KR101595388B1 - Mobile terminal and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal that controls display of a user interface differently according to the remaining battery level, and a control method thereof. The mobile terminal detects a remaining battery level and compares the remaining battery level with predetermined reference values. Menu icons corresponding to a specific reference value are displayed according to a predetermined option, and when one of the menu icons is selected, the available time when the menu corresponding to the selected icon is executed is predicted and displayed

Description

[0001] MOBILE TERMINAL AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF [0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a mobile terminal that controls display of a user interface differently according to remaining battery power, and a control method thereof.

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

Such a terminal has various functions, for example, in the form of a multimedia device having multiple functions such as photographing and photographing of a moving picture, reproduction of a music or video file, reception of a game and broadcasting, etc. . In order to support and enhance the functionality of such terminals, it may be considered to improve the structural and / or software parts of the terminal.

Recently, with the increase in the number of application programs applied to mobile terminals, the battery usage time is rapidly increasing and the battery is consumed quickly. Therefore, even in an emergency situation, there arises a problem that important functions such as an emergency call (call), a text message (SMS) and a GPS (ground) can not be used. In order to solve the above-described problem, a technique has been conventionally applied to limit the use of an additional function depending on the remaining battery level.

However, in recent years, as the popularity of mobile terminals equipped with a touch-type graphical user interface (GUI) has increased, a convenience function has been required to allow the user to easily recognize restrictions on the use of additional functions according to the remaining battery level using a graphic user interface There is a situation.

The present invention provides a mobile terminal that controls display of a user interface differently according to remaining battery power and a control method thereof.

The present invention also provides a mobile terminal and a control method thereof for controlling transparency of a menu icon according to a remaining battery level.

The present invention also provides a mobile terminal and a control method thereof for controlling a display position of a menu icon according to a remaining battery level.

The present invention also provides a mobile terminal for grouping menu icons according to remaining battery power and a control method thereof.

The present invention also provides a mobile terminal for predicting a usable time for each function according to remaining battery power and a control method thereof.

In addition, the present invention provides a mobile terminal that divides a screen according to a remaining battery level, selects and drives the same, and a control method thereof.

The present invention also provides a mobile terminal and a control method thereof for reducing the size of a menu icon according to the remaining battery power.

A mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention for realizing the above-described problem comprises a sensing unit, a display unit, a battery remaining amount detecting unit, and a memory unit for comparing the battery remaining amount with predetermined reference values, And a controller for controlling the display of the available time when the corresponding menu is executed when any one of the menu icons is selected.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for displaying a menu, the method comprising the steps of: detecting a remaining battery level and comparing the remaining battery level with a preset reference value; And when one of the menu icons is selected, the available time when the menu corresponding to the icon is executed is predicted and displayed.

The mobile terminal according to at least one embodiment of the present invention configured as described above controls the display position and transparency of the menu icon according to the remaining amount of the battery so that the user can intuitively recognize the remaining battery level.

In addition, the mobile terminal according to the present invention configured as described above allows menu icons to be grouped according to the remaining amount of the battery so that the user can intuitively recognize the functions to be restricted according to the remaining battery level.

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. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the configuration according to the embodiments described herein may be applied to a fixed terminal such as a digital TV, a desktop computer, and the like, unless the configuration is applicable only to a mobile terminal.

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 an image frame such as a still image or moving image 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 the power supply of the power supply unit 190, 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. Near-field sensors have a longer lifetime and higher utilization than contact-type sensors.

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

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 talking and the like, a broadcast signal reception antenna 116 may be additionally disposed on the side of the terminal body. The antenna 116, which forms part of the broadcast receiving module 111 (see FIG. 1), can 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 the 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.

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 ".

Hereinafter, embodiments related to a control method that can be implemented in the terminal configured as above will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments can be used alone or in combination with each other. In addition, the embodiments described below may be used in combination with the above-described user interface (UI).

Generally, the mobile terminal has a component (e.g., a battery remaining amount detecting unit) capable of measuring the remaining amount of the battery. Therefore, the description of the configuration for measuring the battery remaining amount will be omitted in the following embodiments.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling display of a user interface according to a remaining battery level of a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the controller 180 detects the remaining battery level of the mobile terminal (S101). Then, the detected battery remaining amount is compared with predetermined reference values (S102). Several reference values may be set for each step.

