KR101925327B1 - Mobile terminal and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal having a multitasking function and a control method thereof. A mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a memory unit for storing usage history information of a plurality of applications; A control unit for checking the use history information in response to an execution command for the first application among the plurality of applications and recommending one or a plurality of second applications among the plurality of applications by analyzing the usage history information; And a display unit for displaying list information on the recommended one or plurality of second applications under the control of the controller.

Description

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

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal, and more particularly, to a mobile terminal having a multitasking function and a control method thereof.

A terminal can be divided into a mobile or portable terminal and a stationary terminal depending on whether the terminal is movable or not. The mobile terminal can be divided into a handheld terminal and a vehicle mount terminal according to whether the user can directly carry the mobile terminal.

As the functions of such terminals are diversified, they are implemented in the form of a multimedia player having complex functions such as photographing and photographing of movies, reproduction of music and video files, games, and broadcasting reception . Further, in order to support and enhance the function of the terminal, it may be considered to improve the structural and software parts of the terminal.

With such improvements, mobile terminals having a multitasking function for simultaneously executing a large number of applications are mass-produced. However, when the icons of the application are located in different screen images or folders, the user has to search for the icons individually to execute a large number of applications.

It is an object of the present invention to improve user convenience in simultaneously executing a plurality of applications in a mobile terminal.

A mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a memory unit for storing usage history information of a plurality of applications; A control unit for checking the use history information in response to an execution command for the first application among the plurality of applications and recommending one or a plurality of second applications among the plurality of applications by analyzing the usage history information; And a display unit for displaying list information on the recommended one or plurality of second applications under the control of the controller. Here, the usage history information may include at least one of time information, location information, and weather information associated with the usage count of each application.

In an embodiment, the control unit may analyze the use history information and set representative information of each application so as to indicate at least one of a time, a location and a weather in which the usage count of each application is relatively large. The representative information of the recommended one or plurality of second applications may correspond to the representative information of the first application.

In an embodiment, the control unit may control the display unit to display the list information together with an execution screen image of the first application.

In an exemplary embodiment, when the icon of the first application is selected by the touch input applied to the display unit in a state where the icon of the first application is displayed on the screen of the display unit, An execution command for the application can be recognized.

In an embodiment, the control unit controls the display unit to display the list information together with the icon of the first application. In addition, when at least one item is selected from the list information by the touch input applied to the display unit, the control unit displays an execution screen image of the first application together with a second image corresponding to the selected at least one item It is possible to control the display unit to display an execution screen image of the application. Also, the controller may control the display unit to display the remaining items excluding the selected at least one item among the items of the list information.

In an embodiment, the control unit may control the display unit such that the list information disappears when no item is selected in the list information within a predetermined time after the list information is displayed. In addition, when the list information disappears, the control unit selects at least one of the recommended second applications based on priority information for the recommended plurality of second applications, and executes the first application And control the display unit to display an execution screen image of the selected at least one second application together with the screen image. In addition, when the list information disappears, the control unit may control the display unit to display an execution screen of the first application together with an execution screen of the recommended one application.

In an embodiment, the control unit may update the use history information when at least one of the plurality of applications is executed.

The method of controlling a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: checking usage history information of the plurality of applications in response to an execution command for a first application among a plurality of applications; Analyzing the usage history information to recommend one or a plurality of second applications of the plurality of applications; And displaying list information for the recommended one or more second applications.

In an embodiment, in the step of recommending one or a plurality of second applications among the plurality of applications, the usage history information is analyzed to indicate at least one of a time, a location, and a weather in which the use frequency of each application is relatively large And the representative information of the recommended one or plurality of second applications may correspond to the representative information of the first application.

In an embodiment, the list information may be displayed together with an execution screen image of the first application.

In an embodiment, in the step of displaying the list information, the list information may be displayed together with the icon of the first application.

