KR101781962B1 - Mobile terminal and operating method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A mobile terminal is disclosed. The mobile terminal includes a wireless communication unit that performs a communication function with a plurality of communication networks, a controller that performs multimedia and application related functions, and a controller that interfaces with the wireless communication unit and the control unit using a predetermined command set. 1 interface, a second interface for interfacing between the controller of the wireless communication unit and another electronic apparatus using the predetermined command set, and a second interface for connecting the controller and the other electronic apparatus, And a switching unit for changing a communication network assigned to the control unit of the device.

Description

[0001] Mobile terminal and operating method [0002]

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal, and more particularly, to a mobile terminal that can share a communication unit and a user authentication unit with other electronic apparatuses.

As the functions of terminals such as a personal computer, a notebook computer, a mobile phone, and a smart phone are diversified, a multimedia device having multiple functions such as photographing and video shooting, playing music or video file, (multimedia player).

For functional support and enhancement of the terminal, it may be considered to improve the structural and / or software part of the terminal. Recently, a variety of terminals including a mobile terminal provide a complex and various functions, and the menu structure is also becoming complicated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a mobile terminal capable of sharing a communication unit with other electronic devices, and a method of operating the terminal.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mobile terminal capable of sharing a user authentication unit with another electronic device, and a method of operating the mobile terminal.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not intended to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Other objects, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art, It will be possible.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mobile terminal including a communication unit for performing a communication function with a plurality of communication networks; A controller for performing multimedia and application related functions; A first interface for interfacing between the communication unit and the control unit using a predetermined command set; A second interface for interfacing between the communication unit and a control unit of another electronic device using the predetermined instruction set; And a switching unit for controlling a communication network allocated to the control unit and the control unit of the other electronic device based on whether or not the external device is connected. The mobile terminal may further include a user authentication unit that allows the control unit of the other electronic device to access, using the predetermined command, through the second interface.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for driving a mobile terminal, comprising: connecting a plurality of communication networks through a communication unit; Performing multimedia and application related functions in a control unit; Interfacing between the communication unit and the control unit using a predetermined command set through a first interface; Interfacing between the communication unit and a control unit of another electronic device using the predetermined instruction set through a second interface; And controlling a communication network allocated to the control unit of the control unit and the control unit of the other electronic device based on whether the external device is connected or not. The mobile terminal driving method includes allowing the control unit of the other electronic device to access the user authentication unit of the mobile terminal through the second interface using the predetermined command .

The method of driving a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention can be implemented by executing a computer program for implementing the mobile terminal driving method stored in a computer readable recording medium.

The mobile terminal according to the present invention can share the communication unit with other electronic devices.

In addition, the mobile terminal according to the present invention can share the user authentication unit with other electronic devices.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to the present invention.
2 shows a state where a mobile terminal and another electronic device according to the present invention are connected.
3 is an example of a block diagram of a mobile terminal and other electronic devices according to the present invention shown in Fig.
4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of sharing a wireless communication unit with another electronic device connected to the mobile terminal according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 shows an example of a switching unit for controlling allocation of a control unit of the mobile terminal and a control unit of another electronic device in the mobile telephone network and the wireless Internet network in the mobile terminal according to the present invention.
6 is a flowchart illustrating a method in which a mobile terminal according to the present invention shares a user authentication unit with another electronic device.
7 is a detailed block diagram of the mobile terminal and the other electronic device according to the present invention.
8 is a flowchart showing an example of a method in which the mobile terminal shown in FIG. 7 shares a mobile communication network with another electronic device.
9 and 10 show a popup window asking whether to assign a communication network to another electronic device in the mobile terminal according to the present invention.
11 shows an example in which a second interface of a mobile terminal according to the present invention is connected by an interface of another electronic device and a short-range wireless communication network.
12 is a flowchart showing another example of a method in which a mobile terminal according to the present invention shares a communication network with another electronic device.

The foregoing objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification. In the following description, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the invention in unnecessary detail.

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 herein 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), a navigation device, have. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1, the mobile terminal 100 includes a wireless communication unit 110, an A / V input unit 120, a user input unit 130, a sensing unit 140, an output unit 150, A storage unit 160, an interface unit 170, a control unit 180, and a power source unit 190, and the like. 1 are not essential, the mobile terminal 100 may have more or less components than those shown in FIG.

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).

