KR101864773B1 - Operation Method For Display of Portable Device And Apparatus using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for operating a display unit of a portable terminal.
The present invention discloses a configuration in which a display area to be output to the display unit and an additional display area to be output to the display unit are provided and the additional display area is controlled to be output to the display unit in accordance with a sensor signal generated from the motion sensor. And the items output respectively to the additional display area are linked and activated.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for operating a display unit of a portable terminal,

The present invention relates to a portable terminal and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for operating a display unit of a portable terminal supporting an additional display area in addition to a display area output to a display unit and outputting the additional display area to the display area based on a sensor signal .

In recent years, mobile terminals have been widely used based on mobility. Particularly, a mobile communication terminal capable of voice communication while moving in the mobile terminal is a mobile terminal having a very high popularity, such that more than 85% of the whole people are using the mobile communication terminal. Meanwhile, the mobile communication terminal has a function of transmitting / receiving call information between speakers, and may have various other functions. For example, a conventional portable terminal has an MP3 function corresponding to a file playback function, and also has an image collection function corresponding to a digital camera capable of collecting images. In addition, in the case of a conventional portable terminal, a function of performing a mobile game or an arcade game is supported.

Meanwhile, in the conventional portable terminal, a touch screen method for generating a touch event by an input signal generation method to control the portable terminal, and a keypad method for controlling the portable terminal according to the key input have been applied. However, since the size of the display unit is limited in order to maintain the portability of the portable terminal, there is a need for a method and an apparatus that can overcome the limitations of the display area and make the terminal more convenient and convenient.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a method and a device for operating a display unit of a portable terminal capable of outputting and removing the additional display region on the display region on the basis of a specific input signal by providing an additional display region other than the display region output to the display unit .

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of operating a display unit of a portable terminal, including the steps of outputting a predetermined display area to a display unit, collecting a predetermined sensor signal, And outputting a predetermined display area preset in the display unit according to the display area.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for operating a display area of a portable terminal, including a motion sensor for generating a sensor signal according to an operation state, A display unit for outputting a predetermined additional display area according to a set sensor signal, and a controller for controlling the display unit to output the additional display area according to the sensor signal.

According to the method and apparatus for operating the display unit of the portable terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention, the user can quickly and easily operate the user function of the portable terminal through simple operation of the terminal.

In addition, according to the present invention, a user can quickly and easily perform a specific user function using a menu and a widget displayed in an additional display area.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a detailed block diagram of a control unit according to an embodiment of the present invention,
3 is a view for explaining a region of a display unit according to an embodiment of the present invention,
4 is a diagram illustrating a screen for explaining a user interface according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a diagram illustrating a screen for explaining a user interface according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a display unit of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, only parts necessary for understanding the operation according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described, and the description of other parts will be omitted so as not to disturb the gist of the present invention.

The terms and words used in the present specification and claims should not be construed as limited to ordinary or dictionary meanings and the inventor is not limited to the meaning of the terms in order to describe his invention in the best way. It should be interpreted as meaning and concept consistent with the technical idea of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments described in the present specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are merely the most preferred embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the technical ideas of the present invention are described. Therefore, It is to be understood that equivalents and modifications are possible.

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

1, the portable terminal 100 includes a radio frequency unit 110, an input unit 120, an audio processing unit 130, a motion sensor 170, a display unit 141, a touch panel 143, A touch screen 140, a storage unit 150, and a control unit 160. [

When power is supplied, the mobile terminal 100 having the above-described configuration initializes each of the above-described components. At this time, the mobile terminal 100 can control the motion sensor 170 and the touch screen 140 to be activated according to user settings. The portable terminal 100 may display a standby screen, a menu screen, a widget screen, and the like on the display unit 141 according to predetermined schedule information. In this environment, when the user operates the portable terminal 100 to generate the sensor signal based on the motion sensor 170, the portable terminal 100 displays an additional display area that is not currently being displayed on the display unit 141, Can be output on the display unit 141. At this time, the additional display area displayed on the display unit 141 may be an area including various menus and widgets, and the user can easily and quickly perform a specific user function using the menu and the widget displayed in the additional display area . Hereinafter, the role of each component and configuration of the portable terminal 100 will be described in detail.

The radio frequency unit 110 transmits and receives voice signals necessary for a call function and data necessary for data communication according to the control of the controller 160. [ The radio frequency unit 110 may include a radio frequency transmitter for up-converting and amplifying a signal to be transmitted and received, and a radio frequency receiver for performing low-noise amplification and down-conversion on a received signal. In particular, the radio frequency unit 110 of the present invention may be linked to various menu items or widget items. For example, the radio frequency unit 110 may be linked to a phone book item including user information corresponding to a specific telephone number or the like, a web connection item corresponding to the web connection function, and the like. The web connection item can be classified into a menu item or a widget item based on a web server connection status, data reception and output status from a web server, and the like. The phone book item and the web connection item may be included in the additional display area in the form of an icon (or image), and may be output to the display unit 141 according to the sensing result of the motion sensor 170. When a specific item is selected according to an input signal generated from at least one of the input unit 120 and the touch screen 140 after the additional display area is output to the display unit 141 including the phone book item and the web connection item, The radio frequency unit 110 may be activated according to a specific item selection. The output, characteristics, and display form of the additional display area will be described later in more detail with reference to the drawings showing the user interface.

