KR20100133259A - Apparatus and method for touch-input of a backside of mobile terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A device and a method for inputting a rear touch of a mobile terminal are provided to attach a touch pad to a rear side, thereby realizing touch input through a front side and the rear side. CONSTITUTION: A terminal senses incoming of a call(S10). A controller distinguishes the call(S20). When the call is a voice call, the controller senses a grip type of a user through a touch pad of a rear side of a terminal(S30). If the sensed grip type is a grip corresponding to a guide line, the controller executes a power saving mode of a voice call(S40,S50).

Description

Back touch input device and method of mobile terminal {APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TOUCH-INPUT OF A BACKSIDE OF MOBILE TERMINAL}

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal, and more particularly, to a touch area of a mobile terminal.

A mobile terminal is a portable device that is portable and has one or more functions such as voice and video calling, information input and output, and data storage.

As the functions are diversified, the mobile terminal is equipped with complex functions such as taking a picture or video, playing a music or video file, playing a game, and receiving a broadcast, and is realized in the form of a comprehensive multimedia player. It is becoming.

In addition, in terms of hardware or software, various attempts have been made to apply a touch screen to a terminal and to develop a user interface (UI) environment so that the complex functions of the multimedia device can be easily and simply manipulated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal that attaches a touch pad to a rear surface, and enables a touch input through a front surface and a rear surface.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the present invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the claims, as well as the following description and the annexed drawings.

The present invention implements a mobile terminal which attaches a touch pad to a rear surface thereof, and enables a touch input through a front surface and a rear surface thereof. Using the rear touchpad, proximity sensing, LCD landscape viewing, touch pressure sensing, UI functions and the like.

By using only the front touch, in order to solve the problems of the conventional mobile terminal, such as the LCD area is dirty due to the fingerprints when operating the UI, the screen is covered by the finger, the present invention, scrolling by input through the rear touch By implementing such functions, it was possible to reduce the cause of the conventional problems by more than 50%, and in the trend of the enlargement of the display and the increasing number of users who operate the terminal with both hands, using both sides (front and back) of the terminal By allowing various inputs, the user can use the terminal more conveniently.

In order to achieve the above object, the mobile terminal according to the present invention

A first input unit which is capable of touch input and display and is provided on the front of the terminal, a second input unit which is provided on the rear of the terminal to sense a user grip, and is displayed on the first input unit according to the detected touch input and the user grip It includes a control unit for controlling objects or functions.

In order to achieve the above object, the touch input method of the mobile terminal according to the present invention,

Detecting an external touch input and a user grip through a first input unit provided at the front of the terminal and a second input unit provided at the rear of the terminal, and displayed on the first input unit according to the detected touch input and the user grip. It includes the process of controlling objects or functions.

Hereinafter, the configuration of a preferred mobile terminal of the present invention with reference to the drawings as follows. The suffixes "module" and "unit" for components used in the following description are merely given in consideration of ease of preparation of the present specification, and do not impart any particular meaning or role by themselves. Therefore, it should be noted that the "module" and "unit" may be used interchangeably with each other.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal of the present invention.

The mobile terminal can be implemented in various forms. For example, a mobile terminal described in the present specification may be a mobile phone, a smart phone, a notebook computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), navigation, or the like. There are terminals and fixed terminals such as digital TVs, desktop computers and the like. In the following description, it is assumed that the terminal is a mobile terminal. However, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the configuration according to the following description may also be applied to the fixed terminal except for components specially configured for mobile use.

Referring to Figure 1, looking at the mobile terminal of the present invention from a functional point of view as follows.

The mobile terminal 100 includes a wireless communication unit 110, an A / V input unit 120, a user input unit 130, a sensing unit 140, an output unit 150, a memory unit 160, and an interface unit. It may include components such as the 170, the controller 180 and the power supply 190.

1 illustrates a mobile terminal having various components. However, not all illustrated components are required. The mobile terminal may be implemented by more components than the illustrated components, or the mobile terminal may be implemented by fewer components.

