KR20100023326A - Mobile terminal and metohd for controlling mobile terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A mobile terminal and a control method thereof are provided to supply a touch area for sensing touch input of a user in various types. CONSTITUTION: A user input unit(130) senses a signal for dividing a touch area and touch input inputted to one area among divided areas. A controller(180) divides the touch area by a signal for dividing the touch area. The controller processes the sensed touch input according to whether to activate an area. The controller sets whether to activate the area according to a signal inputted by a user. An output unit(150) outputs whether to process the sensed touch input according to whether to activate the area.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and a control method thereof,

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal controlled by touch input and a control method thereof.

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 photographing of a moving picture, reproduction of music or a moving picture file, (Multimedia player).

The terminal can move And may be divided into a mobile terminal and a stationary terminal depending on whether the mobile terminal is a mobile terminal or a mobile terminal. 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.

As the functions of the mobile terminal are diversified, various control methods for controlling the mobile terminal can be considered. As an example of the control method of the mobile terminal, there may be a control method of the mobile terminal in which the user operates the mobile terminal through the touch input in the mobile terminal provided with the touch pad.

The present invention provides various types of touch areas for sensing a user's touch input when a user controls a mobile terminal through a touch input.

The present invention is intended to improve the accuracy of a method of controlling a mobile terminal through touch input by not processing a touch input that is not intentionally input by a user.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a mobile terminal, the method including dividing a touch area by a signal input by a user, inputting a touch input to one of the divided areas, And processing the sensed touch input according to the area activation setting.

Various types of touch areas can be provided by dividing the touch area by the signal inputted by the user and selectively processing the touch input inputted thereto.

In one aspect of the present invention, the method may further include a step of not processing the sensed touch input according to the setting of the area activation.

In another aspect of the present invention, the zone activation setting may be preset.

In still another aspect of the present invention, the method may further include setting the area activation or non-activation area according to a signal input by a user.

The touch area can be set by various methods by determining the active area and the non-activated area of the divided area based on a signal inputted by the user.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, the method may further include outputting whether or not to process the sensed touch input according to the setting of whether to activate the area.

In still another aspect of the present invention, the method may further include changing a touch region divided by a user input signal.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the method may further include changing the zone activation setting by a user input signal.

Even after the touch area is divided by the signal inputted by the user, the user can additionally input a signal to change the divided touch area or divide the activation setting of each touch area, thereby improving user convenience .

According to another aspect of the present invention, the step of changing the area activation / non-activation state may be a step of changing whether the touch input sensed in an area other than the set area or the set area is processed.

According to another aspect of the present invention, if the touch input is not detected for a predetermined time, the step of canceling the area setting may be further included.

A mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention for realizing the above object includes a user input section for sensing a touch input to be inputted to one of the divided areas and a signal for dividing the touch area, And a controller for dividing the touch area by a signal to process the sensed touch input according to the area activation setting.

In one aspect of the present invention, the controller may not process the sensed touch input according to the setting of the area activation.

In another aspect of the present invention, the control unit sets whether to activate the area according to a signal input by a user.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the display apparatus may further include an output unit for outputting whether or not the detected touch input is processed according to the area activation setting.

In another aspect of the present invention, the output unit may include a display unit for visually displaying whether or not to process the sensed touch input.

In another aspect of the present invention, the output unit may include a haptic module for tactually outputting whether or not to process the sensed touch input.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the output unit may include an audio output module or an announcement unit for audibly outputting whether or not to process the sensed touch input.

In another aspect of the present invention, the control unit may change the set area based on a signal input by the user.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the controller may change the zone activation setting by a signal input by a user.

In another aspect of the present invention, the controller may cancel the area setting if no touch input is detected for a predetermined time.

The mobile terminal according to at least one embodiment of the present invention configured as above comprises:

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.

[Description of FIG. 1 - Overall Configuration]

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 unit 160, An interface unit 170, a control unit 180, a power supply unit 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).