The input unit 120 includes a plurality of input keys and function keys for receiving numeric or character information and setting various functions. The function keys may include a direction key, a side key, and an accelerator key set for performing a specific function. Also, the input unit 120 generates a key signal related to the user setting and the function control of the portable terminal 100, and transmits the generated key signal to the controller 160. The input unit 120 may be a QWERTY keypad including a plurality of keys, a 3 * 4 keypad, a 4 * 3 keypad, and the like. Meanwhile, when the touch screen 140 of the portable terminal 100 is provided as a full touch screen on the front face of the mobile terminal 100, the input unit 120 may include only the side keys disposed on the exterior of the portable terminal 100. The input unit 120 may be implemented as a key map on the touch screen 140. In particular, the input unit 120 of the present invention generates an input signal for specifying a specific item output in the display area of the display unit 141, an input signal for selecting a specific item included in the additional display area, , And can transmit it to the controller 160. The input unit 120 may further include a mode for outputting an additional display area to the direction opposite to the tilting direction of the portable terminal 100 collected by the motion sensor 170 and a mode for outputting to a direction corresponding to the tilting direction And may transmit the generated input signal to the controller 160. FIG.

The audio processing unit 130 includes a speaker SPK for reproducing audio data transmitted and received during the call, audio data included in the transmitted and received messages and audio data stored in the storage unit 150, And a microphone (MIC) for collecting other audio signals. The audio processing unit 130 may provide a corresponding sound effect when the display area of the display unit 141 is changed by the additional display area according to the sensor signal collected by the motion sensor 170. [

The touch screen 140 receives input of numeric or character information from a user and sets images and coordinate values corresponding to a plurality of input keys and function keys for setting various functions, (160). The images corresponding to the function keys may include a direction key image, a side key image, and a shortcut key image set to perform a specific function. Also, the touch screen 140 generates a touch event related to the user setting and the function control of the portable terminal 100, and transmits the touch event to the controller 160. The touch screen 140 may include a touch panel 143 and a display unit 141.

The display unit 141 outputs a screen that is activated according to the function of the portable terminal 100. [ For example, the display unit 141 may output a boot screen, a standby screen, a menu screen, a widget screen, a call screen, and the like. In this case, the display unit 141 may include an LCD or an OLED control unit, a memory capable of storing data, an LCD or an OLED display device (not shown), and the like. The display unit 141 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic light emitting diode (OLED) . In the present invention, since the LCD or the OLED is implemented by the touch screen 140, the display unit 141 may be operated as the input unit 120 together with the touch panel 143. [ In particular, the display unit 141 of the present invention can output the display area and the additional display area.

The display area may be an area for outputting at least one menu item when the user selects a menu screen. The display area may be an idle screen area for outputting at least one widget item set by the user. If the user activates a specific user function, the display area may be a region in which a screen supported by the user function activation is output.

The additional display area may be an area that is processed as software as a virtual area and is virtually allocated to an area adjacent to the display area. This additional display area is not output on the display unit 141 before the specific sensor signal is generated but is actually allocated the size of the corresponding area. The additional display area may output an icon corresponding to at least one menu item, an icon corresponding to at least one widget item, an icon corresponding to at least one file or the like according to a user setting. The additional display area may be located in various places according to the form of the display unit 141. [ For example, assuming that a rectangular display portion 141 exists, the additional display region is an upper additional display region disposed in a virtual region adjacent to the upper edge with reference to the front surface of the display section 141, A left additional display region or a right additional display region disposed in the virtual region, and a lower additional display region disposed in the virtual region adjacent to the lower edge. The detailed description of the display area and the additional display area will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings shown in Figs. 3 to 5.

The touch panel 143 generates a touch event including positional information of a region to be touched by the user and information such as touchdown, touch-up or touch drag, and transmits the generated touch event to the controller 160. The touch panel 143 may be disposed on the entire outer surface of the portable terminal 100. The touch panel 143 may be disposed on the entire outer surface of the display unit 141 to cover the display unit 141. [ Accordingly, the size of the touch panel 143 may be greater than or equal to the size of the display unit 141. In particular, the touch panel 143 of the present invention is configured to display a touchdown event for selecting a specific item output in the display area of the display unit 141, a hold event for maintaining a specific item selection, A touch-up event for moving the touch-down state after the touch-down state, or a touch-up event for releasing the touch-down state after the specific position is moved, and transmits the generated touch-up event to the controller 160.

The motion sensor 170 may be at least one of an operation sensor for sensing movement of the portable terminal 100, for example, a gravity sensor, a gyro sensor, and an acceleration sensor. Accordingly, the motion sensor 170 can sense the tilting direction of the portable terminal 100 and generate a corresponding sensor signal. The motion sensor 170 may be initialized using the power supplied at the time when the portable terminal 100 is initialized and the motion sensor 170 may be initialized using at least one of the input unit 120 and the touch screen 140 The initialization process may be performed according to an input signal or a touch event input from the touch input device. The motion sensor 170 may collect the sensor signal for the current state of the portable terminal 100 and transmit the sensor signal to the controller 160 when the area change mode is activated. For example, when the user holds the portable terminal 100 during the initialization process and the portable terminal 100 is inclined downward by a certain angle And transmits the sensor signal corresponding thereto to the control unit 160.

