KR101360213B1 - Apparatus and method for controlling key matrix in portable terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a key matrix control apparatus and method for a portable terminal capable of adjusting the brightness of a group of at least one light emitting device included in a key matrix and then grouping the light emitting device groups. To this end, the present invention stores the information of the group of light emitting devices grouped by the user and when the power is turned on, by controlling the light emitting device group in the key matrix according to the information of the stored light emitting device group by different current values, Control the brightness step by step.

Key Matrix, Light Emitting Device, Brightness Control

Description

Key matrix control device and method of mobile terminal {APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING KEY MATRIX IN PORTABLE TERMINAL}

The present invention relates to a key matrix control apparatus and a method of a portable terminal that can adjust the brightness of the light emitting device provided in the key matrix in steps.

A portable terminal is a portable device that is portable and has one or more of voice and video call function, information input / output function, and data storage function.

As the functions are diversified, for example, the mobile terminal has 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. Many new attempts have been applied to these portable terminals in terms of hardware or software to implement complex functions. For example, a user interface environment is provided for a user to easily and conveniently search for or select a function.

In addition, the mobile terminal is regarded as a personal portable device for expressing its own personality, and there is a demand for a variety of visual parts of various designs and key matrices.

However, conventionally, a light emitting device such as a key LED or an EL-sheet provided in a key matrix of a mobile terminal is turned on at a time to enable key input even at night, and the brightness of the key matrix is gradually adjusted to provide visual ( No attempt was made to highlight the Visual section.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a key matrix control apparatus and method for a portable terminal capable of emphasizing a visual part by controlling the brightness of a light emitting element in a key matrix.

A portable terminal related to an embodiment of the present invention for realizing the above object is to display a type of light emitting device or group of light emitting devices on a user menu, and the light emitting device or light emitting device selected by the user from among the displayed light emitting device or light emitting device group. Save group information.

When the power is turned on, the portable terminal reads the register value and the current amount corresponding to the light emitting element or the light emitting element group from the storage unit when the power is turned on, and controls the driving unit according to the read register value and the current amount. The brightness of at least one light emitting device or a group of light emitting devices is controlled according to the output of the driver.

In order to perform the control operation, the portable terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a key matrix including a plurality of light emitting devices and a display for displaying at least one light emitting device on a user menu so that a user can classify the light emitting device groups. A module; A storage unit for storing information of a light emitting device group (or a light emitting device) selected by a user in the user menu; When the power is turned on, the control unit may include a controller configured to control the brightness of the light emitting device groups (or light emitting devices) by reading a register value and a current amount corresponding to the light emitting device group from the storage unit.

Preferably, the light emitting element is a key LED or EL-sheet, and the register value indicates an individual light emitting element or a group of light emitting elements.

Preferably, the controller includes a driver for controlling the brightness of the light emitting device group.

Preferably, the information of the light emitting device group includes a color of each light emitting device, a light emitting device group, a brightness control order of each light emitting device group, and a register value and a current amount of each light emitting device group.

According to the present invention, by grouping at least one light emitting device included in the key matrix and adjusting the brightness of the light emitting device group stepwise, the user can emphasize the visual part more conveniently and variously.

The portable terminal described in this specification includes a mobile phone, a smart phone, a notebook computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), a PMP (Portable Multimedia Player), and navigation.

Hereinafter, a portable terminal related to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

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

The illustrated mobile terminal 100 includes a wireless communication unit 110, an A / V input unit 120, an operation unit 130, a detection unit 140, an output unit 150, and a storage unit 160. , An interface unit 170, a controller 180, and a power supply unit 190 may be included.

It should be noted that the above components may be combined into two or more components into one component, or one component may be subdivided into two or more components in actual application.

Hereinafter, the components will be described in order.

The wireless communication unit 110 may include a broadcast receiving module 111, a mobile communication module 112, a wireless Internet module 113, a short distance communication module 114, and a GPS module 115.

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives broadcast signals and / or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management server through a broadcast channel. The broadcast channel may include a satellite channel and a terrestrial channel. The broadcast management server may refer to a server for generating and transmitting broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information, or a server for receiving broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information generated by the broadcast management server and transmitting the generated broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information. The broadcast-related information may refer to a broadcast channel, a broadcast program, or information related to a broadcast service provider. 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.