For example, when the remaining battery power is 100% when the battery is fully charged, the voltage when the remaining battery power is 30%, the voltage when the remaining battery power is 20%, the voltage when the remaining battery power is 10% And the voltage when the remaining amount is 5% can be set as the reference value. In addition to the reference values described above, more reference values can be set. The reference values are stored in an arbitrary area of the memory 160. The reference values may be set by default or may be set by the user. The reference values can also be changed.

If the battery remaining amount is less than a specific reference value (YES in step S103), the controller 180 displays menu icons corresponding to the specific reference value so as to recommend a use restriction according to a predetermined option (S104). Until the battery remaining amount becomes less than a specific reference value, the menu icons are displayed according to the originally set characteristics (S105).

The options for displaying a recommendation for restricting use of the specific menu icons will be specifically described with reference to other drawings.

Here, as the reference value is lowered step by step, the number of the menu icon displayed for recommending the use restriction may increase. The menu icon may be set to a priority for limiting the display of the menu icon according to the power consumption when the corresponding function (or menu) is executed. For example, when the power consumption is high, the priority is high, and when the power consumption is low, the priority may be low. That is, according to the priority order, the display of the menu icon corresponding to the priority of 1 or 2 can be restricted when the reference value is 30% or less, and when the reference value is 20% or less, The display can be restricted, and if the reference value is 10% or less, the display of the menu icons corresponding to the 5th or 6th priority can be restricted.

At this time, important functions such as an emergency call, a text message (SMS), and a GPS can be excluded from the priorities. The important function can be set by the user and set to the default.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of managing battery consumption related to a specific function of a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

As described above, the mobile terminal has various additional applications. For example, an electronic notebook function, a music playback function, a movie playback function, an internet function, a mobile TV function, a game function, and the like. In addition to the above-described additional functions, additional functions are provided.

In the present embodiment, when the additional functions are executed (S201), the controller 180 can measure the battery consumption per each additional function (S202). Then, the amount of battery consumption associated with each of the additional functions can be calculated in a specific time unit (e.g., in units of seconds or minutes) (S203). For example, by dividing the total battery consumption measured for each additional function by the usage time for each additional function, the battery consumption per each additional function can be calculated in units of seconds or minutes. In addition, the current battery remaining amount may be divided by the battery consumption amount calculated for each additional function to estimate the usable time for each additional function (S204).

The calculated battery consumption amount for each additional function is stored in an arbitrary area of the memory 160 (S205). In addition, in order to not calculate the usable time for each additional function, usable time for each additional function according to the remaining battery level may be stored in a table form.

As described above, by calculating the battery consumption amount for each additional function, the priority according to the battery consumption amount can be set.

5 is a diagram illustrating an option for controlling the transparency of the menu icon according to the remaining battery power in the mobile terminal according to the present invention.

As shown, menu icons are displayed on the display unit 151. FIG. The menu icons are matched with any one of a variety of additional applications. If the remaining battery level is equal to or greater than a specific reference value, the controller 180 displays the menu icons according to the originally set characteristics (e.g., shape, size, color, contrast, position, transparency).

However, when the battery remaining amount is less than or equal to the specific reference value, the control unit 180 controls the transparency of the menu icons that recommend use restriction. For example, menu icons 311, 312, and 313 that should be restricted are displayed in a semi-transparent manner. Menu icons that do not recommend using restrictions can be displayed in accordance with the preset original characteristics.

The transparency of the menu icons does not necessarily indicate the activation or deactivation state of the menu. For example, even if the menu icons 311, 312, and 313 are displayed in a translucent manner, the user can select and execute the menu icon. That is, the reason for displaying the menu icon as described above is to advise the user to restrict the execution of the menu icon. Of course, the use of the menu icon may not be executed according to the setting of the option.

6 is an exemplary view illustrating an option for controlling the display position of the menu icon according to the remaining battery level in the mobile terminal according to the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the menu icons are displayed on the display unit 151. When the remaining battery power is less than a specific reference value, the controller 180 can move the positions of the menu icons recommending the usage restriction to one side.

For example, when the battery remaining amount is less than 30% and it is recommended to restrict the use of the menu icons, the controller 180 may move the menu icons 311, 312, and 313 to the lowermost side of the screen have. Of course, the menu icons can be moved to the uppermost, rightmost, or leftmost position according to the option setting.

Meanwhile, the transparency control option may be further applied when moving the position of the menu icon. For example, menu icons 311, 312, and 313, which should be restricted in use, may be changed to semi-transparent, and then moved to the bottom of the screen for display.

