that the content icon is pressed and held and then is flicked on the display unit, the control unit reads the content from the storage unit and transmit it to the TV through the communication I/F unit, so that the content is displayed on the TV.

1 . A system comprising:
 a television receiver; and   a mobile terminal, the television receiver being connected to the mobile terminal through a communication path for communicating content between the television receiver and the mobile terminal,   the television receiver including:   a display screen;   a receiving unit configured to receive content including a broadcast program;   a communication interface unit for communicating with the mobile terminal; and   a control unit,   wherein the control unit of the television receiver controls the display screen to display the content received by the receiving unit on the display screen, notify the mobile terminal that the content is displayed on the display screen through the communication interface unit of the television receiver, and transmit the content to the mobile terminal through the communication interface of the television receiver when receiving a transmission request for the content displayed on the display screen from the mobile terminal; and   the mobile terminal including:   a communication interface unit for communicating with the television receiver;   a storage unit configured to store pieces of content to be displayed by the television receiver;   a display unit having a touch pad and a display screen; and   a control unit configured to display a plurality of content icons associated respectively with the pieces of content on the display screen of the mobile terminal,   wherein when the control unit of the mobile terminal detects that a content icon in the plurality of content icons is pressed and held with a finger over a predetermined time duration and then is flicked on the display unit without taking the finger off the display unit, the control unit of the mobile terminal is configured to read, from the storage unit, a piece of content included in the pieces of content and associated with the content icon in the plurality of content icons and transmit the piece of content to the television receiver through the communication interface unit of the mobile terminal, so that the piece of content is displayed by the television receiver.   
     
     
         2 . A communication method for a system including a television receiver and a mobile terminal, the television receiver being connected to the mobile terminal through a communication path for communicating content between the television receiver and the mobile terminal, the communication method comprising:
 in the television receiver:   receiving, using a receiving unit, content including a broadcast program;   communicating, using a communication interface unit, with the mobile terminal; and   using a control unit, displaying the content received by the receiving unit on a display screen, notifying the mobile terminal that the content is displayed on the display screen through the communication interface unit of the television receiver, and transmitting the content to the mobile terminal through the communication interface unit of the television receiver when receiving a transmission request for the content displayed on the display screen from the mobile terminal; and   in the mobile terminal:   communicating, using a communication interface unit, with the television receiver;   storing, using a storage unit, pieces of content to be displayed by the television receiver; and   using a control unit, displaying a plurality of content icons associated respectively with the pieces of content on a display screen of a display unit on the mobile terminal, and   when the control unit of the mobile terminal detects that a content icon in the plurality of content icons is pressed and held with a finger over a predetermined time duration and then is flicked on the display unit without taking the finger off the display unit, reading from the storage unit, a piece of content included in the pieces of content and associated with the content icon in the plurality of content icons and transmitting the piece of content to the television receiver through the communication interface unit of the mobile terminal, so that the piece of content is displayed by the television receiver.