Meanwhile, the broadcast related information may be provided through a mobile communication network, and in this case, it may be received by the mobile communication module 112.

The broadcast-related information may exist in various forms. For example, an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) of DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) or an ESG (Electronic Service Guide) of Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H).

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives broadcasting signals using various broadcasting systems. In particular, the broadcasting receiving module 111 may be a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DMB-T), a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Satellite (DMB-S) Only Digital Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H), Integrated Services Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial (ISDB-T), and the like. Of course, the broadcast receiving module 111 is configured to be suitable for all broadcasting systems that provide broadcasting signals as well as the digital broadcasting system described above.

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

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

The wireless Internet module 113 refers to a module for wireless Internet access, and the wireless Internet module 113 can be built in or externally.

The short-range communication module 114 is 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, etc. may be used.

The GPS (Global Position System) module 115 receives position information from a plurality of satellites.

The A / V (Audio / Video) input unit 120 is for inputting an audio signal or a video signal. The audio / video input unit 120 may include a camera module 121 and a microphone module 122. The camera module 121 processes image frames such as still images or moving images obtained by the image sensor in the video communication mode or the photographing mode. Then, the processed image frame can be displayed on the display module 151.

The image frame processed by the camera module 121 may be stored in the storage unit 160 or may be transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication unit 110. [ The camera module 121 may be equipped with two or more cameras according to the configuration of the terminal.

The microphone module 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. The microphone module 122 may implement various noise removing algorithms for removing noise generated in the process of receiving an external sound signal.

The operation unit 130 generates key input data input by the user for controlling the operation of the terminal. The operation unit 130 may include a key pad dome switch, a touch pad (static / static), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like. Particularly, when the touch pad has a mutual layer structure with the display module 151 described later, it can be called a touch screen.

The sensing unit 140 senses the current state of the portable terminal 100 and controls the operation of the portable terminal 100 such as the opening and closing states of the portable terminal 100, the position of the portable terminal 100, Gt; For example, when the portable terminal 100 is in the form of a slide phone, it is possible to detect whether the slide phone is opened or closed. In addition, it is responsible for sensing whether the power supply unit 190 is powered on, whether the interface unit 170 is connected to an external device, and the like.

The interface unit 170 serves as an interface with all the external devices connected to the portable terminal 100. For example, it may be a wired / wireless headset, an external charger, a wired / wireless data port, a card socket (e.g. a memory card, a SIM / UIM card), an audio I / I / O (input / output) terminals, and earphones. The interface unit 170 receives data from an external device or receives power from the external device, transfers the data to each component in the portable terminal 100, or transmits data in the portable terminal 100 to an external device.

The output unit 150 is for outputting an audio signal, a video signal, or an alarm signal. The output unit 150 may include a display module 151, an audio output module 152, an alarm output module 153, and the like .

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

Meanwhile, as described above, when the display module 13 and the touch pad have a mutual layer structure to constitute a touch screen, the display module 151 can be used as an input device in addition to the output device. The display module 151 may be a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode, a flexible display, a three-dimensional display 3D display). Also, there may be two or more display modules 151 according to the implementation mode of the portable terminal 100. [ For example, the portable terminal 100 may include an external display module (not shown) and an internal display module (not shown) at the same time.

The audio output module 152 outputs audio data received from the wireless communication unit 110 or stored in the storage unit 160 in a call signal reception mode, a call mode or a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, and a broadcast reception mode. The sound output module 152 outputs sound signals related to functions (e.g., call signal reception sound, message reception sound, and the like) performed in the portable terminal 100. The sound output module 152 may include a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

The alarm output module 153 outputs a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event of the portable terminal 100. Examples of events occurring in the portable terminal include receiving a call signal, receiving a message, and inputting a key signal. The alarm output module 153 outputs a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event in a form other than an audio signal or a video signal. For example, it is possible to output a signal in a vibration mode. When a call signal is received or a message is received, the alarm output module 153 may output a vibration to notify this. Alternatively, when the key signal is input, the alarm output module 153 can output the vibration as the feedback to the key signal input. The user can recognize the occurrence of an event through the vibration output as described above. Of course, a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event may also be output through the display module 151 or the sound output module 152.