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives broadcasting signals using various broadcasting systems. In particular, the broadcasting receiving module 111 may be a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DMB-T), a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Satellite (DMB-S) Only Digital Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H), Integrated Services Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial (ISDB-T), and the like. Of course, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be adapted to other broadcasting systems that provide broadcast signals as well as the digital broadcasting system described above.

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

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

The wireless Internet module 113 refers to a module for wireless Internet access, and the wireless Internet module 113 can be embedded in the mobile terminal 100 or externally. WLAN (Wi-Fi), Wibro (Wireless broadband), Wimax (World Interoperability for Microwave Access), HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution) .

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

The location information module 115 is a module for confirming or obtaining the location of the mobile terminal. The location information module 115 may obtain location information using a global navigation satellite system (GNSS). Here, the Global Positioning System (GNSS) is a term used to describe the radionavigation satellite systems in which certain types of radionavigation receivers orbiting the Earth are transmitting reference signals that can determine their position near the surface or ground surface . The Global Positioning System (GNSS) includes Global Positioning System (GPS) in the United States, Galileo in Europe, GLONASS (Global Orbiting Navigational Satelite System) in Russia, COMPASS in China and Japan QZSS (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System), which is operated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

As a representative example of the GNSS, the location information module 115 may be a Global Position System (GPS) module. The GPS module calculates information on a distance (distance) from three or more satellites to a point (object), information on a time when the distance information is measured, and then applies a trigonometric method to the calculated distance information, Dimensional position information according to latitude, longitude, and altitude with respect to a point (object) in the three-dimensional space. Further, a method of calculating position and time information using three satellites and correcting the error of the calculated position and time information using another satellite is also used. The GPS module continuously calculates the current position in real time, and calculates velocity information using the current position.

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 storage unit 160 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication unit 110. [ The camera 121 may be equipped with two or more cameras according to the configuration of the terminal.

The microphone 122 receives an external sound signal 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 movement 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, And senses the current state of the terminal 100 to generate a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100. The sensing signal may be transmitted to the controller 180 so that the controller 180 may perform a specific function.

The sensing unit 140 may include a touch sensor for sensing whether the user touches the touch panel, a vibration sensor for sensing vibration generated based on the touch of the user, a gyro sensing rotation of the mobile phone 100, A sensor, an acceleration sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, or the like. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

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. In addition, it may be responsible for a sensing function related to 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.

The output unit 150 may include a display unit 151, an acoustic output unit 152, an alarm unit 153, and a haptic module 154, for example, for generating an output related to visual, auditory, have.

The display unit 151 displays and outputs information processed by the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal is in the call mode, a UI (User Interface) or a GUI (Graphic User Interface) associated with a call is displayed. 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, a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode, a flexible display, a three-dimensional display 3D display).

Some of these displays may be transparent or light transmissive so that they can be seen through. This may be referred to as a transparent display. A typical example of the transparent display is a transparent LCD or 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 displays may be spaced apart from one another or may be disposed integrally with one another, or may be disposed on different surfaces, respectively.

(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.

A proximity sensor may be disposed in an inner region of the mobile terminal or in the vicinity of the touch screen that is wrapped 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 cursor with the change of the electric field along the proximity of the cursor when the touch screen is electrostatic. In this case, the touch screen (touch sensor) may be classified as a proximity sensor.

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 unit 152 may output audio data received from the wireless communication unit 110 or stored in the storage unit 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 unit 152 outputs an acoustic signal related to a function (e.g., a call signal reception sound, a message reception sound, etc.) performed in the mobile terminal 100. [ The audio output unit 152 may include a receiver, a speaker, a buzzer, and the like. Also, the sound output unit 152 may output sound through the earphone jack 116. The user can connect the earphone to the earphone jack 116 to hear the sound output.

The alarm unit 153 may output 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 also be output through the display unit 151 or the audio output unit 152.

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 be configured to perform various functions such as an effect of stimulation by a pin arrangement vertically moving with respect to a contact skin surface, an effect of stimulation by air spraying force or suction force through a jet opening or a suction opening, A variety of tactile effects such as an effect of stimulation through contact of an electrode, an effect of stimulation by an electrostatic force, and an effect of reproducing a cold sensation using a heat absorbing 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 feel the tactile effect through the muscles of the user's 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 storage unit 160 may store a program for the operation of the controller 180 and may temporarily store input / output data (e.g., a phone book, a message, a still image, The storage unit 160 may store data related to vibration and sound of various patterns outputted when a touch is input on the touch screen.

The storage unit 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) (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 storage unit 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 receives power from the external device to transfer the data to each component in the mobile terminal 100 or to transmit data in the mobile terminal 100 to an external device.

