KR20120084894A - Mobile terminal and method for controlling thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A portable terminal and control method thereof are provided to simultaneously display plural webpages by dividing a display screen into plural sections. CONSTITUTION: A touch screen displays a first web browser. The first web browser includes a tap area and a webpage area. When two or more tap areas are existed, a control unit(180) receives a mode conversion signal. The control unit arranges the taps on a first or a third web browser according to each predetermined standard. The second web browser is displayed on a first section of the touch screen. The third web browser is displayed on a second area of the touch screen.

Description

Mobile terminal and its control method {MOBILE TERMINAL AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THEREOF}

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and a method of controlling the same, which can provide a more convenient internet environment.

The terminal can move And can be divided into a mobile / portable 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.

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

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

Recently, as the wireless data communication function of the mobile terminal is improved and the data processing capability is improved, the use of the Internet through the mobile terminal is increasing. Accordingly, there is a demand for a mobile terminal and a method of controlling the same, which can more conveniently browse web pages.

The present invention is to provide a mobile terminal that can use the Internet more conveniently.

The present invention also provides a mobile terminal capable of displaying a plurality of web pages at once by dividing a display screen into a plurality of areas.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention, unless further departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It will be possible.

A mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention for realizing the above object includes a tab area for displaying at least one tab and a web page area for displaying a web page corresponding to any one of the at least one tab. A touch screen for displaying a first web browser; And when a mode change signal is input when two or more taps exist in the tap area, a second web browser displayed on the first area of the touch screen according to a predetermined criterion, and a second area of the touch screen. It may include a control unit for controlling to place any one of the third web browser displayed in the.

In addition, the control method of the mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention for realizing the above object, a tab area for displaying at least one tab and a web page corresponding to any one of the at least one tab Displaying a first web browser including a web page area on a touch screen; Inputting a mode switch signal when two or more taps are present in the tap area; And disposing each of the plurality of tabs into one of a second web browser displayed in the first area of the touch screen and a third web browser displayed in the second area of the touch screen according to a predetermined criterion. have.

The user can use the Internet more conveniently through the mobile terminal according to at least one embodiment of the present invention configured as described above.

In addition, the display screen is divided into a plurality of areas so that a plurality of web pages can be checked at once, and the web page arrangement can be easily changed.

The effects obtained by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description will be.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a front perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a front view of a mobile terminal for explaining an operation state of the mobile terminal according to the present invention.
4 illustrates an example of a user interface configuration of a web browser for displaying a web page in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 illustrates an example of a portrait view mode and a landscape view mode of a web browser in a mobile terminal according to the present invention.
6 is a diagram illustrating an example in which tabs are divided as a split mode is changed in a web browser of a mobile terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention.
7 illustrates an example in which a position of a tab is changed when a web browser is executed in an integrated mode in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 illustrates an example in which a position of a tab is changed when a web browser is executed in a split mode in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 illustrates another example in which a position of a tab is changed when a web browser is executed in a split mode in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 illustrates an example of a method for adding a new tab in a web browser of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 illustrates an example of a method of displaying a web page corresponding to a link of a web page displayed through one web browser through another web browser when the web browser of the mobile terminal is executed in the split mode according to an embodiment of the present invention; Indicates.
12 illustrates an example of a method for collectively setting tabs to be displayed in a split mode in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

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

The mobile terminal described herein includes a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), a navigation computer, a tablet computer, and the like. Can be. However, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the configuration according to the embodiments described herein may also be applied to fixed terminals such as digital TVs, desktop computers, etc., except when applicable only to mobile terminals.

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 A / V input unit 120, a user input unit 130, a sensing unit 140, an output unit 150, a memory 160, and an interface. The unit 170, the controller 180, and the power supply unit 190 may be included. The components shown in FIG. 1 are not essential, so that 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 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 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, 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 may include, for example, Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DMB-T), Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Satellite (DMB-S), Media Forward Link Only (MediaFLO), and Digital Video Broadcast (DVB-H). Digital broadcast signals can be received using digital broadcasting systems such as Handheld and Integrated Services Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial (ISDB-T). Of course, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be adapted to other broadcasting systems as well as the digital broadcasting system described above.