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives broadcasting signals using various broadcasting systems. In particular, the broadcasting receiving module 111 may be a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DMB-T), a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Satellite (DMB-S) Only Digital Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H), Integrated Services Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial (ISDB-T), and the like. Of course, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be adapted to other broadcasting systems that provide broadcast signals 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 unit 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 refers to a module for wireless Internet access, and the wireless Internet module 113 can be embedded in the mobile terminal 100 or externally. 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 the short distance communication technology.

The location information module 115 is a module for confirming or obtaining the location of the mobile terminal. A typical example of the location information module is a GPS (Global Position System) module. According to the present technology, the GPS module 115 calculates information about a distance from one or more three or more satellites to one point, information about a time when the distance information is measured, and then triggers , It is possible to calculate the three-dimensional position information according to the latitude, longitude, and altitude of one point in one hour. Further, a method of calculating position and time information using three satellites and correcting the error of the calculated position and time information using another satellite is also used. The GPS module 115 continues to calculate the current position in real time and uses it to calculate speed information.

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 an image frame such as a still image or a moving image 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 unit 160 or may be transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication unit 110. [ The camera 121 may be equipped with two or more cameras according to the configuration of the terminal.

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. In addition, it may take a sensing function related to whether power supply unit 190 is powered on, whether external unit of the interface unit 170 is connected, 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 and 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, a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode, a flexible display, a three-dimensional display 3D display).

Some of these displays may be transparent or light transmissive so that they can be seen through. This may be referred to as a transparent display. A typical example of the transparent display is a transparent LCD or 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.

The display unit 151 is connected to a display unit 151 and a sensor for sensing a touch operation (hereinafter, referred to as 'touch sensor') having 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 unit 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 outputs an acoustic signal related to a function (e.g., a call signal reception sound, a 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 can also be output through the display unit 151 or the audio output module 152.

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 be configured to perform various functions such as an effect of stimulation by a pin arrangement vertically moving with respect to a contact skin surface, an effect of stimulation by air spraying force or suction force through a jet opening or a suction opening, A variety of tactile effects such as an effect of stimulation through contact of an electrode, an effect of stimulation by an electrostatic force, and an effect of reproducing a cold sensation using a heat absorbing 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 feel the tactile effect through the muscles of the user's finger or arm. The haptic module 154 may include two or more haptic modules 154 according to the configuration of the portable terminal 100.

The memory unit 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 unit 160 may store data related to vibration and sound of various patterns outputted when a touch is input on the touch screen.

The memory unit 160 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory) (Random Access Memory), 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 unit 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 receives power from the external device to transfer the data to each component in the mobile terminal 100 or to transmit data in 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 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 control unit 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 processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and electrical units for performing functions.

According to a software implementation, embodiments such as procedures or functions may be implemented with separate software modules that perform at least one function or operation. The software code may be implemented by a software application written in a suitable programming language. Also, the software codes may be stored in the memory unit 160 and executed by the control unit 180. [

[Description of FIG. 2 - Explanation of the apparatus]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contents input by the first or second operation units 116 and 117 can be variously set. For example, the first operation unit 116 receives commands such as start, end, scroll, and the like, and the second operation unit 117 controls the size of the sound output from the sound output unit 152 or the size of the sound output from the display unit 151 To the touch recognition mode of the touch screen.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Description of FIG. 3 - Front, Rear Touch]

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

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

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

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

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

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

For example, an output window 151a and an input window 151b are displayed on the upper and lower portions of the display unit 151, respectively. In the input window 151b, a soft key 151c in which a number for inputting a telephone number or the like is displayed is output. When the soft key 151c is touched, a number corresponding to the touched soft key is displayed on the output window 151a. When the first operation unit 116 is operated, call connection to the telephone number displayed on the output window 151a is attempted.

