KR101709509B1 - Mobile terminal and method for controlling thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal capable of providing a more convenient Internet use environment and a control method thereof. A mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention displays a first web browser including a tab region for displaying at least one tab and a web page region for displaying a web page corresponding to one of the at least one tab ; And a second web browser displayed in a first area of the touch screen and a second area of the touch screen in accordance with a predetermined criterion when a mode switching signal is inputted when there are two or more tabs in the tab area, And a third web browser displayed in the second web browser.

Description

[0001] MOBILE TERMINAL AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THEREOF [0002]

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal capable of providing a more convenient Internet use environment 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.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the use of the Internet through a mobile terminal has been increasing as wireless data communication functions of mobile terminals have been improved and data processing capabilities have been improved. Accordingly, there is a demand for a mobile terminal and a control method thereof that can more conveniently browse a web page.

The present invention provides a mobile terminal that can use the Internet more conveniently.

The present invention also provides a mobile terminal capable of dividing a display screen into a plurality of areas and displaying a plurality of web pages at a time.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention, unless further departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It will be possible.

A mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention for realizing the above-mentioned problem includes a tab area for displaying at least one tab and a web page area for displaying a web page corresponding to any one of the at least one tab A touch screen for displaying a first web browser; And a second web browser displayed in a first area of the touch screen and a second area of the touch screen in accordance with a predetermined criterion when a mode switching signal is inputted when there are two or more tabs in the tab area, And a third web browser displayed in the second web browser.

A control method of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention for realizing the above-mentioned problem is characterized by including a step of displaying a tab region for displaying at least one tab and a tab region for displaying a web page corresponding to one of the at least one tab Displaying a first web browser including a web page area on a touch screen; Inputting a mode switching signal when there are two or more tabs in the tab region; And placing each of the plurality of tabs in either a second web browser displayed in a first region of the touch screen and a third web browser displayed in a second region of the touch screen in accordance with a predetermined criterion have.

The user can more conveniently use the Internet through the mobile terminal according to at least one embodiment of the present invention.

Also, the display screen may be divided into a plurality of areas, a plurality of web pages may be checked at a time, and the arrangement of the web pages may be easily changed.

The effects obtained by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description will be.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a front perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a front view of a mobile terminal for explaining an operation state of the mobile terminal according to the present invention.
4 illustrates an example of a user interface configuration of a web browser for displaying a web page in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 illustrates an example of a portrait view mode and a landscape view mode of a web browser in a mobile terminal according to the present invention.
FIG. 6 illustrates an example in which taps are divided according to switching from the web browser of the mobile terminal to the split mode according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 illustrates an example in which a position of a tab is changed when a web browser is executed in an integrated mode in a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 shows an example of a case where a position of a tab is changed when a web browser is executed in a split mode in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 shows another example of a mode in which a position of a tab is changed when a web browser is executed in a split mode in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 shows an example of a method of adding a new tab in the web browser of the mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a diagram illustrating a method of displaying a web page corresponding to a link of a web page displayed through a web browser through another web browser when the web browser of the mobile terminal is executed in the split mode according to an embodiment of the present invention .
12 shows an example of a method for collectively setting taps to be displayed in the division mode in the mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

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 includes a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), a PMP (Portable Multimedia Player), a navigation system, . 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.

Overall configuration

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 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 an output relating to visual, auditory or tactile sense and includes a display unit 151, an acoustic output module 152, an alarm unit 153, a haptic module 154, 155, and the like.

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.

The proximity sensor 141 may be disposed in an inner region of the mobile terminal or in the vicinity of the touch screen, which is enclosed 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 projector module 155 is a component for performing an image project function using the mobile terminal 100 and is similar to the image displayed on the display unit 151 in accordance with a control signal of the controller 180 Or at least partly display another image on an external screen or wall.

Specifically, the projector module 155 includes a light source (not shown) that generates light (for example, laser light) for outputting an image to the outside, a light source And a lens (not shown) for enlarging and outputting the image at a predetermined focal distance to the outside. Further, the projector module 155 may include a device (not shown) capable of mechanically moving the lens or the entire module to adjust the image projection direction.