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

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

The wireless Internet module 113 is a module for wireless Internet access, and may be built in or externally attached to the mobile terminal 100. 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. Bluetooth, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), infrared data association (IrDA), Ultra Wideband (UWB), ZigBee, and the like can be used as a short range communication technology.

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

Referring to FIG. 1, 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 image frames such as still images or moving images obtained by the image sensor in the video call mode or the photographing mode. The processed image frame can be displayed on the display unit 151. [

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

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

The user input unit 130 generates input data for a user to control the operation of the terminal. The user input unit 130 may include a key pad dome switch, a touch pad (static pressure / capacitance), 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 may sense whether the slide phone is opened or closed. In addition, whether the power supply unit 190 is supplied with power, whether the interface unit 170 is coupled to the external device may be sensed. The sensing unit 140 may include a proximity sensor 141.

The output unit 150 is used to generate an output related to visual, auditory or tactile senses, which includes a display unit 151, an audio output module 152, an alarm unit 153, a haptic module 154, and a projector module ( 155) may be included.

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

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

Some of these displays may be transparent or light transmissive so that they can be seen through. This can be referred to as a transparent display, and a typical example of the transparent display is TOLED (Transparent OLED) and the like. The rear structure of the display unit 151 may also be configured as a light transmissive structure. 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 one another, and may be disposed on different surfaces, respectively.

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 may be configured in addition to an output device. 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. As a result, the controller 180 can know which area of the display unit 151 is touched.

The proximity sensor 141 may be disposed in an inner region of the mobile terminal or in the vicinity of the touch screen, which is enclosed 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 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. 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 allowing the pointer to be recognized without being in contact with the touch screen so that the pointer is located on the touch screen is referred to as a "proximity touch", and the touch The act of actually touching the pointer on the screen is called "contact touch." 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 sound output module 152 may output audio data received from the wireless communication unit 110 or stored in the memory 160 in a call signal reception, a call mode or a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcast reception mode, and the like. The sound output module 152 also outputs sound signals related to functions (e.g., call signal reception sound, message reception sound, etc.) performed in the mobile terminal 100. [ The audio output module 152 may include a receiver, a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

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

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

In addition to vibration, the haptic module 154 may be configured to provide a pin array that vertically moves with respect to the contact skin surface, a jetting force or suction force of air through an injection or inlet port, grazing to the skin surface, contact of an electrode, electrostatic force, and the like. Various tactile effects can be generated, such as effects by the endothermic and the reproduction of a sense of cold using the elements capable of endotherm or heat generation.

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

The projector module 155 is a component for performing an image project function using the mobile terminal 100 and is similar to the image displayed on the display unit 151 in accordance with a control signal of the controller 180 Or at least partly display another image on an external screen or wall.

Specifically, the projector module 155 includes a light source (not shown) that generates light (for example, laser light) for outputting an image to the outside, a light source And a lens (not shown) for enlarging and outputting the image at a predetermined focal distance to the outside. Further, the projector module 155 may include a device (not shown) capable of mechanically moving the lens or the entire module to adjust the image projection direction.

The projector module 155 can be divided into a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) module, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) module and a DLP (Digital Light Processing) module according to the type of the display means. In particular, the DLP module may be advantageous for miniaturization of the projector module 151 by enlarging and projecting an image generated by reflecting light generated from a light source on a DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) chip.

Preferably, the projector module 155 may be provided longitudinally on the side, front or back side of the mobile terminal 100. It goes without saying that the projector module 155 may be provided at any position of the mobile terminal 100 as occasion demands.

The memory unit 160 may store a program for processing and controlling the control unit 180 and temporarily store the input / output data (e.g., telephone directory, message, audio, For example. The memory unit 160 may also store the frequency of use of each of the data (for example, each telephone number, each message, and frequency of use for each multimedia). In addition, the memory unit 160 may store data on vibration and sound of various patterns output when the touch is input on the touch screen.

The memory 160 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), PROM A disk, and / or an optical disk. The mobile terminal 100 may operate in association with a web storage that performs a storage function of the memory 160 on the Internet.