In an embodiment, the control method may further include the step of, when the list information is displayed, disappearing the list information if no item is selected in the list information within a predetermined time. The control method may further include updating the use history information when at least one of the plurality of applications is executed.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mobile terminal including: a memory unit storing usage history information of a plurality of applications; And a weather information acquiring unit that acquires status information indicating at least one of time, position, and weather at the time of execution of the first application when the first application is executed among the plurality of applications, A controller that recommends one or a plurality of second applications of the plurality of applications; And a display unit for displaying list information on the recommended one or plurality of second applications under the control of the controller.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising: executing a first one of a plurality of applications; Confirming situation information indicating at least one of time, location and weather at the time of execution of the first application; Comparing the status information with usage history information of the plurality of applications to recommend one or a plurality of second applications of the plurality of applications; And displaying list information for the recommended one or plurality of second applications under the control of the control unit.

According to the mobile terminal of the present invention, at the time of executing the first application, a list of recommended applications, such as a list of recommended applications, can be executed so that at least one second application, which is determined to be closely related to the first application, Is displayed, it is possible that the user is less likely to search for applications related to multitasking. Therefore, user convenience can be improved in executing a plurality of applications at the same time.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a mobile terminal according to the present invention.
2A and 2B are perspective views showing an appearance of a mobile terminal according to the present invention.
3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a data table exemplarily showing usage history information of a plurality of applications according to the present invention.
5A, 5B, 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B, 7C, 8 and 9 are conceptual diagrams showing a user interface of the mobile terminal related to the control method of FIG.
10 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the technical idea of the present invention. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. In order to clearly explain the present invention, parts not related to the description are omitted, and like parts are denoted by similar reference numerals throughout the specification.

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 navigator, have. However, it should be understood that the configuration according to the embodiments described herein may be applied to a fixed terminal such as a digital TV, a desktop computer, and the like, unless it is applicable only to a mobile terminal. It will be easy to see.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a mobile terminal 100 according to the present invention. 1, a 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 controller 160, an interface unit 170, a controller 180, and a power supply unit 190. The components shown in Fig. 1 are not essential, so that a mobile terminal having more or fewer components can be implemented.

Hereinafter, the components 110 to 190 of the mobile terminal 100 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 distance communication module 114, and a location information module 115.

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives broadcast signals and broadcast related information from an external broadcast management server through a broadcast channel. Here, the broadcast-related information means information related to a broadcast channel, a broadcast program, or a broadcast service provider. The broadcast-related information can also be provided through a mobile communication network. In this case, the broadcast-related information may be received by the mobile communication module 112. The broadcast signal and the broadcast-related information received through the broadcast receiving module 111 may be stored in the memory 160.

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

The wireless Internet module 113 is a module for wireless Internet access, and may 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) and the like can be used as wireless Internet technologies.

The short-range communication module 114 refers to a module for short-range communication. As a short range communication technology, Bluetooth, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Ultra Wideband (UWB), ZigBee, and the like can be used.

The position information module 115 is a module for acquiring the position of the mobile terminal 100, and a representative example thereof is a Global Position System (GPS) module.

1, an A / V (Audio / Video) input unit 120 is for inputting an audio signal and a video signal, and may include a camera 121, a microphone 122, and the like. The camera 121 processes image frames such as still images and moving images obtained by the image sensor in the video communication mode or the photographing mode. The image frame processed by the camera 121 can be displayed on the display unit 151. [ The image frame may be stored in the memory 160 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication unit 110. [ More than two cameras 121 may be provided depending on the use environment.

The microphone 122 processes the sound signal input from the outside in the communication mode, the recording mode, the voice selection mode, and the like as electrical voice data. The voice data processed by the microphone 122 in the communication mode can be converted into a form that can be transmitted to the mobile communication base station through the mobile communication module 112 and output. The microphone 122 may be implemented with various noise reduction algorithms for eliminating noise generated when an external sound signal is input.

The user input unit 130 generates input data for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100 by a user. The user input unit 130 may include a key pad, a dome switch, a touch pad (static pressure and static electricity), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

The sensing unit 140 senses the current state of the mobile terminal 100 such as presence or absence of a user, the open / close state of the mobile terminal 100, position, orientation, acceleration, deceleration, And generates a sensing signal. For example, when the mobile terminal 100 is in the form of a slide phone, the sensing unit 140 may detect whether the slide phone is opened or closed. The sensing unit 140 may sense whether the power supply unit 190 is powered on, whether the interface unit 170 is connected to an external device, and the like.