Then, the motion sensor 170 refers to the initial state of the downward tilted state by a predetermined angle under the control of the controller 160, collects sensor signals according to the tilting motion of the mobile terminal 100, To the control unit 160. The motion sensor 170 may generate various sensor signals according to a user's operation of the portable terminal 100. For example, the motion sensor 170 may generate a left tilt sensor signal when the user tilts the portable terminal 100 to the left by a predetermined angle based on the initialization state. Similarly, the motion sensor 170 may generate a right tilt sensor signal, an upper tilt sensor signal, and a lower tilt sensor signal. In the present invention, the generation of the tilt sensor signals in the up, down, left, and right directions will be described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the motion sensor 170 may generate respective tilt sensor signals corresponding to the corner directions, for example, the upper left side corner direction, the upper right side corner direction, the lower left side corner direction, and the lower right side corner direction.

The storage unit 150 may include a touch UI (User Interface) operating program for operating the touch screen 140, an application program for operating the motion sensor 170, Program, user data, and the like. The storage unit 150 may be a buffering function for temporarily storing the tilting sensor signals and touch events. The storage unit 150 may include a program area and a data area.

The program area includes an operating system (OS) for booting the portable terminal 100, other user functions of the portable terminal 100 such as a sound playback function, an image or moving picture playback function, a file search function, And application programs for supporting various user functions such as communication functions. Here, the portable terminal 100 may further include a camera module for supporting the camera function and a short-range wireless communication module for supporting a short-range wireless communication function. In particular, the program area of the present invention stores an area change mode supporting application program and an additional display area setting application program.

The area change mode supporting application program may be loaded into the controller 160 according to an input signal or a touch event input from at least one of the input unit 120 and the touch screen 140. The area change mode supporting application program controls the activation of the motion sensor 170 to detect the sensor signal, the type of the sensor signal collected by the motion sensor 170 in a state where the motion sensor 170 is activated A display area management routine for outputting an additional display area to the display unit 141 in accordance with the type of the routine or sensor signal, a function control routine for activating at least one menu item, widget item, file item, etc. included in the additional display area can do. The function control routine may be a routine for calling and activating an application program corresponding to an item selected by the user among the items included in the additional display area. Each of the routines described above may be loaded into the control unit 160 upon entering the area change mode to generate instructions for performing the above-described respective functions.

The additional display area setting application program may be loaded into the control unit 160 when the user selects a menu item or generates a specific input signal or a specific touch event. Such additional display area setting application may include a routine for adjusting the size of the additional display area, a routine for adding, deleting and changing items in the additional display area according to the input signal.

The data area corresponds to user data of the portable terminal 100, for example, phone book information, a photograph, a picture image, contents, or user data in which data generated according to use of the portable terminal 100 is stored And the like. The data area may store information on at least one item to be output to the display area, information on a range of the additional display area, information on at least one item to be output to the additional display area, and the like.

The controller 160 controls power supply of the portable terminal 100, activation of the respective components, and signal flow between the components. In particular, the controller 160 of the present invention can perform control for supporting the area change mode. The configuration of the controller 160 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

2 is a detailed block diagram of a controller 160 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2, the controller 160 may include a sensor sensing unit 161, a display area manager 163, and a function controller 165. [

The sensor sensing unit 161 collects signals such as a sensor signal and a touch event transmitted from at least one of the motion sensor 170 and the touch screen 140. The sensor detection unit 161 determines the type of the signal and transmits the signal to the display area management unit 163. More specifically, the sensor sensing unit 161 collects sensor signals transmitted from the motion sensor 170 upon entering the area change mode, and uses the currently collected sensor signals as an initial state reference of the motion sensor 170 . When the sensor sensor 161 receives a sensor signal generated by the user's operation of the portable terminal 100 from the motion sensor 170, the sensor sensor 161 confirms what kind of sensor signal the sensor signal is. That is, the sensor sensing unit 161 senses whether the sensor signal transmitted by the motion sensor 170 is a left tilt sensor signal, a right tilt sensor signal, an upper tilt sensor signal, a lower tilt sensor signal, or a diagonal tilt sensor signal . Then, the sensor sensing unit 161 transmits information corresponding to the determined sensor signal type to the display area management unit 163.

Also, the sensor sensing unit 161 can confirm a touch event generated from the touch screen 140 and transmit the corresponding touch event to the display area management unit 163. [ That is, the sensor sensing unit 161 may transmit the information about the location of the touch event and the type of the touch event to the display area manager 163. For example, when the user touches down a specific area of the touch screen 140 and maintains the touchdown state for a predetermined time, the sensor detection unit 161 detects the touchdown location information and the hold state And can transmit the event to the display area management unit 163. [ The sensor sensing unit 161 can transmit various touch events such as a drag event, a flick event, a tap event, and the position information where each touch event occurs, as well as a hold event to the display area management unit 163.