Hereinafter, the components will be described in order.

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

The broadcast receiving 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 a previously generated broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information and transmits the same to a terminal. The broadcast related information may mean information related to a broadcast channel, a broadcast program, or a broadcast service provider. 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 having a data broadcast signal combined with a TV broadcast signal or a radio broadcast signal.

The broadcast associated 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, and in this case, 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 Electronic Program Guide (EPG) of Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) or Electronic Service Guide (ESG) of Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H).

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives a broadcast signal using various broadcast systems, and in particular, digital multimedia broadcasting-terrestrial (DMB-T), digital multimedia broadcasting-satellite (DMB-S), and media forward link (MediaFLO). Digital broadcast signals may be received using digital broadcasting systems such as only), digital video broadcast-handheld (DVB-H), integrated services digital broadcast-terrestrial (ISDB-T), and the like. Of course, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be configured to be suitable for all broadcast systems providing broadcast signals as well as the digital broadcast system described above. The broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information received through the broadcast receiving module 111 may be stored in the memory 160.

The mobile communication module 112 transmits and receives 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 various types of data according to transmission and reception of a voice call signal, a video call signal, or a text / multimedia message.

The wireless internet module 113 is for wireless internet access and may be embedded or external to the portable terminal. Wireless Internet technologies may include Wireless LAN (Wi-Fi), Wireless Broadband (Wibro), World Interoperability for Microwave Access (Wimax), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), and the like.

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

In addition, the location information module 115 is a module for checking or obtaining the location of the mobile terminal. One example is the Global Position System (GPS) module.

Referring to FIG. 1, the 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 of a still image or a moving image obtained by an image sensor in a video call mode or a photographing mode. The processed image frame may be displayed on the display unit 151.

The image frame processed by the camera 121 may be stored in the memory 160 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication unit 110. Two or more cameras 121 may be provided according to a configuration aspect of the terminal.

The microphone 122 receives an external sound signal by a microphone in a call mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, etc., and processes the external sound signal into electrical voice data. In the case of the call mode, the processed voice data may be converted into a form transmittable to the mobile communication base station through the mobile communication module 112 and output. The microphone 122 may have various noise removing algorithms for removing 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 (constant voltage / capacitance), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like. In particular, when the touch pad forms a mutual layer structure with the display unit 151 to be described later, this may be referred to as a touch screen.

The sensing unit 140 determines the current state of the mobile terminal 100 such as the open / closed 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, the acceleration / deceleration of the mobile terminal, and the like. Sensing and generating a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100. For example, if the mobile terminal 100 is in the form of a slide phone, it may sense whether the slide phone is opened or closed. In addition, the power supply unit 190 is responsible for the sensing function associated with whether or not the power supply, the interface unit 170 is coupled to the external device. Meanwhile, the sensing unit 140 may include a proximity sensor 141, which will be described later with reference to a touch screen.

The interface unit 170 performs a role of a passage with all external devices connected to the mobile terminal 100. The interface unit 170 receives data from an external device, receives power, transfers the power to each component inside the mobile terminal 100, or transmits the 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 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.

Here, the identification module is a chip that stores a variety of information for authenticating the use authority of the mobile terminal 100, a user identification module (UIM), Subscriber Identify Module (SIM) '), A Universal Subscriber Identity Module ("USIM"), and the like. In addition, the device equipped with the identification module (hereinafter, 'identification device') may be manufactured in the form of a smart card. Therefore, the identification device may be connected to the terminal 100 through a port.

In addition, when the mobile terminal 100 is connected to an external cradle, the interface unit 170 serves as a passage through which power from the cradle is supplied to the mobile terminal 100 or inputted from the cradle by a user. Various command signals may be a passage for transmitting to the mobile terminal. Various command signals or power input from the cradle may be operated as signals for recognizing that the mobile terminal is correctly mounted on the cradle.