The projector module 155 can be divided into a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) module, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) module and a DLP (Digital Light Processing) module according to the type of the display means. In particular, the DLP module may be advantageous for miniaturization of the projector module 151 by enlarging and projecting an image generated by reflecting light generated from a light source on a DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) chip.

Preferably, the projector module 155 may be provided longitudinally on the side, front or back side of the mobile terminal 100. It goes without saying that the projector module 155 may be provided at any position of the mobile terminal 100 as occasion demands.

The memory unit 160 may store a program for processing and controlling the control unit 180 and temporarily store the input / output data (e.g., telephone directory, message, audio, For example. The memory unit 160 may also store the frequency of use of each of the data (for example, each telephone number, each message, and frequency of use for each multimedia). In addition, the memory unit 160 may store data on vibration and sound of various patterns output when the 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. [

Organization description

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a mobile terminal or a portable terminal according to the present invention, as viewed from the front.

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.

Front touch

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

3 is a front view 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 referred to as a so-called " virtual keypad ".

3 illustrates inputting of a touch applied to the virtual keypad through the front surface of the 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. The output window 151a and the input window 151b are areas allocated for outputting or inputting information, respectively. In the input window 151b, a virtual keypad 151c is displayed in which a number for inputting a telephone number or the like is displayed. When the virtual keypad 151c is touched, numbers and the like corresponding to the touched virtual keypad are 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.

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 activation or deactivation of the display unit 151 or the touch pad 135, for example.

On the other hand, an arrow or finger-shaped graphic for pointing a specific object or selecting a menu in the display unit is called a pointer or a cursor. However, in the case of a pointer, it often means a finger or a stylus pen for a touch operation or the like. Therefore, in this specification, a graphic displayed on the display unit is referred to as a cursor, and a physical means for performing a touch, a proximity touch, and a gesture, such as a finger or a stylus pen, is referred to as a pointer.

The mobile terminal according to the present invention described below includes at least one of the components described above with reference to Fig. 1, but is not necessarily limited thereto, and may include more components than those of Fig. 1, . ≪ / RTI > However, for convenience, it is assumed that the display unit 151 of the mobile terminal 100 according to the present invention is a touch screen.

Default browser configuration

Generally, the use of the Internet using the mobile terminal 100 displays a corresponding web page on the display unit 151 using data transmitted from the outside through the wireless communication unit 110 or the interface unit 170 It can mean to say. Of course, the use of the Internet may include changing (scrolling) the web page displayed on the display unit 151 by inputting a command through the user input unit 130, moving the web page through the selection of the object / Data input / correction, and the like, as well as storing data posted on the web in the memory unit 160 or playback through the output unit 150 of the multimedia data including video / audio information.

A program or an application used for display of such a web page, scrolling of a web page, data input / correction / reproduction / storage, etc. may be referred to as a web browser.

Hereinafter, a basic configuration of a web browser according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

4 illustrates an example of a user interface configuration of a web browser for displaying a web page in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 4, it is assumed that the mobile terminal is arranged in the portrait direction and is displayed in the portrait view mode.

Referring to FIG. 4A, an indicator area 410 is displayed at the top of the display unit, and a web browser is displayed in a full screen except for the indicator area. Here, the indicator area is an area that briefly indicates various operating states of the mobile terminal, such as radio signal reception sensitivity, message reception status, battery remaining amount, and the like.

A tab region is located at the top of the web browser, and one or more tabs 421 and a new tab adding button 425 are provided in the tab region. In addition, each tab may be provided with a tab close button 423, which may be displayed all the time or only when the tab is activated. Here, the tab corresponds to one web page, and when there are a plurality of tabs, it means that a plurality of web pages can be loaded / displayed in the corresponding web browser. Also, the name of the corresponding web page may be displayed on the tab, and the name of the web page may be obtained through the header of the corresponding web page. If header information is not available, a portion of the web page address may be displayed. The tab adding button is used to add a tab to the tab area. The specific form in which the tab is added through the button will be described later in more detail. In addition, when the tab close button is selected, the tab and the regions dependent thereon may be extinguished.