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 interface unit 170 may include a card slot on which the card type user identification module can be mounted. Then, the user identification module may be connected to the mobile terminal 100 through the card slot. At this time, a plurality of user identification modules may be connected to the interface unit 170.

When the mobile terminal 100 is connected to an external cradle, the interface unit 170 may be a path through which power from the cradle is supplied to the mobile terminal 100, or various commands A signal may be a path through which the signal is transmitted to the mobile 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 control unit 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.

Under the control of the control unit 180, the power supply unit 190 receives external power and internal power, 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 processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and electrical units for performing functions. In some cases, And may be implemented by the control unit 180.

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

The configuration of the mobile terminal 100 according to the present invention has been described above with reference to FIG. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 2 to FIG. 12, a description will be made in detail of a technique in which the mobile terminal 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention shares another electronic device with the wireless communication unit 110 and the user authentication unit.

FIG. 2 shows a state in which the mobile terminal 100 according to the present invention and another electronic device 200 are connected. The mobile terminal 100 may share a wireless communication unit 110 and a user authentication unit (not shown) included therein with the other electronic device 200. That is, even if the other electronic device 200 does not include the wireless communication unit and the user authentication unit, the other electronic device 200 can access the external network by using the wireless communication unit 110 and the user authentication unit of the mobile terminal 100.

2, the mobile terminal 100 may be implemented as a smartphone, and the other electronic device 200 may include a display (not shown) having a screen larger than a screen of the display unit 151 of the smartphone 251) but may be implemented as a tablet PC that does not include a communication unit and a user authentication unit. Therefore, the hardware configuration of the tablet PC 200 may be simpler than that of a general tablet PC. In addition, the tablet PC 200 can solve the drawback that the visibility of the smartphone 100 is low due to a small screen.

The interface between the mobile terminal 100 and the other electronic device 200 may be a set of instructions used for interfacing between the components inside the mobile terminal 100. Therefore, when the other electronic device 200 is connected to the mobile terminal 100, the mobile terminal 100 recognizes the other electronic device 200 as a component of the mobile terminal 100, Access to the mobile terminal 100 components of the other electronic device 200 may not be blocked.

3 is an example of a block diagram of a mobile terminal 100 and another electronic device 200 according to the present invention shown in FIG. 3, the mobile terminal 100 includes a wireless communication unit 110, a user authentication unit 140, a switching unit 141, a first interface 143, a second interface 171, and a controller 180 ). The other electronic device 200 includes an interface 270 and a control unit 280.

3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the mobile terminal 100 and the user authentication unit 140 necessary for explaining a technical feature of the mobile terminal 100 sharing the wireless communication unit 110 and the user authentication unit 140 with the other electronic device 200. [ Only the components of the other electronic device 200 are shown.

The wireless communication unit 110 may perform a communication function with a plurality of communication networks. The wireless communication unit 110 may be implemented as a communication processor (Communicaiton Processor), which is a single chip dedicated to the communication function of the mobile terminal 100. The plurality of communication networks may include various communication networks such as a mobile telephone network, a short-range wireless communication network, and a wireless Internet network. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

The user authentication unit 140 may include a user identification module connected to the wireless communication unit 110 and / or the switching unit 141 through the interface unit 170. The user authentication using the user identification module may be performed by the user authentication unit 140, the wireless communication unit 110, or the control unit 180.

In the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) system, a subscriber identity module (SIM) is used to store various information (i.e., user identification information) for authenticating the usage right of the mobile terminal 100, In a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, a User Identity Module (UIM) card and a Removal User Identity Module (RUIM) card are mounted on a card, and mounted on a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) card in a Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) As shown in FIG.

The switching unit 141 is allocated to the control unit 180 and the control unit 280 of the other electronic device 200 based on whether or not the other electronic device 200 is connected through the second interface 171 The communication network can be changed. For example, when the other electronic device 200 is not connected, the switching unit 141 may allocate all of the plurality of communication networks to the control unit 180. However, when the other electronic device 200 is connected, the switching unit 141 may allocate at least a part of the plurality of communication networks to the control unit 280 of the other electronic device 200.

The controller 180 may perform multimedia and application related functions. For example, the controller 180 controls the operation of the OS (Operating System) mounted on the mobile terminal 100, the execution of various applications installed in the mobile terminal 100, Various operations can be performed. The controller 180 includes a CPU, a memory, a multimedia codec, a graphics engine, an ISP, various connection interfaces, and the like, and may be implemented as a single chip called an application processor.

