KR101542117B1 - Mobile terminal and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a portable terminal and a control method thereof. The control method of the present portable terminal executes an operation corresponding to the selected operation menu, detects the remaining amount of the battery providing the operation power, and when the time available for operation with the remaining amount of the battery detected in the predetermined operation mode is not more than the reference time, And outputs a signal. According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent a situation in which a call or a function that the user desires to perform is not performed due to insufficient battery power in the portable terminal.

Portable terminal, battery, warning signal

Description

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and a control method thereof,

The present invention relates to a portable terminal and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a portable terminal capable of outputting a warning signal for insufficient remaining battery power so as to be able to operate for a predetermined time in a preset operation mode, and a method of controlling the operation thereof .

A portable terminal is a portable device having one or more functions capable of carrying out voice and video communication, capable of inputting and outputting information, and storing data, while being portable. As the functions of the portable terminal have diversified, they have complicated functions such as photographing and photographing, playing music files and video files, receiving games, receiving broadcasts, and wireless internet, and have developed a comprehensive multimedia player, . In order to implement a complex function in a portable terminal implemented in the form of multimedia devices, various attempts have been made in terms of hardware and software.

However, in the case of a general portable terminal, only a function of roughly displaying the remaining amount of the battery that provides the operating power is provided. Accordingly, when a function such as a camera, a video playback, and the like is used without checking the battery remaining amount in the mobile terminal, there may occur a situation where the user can not perform other functions desired to be executed or basic call function due to insufficient remaining battery power have. Therefore, in an environment where battery charging or replacement is not easy, the portable terminal must be used while checking the remaining amount of the battery from time to time.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a portable terminal and a control method thereof, which can output a warning signal for insufficient remaining battery power during execution of a specific function so that the portable terminal can operate for a predetermined time in a preset operation mode.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising: performing an operation corresponding to a selected operation menu; detecting a remaining amount of a battery providing an operation power; And outputting a warning signal when the operable time of the detected remaining amount of the battery is equal to or less than the reference time.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a portable terminal, the method comprising: performing an operation corresponding to a first operation mode; detecting a remaining amount of a battery providing operation power; And terminating the execution of the operation after outputting the warning signal when the remaining amount of time in the second operation mode is equal to or shorter than the predetermined time.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable terminal comprising: a power supply for detecting a remaining amount of a battery that provides an operating power; and a controller for controlling the operation corresponding to the selected operation control menu to be performed, And a control unit for controlling the output of the warning signal when the time available for operation in the preset operation mode is equal to or shorter than the reference time.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for causing a processor to execute the method.

According to the present invention, when a remaining battery level is detected during execution of a specific function and the remaining battery level is less than or equal to a reference time in a preset operation mode, a warning signal is output and the function being executed can be terminated. Thus, it is possible to prevent a situation in which a basic call function or a function that the user desires to execute can not be performed due to insufficient remaining battery power.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

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. In addition, suffixes "module" and " part "for components used in the following description are given only for convenience of description, and do not give special significance or role in themselves. Accordingly, the terms "module" and "part" may be used interchangeably.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a portable terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. Referring to FIG. 1, a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in terms of its functional components.

1, the portable 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, and a power supply unit 190. When such components are implemented in practical applications, two or more components may be combined into one component, or one component may be divided into two or more components as necessary.

The wireless communication unit 110 may include a broadcast receiving module 111, a mobile communication module 113, a wireless Internet module 115, a short distance communication module 117, and a GPS module 119.

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives at least one of a broadcast signal and broadcast related information from an external broadcast management server through a broadcast channel. At this time, the broadcast channel may include a satellite channel, a terrestrial channel, and the like. The broadcast management server may refer to a server for generating and transmitting at least one of a broadcast signal and broadcast related information and a server for receiving at least one of the generated broadcast signal and broadcast related information and transmitting the broadcast signal to the terminal.

The broadcast-related information may mean information related to a broadcast channel, a broadcast program, or a broadcast service provider. The broadcast signal may include 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 can also be provided through a mobile communication network, in which case it can be received by the mobile communication module 113. Broadcast-related information can 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) ), Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H), Integrated Services Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial (ISDB-T), and the like. In addition, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be configured to be suitable for all broadcasting systems that provide broadcasting signals, as well as the digital broadcasting system. 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 113 transmits and receives a radio signal 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 according to a voice call signal, a video call signal, or a text / multimedia message transmission / reception.

