KR101632017B1 - Terminal and method for controlling the same - Google Patents

Abstract

[0001] The present invention relates to a terminal and a control method for changing a shape or a configuration of a virtual keypad in consideration of a user's convenience, and more particularly to a display module for displaying a virtual keypad, a user input section for receiving touch and drag from a user, And a control unit that modifies the shape of the virtual keypad according to the dragged direction and length when a point of the virtual keypad is touched and dragged in a specific direction.

Description

[0001] TERMINAL AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME [0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a terminal and a control method thereof for allowing a user to change the shape or configuration of a virtual keypad.

A terminal can be divided into a mobile terminal (mobile / portable terminal) and a stationary terminal according to whether the terminal can be moved. The mobile terminal can be divided into a handheld terminal and a vehicle mount terminal according to whether the user can directly carry the mobile terminal.

Such a terminal has various functions, for example, in the form of a multimedia device having multiple functions such as photographing and photographing of a moving picture, reproduction of a music or video file, reception of a game and broadcasting, etc. .

In order to support and enhance the functionality of such terminals, it may be considered to improve the structural and / or software parts of the terminal.

In recent years, the number of mobile terminals has increased, and the number of mobile terminals having a large-size touch screen has been increased in response to a request of a user who wants a larger display size while the volume of the mobile terminal is small .

Accordingly, the user interface is being modified to suit the use of the touch screen.

The virtual keypad has a virtual keypad as a user interface suitable for the touch screen. However, since the virtual keypad exemplifies the shape of a general keyboard, convenience of the user when inputting information using the virtual keypad in a terminal having a small display module Can be degraded. Accordingly, there is a need for a method for allowing the user to use the virtual keypad more conveniently.

The present invention provides a terminal capable of changing the shape of a virtual keypad in consideration of user's convenience and a control method thereof.

The present invention also provides a terminal capable of adjusting a key arrangement according to the shape of a virtual keypad, and a control method thereof.

The present invention also provides a terminal capable of changing the shape and size of each key constituting the virtual keypad according to the shape of the virtual keypad, and a control method thereof.

The present invention also provides a terminal capable of changing the position of each key constituting the virtual keypad according to the shape of the virtual keypad, and a control method thereof.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable terminal including a display module for displaying a virtual keypad, a user input unit for receiving a touch and a drag from a user, And deforms the shape of the virtual keypad according to the dragged direction and the length when dragged.

Further, the present invention is configured to change the shape of the virtual keypad according to the dragged direction and length when a point on the virtual keypad is touched and dragged in a specific direction at the touched point.

The terminal according to at least one embodiment of the present invention configured as described above can improve the convenience of the user by modifying the virtual keypad shape to a shape desired by the user or adjusting the key arrangement.

In addition, according to the present invention, the shapes and sizes of the keys constituting the virtual keypad may be modified according to the shape of the virtual keypad, or the positions of the keys may be moved to improve convenience for the user.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2A is a front perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.
FIG. 2B is a rear perspective view of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.
3A and 3B are front views of a portable terminal for explaining an operation state of the portable terminal according to the present invention.
4 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the proximity depth of the proximity sensor;
5 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a control method for a touch operation in a form in which a pair of display units are overlapped.
6A to 6D are diagrams for explaining a method of changing the shape of a keypad in a terminal according to the present invention.
7 is a flow chart illustrating a method of modifying the configuration of a keypad in a terminal according to the present invention.
8A and 8B illustrate examples of a method of modifying the shape of a virtual keypad according to the present invention.
9A to 9C are diagrams for explaining another example of a method of modifying the shape of a virtual keypad according to the present invention.
FIGS. 10A and 10B are illustrations for explaining a method of selecting a point in a line form or a point form in a virtual keypad. FIG.
11A and 11B are illustrations for explaining still another example of a method of modifying the shape of a virtual keypad according to the present invention.
12A and 12B are exemplary views for explaining an example of a method of modifying the shape of a divided virtual keypad according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, a mobile terminal related to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The suffix "module" and " part "for the components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have their own meaning or role.

The mobile terminal described in this specification may include a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), a PMP (Portable Multimedia Player), navigation and the like. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the configuration according to the embodiments described herein may be applied to a fixed terminal such as a digital TV, a desktop computer, and the like, unless the configuration is applicable only to a mobile terminal.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The mobile terminal 100 includes a wireless communication unit 110, an audio / video input unit 120, a user input unit 130, a sensing unit 140, an output unit 150, a memory 160, A controller 170, a controller 180, a power supply 190, and the like. The components shown in FIG. 1 are not essential, and a mobile terminal having more or fewer components may be implemented.

Hereinafter, the components will be described in order.

The wireless communication unit 110 may include one or more modules for enabling wireless communication between the mobile terminal 100 and the wireless communication system or between the mobile terminal 100 and the network in which the mobile terminal 100 is located. For example, the wireless communication unit 110 may include a broadcast receiving module 111, a mobile communication module 112, a wireless Internet module 113, a short range communication module 114, and a location information module 115 .

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives broadcast signals and / or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management server through a broadcast channel.

The broadcast channel may include a satellite channel and a terrestrial channel. The broadcast management server may refer to a server for generating and transmitting broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information, or a server for receiving broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information generated by the broadcast management server and transmitting the generated broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information. The broadcast signal may include a TV broadcast signal, a radio broadcast signal, a data broadcast signal, and a broadcast signal in which a data broadcast signal is combined with a TV broadcast signal or a radio broadcast signal.