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

3B shows that the text input mode is activated in the portable terminal. The display unit 151 displays an output window 135a and an input window 135b. In the input window 135b, a plurality of soft keys 135c may be arranged in which at least one of letters, symbols, and numbers are displayed. The soft keys 135c may be arranged in the form of a QWERTY key.

When the soft keys 135c are touched through the touch pad 135, characters, numbers, symbols, etc. corresponding to the touched soft keys are displayed on the output window 135a. As described above, the touch input through the touch pad 135 is advantageous in that it is possible to prevent the soft key 135c from being covered by the finger when touching, compared with the touch input through the display unit 151. [ In the case where the display unit 151 and the touch pad 135 are formed to be transparent, the fingers located on the rear side of the terminal body can be visually confirmed, thereby enabling a more accurate touch input.

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

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

[Description of FIG. 4 - Proximity Touch]

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

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

As shown in FIG. 4, when a pointer such as a finger of a user approaches the touch screen, the proximity sensor 141 disposed in or near the touch screen detects the pointer and outputs a proximity signal.

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

The distance at which the proximity signal is output when the pointer approaches the touch screen is referred to as a detection distance. The proximity signal output from each proximity sensor is simply used by using a plurality of proximity sensors having different detection distances, The depth is known.

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

Specifically, when the pointer is completely in contact with the touch screen (d ₀ ), it is recognized as a contact touch. If the pointer is located on the touch screen at a distance less than the distance d ₁ , it is recognized as a proximity touch of the first proximity depth. If the pointer is located on the touch screen at a distance of d ₁ or more and less than distance d ₂ , it is recognized as a proximity touch of the second proximity depth. If the pointer is located on the touch screen at a distance of d ₂ or more and less than d ₃ distance, it is recognized as a proximity touch of the third proximity depth. If the pointer is located at a distance d ₃ or more on the touch screen, it is recognized that the proximity touch is released.

Accordingly, the controller 180 can recognize the proximity touch as various input signals according to the proximity and proximity positions of the pointer to the touch screen, and perform various operation controls according to the various input signals.

[Description of FIG. 5 - Transparent Touch]

5 shows a state in which a pair of the display units 155 and 156 is in a touch operation in an overlapped form FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a control method for the present invention.

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

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

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

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

The long touch may also be used to selectively move a desired one of the entities displayed on the LCD 156 to the TOLED 155 (without performing any action thereto). That is, when a user selects one area of the TOLED 155 corresponding to a specific entity of the LCD 156 In the case of a long touch, the control unit 180 moves the corresponding object to the TOLED 155 to be displayed. Meanwhile, the object displayed on the TOLED 155 may also be displayed on the LCD 156 according to a predetermined touch input to the TOLED 155. [ In this figure, the menu No. 2 displayed on the LCD 156 is displayed on the TOLED 155.

If a drag is detected along with the long touch, the control unit 180 can make a preview screen for the image displayed on the TOLED 155, for example, as a function related to the image selected by the long touch. In this drawing, a case where a preview (male photograph) is performed on the menu No. 2 (image file) is illustrated.

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

The touch operation (long touch and drag) is performed when a slide (an operation of a proximity touch corresponding to the drag) is detected together with a long proximity touch (a proximity touch continuing for at least 2 seconds to 3 seconds) to the TOLED 155 The same applies.

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

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

[Description of FIG. 6 - Haptic]

FIGS. 6A and 6B are views referred to the description of a haptic region that generates a haptic effect and an adjacent region in which a proximity signal is detected.

6A shows objects such as icons and menu items in a circular form for convenience of explanation. The area of the object displayed on the display unit 151 can be divided into a first area A in the center and a second area B surrounding the center area as shown in FIG. 6A. The first region A and the second region B can be configured to generate tactile effects having different intensities or patterns. For example, when the second region B is touched, a first vibration is output, and when the first region A is touched, a second vibration larger than the first vibration is output.