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

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

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, or a three-dimensional display. 3D display). Some of these displays can be configured to be transparent or light transmissive so that they can be seen from the outside. This may be referred to as a transparent display. A representative example of the transparent display is a transparent organic light emitting diode (TOLED). The rear structure of the display unit 151 may also be configured as a light transmissive structure. With this structure, the user can see the object located behind the terminal body through the area occupied by the display 151 of the terminal body.

In addition, two or more display units 151 may exist according to the implementation form of the mobile terminal 100. For example, a plurality of display units may be spaced apart or integrally disposed on one surface of the mobile terminal 100, or may be disposed on different surfaces.

When the display unit 151 and a sensor for detecting a touch operation (hereinafter, referred to as a touch sensor) form a mutual layer structure (hereinafter referred to as a touch screen), the display unit 151 is an output device. It can also be used as an input device. The touch sensor may have, for example, a form of 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 unit 151 or capacitance generated in a specific portion of the display unit 151 into an electrical input signal. The touch sensor may be configured to detect not only the position and area of the touch but also the pressure at the 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 then transmits the corresponding data to the controller 180. As a result, the controller 180 can know which area of the display unit 151 is touched.

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 an object present in the vicinity without using a mechanical contact by using an electromagnetic force or infrared rays. Proximity sensors have a longer life and higher utilization than touch sensors.

Examples of the proximity sensor 141 include a transmission photoelectric sensor, a direct reflection photoelectric sensor, a mirror reflection photoelectric sensor, a high frequency oscillation proximity sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, a magnetic proximity sensor, and an infrared proximity sensor. Even when the proximity sensor 141 is not firmly mounted, when the touch screen is capacitive, the proximity sensor 141 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, the act of allowing the pointer to be recognized on the touch screen so that the pointer is located on the touch screen is referred to as a "proximity touch", and the pointer on the touch screen is referred to as "proximity touch". The act of actually contacting will be referred to as "contact touch". In addition, the position of the proximity touch with the pointer on the touch screen refers to a position where the pointer is perpendicular to the touch screen when the pointer is in proximity touch.

The proximity sensor 141 detects a proximity touch and a proximity touch pattern (for example, a proximity touch distance, a proximity touch direction, a proximity touch speed, a proximity touch time, a proximity touch position, and a proximity touch movement state). Information corresponding to the sensed proximity touch operation and proximity touch pattern may be output on the touch screen.

The sound output module 152 outputs 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. In addition, the sound output module 152 outputs a sound signal related to a function (eg, a call signal reception sound, a message reception sound, etc.) performed by 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 occurrence of an event of the mobile terminal 100. Examples of the event include call signal reception, message reception, key signal input, and touch input. The alarm unit 153 may output a signal for notifying occurrence of an event by, for example, vibration in another form besides an audio signal or a video signal. The video signal or the audio signal may also be output through the display unit 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 the user can feel. Vibration is a representative example of the haptic effect generated by the haptic module 154. The intensity and pattern of 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 may further include a pin array vertically moving with respect to the contact skin surface, a jetting force or suction force of air through the jetting or suction port, grazing to the skin surface, contact of the electrode, electrostatic force, and the like. Various tactile effects can be produced, such as the effects of the heat-absorbing effect and the effect of reproducing a sense of cold using the elements capable of absorbing heat or heat.

The haptic module 154 may not only deliver the haptic effect through direct contact, but also may implement the user to feel the haptic effect through a muscle sense such as a finger or an arm. Two or more haptic modules 154 may be provided according to a configuration aspect of the mobile terminal 100.

The memory 160 may store a program for processing and controlling the controller 180, and a function for temporarily storing input / output data (for example, a phone book, a message, a still image, a video, etc.). You can also do In addition, the memory 160 may store data on vibration and sound of various patterns output when a touch input on the touch screen is performed.

The memory 160 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory), RAM Random Access Memory (RAM) Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Read-Only Memory (ROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), Programmable Read-Only Memory (PROM) magnetic memory, It may include at least one type of storage medium of the optical disk. In addition, the mobile terminal 100 may operate a web storage that performs a storage function of the memory 150 on the Internet.