The broadcast-related information may refer to a broadcast channel, a broadcast program, or information related to a broadcast service provider. The broadcast-related information may also be provided through a mobile communication network. In this case, it may be received by the mobile communication module 112.

The broadcast-related information may exist in various forms. For example, an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) of DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) or an ESG (Electronic Service Guide) of Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H).

For example, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DMB-T), a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Satellite (DMB-S), a Media Forward Link Only (DVF-H) And a Digital Broadcasting System (ISDB-T) (Integrated Services Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial). Of course, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be adapted to other broadcasting systems as well as the digital broadcasting system described above.

The broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information received through the broadcast receiving module 111 may be stored in the memory 160.

The mobile communication module 112 transmits and receives radio signals to at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network. The wireless signal may include various types of data depending on a voice call signal, a video call signal or a text / multimedia message transmission / reception.

The wireless Internet module 113 is a module for wireless Internet access, and may be built in or externally attached to the mobile terminal 100. WLAN (Wi-Fi), Wibro (Wireless broadband), Wimax (World Interoperability for Microwave Access), HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) and the like can be used as wireless Internet technologies.

The short-range communication module 114 refers to a module for short-range communication. Bluetooth, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), infrared data association (IrDA), Ultra Wideband (UWB), ZigBee, and the like can be used as a short range communication technology.

The position information module 115 is a module for obtaining the position of the mobile terminal, and a representative example thereof is a Global Position System (GPS) module.

Referring to FIG. 1, an A / V (Audio / Video) input unit 120 is for inputting an audio signal or a video signal, and may include a camera 121 and a microphone 122. The camera 121 processes image frames such as still images or moving images obtained by the image sensor in the video communication mode or the photographing mode. The processed image frame can be displayed on the display unit 151. [

The image frame processed by the camera 121 may be stored in the memory 160 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication unit 110. [ Two or more cameras 121 may be provided depending on the use environment.

The microphone 122 receives an external sound signal through a microphone in a communication mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, or the like, and processes it as electrical voice data. The processed voice data can be converted into a form that can be transmitted to the mobile communication base station through the mobile communication module 112 when the voice data is in the call mode, and output. Various noise reduction algorithms may be implemented in the microphone 122 to remove noise generated in receiving an external sound signal.

The user input unit 130 generates input data for a user to control the operation of the terminal. The user input unit 130 may include a key pad dome switch, a touch pad (static / static), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

The sensing unit 140 senses the current state of the mobile terminal 100 such as the open / close state of the mobile terminal 100, the position of the mobile terminal 100, the presence or absence of user contact, the orientation of the mobile terminal, And generates a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal 100 is in the form of a slide phone, it is possible to sense whether the slide phone is opened or closed. It is also possible to sense whether the power supply unit 190 is powered on, whether the interface unit 170 is connected to an external device, and the like. Meanwhile, the sensing unit 140 may include a proximity sensor 141.

The output unit 150 is for generating output related to the visual, auditory or tactile sense and includes a display unit 151, an audio output module 152, an alarm unit 153, and a haptic module 154 .

The display unit 151 displays (outputs) information processed by the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal is in the call mode, a UI (User Interface) or a GUI (Graphic User Interface) associated with a call is displayed. When the mobile terminal 100 is in the video communication mode or the photographing mode, the photographed and / or received video or UI and GUI are displayed.

The display unit 151 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a flexible display display, and a 3D display.

Some of these displays may be transparent or light transmissive so that they can be seen through. This can be referred to as a transparent display, and a typical example of the transparent display is TOLED (Transparent OLED) and the like. The rear structure of the display unit 151 may also be of a light transmission type. With this structure, the user can see an object located behind the terminal body through the area occupied by the display unit 151 of the terminal body.

There may be two or more display units 151 according to the embodiment of the mobile terminal 100. For example, in the mobile terminal 100, a plurality of display portions may be spaced apart from one another or may be disposed integrally with each other, or may be disposed on different surfaces.

(Hereinafter, referred to as a 'touch screen') in which a display unit 151 and a sensor for sensing a touch operation (hereinafter, referred to as 'touch sensor') form a mutual layer structure, It can also be used as an input device. The touch sensor may have the form of, for example, a touch film, a touch sheet, a touch pad, or the like.

The touch sensor may be configured to convert a change in a pressure applied to a specific portion of the display unit 151 or a capacitance generated in a specific portion of the display unit 151 into an electrical input signal. The touch sensor can be configured to detect not only the position and area to be touched but also the pressure at the time of touch.

If there is a touch input to the touch sensor, the corresponding signal (s) is sent to the touch controller. The touch controller processes the signal (s) and transmits the corresponding data to the controller 180. Thus, the control unit 180 can know which area of the display unit 151 is touched or the like.

Referring to FIG. 1, a proximity sensor 141 may be disposed in an inner region of the mobile terminal or in the vicinity of the touch screen, which is surrounded by the touch screen. The proximity sensor refers to a sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object approaching a predetermined detection surface or a nearby object without mechanical contact using the force of an electromagnetic field or infrared rays. The proximity sensor has a longer life span than the contact sensor and its utilization is also high.

Examples of the proximity sensor include a transmission type photoelectric sensor, a direct reflection type photoelectric sensor, a mirror reflection type photoelectric sensor, a high frequency oscillation type proximity sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, a magnetic proximity sensor, and an infrared proximity sensor. And to detect the proximity of the pointer by the change of the electric field along the proximity of the pointer when the touch screen is electrostatic. In this case, the touch screen (touch sensor) may be classified as a proximity sensor.

Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the act of recognizing that the pointer is positioned on the touch screen while the pointer is not in contact with the touch screen is referred to as "proximity touch & The act of actually touching the pointer on the screen is called "contact touch. &Quot; The position where the pointer is proximately touched on the touch screen means a position where the pointer is vertically corresponding to the touch screen when the pointer is touched.

The proximity sensor detects a proximity touch and a proximity touch pattern (e.g., a proximity touch distance, a proximity touch direction, a proximity touch speed, a proximity touch time, a proximity touch position, a proximity touch movement state, and the like). Information corresponding to the detected proximity touch operation and the proximity touch pattern may be output on the touch screen.

The audio output module 152 may output audio data received from the wireless communication unit 110 or stored in the memory 160 in a call signal reception mode, a call mode or a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcast reception mode, The sound output module 152 also outputs sound signals related to functions (e.g., call signal reception sound, message reception sound, etc.) performed in the mobile terminal 100. [ The audio output module 152 may include a receiver, a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

The alarm unit 153 outputs a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event of the mobile terminal 100. Examples of events that occur in the mobile terminal include call signal reception, message reception, key signal input, touch input, and the like. The alarm unit 153 may output a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event in a form other than the video signal or the audio signal, for example, vibration. The video signal or the audio signal may be output through the display unit 151 or the audio output module 152 so that they may be classified as a part of the alarm unit 153.

The haptic module 154 generates various tactile effects that the user can feel. A typical example of the haptic effect generated by the haptic module 154 is vibration. The intensity and pattern of the vibration generated by the hit module 154 can be controlled. For example, different vibrations may be synthesized and output or sequentially output.

In addition to the vibration, the haptic module 154 may include a pin arrangement vertically moving with respect to the contact skin surface, a spraying force or a suction force of the air through the injection port or the suction port, a touch on the skin surface, contact with an electrode, And various tactile effects such as an effect of reproducing a cold sensation using an endothermic or exothermic element can be generated.

The haptic module 154 can be implemented not only to transmit the tactile effect through the direct contact but also to allow the user to feel the tactile effect through the muscular sensation of the finger or arm. The haptic module 154 may include two or more haptic modules 154 according to the configuration of the portable terminal 100.

The memory 160 may store a program for the operation of the controller 180 and temporarily store input / output data (e.g., a phone book, a message, a still image, a moving picture, etc.). The memory 160 may store data on vibration and sound of various patterns outputted when a touch is input on the touch screen.

The memory 160 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory) (Random Access Memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM) A magnetic disk, and / or an optical disk. The mobile terminal 100 may operate in association with a web storage that performs a storage function of the memory 160 on the Internet.

The interface unit 170 serves as a path for communication with all external devices connected to the mobile terminal 100. The interface unit 170 receives data from an external device or supplies power to each component in the mobile terminal 100 or transmits data to the external device. For example, a wired / wireless headset port, an external charger port, a wired / wireless data port, a memory card port, a port for connecting a device having an identification module, an audio I / O port, A video input / output (I / O) port, an earphone port, and the like may be included in the interface unit 170.

The identification module is a chip for storing various information for authenticating the use right of the mobile terminal 100 and includes a user identification module (UIM), a subscriber identity module (SIM), a general user authentication module A Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM), and the like. Devices with identification modules (hereinafter referred to as "identification devices") can be manufactured in a smart card format. Accordingly, the identification device can be connected to the terminal 100 through the port.

When the mobile terminal 100 is connected to an external cradle, the interface unit may be a path through which power from the cradle is supplied to the mobile terminal 100, or various command signals input by the user to the cradle may be transmitted It can be a passage to be transmitted to the terminal. The various command signals or the power source input from the cradle may be operated as a signal for recognizing that the mobile terminal is correctly mounted on the cradle.

The controller 180 typically controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal. For example, voice communication, data communication, video communication, and the like. The control unit 180 may include a multimedia module 181 for multimedia playback. The multimedia module 181 may be implemented in the control unit 180 or may be implemented separately from the control unit 180. [

The controller 180 may perform a pattern recognition process for recognizing handwriting input or drawing input performed on the touch screen as characters and images, respectively.

The power supply unit 190 receives external power and internal power under the control of the controller 180 and supplies power necessary for operation of the respective components.

The various embodiments described herein may be embodied in a recording medium readable by a computer or similar device using, for example, software, hardware, or a combination thereof.

According to a hardware implementation, the embodiments described herein may be implemented as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays May be implemented using at least one of a processor, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and other electronic units for performing other functions. In some cases, The embodiments described may be implemented by the control unit 180 itself.

According to a software implementation, embodiments such as the procedures and functions described herein may be implemented with separate software modules. Each of the software modules may perform one or more of the functions and operations described herein. Software code can be implemented in a software application written in a suitable programming language. The software code is stored in the memory 160 and can be executed by the control unit 180. [

2A is a perspective view of an example of a mobile terminal or a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

The disclosed mobile terminal 100 has a bar-shaped terminal body. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and can be applied to various structures such as a slide type, a folder type, a swing type, and a swivel type in which two or more bodies are relatively movably coupled.

