KR101688156B1 - Mobile terminal and method for searching access point - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and a method for searching an access point of the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal according to the present invention acquires location information of a mobile terminal in a radio network function activation state, Searches for an access point corresponding to the specific location and establishes a connection, and performs access point search according to a predetermined access point search cycle after completion of connection of the access point.

Description

[0001] MOBILE TERMINAL AND METHOD FOR SEARCHING ACCESS POINT [0002]

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal for searching for an access point using location information and a method for searching an access point.

[0002] A terminal such as a personal computer, a notebook computer, or a mobile phone has various functions, for example, a multimedia device having a complex function such as photographing or recording of a moving picture, reproduction of music or moving picture file, (Multimedia player).

A terminal can be divided into a mobile terminal and a stationary terminal depending on whether the terminal is movable. 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.

For functional support and enhancement of the terminal, it may be considered to improve the structural and / or software part of the terminal.

Generally, in a mobile terminal equipped with a Wi-Fi function, surrounding access points are frequently searched. In particular, the mobile terminal periodically performs access point discovery after its connection with the access point. At this time, the frequent access point search consumes considerable current consumption. Therefore, efforts are being made to reduce the frequency of access point searches.

The present invention provides a mobile terminal and a method for searching an access point of the mobile terminal that can set an access point search period using location information.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mobile terminal for establishing a connection with a specific access point connectable at a specific place when a terminal enters a predetermined place using position information of the terminal, Point search method.

In order to achieve the above object, a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a wireless Internet module for wireless Internet access, a location information module for acquiring location information of the mobile terminal, And a control unit for checking whether the terminal has entered a specific place based on the location information of a terminal, setting a connection with an access point corresponding to the specific place when the terminal enters a specific place, And a control unit for controlling the Internet module.

Also, an access point searching method of a mobile terminal according to an example of the present invention includes: acquiring location information of a terminal in a wireless network function activation state; checking whether the terminal is within a specific location based on the acquired location information; Searching for an access point corresponding to the specific location and establishing a connection if the terminal is located in a specific place; and performing access point search according to a predetermined access point search cycle after completing connection of the access point do.

The mobile terminal according to at least one embodiment of the present invention configured as described above may set a location information based access point search period. That is, the present invention allows a user to arbitrarily set a period for performing an access point search at a location specified by a user.

Also, according to the present invention, when detecting that the terminal enters a specific place by using the location information of the terminal, the access point can perform the access point search with a predetermined search period after establishing connection with the access point set in the specific place.

In addition, the present invention can automatically search for an access point when a signal strength received from an access point connected at a predetermined location is smaller than a predetermined value.

Therefore, since the present invention does not perform unnecessary access point search, it is possible to reduce the consumed current of the mobile terminal, thereby extending the use time.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a front perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a rear perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;
4 is a diagram illustrating a screen for setting an access point search function in a mobile terminal related to the present invention;
5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of searching an access point of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 are views illustrating a screen in which a mobile terminal related to an embodiment of the present invention outputs a notification message informing an access point connection and a search execution; FIG.
8 is a flow chart illustrating a method of searching an access point of a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of 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. At least two haptic modules 154 may be provided according to the configuration of the mobile 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), a RAM (Random Access Memory), SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), PROM A 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. [

2 is a perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The disclosed mobile terminal 100 includes 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 152 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 mobile 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.

3 is a rear perspective view of the mobile terminal shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 3, 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. 2), 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. 2) and may be used for the implementation of the speakerphone mode in a call.

In addition to the antenna for talking and the like, a broadcast signal reception antenna 116 may be additionally disposed on the side of the terminal body. The antenna 116, which forms part of the broadcast receiving module 111 (see FIG. 1), can be installed to be able to be drawn out from the terminal body.

A power supply unit 190 for supplying power to the mobile 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, an access point (AP) search performed by a mobile terminal related to the present invention using location information of a terminal will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

The mobile terminal 100 related to the present invention includes a wireless Internet module 113 for establishing connection with any one of at least one access points located in the vicinity and performing wireless Internet through the connected access point . Here, the access point may be a wireless router.

Also, the controller 180 of the mobile terminal 100 controls the position information module 115 to obtain current position information of the terminal.

The control unit 180 stores the network information set by the user in the memory 160. The network information includes information related to an access point such as a network name (Service Set IDentifier: SSID), security, location (location, area, area, etc.) do.