The controller 180 typically controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal. Perform related control and processing for voice calls, data communications, video calls, etc. In addition, the control unit 180 may include a multimedia module 181 for multimedia playback. 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 for recognizing a writing input or a drawing input performed on the touch screen as text and an image, respectively.

The power supply unit 190 receives an external power source and an internal power source under the control of the controller 180 to supply power for operation of each component.

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

According to a 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), and the like. It may be implemented using at least one of a processor, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and electrical units for performing the functions. Example embodiments may be implemented by the controller 180 itself.

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

In the above, the internal components of the mobile terminal related to the present invention have been described from a functional point of view. Next, with reference to Figures 2 and 3, we will look at the external components of the mobile terminal related to the present invention from a functional point of view. Hereinafter, for simplicity, a bar type mobile terminal is described as an example among various types of mobile terminals such as a folder type, a bar type, a swing type, a slider type, and the like. This does not mean that the present invention is limited to a bar type mobile terminal, and may be applied to all types of mobile terminals including the above-described type.

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

The disclosed portable terminal 100 has a terminal body in the form of a bar. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and may be applied to various structures such as a slide type, a folder type, a swing type, a swivel type, and two or more bodies are coupled to be relatively movable.

The body includes a casing (casing, housing, cover, etc.) that forms an exterior. In this embodiment, the case may be divided into a front case 101 and a rear case 102. Various electronic components are built in the space formed between the front case 101 and the rear case 102. At least one intermediate case may be further disposed between the front case 101 and the rear case 102.

The cases may be formed by injecting synthetic resin or may be formed of a metal material, for example, a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti).

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

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

The user input unit 130 is manipulated 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 manipulation units 131 and 132 may also be collectively referred to as manipulating portions, and may be employed in any manner as long as the user operates the tactile manner with a tactile feeling.

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

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

Referring to FIG. 2B, a camera 121 ′ may be additionally mounted on the rear 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 has a low pixel so that the user's face is photographed and transmitted to the counterpart in case of a video call, and the camera 121 'photographs a general subject and does not transmit it immediately. It is desirable to have a high pixel because there are many. 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 further disposed adjacent to the camera 121 '. The flash 123 shines light toward the subject when the subject is photographed by the camera 121 '. The mirror 124 allows the user to see his / her own face or the like when photographing (self-photographing) the user using the camera 121 '.

The sound output unit 152 'may be further disposed on the rear surface of the terminal body. The sound output unit 152 ′ may implement a stereo function together with the sound output unit 152 (see FIG. 2A), and may be used to implement a 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 embedded in the terminal body or may be directly detachable from the outside of the terminal body.

The rear case 102 may be further equipped with a touch pad 135 for sensing a touch. Like the display unit 151, the touch pad 135 may also be configured to have a light transmission type. In this case, if the display unit 151 is configured to output visual information from both sides, the visual information may be recognized through the touch pad 135. The information output on both surfaces may be 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 association with the display unit 151 of the front case 101. The touch pad 135 may be disposed in parallel to the rear of the display unit 151. The touch pad 135 may have the same or smaller size as the display unit 151.

Hereinafter, the 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. In order to input such information, at least one of the letters, numbers, symbols, graphics, or icons may be displayed in a predetermined arrangement so as to be implemented in the form of a keypad. Such a keypad may be called a so-called " soft key ".

3A illustrates receiving a touch applied to a softkey through the front of the terminal body.

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

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

3B illustrates receiving a touch applied to a softkey through the rear of the terminal body. If FIG. 3A is a portrait in which the terminal body is arranged vertically, FIG. 3B illustrates a landscape in which the terminal body is arranged 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 mobile terminal. The display unit 151 displays an output window 151a 'and an input window 151b'. A plurality of soft keys 151c 'displaying at least one of letters, symbols, and numbers may be arranged in the input window 151b'. The softkeys 151c 'may be arranged in the form of a QWERTY key.