The display area management unit 163 manages the display area of the display unit 141 and the additional display area management based on the sensor signal and the touch event transmitted from the sensor sensing unit 161. More specifically, when the idle screen is output, the display area management unit 163 outputs the elements included in the idle screen, for example, a menu item, a widget item, a file item, . The display area management unit 163 may transmit the input signal or the touch event indicating the specific item output on the display area from the sensor sensing unit 161 to the function controller 165. Also, the display area management unit 163 may control the display unit 141 to configure a screen to be displayed on the display unit 141 when the function control unit 165 activates a specific user function. For example, when the function control unit 165 activates the message creation function according to user input, the display area management unit 163 can control the message creation window for message creation to be displayed on the display area of the display unit 141 . Also, the display area management unit 163 manages the display or removal of the additional display area according to the sensor signal transmitted from the sensor detection unit 161. [ For example, when the user tilts the portable terminal 100 to the left in a state where the standby screen is output, the display area management unit 163 may receive the left tilt sensor signal from the sensor sensing unit 161. [ The display area management unit 163 may control the display unit 141 to display an additional display area having a predetermined area in the left direction from the right edge of the display unit 141 on the basis of the front surface of the display unit 141. [ At this time, the additional display area may be displayed by pushing out a part of the display area output on the display unit 141, or may be overlaid on the display area. The additional display area is displayed in a fade-in manner in which the display form displayed on the right side of the display unit 141 in a slide manner or faintly displayed in a certain area on the right side of the display unit 141 is displayed gradually and clearly. . On the other hand, when the additional display area is output to the display unit 141 while pushing the display area, a certain left area of the display area output to the display unit 141 may be removed from the display unit 141. [ That is, the display area management unit 163 can control the display area 141 to remove a part of the display area as much as the additional display area is outputted to the display unit 141. [ The display area management unit 163 can automatically control the display unit 141 to remove the additional display area from the display unit 141 after a predetermined time elapses after the additional display area is output, That is, the display area management unit 163 may remove the additional display area on the display unit 141 according to predetermined conditions. Here, the predetermined condition is a touch event for the operation of touching the additional display area and dragging the display area 141 outward, a specific key input signal for removing the additional display area, an operation of tilting the portable terminal 100 in a predetermined direction And the like.

The display area management unit 163 can check a predetermined mode when outputting the additional display area to the display unit 141 and determine the output direction of the additional display area according to the mode. The portable terminal 100 according to the present invention may further include a plurality of additional indicators (not shown) on a side opposite to the corresponding tilting direction based on a sensor signal corresponding to a tilting direction of the portable terminal 100 collected by the motion sensor 170, A second mode for outputting an additional display area in a direction corresponding to the tilted direction can be set. Accordingly, the display area management unit 163 determines which mode is the current setting. When the current setting is the first mode, the display area management unit 163 outputs an additional display area in a certain area of the display unit 141 on the opposite side to the corresponding direction when the sensor signal for the tilting direction is transmitted from the motion sensor 170 . In addition, when the current setting is the second mode, the display area management unit 163 controls the display area management unit 163 to output an additional display area in a predetermined area of the display unit 141 in the direction of the current direction, . Meanwhile, the display area management unit 163 may provide menu items for the first mode and the second mode according to a user's request.

The function control unit 165 controls at least one of various menu items, widget items, and file items included in the display area and the additional display area to be selected by the user and to activate the corresponding user function when an activation request is generated to be. In particular, the function control unit 165 may control a specific item, for example, a music file item output on the display area of the display unit 141 to be performed based on a menu item included in the additional display area. To this end, the user generates a touch event or an input signal for selecting the music file item out of the items output in the display area using the touch screen 140 or the input unit 120, and then, based on the motion sensor 170 To generate a sensor signal. The display area management unit 163 can receive the sensor signal from the sensor sensing unit 161 and control the display unit 141 to output an additional display area including a specific item. Then, the user can generate a touch event so that the selected music file is superimposed on a menu item, for example, a music player existing in the additional display area, or an input signal for activating the music player using the input unit 120. [ The function controller 165 may control the selected music file item to be executed based on the music player when the interaction such as the touch event or the input signal occurs. On the other hand, when the music file selected by the music player is executed, the function control unit 165 can automatically control the area change mode in which the additional display area is output to the display unit 141 based on the sensor signal. Also, the function controller 165 may control to release the area change mode when a predetermined input signal or touch event is generated from at least one of the input unit 120 and the touch screen 140. [

As described above, the portable terminal 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention provides an additional display area in addition to the display area, and outputs the additional display area to the display area according to the operation of the portable terminal 100 by the user, Positive items can be conveniently searched and activated. Here, the relationship between the above-described display area and the additional display area will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

3 is a diagram for explaining an area set to be output to the display unit 141 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, an area set for outputting to the display unit 141 of the present invention can be divided into a display area 145 and an additional display area C, respectively. The display area 145 refers to an actual area that is output on the display unit 141 physically configured. The additional display area C may indicate a virtual area set to be output to the display unit 141 in response to the sensor signal. In addition, the display area 145 may include a continuous display area A set to be continuously output on the display unit 141 even if a sensor signal is generated, and an additional display area C, And a change display area (B).

The continuation display area A may be an area continuously output on the display part 141 even if the position of the additional display area C and the change display area B is changed due to a sensor signal being generated. When the sensor signal is generated and the additional display area C is output to the display area 145, the change display area B can be removed from the display part 141, (B) may be set to be the same. Therefore, even if a sensor signal is generated, since only the change display area B is removed on the display unit 141, the continuous display area A can be continuously displayed on the display unit 141 even if its position is changed according to the sensor signal. This continuous display area A is located at the center of the change display areas B as shown in the figure. On the other hand, when the additional display area C is output while being overlaid on a part of the display area 145, the positions of the continuous display area A and the change display area B on the display part 141 can be fixed .

