KR101448641B1 - Mobile terminal and method of executing function therein - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal capable of performing a function using a touch drag.

A mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a display unit having a touch screen; And a controller for entering the first item when a point touched on the touch screen is touched with a first item of the at least one item while at least one item is displayed.

Description

[0001] MOBILE TERMINAL AND METHOD OF EXECUTING FUNCTION THEREIN [0002]

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal capable of performing a function using a touch drag.

The mobile terminal may be configured to perform various functions. Examples of such various functions include a data and voice communication function, a function of photographing a video or a moving image through a camera, a voice storage function, a music file playback function through a speaker system, and an image or video display function. Some mobile terminals include additional functions to execute games, and some other mobile terminals are also implemented as multimedia devices. Moreover, recent mobile terminals can receive a broadcast or multicast signal to view a video or television program.

Further, efforts for supporting and increasing the functions of the mobile terminal continue. Such efforts include not only changes and improvements in structural components that form the mobile terminal, but also improvements in software or hardware.

Recently, mobile terminals capable of inputting key signals using a touch screen have been actively studied.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for performing a function of a mobile terminal and a mobile terminal capable of performing a specific function through touch dragging.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for performing functions of a mobile terminal and a mobile terminal that can enter a specific item when a touched point is touch dragged to a specific item.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display device comprising: a display unit having a touch screen; And a controller for entering a first item when a point touched on the touch screen is touched with a first item of the at least one item while at least one item is displayed.

According to an aspect of the present invention, Detecting that the touched point is touch-dragged to the first one of the at least one item; And entering into the first item.

A method for performing functions of a mobile terminal and a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention can easily perform a specific function using a touch drag.

The method of performing functions of the mobile terminal and the mobile terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention can easily enter the touch dragging into a specific item.

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

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

The mobile terminal may be implemented in various forms. For example, the mobile terminal described in this specification may be a mobile phone, a smart phone, a notebook computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), a PMP (Portable Multimedia Player) have.

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, An interface unit 170, a control unit 180, a power supply unit 190, and the like. 1 shows a mobile terminal having various components. However, not all illustrated components are required. A mobile terminal may be implemented by more components than the illustrated components, or a mobile terminal may be implemented by fewer components.

Hereinafter, the components will be described in order.

The wireless communication unit 110 may include one or more components that allow wireless communication between the mobile terminal 100 and the wireless communication system or wireless communication between the mobile terminal 100 and a network on which the mobile terminal 100 is located. For example, the wireless communication unit 110 may include a broadcast receiving module 111, a mobile communication module 112, a wireless Internet module 113, a short range communication module 114, and a location information module 115 .

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives broadcast signals and / or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management server through a broadcast channel. The broadcast channel may include a satellite channel and a terrestrial channel. The broadcast management server may refer to a server for generating and transmitting broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information, or a server for receiving broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information generated by the broadcast management server and transmitting the generated broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information. The broadcast-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 broadcast signals using various broadcasting systems. In particular, the broadcast 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 memory 160.

In addition, 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 is a module for wireless Internet access, and the wireless Internet module 113 can be built in or externally.

The short-range communication module 114 refers to a module for short-range communication. Bluetooth, radio frequency identification (RFID), infrared data association (IrDA), ultra wideband (UWB), ZigBee, and the like can be used as the short distance communication technology.

The location information module 115 is a module for confirming or obtaining the location of the mobile terminal. One example is the GPS (Global Position System) module. The GPS module receives position information from a plurality of satellites. Here, the location information may include coordinate information indicated by latitude and longitude. For example, the GPS module can accurately calculate the current location according to the triangulation method by measuring the precise time and distance from three or more satellites and measuring three different distances. A method of obtaining distance and time information from three satellites and correcting the error by one satellite may be used. In particular, the GPS module can acquire latitude, longitude and altitude as well as three-dimensional velocity information and accurate time from the position information received from the satellite.