The first interface 143 may interface between the wireless communication unit 110 and the control unit 180 using a predetermined command set. That is, the first interface 143 is an internal interface of the mobile terminal 100, and the command set is also used for interfacing the mobile terminal 100. The first interface 143 may be implemented as a serial peripheral interface (SPI), a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI), or the like. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

The second interface 171 may interface between the wireless communication unit 110 and the control unit 280 of the other electronic device 200 using the internal interface instruction set of the mobile terminal 100. The second interface 171 may be implemented as a wired interface including a serial interface such as a USB interface, or may be implemented as a wireless interface using short-range wireless communication.

For example, the instruction set used for interfacing operations of the first and second interfaces 143 and 171 may be an AT command set. Here, the AT command set is a typical instruction set used for interfacing the inside of a mobile terminal, and is a command used to control a smart modem of Hayes Microcomputer products of USA and its compatible modem. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a method in which a mobile terminal 100 according to the present invention shares a wireless communication unit 110 with another electronic device 200 connected to the mobile terminal 100. FIG.

First, the mobile terminal 100 accesses a plurality of communication networks through the wireless communication unit 110 (S100). The switching unit 141 connects the wireless communication unit 110 to the first interface 143 and the mobile terminal 100 is connected to the wireless communication unit 110 and the control unit 130 via the first interface 143. [ (S110). At this time, all of the plurality of communication networks are allotted to the controller 180.

In a state where the wireless communication unit 110 is connected to the first interface 143, the other electronic device 200 is connected to the second interface 171 (S120). Then, the mobile terminal 100 allocates at least a part of the plurality of communication networks allocated to the control unit 180 to the control unit 280 of the other electronic device 200 (S130). Various examples in which the communication network is allocated to the control unit 280 of the other electronic device 200 will be described in further detail below.

Then, the connection of the other electronic device 200 to the second interface 171 is released (S140). Then, the mobile terminal 100 reassigns the communication network that has been assigned to the controller 280 of the other electronic device 200 to the controller 180 (S150).

Hereinafter, various examples in which the communication network is allocated to the control unit 280 of the other electronic device 200 as described above will be described in detail. First, it is assumed that the mobile terminal 100 can access the mobile phone network and the wireless Internet network by the wireless communication unit 110.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling allocation of a mobile telephone network and a wireless Internet network to the control unit 180 of the mobile terminal 100 and the control unit 280 of another electronic device 200 in the mobile terminal 100 according to the present invention The switching unit 141 shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 5, the switching unit 141 includes a first switching unit 141A and a second switching unit 141B. The first switching unit 141A includes a first switch SW1 selectively connecting the first interface 143 to the mobile telephone network and a second switch SW1 selectively connecting the first interface 143 to the wireless Internet network And a second switch SW2.

The second switching unit 141B includes a third switch SW3 for selectively connecting the second interface 171 to the mobile telephone network and a third switch SW2 for selectively connecting the second interface 171 to the wireless Internet network And a fourth switch SW4. Control of shorting and opening of the first to fourth switches may be performed by the control unit 180 that recognizes whether or not the other electronic device 200 is connected to the second interface 171.

Before the other electronic device 200 is connected to the second interface 171, the first switch SW1 and the second switch SW2 are short-circuited and the third switch SW3 and the fourth switch SW4 Is opened. Therefore, both the mobile telephone network and the wireless Internet network are allocated to the control unit 180 of the mobile terminal 100 through the first interface 143. [

However, when the other electronic device 200 is connected to the second interface 171, the first switch SW1 may be opened and the third switch SW3 may be short-circuited. That is, the mobile phone network may be allocated to the control unit 280 of the other electronic device 200 through the second interface 171.

Also, when the other electronic device 200 is connected to the second interface 171, the second switch SW2 may be opened and the fourth switch SW4 may be short-circuited. That is, the wireless Internet network may be allocated to the control unit 280 of the other electronic device 200 through the second interface 171.

However, according to another embodiment of the present invention, even if the other electronic device 200 is connected to the second interface 171, the short-circuit state of the second switch SW2 can be maintained as it is. That is, the wireless Internet network may be allocated to both the control unit 180 of the mobile terminal 100 and the control unit 280 of the other electronic device 200. That is, depending on the connection of the other electronic device 200 to the second interface 171, a specific communication network may be allocated only to the control unit 280 of the other electronic device 200, (280) of the mobile terminal (100) and the control unit (180) of the mobile terminal (100) may be set differently according to the type of the specific communication network.