When the soft keys 151c 'are touched through the touch pad 135 (refer to FIG. 2B), letters, numbers, symbols, etc. corresponding to the touched soft keys are displayed on the output window 151a'. As described above, the touch input through the touch pad 135 has an advantage of preventing the softkey 151c 'from being covered by the finger when touched, as compared with the touch input through the display unit 151. When the display unit 151 and the touch pad 135 are transparent, the fingers located at the rear of the terminal body can be visually checked, and thus more accurate touch input is possible.

In addition to the input methods disclosed in the above embodiments, the display unit 151 or the touch pad 135 may be configured to receive a touch input by scrolling. By scrolling the display unit 151 or the touch pad 135, the user may move an object displayed on the display unit 151, for example, a cursor or a pointer located at an icon. In addition, when the finger is moved on the display unit 151 or the touch pad 135, a path along which the finger moves may be visually displayed on the display unit 151. This may be useful for editing an 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. For example, the function may include activation or deactivation of the display unit 151 or the touch pad 135.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. An object of the present invention is to implement a mobile terminal by attaching a touch pad to the back, to enable a touch input through the front and back.

The mobile terminal according to the present invention performs proximity sensing, LCD landscape viewing, touch pressure sensing, UI function, etc. using the rear touchpad.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the opposite side of the terminal body on which the main input / output device (eg, the main display or the keypad) of the terminal is disposed is referred to as the rear (or rear or rear side) of the terminal.

The rear touch pad may be attached to a battery cover (eg, part or all of the cover) on the rear of the terminal. In the case of a terminal that does not mount a battery on the back or a terminal that inserts the battery into the body, the rear touch pad may be attached to the rear of the terminal body, that is, part or all of the rear case 102.

The touchpad is generally divided into a static pressure method for detecting pressure from the outside and an electrostatic method for detecting electrical contact. The electrostatic method may be applied to the rear touchpad according to the present invention.

4 shows a first embodiment of a mobile terminal according to the present invention, which is a flowchart of proximity sensing. In the present embodiment, the user's grip is sensed through the touch pad 135 at the rear of the terminal, and the user determines whether the user is in a call.

When a user makes a voice call, the shape of the terminal grip, that is, the shape or method of holding the terminal, is not much different, and is similar for each user. 5 is a diagram illustrating a general terminal grip during a call.

When a call (or call origination) occurs in the terminal, the controller 180 first determines whether the generated call is a video call or a voice call. If the call is a voice call, the controller 180 detects a grip shape of the user through the touch pad 135 on the back of the terminal. (S30)

If the detected grip type is a grip corresponding to a voice call as shown in the guide line G5 of FIG. 5 (S40), the controller 180 determines that the user is currently in a call and executes a power saving mode accordingly. do. (S50)

As the execution of the power saving mode, the controller 180 first turns off unnecessary LCD power during a telephone call. In addition, by executing a touch lock (Lock) to block unwanted unintentional touch input.

If the generated call is a video call, the controller 180 does not perform the steps S30 to S50. The guide line G5 of FIG. 5 is only an example of a user grip for voice communication, and does not serve as an absolute reference for detecting the user grip.

The touch pad 135 on the back of the terminal according to the present embodiment performs the same function as proximity sensing, thereby replacing the proximity sensor.

Figure 6 shows a second embodiment of a mobile terminal according to the present invention, which is a flowchart for executing a landscape view. In the present embodiment, the user's grip is sensed through the touch pad 135 on the back of the terminal, and a horizontal view of the corresponding image is executed.

Like user grips in voice calls, the terminal grips of a user watching a video or watching a broadcast are also similar for each user, as shown in FIG.