The wireless Internet module 115 refers to a module for wireless Internet access, and the wireless Internet module 115 can be embedded in the mobile terminal 100 or externally. WLAN (Wi-Fi), Wibro (Wireless broadband), Wimax (World Interoperability for Microwave Access), HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) and the like can be used as wireless Internet technologies.

The short-range communication module 117 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.

A GPS (Global Position System) module 119 receives position information from a plurality of GPS satellites.

The A / V (Audio / Video) input unit 120 is for inputting an audio signal or a video signal, and may include a camera 121 and a microphone 123. The camera 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 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 123 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 113 and output when the voice data is in the call mode. The microphone 123 may be a variety of noise reduction algorithms for eliminating noise generated in receiving an external sound signal.

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

The sensing unit 140 senses the current state of the portable terminal 100 such as the open / close state of the portable terminal 100, the position of the portable terminal 100, Thereby generating a sensing signal. For example, when the portable terminal 100 is in the form of a slide phone, it is possible to sense whether the slide phone is opened or closed. In addition, a sensing function related to whether or not the power supply unit 190 is powered on, whether the interface unit 170 is coupled to an external device, and the like can be handled.

The sensing unit 140 may include a proximity sensor 141, a pressure sensor 143, an acceleration sensor 145, and the like. The proximity sensor 141 is capable of detecting an object to be approached or the presence or absence of an object in the vicinity without mechanical contact. The proximity sensor 141 can detect a nearby object by using a change in the alternating magnetic field or a change in the static magnetic field, or a rate of change in capacitance. The proximity sensor 141 may be equipped with two or more sensors according to the configuration.

The pressure sensor 143 can detect whether the pressure is applied to the portable terminal 100, the magnitude of the pressure, and the like. The pressure sensor 143 may be installed at a portion where the pressure of the portable terminal 100 is required depending on the use environment. When the pressure sensor 143 is installed on the display unit 151, the touch input through the display unit 151 and the pressure applied by the touch input The pressure touch input can be identified. Also, the magnitude of the pressure applied to the display unit 151 at the time of the pressure touch input can be determined according to the signal output from the pressure sensor 143. [

The acceleration sensor 145 is a device that converts an acceleration change in one direction into an electric signal and is widely used along with the development of MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) technology. Since the acceleration sensor 145 measures the acceleration of a large value that is built in the airbag system of the car and used to detect the collision, it recognizes the minute movement of the human hand and uses the acceleration of the minute value There are various kinds of things to measure. The acceleration sensor 145 is usually configured by mounting two or three axes in one package. In some cases, only one axis of the Z axis is required depending on the use environment. Therefore, when the acceleration sensor in the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction is used instead of the Z-axis direction for some reason, the acceleration sensor may be mounted on the main substrate by using a separate piece substrate.

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 153, an alarm unit 155, and a haptic module 157.

The display unit 151 displays and outputs the information processed by the portable terminal 100. For example, when the portable terminal 100 is in the call mode, a UI (User Interface) or a 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 photographed or received images can be displayed individually or simultaneously, and the UI and the GUI are displayed.

Meanwhile, as described above, when the display unit 151 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. If the display unit 151 is configured as a touch screen, it may include a touch screen panel, a touch screen panel controller, and the like. In this case, the touch screen panel is a transparent panel attached to the outside, and can be connected to the internal bus of the portable terminal 100. The touch screen panel keeps a watch on the contact result, and if there is a touch input, sends the corresponding signals to the touch screen panel controller. The touch screen panel controller processes the signals, and then transmits corresponding data to the controller 180 so that the controller 180 can determine whether the touch input has been made and which area of the touch screen has been touched.

In addition, an electronic paper (e-paper) may be configured by the display unit 151. [ Electronic paper (e-Paper) is a kind of reflective display, and has excellent visual characteristics such as high resolution, wide viewing angle and bright white background as conventional paper and ink. The electronic paper (e-Paper) can be implemented on any substrate such as plastic, metal, paper, and the image is retained even after the power is turned off, and the battery life of the portable terminal 100 is long Can be maintained. As the electronic paper, a hemispherical twist ball filled with a telephone can be used, or an electrophoresis method and a microcapsule can be used.

In addition, 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- (3D display). There may be two or more display units 151 according to the implementation mode of the portable terminal 100. [ For example, the portable terminal 100 may include an external display unit (not shown) and an internal display unit (not shown) at the same time.