Under the tab area, an address window 431, a refresh button 433 for loading a web page corresponding to a URL displayed in the address window, a favorite button 435 for calling a favorite related function, have.

A web page area 440 in which a web page is displayed may be disposed under the address window, and an additional menu area 450 may be additionally set in a part of the web page area.

Typically, the area below the tab area is dependent on the active tab, the last selected tab, or the default selected tab among the tabs contained in the tab area. For example, the address bar shows the address (URL) of the webpage that corresponds to the active tab, the last selected tab, or the default selected tab. The webpage area also displays the active tab, the last selected tab, or the default selected tab A web page corresponding to the web page is displayed.

When a virtual key button disposed on a predetermined area of the display unit is operated or a hardware key button (or a touch button) provided on the mobile terminal body is operated, a web browser menu Box 451 may be displayed. In the web browser menu box, various functions that can be performed through the web browser can be displayed in an icon form.

When a region in which a character can be entered / modified is selected in the web browser such as the address window 431 or the search word input field 441 on the web page, the virtual keypad 453 ) May be displayed.

It should be noted that the basic configuration of the web browser described above with reference to FIG. 4 may include more or fewer areas / buttons, and the location or icon shape in which each area / button is disposed may be variously changed Do.

Landscape view mode and split mode

The browser configuration of FIG. 4 has been described on the assumption that the web browser is executed (i.e., portrait mode) with the display unit arranged in portrait. However, the mobile terminal according to the present invention may be arranged in a landscape to be used (i.e., landscape view mode). The horizontal view mode is activated by a browser default setting or a command input of a user using a touch screen / key button, or by a sensing module 140 such as a gyro sensor or a gravity sensor capable of determining the placement state of the mobile terminal, May be automatically activated by the control unit 180 when the horizontal arrangement of the display unit 140 is detected. Hereinafter, an example of the vertical view mode and the landscape view mode of the web browser in the mobile terminal according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

First, referring to FIG. 5A, a web browser is executed in a portrait view mode in a mobile terminal according to the present invention. At this time, two tabs 510 and 520 are displayed in the tab region. Of these, the left tab 510 is currently activated, and information related to the left tab 510 (a URL of the address window, a web page displayed in the web page area, etc.) is displayed under the tab region. If the right tap 520 is selected by a user's touch input or the like, the information displayed below the tab region becomes information related to the right tab. When there are a plurality of tabs in the tab region, the tab adding button 511 may be disposed on the rightmost side of the tab region.

On the other hand, when there are a plurality of tabs in the tab region, a predetermined visual effect for visually distinguishing the activated tabs from the other tabs in the tab region is given according to the selection through command input by the user or according to the default setting . For example, an activated tab may be assigned a different color than a non-active tab. The color assigned to the activated tab may also be given to the border and tabbutton buttons between the tab region and the address region.

In the portrait view mode (when the mobile terminal is arranged in the horizontal direction), when the mode is switched to the landscape view mode, an indicator region, a web browser, and the like are arranged in the horizontal direction as shown in FIG. At this time, the split mode switch button 530 may be additionally displayed in the landscape view mode. The split mode switch button may be always displayed in the landscape view mode, or may be displayed only when there are two or more tabs in the tab area.

When the split mode switching button 530 is selected, an area in which the web browser is displayed below the indicator area is divided left and right as shown in Fig. 5C. As the web browser is divided into left and right sides, the left and right sides have the same shape as that of the web browsers in the portrait view mode, respectively. That is, in the split mode, the above-described web browsers in FIG. 4 (a) are independently displayed on the left and right sides simultaneously. That is, tabs 510 and 520, tab adding buttons 511 and 521, an address window, a web page display area, and the like are all displayed on the web browser of each side. In addition, integrated mode switching buttons 515 and 525 for terminating the division mode and switching to a general landscape mode (hereinafter referred to as "integration mode" for convenience) can also be provided in the web browser of each side.