7 is an exemplary view illustrating an option to align the display position of the menu icon according to the amount of battery consumption in the mobile terminal according to the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the menu icons are displayed on the display unit 151, and the menu icons can be displayed in a specific direction according to the priority set based on the consumption amount of the battery of each function. At this time, menu icons corresponding to important functions (e.g., emergency call, text message, GPS) can be displayed at the top regardless of the priority.

For example, the menu icons may be arranged in the order from the top to the bottom according to the priority order. Of course, it is also possible to arrange the display from the lowermost side to the uppermost side. The alignment direction of the menu icons can be changed according to the setting of the user.

Here, the menu icons that are almost the same in a specific range of the amount of battery consumption can be displayed in a group-by-group manner. For example, if the battery consumption of the menu icon 321 and the menu icon 322 are substantially equal, the priorities may be set to be the same, and may be arranged on the same position of the same group (e.g., the third group) have. At this time, in order to distinguish the groups, a wider interval may be set between the groups, or a dividing line (e.g., a dotted line) may be additionally displayed between the groups.

Meanwhile, when the menu icons are displayed in a specific order and the remaining amount of the battery is less than a specific reference value, the transparency control option may be further applied. For example, assuming that menu icons with low battery consumption are arranged in order from the top to bottom in the order of many menu icons, when the remaining battery power decreases, menu icons 311 displayed on the lowermost side It can be gradually changed semitransparent to the upper side.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an option for predicting the availability time according to the remaining battery power in the mobile terminal according to the present invention.

As shown in the figure, menu icons are displayed on the display unit 151, and one of the menu icons may be applied to any one of the methods shown in FIG. 5 to FIG. For example, specific menu icons may be displayed in a semi-transparent manner depending on the remaining battery power, and specific menu icons may be displayed in a changed display position. If the menu icons are displayed as translucent, they may appear disabled but may be executable.

When the menu icons are displayed in various manners as described above, when the user accesses the specific menu icon 311 with a selection means (e.g., a finger or a stylus pen) to select one of the menu icons, The control unit 180 can calculate the usable time of the function corresponding to the specific menu icon by using the method as described with reference to FIG. Then, the calculated usable time can be outputted in the guidance message 331. [

When the menu icon selecting means moves away from the specific menu icon or cancels the touch of the specific menu icon, the controller 180 may stop outputting the available time guidance message. The output of the usable time guidance message may be applied to all menu icons.

9 is an exemplary view illustrating an option for controlling the driving of the display unit according to the remaining battery level in the mobile terminal according to the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the controller 180 detects the remaining battery level of the mobile terminal and compares the detected remaining battery level with preset reference values. If the battery remaining amount is smaller than a specific reference value according to the comparison result, the screen of the display unit 151 can be divided stepwise according to the specific reference value.

On one side 341 of the divided screen, menu icons having a specific priority or higher are moved and displayed. The menu icons above the specific priority include a menu icon set as an important function and menu icons corresponding to functions whose battery consumption is smaller than the reference value. On the other side screen 342, menu icons of a specific priority or lower are displayed and displayed. For example, menu icons displayed in the above-described semi-transparent manner may be displayed as menu icons that are restricted in use.

The screen 341 displaying the menu icons having the specific priority or higher among the divided screens can be activated and the screen 342 displaying the menu icons having a certain priority or lower among the divided screens can be deactivated .

As another example related to the embodiment, the backlight 350 of the display unit 151 may be divided and driven. That is, the backlight region 351 corresponding to the activated screen 341 can be switched on by dividing the backlight in the same manner as the divided screen, and the backlight region 352 corresponding to the screen 342 to be inactivated Can be switched off.

As described above, the method of performing on / off control by dividing the backlight can be performed irrespective of the screen division. That is, even if the screen division is not performed, only the backlight can be separately divided and on / off controlled. The display position and the transparency of the menu icons can be moved corresponding to the position of the divided backlight.

10 is an exemplary view illustrating an option for controlling the size and color of the menu icon according to the battery level in the mobile terminal according to the present invention.

As described above, the controller 180 detects the remaining battery level, and when the remaining battery level is less than or equal to the specific reference value, the size of the menu icons 311, 312, and 313 recommended to be restricted is reduced to a preset size and displayed . Conversely, menu icons that do not recommend usage restrictions can retain the original displayed size.