The storage unit 160 may store a program for processing and controlling the control unit 180, and for temporarily storing the input / output data (for example, a phone book, a message, a still image, a video, etc.). You can also perform a function.

The storage unit 160 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory) , A RAM, and a ROM. In addition, the portable terminal 100 may operate a web storage that performs a storage function of the storage unit 150 on the Internet.

The controller 180 controls the overall operation of the portable terminal. For example, voice communication, data communication, video communication, and the like. In addition, the control unit 180 may include a multimedia playback module 181 for multimedia playback. The multimedia playback module 181 may be configured in hardware in the controller 180 or separately from software in the controller 180. [

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.

In the foregoing, the mobile terminal related to the present invention has been examined from the viewpoint of components according to functions. Hereinafter, the portable terminal related to the present invention will be further described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 in terms of components according to the external form. Hereinafter, for simplicity of explanation, a slider type portable terminal will be exemplified among various types of portable terminals such as a folder type, a bar type, a swing type, a slider type, and the like. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the slider type portable terminal, but can be applied to all types of portable terminals including the aforementioned type.

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

In the case of a slide phone, the portable terminal of the present invention includes a first body 100A and a second body 100B configured to be slidable in at least one direction on the first body 100A. On the other hand, in the case of a folder phone, the portable terminal of the present invention includes a first body and a second body configured to be folded or unfolded at least one side of the first body. In this case, a state in which the first body 100A is disposed to overlap with the second body 100B is called a closed configuration, and as shown in the drawing, the first body 100A is the second body ( The exposed state of at least a portion of 100B) is called an open configuration.

The portable terminal operates mainly in the standby mode in the closed state, but the standby mode is also released by the operation of the user. In addition, the portable terminal operates mainly in a communication mode in an open state, but may be switched to a standby mode by a user's operation or a predetermined period of time.

The casing (casing, housing, cover, etc.) constituting the outer appearance of the first body 100A is formed by the first front case 100A-1 and the first rear case 100A-2. Various electronic components are embedded in the space formed by the first front case 100A-1 and the first rear case 100A-2. At least one intermediate case may be additionally disposed between the first front case 100A-1 and the first rear case 100A-2.

The cases may be formed by injecting a 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 module 151, the first sound output module 152-1, the first camera module 121-1, or the first operation module 121-1 is connected to the first body 100A, specifically, the first front case 100A- (130-1) may be disposed.

The display module 151 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD), organic light emitting diodes (OLED), and the like, which visually express information.

In addition, since the touch pad is superimposed on the display module 151 in a layer structure, the display module 151 may operate as a touch screen to enable input of information by a user's touch.

The first sound output module 152-1 may be implemented in the form of a receiver or a speaker.

The first camera module 121-1 may be implemented to be suitable for capturing an image or a video of a user.

The first manipulation unit 130-1 includes a key matrix for inputting a command such as start, end, scroll, and the like, and the key matrix includes at least one key LED grouped together.

Like the first body 100A, the case constituting the outer appearance of the second body 100B is formed by the second front case 100B-1 and the second rear case 100B-2.

The second operating portion 130-2 may be disposed on the front face of the second body 100B, specifically, the second front case 100B-1.

The third operating unit 130-3, the microphone module 122, and the interface unit 170 may be disposed on at least one of the first front case 100B-1 and the second rear case 100B-2.

The first to third manipulation units 130-1, 130-2, and 130-3 may be collectively referred to as a manipulating portion 130, and may be manipulated while giving a tactile feeling to the user. May be employed in any manner.

For example, the operation unit may be implemented as a dome switch or a touch pad that may receive a command or information by a user's push or touch operation, or may be operated by a wheel or jog method that rotates a key or a joystick. Can be implemented.

In terms of functions, the first operation unit 130-1 is for inputting commands such as start, end, and scroll, and the second operation unit 130-2 is for inputting numbers, characters, symbols, will be.