An audio / video (A / V) input unit 120 is for inputting an audio signal or a video signal, and may include a camera 121 and a microphone 122. The camera 121 processes an image frame such as a still image or a moving image 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 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. [ The camera 121 may be equipped with two or more cameras according to the configuration of the terminal.

The microphone 122 receives an external sound signal by 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 122 may be implemented with various noise reduction algorithms for eliminating noise generated in receiving an external sound signal.

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

The sensing unit 140 senses the current state of the mobile terminal 100 such as the open / close state of the mobile terminal 100, the position of the mobile terminal 100, the presence or absence of user contact, the orientation of the mobile terminal, And generates a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal 100 is in the form of a slide phone, it is possible to sense whether the slide phone is opened or closed. Also, it is responsible for a sensing function related to whether or not 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 external devices connected to the mobile terminal 100. 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, Video input / output (I / O) ports, earphone ports, and the like.

Here, the identification module is a chip that stores 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 Universal Subscriber Identity Module (" USIM "), and the like. In addition, an apparatus having an identification module (hereinafter referred to as 'identification device') 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 170 receives data from an external device or receives power from the external device to transfer the data to each component in the mobile terminal 100 or to transmit data in the mobile terminal 100 to an external device.

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 unit 151, an audio output module 152, and an alarm unit 153.

The display unit 151 displays and outputs information processed by the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal is in the call mode, a UI (User Interface) or a GUI (Graphic User Interface) associated with a call is displayed. If the mobile 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 unit 13 and the touch pad have a mutual layer structure to constitute a touch screen, the display unit 151 can be used as an input device in addition to the output device. The display unit 151 may be a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode, a flexible display, a three-dimensional display 3D display). In addition, there may be two or more display units 151 according to the embodiment of the mobile terminal 100. For example, the mobile terminal 100 may be provided with an external display unit (not shown) and an internal display unit (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 memory 160 in a call signal reception mode, a call mode or a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcast reception mode, The sound output module 152 outputs an acoustic signal related to functions (e.g., call signal reception sound, message reception sound, etc.) performed in the mobile terminal 100. [ The sound output module 152 may include 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 receiving a call signal, receiving a message, and inputting a key signal. The alarm unit 153 may output a signal for informing 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 unit 153 can output a vibration to notify it. Alternatively, when the key signal is input, the alarm unit 153 can output the vibration by 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 unit 151 or the audio output module 152.

The memory 160 may store a program for processing and controlling the control unit 180 and may store a function for temporarily storing input / output data (e.g., a phone book, a message, a still image, .

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 (Programmable Read- And an optical disc. In addition, the mobile terminal 100 may operate a web storage for storing the memory 150 on the Internet.

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

The power supply unit 190 receives external power and internal power under the control of the controller 180 and supplies power necessary for operation of the respective components.

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

According to a hardware implementation, the embodiments described herein may be implemented as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays May be implemented using at least one of processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and electrical units for performing functions. In some cases, And may be implemented by the control unit 180.

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

 In the foregoing, the mobile terminal related to the present invention has been described in terms of components according to functions. Hereinafter, the mobile terminal related to the present invention will be further described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 in view of the components according to the outline. Hereinafter, for simplicity of explanation, a slider type mobile terminal will be described as an example among various types of mobile terminals such as a folder type, a bar type, a swing type, a slider type, and the like. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to a slider type mobile terminal but can be applied to all types of mobile terminals including the above-mentioned type.

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

The mobile terminal of the present invention includes a first body 200 and a second body 205 configured to be slidable along at least one direction on the first body 200.

The state where the first body 200 is disposed in a state of being overlapped with the second body 205 may be referred to as a closed configuration and the first body 200 may be referred to as a second body 205 ) May be referred to as an open configuration.

The mobile terminal operates mainly in the standby mode in the closed state, but the standby mode is also released by the operation of the user. The mobile terminal operates mainly in a communication mode in an open state, but is also 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 200 is formed by the first front case 220 and the first rear case 225. Various electronic components are installed in a space formed by the first front case 220 and the first rear case 225. At least one intermediate case may be additionally disposed between the first front case 220 and the first rear case 225.