The body includes a case (a casing, a housing, a cover, and the like) which forms an appearance. In this embodiment, the case may be divided into a front case 101 and a rear case 102. [ A variety of electronic components are embedded in the space formed between the front case 101 and the rear case 102. At least one intermediate case may be additionally disposed between the front case 101 and the rear case 102. [

The cases may be formed by injection molding a synthetic resin, or may be formed to have a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti) or the like.

The display unit 151, the sound output unit 152, the camera 121, the user input units 130/131 and 132, the microphone 122, the interface 170, and the like may be disposed in the front body 101 have.

The display unit 151 occupies most of the main surface of the front case 101. A sound output unit 151 and a camera 121 are disposed in an area adjacent to one end of both ends of the display unit 151 and a user input unit 131 and a microphone 122 are disposed in an area adjacent to the other end. The user input unit 132 and the interface 170 may be disposed on the side surfaces of the front case 101 and the rear case 102. [

The user input unit 130 is operated to receive a command for controlling the operation of the portable terminal 100 and may include a plurality of operation units 131 and 132. The operation units 131 and 132 may be collectively referred to as a manipulating portion and may be employed in any manner as long as the user operates in a tactile manner.

The contents inputted by the first or second operation unit 131 or 132 may be variously set. For example, the first operation unit 131 receives commands such as start, end, scroll, and the like, and the second operation unit 132 controls the size of the sound output from the sound output unit 152 or the size of the sound output from the display unit 151 To the touch recognition mode of the touch screen.

FIG. 2B is a rear perspective view of the portable terminal shown in FIG. 2A.

Referring to FIG. 2B, a camera 121 'may be further mounted on the rear surface of the terminal body, that is, the rear case 102. The camera 121 'may have a photographing direction substantially opposite to the camera 121 (see FIG. 2A), and may be a camera having different pixels from the camera 121.

For example, the camera 121 may have a low pixel so that the face of the user can be photographed and transmitted to the other party in case of a video call or the like, and the camera 121 ' It is preferable to have a large number of pixels. The cameras 121 and 121 'may be installed in the terminal body so as to be rotatable or pop-upable.

A flash 123 and a mirror 124 are additionally disposed adjacent to the camera 121 '. The flash 123 illuminates the subject when the subject is photographed by the camera 121 '. The mirror 124 allows the user to illuminate the user's own face or the like when the user intends to shoot himself / herself (self-photographing) using the camera 121 '.

An acoustic output 152 'may be additionally disposed on the rear surface of the terminal body. The sound output unit 152 'may implement the stereo function together with the sound output unit 152 (see FIG. 2A), and may be used for the implementation of the speakerphone mode during a call.

In addition to the antenna for a call or the like, a broadcast signal reception antenna 124 may be additionally disposed on the side of the terminal body. The antenna 124 constituting a part of the broadcast receiving module 111 (see FIG. 1) may be installed to be able to be drawn out from the terminal body.

A power supply unit 190 for supplying power to the portable terminal 100 is mounted on the terminal body. The power supply unit 190 may be built in the terminal body or may be detachable from the outside of the terminal body.

The rear case 102 may further include a touch pad 135 for sensing a touch. The touch pad 135 may also be of a light transmission type like the display unit 151. [ In this case, if the display unit 151 is configured to output time information on both sides, the time information can be recognized through the touch pad 135 as well. The information output on both sides may be all controlled by the touch pad 135. [ Alternatively, a display may be additionally mounted on the touch pad 135, and a touch screen may be disposed on the rear case 102 as well.

The touch pad 135 operates in correlation with the display portion 151 of the front case 101. The touch pad 135 may be disposed parallel to the rear of the display unit 151. The touch pad 135 may have a size equal to or smaller than that of the display unit 151.

Hereinafter, a related operation of the display unit 151 and the touch pad 135 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B.

3A and 3B are front views of a portable terminal for explaining an operation state of the portable terminal according to the present invention.

Various types of time information can be displayed on the display unit 151. [ These pieces of information can be displayed in the form of letters, numbers, symbols, graphics, or icons.

At least one of the letters, numbers, symbols, graphics, or icons may be displayed in a predetermined arrangement for inputting such information, thereby being implemented as a keypad. Such a keypad may be called a so-called " soft key ".

FIG. 3A shows a touch input to a soft key through a front surface of a terminal body.

The display unit 151 may operate as an entire area or may be divided into a plurality of areas and operated. In the latter case, the plurality of areas can be configured to operate in association with each other.

For example, an output window 151a and an input window 151b are displayed on the upper and lower portions of the display unit 151, respectively. The output window 151a and the input window 151b are areas allocated for outputting or inputting information, respectively. In the input window 151b, a soft key 151c in which a number for inputting a telephone number or the like is displayed is output. When the soft key 151c is touched, a number corresponding to the touched soft key is displayed on the output window 151a. When the first operation unit 131 is operated, call connection to the telephone number displayed on the output window 151a is attempted.

FIG. 3B shows the input of a touch applied to the soft key through the rear surface of the terminal body. FIG. 3A shows a case where the terminal body is vertically arranged, and FIG. 3B shows a case where the terminal body is arranged horizontally. The display unit 151 may be configured to convert an output screen according to a placement direction of the terminal body.

3B shows that the text input mode is activated in the portable terminal. The display unit 151 displays an output window 151a 'and an input window 151b'. In the input window 151b ', a plurality of soft keys 151c' displayed with at least one of letters, symbols, and numbers may be arranged. The soft keys 151c 'may be arranged in the form of a QWERTY key.