Also, the third operating unit 130-3 may operate as a hot-key for activating a special function in the portable terminal.

The microphone module 122 may be implemented in a form suitable for receiving a user's voice, other sounds, and the like.

The interface unit 170 is a channel through which the portable terminal related to the present invention can exchange data with an external device. For example, the interface unit 170 may be a wired or wireless connection terminal for connecting to an earphone, a port for short-range communication (for example, an IrDA port, a Bluetooth port, a wireless LAN port, etc.), or power supply terminals for supplying power to the portable terminal.

The interface unit 170 may be a card socket that accommodates an external card such as a subscriber identification module (SIM) or a user identity module (UIM) and a memory card for storing information. (Or the interface unit 170 has already been described above, a detailed description thereof will be omitted).

A power supply unit 190 for supplying power to the portable terminal is mounted on the second rear case 100B-2.

The power supply unit 190 may be detachably coupled to a rechargeable battery, for example, for charging.

3 is a rear perspective view of the portable terminal of FIG.

Referring to FIG. 3, a second camera module 121-2 may be further mounted on the rear surface of the second rear case 100B-2 of the second body 100B. The second camera module 121-2 has a photographing direction substantially opposite to that of the first camera module 121-1 (see FIG. 1), and may have different pixels from the first camera module 121-1 (see FIG. 1).

For example, the first camera module 121-1 has low pixels so that it is easy to capture a face of a user in the case of a video call or the like and transmit it to the other party, and the second camera module 121-2 has a general object It is often desirable to have a high pixel.

A flash 121-3 and a mirror 121-4 may be further disposed adjacent to the second camera module 121-2. The flash 121-3 shines light toward the subject when the subject is photographed by the second camera module 121-2. The mirror 121-4 allows the user to illuminate the user's face or the like when the user intends to take a picture of himself / herself (self-photographing) using the second camera module 121-2.

The second sound output module 152-2 may be additionally disposed in the second rear case 100B-2.

The second sound output module 152-2 may implement a stereo function together with the first sound output module 152-1 (see FIG. 2), and may be used for a call in a speakerphone mode.

Further, on one side of the second rear case 100B-2, a broadcast signal receiving antenna 111-1 may be arranged in addition to an antenna for communication. The antenna 111-1 may be installed to be able to be drawn out from the second body 100B.

A portion of the slide module 100C that slidably couples the first body 100A and the second body 100B is disposed on the first rear case 100A-2 side of the first body 100A.

The other part of the slide module 100C may be disposed on the second front case 100B-1 side of the second body 100B and may not be exposed to the outside as in this figure.

The second camera module 121-2 and the like are disposed on the second body 100B, the present invention is not limited thereto.

For example, at least two of the configurations 111-1, 121-2 to 121-3, and 152-2 described as being arranged in the second rear case 100B-2, such as the second camera module 121-2, It is also possible that at least one is mounted on the first body 100A, mainly the first rear case 100A-2. In such a case, there is an advantage in that the configuration (s) disposed on the first rear case 100A-2 in the closed state are protected by the second body 100B. Furthermore, even if the second camera module 121-2 is not separately provided, the first camera module 121-1 is formed to be rotatable so that shooting can be performed up to the shooting direction of the second camera module 121-2. May be

3 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

An embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 3 includes a wireless communication unit 110, an operation unit 130, an output unit 150, a memory 160, a control unit 180, and a power supply unit 190.

The wireless communication unit 110 may include a broadcast receiving module 111, a mobile communication module 112, a wireless Internet module 113, a short distance communication module 114, and a GPS module 115.

The wireless communication unit 110 is connected to the Internet through any one of the mobile communication module 112, the wireless Internet module 113 and the short-range communication module 114 in addition to the transmission / reception of voice data, text data, And receives desired information from the web server.

The operation unit 130 generates key input data input by the user for controlling the operation of the terminal, and generates key data for adjusting the grouping of key LEDs and the amount of current of the key LEDs for each group. The operation unit 130 may include a key pad dome switch, a touch pad (static / static), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like. Particularly, when the touch pad has a mutual layer structure with the display module 151 described later, it can be called a touch screen.