The change display area B is positioned at the outer edge of the display area A, that is, the edge area, with the continuous display area A as the center. Accordingly, the change display area B includes the left change display area B1, the right change display area B3, the upper change display area B2, and the lower change display area B4, B may share certain regions. The corner areas of these shared change display areas B can be removed from the display part 141 by at least one of the two sensor signals. For example, in the upper right corner area of the change display area B, a sensor for outputting the lower additional display area C4 to the display area 145 or the left additional display area C1 to be output to the display area 145 And may be removed from the display area 145 when a signal is generated. On the other hand, when the additional display area C is overlaid on a certain area of the display area 145 according to the sensor signal, the modified display area B is an area overlapping with the output area C . For example, when the left additional display region C1 is outputted to the display unit 141, the left changed display region B1 may be located below the left additional display region C1 and not be visible.

The additional display area (C) is an area virtually set in an area adjacent to the change display area (B). That is, the additional display region C includes a left additional display region C1 located on the left side of the left change display region B1, a right additional display region C3 located on the right side of the right change display region B3, An upper side additional display region C2 located on the upper side of the change display region B2 and a lower side additional display region C4 located on the lower side of the lower side change display region B4. The size of the additional display area C may be changed according to the user setting or the number and size of the items, and menu items, widget items, file items, and the like included in the additional display area C may be changed using the additional display area setting program And can be changed by user setting.

The area set to be output to the display unit 141 of the present invention as described above is output to the continuous display area A and the current display unit 141 that are currently being output to the display unit 141, It is possible to provide an enlarging effect of the display area 145 by including the display area B and the additional display area C which is not outputted to the present display part 141 but is output in accordance with the sensor signal.

4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user interface for operating a display area of the mobile terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4, when the user performs an operation of the portable terminal 100 to supply power to the portable terminal 100, the controller 160 of the portable terminal 100 performs a terminal initialization process, It is possible to output the screen to the display section 141. [ Accordingly, the display unit 141 of the present invention can output a standby screen including four items "A, B, C, D" as in the 401 screen. Here, the four items "A, B, C, D" may be any one of a specific menu item, widget item, and file item. Here, the four items "A, B, C, D" outputted to the display unit 141 may be changed according to the user setting or the number of items may be adjusted.

Meanwhile, when the user tilts to the left by operating the portable terminal 100, the motion sensor 170 of the portable terminal 100 can generate a sensor signal corresponding to the left tilt and transmit the generated sensor signal to the controller 160. [ Then, the control unit 160 controls the display area 145, which is being displayed on the display unit 141, to move to the left as in the 403 screen. The control unit 160 of the portable terminal 100 displays the left change display area B1 including the item " A " on the display unit 141 according to the movement of the display area 145 previously output to the display unit 141 Remove. The controller 160 may control the right additional display area C3 to be displayed on the display area 145. [ Accordingly, the control unit 160 can control to output five items "B, C, D, E, F" on the display unit 141. Here, the item "E, F" is an item included in the right additional display area C3.

When the user tilts the portable terminal 100 upward by operating the portable terminal 100 in the same state as the 401 screen, the motion sensor 170 of the portable terminal 100 generates a sensor signal corresponding to the upward tilt And can transmit it to the controller 160. Then, the control unit 160 can control the display area 145, which is being displayed on the display unit 141, to move upward as shown in the screen 405. Accordingly, the three items "A, B, C" outputted on the upper change display region B2 can be removed from the display section 141. [ The controller 160 controls the display area 145 to output the item "G, H" included in the lower additional display area C4. Accordingly, the control unit 160 controls the display unit 141 to output three items "G, H, D".

As described above, the portable terminal 100 according to the present invention allocates the items that are not currently displayed on the display area 145 of the display unit 141 to the additional display area C, , It is possible to provide an effect of extending the display section 141 and using it.

5 is a view showing another example of a user interface for utilizing the display area of the mobile terminal 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the controller 160 of the present invention may perform an initialization process using power supplied when power is supplied, and may control the display unit 141 to output a predetermined idle screen. When the user selects an item for confirming the menu, the controller 160 controls the display unit 141 to display the menu screen as in the case of the 501 screen. Accordingly, the display unit 141 outputs a menu screen including certain items such as a "file search" item, a "camera function" When the user generates an input signal or a touch event to designate a specific item, for example, a "file search" item, the display unit 141 may provide an effect of notifying the designated item that the item is designated. In this state, the user can generate an input signal corresponding to the "OK" key for confirming the sub-item for the designated item by using the input unit 120, the touch screen 140, or the like.

Then, the controller 160 of the portable terminal 100 displays the sub-items such as "a, b, c, d, e, f, g" items included in the " 141 in the display area. The items "a, b, c, d, e, f and g" may be items corresponding to music files, image files, text files, and the like. Items "a, b, c, d, e, f, g" may also be sub-items indicating user functions related to the "file search" item.

On the other hand, the user can generate various input signals in a state in which a certain number of items are output to the display area 145 of the display unit 141 as in the screen 503. For example, the user can create a touchdown event based on the touch screen 140 that touches the "f" item on the 503 screen. Also, the user can generate a hold event that maintains the touchdown state. In addition, the user can perform the operation of tilting the portable terminal 100 in a predetermined direction, for example, in the left direction, together with generating a hold event. When the user operates the portable terminal 100 so that the motion sensor 170 generates the left tilt sensor signal after selecting the item "f" by generating the touchdown and hold event as described above, the controller 160 controls the 505 screen It is possible to control the display section 141 to output the additional display area C as shown in Fig.