If the mobile terminal is arranged in the vertical direction regardless of whether the division mode / the integrated mode is applied, the display mode can be switched to the portrait view mode. In the horizontal view mode, switching between the division mode and the integration mode is performed through the division mode change button and the integrated mode change button. It is possible. 5 (a), the split mode switching button 530 may be displayed when there are two or more tabs in the portrait view mode.

On the other hand, in the split mode, visual effects for displaying the activated tabs can be applied to the left and right web browsers differently. In addition, regardless of whether the tabs are activated in the left and right web browsers, the colors to be assigned to the tabs may be displayed on the boundary between the tab region and the address window.

However, when the taps displayed in the tab region in the integrated mode are switched to the split mode, it is necessary to set a reference to which web browser is placed in the split mode according to a certain criterion. One example of this criterion is the relative positional relationship between activated tabs and other tabs in split mode switching. This will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example in which tabs are divided according to switching from the web browser of the mobile terminal to the split mode according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 6, the activated tabs and the tabs located on the left side of the activated tabs are arranged in the left web browser of the split mode when the tabs displayed in the tab region are switched to the split mode in the integrated mode, It is assumed that the tab located on the right side is placed in the right web browser of the split mode.

First, referring to FIG. 6A, a web browser is executed in an integrated mode, and five tabs are executed, and four tabs 611 to 614 are displayed in a tab region. At this time, the third tap 613 is activated, and a URL and a web page corresponding to a third tap are displayed in the address region and the web page region 620, respectively.

When the split mode switch button 630 is selected, the tab 613 activated in the unified mode and the tab 612 located on the left side thereof are arranged in the tab region of the left web browser as shown in FIG. 6 (b) The tabs 614 and 615 located on the right side of the tab 613 activated in the mode are placed in the tab region of the right web browser. At this time, the integrated mode changeover buttons 631 and 633 are arranged in each web browser as described above with reference to FIG.

In the split mode, the tab 613 activated in the integrated mode is displayed as active, and a web page corresponding to the tab 613 can be displayed in the web page area of the left web browser. In the right web browser, there is no activated tab, but a web page corresponding to the leftmost tab 614 can be displayed in the web page area 623 of the right web browser. This is due to the assumption that only one tab is activated through both web browsers in split mode.

Here, when the left tab 614 of the right web browser is selected, the color and tab adding buttons of the tab 613 which has been previously activated in the left web browser as shown in (c) of FIG. 6 are changed to a color indicating inactivation , The tab 614 selected in the right web browser and the tab adding button are given a color indicating activation.

If the integrated mode switching button 633 is selected in the situation shown in FIG. 6 (c), tabs arranged in the left and right web browsers are arranged as one tab region as shown in FIG. 6 (d). Also, the last activated tab 614 in split mode may be marked as active by default in unified mode.

On the other hand, the placement criteria of the tabs in the left and right web browsers at the time of switching to the split mode can be variously set in addition to the positions relative to the activated tabs described above. For example, whether or not a tab corresponding to a web page included in a favorite is stored in the same folder or category, a category of a web page (news, portal, game, financial web page, And the like can be cited as a reference of the tab arrangement.

Hereinafter, the movement of the tab within the tab region will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example in which a position of a tab is changed when a web browser is executed in an integrated mode in a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

First, referring to FIG. 7A, a web browser is executed in an integrated mode, and five tabs are executed, and four tabs 711 to 714 among them are displayed in a tab region. The fifth tab is located to the right of the fourth tab 714, but is not currently displayed. At this time, the third tap 713 is activated, and a URL and a web page corresponding to the third tap are displayed in the address region and the web page region, respectively.

Here, the user may drag the tap region to the left side and drag the tap region to the left side and then release the touch to change the order of the third tap in the tap region between the first tap 711 and the second tap 712. As a result, the position of the third tap 713 can be changed within the tab region as shown in FIG. 7 (b). In this case, although the touch input for selecting a tab to be changed in the tab region is a long touch, it is an example that the touch input can be changed to another touch input.

