KR101592298B1 - Mobile terminal and user interface of mobile terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a display device for displaying a plurality of icons related to an arbitrary function on a standby screen or a fusion icon generated by fusing a specified icon among the plurality of icons, And a controller configured to generate a fusion icon by fusing the specified icon and to control the display unit to display the fusion icon, wherein the control unit controls the display unit to display the fusion icon, And a user interface of the terminal and the mobile terminal.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a user interface method for a mobile terminal and a mobile terminal,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a user interface of a mobile terminal and a mobile terminal for implementing the same, which enable various functions of the mobile terminal to be easily used.

The terminal can move And can be divided into a mobile / portable terminal and a stationary terminal depending on whether the mobile terminal is a mobile terminal or a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal can be divided into a handheld terminal and a vehicle mount terminal according to whether the user can directly carry the mobile terminal.

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

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

2. Description of the Related Art As a function of a mobile terminal is diversified, a user must go through various menu selection processes in order to use the function of the mobile terminal. In order to improve the user's convenience, a method of simplifying the menu selection process can be considered.

The present invention provides a user interface of a mobile terminal that provides various functions of the mobile terminal and a mobile terminal using the same.

The present invention also provides a user interface of a mobile terminal for efficiently using an idle screen of the mobile terminal and a mobile terminal using the same.

A mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention for realizing the above-

The mobile terminal according to at least one embodiment of the present invention configured as described above allows a user to use the function of the mobile terminal by using an arbitrary icon displayed on the idle screen, It is possible to increase convenience.

Further, the present invention can efficiently use the idle screen by displaying a fusion icon generated by fusing the icons when the icons are displayed on the idle screen.

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

The mobile terminal described in this specification may include a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), a PMP (Portable Multimedia Player), navigation and the like.

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

The mobile terminal 100 includes a wireless communication unit 110, an audio / video input unit 120, a user input unit 130, a sensing unit 140, an output unit 150, a memory 160, A controller 170, a controller 180, a power supply 190, and the like. The components shown in FIG. 1 are not essential, and a mobile terminal having more or fewer components may be implemented.

Hereinafter, the components will be described in order.

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

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives 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 signal may include a TV broadcast signal, a radio broadcast signal, a data broadcast signal, and a broadcast signal in which a data broadcast signal is combined with a TV broadcast signal or a radio broadcast signal.

The broadcast-related information may refer to a broadcast channel, a broadcast program, or information related to a broadcast service provider. The broadcast-related information may also be provided through a mobile communication network. In this case, it may be received by the mobile communication module 112.

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

For example, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DMB-T), a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Satellite (DMB-S), a Media Forward Link Only (DVF-H) And a Digital Broadcasting System (ISDB-T) (Integrated Services Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial). Of course, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be adapted to other broadcasting systems as well as the digital broadcasting system described above.

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

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

The wireless Internet module 113 is a module for wireless Internet access, and may be built in or externally attached to the mobile terminal 100. 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 114 refers to a module for short-range communication. Bluetooth, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), infrared data association (IrDA), Ultra Wideband (UWB), ZigBee, and the like can be used as a short range communication technology.

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

Referring to FIG. 1, an 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 122. 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. The processed image frame can be displayed on the display unit 151. [

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

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

The user input unit 130 generates input data for a user to control the operation of the terminal. The user input unit 130 may include a key pad dome switch, a touch pad (static / static), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

The sensing unit 140 senses the current state of the mobile terminal 100 such as the open / close state of the mobile terminal 100, the position of the mobile terminal 100, the presence or absence of user contact, the orientation of the mobile terminal, And generates a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal 100 is in the form of a slide phone, it is possible to sense whether the slide phone is opened or closed. It is also possible to sense whether the power supply unit 190 is powered on, whether the interface unit 170 is connected to an external device, and the like. Meanwhile, the sensing unit 140 may include a proximity sensor 141.

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

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

The display unit 151 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a flexible display display, and a 3D display.

Some of these displays may be transparent or light transmissive so that they can be seen through. This can be referred to as a transparent display, and a typical example of the transparent display is TOLED (Transparent OLED) and the like. The rear structure of the display unit 151 may also be of a light transmission type. With this structure, the user can see an object located behind the terminal body through the area occupied by the display unit 151 of the terminal body.