The control unit 160 maintains the display area 145 output from the 503 screen and controls the additional display area C and particularly the right additional display area C3 to the right of the display area 145 It is possible to control the output to be overlaid on a certain area. Thus, the display unit 141 can output items "a, b, c, e, f, g" on the display area 145. In the right additional display area C3, 201 and a message icon 203. [ The trash can icon 201 and the message icon 203 output to the right additional display area C3 can be changed according to the user setting and the number of items output on the right additional display area C3 can be changed to the user setting Can be changed accordingly. On the other hand, if the user keeps the hold event for the item "f" on the screen 503 and outputs the right additional display area C3 as shown on the screen 505, User functions can be used. That is, the user can drag the item "f " and place it so as to overlap the trash can icon 201 or the message icon 203 displayed in the right additional display area C3. The controller 160 of the portable terminal 100 can confirm the touch event and the position information generated in the item "f ". That is, the controller 160 is arranged such that the position of the item "f" is overlapped with the specific position of the right additional display area C3, for example, the trash icon 201, Can be generated based on the touch screen 140. When an input signal corresponding to this series of operations is generated, the control unit 160 can control to process the "f" item according to the user function of the trash can icon 201. [ That is, the control unit 160 can remove the item "f ". When the user places the "f" item so as to overlap with the message icon 203 and generates a predetermined input signal, the controller 160 of the portable terminal 100 generates a message including the "f" Can be controlled to be activated.

On the other hand, in a state in which a certain number of items are output to the display area 145 of the display unit 141 as shown in the screen 503, the user touches down a specific item such as "f" As shown in FIG. Then, the user can perform an operation of tilting the portable terminal 100 upward. Then, the controller 160 generates a touchdown event and a hold event, as shown in 507 screen, and controls the display area 145 to move the selected " f "item to a specific position of the display unit 141 . To be more specific, the controller 160 controls the position of the selected "f" item so as not to vary on the display unit 141, while moving the display area 145 upward. The control unit 160 may control the display unit 141 to output the lower additional display area C4. At this time, if the BT icon 205 for supporting the local communication module function and the edit icon 207 for supporting the file editing function are included in the lower additional display area C4, the controller 160 displays the BT icon 205 And the edit icon 207 are output to the lower additional display area C4 output to the display unit 141. [ Thus, the display unit 141 can output the item "e, f, g" to the display area 145 and output the BT icon 205 and the edit icon 207 to the lower additional display area C4 .

In the above description, the user generates the touchdown event and the hold event to select a specific item, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the portable terminal 100 of the present invention can support selection of a specific item according to an input signal generated in the input unit 120. [

The operation unit of the display unit 141 of the portable terminal 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention moves the display area 145 or the additional display area C to the display unit 141 It is possible to fix a specific item selected by an input signal or a touch event generated from at least one of the input unit 120 and the touch screen 140 so as not to be moved on the display unit 141. [ Accordingly, the user can select a specific item according to the input signal or the touch event, and then use the specific menu provided by the additional display area C through the operation of the portable terminal 100 for generating the sensor signal.

4 and 5, which illustrate the user interface, an additional display area is output in a certain area of the display part 141 on the opposite side of the tilting direction, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the present invention may control the additional display area C to be outputted in the direction in which the portable terminal 100 is tilted. More specifically, when the user tilts the portable terminal 100 to the left, the portable terminal 100 can control the left additional display region C1 to be displayed in a predetermined area of the display unit 141. [ In addition, when the user tilts the portable terminal 100 to the right, the portable terminal 100 can control the right additional display region C3 to be displayed in a predetermined area of the display unit 141. [ When the user tilts the portable terminal 100 upward or downward by a predetermined angle or more in the same manner, the portable terminal 100 displays the upper side additional display region C2 or the lower additional display region C4 on the display unit 141 It is possible to control the output to a certain area. The control unit 160 of the portable terminal 100 controls the display unit 145 to overlay the additional display area C on the upper side of the display area 145 or push the display area 145 It is possible to control the output to be performed.

In addition, the portable terminal 100 of the present invention can support the user to set the direction in which the additional display area C is output according to the tilting direction. That is, the portable terminal 100 is configured to output the additional display region C in a certain region of the direction-side display unit 141 corresponding to the tilting direction, and to display the additional display region C in a certain region of the display unit 141 on the opposite- C) can be adjusted according to the input signal. For this purpose, the portable terminal 100 may provide a menu item for specifying the output direction determination of the additional display area C according to the tilting direction. The user can then use the menu provided by the portable terminal 100 to set the additional display area C to be outputted in a certain area of the direction-side display unit 141 desired by the user. For example, when the user sets the additional display area C to be outputted in a certain area of the side display part 141 corresponding to the tilting direction, the portable terminal 100 displays the additional display area C corresponding to the tilting direction collected from the motion sensor 170 , It is possible to control the additional display region (C) to be outputted in a certain region of the direction side display portion (141). In addition, when the user sets the additional display area C to be outputted in the opposite direction to the tilting direction, the portable terminal 100 adds the additional display area C to the predetermined area of the display part 141 on the opposite side of the tilting direction collected from the motion sensor 170 The display area C can be controlled to be outputted. Here, the portable terminal 100 may support the output direction of the additional display area (C) to be adjusted by using a specific key of the input unit (120). That is, the portable terminal 100 can map the function of adjusting the output direction of the additional display area C to a specific key according to the design method of the designer or the setting of the user. Accordingly, the user can change the output direction of the additional display area C by operating the specific key. The specific key may be a toggle key method as a key capable of setting the output function of the additional display area C in the direction corresponding to the tilting direction and the output function of the additional display area C in the direction opposite to the tilting direction have.