The output unit 150 may include a display module 151, an audio output module 152, an alarm output module 153, and the like.

The display module 151 displays and outputs information processed by the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the portable terminal is in the call mode, a UI (User Interface) or GUI (Graphic User Interface) associated with a call is displayed.

The sound output module 152 outputs audio data received from the wireless communication unit 110 or stored in the storage unit 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 (for example, a call signal reception sound, a message reception sound, etc.) performed in the mobile terminal 100, and adjusts the amount of current for each LDE group in stages. Sound signal can be output when adjusting the brightness. The sound output module 152 may include a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

The storage unit 160 may store a program for processing and controlling the control unit 180, and for temporarily storing the input / output data (for example, a phone book, a message, a still image, a video, etc.). You can also perform a function.

In addition, the storage unit 160 stores the key LED group set by the user on the menu and the amount of current of the key LED for each LED group. The storage unit 160 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory) , A RAM, and a ROM. In addition, the mobile terminal 100 may operate a web storage that performs a storage function of the storage unit 150 on the Internet.

The controller 180 controls the overall operation of the portable terminal. For example, voice communication, data communication, video communication, and the like. In addition to the normal function control, the control unit 180 additionally controls bookmark point setting, display, and related operations related to the present invention.

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.

Hereinafter, a brightness control method of a key matrix according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

4 is a block diagram of a key matrix control device of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 4, the key matrix control apparatus of the portable terminal according to the present invention includes an operation unit 130, an output unit 150, a storage unit 160, a controller 180, and a driver 200.

The manipulation unit 130 is one of the first manipulation unit 130-1 and the second manipulation unit 130-2 shown in FIG. 1, and is implemented as a key matrix including at least one light emitting device. Preferably, the light emitting element is a key LED. The brightness of the key LED constituting the key matrix is adjusted according to the amount of current output from the driver 200 under the control of the controller 180.

The output unit 150 is for outputting an audio signal, a video signal, or an alarm signal. The output unit 150 may include a display module 151, an audio output module 152, an alarm output module 153, and the like .

The display module 151 displays and outputs information processed by the mobile terminal 100, and the audio output module 152 performs functions (for example, call signal reception sound, message reception sound, and brightness of a key matrix) performed in the mobile terminal. Outputs sound signals related to control, etc.). The sound output module 152 may include a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

The storage unit 160 stores a program for processing and control of the controller 180 or temporarily stores input / output data such as a message, a still image, a video, and the like, in particular, a grouped key LED in a key matrix. It stores the register value and current value to adjust the current of. The storage unit 160 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory) , A RAM, and a ROM.

The controller 180 controls the overall operation of the portable terminal. For example, voice communication, data communication, video communication, and the like. In addition to the normal function control, the controller 180 additionally performs a control operation for gradually adjusting the brightness of the key LED or the key LED group in the key matrix. In addition, when the power of the portable terminal is turned on, the controller 180 reads a current value stored in association with a register value in the storage unit 160 and outputs a control signal to the driver 200. The control signal includes all of the read register value or other current value corresponding thereto.

The driving unit 200 outputs a current for driving the key LED groups GP1, GP2, Gp3, .. in the operation unit 130 according to a control signal output from the controller 180, and is configured as a charge pump. The driver 200 receives a control signal or a register value from the controller 180 and outputs a corresponding current value to each key LED group.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, the driving unit 200 may be configured to be included in the controller 180 instead of being separated from the controller 180, and the operation is the same. In this case, the driving unit 200 receives a control signal from a mobile station modem (MSM) (or a processor) (not shown).

The operation of the key matrix control device of the mobile terminal configured as described above will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the menu, the user may divide the plurality of light emitting devices included in the key matrix into groups to be adjusted. Preferably, the light emitting device may be a key LED or an El-sheet, and other types of devices may be possible. In addition, each group includes at least one light emitting device. In this case, the grouping of the key LEDs includes not only the number and shape, but also the emission color of the key LEDs.

The user can set the operation order of each LED group and the current value for each LED group on the menu. That is, the controller 180 displays various types of information of the divided key LED groups on the display screen and allows the user to select them. In this case, the information includes a brightness control sequence and a plurality of current values for each key LED group, and the brightness control sequence is understood to be performed first from a group having a small current value.