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

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

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

The controller 180 typically controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal. For example, voice communication, data communication, video communication, and the like. The controller 180 may include a multimedia module 181 for playing multimedia. 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 an external power source and an internal power source under the control of the controller 180 to supply power for operation of each component.

Various embodiments described herein may be implemented 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 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 processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and electrical units for performing other functions. The described 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 of the functions and operations described herein. Software code can be implemented in a software application written in a suitable programming language. The software code may be stored in the memory 160 and executed by the controller 180.

Organization description

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a mobile terminal or a portable terminal according to the present invention, as viewed from the front.

The disclosed portable terminal 100 has a terminal body in the form of a bar. 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 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 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 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.

Front touch

Hereinafter, the operation of the display unit 151 and the touch pad 135 will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

3 is a front view 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 referred to as a so-called " virtual keypad ".

3 illustrates inputting of a touch applied to the virtual keypad through the front surface of the terminal body.

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

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

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

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

Meanwhile, a graphic in the form of an arrow or a finger for pointing a specific object or selecting a menu on the display unit is called a pointer or a cursor. However, in the case of a pointer, it often means a finger or a stylus pen for a touch operation or the like. Therefore, in this specification, a graphic displayed on the display unit is referred to as a cursor, and a physical means for performing a touch, a proximity touch, and a gesture, such as a finger or a stylus pen, is referred to as a pointer.

The mobile terminal according to the present invention described below includes at least one of the components described above with reference to FIG. 1, but is not necessarily limited thereto, and may include more components than those of FIG. 1 or fewer components. It may also include. However, for convenience, it is assumed that the display unit 151 of the mobile terminal 100 according to the present invention is a touch screen.

Default browser configuration

In general, the use of the Internet using the mobile terminal 100 displays a corresponding web page on the display unit 151 using data transmitted from the outside through the wireless communication unit 110 or the interface unit 170. May mean. Of course, in the use of the Internet, the web page displayed on the display unit 151 may be changed (scrolled) by a command input through the user input unit 130, or the web page may be moved and selected on the web page by selecting an object / link. In addition to data input / modification and the like, the data posted on the web may be stored in the memory unit 160 or reproduced through the output unit 150 of the multimedia data including image / sound information.

A program or application used for displaying such a web page, scrolling a web page, inputting / modifying / playing / storing data, etc. may be referred to as a web browser.

Hereinafter, the basic configuration of the web browser according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

4 illustrates an example of a user interface configuration of a web browser for displaying a web page in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 4, it is assumed that the mobile terminal is arranged in a portrait direction and displayed in the portrait view mode.

First, referring to FIG. 4A, the indicator area 410 is displayed at the top of the display unit, and the web browser is displayed in full screen on the remaining areas except for the indicator area. Herein, the indicator region refers to an area briefly indicating various operating states of the mobile terminal, such as wireless signal reception sensitivity, message reception, and battery level.

A tab area is positioned at the top of the web browser, and the tab area includes one or more tabs 421 and a new add tab button 425. In addition, each tab may be provided with a tab close button 423. The tab close button may be always displayed or may be displayed only when the corresponding tab is activated. Here, the tab corresponds to one web page, and when a plurality of tabs exist, it means that a plurality of web pages can be loaded / displayed in the corresponding web browser. In addition, a tab may display a name of a web page corresponding thereto, and the name of the web page may be obtained through a header of the web page. If header information is not available, part of the webpage address may be displayed. The add tab button is used to add a tab to the tab area, and a specific form in which the tab is added through the button will be described in detail later. In addition, when the tab close button is selected, the corresponding tab and its dependent areas may be destroyed.

Below the tab area, an address bar 431, a refresh button 433 for reloading a webpage corresponding to a URL displayed in the address bar, a favorite button 435 for calling a bookmark-related function, etc. may be disposed. have.

A web page area 440 on which a web page is displayed is disposed below the address window, and an additional menu area 450 may be additionally set in a part of the web page area.