There may be two or more display units 151 according to the embodiment of the mobile terminal 100. For example, in the mobile terminal 100, a plurality of display portions may be spaced apart from one another or may be disposed integrally with each other, or may be disposed on different surfaces.

(Hereinafter, referred to as a 'touch screen') in which a display unit 151 and a sensor for sensing a touch operation (hereinafter, referred to as 'touch sensor') form a mutual layer structure, It can also be used as an input device. The touch sensor may have the form of, for example, a touch film, a touch sheet, a touch pad, or the like.

The touch sensor may be configured to convert a change in a pressure applied to a specific portion of the display unit 151 or a capacitance generated in a specific portion of the display unit 151 into an electrical input signal. The touch sensor can be configured to detect not only the position and area to be touched but also the pressure at the time of touch.

If there is a touch input to the touch sensor, the corresponding signal (s) is sent to the touch controller. The touch controller processes the signal (s) and transmits the corresponding data to the controller 180. Thus, the control unit 180 can know which area of the display unit 151 is touched or the like.

Referring to FIG. 1, a proximity sensor 141 may be disposed in an inner region of the mobile terminal or in the vicinity of the touch screen, which is surrounded by the touch screen. The proximity sensor refers to a sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object approaching a predetermined detection surface or a nearby object without mechanical contact using the force of an electromagnetic field or infrared rays. The proximity sensor has a longer life span than the contact sensor and its utilization is also high.

Examples of the proximity sensor include a transmission type photoelectric sensor, a direct reflection type photoelectric sensor, a mirror reflection type photoelectric sensor, a high frequency oscillation type proximity sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, a magnetic proximity sensor, and an infrared proximity sensor. And to detect the proximity of the pointer by the change of the electric field along the proximity of the pointer when the touch screen is electrostatic. In this case, the touch screen (touch sensor) may be classified as a proximity sensor.

Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the act of recognizing that the pointer is positioned on the touch screen while the pointer is not in contact with the touch screen is referred to as "proximity touch & The act of actually touching the pointer on the screen is called "contact touch. &Quot; The position where the pointer is proximately touched on the touch screen means a position where the pointer is vertically corresponding to the touch screen when the pointer is touched.

The proximity sensor detects a proximity touch and a proximity touch pattern (e.g., a proximity touch distance, a proximity touch direction, a proximity touch speed, a proximity touch time, a proximity touch position, a proximity touch movement state, and the like). Information corresponding to the detected proximity touch operation and the proximity touch pattern may be output on the touch screen.

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

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

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

In addition to the vibration, the haptic module 154 may include a pin arrangement vertically moving with respect to the contact skin surface, a spraying force or a suction force of the air through the injection port or the suction port, a touch on the skin surface, contact with an electrode, And various tactile effects such as an effect of reproducing a cold sensation using an endothermic or exothermic element can be generated.

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

The memory 160 may store a program for the operation of the controller 180 and temporarily store input / output data (e.g., a phone book, a message, a still image, a moving picture, etc.). The memory 160 may store data on vibration and sound of various patterns outputted when a touch is input on the touch screen.

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

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

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

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

The controller 180 typically controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal. For example, voice communication, data communication, video communication, and the like. The 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 controller 180 may perform a pattern recognition process for recognizing handwriting input or drawing input performed on the touch screen as characters and images, respectively.

The power supply unit 190 receives 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 recording medium readable by a computer or similar device using, for example, software, hardware, or a combination thereof.

According to a hardware implementation, the embodiments described herein 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 a processor, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and other electronic units for performing other functions. In some cases, The embodiments described may be implemented by the control unit 180 itself.

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

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

The disclosed mobile terminal 100 has a bar-shaped terminal body. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and can be applied to various structures such as a slide type, a folder type, a swing type, and a swivel type in which two or more bodies are relatively movably coupled.

The body includes a case (a casing, a housing, a cover, and the like) which forms an appearance. In this embodiment, the case may be divided into a front case 101 and a rear case 102. [ A variety of electronic components are embedded in the space formed between the front case 101 and the rear case 102. At least one intermediate case may be additionally disposed between the front case 101 and the rear case 102. [

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

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

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

The user input unit 130 is operated to receive a command for controlling the operation of the portable terminal 100 and may include a plurality of operation units 131 and 132. The operation units 131 and 132 may be collectively referred to as a manipulating portion and may be employed in any manner as long as the user operates in a tactile manner.

