KR102214117B1 - Mobile terminal and rear input unit operating method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal for guiding a function executable on a current screen to the front according to a user interaction with a rear input unit and a method of operating a rear input unit thereof, the method comprising: displaying content on a front display unit; Detecting a user interaction with the rear input unit; Determining a function executable on a current screen from among multi-functions set in the rear input unit based on the detected user interaction type; And guiding the determined function to the front display unit.

Description

Mobile terminal and its rear input unit operation method {MOBILE TERMINAL AND REAR INPUT UNIT OPERATING METHOD THEREOF}

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal for guiding a function executable on a current screen to the front according to a user interaction with a rear input unit and a method of operating the rear input unit thereof.

The mobile terminal may be configured to perform various functions. Examples of such various functions include a data and voice communication function, a function of taking a picture or video through a camera, a function of recording a voice, a function of playing a music file through a speaker system, and a function of displaying an image or video. Some mobile terminals include an additional function to play a game, while others are implemented as multimedia devices. Furthermore, recent mobile terminals can watch video or television programs by receiving broadcast or multicast signals.

In order to implement the functions of the multimedia device as described above, various new attempts in terms of hardware or software have been applied in mobile terminals. For example, a user interface environment is provided for a user to easily and conveniently search for or select a function.

In addition, mobile terminals are regarded as personal portable items for expressing individuality, and various design forms are required. The design form also includes structural changes and improvements for the user to use the mobile terminal more conveniently. One of these structural changes and improvements can be considered for the operating unit.

Meanwhile, the operation unit disposed on the front of the mobile terminal may hinder the slimming and simple design of the terminal. In addition, there may also be a problem in that the display area is reduced by an operation unit disposed on the side of the mobile terminal.

Therefore, in order to solve this problem, a new structure of the operation unit (rear input unit) provided in the dormant of the mobile terminal and the input method thereof may be considered. Since the rear input unit is not visible when a user executes predetermined content through the front display unit, it is difficult to accurately recognize and operate the positions of a plurality of buttons (or keys) provided in the rear input unit.

An object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal capable of guiding the use of a rear input unit disposed at the rear to the front and a method of operating the rear input unit thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal capable of guiding functions that can be performed by a rear input unit to the front in response to an application being executed, and a method of operating the rear input unit thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal capable of easily manipulating a rear input unit by guiding an indicator indicating a rear input unit to a position of a front unit corresponding to the rear input unit and a method of operating the rear input unit thereof.

In order to achieve the above object, a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a display unit disposed on the front side to display content on a screen; A rear input unit disposed on the rear side to detect a user interaction; And a control unit for guiding a function executable on the current screen to the front display unit based on the displayed content type and an interaction type applied to the rear input unit.

The rear input unit is implemented as a push button or a touch button.

The user interaction includes pressing and touching at least one button provided on the rear input unit.

The content type includes an idle screen, a text, a video, a web page, and a functional application screen of a mobile terminal, and the interaction type is one of short or long press, short touch, long touch, and scrolling.

The control unit determines and guides one function based on the type of content and the type of interaction applied to the rear input unit among the multi functions set in the rear input unit.

The control unit guides the function through an indicator having the same shape and size as the rear input unit.

The indicator is displayed at a position of the same display unit corresponding to the rear input unit, and is set to be movable according to a user input.

The control unit displays the indicator from the start of the user interaction to the end of the user interaction, and executes a corresponding function when the user interaction ends.

The control unit displays at least one icon representing a corresponding function in the indicator, and the icon includes function information and direction information.

The control unit displays the position of the button where the finger is currently located on the indicator on the rear input unit.

In order to achieve the above object, a method of operating a rear input unit of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: displaying content on a front display unit; Detecting a user interaction with the rear input unit; Determining a function executable on a current screen from among multi-functions set in the rear input unit based on the detected user interaction type; And guiding the determined function to the front display unit.

The rear input unit is implemented as a push button or a touch button.

The user interaction includes pressing and touching at least one button provided on the rear input unit.

The content type includes an idle screen, a text, a video, a web page, and a functional application screen of a mobile terminal, and the interaction type is one of short or long press, short touch, long touch, and scrolling.

The functions executable on the current screen are determined according to the type of content and the type of interaction applied to the rear input unit among the multi-functions set in the rear input unit.

The functions executable on the current screen are guided through an indicator having the same shape and size as the rear input unit.

The indicator is displayed at a position of the same display unit corresponding to the rear input unit, and is set to be movable according to a user input.

The indicator is displayed from the start of the user interaction to the end of the user interaction.

The indicator includes at least one icon representing a corresponding function, and the icon includes function information and direction information.

The determined function is executed when the user interaction ends.

In the present invention, the user can operate the rear side by setting a multi-function on the rear input unit, determining the currently executable function according to the user's interaction applied to the rear input unit and the type of content displayed on the screen, and guiding it to the front display unit. Even if you don't look directly at it, you can easily check which button is currently pressed and which function is selected and executed.