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

A display module 151, an audio output module 152, a camera 121, or a first user input unit 210 may be disposed in the first body 200, specifically, the first front case 220.

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

In addition, the display module 151 may overlap the touch pad in a layer structure, so that the display unit 151 may operate as a touch screen to enable information input by a user's touch.

The sound output module 152 may be implemented in the form of a speaker.

The camera 121 may be implemented so as to be suitable for photographing an image or a moving image for a user or the like.

As in the case of the first body 200, the case constituting the outer appearance of the second body 205 is formed by the second front case 230 and the second rear case 235.

The second user input unit 215 may be disposed on the front surface of the second body 205, specifically, the second front case 230.

A microphone 122 and an interface unit 170 may be disposed on at least one of the first front case 230 and the second rear case 235. The third user input unit 245,

The first to third user input units 210, 215 and 245 may be collectively referred to as a manipulating portion 130. If the user operates in a tactile manner with a tactile impression, Can be employed.

For example, the user input unit may be implemented by a dome switch or a touch pad capable of receiving a command or information by a push or a touch operation of a user, or may be a wheel, a jog type, a joystick, or the like Can also be implemented.

In a functional aspect, the first user input unit 210 is for inputting commands such as start, end, scrolling, etc., and the second user input unit 215 is for inputting numbers, letters, symbols and the like.

Also, the third user input unit 245 may operate as a hot-key for activating a special function in the portable terminal.

The microphone 122 may be implemented in a form suitable for receiving voice, sound, etc. of the user.

The interface unit 170 is a path for allowing a mobile terminal related to the present invention to 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, (wireless Lan port), etc.), or power supply terminals for supplying power to the mobile terminal.

The interface unit 170 may be a card socket for accommodating an external card such as a subscriber identification module (SIM) or a user identity module (UIM) or a memory card for storing information.

And a power supply unit 190 for supplying power to the (mobile terminal) is mounted on the second rear case 235 side.

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 mobile terminal of FIG.

Referring to FIG. 3, a camera 121 may further be mounted on the rear surface of the second rear case 235 of the second body 205. The camera 121 of the second body 205 has a photographing direction which is substantially opposite to that of the camera 121 of the first body 200. The camera 121 of the first body 200 and the camera 121 of the first body 200, And different pixels.

For example, the camera 121 of the first body 200 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, Since it is often the case that a subject is photographed and not immediately transferred, it is preferable to have a high pixel.

A flash 250 and a mirror 255 may be additionally disposed adjacent to the camera 121 of the second body 205. The flash 250 illuminates the subject when the subject of the subject is photographed by the camera 121 of the second body 205. The mirror 255 allows the user to illuminate the user's own face or the like when the user intends to take a picture of himself / herself (self-photographing) using the camera 121 of the second body 205.

The second rear case 235 may further include an acoustic output module 152.

The sound output module 152 of the second body 205 may implement a stereo function together with the sound output module 152 of the first body 200 and may be used for a call in a speakerphone mode.

In addition, an antenna 260 for receiving broadcast signals may be disposed on one side of the second rear case 235 in addition to the antenna for communication. The antenna 260 may be installed to be detachable from the second body 205 (2).

A portion of the slide module 265 that slidably couples the first body 200 and the second body 205 is disposed on the first rear case 225 side of the first body 200.

The other part of the slide module 265 may be disposed on the second front case 230 side of the second body 205 and may not be exposed to the outside as in this figure.

The second camera 121 and the like are disposed on the second body 205, the present invention is not limited thereto.

For example, at least one of the configurations 260, 121 to 250, and 152 described as being disposed in the second rear case 235, such as the camera 121 of the second body, It is also possible that the first rear case 225 is mounted to the rear case 225. In such a case, there is an advantage that the configuration (s) disposed in the first rear case 225 in the closed state is protected by the second body 205. Further, even if the camera 121 of the second body is not separately provided, the camera 121 of the first body may be configured to be rotatable so that the camera 121 of the second body can be photographed up to the photographing direction .