The audio output module 153 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 153 outputs sound signals related to functions performed in the portable terminal 100, for example, a call signal reception tone, a message reception tone, and the like. The sound output module 153 may include a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

The alarm unit 155 outputs a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event of the portable terminal 100. Examples of events occurring in the portable terminal 100 include call signal reception, message reception, and key signal input. The alarm unit 155 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. The alarm unit 155 can output a signal to notify when a call signal is received or a message is received. Also. When the key signal is inputted, the alarm unit 155 can output a signal as a feedback to the key signal input. The user can recognize the occurrence of an event through the signal output by the alarm unit 155. A signal for notifying the occurrence of an event in the portable terminal 100 may also be output through the display unit 151 or the sound output module 153. [

The haptic module 157 generates various tactile effects that the user can feel. A typical example of the haptic effect generated by the haptic module 157 is a vibration effect. When the haptic module 157 generates vibration with a haptic effect, the intensity and pattern of the vibration generated by the haptic module 157 can be converted, and the different vibrations can be synthesized and output or sequentially output.

In addition to the vibration, the haptic module 157 may be provided with a function of stimulating by a pin arrangement vertically moving with respect to the contact skin surface, an effect of stimulating air through the injection or suction force of the air through the injection port or the suction port, The effect of stimulation through contact of an electrode (eletrode), the effect of stimulation by electrostatic force, and the effect of reproducing a cold sensation using a device capable of endothermic or exothermic can be generated. The haptic module 157 can be implemented not only to transmit the tactile effect through direct contact but also to feel the tactile effect through the muscular sense of the user's finger or arm. The haptic module 157 may include two or more haptic modules 157 according to the configuration of the portable terminal 100.

The memory 160 may store a program for processing and controlling the control unit 180 and may store a function for temporarily storing input or 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 , And a ROM. ≪ / RTI > In addition, the portable terminal 100 may operate a web storage for storing the memory 150 on the Internet.

The interface unit 170 serves as an interface with all external devices connected to the portable terminal 100. Examples of the external device connected to the portable terminal 100 include a card socket such as a wired / wireless headset, an external charger, a wired / wireless data port, a memory card, a SIM / UIM card, / Output, Video I / O, and Earphone. The interface unit 170 receives data from the external device or receives power from the external device and transmits the data to each component in the portable terminal 100 so that data in the portable terminal 100 can be transmitted to the external device .

The interface unit 170 may be a path through which the power from the cradle connected to the portable terminal 100 when the portable terminal 100 is connected to the cradle is supplied to the portable terminal 100 or various command signals input from the cradle by the user And may be a passage to be transmitted to the portable terminal 100.

The controller 180 typically controls the operation of the respective units to control the overall operation of the mobile terminal 100. 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 external power and internal power under the control of the controller 180 and supplies power necessary for operation of the respective components. The power supply unit 190 includes a rechargeable battery.

The mobile terminal 100 having such a configuration can be configured to be 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. have.

The portable terminal according to the present invention has been described in terms of components according to functions. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the portable terminal related to the present invention will be described in more detail from the viewpoint of the components according to the external form. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, a slider type portable terminal having a touch screen among various types of portable terminals such as a folder type, a bar type, a swing type, a slider type, etc. will be described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to a slider type portable terminal, but can be applied to all types of portable terminals including the above-mentioned type.

2 is a perspective view of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, the portable terminal includes a first body 100A and a second body 100B configured to be slidable along at least one direction on the first body 100A.

The state where the first body 100A is disposed in a state of being overlapped with the second body 100B may be referred to as a closed configuration and the first body 100A may be referred to as a second body 100B ) May be referred to as an open configuration.

While the portable terminal 100 is in the closed state, it operates mainly in the standby mode, but the standby mode is also canceled by the user's operation. While the portable terminal 100 is open, it operates mainly in a communication mode, but it is also switched to a standby mode by a user's operation or a predetermined period of time.

 The case 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. Such cases may be formed by injection molding of 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 unit 151, the first sound output module 153a, the first camera 121a, and the first user input unit 130a are connected to the first body 100A, specifically, the first front case 100A-1. .

The display unit 151 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD), an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes), and the like that visually express information. The display unit 151 may be constructed such that the touch pad is overlapped with the layer structure so that the display unit 151 operates as a touch screen so that information can be input by a user's touch. The first acoustic output module 153a may be implemented in the form of a receiver or a speaker. The first camera 121a may be adapted to photograph an image or a moving image of a user or the like.