On the other hand, the user may scroll the tab area to confirm the currently untabbed tab. For this purpose, a flicking touch input that is input in a desired direction of scrolling may be used. For example, in the situation shown in FIG. 7 (a), the user can input the flicking touch on the touch screen in order to check the fifth tab or select the tab adding button. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 7C, the tab region is scrolled to the left, and the fifth tab 715 and the tab adding button that are not displayed on the right side can be displayed on the touch screen.

7 (a) to 7 (b) and an operation of changing the state as shown in Fig. 7 (a) to Fig. 7 (c) The state can be reversed as shown in Fig. 7 (a) in Fig. 7 (b) or in Fig. 7 (a) in Fig.

The above-described repositioning and scrolling of the tab can also be applied in the split mode. This will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 8 shows an example of a case where a position of a tab is changed when a web browser is executed in a split mode in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

8A, a web browser is executed in a split mode, three tabs 811, 812 and 813 are displayed on the left web browser, and three tabs are displayed on the right web browser. At this time, the first tab 811 of the left web browser is activated, and a URL and a web page corresponding to the first tab are displayed in the address region and the web page region 820, respectively. In the right web browser, a web page corresponding to the leftmost tab 831 is displayed in the web page area 840 with all the tabs disabled.

Here, if the user needs to scroll the tab area to add a new tab to the left web browser, he / she inputs the flicking touch in the left direction on the tab area.

Accordingly, the tab area of the left web browser scrolls to the left as shown in FIG. 8B, and a tab adding button 819 located at the right end of the tab area can be displayed. On the other hand, the tap area scrolling of one side web browser is independently performed without affecting the tap area of the other side web browser, and there is no change in the right side web browser. In the situation shown in FIG. 8 (b), when a flicking touch is inputted in the right direction on the tab region of the left web browser, the tab region of the left web browser can be returned to the state as shown in FIG. 8 (a).

Similarly to the method described with reference to FIG. 7 (b), if a position-changing tab is selected and moved through the touch input in the split mode, the position of the tab may be changed within the tab region. At this time, the position change of the tab in the split mode can be performed not only within the tab region of the same web browser but also by activating the tab region by moving to the tab region of the web browser of the other side. This will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 9 shows another example of a mode in which a position of a tab is changed when a web browser is executed in a split mode in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

9A, three tabs 911, 912 and 913 are displayed on the left web browser, two tabs 921 and 922 are displayed on the right web browser, Is displayed. At this time, the first tab 911 of the left web browser is activated, and a URL and a web page corresponding to the first tab are displayed in the address region and the web page region 930, respectively. In the right web browser, a web page corresponding to the leftmost tab 921 is displayed in the web page area 940 with all the tabs disabled.

At this time, in order to activate the second tab 912 of the left web browser on the right web browser while moving to the tab region of the right web browser, the user can select the second tab 912 through the long touch as shown in FIG. 9B. When a long touch is applied to the second tap 912, a color imparted at the time of activation of the tap may be applied by a predetermined ratio enlarged by a visual effect indicating that the tap is selected.

Then, when the user touches the web page area 940 of the right web browser and holds the touch on the corresponding tab, the tab 912 is moved to the tab area of the right web browser as shown in FIG. 9 (c) Is activated at the same time. Accordingly, a web page corresponding to the corresponding tab 912 can be displayed in the web page area of the right web browser.

Next, a method of generating a new tap will be described with reference to FIG.

10 shows an example of a method of adding a new tab in the web browser of the mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 10A, one tab 1021 is displayed in a tab region of a web browser, and a web page corresponding to the tab 1021 is displayed in a web page region 1030. At this time, the user can select a tab addition button 1023 to add a new tab or select a new tab addition menu 1011 of the web browser menu box 1010 described above with reference to FIG. 4B .

Accordingly, a new tab 1022 in which a corresponding web page is not specified in the tab region can be generated on the left side of the tab creation button, as shown in FIG. 10 (b). At this time, in order to allow a user to select a web page of the generated tab from a pre-stored favorite in the web page area, a favorite thumbnail area 1040 in which a favorite web page is displayed in a thumbnail form and a search window 1050) may be displayed. Of course, inputting the URL address directly into the address bar between the tab region and the web page region can also be applied for web page identification of the new tab. In addition to the favorite thumbnails, a list of web pages visited more than once (i.e., a history list) may be displayed.