When the terminal is switched to the video or broadcast mode, the controller 180 first detects the grip type of the user through the touch pad 135 on the back of the terminal. (S110 & S120)

In addition, when the user grip detected through the touch pad 135 is in the form as shown in FIG. 7 (S130), the controller 180 determines that the user is watching a video or watching a broadcast and displays a horizontal view of the display. Run That is, when the user grip as illustrated in FIG. 7 is detected while the terminal is switched to the video or broadcast mode, the controller 180 executes the horizontal view mode of the display.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, it is preferable to display the guide line G7 for executing the landscape view on the rear touch pad 135 of the terminal.

The present embodiment has an effect of replacing a sensor (eg, a gyro sensor) that detects the tilt of the terminal by automatically executing the landscape view mode of the display using the touch pad 135 on the back of the terminal.

8 shows a third embodiment of a mobile terminal according to the present invention, and is an exemplary view of touch pressure sensing. According to the present invention, by attaching the touch pad to the back of the terminal, it is possible to develop an algorithm (program) for measuring touch pressure, and to further refine the level of touch pressure using the algorithm.

As shown in FIG. 8B, the level of the touch pressure is proportional to the area of the hand touching, and the controller 180 detects the area of the user's hand when the user touches the front and the back simultaneously, according to the detected area. Determine the level of touch pressure.

In addition, the controller 180 may generate a warning sound when a touch pressure exceeding the highest level is detected through the front and rear surfaces of the terminal, thereby preventing damage to the LCD and components due to external shocks.

The level of the touch pressure according to the present embodiment may be applied to a game such as defeating the measured touch pressure or golf. The user can input different levels of touch pressure to adjust the strength of the breaking and the flying distance of the golf ball.

The following is a description of a fourth embodiment of a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

The present embodiment relates to a touch input and a user interface (UI) operation, the mobile terminal according to the present embodiment detects the user's input through the touch pad disposed on the front and back, accordingly "the list is up and down Or right and left scrolling, menu selection and execution, image display, text entry, and so on. In the terminology, the touch screen provided on the display unit 151 on the front of the terminal should be distinguished from the touch pad on the rear side, but for convenience of description, it is simply referred to as a touch pad.

9A to 9B are exemplary views of scrolling up, down, left, and right of a list through a rear touch input.

The user first selects a specific List item or scroll bar in the UI. As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the fingers are placed on the front and rear touch pads respectively and move in one direction at the same time. Then, the controller 180 moves the selected List item or scroll bar according to the movement of the fingers.

As shown in FIG. 9A, the controller 180 may move the selected List item or scroll bar up and down according to a user's finger movement. As shown in FIG. 9B, the selected List item or scroll bar may be moved left and right.

Although the present embodiment has been described as simultaneously moving the front and rear touch pads, this describes an embodiment of the present invention. The present invention can be used to allow a user to select a specific object with a touch input on the front of the terminal and to move the selected object with a touch input on the back. The present invention can implement various types of input by combining the touch input at the front of the terminal and the touch input at the back.

10A is an exemplary view of menu selection according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 10A, a user first selects a specific object-1 (eg, a menu item or a list item) of a menu screen by lightly touching a front or rear touch pad. In this case, the controller 180 displays a pointer at the touched point so that the user can check his or her touch. If the user's touch was incorrect, the pointer would be displayed on another object or in an empty space around Object-1.

If the object-1 is not correctly selected because the touch is incorrect, the user may move (eg, drag, touch and drag) the pointer through the rear touchpad 135. The controller 180 selects the object-1 by moving the pointer according to a user's touch through the rear touch pad 135. Usually, the user's touch may be inaccurate if the user's finger is thick or the objects are arranged in detail on the menu screen.

10B is an exemplary view of menu execution according to the present invention.

Once a particular object is selected according to the example of FIG. 10A, the user can execute the selected object in various ways.

The user may execute the selected object by directly touching (front touching) or by touching one point of the terminal rear touch pad 135.

FIG. 10B illustrates object execution by touching the selected object (front touch) and simultaneously touching the back so as to have a double click effect. Such simultaneous touch enables faster menu execution than double click (or double touch).