In addition, the present invention has the advantage that the user can easily manipulate the rear input unit without looking directly by guiding the corresponding rear input unit to the same front position corresponding to the rear input unit and displaying the position of the finger.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2A to 2C are conceptual diagrams showing operations implemented according to the present invention.
3A is a front perspective view of an example of a mobile terminal according to the present invention.
3B is a rear perspective view of the mobile terminal shown in FIG. 3A.
4A to 4C are exemplary embodiments for visually guiding functions that can be performed by a rear input unit when playing an image.
5A to 5C are exemplary embodiments for visually guiding functions that can be performed by a rear input unit when a message is displayed.
6 is an embodiment of visually guiding functions that can be performed by a rear input unit when a time-related application is displayed.
7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating an embodiment in which a display unit is turned on and off using a rear input unit.
8A and 8B are diagrams illustrating an embodiment of controlling a lock state of a screen using a rear input unit.
9 is an embodiment of performing a screen scroll using a rear input unit.
10 is an embodiment of receiving a call using a rear input unit.
11 is a view showing an embodiment of guiding a position of a button on which a finger is located on a rear input unit to a front side.
12 is a diagram showing an example of performing a screen capture operation while viewing a finger position guide.
13 to 16 are diagrams showing examples of performing various functions of a mobile terminal according to an interaction with a rear input unit.
17 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a rear input unit of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a mobile terminal related to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. The suffixes "module" and "unit" for components used in the following description are given or used interchangeably in consideration of only the ease of preparation of the specification, and do not have meanings or roles that are distinguished from each other.

Mobile terminals described herein may include a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), a navigation system, and the like.

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 (A/V) input unit 120, a user input unit 130, a sensing unit 140, an output unit 150, a memory 160, and an interface. The unit 170, the control unit 180, and the power supply unit 190 may be included. Since the components shown in FIG. 1 are not essential, a mobile terminal having more components 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 that enable wireless communication between the mobile terminal 100 and a wireless communication system or between the mobile terminal 100 and a 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 reception module 111 receives a broadcast signal 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 mean a server that generates and transmits a broadcast signal and/or broadcast-related information, or a server that receives and transmits a previously-generated broadcast signal and/or broadcast-related information to a terminal. The broadcast signal may include not only a TV broadcast signal, a radio broadcast signal, and a data broadcast signal, but also a broadcast signal in a form in which a data broadcast signal is combined with a TV broadcast signal or a radio broadcast signal.

The broadcast related information may mean information related to a broadcast channel, a broadcast program, or 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, it may exist in the form of an Electronic Program Guide (EPG) of Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) or an Electronic Service Guide (ESG) of Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H).

The broadcast receiving module 111 includes, for example, Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DMB-T), Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Satellite (DMB-S), Media Forward Link Only (MediaFLO), and Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB-H). -Handheld), ISDB-T (Integrated Services Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial), and other digital broadcasting systems can be used to receive digital broadcasting signals. Of course, the broadcast reception module 111 may be configured to be suitable for not only the digital broadcasting system described above, but also other broadcasting systems.

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

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

The wireless Internet module 113 refers to a module for wireless Internet access, and may be built-in or external to the mobile terminal 100. As a wireless Internet technology, WLAN (Wireless LAN) (Wi-Fi), Wibro (Wireless broadband), Wimax (World Interoperability for Microwave Access), HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access), and the like may be used.

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

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

Referring to FIG. 1, an audio/video (A/V) 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 an image frame such as a still image or a video obtained by an image sensor in a video call mode or a photographing mode. The processed image frame may be displayed on the display module 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 by a microphone in a call mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, or the like and processes it as electrical voice data. In the case of a call mode, the processed voice data may be converted into a format that can be transmitted to a mobile communication base station through the mobile communication module 112 and then output. Various noise removal algorithms may be implemented in the microphone 122 to remove noise generated in the process of receiving an external sound signal.

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

The sensing unit 140 detects the current state of the mobile terminal 100, such as an open/closed state of the mobile terminal 100, the position of the mobile terminal 100, the presence of user contact, the orientation of the mobile terminal, and acceleration/deceleration of the mobile terminal. Thus, a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100 is generated. 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. In addition, it is also possible to sense whether the power supply unit 190 supplies power or whether the interface unit 170 is coupled to an external device. Meanwhile, the sensing unit 140 may include a proximity sensor 141.

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

The display module 151 displays (outputs) information processed by the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal is in a call mode, a user interface (UI) or a graphical user interface (GUI) related to a call is displayed. When the mobile terminal 100 is in a video call mode or a photographing mode, a photographed or/and received image, UI, or GUI is displayed.

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

Some of these displays may be configured as a transparent type or a light-transmitting type so that the outside can be seen through them. This may be referred to as a transparent display, and a representative example of the transparent display is TOLED (Transparant OLED). The rear structure of the display module 151 may also be configured as a light transmission type structure. With this structure, the user can see an object located behind the terminal body through an area occupied by the display module 151 of the terminal body.