When the soft keys 151c 'are touched through the touch pad 135 (see FIG. 2B), characters, numbers, symbols corresponding to the touched soft keys are displayed on the output window 151a'. As described above, the touch input through the touch pad 135 is advantageous in that the soft key 151c 'can not be blocked by the finger when the touch is input, compared with the touch input through the display unit 151. [ In the case where the display unit 151 and the touch pad 135 are formed to be transparent, the fingers located on the rear side of the terminal body can be visually confirmed, thereby enabling a more accurate touch input.

The display unit 151 or the touch pad 135 may be configured to receive a touch input by scrolling, as well as the input method described in the above embodiments. The user can move a cursor or a pointer located on an object displayed on the display unit 151, for example, an icon or the like, by scrolling the display unit 151 or the touch pad 135. [ Further, when the finger is moved on the display portion 151 or the touch pad 135, the path along which the finger moves may be visually displayed on the display portion 151. [ This will be useful for editing the image displayed on the display unit 151. [

One function of the terminal may be executed in response to a case where the display unit 151 (touch screen) and the touch pad 135 are touched together within a predetermined time range. In the case of being touched together, there may be a case where the user clamps the terminal body using the thumb and index finger. The one function may be activation or deactivation of the display unit 151 or the touch pad 135, for example.

The proximity sensor 141 described with reference to Fig. 1 will be described in more detail with reference to Fig.

4 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the proximity depth of the proximity sensor.

As shown in FIG. 4, when a pointer such as a user's finger, a pen, or the like approaches the touch screen, the proximity sensor 141 disposed in or near the touch screen senses the proximity sensor and outputs a proximity signal.

The proximity sensor 141 may be configured to output different proximity signals according to the distance between the proximity-touched pointer and the touch screen (hereinafter referred to as "proximity depth").

In FIG. 4, for example, a cross-section of a touch screen having proximity sensors capable of sensing three proximity depths is illustrated. Of course, proximity sensors that detect less than three or more than four proximity depths are also possible.

Specifically, when the pointer is completely in contact with the touch screen (d0), it is recognized as a contact touch. If the pointer is located on the touch screen at a distance less than the distance d1, it is recognized as a proximity touch of the first proximity depth. If the pointer is located on the touch screen at a distance d1 or less and less than the distance d2, the pointer is recognized as a proximity touch of the second proximity depth. If the pointer is located on the touch screen at a distance d2 or more and less than the distance d3, it is recognized as a proximity touch of the third proximity depth. If the pointer is located at a distance d3 or more on the touch screen, it is recognized that the proximity touch is released.

Accordingly, the controller 180 can recognize the proximity touch as various input signals according to the proximity depth and proximity position of the pointer, and perform various operation control according to the various input signals.

5 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a control method for a touch operation in a form in which a pair of display units 155 and 156 are overlapped.

The terminal shown in this figure is a folder type terminal connected to a main body so that a folder portion is foldable. The first display unit 155 mounted on the folder unit may be of a light transmitting type or a transparent type such as TOLED or the second display unit 156 mounted on the main body may be a form that does not transmit light like an LCD. The first and second display units 155 and 156 may be configured as a touch screen capable of touch input, respectively.

For example, when a touch (a contact touch or a proximity-touch) to the first display unit or the TOLED 155 is detected, the control unit 180 determines whether the touch At least one of the images displayed in the TOLED 155 may be selected or run.

Hereinafter, with respect to the manner in which the information displayed on the other display unit or the LCD 156 is controlled when touching the TOLED 155 exposed to the outside in an overlapped form, a touch, a long touch, a long touch and drag ), And so on.

In the overlapped state (the mobile terminal is in a closed state), the TOLED 155 is arranged to overlap the lower side of the LCD 156. In this state, if a touch such as a long touch (for example, a touch that lasts for 2 seconds to 3 seconds) is detected in a manner different from the touch for controlling the image displayed on the TOLED 155 in advance, ) Causes at least one image of the image list displayed on the LCD 156 to be selected according to the sensed touch input. The result according to the execution of the selected image is displayed on the TOLED 155.

The long touch may also be used to selectively move a desired one of the entities displayed on the LCD 156 to the TOLED 155 (without performing any action thereto). That is, when the user touches one area of the TOLED 155 corresponding to the specific entity of the LCD 156 for a long time, the controller 180 moves the corresponding entity to the TOLED 155 to be displayed. The entity displayed on the TOLED 155 may also be displayed on the LCD 156 by a predetermined touch input to the TOLED 155, for example, flicking, swirling, and the like. In this figure, the menu No. 2 displayed on the LCD 156 is displayed on the TOLED 155.

If another input, for example, a drag, is detected in addition to the long touch, the control unit 180 is a function related to the image selected by the long touch. For example, a preview screen for the image is displayed on the TOLED 155, As shown in FIG. In this drawing, a case where a preview (male photograph) is performed on the menu No. 2 (image file) is illustrated.

The control unit 180 displays a selection cursor (or a selection bar) of the LCD 156 in the state that the preview screen is being output, while dragging toward another image is further performed on the TOLED 155 while maintaining the long touch And displays the image selected by the selection cursor on a preview screen (female photograph). Thereafter, when the touch (long touch and drag) ends, the controller 180 displays the first image selected by the long touch.

When the slide (the operation of the proximity touch corresponding to the drag) is detected together with the long proximity touch (the proximity touch continuing for at least 2 seconds to 3 seconds) to the TOLED 155 .