The terminal 100 shown in Figs. 1 to 3 is operable in a communication system capable of transmitting data through a frame or a packet, including a wired / wireless communication system and a satellite-based communication system .

Hereinafter, a communication system capable of operating a terminal according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

The communication system may use different air interfaces and / or physical layers. For example, wireless interfaces that can be used by communication systems include, but are not limited to, Frequency Division Multiple Access ('FDMA'), Time Division Multiple Access ('TDMA'), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Universal Mobile Telecommunications Systems (UMTS) (especially Long Term Evolution (LTE)), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) . Hereinafter, for the sake of convenience of description, the description will be limited to CDMA. However, the present invention is applicable to all communication systems including CDMA wireless communication systems.

4, the CDMA wireless communication system includes a plurality of terminals 100, a plurality of base stations (BSs) 270, and base station controllers (BSCs) 275 , And a mobile switching center ('MSC') 280. MSC 280 is configured to be coupled to a Public Switched Telephone Network (" PSTN ") 290, and is also configured to be coupled to BSCs 275. BSCs 275 may be coupled in pairs with BS 270 through a backhaul line. The backhaul line may be provided according to at least one of E1 / T1, ATM, IP, PPP, Frame Relay, HDSL, ADSL or xDSL. Thus, a plurality of BSCs 275 may be included in the system shown in FIG.

Each BS 270 may comprise at least one sector, and each sector may comprise an omnidirectional antenna or an antenna pointing to a particular direction of radial from BS 270. [ In addition, each sector may include two or more antennas of various types. Each BS 270 may be configured to support a plurality of frequency assignments and each of the plurality of frequency assignments has a specific spectrum (e.g., 1.25 MHz, 5 MHz, etc.).

The intersection of sector and frequency assignment may be referred to as a CDMA channel. BS 270 may be referred to as a Base Station Transceiver Subsystem (BTSs). In this case, the word "base station" may be referred to as a combination of one BSC 275 and at least one BS 270. [ The base station may also indicate a "cell site ". Alternatively, each of the plurality of sectors for a particular BS 270 may be referred to as a plurality of cell sites.

4, a broadcasting transmitter (BT) 295 transmits a broadcasting signal to the terminals 100 operating in the system. The broadcast module 111 shown in FIG. 1 is provided in the terminal 100 to receive a broadcast signal transmitted by the BT 295.

In addition, FIG. 4 illustrates several Global Positioning System ('GPS') satellites 300. The satellites 300 help to locate at least one of the plurality of terminals 100. Although two satellites are shown in Figure 4, useful location information may be obtained by two or more satellites. The GPS module 115 shown in FIG. 1 cooperates with satellites 300 to obtain desired location information. Here, you can track your location using all of the technologies that can track your location, as well as your GPS tracking technology. Also, at least one of the GPS satellites 300 may optionally or additionally be responsible for satellite DMB transmission.

Among the typical operations of a wireless communication system, the BS 270 receives a reverse link signal from the various terminals 100. At this time, the terminals 100 are in the process of connecting a call, transmitting or receiving a message, or performing another communication operation. Each of the reverse link signals received by the particular base station 270 is processed by the particular base station 270. The data resulting from the processing is transmitted to the connected BSC 275. The BSC 275 provides call resource allocation and mobility management functions, including the organization of soft handoffs between the base stations 270. The BSC 275 also transmits the received data to the MSC 280 and the MSC 280 provides additional transmission services for connection with the PSTN 290. [ Similarly, the PSTN 290 connects to the MSC 280, the MSC 280 connects to the BSCs 275, and the BSCs 275 communicate with the BSs 270 ).