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

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

Referring to FIG. 2B, a camera 121 'may be further mounted on the rear surface of the terminal body, that is, the rear case 102. The camera 121 'may have a photographing direction substantially opposite to the camera 121 (see FIG. 2A), and may be a camera having different pixels from the camera 121.

For example, the camera 121 may have a low pixel so that the face of the user can be photographed and transmitted to the other party in case of a video call or the like, and the camera 121 ' It is preferable to have a large number of pixels. The cameras 121 and 121 'may be installed in the terminal body so as to be rotatable or pop-upable.

A flash 123 and a mirror 124 are additionally disposed adjacent to the camera 121 '. The flash 123 illuminates the subject when the subject is photographed by the camera 121 '. The mirror 124 allows the user to illuminate the user's own face or the like when the user intends to shoot himself / herself (self-photographing) using the camera 121 '.

An acoustic output 152 'may be additionally disposed on the rear surface of the terminal body. The sound output unit 152 'may implement the stereo function together with the sound output unit 152 (see FIG. 2A), and may be used for the implementation of the speakerphone mode during a call.

In addition to the antenna for a call or the like, a broadcast signal reception antenna 124 may be additionally disposed on the side of the terminal body. The antenna 124 constituting a part of the broadcast receiving module 111 (see FIG. 1) may be installed to be able to be drawn out from the terminal body.

A power supply unit 190 for supplying power to the portable terminal 100 is mounted on the terminal body. The power supply unit 190 may be built in the terminal body or may be detachable from the outside of the terminal body.

The rear case 102 may further include a touch pad 135 for sensing a touch. The touch pad 135 may also be of a light transmission type like the display unit 151. [ In this case, if the display unit 151 is configured to output time information on both sides, the time information can be recognized through the touch pad 135 as well. The information output on both sides may be all controlled by the touch pad 135. [ Alternatively, a display may be additionally mounted on the touch pad 135, and a touch screen may be disposed on the rear case 102 as well.

The touch pad 135 operates in correlation with the display portion 151 of the front case 101. The touch pad 135 may be disposed parallel to the rear of the display unit 151. The touch pad 135 may have a size equal to or smaller than that of the display unit 151.

Hereinafter, a related operation of the display unit 151 and the touch pad 135 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B.

3A and 3B are front views of a portable terminal for explaining an operation state of the portable terminal according to the present invention.

Various types of time information can be displayed on the display unit 151. [ These pieces of information can be displayed in the form of letters, numbers, symbols, graphics, or icons.

At least one of the letters, numbers, symbols, graphics, or icons may be displayed in a predetermined arrangement for inputting such information, thereby being implemented as a keypad. Such a keypad may be called a so-called " soft key ".

FIG. 3A shows a touch input to a soft key through a front surface of a terminal body.

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

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

FIG. 3B shows the input of a touch applied to the soft key through the rear surface of the terminal body. FIG. 3A shows a case where the terminal body is vertically arranged, and FIG. 3B shows a case where the terminal body is arranged horizontally. The display unit 151 may be configured to convert an output screen according to a placement direction of the terminal body.

3B shows that the text input mode is activated in the portable terminal. The display unit 151 displays an output window 135a and an input window 135b. In the input window 135b, a plurality of soft keys 135c may be arranged in which at least one of letters, symbols, and numbers are displayed. The soft keys 135c may be arranged in the form of a QWERTY key.

When the soft keys 135c are touched through the touch pad 135, characters, numbers, symbols, etc. corresponding to the touched soft keys are displayed on the output window 135a. As described above, the touch input through the touch pad 135 is advantageous in that it is possible to prevent the soft key 135c from being covered by the finger when touching, compared with the touch input through the display unit 151. [ In the case where the display unit 151 and the touch pad 135 are formed to be transparent, the fingers located on the rear side of the terminal body can be visually confirmed, thereby enabling a more accurate touch input.

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

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

The proximity sensor 141 described with reference to Fig. 1 will be described in more detail with reference to Fig.

4 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the proximity depth of the proximity sensor.

As shown in FIG. 4, when a pointer such as a user's finger, a pen, or the like approaches the touch screen, the proximity sensor 141 disposed in or near the touch screen senses the proximity sensor and outputs a proximity signal.