Two or more display modules 151 may exist depending on the implementation form of the mobile terminal 100. For example, in the mobile terminal 100, a plurality of display modules may be spaced apart or integrally disposed on one surface, or may be disposed on different surfaces.

When the display module 151 and a sensor for detecting a touch motion (hereinafter, referred to as a'touch sensor') form a mutual layer structure (hereinafter, referred to as a'touch screen'), the display module 151 It can also be used as an input device. The touch sensor may have, 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 pressure applied to a specific portion of the display module 151 or a capacitance occurring in a specific portion of the display module 151 into an electrical input signal. The touch sensor may be configured to detect not only a touched position and area, but also a pressure at the time of touch.

When there is a touch input to the touch sensor, a signal(s) corresponding thereto is sent to the touch controller. The touch controller processes the signal(s) and then transmits the corresponding data to the controller 180. Accordingly, the controller 180 can know which area of the display module 151 is touched.

Referring to FIG. 1, a proximity sensor 141 may be disposed in an inner area of a mobile terminal surrounded by the touch screen or near 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 an object existing in the vicinity using the force of an electromagnetic field or infrared rays without mechanical contact. Proximity sensors have a longer lifespan and higher utilization than contact sensors.

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 type proximity sensor, a magnetic type proximity sensor, an infrared proximity sensor, and the like. When the touch screen is capacitive, it is configured to detect the proximity of the pointer by a change in an electric field according to the proximity of the pointer. In this case, the touch screen (touch sensor) may be classified as a proximity sensor.

Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, an action of allowing the pointer to be recognized as being positioned on the touch screen by approaching the touch screen without contacting the pointer is referred to as "proximity touch", and the touch The act of actually touching the pointer on the screen is referred to as "contact touch". A position at which a proximity touch is performed by a pointer on the touch screen means a position at which the pointer corresponds vertically to the touch screen when the pointer is touched.

The proximity sensor detects a proximity touch and a proximity touch pattern (eg, 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, etc.). Information corresponding to the sensed proximity touch operation and proximity touch pattern may be output on the touch screen.

The sound 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, a call mode or a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcast reception mode, and the like. The sound output module 152 also outputs sound signals related to functions (eg, call signal reception sound, message reception sound, etc.) performed in the mobile terminal 100. The sound 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 in the mobile terminal 100. Examples of events occurring in the mobile terminal include call signal reception, message reception, key signal input, and touch input. The alarm unit 153 may output a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event in a form other than a video signal or an audio signal, for example, by vibration. The video signal or audio signal may also be output through the display module 151 or the audio output module 152, so that they 151 and 152 may be classified as part of the alarm unit 153.

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

In addition to vibration, the haptic module 154 is used for stimulation such as an arrangement of pins that move vertically with respect to the contact skin surface, a blowing force or suction force of air through a jet or inlet, a grazing on the skin surface, contact of an electrode, electrostatic force, etc. It can generate various tactile effects, such as the effect by the effect and the effect by reproducing the feeling of cooling and warming using an endothermic or heat generating element.

The haptic module 154 may not only transmit a tactile effect through direct contact, but may also be implemented so that a user can feel the tactile effect through muscle sensations such as a finger or an arm. Two or more haptic modules 154 may be provided depending on the configuration of the portable terminal 100.

The memory 160 may store a program for the operation of the controller 180 and may temporarily store input/output data (eg, a phone book, a message, a still image, a video, etc.). The memory 160 may store data related to vibrations and sounds of various patterns output when a touch input on the touch screen is performed.

The memory 160 is a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory), and RAM. (Random Access Memory, RAM), SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), ROM (Read-Only Memory, ROM), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory), magnetic memory, magnetic It may include at least one type of storage medium among a disk and an optical disk. The mobile terminal 100 may operate in connection with a web storage that performs a storage function of the memory 160 over the Internet.

The interface unit 170 serves as a passage for all external devices connected to the mobile terminal 100. The interface unit 170 receives data from an external device or receives power and transmits it to each component inside the mobile terminal 100, or transmits data inside the mobile terminal 100 to an 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 equipped with an identification module, an audio input/output (I/O) port, A video input/output (I/O) port, an earphone port, etc. may be included in the interface unit 170.

The identification module is a chip that stores various types of information for authenticating the right to use the mobile terminal 100, and includes a user identification module (UIM), a subscriber identification module (SIM), and a universal user authentication module ( Universal Subscriber Identity Module, USIM), etc. may be included. A device equipped with an identification module (hereinafter,'identification device') may be manufactured in the form of a smart card. Therefore, 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 becomes a path through which power from the cradle is supplied to the mobile terminal 100, or various command signals input from the cradle by a user are moved. It can be a passage to the terminal. Various command signals or the power input from the cradle may be operated as signals for recognizing that the mobile terminal is correctly mounted on the cradle.

The controller 180 generally controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal. For example, it performs related control and processing for voice calls, data communication, and video calls. The controller 180 may also include a multimedia module 181 for playing multimedia. The multimedia module 181 may be implemented in the controller 180 or may be implemented separately from the controller 180.