In general, the area below the tab area depends on the active tab, the last selected tab, or the tab selected by default. For example, the address bar displays the address (URL) of the active or last selected tab, or the web page that corresponds to the default selected tab, and the web page area also displays the active or last selected tab, or the default tab. The web page corresponding to the is displayed.

When a virtual key button disposed in a predetermined area of the display unit is operated or a hardware key button (or touch button) provided in the main body of the mobile terminal is operated, a web browser menu is displayed in the additional menu area 450 as shown in FIG. Box 451 may be displayed. In the web browser menu box, various functions that can be performed through the web browser may be displayed in the form of icons.

In addition, when an area capable of inputting / modifying characters is selected in the web browser such as the address bar 431 or the search word input box 441 on the web page, the virtual keypad 453 is displayed in the additional menu area 450 as shown in FIG. ) May be displayed.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the basic configuration of the web browser described above with reference to FIG. 4 may include more or fewer areas / buttons, and the location or icon shape where each area / button is arranged may be variously changed. Do.

Landscape view and split mode

The browser configuration of FIG. 4 has been described on the assumption that the web browser is executed (ie, the portrait view mode) with the display arranged in the portrait direction. However, the mobile terminal according to the present invention may be arranged in landscape and used (ie, landscape view mode). The landscape view mode is activated according to the browser default setting or the user's command input using the touch screen / key button, or by the sensing module 140 such as a gyro sensor or a gravity sensor that can determine the arrangement of the mobile terminal. When the horizontal arrangement of the is detected may be automatically activated by the controller 180. Hereinafter, an example of a portrait view mode and a landscape view mode form of a web browser in a mobile terminal according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

First, referring to FIG. 5A, a web browser is executed in a portrait view mode in a mobile terminal according to the present invention. At this time, two tabs 510 and 520 are displayed in the tab area. Among them, the left tab 510 is currently activated, and below the tab area, information related to the left tab 510 (a URL of an address bar, a web page displayed in a web page area, etc.) is displayed. If the right tab 520 is selected by a user's touch input, the information displayed below the tab area is information related to the right tab. When a plurality of tabs exist in the tap area, the add tab button 511 may be disposed at the rightmost side of the tap area.

On the other hand, when there are a plurality of tabs in the tab area, a tab activated by a user's input of a command or by default setting may be given a visual effect to visually distinguish from other tabs of the tab area. Can be. For example, an activated tab can be given a different color than a tab that is not. The color assigned to the activated tab may also be given to the border line and the add tab button between the tab area and the address bar area.

When the mobile terminal is switched to the landscape view mode (as the mobile terminal is arranged in the horizontal direction), the indicator area, the web browser, etc. are disposed in the horizontal direction as shown in FIG. In this case, the division mode switch button 530 may be additionally displayed in the landscape view mode. The split mode switch button may be always displayed in the landscape view mode or may be displayed only when there are two or more tabs in the tab area.

When the split mode switch button 530 is selected, the area where the web browser below the indicator area is displayed is divided left and right as shown in FIG. As the web browser is divided into left and right, the left and right web browsers are arranged in portrait view mode. That is, in the split mode, the web browser described above with reference to FIG. 4A is displayed independently at the same time. That is, the tabs 510 and 520, the tab add buttons 511 and 521, the address bar, the web page display area, and the like are all displayed in each web browser. In addition, integrated mode switch buttons 515 and 525 for exiting the split mode and switching to the general landscape mode (hereinafter, referred to as "integrated mode" for convenience) may also be provided in each web browser.

Regardless of whether split mode / integrated mode is applied, when the mobile terminal is placed in the vertical direction, the mobile terminal can be switched to the portrait view mode. It is possible. In addition, when there are two or more tabs in the portrait view mode as shown in FIG. 5A, the split mode switch button 530 may be displayed.

On the other hand, in the split mode, the visual effect for displaying the activated tab may be differently applied to the left and right web browsers. In addition, regardless of whether the tab is activated in each of the left and right web browsers, the color to be applied to the tab may be displayed on the boundary between the tab area and the address bar.