The proximity sensor 141 may be configured to output different proximity signals according to the distance between the proximity-touched pointer and the touch screen (hereinafter referred to as "proximity depth").

In FIG. 4, for example, a cross-section of a touch screen having proximity sensors capable of sensing three proximity depths is illustrated. Of course, proximity sensors that detect less than three or more than four proximity depths are also possible.

Specifically, when the pointer is completely in contact with the touch screen (d ₀ ), it is recognized as a contact touch. If the pointer is located on the touch screen at a distance less than the distance d ₁ , it is recognized as a proximity touch of the first proximity depth. If the pointer is located on the touch screen at a distance of d ₁ or more and less than distance d ₂ , it is recognized as a proximity touch of the second proximity depth. If the pointer is located on the touch screen at a distance of d ₂ or more and less than d ₃ distance, it is recognized as a proximity touch of the third proximity depth. If the pointer is positioned apart from the touch screen by a distance d ₃ or more, it is recognized that the proximity touch is released.

Accordingly, the controller 180 can recognize the proximity touch as various input signals according to the proximity depth and proximity position of the pointer, and perform various operation control according to the various input signals.

5 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a control method for a touch operation in a form in which a pair of display units 155 and 156 are overlapped.

The terminal shown in this figure is a folder type terminal connected to a main body so that a folder portion is foldable. The first display unit 155 mounted on the folder unit may be of a light transmitting type or a transparent type such as TOLED or the second display unit 156 mounted on the main body may be a form that does not transmit light like an LCD. The first and second display units 155 and 156 may be configured as a touch screen capable of touch input, respectively.

For example, when a touch (a contact touch or a proximity-touch) to the first display unit or the TOLED 155 is detected, the control unit 180 determines whether the touch At least one of the images displayed in the TOLED 155 may be selected or run.

Hereinafter, with respect to the manner in which the information displayed on the other display unit or the LCD 156 is controlled when touching the TOLED 155 exposed to the outside in an overlapped form, a touch, a long touch, a long touch and drag ), And so on.

In the overlapped state (the mobile terminal is in a closed state), the TOLED 155 is arranged to overlap the lower side of the LCD 156. In this state, if a touch such as a long touch (for example, a touch that lasts for 2 seconds to 3 seconds) is detected in a manner different from the touch for controlling the image displayed on the TOLED 155 in advance, ) Causes at least one image of the image list displayed on the LCD 156 to be selected according to the sensed touch input. The result according to the execution of the selected image is displayed on the TOLED 155.

The long touch may also be used to selectively move a desired one of the entities displayed on the LCD 156 to the TOLED 155 (without performing any action thereto). That is, when a user selects one area of the TOLED 155 corresponding to a specific entity of the LCD 156 In the case of a long touch, the control unit 180 moves the corresponding object to the TOLED 155 to be displayed. The entity displayed on the TOLED 155 may also be displayed on the LCD 156 by a predetermined touch input to the TOLED 155, for example, flicking, swirling, and the like. In this figure, the menu No. 2 displayed on the LCD 156 is displayed on the TOLED 155.

If another input, for example, a drag, is detected in addition to the long touch, the control unit 180 is a function related to the image selected by the long touch. For example, a preview screen for the image is displayed on the TOLED 155, As shown in FIG. In this drawing, a case where a preview (male photograph) is performed on the menu No. 2 (image file) is illustrated.

The control unit 180 displays a selection cursor (or a selection bar) of the LCD 156 in the state that the preview screen is being output, while dragging toward another image is further performed on the TOLED 155 while maintaining the long touch And displays the image selected by the selection cursor on a preview screen (female photograph). Thereafter, when the touch (long touch and drag) ends, the controller 180 displays the first image selected by the long touch.

When the slide (the operation of the proximity touch corresponding to the drag) is detected together with the long proximity touch (the proximity touch continuing for at least 2 seconds to 3 seconds) to the TOLED 155 .

When a touch operation other than those described above is detected, the controller 180 can operate in the same manner as a general touch control method.

The control method for the touch operation in the overlapped form can be applied to a terminal having a single display. In addition, the present invention can be applied to a terminal different from a folder type having a dual display.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are views referred to the description of the proximity touch recognition area where the proximity signal is detected and the haptic area where the tactile effect occurs.