The controller 180 may perform a pattern recognition process capable of 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 the operation of each component.

Various embodiments described herein may be implemented in a recording medium that can be read by a computer or a similar device using, for example, software, hardware, or a combination thereof.

According to hardware implementation, the embodiments described herein include application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), It may be implemented using at least one of processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and electrical units for performing other functions, in some cases such an embodiment. They can be implemented by the controller 180.

According to a software implementation, embodiments such as procedures or functions may be implemented together with separate software modules that perform at least one function or operation. The software code can be implemented by a software application written in an appropriate programming language. The software code is stored in the memory 160 and can be executed by the controller 180.

Looking again at the user input unit 130, in the present invention, the user input unit 130 is disposed at the rear of the terminal, so that the front display may be formed in a larger screen. Hereinafter, a detailed structure in which the user input unit 130 is disposed on the rear side and an operation implemented thereby will be described in more detail.

2A to 2C are conceptual diagrams showing operations implemented according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2A, the terminal includes a display unit 251 disposed on one side of the main body, for example, the front side. A graphic user interface (GUI) of an application currently being executed may be output on the display unit 251, and the display unit 251 may be provided with a touch sensor for sensing a touch input to enable a touch input to the GUI. have. The display unit 251 outputs visual information implemented in the form of an image, text, and icon, such as the GUI, but may be converted to a deactivated state after a certain period of time or by input of a specific control command as shown. have. The state of FIG. 2A is such a state, and illustrates a state in which the display unit 251 is deactivated during execution of the music reproduction application.

Referring to FIG. 2B, a rear input unit 232 is disposed on the other surface of the main body, for example, on the rear surface. A control command for the display unit 251 is received from the rear input unit 232. More specifically, when a push input is applied to a button 233 of the rear input unit 232, the display unit 251 is converted to an activated state. That is, the rear input unit 232 may be a power key that turns on and off the display unit 251. Accordingly, on/off of the terminal itself may be performed by the button 233. As shown in the figure, while the display unit 251 is activated, a GUI of a music playback application is output.

Referring to FIG. 2C, when a push input is applied to the other button 234a (up button) of the rear input unit 232 in the state of FIG. 2B, the volume bar VB is output, and the other button 234a is operated. Volume is adjusted by However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the above process, and the push input to the other button 234 of the rear input unit 232 may be an input for volume control in the state of FIG. 2A.

According to the above example, the user can input a control command in the form of a push on the rear side of the terminal while looking at the display unit 251. In conclusion, the rear input unit at the rear of the terminal is configured to receive a push input, and in some cases, can serve as a power key and a volume key of the terminal.

Hereinafter, a hardware configuration of a terminal that performs the operation of FIGS. 2A to 2C will be described in more detail. 3A is a front perspective view of an example of a mobile terminal related to the present invention, and FIG. 3B is a rear perspective view of the mobile terminal shown in FIG. 3A.

The disclosed mobile terminal 200 has a bar-shaped mobile phone 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 coupled so as to be relatively movable.

The body includes a case (casing, housing, cover, etc.) forming the exterior. In this embodiment, the case may be divided into a front case and a rear case. Various electronic components are embedded in the space formed between the front case and the rear case.

A display unit 251, an audio output unit 252, a camera module 221, and the like may be disposed on the terminal body, mainly the front case. Interfaces 270 may be disposed on side surfaces of the front case and the rear case.

The display unit 251 occupies most of the main surface of the front case 201. That is, the display unit is disposed on the front surface of the terminal and is formed to display visual information. The sound output unit 252 and the camera module 221 are disposed in an area adjacent to one end of the both ends of the display unit 251, and a front input unit 231 and a microphone 222 are disposed in an area adjacent to the other end.

The front input unit 231 is an example of the user input unit 130 (refer to FIG. 1 ), and may include a plurality of manipulation units. The operating units may also be collectively referred to as a manipulating portion, and any method may be employed as long as the user operates while having a tactile feeling. In this embodiment, the front input unit 231 is configured as a touch key. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a push key may be added to the front input unit 231.

Also, the display unit 251 may form a touch screen together with a touch sensor, and in this case, the touch screen may be a user input unit. Through this, a configuration without a front input unit on the front of the terminal is also possible. In this case, the mobile terminal may be configured such that input operation to the terminal body is possible only through the display unit 251 and a rear input unit 232 to be described later.

Referring to FIG. 3B, a camera module 221 ′ may be additionally mounted on the rear surface of the terminal body, that is, the rear case. The camera module 221 ′ has a photographing direction substantially opposite to that of the camera 221 (see FIG. 3A ), and may be a camera having different pixels from the camera module 221.

For example, the camera module 221 has a low pixel so that it is not unreasonable to photograph the user's face and transmit it to the other party in the case of a video call, and the camera module 221 ′ photographs a general subject and does not immediately transmit it. In many cases, it is desirable to have high pixels. The camera modules 221 and 221 ′ may be installed on the terminal body to enable rotation or pop-up.