By the way, when the tabs displayed in the tab area in the integrated mode are switched to the split mode, it is necessary to set the criteria of which web browser is placed in the split mode according to which criteria. One example of such a criterion may be a relative positional relationship between an active tap and another tap when switching to a split mode. This will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

6 is a diagram illustrating an example in which tabs are divided as a split mode is changed in a web browser of a mobile terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 6, based on an activated tab when the tabs displayed in the tab area in the integrated mode are switched to the split mode, the activated tab and the tab on the left side of the tab are placed in the left web browser of the split mode, Tabs located on the right side are assumed to be placed in the right web browser in split mode.

First, referring to FIG. 6A, a web browser is executed in an integrated mode, and five tabs are executed, and four tabs 611 to 614 are displayed in the tab area. In this case, the third tab 613 is activated, and the URL and the web page corresponding to the third tab are displayed in the address bar and the web page area 620 below the tab area, respectively.

When the split mode switch button 630 is selected, the tab 613 activated in the integrated mode and the tab 612 located on the left side thereof are arranged in the tab area of the left web browser as shown in FIG. The tabs 614 and 615 located at the right side of the tab 613 activated in the mode are disposed in the tab area of the right web browser. In this case, the integrated mode switching buttons 631 and 633 are disposed in each web browser as described above with reference to FIG. 5.

In the split mode, the tab 613 activated in the unified mode is displayed in an activated state, and a web page corresponding to the tab 613 may be displayed in the web page area of the left web browser. There is no active tab in the right web browser, but a web page corresponding to the leftmost tab 614 may be displayed in the web page area 623 of the right web browser. This assumes that only one tab is active through both web browsers in split mode.

Here, when the left tab 614 of the right web browser is selected, the color of the tab 613 that was previously activated in the left web browser and the add tab button are changed to a color indicating deactivation, as shown in FIG. , A color indicating that the selected tab 614 and the add tab button is activated in the right web browser is assigned.

When the integrated mode switch button 633 is selected in the situation as illustrated in FIG. 6C, tabs divided into left and right web browsers are arranged as one tab area as illustrated in FIG. 6D. In addition, the tab 614 last activated in the split mode may be displayed as activated in the integrated mode by default.

Meanwhile, when the split mode is switched, the layout criteria of the tabs to the left and right web browsers may be variously set in addition to the relative position with respect to the activated tab. For example, whether the tab corresponds to a webpage included in a bookmark, whether the bookmark is stored in the same folder or category, and the category of the webpage that corresponds to the tab (news, portals, games, financial webpages, and so on). And the like can be cited as a standard for tab arrangement.

Hereinafter, the positional movement of the tab within the tab area will be described with reference to FIG. 7.

7 illustrates an example in which a position of a tab is changed when a web browser is executed in an integrated mode in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, referring to FIG. 7A, a web browser is executed in an integrated mode, and five tabs are executed, and four tabs 711 to 714 are displayed in the tab area. The fifth tab is located to the right of the fourth tab 714 but is not currently displayed. At this time, the third tab 713 is activated, and the URL and the web page corresponding to the third tab are displayed in the address bar and the web page area below the tab area, respectively.

Here, the user may release the touch after dragging the tab area to the left after long touching to change the order of the third tab between the first tab 711 and the second tab 712 in the tap area. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 7B, the position of the third tab 713 may be changed within the tab area. In this case, the touch input for selecting the tab whose position is to be changed in the tap area has been described as long touch, but this is merely an example and may be changed to a touch input of another pattern.

Meanwhile, the user may scroll the tab area to check the tab that is not currently displayed. For this purpose, a flicking touch input input in a direction in which scrolling is desired may be used. For example, in the situation as shown in FIG. 7A, in order to check the fifth tab or select the add tab button, the user may input a flickering touch on the touch screen in the left direction. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 7C, the fifth tab 715 and the add tab button that are not displayed on the right side may be displayed on the touch screen by scrolling the tab area to the left side.

7 (a) to 7 (b) to change the state as shown in Fig. 7 (a) and 7 (c) to change the state as shown in Fig. Again, as shown in FIG. 7B, FIG. 7A, and FIG. 7C, FIG. 7A, the state can be reversed.