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 user input unit 130b may be disposed on the front face of the second body 100B, specifically, the second front case 100B-1. Third and fourth user input units 130c and 130d, a microphone 123 and an interface unit 170 are disposed in at least one of the first front case 100B-1 and the second rear case 100B-2 .

The first to fourth user input units 130a, 130b, 130c, and 130d may be collectively referred to as a user input unit 130, and any method may be adopted if the user operates in a tactile manner with a tactile impression have.

For example, the user input unit 130 may be embodied as a dome switch or a touch pad capable of receiving a command or information by a push or touch operation of a user, or may be a wheel, a jog type, a joystick, Or the like.

In terms of functions, the first user input unit 130a is for inputting commands such as start, end, and scroll, and the second user input unit 130b is for inputting numbers, characters, symbols, and the like. Also, the third and fourth user input units 130c and 130d may operate as a hot-key for activating a special function in the portable terminal 100. [

The microphone 123 may be implemented in a form suitable for receiving a user's voice, other sounds, and the like. The interface unit 170 enables the portable terminal according to the present invention to exchange data with an external device. For example, the interface unit 170 may be at least one of a connection terminal for connecting to an earphone, a port for short-range communication, or power supply terminals for supplying power to the portable terminal 100, have. The interface unit 170 may be a card socket that accommodates an external card such as a SIM (subscriber identification module) or a UIM (user identity module), a memory card for information storage, and the like.

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 a rechargeable battery, for example, and may be detachably coupled to the second body 100B for charging or the like.

3 is a rear perspective view of the portable terminal shown in FIG. 3, a wheel-type fifth user input unit 130e and a second camera 121b may be additionally mounted on the rear surface of the second rear case 100B-2 of the second body 100B And a sixth user input unit 130f may be disposed on a side surface of the second body 100B.

The second camera 121b has a photographing direction substantially opposite to that of the first camera 121a, and may have pixels different from those of the first camera 121a. For example, the first camera 121a 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 the face to the other party. The second camera 121b photographs a general object and immediately transmits It is preferable to have a high pixel.

A flash 125 and a mirror 126 may be further disposed adjacent to the second camera 121b. The flash 125 illuminates the subject when the subject is photographed by the second camera 121b. The mirror 126 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 second camera 121b.

A second sound output module (not shown) may be further disposed in the second rear case 100B-2. The second sound output module may implement the stereo function together with the first sound output module 153a, and may be used for talking in the speakerphone mode.

An antenna (not shown) for receiving broadcasting signals may be disposed on one side of the second rear case 100B-2 in addition to an antenna for communication. The antenna may be installed to be drawable from the second body 100B. A part of the slide module 100C that slidably connects 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 shown in Fig.

In the above description, the second camera 121b and the like are disposed on the second body 100B, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, at least one of the configurations described as being arranged in the second rear case 100B-2, such as the second camera 121b, is a first body 100A, mainly a first rear case 100A-2 As shown in Fig. In such a configuration, there is an advantage that the structures disposed in the first rear case 100A-2 in the closed state are protected by the second body 100B. Also, the first camera 121a may be rotatably formed so that the second camera 121b can be photographed up to the photographing direction, even if the second camera 121b is not separately provided.

A power supply unit 190 for supplying power to the portable terminal is mounted on the rear case 100A-2. The power supply unit 190 may be a rechargeable battery, for example, and may be detachably coupled to the rear case 100A-2 for charging or the like.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 4, when an operation menu such as a camera, multimedia file playback, or DMB viewing is selected according to a user command or the like, the controller 180 controls the operation corresponding to the selected operation menu to be executed (S205) And displays an operation screen corresponding to the execution on the display unit 151 (S210).

At the same time, the controller 180 detects the remaining battery power to supply the operation power through the power supply unit 190 (S215). The power supply unit 190 may detect the degree of charge of the battery and the remaining amount of the battery and may transmit the sensed information to the controller 180. In addition, the power supply unit 190 measures the main parameters of the battery such as charging, discharging, self discharge, and temperature, and employs an automatic calibration VFC (voltage-to-frequency converter) Can be configured to exhibit excellent measurement accuracy under the operating conditions of the apparatus.

The control unit 180 checks whether the time available for the battery remaining amount detected through the power supply unit 190 is less than a reference time (S220). At this time, the reference time can be arbitrarily set by the user. For example, the reference time may be set to a time such as 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, and so on. In addition, the reference time may be set to a plurality of times such as 30 minutes and 1 hour instead of one. In order to prevent the situation that the call function, which is a basic function of the portable terminal 100, can not be performed due to insufficient battery remaining capacity, checking whether the time available for talking with the detected remaining battery level is less than the reference time. In addition, outside of the talkable time, the remaining battery level may be checked based on the time available for operation in another operation mode that the user wants to execute.