6A shows objects such as icons and menu items in a circular form for convenience of explanation. The area of the object displayed on the display unit 151 can be divided into a first area A in the center and a second area B surrounding the center area as shown in FIG. 6A. The first region A and the second region B can be configured to generate tactile effects having different intensities or patterns. For example, when the second region B is touched, a first vibration is output, and when the first region A is touched, a second vibration larger than the first vibration is output.

In the case where the proximity touch recognition area and the haptic area are simultaneously set in the area where the object is displayed, the haptic area in which the tactile effect is generated and the proximity touch area in which the proximity signal is detected Can be set differently. That is, the haptic area may be set narrower than the proximity touch recognition area, or the haptic area may be set wider than the proximity touch recognition area. For example, in (a) of FIG. 6A, the area including the first area A and the second area B may be a proximity touch recognition area, and the first area A may be set as a haptic area.

(N > 4) as shown in Fig. 6 (a), as shown in Fig. 6 (b) It is also possible to divide into two areas. Each divided region can be configured to generate a tactile effect with different intensities or patterns. Even when the area in which one object is displayed is divided into three or more areas, the haptic area and the proximity touch recognition area can be set differently according to the use environment.

The size of the proximity touch recognition area may be changed depending on the proximity depth to the display unit 151. [ That is, as shown in (a) of FIG. 6, the corresponding proximity touch recognition area may be gradually reduced to 'C', 'B', and 'A' according to the proximity depth to the display unit 151, Or the contiguous touch recognition area corresponding to the proximity depth to the display unit 151 may be gradually increased. In this case as well, the haptic area can be set to a constant size regardless of the proximity depth to the display unit 151, such as the 'H' area shown in FIG. 6B (b).

 In the case of dividing the area in which the object is displayed for the setting of the haptic area or the proximity touch recognition area, in addition to the concentric segmentation as shown in Fig. 6A, segmentation in the horizontal direction or vertical direction, radial segmentation, And various methods such as partitioning can be used.

As shown in FIG. 1, the display unit 151 may display a plurality of icons related to a certain function in a idle mode or a fusion icon generated by fusing a specified icon among the plurality of icons have.

The idle screen may be a screen displayed first when the user operates the mobile terminal 100. [ The idle screen may display information such as the power supply amount of the mobile terminal 100, the date and time, and the radio wave reception status of the wireless communication unit 110.

The icon may be associated with any function that the mobile terminal provides. The icon may be implemented in the form of a graphical user interface (GUI). Icons related to this arbitrary function can be implemented in the form of a widget.

The GUI or widget may include a time or date (including the time or date of an area using a different time zone than the location where the mobile terminal is located), D-day, weather, geography, economic information (currency, (Including the search frequency information of the search term in the search portal web page provided in the search portal web page located in the Internet network), schedule, and search information.

Alternatively, the GUI or the widget may include a function that the mobile terminal can perform, that is, a calculator, an electronic dictionary, a notepad, an alarm, a schedule management, a connection to a predetermined web page, an Internet search tool bar, , A phone book, and the like.

The icon may be received via the network or stored in the mobile terminal 100.

The fusion icon may be generated by fusing the two or more icons, or a fusion icon, with the fusion icon. Fusion of an icon means that two or more specified icons or fusion icons are displayed on the screen with one fusion icon and the functions associated with the two or more fused icons are linked to the fusion icon displayed.

Associating the function associated with the fused two or more icons to the fusing icon means allowing the mobile terminal to perform the function associated with the fusing icon when the fusing icon is selected.

A plurality of icons or fusion icons displayed on the display unit 151 may be changed in position or size displayed on the screen by a user.

The display unit 151 may display the fusion icon in an area smaller than the total sum of the areas of the specified two or more icons displayed on the idle screen.

When a plurality of icons are displayed on the idle screen, a fusion icon is generated by fusing icons having low frequency of use, and the area occupied by the fusion icon on the screen is set smaller than the sum of the areas of the specified icons, The occupied area ratio is lowered, so that the idle screen can be efficiently used.

The display unit 151 may display the fusion icon by separating the fusion icon into two or more icons according to a user's selection. The two or more icons displayed separately may be two or more icons designated to generate a fusion icon.