A flash and a mirror may be additionally disposed adjacent to the camera module 221 ′. When a subject is photographed by the camera module 221 ′, the flash illuminates light toward the subject. When the user wants to take a picture (self-photographing) by using the camera module 221', the mirror enables the user's own face to be reflected.

An audio output unit (not shown) may be additionally disposed on the rear surface of the terminal body. The rear sound output unit can implement a stereo function together with the front sound output unit 252 (refer to FIG. 3A), and may be used to implement a speakerphone mode during a call.

A power supply unit 290 for supplying power to the mobile terminal 200 is mounted on the terminal body. The power supply unit 290 may be built in the terminal body, or may be configured to be directly detachable from the outside of the terminal body.

As shown in the figure, a rear input unit 232 is disposed on the rear surface of the terminal body. The rear input unit 232 may be located under the camera module 221 ′, for example.

The rear input unit 232 is manipulated to receive a command for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 200, and input contents may be variously set. For example, input commands such as power on/off, start, end, scrolling, etc., adjusting the volume of sound output from the sound output unit 252, or switching to the touch recognition mode of the display module 251 I can receive it.

The rear input unit 232 of the present invention is implemented in a form capable of push input or touch input. More specifically, the rear input unit 232 may be configured as a mechanical or physical button, which is a relative concept to a touch screen, and may be configured as a touch button.

As described above, in the terminal, the display unit 251 is disposed on the front side of the main body, and the rear input unit 232 is disposed on the rear side. The display unit 251 is provided with at least one or more buttons 233, 234a, 234b for displaying an application in execution and for inputting a control command for the display unit 251 from the rear input unit 232 . The at least one button 233, 234a, 234b is implemented as a push button or a touch button, and may be, for example, a home button, a volume up button, and a volume down button, respectively.

In addition, the rear input unit 232 may have a single button, and in this case, a function defined by an input to any one of the plurality of buttons may be equally applied to a single button.

The user can input a control command in the form of a touch through the rear input unit 232 disposed on the rear side of the terminal while looking at the display unit 251. In conclusion, the rear input unit is configured to receive a push input or a touch input, and functions and menus are determined according to functions (eg, text, phone call, standby screen, etc.) being executed in the display unit 251, Such functions and menus can be changed according to the function settings.

However, since the rear input unit 232 is not visible when the user is looking at the display unit 251, a user who is not familiar with the operation may adjust the positions of the plurality of buttons (or keys) of the rear input unit 232 It is not easy to recognize and operate correctly. For example, when a specific button of the rear input unit 232 is pressed or touched, it is not possible to check whether the corresponding button is properly recognized because there is no feedback on it. When a multi-function is mapped to the rear input unit 232, the recognized button It is impossible to know which function is selected and executed by.

When a plurality of functions are assigned to the rear input unit 232, a function, that is, a role, of the rear input unit 232 is determined according to which application the user currently uses on the screen. For example, when a user is listening to music, it is used as a volume control function, and when a user is watching a video, it is used as a brightness or volume control function. However, it is not easy for the user to memorize and displace various functions of the rear input unit 232 according to the currently displayed application.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a method of automatically guiding a function (or menu) that can be performed on a current screen to the front based on a user's interaction with the rear input unit.

That is, the present invention guides the functions (or menus) that the rear input unit 232 can perform in each module (application) to the front display unit 251, so that the user can more easily manipulate the rear input unit 232. To be. This method has the advantage that menu control is possible immediately because the user guides the position of the rear input unit 232 from the front even if the rear is not directly viewed.

The term module means a hardware element, a software element, or a combination of hardware and software elements, but in the present invention, it means a software element stored in a memory, that is, a content or application displayed on a screen.

The rear input unit 232 is implemented as a physical button (or key) or a touch button.

Multi-functions are set in the rear input unit 232, and functions that can be executed on the current screen are determined according to a user interaction and the type of application (or function) being executed on the front display unit 251.

The interaction includes a user's button touch (short touch, long touch), button press, and button scroll.

Functions that can be performed on the screen are guided through an indicator.

The indicator is displayed in correspondence with the shape of the rear input unit 232 and may include at least one icon representing a function executable on the current screen.

The indicator is displayed at a position of the display unit 251 on the same front side corresponding to the rear input unit 232, and the display position may be changed through menu setting or arbitrarily changed by a touch operation.

The indicator is displayed when an input is applied to the rear input unit 232 by a finger, and disappears when the input is released. The input includes short press, long press, and hold, hold & drag.

4A to 4C are exemplary embodiments for visually guiding functions that can be performed by a rear input unit when playing an image.

As described above, the up button 234a and the down button 234b of the rear input unit 232 may perform various functions according to the type of content being executed on the display unit 251. 4A and 4B are examples in which a rear input unit is implemented as a physical key, and FIG. 4C shows an example in which a touch button is used.

Referring to this drawing, various contents (video, image, text) executed by a user may be displayed on the display unit 251 of the mobile terminal. When a user places a finger on the rear input unit 232 on the rear while holding the terminal, the indicator 60 (or guide unit) for guiding the functions that the rear input unit 232 can perform in the currently displayed application is displayed on the front display unit ( 251).