When a touch operation other than those described above is detected, the controller 180 can operate in the same manner as a general touch control method.

The control method for the touch operation in the overlapped form can be applied to a terminal having a single display. In addition, the present invention can be applied to a terminal different from a folder type having a dual display.

Hereinafter, embodiments related to a control method that can be implemented in the terminal configured as above will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments can be used alone or in combination with each other. In addition, the embodiments described below may be used in combination with the above-described user interface (UI).

As described above with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the display unit 151 of the terminal may be implemented as a keypad in which letters, numbers, symbols, graphics, or icons are arranged in a constant array for inputting information. Such a keypad may be referred to as a so-called " virtual keypad ", and may be implemented in the form of a QWERTY key. Hereinafter, the 'virtual keypad' may be referred to simply as a 'keypad', or may be applied to a keypad other than a QWERTY key.

In addition, the 'virtual keypad' can automatically convert an output screen in a landscape direction or a portrait direction according to the placement direction of the terminal body. For convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the virtual keypad is displayed in the horizontal direction in the embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention relates to a method of modifying the shape or key arrangement of a virtual keypad in consideration of user convenience. The present invention also relates to a method of modifying the shape and size of each key constituting the keypad as the shape of the virtual keypad is changed. In addition, the drawing of the present embodiment does not show the entire virtual keypad, and only characteristic parts necessary for explanation can be shown.

The terminal of the present invention may include a virtual keypad or a mode for modifying the shape or arrangement of each key constituting the virtual keypad (hereinafter referred to as a virtual keypad deformation mode). For convenience of description, it is assumed that the terminal enters the virtual keypad deformation mode in the embodiment of the present invention.

6A to 6D are diagrams for explaining a method of modifying the shape of the keypad in the terminal according to the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a method of modifying the configuration of the keypad in the terminal according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, it is assumed that a virtual keypad as shown in FIG. 6A is displayed (S101). The user can touch one point 410 of one end (e.g., top end, bottom end) of the virtual keypad (S102). Then, in a state in which the point 410 is touched, it can be dragged in a specific direction (e.g., upwards and downwards) (S103).

At this time, when one of the points 410 of one side of the virtual keypad is touched, the controller 180 can display the indicator 420 indicating the direction in which the touched point can be dragged using the specific image.

If the user drags the virtual keypad in a specific direction while touching any one point of the virtual keypad, the controller 180 may change the shape of the virtual keypad according to the dragged direction (S104). That is, at least one side of the virtual keypad may be pushed or pulled depending on the dragged length and direction to increase, decrease, or tilt the shape of the virtual keypad.

As the shape of the virtual keypad is modified as described above, the controller 180 can increase or decrease the interval between the keys. Alternatively, the size of each key can be increased or decreased. Only the characteristic portion 430 of the virtual keypad will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 6B, the posture of each of the keys can be rotated according to the tilted angle of the virtual keypad. Also, as shown in FIG. 6C, the font size written to each key can be automatically adjusted. In addition, as shown in FIG. 6D, after deleting the function keys at a specific position, the deleted function keys can be moved to another position.

8A and 8B are diagrams for explaining an example of a method of modifying the shape of a virtual keypad according to the present invention.

8A, if a user drags a certain point 410 on the top of the virtual keypad in a specific direction (e.g., downward) while pushing the point 410, the control unit 180 moves along the dragged direction Transform the shape of the keypad. The control unit 180 changes the shape of the virtual keypad such that the virtual keypad is folded in the shape of a triangle about an axis connecting the lower end point 440 on the opposite side corresponding to the touched point 410 at the upper end of the virtual keypad.

In other words, the uppermost point 410 is pushed in the dragged downward direction, the lowermost point 440 corresponding to the uppermost touch point is pushed in the opposite direction, and both ends of the virtual keypad (e.g., the left end and the right end) (Upward and downward) in the dragged direction (downward direction), thereby being deformed into a V shape as a whole.

However, if the virtual keypad is deformed into a V shape in a state where the sizes and key arrangements of the keys are kept the same, both sides are elevated and the center portion is lowered, so that an area for displaying the virtual keypad is more .

Therefore, in order not to increase the display area of the virtual keypad, the size of each of the keys may be reduced, the keys in any one row (or column) may be deleted, and the deleted keys may be displayed in different positions. For example, function keys placed at the bottom of the virtual keypad (for example, character conversion keys, space bar, Ctrl key, Alt key) can be displayed at different positions. However, the keys for modifying the position need not be in the same row (or column) at the time of dialing.

8B, when the user drags a certain point 410 on the top of the virtual keypad in a specific direction (e.g., upward direction) as if pulling it, the control unit 180 controls the dragged Alter the shape of the keypad along the direction. The control unit 180 changes the shape of the virtual keypad such that it is folded in an inverted V shape about an axis connecting the lower end point 440 on the opposite side corresponding to the touched point 410 at the top of the virtual keypad. That is, the uppermost point 410 is dragged in a dragged upward direction, and the lowermost point 440 corresponding to the uppermost touch point is also dragged upward, and both ends of the virtual keypad (e.g., ) And the touched point is increased to be transformed into an inverted V (?) Shape as a whole.

However, when the virtual keypad is deformed in the inverted V-shape in a state in which the size and key arrangement of the keys are kept the same, even if the positions of both ends are fixed, the touch point 410 is moved in the upward direction ), The area for displaying the virtual keypad is further increased.