A method for performing a specific function using a touch-drag in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

Hereinafter, a mobile terminal 100 having a touch screen will be described as an example. The mobile terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can recognize the touch as a predetermined signal input when a touch screen is touched through a pointer. In this specification, a pointer is a tool for actually touching or touching a specific portion of a displayed screen. For example, there are stylus fans and fingers.

The mobile terminal 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may sense a touch through the sensing unit 140. [ The sensing unit 140 may include various sensors to perform various sensing functions. For example, a tactile sensor for sensing a touch may be provided.

A tactile sensor is a sensor that detects the contact of a specific object with a degree or more that a person feels. The tactile sensor can sense various information such as the roughness of the contact surface, the rigidity of the contact object, and the temperature of the contact point.

Also, the sensing unit 140 may sense a touch-drag. The sensing unit 140 may sense the drag direction of the touch-drag, the drag speed, and the drag length. The term "touch drag" refers to a case where a touched point is moved while a touch is maintained. That is, it refers to a case in which the touch is held and dragged.

5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of performing a specific function through touch dragging in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, the control unit 180 displays at least one item on the display unit 151 (S10). The at least one item may be displayed in various forms. It can also be displayed in the form of an icon, or in the form of a list.

The at least one item to be displayed may be an item representing various information. For example, it may be an item representing a menu or an item representing contents.

In addition, the controller 180 may display the at least one item by various signal inputs. For example, when a specific item is displayed and the specific item is touched for a predetermined time, the controller 180 may display at least one sub-item for the specific item. In this case, the control unit 180 may display the at least one lower item around the touched point so that the user can identify at least one lower item to be displayed.

If the touch point on the display unit 151 is touched and dragged as the first item among the displayed at least one item, the controller 180 may enter the first item (S20, S30). The control unit 180 may output the vibration through the alarm unit 153 or may output the audio signal through the sound output module 152 to notify the user of the entry when the first item is entered. In the present specification, the expression "enter a specific item" can be interpreted to mean a function related to the specific item. For example, the function related to the specific item may include displaying a lower item of the specific item when a lower item corresponding to the specific item exists, or displaying a lower item corresponding to the specific item , And immediately executing the function corresponding to the specific item.

If the touch of the touched point is released without touching the first item among the at least one item in which the touched point is displayed on the display unit 151, the control unit 180 displays the displayed at least one item (Including the first item) disappear (S20, S40, S50). Touch release refers to a case where the touch of the pointer and the display unit 151 is not maintained when the touched pointer is separated from the display unit 151 by a predetermined distance or more.

Hereinafter, a method for performing a function related to a specific item through touch dragging in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of entering a sub-menu through touch dragging in a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

6A shows a state in which a plurality of menu items are touched by a pointer (a finger in a screen) on a screen in which an icon is displayed. If the specific menu item 601 is touched for a predetermined time, the controller 180 may display a pop-up window 603 including a sub-menu for the specific item (FIG. 6B). The predetermined touch time required to display the submenu popup window 603 may be set by the user or may be default. The predetermined time may be necessary for preventing malfunction of the user or distinguishing it from other touch signals. The pop-up window 603 may be displayed in an overlapping manner over a plurality of displayed menu items. Of course, the control unit 180 may control to display only the pop-up window 603 while a plurality of menu items disappear.

The touched point (601 in the illustrated screen) displays a popup window 603 including a submenu for the specific menu item 601 and displays any one of the submenus for the specific menu item 601 The control unit 180 can enter the item 605 corresponding to the point where the pointer is moved by touch dragging. If the item 605 is entered, the control unit 180 may display a lower item for the item 605. [ An example of such is shown in Figure 6c. In this case, the control unit 180 may display the at least one lower item around the touched point so that the user can identify at least one lower item to be displayed.

That is, according to the method shown in FIG. 6, the user can hierarchically enter the submenu using the touch drag.

On the other hand, the control unit 180 may return to the previous step by inputting a specific key signal. For example, the user can press the side key 609 to return to the previous menu display step. In addition, when the submenu is displayed so as to overlap with the upper menu, the user may return to the previous step by touching a portion other than the popup window including the submenu.