The position change and scrolling of the tab described above may also be applied in the split mode. This will be described with reference to FIG. 8.

8 illustrates an example in which a position of a tab is changed when a web browser is executed in a split mode in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, referring to FIG. 8A, the web browser is executed in the split mode, and three tabs 811, 812, and 813 are displayed in the left web browser, and three tabs are displayed in the right web browser. At this time, the first tab 811 of the left web browser is activated, and the URL and the web page corresponding to the first tab are displayed in the address bar and the web page area 820 below the tab area, respectively. In addition, in the right web browser, a web page corresponding to the leftmost tab 831 is displayed in the web page area 840 with all tabs deactivated.

Here, when the user needs to scroll the tab area in order to add a new tab to the left web browser, the user inputs a flicking touch in the left direction on the tab area.

Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 8B, the tab area of the left web browser is scrolled to the left so that the tab addition button 819 positioned at the right end of the tab area may be displayed. On the other hand, scrolling the tab area of one web browser is performed independently without affecting the tab area of the other web browser, there is no change in the right web browser. When the flicking touch is input in the right direction on the tab area of the left web browser in the situation as shown in FIG. 8B, the tap area of the left web browser may be returned to the state as shown in FIG. 8A.

Meanwhile, similarly to the method described with reference to FIG. 7B, in the split mode, when a tab to be repositioned is selected and moved through a touch input, the position of the tab in the tab area may be changed. In this case, the position change of the tab in the split mode may be performed not only within the tab area of the same web browser, but also in a form of activating while moving to the tab area of the web browser of the other side. This will be described with reference to FIG.

9 illustrates another example in which a position of a tab is changed when a web browser is executed in a split mode in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, referring to FIG. 9A, the web browser is executed in the split mode, and three tabs 911, 912, and 913 are displayed on the left web browser, and two tabs 921, 922 on the right web browser. Is displayed. At this time, the first tab 911 of the left web browser is activated, and the URL and the web page corresponding to the first tab are displayed in the address bar and the web page area 930 below the tab area, respectively. In addition, in the right web browser, a web page corresponding to the leftmost tab 921 is displayed in the web page area 940 with all tabs deactivated.

At this time, to activate the second tab 912 of the left web browser on the right web browser while moving to the tab area of the right web browser, it can be selected through a long touch as shown in FIG. When a long touch is applied to the second tab 912, the tab may be enlarged by a predetermined ratio with a visual effect indicating that the tab is selected, and a color given when the tab is activated may be applied.

Then, if the touch is released after dragging to the web page area 940 of the right web browser while maintaining the touch on the corresponding tab, the tab 912 moves to the tab area of the right web browser as shown in FIG. Is activated at the same time. Accordingly, a web page corresponding to the tab 912 may be displayed in the web page area of the right web browser.

Next, a method of generating a new tab will be described with reference to FIG. 10.

10 illustrates an example of a method for adding a new tab in a web browser of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, referring to FIG. 10A, one tab 1021 is displayed in a tab area of a web browser, and a web page corresponding to the tab 1021 is displayed in a web page area 1030. In this case, the user may select the add tab button 1023 to add a new tab, or select the new add tab menu 1011 of the web browser menu box 1010 described above with reference to FIG. .

Accordingly, as shown in (b) of FIG. 10, a new tab 1022 for which a corresponding web page is not specified may be created on the left side of the tab generation button. In this case, the web page area includes a bookmark thumbnail area 1040 in which the favorite web page is displayed in thumbnail form so that the web page of the created tab can be selected from pre-stored favorites, and a search box for searching the web page ( 1050 may be displayed. Of course, a method of directly inputting a URL address in an address bar between a tab area and a web page area may also be applied for web page specification of a new tab. In addition to a favorite thumbnail, a list of webpages visited more than once (ie, a history list) may be displayed.

In this case, when the third thumbnail 1041 is selected in the favorite thumbnail area, the web page corresponding to the tab 1022 generated as shown in FIG. 10C is the web page corresponding to the third favorite thumbnail 1041. It can be specified as. Accordingly, the web page corresponding to the generated tab 1022 is also displayed in the web page area 1030.