If it is determined in step S220 that the available time for the battery remaining amount is greater than the reference time, the process of step S205 and subsequent steps is repeatedly performed until the end of the selected operation menu is selected (S235).

However, if it is determined in step S220 that the available time for the battery remaining capacity is less than the reference time, the control unit 180 outputs a warning signal (S225) and terminates the operation in step S230. At this time, a warning message indicating that the remaining battery power is insufficient, a warning sound, or the like may be used as the warning signal to be output. Further, after the operation in execution is terminated, it can be configured to operate in the power saving mode. According to the output of the warning signal, the user can know that the remaining amount of the battery is not enough and the running operation is terminated due to insufficient remaining battery capacity.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 5, when an operation mode is selected according to a user command, a selection menu, or the like (S300), the controller 180 periodically checks the remaining battery level to select a battery check mode The mode setting menu is displayed on the display unit 151 (S305). If the battery check mode is not set in the battery check mode setting menu, the controller 180 performs a normal operation mode execution procedure (S360).

However, if the battery check mode is set in the battery check mode setting menu (S310), the controller 180 controls the operation corresponding to the selected operation mode to be executed (S315), and displays the operation screen corresponding to the execution of the operation And displays it on the display unit 151 (S320). At the same time, the controller 180 detects the remaining battery power to supply the operation power through the power supply unit 190 (S325).

The controller 180 determines whether the remaining battery remaining amount is less than a reference time (S330). In this case, the different operation modes set by the user are operation modes desired by the user, and various operation modes can be set according to the user's selection such as a call mode or a broadcast viewing mode.

As a result of the comparison in step S330, if it is determined in step S335 that the remaining battery remaining amount is greater than the reference time, step S335 and subsequent steps are repeatedly performed until the end of the selected operation menu is selected (step S355). But. As a result of the checking in step S330, if the detected operation time of the battery remaining amount is equal to or shorter than the reference time, the control unit 180 outputs a warning signal (S335).

After outputting the warning signal, the controller 180 displays a menu on the display 151 to select whether to terminate the operation being performed (S340). When the operation being executed in this menu is ended, the control unit 180 ends the operation being executed (S350). However, when the operation end is not selected, the operation in progress is continued. In this case, the warning signal indicating the battery shortage may be periodically displayed or may be displayed only a set number of times.

By such a process, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the operation desired by the user can not be executed due to the lack of the battery.

6 to 11 are views referred to explain a control method of a portable terminal according to the present invention together with a screen displayed on the display unit.

6 shows an example of a moving picture screen in which a moving picture is being reproduced. When a multimedia file playback, a DMB broadcast viewing, or the like and a video playback menu are selected according to a user command, a moving picture screen 400 is displayed on the display unit 151. [

In the state that the moving picture screen 400 is displayed on the display unit 151, when the battery remaining amount becomes equal to or shorter than the reference time that can be operated in the preset operation mode, a warning signal is output. 7, a warning message 410 indicating that the operation is terminated due to a shortage of the remaining battery capacity may be output in the form of a pop-up window, and a warning message 410 may be displayed, And is terminated. The warning message 410 can be displayed in various formats in addition to a form of a pop-up window.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 8, the menu window 420 may be displayed to indicate that the remaining battery power is insufficient and the end of the operation being executed may be selected according to the user's selection. When 'Yes' is selected in the menu window 420, the operation in progress is terminated. If 'No' is selected, the operation in operation is continued without ignoring the remaining battery level.

Depending on the usage environment, an alert window indicating that the remaining battery power is insufficient may be displayed as a transparent window on the currently displayed operation screen. In this way, when a warning window displayed as a transparent window is touched or long-touched, a menu window for selecting the termination of a running operation can be displayed as an opaque window.

9 is a screen showing a menu window for setting the battery check mode. When the operation menu is selected, a corresponding operation screen 500 is displayed on the display unit, and a battery check mode setting menu window 510 can be displayed on the operation screen 500. The battery check mode is set when 'Yes' is selected in the battery check mode setting menu window 510, and the general operation mode is operated without checking the battery remaining amount when 'No' is selected.