In addition, when the touch of the touched point is released, the control unit 180 may control the displayed item to disappear. An example of such is shown in Fig.

FIG. 7A shows a state in which a specific menu item is touched by a pointer (a finger in the displayed screen) on a screen in which a plurality of menu items are displayed on an icon. If the specific menu item 601 is touched for a predetermined time, the controller 180 may display a pop-up window 603 including a sub-menu for the specific item.

7A, the controller 180 may control the pop-up window 603 to disappear (FIG. 7B). Alternatively, the control unit 180 may cause the pop-up window 603 to disappear when the touch is released for a predetermined time. The predetermined tear-off time necessary for disappearing the menu pop-up window 603 may be set by the user or may be default. The predetermined time may be necessary for preventing malfunction of the user.

6A and 6B, when a specific item is touched for a predetermined time and a sub menu for a specific item is displayed, the control unit 180 displays a sub menu for the specific menu according to the position of the touched point It can also be displayed in other forms. FIG. 8 shows an example of displaying a submenu for a specific menu in a form different from the method shown in FIG.

8A shows a state in which a plurality of menu items are touched by a pointer (a finger in the displayed screen) on a specific menu item on the screen where the icon is displayed. When the specific menu item 801 is touched for a predetermined time, the controller 180 may display a pop-up window 803 including a sub-menu for the specific item (FIG. 8B). In this case, since the point at which the touched menu item 801 is located is the corner portion of the screen, when the submenu for the menu item 801 is displayed centered on the touched point, some submenu items are displayed . Accordingly, the controller 180 can display the pop-up window 803 in the form of "b" so that the submenu for the menu item 801 can be displayed as much as possible. Of course, the "?" -Type popup window 803 is an example, and its shape can be changed into various forms. The predetermined touch time required to display the submenu popup window 803 may be set by the user or may be default. The predetermined time may be necessary for preventing malfunction of the user or distinguishing it from other touch signals. The pop-up window 803 may be displayed to overlap with a plurality of displayed menu items. Of course, the control unit 180 may control the display of only the pop-up window 803 when a plurality of menu items disappear.

In the state where the popup window 803 including the submenu for the specific menu item 801 is displayed, the touched point (801 in the illustrated screen) When the user drag-and-touches the item 805, the control unit 180 can enter the item 805 corresponding to the point where the pointer is moved by the touch drag. If the item 805 is entered, the control unit 180 may display a lower item for the item 805. FIG. An example of such is shown in Fig. 8c.

On the other hand, the control unit 180 may return to the previous step by inputting a specific key signal. For example, the user can press the side key 809 to return to the previous menu display step. In addition, when the submenu is displayed so as to overlap with the upper menu, the user may return to the previous step by touching a portion other than the popup window including the submenu.

Meanwhile, the mobile terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may move a pop-up window including a sub-item for a specific item through touch input. An example of such is shown in Fig.

FIG. 9A shows a state in which a specific menu item is touched by a pointer (a finger in the displayed screen) on a screen in which a plurality of menu items are displayed with icons. If the specific menu item 901 is touched for a predetermined time, the controller 180 may display a pop-up window 903 including a sub-menu for the specific item (FIG. 9B). In this case, since the point where the touched menu item 901 is located is the corner portion of the screen, if a submenu for the menu item 901 is displayed with the touched point as the center, some invisible submenu items may not be displayed .

Accordingly, the control unit 180 may display some invisible sub-menu items through the movement of the pop-up window 903. When the pop-up window 903 is set to the moving mode, the user can move the pop-up window 903 to a desired position through touch dragging. In order to let the user know whether the pop-up window 903 is set to the moving mode, the controller 180 may display the pop-up window 903 in an identifiable manner. For example, light may be displayed on the edge of the pop-up window 903, or the color of the pop-up window 903 may be changed. Also, the controller 180 may set the pop-up window 903 to the movement mode or cancel the movement mode setting of the pop-up window 903 by inputting a specific signal. For example, when the pop-up window 903 is displayed and a central portion of the pop-up window 903 is touched, the user can be set to the movement mode.