The function guiding the indicator 60 is determined according to the type of user interaction and the type of content currently being executed in the rear input unit 232.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, when the up button 234a of the rear input unit 232 is pressed (Shot press) while music is currently being played on the display unit 251, the display unit 251 An indicator 60 capable of executing a volume up function is displayed on the indicator 60 of. Accordingly, the user can increase the volume of the music by pressing the up button 234a. At this time, an icon representing a "volume up" function is displayed on the indicator 60.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the down button 234b of the rear input unit 232 is pressed while music is being played on the display unit 251 (Shot press), the indicator of the display unit 251 At 60, an indicator 61 capable of executing a volume up function is displayed. Accordingly, the user can increase the volume of the music by pressing the up button 234a. Likewise, possible functions are indicated by icons on the indicator 60.

In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4C, when one of the buttons of the rear input unit 232 is touched while music is currently being played on the display unit 251, the indicator 62 of the display unit 251 Indicator 62 for guiding the volume up and down functions is displayed. Accordingly, the user can adjust the volume of the music by touching the up button 234a or the down button 234b.

5A to 5C are exemplary embodiments for visually guiding functions that can be performed by the rear input unit when a message is displayed. 5A and 5B are examples in which the rear input unit is implemented as a physical key, and FIG. 5C shows an example in which a touch button is used.

Referring to this drawing, a message or a web page exchanged by a user with another user may be displayed on the display unit 251. When a user slightly presses the up button 234a of the rear input unit 232 with a finger while viewing the message contents, as shown in FIG. 5A, the up button 234a of the rear input unit 232 is used to zoom in text. An indicator 63 indicating that) can be performed is displayed on the front display unit 251. The user can enlarge the message to a desired size by pressing the up button 234a.

When the user presses the down button 234b of the rear input unit 232 again with a finger while the size of the message is enlarged, as shown in FIG. 5B, the text is displayed with the down button 234b of the rear input unit 232. An indicator 64 indicating that a zoom out function can be performed is displayed on the display unit 251.

In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5C, when one of the buttons of the rear input unit 232 is touched while a message is currently displayed on the display unit 251, the display unit 251 provides enlargement and reduction functions. A guiding indicator 65 is displayed. Accordingly, the user can adjust the volume of the music by touching the up button 234a or the down button 234b.

In the present invention, for convenience of explanation, the content displayed on the display unit 251 is limited to music and messages, and functions that the rear input unit 232 can perform have been described using specific buttons 234a and 234b as examples. It is not limited and may be applied equally to the central home button 233 and various other contents and applications.

6 is an embodiment of visually guiding a function that can be performed by a rear input unit when a time-related application is displayed.

The user can display applications related to time (year, month, day, hour, minute) and day of the week, such as calendar or alarm settings. When the user presses the button 233 of the rear input unit 232 while the above application is displayed, an indicator 66 indicating that the time control function can be performed with the current rear input unit 232 is displayed on the display unit 251 Is shown in. Accordingly, the user can set a desired time by using the up button 234a and the down button 234b.

As described above, the push input or touch input applied to the rear input unit 232 may be a control command for the display unit 251 as well as a function for content displayed on the display unit 251. More specifically, when a push input is applied to the button 233 of the rear input unit 232, the activation state of the display unit 251 may be switched. That is, as another embodiment, in the present invention, the rear input unit 232 may be a power key for turning the display unit 251 on and off.

7A and 7B illustrate an embodiment in which a display unit is turned on and off using a rear input unit.

As shown in FIG. 7A, when the user holds the terminal with one hand and long presses the button 233 of the rear input unit 232 with a finger (long press), a power off function is performed on the display unit 251 on the front side. An indicator 67 is displayed, followed by a power off menu. When the user selects the power off item with the other hand and then selects OK, the display unit 251 is powered off.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 7B, when the button 233 of the rear input unit 232 is pressed for a long time while the display unit 251 is powered off, an indicator indicating the power-on function on the front display unit 251 ( While 68 is displayed, the display unit 251 is powered off.

In the above, the case where the rear input unit is a push type has been mainly described, but the rear input unit may be modified in various forms. That is, the rear input unit may be at least one of a touch pad module, a track ball module, an optical sensor module, a wheel key module, and a fingerprint scanner module, and may perform the above-described control operations using them.

On the other hand, the state of the mobile terminal is classified into a'locked state' and a'unlocked state' according to whether the user's control command input is permitted. Accordingly, the present invention provides a method of performing switching between the locked state and the unlocked state by the rear input unit 232. Here, the locked state is a state in which input of a user's control command for applications included in the terminal is restricted. This is mainly to prevent activation or deactivation of functions and applications of the mobile terminal by inputting a control command that is not intended by a user in a mobile terminal capable of touch input.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments showing a function that can be performed by a scroll up or scroll down operation of the rear input unit will be described, wherein the scroll up or scroll down represents a hold and drag operation for a specific key of the rear input unit.

