Mobile terminal, mouse application program, and method for utilizing mobile terminal as wireless mouse device

1. A mobile terminal having a camera unit that images a subject, comprising:

movement determination means for determining a direction and distance in which a body of the mobile terminal moved on the basis of a shift between images sequentially captured through the camera unit in a mouse mode;

short-range wireless communication means;

control means for controlling the short-range wireless communication means to transmit information representing the direction and distance, determined by the movement determination means, by short-range wireless to an operated apparatus which includes display means and controls a pointer displayed on the display means on the basis of the received information representing the direction and distance; and

wireless communication means for communicating with a wireless base station by wireless, wherein

when the wireless communication means detects the reception of an electronic mail, the control means controls the short-range wireless communication means to transmit information, representing the reception of the electronic mail, by short-range wireless to the operated apparatus, and

when detecting a predetermined operation at a user interface of the mobile terminal after the reception of the electronic mail, the control means controls display means included in the mobile terminal to display the received electronic mail during execution of the mouse mode, or controls the short-range wireless communication means to transmit the received electronic mail by short-range wireless to the operated apparatus.

2. The mobile terminal according to claim 1 , wherein

the camera unit includes a camera cover having a predetermined thickness, the camera unit being covered with the camera cover when the camera unit is not used and being uncovered therewith when the camera unit is used, and

when the mobile terminal is two-dimensionally moved in the mouse mode, the thickness of the camera cover provides a predetermined gap between the camera unit and an operation plane, on which the mobile terminal is placed and operated, in order to allow the camera unit to capture images of the surface of the operation plane in good condition.

3. The mobile terminal according to claim 1 , wherein when detecting the predetermined operation at the user interface of the mobile terminal after the reception of the electronic mail, the control means controls the display means included in the mobile terminal to display the received electronic mail during execution of the mouse mode.

4. A computer-readable medium encoded with a mouse application program, which when executed by a mobile terminal, causes the mobile terminal to perform a method comprising determining a direction and distance in which the mobile terminal including a camera unit is moved on the basis of a shift between images sequentially captured through the camera unit; transmitting information representing the determined direction and distance by short-range wireless to an operated apparatus which includes a display and controls a pointer displayed on the display on the basis of the received information representing the determined direction and distance;

detecting a reception of an electronic mail from a base station via a wireless communication interface at the mobile terminal;

transmitting information representing the reception of the electronic mail by the short-range wireless to the operated apparatus, and

displaying, at a display of the mobile terminal, the received electronic mail during execution of the mouse mode, or transmitting the received electronic mail by the short-range wireless to the operated apparatus when detecting a predetermined operation at a user interface of the mobile terminal after the reception of the electronic mail at the mobile terminal.

5. The computer-readable medium according to claim 4 , wherein the displaying includes displaying, at a display of the mobile terminal, the received electronic mail during execution of the mouse mode when detecting the predetermined operation at the user interface of the mobile terminal after the reception of the electronic mail at the mobile terminal.

6. A method for utilizing a mobile terminal as a wireless mouse device, the method comprising:

determining a direction and distance in which a body of the mobile terminal is moved on the basis of a shift between images sequentially captured through a camera unit included in the mobile terminal;

transmitting information representing the determined direction and distance by short-range wireless to an operated apparatus which includes a display and controls a pointer displayed on the display on the basis of the received information representing the direction and distance;

detecting a reception of an electronic mail from a base station via a wireless communication interface at the mobile terminal;

transmitting information representing the reception of the electronic mail by the short-range wireless to the operated apparatus, and

displaying, at a display of the mobile terminal, the received electronic mail during execution of the mouse mode, or transmitting the received electronic mail by the short-range wireless to the operated apparatus when detecting a predetermined operation at a user interface of the mobile terminal after the reception of the electronic mail at the mobile terminal.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the displaying includes displaying, at a display of the mobile terminal, the received electronic mail during execution of the mouse mode when detecting the predetermined operation at the user interface of the mobile terminal after the reception of the electronic mail at the mobile terminal.

8. A mobile terminal having a camera unit that images a subject, comprising:

a movement determination unit configured to determine a direction and distance in which a body of the mobile terminal is moved on the basis of a shift between images sequentially captured through the camera unit in a mouse mode;

a short-range wireless communication unit;

a control unit configured to control the short-range wireless communication unit to transmit information representing the direction and distance, determined by the movement determination unit, by short-range wireless to an operated apparatus which includes a display unit and controls a pointer displayed on the display unit on the basis of the received information representing the direction and distance; and

a wireless communication interface configured to communicate with a wireless base station, wherein

when the wireless communication interface detects the reception of an electronic mail, the control unit controls the short-range wireless communication unit to transmit information, representing the reception of the electronic mail, by short-range wireless to the operated apparatus, and

when detecting a predetermined operation at a user interface of the mobile terminal after the reception of the electronic mail, the control unit controls a display included in the mobile terminal to display the received electronic mail during execution of the mouse mode, or controls the short-range wireless communication unit to transmit the received electronic mail by short-range wireless to the operated apparatus.

9. The mobile terminal according to claim 8 , wherein when detecting the predetermined operation at the user interface of the mobile terminal after the reception of the electronic mail, the control unit is configured to control the display included in the mobile terminal to display the received electronic mail during execution of the mouse mode.