11A to 11B show exemplary views of an image display method according to the present invention.

FIG. 11A illustrates a zoom-in or zoom-out of an image. The user may zoom in / out the selected image by continuously touching the back of the terminal.

In order to enlarge / reduce an image, first, the controller 180 displays an image selected by a user on a screen. Then, an enlargement / reduction button (or execution icon) is displayed on one side of the screen.

Thereafter, when the user selects any one of the buttons (enlarge button or reduce button), the controller 180 enlarges or reduces the image in response to a touch input to the rear touch pad 135. That is, each time a user's touch is sensed (every time the user taps on the touch pad 135), the controller 180 enlarges or reduces the image by one level.

FIG. 11B is another example of FIG. 11A, which illustrates an image enlargement / reduction method using a multi-touch input. The controller 180 according to the present example does not separately display an enlargement / reduction button (or execution icon) on the screen. As shown in FIG. 11B, the image is enlarged or reduced in accordance with a user's touch operation input to the rear touch pad 135.

The user first places two fingers on the touch pad 135 simultaneously as a multi-touch input. Then, the controller 180 detects the point where the multi-touch is input (for example, the first touch point t1 and the second touch point t2), and then inputs the first and second touch points t1 and t2. ) Determines the reduction / enlargement of the image and the degree of enlargement / reduction according to the moving direction and distance of the.

When the user opens a finger, the distance between the first touch point t1 and the second touch point t2 is far from each other, and the controller 180 enlarges the image in proportion to the distance. On the other hand, when the user pinches the finger, the distance between the first touch point t1 and the second touch point t2 is close to each other, and the controller 180 performs image reduction in proportion to the distance.

When a multi-touch input in which a user opens or pinches two fingers is detected, the controller 180 is proportional to a moving distance between two touch points (for example, the first touch point t1 and the second touch point t2). Perform image reduction or image enlargement.

12A to 12B show exemplary views of the movement and rotation of an image according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 12A when the image enlargement (or reduction) button of FIG. 11 is not selected, a single touch (for example, touch & drag, flicking, etc.) moving left and right or up and down is applied to the touch pad ( In operation 135, the controller 180 moves (up / down, left / right) the corresponding image according to the detected touch input.

In addition, when a single touch of a rotational movement (for example, circular or elliptical) is detected as shown in FIG. 12B when the buttons (enlargement or reduction button) are not selected, the controller 180 detects the detected touch. Rotate the image according to the input direction (clockwise or counterclockwise).

As another example of image rotation, a user may attempt to rotate an image using multi-touch.

As shown in FIG. 11B, the user places two fingers on the touch pad 135 at the same time and rotates the fingers about an intermediate point between the two touch points t1 and t2. Then, the controller 180 detects the rotating finger movement and performs image rotation according to the rotation direction (clockwise, counterclockwise) and the rotation angle (0 ° to 360 °).

Figure 13 is an illustration of a character input according to the present invention.

In a state where various applications or menus requiring text input are executed, the user according to the present invention may input letters or numbers through the rear touch pad 135 as shown in FIG. 13.

The controller 180 recognizes the text input so that the movement of the finger proceeds in the same direction as the user views. That is, the user may input characters into the rear touch pad 135 while looking at the rear of the terminal as shown in FIG. 13A, and the rear touch pad (seeing the front of the terminal as shown in FIG. 13B) You can also enter text in 135). In the case of Fig. 13B, the confusion caused by the input direction is relatively small, and it is convenient to input characters while directly checking whether there is an error in the character input.

The controller 180 according to the present exemplary embodiment distinguishes the character inputs of the two methods (a) and b)) according to a user's input of a key (for example, a hardware key or a software key). In addition, the present embodiment may be provided with a separate sensor to automatically distinguish the text input of the two methods (a) and b) of the two methods (Fig. 13).