8A and 8B illustrate an embodiment of controlling a lock state of a screen using a rear input unit.

As shown in FIG. 8A, when the user holds a finger on the up button of the rear input unit 232 while the standby screen is displayed on the display unit, the controller detects a finger contact and displays an indicator 69 indicating a locking function. Indicate. In this state, if the finger is dragged down again (when it is scrolled), a lock icon is displayed on the indicator 69 as soon as the drag starts, and when the dragging operation is completed, the idle screen is switched to a lockscreen.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 8B, when the user holds a finger on the down button of the rear input unit 232 while the lock screen is displayed on the display unit, an indicator 70 indicating the lock state and the release direction is displayed. . In this state, when the user drags the finger upward again (when scrolling), the lock release icon is displayed on the indicator 70 at the same time as the drag starts, and when the drag operation is completed, the lock screen is converted back to the idle screen.

9 is an embodiment of performing screen scrolling using a rear input unit.

When the web browser is displayed on the display unit of the mobile terminal held by the user and the rear input unit is scrolled down (up key hold & drag down) as shown in FIG. 8A, the indicator 70 is displayed and the screen moves downward.

Thereafter, when the user scrolls up (holds a down key and drags up) the rear input unit as shown in FIG. 8B, the indicator 72 is displayed and the screen moves upward. Accordingly, the present invention can perform scrolling up or down of the screen using the rear input unit.

In addition, in FIG. 9, a downward movement is indicated by a "+" and an upward movement is indicated by a "-" icon, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto and may be displayed interchangeably.

As another embodiment, according to the present invention, when a specific button of the rear input unit is touched, both the upward movement and the downward movement icons may be displayed in one indicator so that the user may select.

10A and 10B illustrate an embodiment of receiving a call using a rear input unit.

As illustrated in FIG. 10A, when a user touches or softens the rear input unit when an incoming call is received, an indicator 73 indicating a call answering function is displayed on the display unit 251. Since the indicator 73 includes icons for receiving and rejecting calls, the user can select a desired icon to receive a call.

As another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10C, when a call is received, the user can receive a call by scrolling down the rear input unit directly (up key hold & drag). In this case, the display unit 251 receives a call. While the indicator 74 is displayed, a call is connected with the other user. An icon indicating that the call reception function has been executed is displayed on the indicator 74.

According to the present invention, a user can easily control the position of a button on the rear input unit by guiding the position of a button on the front side. As described above, the guide is displayed through an indicator, and the indicator is displayed at a position corresponding to a rear input, and since the view of the content can be covered, it can be moved to a desired position according to a user's touch input.

11 shows an embodiment of guiding a position of a button on a rear input unit where a finger is located on the front side.

As shown in FIG. 11, when a user holds the mobile terminal with one hand, and one of the fingers is in contact with a specific button on the rear input unit, the controller 180 positions the finger on the display unit 251 on the front side. Information is displayed on the indicator 75. For example, when the finger is positioned on the up key of the rear input unit, the controller 180 displays the current position of the finger in a color different from the other buttons. In addition, the indicator 75 may be moved to a location desired by the user by touching and dragging.

The user can perform the above-described various functions while viewing the position of the finger displayed on the indicator 75.

12 is an example of performing a screen capture operation while viewing a finger position guide.

When the user holds the mobile terminal with one hand and touches the up button of the rear input unit with his index finger, the up button is displayed on the indicator 76 of the front display unit 251 to be distinguished from other buttons. The distinction means to be displayed or highlighted in a different color. In this state, when the user touches the down button displayed on the indicator 76 with a thumb, the currently displayed screen is automatically captured.

When using this method, the user can know which button is currently being touched through the indicator 76, so even if the rear input unit is not visible, the indicator 76 additionally selects another button and a desired function (e.g., capture ) Can be performed conveniently.

13 to 16 illustrate embodiments in which various functions of a mobile terminal are performed according to an interaction with a rear input unit.

The inter-action includes touch input, key press, and scrolling.

13 is an example of performing a self camera function by touching a rear input unit.

The user selects a camera function while holding the mobile terminal and then touches the rear input unit to display an indicator 77 indicating the camera function on the front display unit 251. The indicator 77 includes icons representing zoom-in, zoom-out, and camera functions, so that a user can perform a self-portrait that is difficult to touch the front surface while zooming in or zooming out.

14 is an example of performing zoom in/out of an image using a long touch.

When a user selects a specific photo from the album, the selected photo is displayed on the display unit 251. In this state, the user may perform enlargement/reduction of the photo by long-touching the up button or the Daum button of the rear input unit. Even in this case, the controller 180 displays the above-described user's finger position and corresponding function through an indicator.

For example, as shown in Fig. 14, when the user touches the up button, an indicator indicating the finger position is displayed, and when the user touches the button long, the picture is enlarged and displayed as the indicator 63 indicating the zoom-in function is switched. do. The enlargement ratio of the photo is determined by the long touch time, and the enlargement ratio is displayed on one side.