The sensing unit 140 may include a proximity sensor 141. The sensing unit 140 may include a touch sensor (not shown) for sensing a touch operation with respect to the display unit 151.

The touch sensor may have the form of a touch film, a touch sheet, a touch pad, or the like. The touch sensor may be configured to convert a pressure applied to a specific portion of the display portion 151 or a change in capacitance generated at a specific portion of the display portion 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 touch pressure.

When the touch sensor and the display unit 151 have a mutual layer structure, the display unit 151 can be used as an input device in addition to the output device. The display unit 151 may be referred to as a 'touch screen'.

If there is a touch input via the touch screen, corresponding signals are sent to a touch controller (not shown). The touch controller processes the signals transmitted from the touch sensor, and then transmits data corresponding to the processed signals to the controller 180. Thus, the control unit 180 can know which area of the display unit 151 is touched.

In the case where the touch screen is electrostatic, it can be configured to detect the proximity of the sensing object by a change of the electric field along the proximity of the sensing target. Such a touch screen may be classified as proximity sensor 141. [

The proximity sensor 141 refers to a sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object to be sensed without mechanical contact using an electromagnetic force or infrared rays. The proximity sensor 141 has a longer life than the contact type sensor and its utilization is also high. Examples of the proximity sensor 141 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.

Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, a proximity action is referred to as " proximity touch " while an object to be sensed does not touch the touch screen, and an action of touching the sensing object on the touch screen is called & touch ".

The proximity sensor 141 detects the presence or absence of a proximity touch and a proximity touch pattern (for example, a proximity touch distance, a proximity touch direction, a proximity touch speed, a proximity touch time, a proximity touch position, The information corresponding to the presence / absence of proximity touch and the proximity touch pattern can be output to the touch screen.

The output unit 150 generates an output related to visual, auditory, tactile, and the like. The output unit 150 may include a display unit 151, an audio output module 152, an alarm unit 153, and a haptic module 154.

The display unit 151 displays (outputs) information processed by the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal 100 operates in the call mode, the display unit 151 displays a UI (User Interface) or a GUI (Graphic User Interface) related to the call. When the mobile terminal 100 operates in the video communication mode or the photographing mode, the display unit 151 displays the photographed image, the received image, the UI, the GUI, and the like.

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

At least one display (or display element) included in the display unit 151 may be configured to be transparent or light transmissive so that the display can see the outside through it. This can be referred to as a transparent display. A typical example of such a transparent display is TOLED (Transparent OLED). 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 in the terminal body.

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

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

The alarm unit 153 outputs a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event of the mobile terminal 100. Examples of events generated in the mobile terminal 100 include call signal reception, message reception, key signal input, touch input, and the like. The alarm unit 153 may output a signal for informing occurrence of an event in a form other than a video signal or an audio signal, for example, vibration. The display unit 151 and the audio output module 152 may be classified as a part of the alarm unit 153 because the video signal or the audio signal can also be output through the display unit 151 or the audio output module 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, pattern, and the like of the vibration generated by the hit module 154 are controllable. For example, different vibrations may be synthesized and output or sequentially output.

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

The haptic module 154 can be configured to not only transmit the tactile effect through the direct contact but also to allow the user to feel the tactile effect through the muscular sense of the finger or arm. At least two haptic modules 154 may be provided according to the configuration of the mobile terminal 100.

The memory 160 may store a program for the operation of the controller 180 and temporarily store input and output data (e.g., a phone book, a message, a still image, a moving picture, etc.). The memory 160 may store data related to vibrations and sounds of various patterns that are output upon touch input on the touch screen.

The memory 160 may be a flash memory, a hard disk, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory), a random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM) And may include at least one storage medium. The mobile terminal 100 may operate in association with a web storage that performs storage functions of the memory 160 on the Internet.

The interface unit 170 serves as a path for communication with all external devices connected to the mobile terminal 100. The interface unit 170 receives data from an external device or supplies power to each component in the mobile terminal 100 or transmits data to the external device. For example, the interface unit 170 may include 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, Input / output ports, video I / O ports, earphone ports, and the like.

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

The interface unit 170 may be a path through which the power from the cradle is supplied to the mobile terminal 100 when the mobile terminal 100 is connected to an external cradle or various command signals input from the cradle by the user, (Not shown). The various command signals or power supplied from the cradle may also act as a signal for recognizing that the mobile terminal 100 is correctly mounted in the cradle.