The haptic region in which the tactile effect is generated and the size of the proximity region in which the proximity signal is detected can be set to be different from each other if the proximity region and the haptic region are simultaneously set in the region where the object is displayed. That is, the haptic region may be set narrower than the adjacent region, or the haptic region may be set wider than the adjacent region. For example, in (a) of FIG. 6A, the area including the first area A and the second area B may be an adjacent area, and the first area A may be set as the haptic area.

As shown in (b) of FIG. 6A, the area where the object is displayed can be divided into three areas A, B, and C, or as shown in FIG. 6A, have. Each divided region can be configured to generate a tactile effect with different intensities or patterns. Even when an area in which one object is displayed is divided into three or more areas, the haptic area and the adjacent area can be set differently according to the use environment.

The size of the adjacent region may be changed according to the position of the display unit 151. That is, as shown in (a) of FIG. 6B, the corresponding adjacent region may be gradually reduced to 'C', 'B', or 'A' depending on the position close to the display unit 151, Conversely, the corresponding adjacent area may be gradually enlarged according to the position close to the display unit 151. [ In this case as well, the haptic area may be set to a fixed size regardless of the position close to the display unit 151, such as the 'H' area shown in FIG. 6B.

 In the case of dividing a region in which an object is displayed for setting a haptic region or an adjacent region, in addition to the concentric segmentation as shown in Fig. 6A, segmentation in the horizontal direction or vertical direction, radial segmentation, There are many ways to use it.

[Description of device according to the present invention]

As shown in FIG. 1, the user input unit 130 senses a signal for dividing a touch area and a touch input to one of the divided areas. The user input unit 130 may include a touch pad or a touch screen.

As shown in FIG. 1, the output unit 150 may output whether or not to process the sensed touch input according to the area activation setting. The area activation / non-activation setting means whether or not to allow the control unit to process the touch input sensed in the divided touch area in the divided touch area.

The area activation setting may be set in advance, or may be set according to a signal input by the user, or may be changed according to a signal input by the user after the setting. Changing the area activation setting may mean changing whether the touch input sensed in the divided touch area is processed or not.

The output unit 150 includes a display unit 151 for visually displaying whether or not the sensed touch input is processed, a haptic module 154 for haptic output, an acoustic output module 152 for outputting audibly, And 153 may be included.

As shown in FIG. 1, the controller 180 divides a touch area according to a signal input by a user, and processes the touch input that is input to one of the divided areas according to an area activation setting.

The control unit 180 may not process the sensed touch input according to the area activation setting. Alternatively, the controller 180 may set whether to activate the area based on a signal input by the user. Alternatively, the controller 180 may change the touch area divided by the signal inputted by the user, or may change the area activation setting for the divided touch area. Alternatively, the controller 180 can cancel the area setting if no touch input is detected for a preset time.

[Description of the method according to the present invention]

Hereinafter, a method of controlling a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

7 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

When the user inputs a signal through the user input unit 130, the control unit 180 divides the touch region according to the signal input by the user (S10). The control unit 180 may further include a step of determining whether to activate the area based on a signal input by the user (S20). When the user inputs a touch input to one of the divided regions, the user input unit 130 senses the touch input (S30). The control unit 180 processes the detected touch input according to the area activation setting (S30).

In order to process the touch input sensed by the controller 180 according to the area activation setting (S40), the controller 180 determines whether the area where the touch input of the user is sensed is activated (S41). If it is determined that the area where the touch input is sensed is activated as a result of the area activation setting, the controller 180 processes the sensed touch input as an input signal (S42). If it is determined that the area where the touch input is detected is not activated as a result of the area activation setting, the controller 180 does not process the sensed touch input (S43).

The control unit 180 may change the touch area divided by the signal input by the user or change the touch area activation setting. (S60).

[Description of FIG. 8 - Overall Description of Control Method]

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a no-humid environment in which a method of controlling a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention is performed.

As shown in FIG. 8, the user input unit 130 of the mobile terminal 100 may include a touch pad or a touch screen.