At this time, when the third thumbnail 1041 is selected in the favorite thumbnail area, the web page corresponding to the tab 1022 generated as shown in (c) of FIG. 10 is displayed on the web page corresponding to the third favorite thumbnail 1041 . ≪ / RTI > Accordingly, a web page corresponding to the generated tab 1022 is displayed in the web page area 1030 as well.

Next, referring to FIG. 11, a method of displaying a web page corresponding to a link of a web page displayed through a web browser in the split mode through another web browser will be described.

Referring to FIG. 11A, a web browser is executed in a split mode, and one tab 1111 and 1131 are displayed in each web browser, and an address window and web page areas 1120 and 1140 ), URLs and web pages corresponding to the respective tabs are displayed, respectively. Also, the tab 1131 of the right web browser is activated.

Here, the user can select one link 1141 in the right web page area 1140. [ Here, a link is an object on a web page which is composed of text, an icon, an image, or a flash, and provides a link to another web page preset in the link when the link is selected. A representative example of such a link is a hyperlink in the HTML language, but this is exemplary and does not refer to any other web page or any object that refers to web content.

Generally, when a link is selected, the web page is moved to the web page designated by the corresponding link in the web page area. However, in the present embodiment, the touch patterns of the two selections are set to be different from each other in order to distinguish the "selection for displaying a web page instructed by the link in the other web browser in the division mode" . For example, selection of the former may be performed by a simple touch, and selection of the latter may be performed by a long touch or the like.

When the link 1141 to be displayed on the other web browser is selected through the long touch, the selected link 1141 may be enlarged by a predetermined ratio to indicate that it is selected. Then, the link selected as shown in FIG. 11B may be dragged to the web page area 1120 of the left web browser. 11C, a tab 1113 corresponding to a web page indicated by the selected link 1141 is newly generated in the tab region, and the generated tab is activated to select the web page region 1120 A web page corresponding to the link may be displayed.

In the above-described method, a method of selecting a link of a web page displayed through a new tab of the other web page can be applied to various touch patterns in addition to the long touch. For example, a multi-touch that is simultaneously applied to two different points of the link or a method in which a link is selected as a general touch input while a specific key button is operated can be used. Also, whenever a link is selected in a general manner by menu setting through a web browser menu box or the like, a web page corresponding to the link may be displayed in a new tab of the other web browser. In addition, the link may be replaced with multimedia content that is replayed on a web page. That is, when the playback button of the video player displayed through the one-side web browser is selected, the corresponding video can be played back on the new tab of the other web browser.

Hereinafter, a method of setting a plurality of web pages (i.e., a plurality of tabs) to be displayed through the split mode at one time will be described with reference to FIG.

12 shows an example of a method for collectively setting taps to be displayed in the division mode in the mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 12A, when the web browser is executed and a default screen is displayed, the web browser menu box 1210 described above with reference to FIG. 4B is called and the split mode setting menu 1211 ) May be selected.

Accordingly, the split mode setting screen can be displayed as shown in FIG. 12 (b). Specifically, a search window 1221 and favorite thumbnails 1223, 1225, 1227, and 1229 may be displayed in the left area 1220 as shown in FIG. 10 (b). In the right area, a left web browser area 1230 and a right web browser area 1240 can be displayed.

At this time, the upper left thumbnail is dragged to the left web browser area 1230, and the upper right thumbnail 1227 and the lower right thumbnail 1229 are dragged to the right web browser area 1240.

Accordingly, thumbnails dragged as shown in (c) of FIG. 12 are displayed in each web browser area. The user can select the confirmation menu 1250 according to the completion of the division mode setting.

When the confirmation menu 1250 is selected, the split mode is displayed as set in the previous step as shown in (d) of FIG. Specifically, the tab corresponding to the thumbnail 1233 included in the left web browser area 1230 is arranged in the left web browser 1260, and the tab corresponding to the thumbnail 1233 is arranged in the right web browser 1270 the tabs corresponding to the thumbnails 1247 and 1249 included in the right web browser area 1240 in FIG.