Each of the selected light emitting device groups and a current adjustment amount (current value) thereof are stored in the storage unit 160 under the control of the controller 180 as shown in FIG. 8. At this time, the register values D1 to D5 represent one key LED group, and DIN1-4 or DIN5-6 represent current values of any key LED group.

Therefore, when the portable terminal is powered on, the driving unit 200 is operated according to the register value stored in correspondence with each light emitting device group, thereby adjusting the brightness of the light emitting device group in stages. In the present invention, an example of adjusting the brightness of the key LED group will be described. In this case, an operation of changing the brightness of the light emitting device group may be output together with the sound through the sound output module 152 of the output unit 150.

6 is a view showing an example of a key LED group in an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, the key LEDs in the key matrix may be divided into three groups based on each concentric circle. The first group GP1 includes LED1, the second group GP2 includes LED2 to LED5, and the third group GP3 includes LED6 to LED9, respectively.

Therefore, in the case of the key LED group as described above, when the portable terminal is turned on, the LED1 of the first group GP1 becomes bright first, and then the LEDs 2,3,4, and 5 of the second group GP2 gradually become brighter. Finally, the third group of LEDs 6, 7, 8 and 9 become brighter. At this time, the current value of the key LED in the same group is the same, the brightness control of the first to third groups may be made in various orders. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the first group-second group-third group order, or the third group-second group-first group order, or the second group-first group-first You can also do it in 3 group order.

7 is a view showing another example of a key LED group in an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 7, the first group GP1 includes LED1, the second group GP3 includes LED2, 3, 4, 6, and 9, and the third group GP3 includes LED2, 4, 5, 7, and 8 are included. Therefore, when the portable terminal is turned on, first the LED1 of the first group GP1 becomes bright, and then the LEDs 2, 3, 4, 6, and 9 of the second group GP2 gradually become brighter, and finally Three groups of LEDs 2, 4, 5, 7, and 8 become brighter. In this case, the brightness control of the first to third groups may be performed in various orders.

As described above, in the present invention, each LED group may be variously set according to the structure of the key matrix, the number and arrangement of the key LEDs, and the user's preference, and all of the LEDs may be applied to the keys provided in the portable terminal.

6 and 7, the current value for each key LED group is controlled by the register value of the storage unit 160.

That is, as shown in Figure 8, the storage unit 160 is set to the current value for the register value of the key LED group in the form of a table. The register value can be set by the user in the menu, and is set to a default value if not set by the user.

Therefore, when a register value of “00001” is output from the storage unit 160, the driver 200 outputs a current value of 0.8 mA to the first group LED1 under the control of the controller 180, and stores the current value. When a register value of “00010” is output from the unit 160, the driving unit 200 outputs a current value of 1.6 mA to the second group LED1 to adjust the brightness of each key LED. In addition, when a register value of “00011” is output from the storage unit 160, the driver 200 outputs a current value of 2.4 mA to the first group LED1 to adjust brightness of each key LED.

As described above, the present invention classifies a plurality of key LEDs into a predetermined group, stores a register value for each group current value in the storage unit 160, and stores the control unit 180 when the portable terminal is powered on. By controlling the driving unit 200 by reading the register value stored in the unit 160, the brightness of the key LED is changed by the current value of each group.

9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of adjusting brightness of a key matrix according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 9, when the portable terminal is powered on (S10), the controller 180 reads the register value and the current value for each key LED group stored in the storage 160 ( S11) and outputs a predetermined control signal to the LED group corresponding to the register value so that the set current value can be output (S12). Prior to the above steps, the user can set a key LED group in the menu. In this case, the user may individually set the LED group among the various key LED groups displayed on the display module 151 of the output unit 150 or set one among the predetermined key LED groups.

According to the control signal output from the controller 180, the driving unit 200 may output to each LED group to give an effect of brightening the key LED of each group step by step (S13). At this time, the erection control order of each LED group can be appropriately selected by the user as described above, and may also output the operation of changing the brightness of the key LED through the sound output module 152 of the output unit 150 together with sound. have.