The configuration and functions of the device for operating the display unit 141 of the portable terminal 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention and the user interface for the operation are described above. Hereinafter, a method of operating the display unit 141 of the portable terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating the display unit 141 of the portable terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The method of operating the display unit 141 according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. Referring to FIGs. 1 to 6, when power is supplied to the portable terminal 100, ), And controls the display unit 141 to output a predetermined idle screen as in step 601 according to a predetermined schedule. At this time, the control unit 160 may control the display unit 141 to output at least one of a menu item, a widget item, and a file item on the idle screen according to predetermined information. Also, the controller 160 may control the display unit 141 to output the specific items according to a user setting or a user request.

Then, the controller 160 determines whether an input signal for entering the area change mode is generated in step 603. If the input signal generated in step 603 is not an input signal for entering the area change mode, the controller 160 may branch to step 605 and perform a corresponding function according to the input signal. For example, the control unit 160 may perform various functions according to input signals such as a call connection function, a file search function, a camera function, a message creation function, and a web connection function. When the corresponding functions are terminated, the controller 160 returns to step 601 and controls the controller 160 to repeatedly perform the following processes.

If the input signal generated in step 603 is an input signal for entering the area change mode, the controller 160 of the mobile terminal 100 may control to activate the area change mode. In more detail, the controller 160 controls activation of the motion sensor 170 required to support the area change mode. The control unit 160 provides an additional display area C that can be output on the display unit 141 in response to the sensor signal. Here, the additional display area C is an area which is not output on the display part 141 but is set as a virtual area.

In step 607, the controller 160 determines whether an input signal or a touch event for selecting a specific item output on the display unit 141 is generated. When an input signal or a touch event for selecting a specific item is generated, the controller 160 controls the selected item to be fixed to the display unit 141 as in step 609. For example, the user can select a message item output to the display unit 141, and accordingly, the control unit 160 sets the icon corresponding to the message item to be fixed at the position output on the display unit 141. [

In step 611, the controller 160 determines whether an inclination sensor signal is generated. That is, the controller 160 can detect a sensor signal corresponding to a specific direction based on the motion sensor 170 when the user tilts the portable terminal 100 in a specific direction. For example, the controller 160 controls the tilting direction of the portable terminal 100 based on a sensor signal transmitted from the motion sensor 170, such as a left tilting sensor signal, a right tilting sensor signal, an upper tilting sensor signal, Signal, a diagonal tilt sensor signal, and the like can be detected. If there is no detection of the sensor signal in step 611, the controller 160 branches to step 605 and controls the user function to support the user function according to the input signal.

Meanwhile, when the tilt sensor signal is generated in the specific direction in step 611, the controller 160 branches to step 613 and performs control to change the area according to the tilt sensor signal. For example, when the left tilt sensor signal is generated, the controller 160 moves the display area 145 currently displayed on the display unit 141 to the left, (C3) to be output to the display unit 141 can be controlled. When the lower tilt sensor signal is generated, the control unit 160 moves the display area 145 output to the display unit 141 downward. When the lower display unit 145 is shifted to the lower side, ) To the display unit 141. [0213] FIG. On the other hand, the control unit 160 controls the display unit 145 so that only the additional display region C in the tilted direction is overlaid on the display region 145 without performing the movement of the display region 145 output to the display unit 141 can do. For example, when the right tilt sensor signal is detected, the controller 160 controls the left additional display area C1 to be overlaid on the upper left area of the display area 145. The control unit 160 may control to output the previously set items included in the additional display area C to the additional display area C while performing the additional display area C described above. Here, the previously set item may be at least one of a menu item, a widget item, and a file item. The control unit 160 may also move the items displayed on the display area 145 when the display area 145 is moved on the display unit 141. [ At this time, the controller 160 may control not to move the fixed item on the display unit 141 in step 609. FIG.

Then, the control unit 160 may control the activation of the function according to the input signal in step 615. That is, when the user selects and activates the items displayed in the display area 145 or the additional display area C using at least one of the input unit 120 and the touch screen 140, the user functions corresponding to the selected item Can be controlled to be activated. At this time, the controller 160 may control the specific item selected in step 609 and the selected item in step 615 to perform a specific user function. For example, if the user selects the message item in step 607 and then performs an operation to output the additional display area C including the item having the trash can function to the display area 145 in step 611, It is assumed that the sensor signal is generated. When the user generates an input signal or a touch event for using the item of the trash can function, the control unit 160 can control to remove the message item. That is, when activating the specific item output in the additional display area C, the controller 160 controls the user function corresponding to the specific item output to the additional display area C based on the selected specific item Can be controlled to be activated.

After step 615, the controller 160 determines whether the activated function is terminated. If a signal for a separate termination is not generated, the controller 160 may return to step 615 and perform a corresponding function.

On the other hand, after the additional display area C is outputted on the display part 141, the user can perform the terminal operation for generating the sensor signal in the opposite direction in which the additional display area C is generated. The control unit 160 may control the display unit 141 to output the first output display region 145 by removing the additional display region C output from the display unit 141. [ The controller 160 of the portable terminal 100 may control the display area 145 to be initially output automatically when a predetermined time elapses after the additional display area C is output. The control unit 160 of the portable terminal 100 may remove the additional display area C on the display unit 141 according to a predetermined condition for removing the additional display area C from the display unit 141 . The predetermined condition may include a touch event, a specific key input signal, and the like for an operation of touching the additional display area C and dragging the display area 141 outward.