The controller 180 controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal 100. For example, control and processing related to 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 control unit 180 may perform pattern selection processing for selecting handwriting input and drawing input on the touch screen as characters and images, respectively.

The power supply unit 190 receives external power and internal power under the control of the controller 180 and supplies power necessary for operation of the respective components.

The various embodiments described herein may be implemented in a recording medium readable by a computer or similar device using software, hardware, or a combination thereof.

According to a hardware implementation, the embodiments described herein may be applied to various types of application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays Microprocessors, microprocessors, and other electronic units for performing other functions, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. In some cases, the embodiments described herein may be implemented by the controller 180 itself.

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

Hereinafter, a method of processing user input to the mobile terminal 100 will be described.

The user input unit 130 is operated to receive a command for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100, and may include a plurality of operation units. The operating units may also be referred to as manipulating portions and may be employed in any manner as long as they are operated in a tactile manner by the user's tactile sense.

Various kinds of time information can be displayed on the display unit 151. [ Such visual information can be displayed in the form of letters, numbers, symbols, graphics, icons, and the like, and can be formed as a three-dimensional stereoscopic image. At least one of a character, a number, a symbol, a graphic, and an icon may be displayed in a predetermined arrangement for inputting time information, thereby being implemented as a keypad. Such a keypad may be referred to as a so-called " soft key ".

The display unit 151 may operate as an entire area or may be divided into a plurality of areas and operated. In the latter case, the plurality of areas can be configured to operate in association with one another. For example, an output window and an input window may be displayed on the upper and lower portions of the display unit 151, respectively. The output window and the input window are areas allocated for outputting or inputting information, respectively. In the input window, a soft key with a number for inputting a telephone number may be output. When the soft key is touched, the number corresponding to the touched soft key is displayed in the output window. When the operating unit is operated, a call connection to the telephone number displayed in the output window may be attempted, or the text displayed in the output window may be entered into the application.

The display unit 151 or the touch pad may be configured to detect touch scrolling. The user can move the cursor or the pointer positioned on the displayed object, for example, the icon, on the display unit 151 by scrolling the display unit 151 or the touch pad. Further, when the finger is moved on the display unit 151 or the touch pad, the path along which the finger moves may be visually displayed on the display unit 151. [ This will be useful for editing the image displayed on the display unit 151. [

One function of the mobile terminal 100 may be executed in response to a case where the display unit 151 and the touch pad are touched together within a predetermined time range. In the case of being touched together, there may be a case where the user clamps the main body of the mobile terminal 100 using the thumb and index finger. At this time, one function of the mobile terminal 100 to be executed may be activation or deactivation for the display unit 151 or the touch pad, for example.

2A and 2B are perspective views showing an appearance of a mobile terminal 100 according to the present invention. FIG. 2A shows a front side and one side of the mobile terminal 100, and FIG. 2B shows a rear side and the other side of the mobile terminal 100. FIG.

Referring to FIG. 2A, the mobile terminal 100 includes a bar-shaped terminal body. However, the mobile terminal 100 is not limited thereto, and may be realized in various forms such as a slide type, a folder type, a swing type, and a swivel type in which two or more bodies are movably coupled to each other.

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

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

The display unit 151, the sound output unit 152, the camera 121, the user input unit 130 (see FIG. 1), the microphone 122, the interface 170, can do.

The display unit 151 occupies a main portion of the front case 101. [ The audio output unit 152 and the camera 121 are located in a region adjacent to one end of the display unit 151 and the first user input unit 131 and the microphone 122 are located in a region adjacent to the other end. The second user input unit 132 and the interface 170 may be located on the sides of the front case 101 and the rear case 102. [

The user input unit 130 is operated to receive a command for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100. [ The user input unit 130 may include a plurality of operation units 131 and 132.

The first or second operating units 131 and 132 can receive various commands. For example, the first operation unit 131 can receive commands such as start, end, scroll, and the like. The second operation unit 132 can receive commands such as adjusting the size of the sound output from the sound output unit 152, switching to the touch selection mode of the display unit 151, and the like.