As shown in FIG. 1, the user input unit 140 may receive a signal designating two or more icons among the displayed icons from a user.

A signal designating the two or more icons may be received via a touch input, or received via a hard key and a soft key input.

The user input unit 140 may receive an input from the user to select the plurality of icons or fusion icons.

The user input unit 140 may receive an input from a user to generate an icon associated with a function that the mobile terminal can perform.

In addition to the icon received through the network or the icon set at the time of manufacturing the mobile terminal 100, the user can create an icon necessary for him / herself and display it on the idle screen.

As shown in FIG. 1, the memory 160 may store information associated with the icon or fusion icon. The information related to the icon or the fusion icon may include graphic information for displaying the icon or the fusion icon on the screen, information about the icon or the function related to the fusion icon, and the like.

The memory 160 may store information associated with the icon generated through the user input unit 140 or a fusion icon generated by fusing a plurality of icons.

As shown in FIG. 1, the controller 180 may generate a fusion icon by fusing a plurality of icons designated by the user. The control unit 180 may control the display unit 151 to display the fusion icon.

When the fusion icon is selected by the user, the controller 180 may perform two or more functions related to the two or more icons designated to generate the fusion icon.

Two or more icons designated to generate the fusion icon may include a different fusion icon. Thus, the two or more functions associated with the specified two or more icons may include functionality associated with two or more other icons designated to generate the other fusion icon.

As shown in FIG. 1, the wireless communication unit 110 may receive information related to an icon through a network.

The wireless communication unit 110 may transmit data including information related to the fusion icon to another terminal or a network server.

The wireless communication unit 110 may transmit information related to the fusion icon through a wireless Internet network or a mobile communication network.

FIGS. 7A, 7B, 7C and 7D are diagrams showing icons displayed in a fused state in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

A plurality of icons W ₁ , W ₂ , W ₃ , W ₄ , and W ₅ may be displayed on the display unit 151 of the mobile terminal 100, as shown in FIG. 7A. The icons may indicate the time (W ₁ ), display the date (W ₂ ), activate the electronic dictionary function of the mobile terminal 100 (W ₃ ), activate the music playback function of the mobile terminal 100 (W ₄ ), and the function of guiding the subway line (W ₅ ).

As shown in FIG. 7B, the mobile terminal 100 may receive an input from the user to select at least one icon (W ₁ ) among a plurality of icons displayed on the screen. The input for selecting the at least one icon W ₁ may be in the form of a touch input, as shown in FIG. 7B. Alternatively, the input for selecting the at least one icon W ₁ may be received using a dome switch, a touch pad (static / static), a jog wheel, a jog switch, or the like .

The user can select at least one other icon W ₂ to be fused with the selected one icon W ₁ .

7B shows a state in which a user first selects an icon W ₁ and another icon W ₂ to be fused by dragging the icon W ₁ to a position where another icon W ₂ to be fused is located. In addition to this, it is also possible to select icons to be fused by simultaneously applying a touch input to a plurality of icons to be selected.

A plurality of icons selected by the user to generate the fusion icon may be selected at the same time or sequentially as shown in FIG. 7B.

A plurality of icons selected by the user to create the fusion icon may be selected from three or more.

As shown in FIG. 7C, the mobile terminal 100 may display a state in which a plurality of icons W ₁ and W ₂ selected by the user are fused. The state in which the plurality of icons W ₁ and W ₂ are fused may be expressed by displaying the icon M _{1 in the} fused state.

A, the mobile terminal 100 as shown in Figure 7d may be fused to fusion icon is displayed (M ₂₎ on the screen is completed. The fusion icon M ₂ may perform two or more functions associated with two or more icons designated to generate the fusion icon.

For example, in order to generate the convergence icon M ₂ , it is assumed that an icon W ₁ indicating a time and an icon W ₂ indicating a date are selected.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 7D, the fusion icon M ₁ may display both time and date. The shape of the fusion icon M1 may be stored in the memory 160 or may be displayed using the data received by the wireless communication unit 110 through the network.

8A, 8B and 8C are diagrams showing a fused icon and other icons fused in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The plurality of icons selected to generate the fusion icon may include a fused icon.

As shown in FIG. 8A, the mobile terminal may receive an input to select a converged icon M ₂ from a user to generate a convergence icon.