In addition, the controller 180 drives the wireless Internet module 113 according to an external or internal input, and searches for a nearby access point through the wireless Internet module 113.

The controller 180 searches for an access point located around the terminal and drives the location information module 115 to acquire location information of the current terminal. Upon obtaining the current location information of the terminal, the controller 180 determines whether the terminal has entered a specific location designated by the user using the acquired location information of the terminal. When the terminal enters the specific location, the control unit 180 attempts to connect to the access point corresponding to the specific location. After the connection with the access point corresponding to the specific location is completed, the control unit 180 searches the access point based on the setting information set in advance at a period in which the access point search is performed in the specific location. At this time, the controller 180 performs an access point search at a predetermined search period and performs the search until the signal strength output from the connected access point is not less than a predetermined threshold value.

If the signal strength from the connected access point is less than the threshold value, the controller 180 immediately searches for an access point located nearby and displays the search result on the display screen. If any of the access points is selected, the controller 180 establishes a connection with the selected access point.

The controller 180 may select an access point having the largest signal strength among the search results as an alternative access point and automatically establish connection with the selected access point.

In this embodiment, the control unit 180 measures the signal strength of the access point to which the access point is connected, and when the measured signal strength is less than the threshold value, the access point search is executed. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the control unit 180 can be configured to immediately search for an access point even when an access point connected to the access point search is not searched at a predetermined search cycle or when the terminal moves out of a designated place.

The controller 180 selects and connects an alternative access point among the discovered access points, and performs access point search with a search period set at a default.

4 is a diagram illustrating a screen for setting an access point search function in a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

First, when a wireless LAN setup menu for setting and managing a wireless access point among the submenus of the network setup menu is selected according to the sequential menu selection by the user, the setup screen is displayed on the display unit 151 (a).

As shown in FIG. 4 (a), the wireless LAN setting screen can set check boxes and Wi-Fi network addition functions for setting Wi-Fi on / off and network notification. Here, the network notification and the Wi-Fi network addition function can be set only when Wi-Fi is turned on.

The Wi-Fi on / off setting activates or deactivates the wireless LAN (wireless network) function. In other words, the mobile terminal 100 connects or disconnects the wireless Internet through the access point according to the Wi-Fi on / off setting.

The network notification function is for setting whether or not to output a message or an effect sound or the like so that the user can recognize when the open network can be used. That is, the control unit 180 can select and set the network notification whether or not to turn on / off according to whether the check box of the network notification function is selected or not.

The Wi-Fi network add function sets information related to an access point such as a network name, a security, a location, a search period, and the like so as to add a network. In other words, the Wi-Fi network addition function adds information on the wireless access point. When the Wi-Fi network addition is selected on the wireless LAN setting screen, a network capable of inputting information on the Wi- An information input window is displayed on the display screen (b).

The control unit 180 inputs corresponding data to each field included in the network information input window according to the user input inputted through the user input unit 130. [ For example, enter the network name in the network SSID field, select and set the security method, and set the location information and the search period. Here, there are three methods for inputting the position information. The first is to acquire and input the current position information of the terminal by using the GPS function. Second, when a desired position is designated on the map by using the map function, information about the designated position is input. Third, the user directly inputs an address of a desired location (place). For example, the control unit 180 adds a network to information about a wireless router (access point) used at home according to a user input.

When the input of each field is completed, the controller 180 stores the input network information in the memory 160, and performs an access point search based on the network information. In other words, when the mobile terminal 100 enters a predetermined location (location, area, space) after the network setting is completed, the controller 180 controls the access point corresponding to the specific location among the nearby access points Search and try to connect. For example, when the terminal is located at a designated location, the controller 180 searches surrounding access points and displays the search result (c). Then, the control unit 180 displays the status of each of the searched results. The status indicates whether or not to enter a predetermined place, connection status, security setting, signal strength, and the like. The controller 180 establishes connection with a specific access point corresponding to the designated location among the search results. That is, when the terminal is located at home, the control unit 180 tries to connect with 'Home' among the search results. When the connection with the 'Home' is completed, the controller 180 displays status information such as 'connected'.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of searching an access point of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, as shown in Fig. 4, an access point search function to be executed in advance at a specific place is set in advance. For example, when the terminal enters the office, it is set to access the wireless Internet using the access point 'Office', and the security method and the access point search period are set to 'WEP' and 'No', respectively. The mobile terminal 100 according to the present invention performs access point search based on previously set network information.