In the case of a mobile terminal with a limited screen size, the size of the character recognition window allocated to a partial area of the screen is further limited. However, in the case of the positive pressure touch method, the stylus pen is used, which makes inputting easier than the electrostatic touch method, in which the finger has to rely on it. In the case of the electrostatic touch method in which a character is inputted with a finger in the character recognition window, the user feels much more discomfort than the positive pressure touch method.

The present invention uses all the large area of the back as a character recognition window, the user can enter the text comfortably. In addition, the character input through the rear touch pad 135 does not cover the screen with a finger, the user feels greater convenience.

As described above, the touch input method according to each embodiment of the present invention can be embodied as computer readable codes on a medium in 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 are also implemented in the form of a carrier wave (for example, transmission over the Internet). It includes being. The computer may include the controller 180 of the mobile terminal.

As described above, the present invention implements a mobile terminal that attaches a touch pad to a rear surface thereof, and enables a touch input through a front surface and a rear surface thereof. Using the rear touchpad, proximity sensing, LCD landscape viewing, touch pressure sensing, UI functions and the like.

By using only the front touch, in order to solve the problems of the conventional mobile terminal, such as the LCD area is dirty due to the fingerprints when operating the UI, the screen is covered by the finger, the present invention, scrolling by input through the rear touch By implementing such functions, it was possible to reduce the cause of the conventional problems by more than 50%, and in the trend of the enlargement of the display and the increasing number of users who operate the terminal with both hands, using both sides (front and back) of the terminal By allowing various inputs, the user can use the terminal more conveniently.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiment (s) shown in the drawings, this is merely exemplary, and various modifications can be made therefrom by those skilled in the art, and the embodiments described above ( It will be appreciated that all or some of these may be optionally combined. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention will be defined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention;

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

2b is a rear perspective view of a mobile terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention;

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 flow diagram of proximity sensing in accordance with the present invention.

5 is a diagram illustrating a general terminal grip during a call.

6 is a flow diagram for executing a landscape view in accordance with the present invention.

7 is a view showing a terminal grip for executing the landscape view of the present invention.

8A to 8B are exemplary views relating to touch pressure sensing according to the present invention.

9A-9B illustrate an example of scrolling a list in accordance with the present invention.

10A to 10B illustrate exemplary menu selection and execution according to the present invention.

11A to 11B are exemplary views of an image display method according to the present invention.

12A-12B are illustrations of movement and rotation of an image in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 13 is an illustration of a character input according to the present invention.

*** Explanation of symbols for main parts of drawing ***

100: mobile terminal

110: wireless communication unit 120: AV input unit

130: user input unit 140: sensing unit

150: output unit 160: memory

170: interface unit 180: control unit

190: power supply unit

Claims (7)

A first input unit capable of a touch input and a display and provided on the front of the terminal; A second input unit provided on a rear surface of the terminal to sense a user grip; And a controller for controlling objects or functions displayed on the first input unit according to the detected touch input and the user grip. The method of claim 1, wherein the second input unit Mobile terminal, characterized in that implemented as a capacitive touch pad. The method of claim 1, wherein the control unit When the user grip corresponding to the voice call is detected through the second input unit during the call mode execution, the mobile terminal, characterized in that for switching to the power saving mode. The method of claim 1, wherein the control unit When the user grip corresponding to the horizontal view is detected through the second input unit during the execution of the video or broadcast mode, the mobile terminal, characterized in that for switching the screen of the terminal to the horizontal view. Sensing an external touch input and a user grip through a first input unit provided at the front of the terminal and a second input unit provided at the rear of the terminal; And controlling the objects or functions displayed on the first input unit according to the detected touch input and the user grip. The method of claim 5, wherein the control process If the user grip corresponding to the voice call is detected through the second input unit during the call mode, the touch input method of the mobile terminal further comprising switching the terminal to a power saving mode. The method of claim 5, wherein the control process When the user grip corresponding to the horizontal view is detected through the second input unit during the execution of the video or broadcast mode, the touch input method of the mobile terminal further comprising the step of switching the screen of the terminal to the horizontal view.

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