Therefore, in order not to increase the display area of the virtual keypad, the size of each of the keys may be reduced, the keys in any one row (or column) may be deleted, and the deleted keys may be displayed in different positions. For example, function keys placed at the bottom of the virtual keypad (for example, character conversion keys, space bar, Ctrl key, Alt key) can be displayed at different positions. However, the keys for modifying the position need not be in the same row (or column) at the time of dialing.

The method of modifying the shape of the virtual keypad described above with reference to FIGS. 8A and 8B is a method of deforming the shape of the virtual keypad by dragging in a specific direction (for example, upward or downward) while touching one of the lowermost points of the virtual keypad, Or inverted V (?) Shape.

In the present invention, the shape of the virtual keypad does not necessarily correspond to the dragged one-to-one. That is, one end of the virtual keypad is not stretched or shrunk by the dragged length.

In addition, not only the shape of the touched point is deformed but also the shape of the non-touched point can be deformed. In other words, the present invention is characterized by adjusting the degree of deformation of the virtual keypad shape (e.g., the degree of raising both side edges) corresponding to the dragged direction and length.

For example, when one point at the top of the virtual keypad is touched and dragged downward, the virtual keypad becomes a deeper V shape corresponding to the dragged length. That is, the positions of both side ends may be further elevated to form a deeper V shape. The length of the uppermost point and the lowest point corresponding to the uppermost point do not become shorter than the dragged length. Rather, it is possible to increase the size of the keys close to the axis connecting the one point of the uppermost stage and the one point of the lowermost stage corresponding thereto (hereinafter referred to as the center axis). As described above, the closer the key axis is to the center axis, the larger the size of the keys, thereby enabling the user to input the keys more easily.

The shape of the virtual keypad that is deformed according to the dragged direction and the dragged length as described above can be set in advance. Also, as described above, the positions of specific keys that are changed as the shape of the virtual keypad is modified can be preset. Also, as the shape of the virtual keypad is modified as described above, an indicator related to arbitrary information may be displayed in a newly created empty space. Also, as the shape of the virtual keypad is modified as described above, the deformable size of the keys at a specific position can be set in advance. Information related to the shape of the virtual keypad is stored in the memory 160.

Thus, when touching one of the points on the virtual keypad and pushing or pulling it, the length, position, or shape of another point related to the point (for example, opposite point corresponding to the touch point) A method of automatically deforming the shape of the optical fiber into a shape has been described.

However, the virtual keypad can select at least two points in consideration of the convenience of the user's input, and can directly shape the virtual keypad into a shape desired by the user.

For example, in a state in which a position of one point is fixed, another point can be deformed by dragging in a direction desired by the user. Further, the virtual keypad may be divided into at least two keypads by a line connecting at least two points, and then the shape of each of the divided virtual keypads may be modified. In addition, it is also possible to adjust the size of the keys in each divided virtual keypad, rotate each virtual keypad, or move the position.

FIGS. 9A and 9C are views for explaining another example of a method of modifying the shape of a virtual keypad according to the present invention. Referring to FIGS. 9A and 9C, Fig.

The two points may be in the form of a point or a line.

The point form means a point between two keys, and the line form means a row or a column formed between the keys.

9A, the user can touch one point 440 of the virtual keypad and touch another point 410 to drag in any direction (e.g., upward or downward) have. If the touched point 440 is not dragged as described above, the point can be kept fixed.

Accordingly, in the above-described another embodiment, when the user drags the uppermost point 410 in the upward tilted state while being touched, the controller 180 responds to the uppermost touched point 410 of the virtual keypad (Λ) -shaped shape around the axis connecting the lower-most point (440) on the opposite side.

However, when a point 410 at the uppermost end is dragged upward in a state where a lowermost point 440 is fixed as in the present embodiment, the control unit 180 controls the uppermost point of the virtual keypad Can be deformed. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9B, when a point 410 at the top of the inverted V character virtual keypad is fixed and a point 440 at the bottom is dragged downward, the top of the virtual keypad It can be deformed into an inverted V (?) Shape.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9C, the user can drag another line 470 in any direction (for example, upward or downward) while fixing one line 480 of the virtual keypad . The vertical width Height of the virtual keypad is changed according to a direction (for example, upward or downward direction) in which one end (for example, the uppermost or lowermost end) of the opposite side Can be increased or decreased.

Of course, the two selectable lines do not necessarily mean the uppermost or lowermost line, and any one line corresponding to the row of the key arrangement may be selected, or one of the lines corresponding to the column of the key arrangement may be selected. If a line corresponding to a column is fixed and then a line corresponding to another column is dragged, the width may be increased or decreased.

On the other hand, two points can be selected by using the embodiment of FIGS. 9A and 9C in combination. That is, one of the two points may be in the form of a line and the other may be in the form of a point. In other words, either one point may be dragged while a line corresponding to a row of the key arrangement is fixed, or a line may be dragged while a point is fixed.

10A and 10B are illustrations for explaining a method of selecting a point in a line form or a point form in the virtual keypad.

In a method of selecting a point for modifying the shape of the virtual keypad, one of a point type and a line type can be set as a default through an environment setting option. For example, when one of the points on the virtual keypad is set to be selected in a point format, as shown in FIG. 10A, a line 510 is drawn in the row direction while touching any one point of the virtual keypad, You can select points in the form. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 10B, a point can be selected in a line form by drawing the line 520 in the column direction while touching any one point of the virtual keypad.