Next, referring to FIG. 11, a method of displaying a web page corresponding to a link of a web page displayed through one web browser in the split mode through another web browser will be described.

First, referring to FIG. 11A, a web browser is executed in a split mode, and one tab 1111 and 1131 are displayed in each web browser, respectively, and an address bar and a web page area 1120 and 1140 of each web browser. ) Displays URLs and web pages corresponding to respective tabs, respectively. In addition, the tab 1131 of the right web browser is activated.

Here, the user may select one link 1141 in the right webpage area 1140. Here, a link is composed of text, an icon, an image, or a flash, and when a link is selected, an object on a web page that provides a link to another web page preset in the link. A representative example of such a link is a hyperlink in the HTML language, but it is an example and may be any object referring to another web page or web content.

In general, when a link is selected, it moves to the web page indicated by the link in the web page area. However, in this embodiment, the touch patterns of the two selections are different from each other in order to distinguish the "selection for displaying the web page indicated by the link to the other web browser in the split mode" instead of the "simple selection of the link". It is desirable to be. For example, the former selection may be performed by a simple touch, and the latter selection may be performed by a long touch or the like.

When the link 1141 to be displayed in the other web browser is selected through the long touch, the selected link 1141 may be enlarged by a predetermined ratio to indicate that the selected link 1141 is selected. Thereafter, the selected link as shown in FIG. 11B may be dragged to the webpage area 1120 of the left web browser. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 11C, a tab 1113 corresponding to the web page indicated by the selected link 1141 is newly created in the tab area, and the generated tab is activated to be selected in the web page area 1120. The web page corresponding to the link may be displayed.

In the above-described method, a method of selecting a link of a web page displayed through a new tab of the other web page may be applied to various touch patterns in addition to the long touch. For example, a multi-touch applied to two different points of the link at the same time, or a method in which a link is selected as a general touch input while a specific key button is operated. In addition, a menu setting through a web browser menu box or the like may allow a web page corresponding to the link to be displayed in a new tab of the other web browser whenever a link is selected in a general manner. In addition, links may be replaced with multimedia contents reproduced on web pages. That is, when the play button of the video player displayed through the web browser of one side is selected, the video may be played in a new tab of the other web browser.

Hereinafter, a method of setting a plurality of web pages (that is, a plurality of tabs) to be displayed at once through a split mode will be described with reference to FIG. 12.

12 illustrates an example of a method for collectively setting tabs to be displayed in a split mode in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, referring to FIG. 12A, when the web browser is executed and the default screen is displayed, the web browser menu box 1210 described above with reference to FIG. 4B is called to display the split mode setting menu 1211. ) May be selected.

Accordingly, the split mode setting screen may be displayed as shown in FIG. In detail, as illustrated in FIG. 10B, the search area 1221 and the favorite thumbnails 1223, 1225, 1227, and 1229 may be displayed in the left area 1220. Also, a left web browser area 1230 and a right web browser area 1240 may be displayed in the right area.

At this time, the upper left thumbnail is dragged to the left web browser area 1230, and the upper right thumbnail 1227 and lower right thumbnail 1229 are dragged to the right web browser area 1240.

Accordingly, the thumbnails dragged as shown in FIG. 12C are displayed in each web browser area. The user may select the confirmation menu 1250 when finishing the split mode setting.

When the confirmation menu 1250 is selected, the split mode is displayed as set in the previous step as shown in FIG. In detail, tabs corresponding to the thumbnails 1233 included in the left web browser area 1230 in FIG. 12C are disposed in the left web browser 1260, and the tabs of FIG. In c), tabs corresponding to the thumbnails 1247 and 1249 included in the right web browser area 1240 may be disposed.

In the above-described embodiments, when switching from the portrait mode or the integrated mode to the split mode, the tabs included in the tab area of the existing web browser (the first web browser) are displayed with the left web browser (the second web browser). It is described as being divided into the right web browser (third web browser). In other respects, this does not mean that one web browser (the first web browser) is converted to two different web browsers (the second web browser and the third web browser), but instead of the existing web browser (the first web browser). It can also be seen that the size / shape is changed and a new web browser (second web browser) is created in the space created accordingly.