In the above-described embodiments, when switching from the portrait view mode or the integrated mode to the split mode, the tabs included in the tab area of the existing web browser (first web browser) are displayed in the left web browser And the right side web browser (third web browser). This is because, from a different point of view, it is not the case that one web browser (first web browser) is switched to two different web browsers (second web browser and third web browser) The size / shape is changed, and a new web browser (second web browser) is created in the generated space.

In the split mode, it is assumed that the web browser is divided into left and right, but it may be divided into up and down in the portrait view mode or divided into three or more. Also, in the case of dividing left and right, the size of the left browser area and the size of the right browser area are shown to be the same, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the sizes of the left and right sides may be variable.

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 above-described message menu, and the mobile terminal and its control method for displaying the message menu are not limited to the configuration and method of the above-described embodiments, but the embodiments may be applied to various embodiments All or a part of the above-described elements may be selectively combined.

Claims (16)

A touch screen for displaying a first web browser including a tab region for displaying at least one tab and a web page region for displaying a web page corresponding to one of the at least one tab; And
When a mode switching signal is inputted when there are two or more tabs in the tab region, a second web browser displayed in the first region of the touch screen and a second region displayed in the second region of the touch screen, And a third web browser to be displayed. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first web browser comprises:
And the second area is displayed in a third area including the first area and the second area on the touch screen. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the second web browser comprises:
Wherein the size and shape of the first web browser are changed to correspond to the second area. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a sensing module for sensing a horizontal / vertical arrangement of the mobile terminal,
The mode switching signal,
Wherein the mobile terminal is a signal input by sensing that the mobile terminal is horizontally disposed from the sensing module. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first web browser further comprises a mode switching button,
Wherein,
And recognizes that the mode switching signal is input when the mode switching button is selected as the touch input through the touch screen. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
Wherein the control unit controls the web page corresponding to the activated tab in the first web browser to be displayed in the web page area. The method according to claim 6,
The control unit, when the mode switching signal is input,
The activated tab and the tab located in the first direction on the basis of the activated tab in the tab region are arranged in the second web browser, and among the plurality of tabs, To the third web browser. The method according to claim 6,
Further comprising a memory unit for storing favorite information on a predetermined web page at two or more different positions,
The predetermined criterion may be,
And a web page corresponding to each of the plurality of tabs is stored in a category or favorite information of a web page corresponding to each of the plurality of tabs. The method according to claim 1,
The second web browser and the third web browser,
A tab region, and a web page region, respectively. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein,
When a drag-touch input starting from a specific tab located in a tab region of the third web browser is ended in a web page region of the second web browser,
Moves the specific tab to the tab area of the second web browser and controls the web page corresponding to the specific tab to be displayed in the web page area of the second web browser. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein,
When the link of the web page displayed in the web page area of the third web browser is selected through the touch input inputted on the touch screen and then moved to the web page area of the second web browser, And controls to display a web page indicated by the link in a page area. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein,
When the link is selected, controls the link to be magnified and displayed at a predetermined ratio. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein,
Wherein when the link is selected and moved to the web page area of the second web browser, a tab corresponding to the web page indicated by the link is generated in the tab area of the second web browser. Displaying a first web browser on a touch screen including a tab region for displaying at least one tab and a web page region for displaying a web page corresponding to one of the at least one tab;
Inputting a mode switching signal when there are two or more tabs in the tab region; And
Wherein each of the plurality of tabs is disposed in either a second web browser displayed in a first region of the touch screen and a third web browser displayed in a second region of the touch screen in accordance with a predetermined criterion A method of controlling a terminal. 15. The method of claim 14,
Wherein the step of inputting the mode switching signal comprises:
Wherein the step of receiving a signal indicating that the mobile terminal is horizontally arranged in a vertical direction is received from a sensing module for sensing a horizontal / vertical arrangement state of the mobile terminal. 15. The method of claim 14,
Wherein the first web browser further comprises a mode switching button,
Wherein the step of inputting the mode switching signal comprises:
Wherein the mode switching button is selected as a touch input through the touch screen.

Images