As shown in FIG. 8 (b), the user of the mobile terminal 100 can input a signal for dividing the touch area. 8B, a signal for dividing the touch area is input by touch inputting on the touch screen formed on the display unit 151. However, the touch area is divided into the touch area using the hard key 131 formed on the mobile terminal 100 A signal to be divided can be input. 8B, a signal for dividing a touch area is input by a method of drawing a boundary line of a touch area to be divided through a touch input. However, when a specific area of the touch pad is touched, the controller 180 controls the touch area It may be divided.

When the controller 180 divides the touch area by a signal inputted by the user, the touch screen (or the touch pad) is divided into at least two areas 151a and 151b. FIG. 8 (c) shows a state in which the touch screen is divided into two touch areas, but the divided touch areas may be two or more.

8 (b), a signal is inputted by touch input along the boundary line dividing the touch area of the display unit 151 into two, but a closed curve is formed inside the touch area of the display unit 151, It is also possible to divide the touch area into a corresponding area and an area corresponding to the outside.

As shown in FIG. 8 (c), the user can input a signal for setting whether to activate the area of the divided touch area through the user input unit 130. A method of inputting a signal for setting whether to activate the area of the divided touch area can be performed by touching an area to be activated or deactivated or selecting an area to be activated or deactivated through the hard key 131. [

As shown in FIG. 8C, when the user selects a region 151b to be deactivated and applies a touch input, the deactivating region 151b may process the touch input even if the touch input is detected .

In the case of the inactive area, the control unit 180 does not process the unintended touch input even if the user detects the unintended touch input, thereby improving the reliability of the control method of the mobile terminal 100 through the touch input.

When the area 151b to which the user has applied the touch input is set as the inactive area, the control unit 180 can automatically set the area 151a to which the user has not applied the touch input as the active area.

Alternatively, whether or not the area is activated is not set by a signal input by the user, and the preset area activation setting may be used.

As shown in FIG. 8 (d), when the user inputs a touch input to the activation area 151a, the control unit 180 processes the touch input and performs an operation corresponding to the input. For example, as shown in FIG. 8 (d), when the user selects the "default image" folder, the control unit 180 can display the photos stored in the folder on the display unit 151.

[Description of Fig. 9 - Whether or not touch input processing is performed]

FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C are diagrams showing how the control unit outputs whether or not the detected touch input is processed.

When the control unit 180 divides the touch area and sets the active area 151a and the inactive area 151b according to the area activation setting, it is necessary to notify the user whether or not the touch input sensed in each touch area is processed have.

As shown in FIG. 9A, the output unit 150 can visually output whether or not the sensed touch input is processed. 9A, when the display unit 151 displays the inactive area 151b and the active area 151a, it is visually indicated whether or not the detected touch input is processed by a method of varying brightness of each area can do.

As shown in FIG. 9B, the output unit 150 may audibly output whether or not the sensed touch input is processed. 9B, when the user applies a touch input to the inactive area 151b, the sound output module 152 makes a sound to inform the user that the control unit 180 does not process the touch input .

In addition to the method shown in FIG. 9B, when a touch input is applied to the activation area 151a, a sound is generated through the sound output module 152, or when a touch input is applied to the activation area 151a and the inactive area 151b, Output module 152 to make different sounds.

As shown in FIG. 9C, the output unit 150 can tactually output whether or not the sensed touch input is processed. 9B, when the user applies a touch input to the activation area 151a, the haptic module 154 outputs a vibration to allow the user to recognize that the control unit 180 processes the touch input have.

[Description of FIG. 10 - Area Reset]

10A and 10B are views showing a state in which the control unit changes the divided touch region.

As shown in FIG. 10A, the controller 180 may change the previously-divided touch area by a signal input by the user. As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, when the user further inputs a signal for dividing the touch area on the pre-divided touch area, the controller 180 can re-segment the touch area by the further input signal.