In addition, although it is assumed that the web browser is divided into left and right in the split mode, the web browser may be split vertically or vertically. In addition, although the left and right browser areas are shown to have the same size when the left and right browser areas are divided, the present invention is not limited thereto, and sizes of the left and right browsers may be variable.

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

The above-described message menu, the mobile terminal for displaying the same, and a method of controlling the same are not limited to the configuration and method of the above-described embodiments, but the embodiments may be modified in various ways. All or some of these may optionally be combined.

Claims (16)

A touch screen for displaying a first web browser including a tab area for displaying at least one tab and a web page area for displaying a web page corresponding to any one of the at least one tab; And
When a mode change signal is input when two or more taps exist in the tap area, each of the plurality of taps may be displayed in a second web browser displayed on the first area of the touch screen according to a predetermined criterion and in the second area of the touch screen. A mobile terminal including a control unit for controlling to be arranged in any one of the third web browser displayed. The method of claim 1,
The first web browser,
And a third area including the first area and the second area on the touch screen. The method of claim 2,
The second web browser,
Mobile terminal, characterized in that the size and shape of the first web browser is changed to correspond to the second area. The method of claim 1,
Further comprising a sensing module for detecting the horizontal / vertical arrangement state of the mobile terminal,
The mode switch signal,
And a signal input from the sensing module as the mobile terminal detects that the mobile terminal is disposed vertically and horizontally. The method of claim 1,
The first web browser further includes a mode switch button,
The control unit,
And recognizing that the mode switch signal is input when the mode switch button is selected as a touch input through the touch screen. The method of claim 1,
The control unit,
And controlling a web page corresponding to a tab activated in the first web browser to be displayed in the web page area. The method according to claim 6,
The controller, if the mode switch signal is input,
Tabs positioned in the first direction with respect to the activated tabs and the activated tabs in the tab area are arranged in the second web browser, except for tabs arranged in the second web browser, among the plurality of tabs. The mobile terminal, characterized in that arranged in the third web browser. The method according to claim 6,
Further comprising a memory unit for storing the bookmark information for the preset web page in two or more different locations,
The predetermined criterion is
And a web page corresponding to each of the plurality of tabs in a category or bookmark information of the web page corresponding to each of the plurality of tabs. The method of claim 1,
The second web browser and the third web browser,
A mobile terminal comprising a tab area and a web page area, respectively. The method of claim 9,
The control unit,
If the drag touch input starting from a specific tab located in the tab area of the third web browser ends in the web page area of the second web browser,
And move the specific tab to a tab area of the second web browser, and control to display a web page corresponding to the specific tab in a web page area of the second web browser. The method of claim 9,
The control unit,
If a link of a web page displayed in the web page area of the third web browser is selected through a touch input input on the touch screen and then moved to the web page area of the second web browser, the web of the second web browser is displayed. And a web page indicated by the link is displayed in a page area. 12. The method of claim 11,
The control unit,
And when the link is selected, controlling the link to be enlarged by a predetermined ratio. 12. The method of claim 11,
The control unit,
And when the link is selected and moved to a web page area of the second web browser, a control unit for controlling a tab corresponding to a web page indicated by the link to be generated in a tab area of the second web browser. Displaying a first web browser on a touch screen, the first web browser including a tab area for displaying at least one tab and a web page area for displaying a web page corresponding to any one of the at least one tab;
Inputting a mode switch signal when two or more taps are present in the tap area; And
And each of the plurality of tabs is disposed in any one of a second web browser displayed in the first area of the touch screen and a third web browser displayed in the second area of the touch screen according to a predetermined criterion. Terminal control method. The method of claim 14,
Wherein the mode switching signal is input,
And receiving a signal indicating that the mobile terminal is vertically arranged horizontally from a sensing module for detecting a horizontal / vertical arrangement of the mobile terminal. The method of claim 14,
The first web browser further includes a mode switch button,
Wherein the mode switching signal is input,
And selecting the mode switch button as a touch input through the touch screen.

Images