Referring to FIG. 5, the controller 180 activates the wireless network function (S101). For example, the control unit 180 drives the wireless Internet module 113 when the user turns on Wi-Fi. At this time, the controller 180 controls the wireless Internet module 113 to search for an access point (wireless router) located in the vicinity of the terminal.

When the wireless network function is activated, the controller 180 drives the position information module 115 to acquire position information of the current terminal (S102). In other words, the control unit 180 grasps the current location of the terminal using the GPS function.

The controller 180 determines whether the terminal has entered a predetermined location (space, area, or area) based on the acquired location information (S103). In other words, the control unit 180 confirms whether the position of the terminal received from the position information module 115 is located within a predetermined radius (range) from a specific position (point) predetermined in advance by the user.

When the terminal enters a specific location, the controller 180 searches for an access point designated in the specific location (S104). In other words, the control unit 180 searches for access points located in the vicinity of the terminal and searches for the designated access point among the retrieved access points. For example, when the terminal enters the pre-designated office, the controller 180 searches the access point 'Office' corresponding to the entry point of the neighboring access points based on the preset setting information related to the access point search function.

If the access point designated in the specific location is found, the controller 180 attempts to connect with the discovered access point (S105). For example, the control unit 180 controls the wireless Internet module 113 to attempt connection with the discovered access point 'Office'. At this time, the controller 180 determines whether the signal strength (signal strength) of the searched access point is less than a preset threshold value. If the signal strength of the searched access point is less than a preset threshold value, the controller 180 tries to connect with the searched access point. If the signal strength of the searched access point is less than a preset threshold value, Lt; / RTI > peripheral access point.

Upon completion of the connection with the searched access point, the controller 180 measures the signal strength (signal strength) of the connected access point. Then, the controller 180 determines whether the measured signal strength of the access point is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (S106).

 If the signal strength of the connected access point is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the controller 180 performs an access point search according to a search period set as a period for performing an access point search in the specific location (S107). In other words, when the terminal is located at a predetermined location, the controller 180 performs access point search at a predetermined search period corresponding to the entered location until the signal strength of the connected access point is lowered below a threshold value. For example, if the terminal is in the office, the controller 180 does not perform the access point search until the signal strength of the connected access point becomes less than the threshold value after the connection with the access point 'Office' is completed.

If the signal strength of the connected access point is less than the threshold value in step S106, the controller 180 immediately searches for an access point located in the vicinity of the terminal in step S108. Then, the control unit 180 establishes connection with any one of the searched access points (S109). After establishing a connection with the predetermined access point, the controller 180 performs an access point search in a default search period (S110).

If the terminal does not enter a specific location in step S103, the controller 180 searches for an access point located in the vicinity of the terminal in step S108. Then, the control unit 180 establishes connection with a predetermined access point among the discovered access points (S109). After the connection with the predetermined access point, the controller 180 performs an access point search in a default search period (S110). At this time, the controller 180 immediately searches for neighboring access points when the signal strength of the connected access point is less than the threshold value.

FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 are views illustrating a screen in which a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention outputs a notification message informing an access point connection and search execution.

Referring to FIG. 6, when the controller 180 receives a command to turn on Wi-Fi from the user input unit 130, the controller 180 drives the wireless Internet module 113 and searches for an access point located nearby. If the location where the current terminal is located is 'home' designated by the user in advance, the control unit 180 establishes connection with the access point 'Home' corresponding to the designated specific place. When the connection with the access point 'Home' is completed, the controller 180 displays a message indicating that Wi-Fi is available and is connected to 'Home' on the display screen. Then, the controller 180 displays the signal strength of the access point currently connected to the indicator display area for displaying the status information.

Thereafter, when the signal strength of the connected access point becomes less than the threshold value, the controller 180 cancels the connection with the connected access point 'Home' and searches for another access point around the access point. At this time, as shown in FIG. 7, the controller 180 displays a message on the display screen informing that the access point is disconnected from the connected access point and performing another access point search. Also, the controller 180 does not display an indicator indicating the signal strength (Wi-Fi signal strength) of the access point displayed in the indicator display area until the access point searches for another access point and is connected.