10 shows an example of a menu screen for setting a reference time. As shown in Fig. 10, an item 610 for setting the operation mode and an item 620 for setting the reference time are displayed on the menu screen 600 for setting the reference time. An item 610 for setting an operation mode includes an item 620 for setting an operation mode in which a user desires to perform an operation such as a call or a broadcast viewing, do.

In this way, the operation mode and the reference time are set, and the 'active' item 630 is selected and set at the bottom of the screen, or the 'inactive' item 640 is selected to cancel the setting. FIG. 10 shows a state in which a warning signal is output when the battery remaining amount corresponding to the talkable time for 30 minutes remains.

11 shows a screen 700 in which a warning message 710 is displayed when the remaining battery level corresponding to the set reference time is detected when the reference time is set based on the talk time. As shown in FIG. 10, in the case where a warning signal is output when the detected remaining battery time becomes less than 30 minutes, if the remaining battery level corresponding to the set reference time is detected, a warning message 710 is displayed And can terminate the operation being executed.

In the case where the battery remaining amount becomes insufficient by the above-described process, the user can terminate the execution of another operation or output a warning signal for an operation desired to be executed. It should be noted that the portable terminal and the control method thereof according to the present invention are not limited to the configurations and methods of the embodiments described above, Some of which may be optionally combined.

Meanwhile, the present invention can be embodied as a processor-readable code on a processor-readable recording medium such as a mobile station modem (MSM). The processor-readable recording medium includes all kinds of recording apparatuses in which data that can be read by the processor is stored. Examples of the recording medium readable by the processor include a ROM, a RAM, a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, an optical data storage device, and the like, and also a carrier wave such as transmission over the Internet. In addition, the processor readable recording medium may be distributed over networked computer systems so that code readable by the processor in a distributed manner can be stored and executed.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, but, on the contrary, It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

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

5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a mobile terminal according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.

6 to 11 are views for explaining the control method of the portable terminal according to the present invention together with a screen displayed on the display unit.

Description of the Related Art [0002]

110: wireless communication unit 120: A / V input unit

130: user input unit 140: sensing unit

150: output unit 160: memory

170: interface unit 180: control unit

Claims (20)

Executing an operation corresponding to the first operation mode; Detecting a remaining amount of the battery providing operating power; Automatically switching to a power saving mode after outputting a warning signal when the remaining time of the detected battery remaining in the voice communication mode is less than a reference time; Displaying a menu for setting whether to output the warning signal when the first operation mode is selected; And And displaying a menu for setting the reference time, The remaining battery level detecting step may include a step of measuring a main parameter of the battery using an automatic calibration VFC (voltage-to-frequency converter) for continuous charge / discharge integration and detecting a remaining battery level based on the measured parameter To the mobile terminal. The method according to claim 1, Further comprising the step of, after outputting the warning signal, ending the execution of the operation. The method according to claim 1, Further comprising the step of displaying a menu for selecting whether or not to terminate the execution of the operation after outputting the warning signal. delete The method according to claim 1, Wherein the warning signal is displayed by at least one of an OSD (On Screen Display) message and a warning sound. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the warning signal is displayed as a semitransparent message window. The method according to claim 6, Further comprising the step of displaying a menu for selecting at least one of execution end of the operation and ignoring warning when the message window is touched. delete The method according to claim 1, Wherein the reference time is set based on a user command. delete delete The method according to claim 1, And displaying an operation screen corresponding to the execution of the operation on the display unit. delete A power supply unit for detecting a remaining amount of the battery providing the operating power; And When the time available for operation in the voice communication mode is less than or equal to the reference time based on the remaining amount of the battery detected through the power supply unit so as to be automatically switched to the power saving mode after outputting the warning signal, And a control unit for controlling the display unit to display a menu for setting whether to output the warning signal when the first operation mode is selected and displaying a menu for setting the reference time, Wherein the power supply unit measures a main parameter of the battery using an automatic calibration VFC (voltage-to-frequency converter) for continuous charging / discharging integration, and detects the remaining battery level based on the measured parameter Mobile terminal. 15. The method of claim 14, Wherein the control unit controls to end the execution of the operation after outputting the warning signal. delete 15. The method of claim 14, And a display unit for displaying a warning message corresponding to the warning signal. 18. The method of claim 17, Wherein the control unit displays the warning message as a semi-transparent window. 19. The method of claim 18, Wherein the control unit displays a menu for selecting at least one of execution completion of the operation and ignoring warning when the warning message is touched. 15. The method of claim 14, Further comprising an acoustic output module for outputting an acoustic signal corresponding to the warning signal.

Images