The user can select the first icon to select a different icon fused to the fusion (M ₁₎ (W ₃₎ fused to another icon by dragging it to a location where (W _3).

As shown in FIG. 8B, the mobile terminal 100 may display a state in which a plurality of icons M ₂ and W ₃ selected by the user are fused. The state in which the plurality of icons M ₂ and W ₃ are fused may be expressed by displaying the icon M _{3 in the} fused state.

As shown in FIG. 8C, the mobile terminal 100 may display the merged icon M ₄ .

FIGS. 9A, 9B, 9C, and 9D are views showing a merged icon and other merged icons displayed by fusion in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 9A, the mobile terminal can select a plurality of icons (W ₄ , W ₅ ) to generate a fusion icon.

As shown in FIG. 9B, the mobile terminal can display a fusion icon M ₅ different from the merged fusion icon M ₂ on the screen.

As shown in FIG. 9C, the mobile terminal 100 may receive an input for selecting a pre-merged fusion icon M2 and another pre-merged fusion icon M5.

As shown in FIG. 9D, the mobile terminal 100 may generate another fusion icon M6 by merging the merged merging icon M2 and another merged merging icon M5, and display the merged icon M6 on the screen have.

FIGS. 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D are views for separating fused icons in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 10A, the mobile terminal 100 may receive an input for selecting at least one fusion icon (M ₂ ) of the fusion icons displayed on the screen. If at least one fusion icon (M ₂ ) is selected by the user, the user can display a function applicable to the fusion icon on the screen.

As shown in FIG. 10B, the mobile terminal 100 may receive an input that separates the selected fusion icon M ₂ from the user.

As shown in FIG. 10C, the mobile terminal 100 may display a state in which the fusion icon M ₂ selected by the user is separated. The state in which the selected fusion icon (M ₂ ) is separated can be expressed by displaying the icon (M ₁ ) being separated.

As shown in FIG. 10D, the mobile terminal 100 can display a plurality of separated icons W ₁ and W ₂ on the screen. If the icon is displayed separately, functions corresponding to the fusion icon may be separated.

FIGS. 11A, 11B, 11C, and 11D are diagrams for storing information related to icons in a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 11A, the mobile terminal 100 may receive an input for selecting at least one fusion icon (M ₂ ) of the fusion icons displayed on the screen. When at least one fusion icon (M ₂ ) is selected by the user, the user can display a function applicable to the fusion icon on the screen.

As shown in FIG. 11B, the mobile terminal 100 may receive an input from the user to store the selected fusion icon (M ₂ ).

If the input for storing the fusion icon (M ₂₎ is received, the mobile terminal 100 may store information related to the fusion icon (M ₂₎ or an icon in the memory 160. The The information related to the icon or the fusion icon may include graphic information for displaying the icon or the fusion icon on the screen, information about the icon or the function related to the fusion icon, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 11C, the mobile terminal 100 may receive a name for identifying the icon or the information associated with the fusion icon. The name for identifying the information may include a file name.

As shown in FIG. 11D, the mobile terminal 100 may display on the screen that the information related to the icon or the fusion icon is stored in the memory 160. FIG.

12A, 12B, 12C, and 12D are diagrams illustrating transmission of information related to icons in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 12A, the mobile terminal 100 may receive an input for selecting at least one fusion icon (M ₂ ) of the fusion icons displayed on the screen. When at least one fusion icon (M ₂ ) is selected by the user, the user can display a function applicable to the fusion icon on the screen.

As shown in FIG. 12B, the mobile terminal 100 may receive input from a user to select to transmit information associated with the selected fusion icon (M ₂ ).

As shown in FIG. 12C, the mobile terminal 100 may receive an input from the user specifying a terminal to which to transmit information associated with the selected icon or fusion icon.

As shown in FIG. 12D, the mobile terminal 100 may display on the screen that the information related to the icon or the fusion icon has been transmitted to the designated other terminal.

13 is a flow chart illustrating a user interface method of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The mobile terminal 100 may display a plurality of icons related to an arbitrary function on the idle screen (S101). The user may select two or more icons to be fused among a plurality of icons displayed on the idle screen, and may receive an input from the user to select the two or more icons of the mobile terminal 100 (S102).

The mobile terminal 100 can generate a fusion icon by fusing the designated icon (S103).