And entering a mode for changing the divided touch area when the user inputs a specific signal. For example, when the user presses one area of the display unit 151 or the hard key 131, the touch area change mode is entered, and the touch area can be re-divided by the signal further input by the user.

As shown in FIG. 10B, a signal for changing the divided touch area may be input in a manner of applying a touch input along a closed curve in the display unit 151. And the area 151b inside the closed curve is set as a new touch area.

[Description of FIG. 11 - Change of setting whether or not to activate]

11A and 11B are diagrams showing how the control unit changes the area activation setting.

As shown in FIG. 11A, the controller 180 may change the area activation setting by a signal input by the user. 11A and 11B, when the user inputs a signal for changing the preset area activation setting, the controller 180 may change the setting of the area activation setting.

As shown in FIG. 10A, when the user touches the active area 151a and drags it to the inactive area 151b, the active area 151a is changed to the inactive area and the inactive area 151b is changed to the active area .

10B, if the user touches the active area 151a and the inactive area 151b at the same time and drags them to the opposite areas, the active area 151a becomes the inactive area and the inactive area 151b becomes the inactive area, Can be changed to the activation area.

In addition to the method shown in Figs. 11A and 11B, various patterns of touch input for changing the area activation setting can be implemented.

The signal for changing the area setting may include a signal input through the hard key 131 or a signal input through the wireless communication unit 110 in addition to the touch input method shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B .

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

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

FIG. 2A is a front perspective view of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

FIG. 2B is a rear perspective view of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

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

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

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

FIGS. 6A and 6B are conceptual diagrams for explaining a haptic region generating a haptic effect and an adjacent region in which a proximity signal is detected, respectively.

7 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a diagram illustrating a no-humid environment in which a method of controlling a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention is performed.

FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C are diagrams showing how the control unit outputs whether or not the sensed touch input is processed. FIG.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are views showing a control unit changing a divided touch area. FIG.

Figs. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing how the control unit changes the area activation setting. Fig.

Claims (19)

Dividing a touch region by a signal input by a user; Sensing a touch input input to one of the divided areas; And processing the sensed touch input according to an area activation setting. The method according to claim 1, According to the setting of whether or not to activate the area, Further comprising the step of not processing the sensed touch input. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the area activation setting is preset. The method according to claim 1, Further comprising the step of setting whether to activate the area by a signal inputted by the user. The method according to claim 1, And outputting whether or not to process the sensed touch input according to the setting of whether to activate the area. The method according to claim 1, And changing the divided touch region according to a signal inputted by the user. The method according to claim 1, And changing the zone activation setting according to a signal input by the user. 8. The method of claim 7, The step of changing the area activation / non- A step of changing whether to process the touch input sensed in the divided touch area, The method according to claim 1, And canceling the area setting if the touch input is not detected for a predetermined period of time. A user input section for detecting a touch input input to one of the divided areas and a signal for dividing the touch area; And a controller for dividing the touch area by a signal for dividing the touch area and processing the sensed touch input according to the area activation setting. 11. The method of claim 10, Wherein, And does not process the sensed touch input according to the area activation setting. 11. The method of claim 10, Wherein, And activates the area according to a signal input by the user. 11. The method of claim 10, And an output unit for outputting whether or not to process the sensed touch input according to the area activation setting. 14. The method of claim 13, The output unit includes: And a display unit for visually displaying whether or not to process the sensed touch input. 14. The method of claim 13, The output unit includes: And a haptic module that tactually outputs whether or not to process the sensed touch input. 14. The method of claim 13, The output unit includes: And an audible output module or an announcement unit for audibly outputting whether or not to process the sensed touch input. 11. The method of claim 10, Wherein, And changing the set area according to a signal inputted by the user. 11. The method of claim 10, Wherein, And changing the zone activation setting according to a signal inputted by the user. 11. The method of claim 10, Wherein, And if the touch input is not detected for a predetermined time, the setting of the area is canceled.

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