The embodiment of the present invention described so far gives each LED group a different current value, giving the impression that the brightness of the LED's light is brightened step by step around the Ok key, for example.

However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the same effect may be applied to each key LED. In addition, the present invention may allow each of the key LED groups to display a different color, and each key LED group may be given the same current value to emphasize the visual part.

As such, the present invention provides various embodiments related to brightness control of a light emitting device provided in a key matrix. The embodiments may be implemented in a manufacturing method, apparatus, or article of manufacture using reference programming and / or engineering techniques to produce software, firmware, hardware, or a combination thereof. As used herein, the term product may be embodied in hardware logic (e.g., FPGA, ASIC, etc.), a computer readable medium (e.g., magnetic storage medium such as hard disk drive, floppy disk, (E. G., EEPROMs, ROMs, PROMs, RAMs, DRAMs, SRAMs, firmware, programmable logic, etc.)) and devices (CD-ROMs, optical disks, etc.) and volatile / non-volatile memory devices

The code in the computer readable medium is connected and executed by a processor. The implemented code of this embodiment is also connectable from the file server of the transmission medium or network. In this case, the product in which the code is implemented is composed of a network transmission line, a wireless transmission medium, a signal transmitted through a space, a radio wave, and a transmission medium such as an infrared signal. It will of course be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications may be made in this configuration without departing from the scope of the present invention and that the article of manufacture is comprised of an information bearing medium well known in the art ≪ / RTI >

The portable terminal having the web page management function described above can be applied to the configuration and method of the embodiments described above in a limited manner, but the embodiments can be applied to all or some of the embodiments so that various modifications can be made. Or may be selectively combined.

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

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

3 is a rear perspective view of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;

4 is a block diagram of a key matrix control device for a portable terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention;

5 is a block diagram of a key matrix control device of a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention;

6 is a view showing an example of a key LED group in an embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a view showing another example of a key LED group in another embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a view showing a current value for a register value of a key LED group in an embodiment of the present invention.

9 is a flowchart illustrating a brightness control method of a key matrix according to an embodiment of the present invention.

******* Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawing ********

130: operation unit 150: output unit

160: storage unit 180: control unit

200:

Claims (11)

In a key matrix having a plurality of light emitting elements, Classifying the plurality of light emitting devices into groups: And controlling the brightness of each group of light emitting devices in a stepwise manner by controlling a current value of the classified light emitting device groups. The method of claim 1, wherein the light emitting device Key matrix control method of a mobile terminal, characterized in that the key LED or EL-sheet. The method of claim 1, wherein the classifying the light emitting device Displaying a plurality of light emitting elements on a user menu; Selecting a desired light emitting device group from the displayed light emitting devices; And storing information on the selected groups of light emitting devices. The method of claim 3, wherein the information of the light emitting device group A method of controlling a key matrix of a portable terminal, characterized by including a color of a light emitting element, a brightness control order of each group, and a current value of each group. The method of claim 1, wherein the classifying the light emitting device Displaying various types of LED groups on a user menu; Selecting a light emitting device group of a specific type from the displayed light emitting device groups; And storing information on the selected groups of light emitting devices. In a key matrix having a plurality of light emitting elements, A display module displaying at least one light emitting device; A storage unit which stores information of each light emitting device group classified by a user among the light emitting devices; And a controller for controlling brightness of each light emitting device group according to the stored light emitting device group information. The method of claim 6, wherein the light emitting device Key matrix control device for a portable terminal, characterized in that the key LED or EL-sheet. The method of claim 6, wherein the light emitting device group A key matrix control device for a portable terminal, characterized in that the user directly sorts and sets or the user selects from a plurality of predetermined types. 7. The key matrix control apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a driver configured to adjust a current value of each light emitting device according to the control of the controller. The method of claim 6, wherein the information of the light emitting device group A key matrix control device for a portable terminal, comprising a color of a light emitting element, a brightness control order of each group, and a current value of each group. The key matrix control apparatus of claim 6, further comprising an audio output module configured to output a sound related to brightness control of the light emitting device group.

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