When the other electronic device 200 is connected to the second interface 171, the first switch SW1 and the second switch SW2 are opened and the third switch SW3 and the 4 switch SW4 may be short-circuited. That is, the switching unit 141 interrupts the interfacing between the wireless communication unit 110 and the control unit 180 of the mobile terminal 100, and transmits the mobile telephone network and the wireless Internet network to the other electronic And can be assigned to the control unit 280 of the device 200.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a method in which a mobile terminal 100 according to the present invention shares a user authentication unit 140 with another electronic device 200. FIG.

The other electronic device 200 is connected to the second interface 171 (S200). Then, the mobile terminal 100 receives an access request for the user authentication unit 141 of the other electronic device 200 through the second interface 171 (S210), and responds to the access request And allows the control unit 280 of the other electronic device 200 to access the user authentication unit 140. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the user authentication unit 140 may be included in the wireless communication unit 110 or may be implemented as a separate component not included in the wireless communication unit 110.

If the access to the user authentication module 140 of the control unit 280 of the other electronic device 200 is allowed, the user may be included in the user authentication unit 140 using the other electronic device 200 The information stored in the user authentication module, or the information stored in the user authentication module can be deleted and edited. For example, the user can edit phone book information stored in the SIM included in the user authentication unit 140 using the other electronic device 200.

7 is a detailed block diagram of the mobile terminal 100 and the other electronic device 200 according to the present invention.

The wireless communication unit 110 of the mobile terminal 100 according to the present invention is implemented by the communication processor 110 which is one chip including the antenna 110A and the control unit 180 of the mobile terminal 100, Is implemented as an application processor 180, which is a single chip.

Referring to FIG. 7, the communication processor 110 includes an antenna 110 for transmitting and receiving RF signals, an RF controller 116 for modulating and demodulating signals in a radio frequency band, a modem stack, and an AT command interface 118. In addition, the communication processor 110 may include a SIM interface 140 to which a SIM is connected. Since the configuration of the communication processor 110 is obvious to those skilled in the art, a detailed description of the components will be omitted.

The communication processor 110 is connected to the switching unit 141 via the AT command interface 118. The switching unit 141 controls the connection between the AT interface interface 118 of the communication processor 110 and the first interface implemented by the SPI 143 and the second interface implemented by the USB interface 171 can do.

The SPI 143 may interface with the OS 183 running by the application processor 180 via an AT command interface 182 included in the application processor 180. The USB interface 171 is connected to the USB interface 270 of the other electronic device 200 through a USB cable and the USB interface 270 is connected to the application processor 280 of the other electronic device 200. [ And can perform interfacing with the OS 283 being executed by the application processor 180 via the AT command interface 282 included in the AT command interface 282. [

8 is a flowchart showing an example of a method in which the mobile terminal 100 shown in FIG. 7 shares a mobile communication network with another electronic device 200. FIG.

The USB cable is connected to the other electronic device 200 (S300). Then, the mobile terminal 100 allocates a mobile phone network among a plurality of communication networks formed by the wireless communication unit 110 of the mobile terminal 100 to the application processor 280 of the other electronic device 200 .

Then, the user executes the messaging application in the other electronic device 200, and then executes the message transmission function. Then, the mobile terminal 100 transmits a message created in the application executed by the application processor 280 of the other electronic device 200 through the mobile telephone network (S320).

The message transmission through the mobile telephone network assigned to the other electronic device 200 shown in FIG. 8 corresponds to an embodiment of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the other electronic device 200 may enjoy various services such as call transmission / reception, message transmission / reception, and the like using the mobile telephone network allocated to the other electronic device 200.

Further, the communication network allocated to the other electronic device 200 is not limited to the mobile telephone network. For example, the communication network allocated to the other electronic device 200 may be a wireless Internet network. At this time, the other electronic device 200 may update the affiliation information installed in the other electronic device 200 through the wireless Internet network, or may download and install a new application, It is possible.

9 and 10 show a popup window asking whether to assign a communication network to another electronic device 100 in the mobile terminal 100 according to the present invention.

9, when the tablet PC is connected to the mobile terminal 100, the application processor 180 of the mobile terminal 100 displays the mobile terminal 100 connected to the mobile terminal 100 on the display unit 151, A pop-up window asking whether to allocate the tablet PC to the tablet PC can be displayed.