Here, the direction in which the line is drawn is not limited to the row direction or the column direction. In addition, the row direction and the column direction are not necessarily linear, and may be curved according to the layout of each keypad. Also, the line does not necessarily have to be drawn from one end (e.g., top end, bottom end, left end, right end) to the end of the other end.

The plurality of line-shaped points may be selected.

If a point is selected in a line form as described above, the line can be indicated. The indicative method may use any of the methods of deforming the color, modifying the thickness, or modifying the luminance.

11A and 11B are illustrations for explaining still another example of a method of modifying the shape of a virtual keypad according to the present invention. Particularly, there are illustrations for explaining a method of dividing a virtual keypad into at least two.

As shown in FIG. 11A, the user can divide the virtual keypad by drawing a line 530 from the end of one end of the virtual keypad (e.g., top end, bottom end, left end, right end) have. The line for dividing the virtual keypad does not necessarily have to be drawn horizontally or vertically, but may be drawn in a diagonal line. Also, it may be drawn in a curved shape depending on the key arrangement type of the keypad.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 11B, a user may segment a closed curve 540 including certain keys. The closed curve may be drawn in a polygonal shape as well as a curved shape according to the layout of the keypad. When the virtual cap pad is divided using the closed curve method as described above, the keys inside the closed curve can be divided and moved to another position.

The divided virtual CA pads may be further subdivided into smaller units.

The divided virtual keypad is divided based on key units. That is, one key is configured on either side of the divided virtual keypad. However, certain function keys (such as Space Bar, Alt key, Ctrl key, Shift key, Enter key, Arrow key, etc.) can be configured on both sides of the partitioned virtual keypad.

The user can select one of the divided virtual keypads to move to a desired position.

12A and 12B are illustrations for explaining an example of a method of modifying the shape of a divided virtual keypad according to the present invention.

For convenience, it is assumed that the virtual keypad is divided into two parts 610 and 620 in this embodiment.

The user selects one of the virtual keypads 610 and 620 and selects one point of the selected virtual keypad 620 in a point shape or a line shape as described above Shape can be deformed.

The above-mentioned method can be used as it is in the method of changing the shape of the keypad by selecting any one of the points. Therefore, only examples that can be applied to the divided virtual keypad will be described below.

It is possible to select any one virtual keypad of the divided virtual keypads and rotate the selected virtual keypads at a predetermined angle. Accordingly, as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, the virtual keypad can be formed by a V character or an inverted V character shape in which the virtual keypads are spaced apart. That is, it is possible to create an empty space 630 and 640 by widening each virtual keypad, and to use the empty spaces 630 and 640 to display an indicator for displaying information related to the operation state of the keypad.

It is possible to modify the shape of the virtual keypad and store the deformed shape as described above. The user can exit the virtual keypad deformation mode after completing the shape modification of the virtual keypad.

Further, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the above-described method can be implemented as a code that can be read by a processor on a medium on which the program is recorded. Examples of the medium that can be read by the processor include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage, etc., and may be implemented in the form of a carrier wave (e.g., transmission over the Internet) .

The mobile terminal described above can be applied to not only the configuration and method of the embodiments described above but also all or some of the embodiments may be selectively combined so that various modifications may be made to the embodiments It is possible.

Claims (16)

A display module for displaying a virtual keypad;
A user input for inputting touches to at least two points of the virtual keypad;
And a controller for dividing the virtual keypad when a drag touch is applied in at least one of the at least two points of the virtual keypad in a specific direction,
In order to prevent the display area of the virtual keypad from being increased before the virtual keypad is divided, when the virtual keypad is divided, the control unit controls the size of the keys included in the virtual keypad so that the virtual keypad is divided And outputs a smaller size than the size of the previous keys. The apparatus of claim 1,
Wherein the at least one side of the virtual keypad is increased, reduced, or tilted depending on the direction and length of the drag touch. The apparatus of claim 1,
Wherein the virtual keypad is deformed into a predetermined shape and the degree of deformation of the virtual keypad is controlled differently according to the direction and length of the drag touch. The apparatus of claim 1,
Wherein the virtual keypad modifies at least one of an interval between the keys of the virtual keypad or a font or a size of information written in the attitude, inclination, position, or each keys of the keys. delete delete delete Displaying a virtual keypad;
Receiving a touch at any of at least two points of the virtual keypad;
And dividing the virtual keypad when a drag touch is applied in at least one of the at least two points of the virtual keypad in a specific direction,
Wherein the step of dividing the virtual keypad comprises the steps of: when the virtual keypad is divided so as not to increase the display area in which the virtual keypad is being output before the virtual keypad is divided, And outputting the virtual keypad smaller than the size of the keys before the virtual keypad is divided. The method of claim 8, wherein the length of at least one side of the virtual keypad is increased, decreased, or tilted depending on the touch direction and length of the drag touch. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the degree of deformation of the terminal is changed according to a touch direction and a length of the drag touch. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the terminal can be transformed into any one of a V-shape and an inverted V-shape. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein when a point on the virtual keypad is touched,
And displaying the draggable direction at the touched point using a specific image. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein at least one of the spacing between the keys, the attitude, the inclination, the position of each of the keys, or the font and the size of the information written in each of the keys can be modified. The method of claim 8, wherein, when the shape of the virtual keypad is deformed,
And displaying an indicator indicating any information related to an operation state of the keypad in a newly created empty space. delete delete

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