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

For example, the front camera 121 may be configured to have a low pixel, and the rear camera 121 'may be configured to have a high pixel. Accordingly, when the front camera 121 is used during a video call, when the user's face is photographed and the photographed image is transmitted to the other party in real time, the size of the transmitted data can be reduced. On the other hand, the rear camera 121 'can be used for the purpose of storing a high-quality image.

Meanwhile, the cameras 121 and 121 'may be installed in the terminal body so as to be rotated or popped up.

The flash 123 and the mirror 124 may be further positioned adjacent to the rear camera 121 '. The flash 123 emits light toward the subject when the user photographs the subject with the rear camera 121 '. The mirror 124 illuminates the user's face when the user photographs himself (self-photographing) using the rear camera 121 '.

A rear sound output unit 152 'may be additionally disposed on the rear surface of the terminal body. The rear sound output unit 152 'may perform a stereo function together with the front sound output unit 152 (see FIG. 2A), and may perform a speakerphone function during a call.

In addition to the antenna for communication, an antenna 116 for receiving broadcast signals may be additionally provided on the side surface of the terminal body. The antenna 116 constituting a part of the broadcast receiving module 111 (see FIG. 1) can be installed to be able to be drawn out from the terminal body.

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

The rear case 102 may further include a touch pad 135 for sensing a touch. The touch pad 135 may be of a light transmission type like the display unit 151 (see FIG. 2A). Further, a back display unit for outputting time information can be additionally mounted on the touch pad 135. [ At this time, information output from both sides of the front display unit 151 and the rear display unit can be controlled by the touch pad 135. [

The touch pad 135 operates in correlation with the display unit 151. [ The touch pad 135 may be positioned parallel to the rear of the display unit 151. The touch pad 135 may have a size equal to or smaller than that of the display unit 151.

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In this specification, execution of a plurality of applications means that a multi-tasking function is performed. The plurality of applications may be independent applications rather than interrelated applications. That is, multitasking does not mean that the application is attached to or supplemented with any one application, but means that a plurality of applications having the same level can be simultaneously executed. Here, the application is, for example, any one of an online service, a message function, a call function, a camera function, and various additional functions such as playing a moving image or a music file.

Hereinafter, a user interface of a mobile terminal for improving user convenience in executing a plurality of applications at the same time will be described.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling the mobile terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a data table exemplarily showing usage history information of a plurality of applications according to the present invention.

3, first, in response to an execution command for a first application among a plurality of applications installed in the mobile terminal 100, the usage history of a plurality of applications stored in the memory 160 (see FIG. 1) Step S110 of confirming the information is performed. Here, as a means for executing the first application, an icon may be used. For example, when the icon of the first application is displayed on the screen of the display unit 151 (see FIG. 1) and is selected by the touch input applied to the display unit 151, .

The use history information mentioned above may include at least one of time information, location information, and weather information associated with the usage count of each application. In other words, usage history information is statistical information indicating how often each application is used in a certain situation. At this time, the situation in which each application is used may be defined by a time, place, weather, or a combination thereof at the time of execution of each application.

Next, the step of recommending one or a plurality of second applications among a plurality of applications (S120) is performed by analyzing the confirmed usage history information. For this purpose, representative information of each application can be used as information representing at least one of time, location, and weather in which the use frequency of each application is relatively large. For example, one or a plurality of applications having representative information corresponding to the first application and corresponding representative information may be recommended as the second application. This will be described in more detail below with reference to the data table of FIG.

Next, step S130 of displaying list information for the recommended one or a plurality of second applications is performed. The displayed listing information may include one or more icons corresponding to the recommended one or plurality of second applications. If icons in the list information are selected by user input, the first application and the second application corresponding to the selected icon can be executed together.

In the embodiment of the present invention, when at least one of the plurality of applications is executed, the use history information is updated. Accordingly, the list information for the recommendation application can be modified in accordance with the update of the use history information.

As described above, according to the mobile terminal 100 of the present invention, at the time of execution of the first application, at least one second application judged to be closely related to the first application based on the usage history information of each application A list of recommended applications can be displayed so that users can be less likely to search for applications related to multitasking. Therefore, user convenience can be improved in executing a plurality of applications at the same time.