In another embodiment, when the detected battery remaining amount is less than or equal to a specific reference value, the color of the menu icons recommending the usage restriction may be changed to a monochrome image. Or darkness of the menu icons recommending the use restriction may be changed to dark.

Meanwhile, the method of displaying the menu icon according to the remaining battery level may further apply the options described in FIGS. 5 to 9. For example, after reducing the size of icons with a large amount of battery consumption, the icons can be moved to one side of the divided screen in a state in which the color or transparency is changed to translucent.

As described above, the present invention has an effect of allowing the user to intuitively recognize menu icons that should be restricted in use according to the remaining battery level, and it is possible to reduce consumption of the battery by controlling the display method of the menu icons .

In the foregoing, preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Here, the terms and words used in the present specification and claims should not be construed as limited to ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be construed as meaning and concept consistent with the technical idea of the present invention.

Therefore, the embodiments described in the present specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are merely the most preferred embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the technical ideas of the present invention are described. Therefore, It should be understood that various equivalents and modifications may be present.

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.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling display of a user interface according to a remaining battery level of a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

4 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for managing battery consumption associated with a particular function of a mobile terminal in accordance with the present invention.

5 is a diagram illustrating an option for controlling the transparency of the menu icon according to the battery level in the mobile terminal according to the present invention.

6 is an exemplary view illustrating an option for controlling the display position of the menu icon according to the remaining battery level in the mobile terminal according to the present invention.

7 is an exemplary view illustrating an option for aligning the display position of the menu icon according to the amount of battery consumption in the mobile terminal according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an exemplary diagram illustrating an option for predicting availability time according to remaining battery power in a mobile terminal according to the present invention. FIG.

9 is an exemplary view illustrating an option for controlling the driving of the display unit according to the remaining battery power in the mobile terminal according to the present invention.

10 is an exemplary view illustrating an option for controlling the size and color of the menu icon according to the battery level in the mobile terminal according to the present invention.

Claims (15)

Detecting a remaining battery level; Comparing the battery remaining amount with predetermined reference values; Displaying menu icons corresponding to the specific reference value according to a preset option when the battery remaining amount is less than or equal to a specific reference value, The predetermined options include: The display unit is divided in steps according to the specific reference value, Further comprising the step of deactivating one screen displayed with the menu icons corresponding to the specific reference value and activating another one screen. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of predicting and displaying the available time when the menu corresponding to the icon is selected when any one of the menu icons displayed according to the option is selected A method of controlling a terminal. The method of claim 1, And a priority is set according to power consumption when a menu corresponding to the icon is executed. 3. The method according to claim 2, When the specific menu is executed, the battery consumption of the menu is measured, Calculating the measured battery consumption amount in units of a specific time, Dividing the current battery remaining amount by the calculated amount of battery consumption, and estimating a usable time when the menu is executed. 2. The method of claim 1, And controlling the color or transparency of the menu icons to display in black and white or translucent. 2. The method of claim 1, And displaying the position of the menu icons in a specific direction of the screen. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the selection of the menu icon comprises: Wherein the touch is selected by a proximity touch or a direct touch. delete 2. The method of claim 1, Dividing the backlight region stepwise according to the specific reference value, Wherein the backlight of the one side area displaying the menu icons corresponding to the specific reference value is switched off and the backlight of the other side area is switched on. 2. The method of claim 1, And an option to reduce the size of the menu icons and display the reduced size of the menu icons. A sensing unit; A display unit; A battery remaining amount detecting unit; And a controller for comparing the battery remaining amount with predetermined reference values and displaying menu icons corresponding to the specific reference value according to a preset option when the battery remaining amount is less than or equal to a specific reference value, Wherein, Wherein the control unit controls the display unit to divide the screen of the display unit step by step according to the specific reference value, deactivate the one screen displayed with the menu icons corresponding to the specific reference value, and activate the other one screen. . 12. The apparatus according to claim 11, When one of the menu icons displayed according to the option is selected, the battery consumption amount of the menu corresponding to the selected icon is measured, the measured battery consumption amount is calculated in a specific time unit, and the current remaining battery amount is calculated And estimating the usable time when the menu is executed. 12. The apparatus according to claim 11, And controls to display the position of the menu icons corresponding to the specific reference value in a specific direction of the screen. delete 12. The apparatus according to claim 11, Wherein the control unit controls the backlight of the other side area to be switched on by dividing the backlight area stepwise according to the specific reference value and switching off the backlight of one side area where the menu icons corresponding to the specific reference value are displayed, Mobile terminal.

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