When the mobile terminal 100 generates a fusion icon, the mobile terminal can display the generated fusion icon on the idle screen (S104).

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

The mobile terminal having the user interface described above can be applied to a configuration and a method of the embodiments described above in a limited manner, but the embodiments can be applied to all or some of the embodiments selectively As shown in FIG.

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

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

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

3A and 3B are front views of a portable terminal for explaining an operation state of the portable terminal according to the present invention.

4 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the proximity depth of the proximity sensor.

5 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a control method for a touch operation in a form in which a pair of display units are overlapped.

6A and 6B are conceptual diagrams for explaining a proximity touch recognition area where a proximity signal is detected and a haptic area for generating a tactile effect, respectively.

FIGS. 7A, 7B, 7C and 7D are diagrams showing icons fused in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

8A, 8B, and 8C are views showing a merged icon and other icons fused in a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 9A, 9B, 9C, and 9D are views showing a merged icon and another merged icon displayed in a fusion state in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D illustrate separating icons fused in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

11A, 11B, 11C, and 11D illustrate storing icons related information in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

12A, 12B, 12C, and 12D illustrate transmission of information related to an icon in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;

13 is a flow chart illustrating a user interface method of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (20)

A touch screen that displays a plurality of icons associated with an arbitrary function on a standby screen and detects that one of the plurality of icons is dragged to another icon; Displaying an icon for convergence for displaying a fused shape of the one icon and the other icon on the touch screen based on the fact that any one of the icons is dragged to the other icon, Wherein when one of the icons is merged with another one of the icons, a fusion icon is displayed instead of the one icon and the other icon, And a controller for associating any one icon with the fusion icon and a function associated with the other icon, Wherein, Outputting information corresponding to a function applicable to the fusion icon to the touch screen when an input for selecting the fusion icon is received, When the function of transmitting the information related to the fusion icon is selected through the output information corresponding to the function applicable to the fusion icon, information on the terminal to which the information on the selected fusion icon is to be transmitted Lt; / RTI > Controls the wireless communication unit to transmit information on the fusion icon to the terminal corresponding to the received information and displays on the touch screen that information related to the fusion icon has been transmitted to the terminal corresponding to the received information , When a function for receiving a name for identifying information related to the fusion icon is selected through the output information corresponding to the function applicable to the fusion icon, And receives a name for identifying related information, Wherein the area of the fusing icon is smaller than the total sum of the areas of any one of the icons and the other icon displayed on the idle screen. delete The method according to claim 1, Further comprising a memory for storing the plurality of icons and information associated with the fusion icon, The memory comprising: And stores information related to icons associated with predetermined functions that the mobile terminal can perform. delete delete delete delete delete The method according to claim 1, The touch screen, And displays the fusion icon by separating the fusion icon into two or more icons based on a user's input on the fusion icon. delete Displaying a plurality of icons associated with an arbitrary function on an idle screen; Detecting one of the plurality of icons is dragged to the other icon based on whether any one of the icons is dragged to the other icon, And displaying a converging icon to indicate a fused appearance of the other icon; Displaying a merging icon instead of the one icon and the other one when the merging of the one icon is completed; Associating any one icon with the fusion icon and a function associated with the other icon; Outputting information corresponding to a function applicable to the fusion icon to the touch screen when an input for selecting the fusion icon is received; When the function of transmitting the information related to the fusion icon is selected through the output information corresponding to the function applicable to the fusion icon, information on the terminal to which the information on the selected fusion icon is to be transmitted ; And Transmitting information on the fusion icon to a terminal corresponding to the received information through a wireless communication unit; Displaying on the touch screen that information associated with the fusion icon has been transmitted to the terminal corresponding to the received information; When a function for receiving a name for identifying information related to the fusion icon is selected through the output information corresponding to the function applicable to the fusion icon, And receiving a name for identifying associated information, Wherein the area of the fusing icon is smaller than the sum of the areas of any of the icons and the icons displayed on the idle screen. 12. The method of claim 11, The convergence icon, Wherein the user interface is received through a network. delete delete 12. The method of claim 11, The convergence icon, And performing two functions related to the one icon and the other icon specified to generate the fusion icon. delete delete delete 12. The method of claim 11, Further comprising displaying the fusion icon by separating the fusion icon into the one icon and the other icon based on a user input of the fusion icon. delete

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