10, when the tablet PC is connected to the mobile terminal 100, the application processor 180 of the mobile terminal 100 displays the mobile terminal 100 connected to the mobile terminal 100 on the display unit 151, , And a pop-up window asking whether to allocate the wireless Internet network to the tablet PC can be displayed.

11 shows an example in which the second interface 171 of the mobile terminal 100 according to the present invention is connected to the interface 270 of another electronic device 200 by a short-range wireless communication network.

Referring to FIG. 11A, it can be seen that each of the second interface 171 and the interface 270 of the other electronic device 200 can be implemented by a wireless communication interface. 11B, the second interface 171 is implemented as a USB interface and the interface 270 is implemented as a short-range wireless communication interface. However, the second interface 171 is a short-range wireless communication dongle 171 'May form a short-range wireless communication network with the interface 270.

Referring to FIG. 11C, the second interface 171 is implemented as a short-range wireless communication interface and the interface 270 is implemented as a USB interface. However, the interface 270 includes a short- It is possible to form a short-range wireless communication network with the interface 270 through the Internet.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing another example of a method in which the mobile terminal 100 according to the present invention shares a communication network with another electronic device 200. FIG. 12, the mobile terminal 100 and the other electronic devices 200 are connected to each other by a short-range wireless communication network, and the wireless communication unit 110 of the mobile terminal 100 is connected to an external node and a plurality of communication networks .

The other electronic device 200 enters within the effective communication distance of the short-range wireless communication network (S400). Then, the mobile terminal 100 establishes a short-range wireless communication interface with the other electronic device 200 (S410). Then, the mobile terminal 100 allocates at least a part of the plurality of communication networks formed by the wireless communication unit 110 to the control unit 280 of the other electronic device 200 (S420).

Each of the driving methods of the mobile terminal 100 according to the present invention can be implemented in a form of a program that can be executed through various computer means and recorded in a computer readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, and the like, alone or in combination. The program recorded on the medium may be those specially designed and constructed for the present invention or may be those known to those skilled in the computer software.

Examples of computer-readable media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks and magnetic tape; optical media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs; magnetic media such as floppy disks; Magneto-optical media, and hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, and the like. Examples of programs include high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like, as well as machine code as produced by a compiler. The hardware devices described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the present invention, and vice versa.

While the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. This is possible.

Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be determined by the equivalents of the claims, as well as the claims.

100: mobile terminal 110: wireless communication unit, communication processor
120: A / V input unit 130: user input unit
140: sensing unit 150: output unit
151: display 152: sound output section
160: storage unit 170: interface unit
180: control unit, application processor 190:
200: another electronic device 270: interface
280: control unit, application processor

Claims (13)

A wireless communication unit for performing a communication function with a plurality of communication networks;
A controller for performing multimedia and application related functions;
A first interface for interfacing between the wireless communication unit and the control unit using a predetermined command set;
A second interface for interfacing between the wireless communication unit and a control unit of another electronic device not provided with the wireless communication unit using the predetermined command set; And
A first switching unit including a plurality of switches connecting the plurality of communication networks and the first interface, and a second switching unit including a plurality of switches each connecting the plurality of communication networks and the second interface And a switching unit,
Wherein the control unit controls the plurality of switches included in the first switching unit and the plurality of switches included in the second switching unit based on whether or not the other electronic device is connected through the second interface Mobile terminal. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined instruction set comprises:
Wherein the AT command set is an AT command set. The apparatus of claim 1,
When the other electronic device is connected to the second interface, interfacing between the wireless communication unit through the first interface and the control unit of the mobile terminal is blocked and the plurality of communication networks are assigned to the control unit of the other electronic device And the mobile terminal. The apparatus of claim 1,
When said another electronic device is connected to said second interface, a part of said plurality of communication networks is assigned to said control part of said other electronic device, and another part of said plurality of communication networks is assigned to said control part of said mobile terminal The mobile terminal comprising: The mobile terminal of claim 1,
And a display unit for displaying a pop-up window for selecting a communication network to be assigned to the control unit of the mobile terminal and the control unit of the other electronic device when the other electronic equipment is connected to the second interface. 2. The apparatus of claim 1,
And a wired interface for connecting the wireless communication unit with the control unit of the other electronic device. 2. The apparatus of claim 1,
And a short range wireless communication interface for connecting the wireless communication unit and the control unit of the other electronic device. The mobile terminal of claim 1,
Further comprising a user authentication unit that allows the control unit of the another electronic device to access the second interface through the predetermined command. delete delete delete delete delete

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