As described above, according to the method of operating the display unit 141 of the portable terminal 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the additional display area C is controlled to be output on the display unit 141 according to user control, ) To support selection and activation of various menus and files.

As described above, the portable terminal 100 may include a short distance communication module for short distance communication, a camera module for photographing a still image / moving image of a subject, a wired communication method of the mobile terminal 100, An interface for transmitting and receiving data by the Internet, an internet communication module for performing an Internet function by communicating with the Internet network, and a digital broadcasting module for performing a digital broadcasting receiving and reproducing function. These components may be variously varied according to the convergence trend of the digital device, but they may not be all enumerated. However, the components equivalent to the above-mentioned components may be further included in the portable terminal 100 . Also, it is needless to say that the portable terminal 100 according to the present invention may be excluded from the specific configurations or may be replaced with other configurations according to the providing mode. Which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

Also, the portable terminal 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include all types of devices including the motion sensor 170. [ For example, the portable terminal 100 may include all mobile communication terminals operating based on communication protocols corresponding to various communication systems, a portable multimedia player (PMP) A multimedia player, a digital broadcasting player, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a music player (e.g., MP3 player), a portable game terminal, a smart phone, a notebook, Application devices.

While the present invention has been described with reference to several preferred embodiments, these embodiments are illustrative and not restrictive. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (20)

A method of controlling a display unit of a portable terminal,
Outputting a display area including a continuous display area and two or more change display areas to a display unit;
Detecting an input signal according to movement of the portable terminal in a predetermined direction while the display area is output;
Outputting the additional display area to the change display area located in the predetermined direction based on the continuous display area while continuously outputting the continuous display area to the display part in response to the detection of the input signal; And
And a step of removing the additional display area and outputting the display area again before outputting the additional display area upon receiving a touch event in which the additional display area is touched and dragged to the outside of the display part after the additional display area is output Methods of inclusion.
The method according to claim 1,
The process of detecting the input signal
Detecting a tilting of the portable terminal in a predetermined direction; And
And generating a sensor signal corresponding to an inclination corresponding to the inclination in the predetermined direction.
3. The method of claim 2,
The process of outputting the additional display area
Outputting the additional display area in a predetermined area of the display part in a direction opposite or corresponding to the predetermined direction; And
Overlaying the additional display area on the display area and outputting the overlay; ≪ / RTI >
The method of claim 3,
The process of outputting the additional display area
Wherein the display area is displaced by moving the change display area in a predetermined direction by a size corresponding to a predetermined area of the additional display area displayed on the display part.
The method of claim 3,
Receiving a specific input signal through an input unit; And
Setting a mode for outputting the additional display area in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction according to the specific input signal and a mode for outputting in a direction corresponding to the predetermined direction according to the specific input signal .
The method according to claim 1,
And displaying at least one item on the display area and the additional display area.
The method according to claim 6,
Selecting a specific item output in the display area according to a preset input signal or a touch event; And
And fixing the selected specific item to the display unit position currently being output.
8. The method of claim 7,
And activating a user function corresponding to a specific item output in the additional display area based on the selected specific item when activating a specific item output in the additional display area.
delete The method according to claim 1,
The additional display area
A display menu, a widget, and a file.
A motion sensor for detecting a tilting of the portable terminal in a predetermined direction and generating an input signal corresponding to a tilt corresponding to the tilting in the predetermined direction;
Touch panel;
A display section; And
And a control unit,
The control unit
A display area including a continuous display area and two or more change display areas is output to the display unit,
Detecting the input signal according to movement of the portable terminal in a predetermined direction during the output of the display area through the motion sensor,
In response to the detection of the input signal, continuously outputting the continuous display region to the display unit and outputting an additional display region in the change display region located in the predetermined direction with reference to the continuous display region,
And a display unit for displaying the additional display area after the additional display area has been output and receiving the touch event to which the additional display area is dragged in the outward direction of the display unit by touching the additional display area, .
12. The method of claim 11,
And a storage unit for storing predetermined specific items to be output to the display area and the additional display area.
13. The method of claim 12,
Further comprising an input unit for generating an input signal for selecting, moving or activating a specific item output to the display area and the additional display area,
The touch panel
And generates a touch event for selecting, moving or activating a specific item output in the display area and the additional display area.
14. The method of claim 13,
The control unit
Controls the display unit to display the additional display area in a predetermined area of the display unit in a direction opposite or corresponding to the predetermined direction,
And controls the display unit to overlay the additional display area on the display area and output the overlay.
15. The method of claim 14,
The control unit
And displaces the display area so as to display the additional display area on the display unit by moving the change display area in a predetermined direction by a size corresponding to a predetermined area of the additional display area displayed on the display unit.
15. The method of claim 14,
The control unit
Upon receiving a specific input signal through the input unit,
And sets a mode for outputting the additional display area in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction and a mode for outputting in a direction corresponding to the certain direction according to the specific input signal according to the specific input signal.
12. The method of claim 11,
The control unit
Controls to display at least one item on the display area and the additional display area on the display part,
The additional display area
A display menu, a widget, and a file.
14. The method of claim 13,
The control unit
Receiving a preset input signal or a touch event through the input unit or the touch panel, selecting a specific item output in the display area,
And controls the selected specific item to be displayed by being fixed to the position of the display unit currently being output.
19. The method of claim 18,
The control unit
And activates a user function corresponding to a specific item output in the additional display area based on the selected specific item when activating a specific item output in the additional display area.
delete

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