8 is a flowchart illustrating a method of searching an access point of a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is performed in a state where the access point search period and place are predetermined.

Referring to the drawing, the controller 180 activates a wireless network function (S201). For example, when the Wi-Fi function is turned on, the controller 180 drives the wireless Internet module 113. The network setting can be performed in a manner as shown in FIG. 4 while the wireless network function is activated. That is, the control unit 180 sets the access point search period and location according to user input.

After driving the wireless Internet module 113, the controller 180 controls the wireless Internet module 113 to perform an access point search (S202). The controller 180 may display the search result on the display screen when the access point search is completed.

The controller 180 establishes a connection with a predetermined access point among the searched access points (S203). Here, the control unit 180 can select and connect to a predetermined access point that has the highest signal strength among the searched access points and can establish a connection. Alternatively, the control unit 180 may establish connection with an access point selected by the user among the search results displayed on the display screen.

When the connection with the predetermined access point is completed, the controller 180 controls the location information module 115 to obtain current location information of the terminal (S204).

The controller 180 determines whether the terminal is within a preset specific location based on the acquired current location information of the terminal (S205). In other words, the control unit 180 confirms whether the terminal is located at a specific place included in the access point search function setting information.

If the terminal is within a preset specific location, the controller 180 performs an access point search at a predetermined search period (S206). For example, if the terminal is in the office, the controller 180 performs an access point search in a one-hour period based on a predetermined search period.

If the terminal is out of a predetermined location, the controller 180 performs an access point search in a default search period (S207). For example, if the terminal is not located in the office, the control unit 180 performs the access point search in a period of 10 minutes according to the default search period.

Further, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the above-described method can be implemented as computer-readable code on a medium on which a program is recorded. The computer readable medium includes all kinds of recording devices in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored. Examples of the computer-readable medium include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage, and the like, and also implemented in the form of a carrier wave (for example, transmission over the Internet) . In addition, the computer may include a control unit 180 of the terminal.

The above-described terminal may be configured such that the configuration and method of the embodiments described above are not limitedly applied, but the embodiments may be configured such that all or some of the embodiments are selectively combined so that various modifications can be made. have.

100: mobile terminal 110: wireless communication unit
120: A / V input unit 130: user input unit
140: sensing unit 150: output unit
160: memory 170: interface section
180: control unit 190: power supply unit

Claims (8)

A wireless Internet module for wireless Internet access;
A location information module for obtaining location information of the terminal;
And a control unit for activating the wireless Internet module and checking whether the terminal has entered a predetermined location based on the acquired location information of the terminal,
Wherein,
When the mobile terminal enters a predetermined location previously set, establishes connection with a predetermined access point corresponding to the specific location, and then controls the wireless Internet module to perform access point search with a predetermined search period corresponding to the predetermined location ,
Controls the wireless Internet module to perform an access point search by changing to a default search period in a predetermined search period when the terminal is out of a preset predetermined location, and the predetermined search period is longer than the default search period And the mobile terminal. The apparatus of claim 1,
And performs the access point search with the predetermined search period while the signal strength of the connected access point is equal to or greater than a threshold value. The apparatus of claim 1,
If the signal strength of the connected access point is less than a threshold value, disconnects the connection with the established access point and immediately searches for another access point in the vicinity. The apparatus of claim 3,
Wherein the access point search is performed in a default search period until the terminal enters a predetermined location after establishing connection with the searched other access point. The apparatus of claim 3,
And provides a notification service informing that another access point can be connected to another access point when the other access point is searched. Acquiring location information of a terminal in a wireless network function activation state;
Confirming whether the terminal is within a preset specific location based on the acquired location information;
Searching for a predetermined access point corresponding to the specific location and establishing a connection when the terminal is within a preset specific location;
Performing an access point search according to a predetermined search cycle corresponding to the predetermined location after completion of connection of the access point;
Performing a search for an access point by changing to a default search period in a predetermined search period when the terminal is out of a preset specific location,
Wherein the predetermined search period has a longer period than the default search period. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein performing the access point search comprises:
Wherein the access point search is performed at the predetermined search period while the signal strength of the connected access point is equal to or greater than a threshold value. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein performing the access point search comprises:
When the signal strength of the connected access point becomes less than a threshold value, disconnecting the connection point with the connected access point and immediately searching for another access point around the access point.

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