When the moving mode of the pop-up window 903 is set, the control unit 180 moves the pop-up window 903 without touching the sub-menu displayed in the pop-up window 903 by touch dragging 9c). When the user has moved to a desired point by the touch dragging, the controller 180 can release the moving mode of the pop-up window 903 by inputting a specific signal. For example, if the pop-up window 903 for which the movement mode is set is touched again, the movement mode can be canceled. In other words, it is possible to set the iso mode alternately according to the number of touches, and to release the set movement mode. When the movement mode is canceled, the control unit 180 may cause the light that has gleamed at the edge of the pop-up window 903 to disappear. When the moving mode is released, the submenu can be entered by touch dragging as in the method shown in Fig. For example, when a pop-up window 903 including a sub-menu for a specific menu item 901 is displayed and is touched and dragged to any one of the sub-menus 905 for a particular menu item 901 , The control unit 180 can enter the item 905 corresponding to the point where the pointer is moved by the touch drag. If the item 905 is entered, the control unit 180 may display a lower item for the item 905. FIG.

Meanwhile, the mobile terminal 100 related to an embodiment of the present invention can display information related to icons displayed in an indicator area by touch dragging. The indicator area refers to a predetermined area of the display screen on which an icon for indicating specific information is displayed. For example, an indicator area may be an upper part of the screen where an icon representing a reception intensity, a message related icon, and an icon representing a battery intensity are displayed.

10 illustrates an example of confirming a received message through touch dragging in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 10A, when the message related icon is out of the indicator area and is touch-dragged to the center portion of the screen, the controller 180 can display a message that the user has not read (FIG. 10B).

Although FIG. 10 shows only message related icons, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, when the user touches the center portion of the screen beyond the icon indicator area indicating the battery strength, the controller 180 may display information on the battery availability time in detail.

Further, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the above-described method can be implemented as computer-readable code on a medium on which a program is recorded. The computer readable medium includes all kinds of recording devices in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored. Examples of the computer-readable medium include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage, and the like, and also implemented in the form of a carrier wave (for example, transmission over the Internet) . In addition, the computer may include a control unit 180 of the terminal.

The mobile terminal capable of performing a specific function through the above-described touch dragging is not limited in the configuration and method of the above-described embodiments. All or some of the examples may be selectively combined.

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 rear perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a block diagram of a wireless communication system in which a mobile terminal can operate in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of performing a specific function through touch dragging in a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

6 to 10 are views showing an example of performing a specific function through touch dragging in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (11)

A display unit having a touch screen; And Controls the display unit to display at least one lower item for the first item around the touched first item when the first item is touched for a predetermined time with the first item displayed on the display unit, And a control unit for entering the second item when a touched point on the touch screen is touch-dragged to a second item of at least one sub-item for the first item, When the point where the first item is located is the corner of the display unit, the surroundings are in the form of "b ". delete The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein at least one sub-item including the second item is displayed so as to overlap the plurality of items including the first item. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the mobile terminal Further comprising an alarm unit, wherein the control unit outputs the vibration through the alarm unit when entering the second item by the touch dragging. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit And controls to delete at least one item including the second item when the touch of the touched point is released. 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the control unit If at least one child item including the second item is displayed in a pop-up window, And the pop-up window can be moved. The apparatus of claim 1, And displays information related to the touch-dragged icon when any one of the icons displayed in the indicator area is touched and dragged to a predetermined area out of the indicator area. 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the control unit Wherein the display unit displays a message whose content is not confirmed when a message related icon displayed in the indicator area is touch-dragged to a predetermined area out of the indicator area. Displaying a first item; When the first item is touched for a predetermined time, detecting that the first item is touch-dragged to a second item of at least one sub-item for the first item; And And entering the second item, Wherein when the point where the first item is located is the corner of the display unit, the surroundings are "b ". delete delete

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