On the other hand, when the user long touches the down button, the picture is reduced and displayed as an indicator indicating the zoom-out function is converted.

In addition, although the present invention has been described by taking the case when a specific button is touched, the present invention is not limited thereto, and as shown in FIG. 5C, the user may select both zoom-in and zoom-out icons in one indicator.

FIG. 15 is an example of performing image flicking using a scroll, and is another embodiment of FIG. 9.

Referring to FIG. 15, when a user is viewing a specific photo selected in an album and dragging down while touching the up button of the rear input unit, that is, scrolling down the rear input unit, the indicator 70 is displayed and the current display is displayed. Another picture is displayed on the display unit 251 because the picture being flicked. On the other hand, when the down button of the rear input unit is touched and dragged upward, that is, when the rear input unit is scrolled upward, the currently displayed picture is flicked again and another picture is displayed on the display unit 251.

16 is an example of adjusting the point size of a brush using a scroll.

As shown in FIG. 16, after executing the sketch application, the user can hold the mobile terminal with one hand and sketch with the other hand. In this case, the user can change the point size of the brush by scrolling the up button or the down button of the rear input unit. In this case, the controller 180 may display a finger position and a brush selection function through the indicator 78.

In addition, although the present invention has been described by taking the case when a specific button is touched, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the user may select both by displaying an increase or decrease icon for the point size of a brush in one indicator.

17 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a rear input unit of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Fig. 17, the user can hold (hold) the mobile terminal with one hand and display a predetermined content on the display unit 151 in FIG. 251 (S100). The predetermined content is generated by a user's input event. It may be a selected content or application, or a content or application activated by an external event (receiving an incoming call, receiving a mail), and the content may include an image, a video (including a video), text, and a web page.

Thereafter, when an interaction with the rear input unit is detected by the user (S110), the control unit 180 determines the type (type) of the currently displayed content and the type of user interaction, and which function of the multi functions set in the input unit It is determined whether or not selected (S120). For example, if a photo is currently displayed on the display unit 251 and the user interaction is scrolling, the controller 180 recognizes (determines) that photo flicking is selected, and displays an indicator on the front display unit 251 Thus, it indicates that the current photo flicking is possible (S130). The indicator is displayed until the recognized (determined) function is started and completed, that is, until the flicking starts and ends.

When the flicking of the rear input unit is finished, the controller 180 performs flicking of the selected photo, converts the currently displayed photo to another photo, and displays it (S140).

As described above, the present invention sets a multi-function to the rear input unit, determines the currently executable function according to the user's interaction applied to the rear input unit and the type of content displayed on the screen, and guides the function to the front display unit. Even if you do not directly look at the rear operation, you can easily check which button is currently input and which function is selected and executed.

In addition, the present invention has the advantage that the user can easily manipulate the rear input unit without looking directly by guiding the corresponding rear input unit to the same front position corresponding to the rear input unit and displaying the position of the finger.

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

The mobile terminal and the method of operating the rear input unit thereof described above are not limited to the configuration and method of the above-described embodiments, but the embodiments are all or part of each embodiment so that various modifications can be made. It may be selectively combined and configured.

60-78: indicator 180; Control unit
234a, 234b, 233: button on the rear input
151, 251: display unit

Claims (20)

A display unit disposed on the front side to display content on the screen;
A rear input unit disposed on the rear side to detect user interaction and including a plurality of keys; And
Controlling the display unit to display an indicator including a plurality of buttons respectively corresponding to the plurality of keys disposed on the rear surface based on a user input to any one of the buttons of the rear input unit,
And a controller configured to guide a function executable on a current screen to the display unit based on the displayed content type and a user interaction applied to the display unit and the rear input unit,
The control unit,
Guide on the display unit an executable function according to the displayed content type, based on a combination of at least one of the plurality of buttons to which a user interaction is applied and at least one of the plurality of keys to which a user interaction is applied Mobile terminal characterized by. delete The method of claim 1, wherein the user interaction
A mobile terminal comprising pressing and touching a plurality of keys provided on a rear input unit or at least one of the plurality of buttons. The method of claim 1,
The content type is
Including idle screen, text, video, web page and functional application screen of mobile terminal,
The user interaction is a mobile terminal, characterized in that one of short or long press, short touch, long touch, and scrolling. delete The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator
A mobile terminal having the same shape and size as the rear input unit, and being displayed at a position on the display unit corresponding to the position of the rear input unit. The method of claim 6, wherein the indicator
A mobile terminal, characterized in that it is movable according to a user input. The method of claim 6, wherein the control unit
And displaying the indicator from when the user interaction is started to until it is ended, and executes a corresponding function when the user interaction is ended. The method of claim 6, wherein the control unit
At least one icon representing a corresponding function is displayed in the indicator, and the icon includes function information and direction information. The method of claim 6, wherein the control unit
And displaying at least one button corresponding to a key to which a user interaction is applied from the rear input unit from among the plurality of buttons from a button corresponding to a key to which the user interaction is not applied. delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete

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