Referring to Fig. 4, a data table showing the cumulative usage count of each application over time is illustratively shown as usage history information of a plurality of applications " APP A " to " APP F ".

As a first application, for example, when an execution command for " APP A " is detected, at least one second application may be recommended using representative information of each application. More specifically, the representative information of " APP A " indicates 10: 00 ~ 11: 00, which is a relatively frequently used time zone. Also, it can be seen that "APP B", "APP C" and "APP E" are also used in a relatively large amount from 10:00 to 11:00.

In other words, representative information of "APP A" corresponds to representative information of "APP B", "APP C", and "APP E". This means that " APP A ", " APP B ", " APP C ", and " APP E " Thus, " APP B ", " APP C " and " APP E " may be recommended as a second application to be executed with the first application.

Although not shown, in the embodiment of the present invention, a data table indicating the cumulative use count of each application according to location, weather, and the like can be used as well as time. Therefore, the representative information of each application may indicate a position or weather where the use frequency is relatively high.

5A, 5B, 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B, 7C, 8, and 9 are conceptual diagrams showing a user interface of the mobile terminal 100 related to the control method of FIG.

5A and 5B, the display unit 151 may display a plurality of icons for executing a plurality of applications. When the icon 201 of the first application among the plurality of icons is selected by the touch input applied to the display unit 151, the control unit 180 displays the list information 210 for the recommended one or plurality of second applications, The display unit 151 can be controlled so as to display the image.

The control unit 180 can recognize an execution command for the first application in response to the selection of the icon 201 of the first application. The control unit 180 can confirm one or a plurality of second applications among a plurality of applications by checking usage history information of a plurality of applications in response to an execution command for the first application and analyzing the usage history information. Concrete methods for recommending the second application have already been described above, and therefore will not be described here.

The list information 210 may include icons 211 to 213 for executing a recommended one or a plurality of second applications. Also, the listing information 210 may be displayed together with the icon 201 of the first application. For example, the listing information 210 may be displayed on the home screen image 220 including the icon 201 of the first application, as shown in FIG. 5A. 5B, the list information 210 pushes at least a portion of the home screen image 220 in one direction (e.g., the left side of the screen), and at least a portion of the home screen image 220 is occupied (E.g., on the right side of the screen) as much as the area that has been used.

6A and 6B, when at least one icon 211 is selected as at least one item in the list information 210 by the touch input applied to the display unit 151, The display unit 151 can be controlled to display the execution screen image 222 of the second application corresponding to the selected icon 211 together with the execution screen image 221 of the application.

6B, the controller 180 updates the list information 210 modified to include the remaining icons 212 and 213 except for the selected icon 211 as the execution screen of the first application and the second application 210, It is possible to control the display unit 151 to display the images together with the images 221 and 222. [

In summary, in the embodiment of the present invention, when the icon 201 of the first application is selected, the list information 210 for the recommended second application can be displayed first. Next, when an arbitrary icon 211 is selected from the list information 210, an execution screen image 222 of the second application corresponding to the selected icon 211, along with the execution screen image 221 of the first application, Can be displayed together.

Although the drawing shows an application that performs web page browsing as a first application and a second application that is recommended as an application that performs a playback function of a memo function, a chat function, a multimedia content (e.g., MP3, video, etc.) The combination of the first application and the second application is not limited to this, and may be variously configured.

For example, if the first application is an application that performs a photographing function, the second application may be an application that performs a photo viewing function, a memo function, a text message transmitting function, and the like.

In addition, according to the drawings, the screen region is divided into the upper screen region and the lower screen region, and the execution screen images 221 and 222 of the first and second applications are displayed in the upper screen region and the lower screen region, The layout of the screen image can be modified in various ways. For example, the layout of the execution screen image may be changed according to the inclination of the mobile terminal 100. More specifically, when the screen direction is switched from the portrait direction to the landscape direction, the screen region is divided into the left screen region and the right screen region, and the execution screen image 221 of the first and second applications And 222 may be displayed in the left and right screen regions, respectively. Here, the portrait direction refers to the screen direction in which the vertical length of the screen is longer than the horizontal length, and the landscape direction refers to the screen direction in which the horizontal width of the screen is longer than the vertical length.

Referring to FIGS. 7A and 7B, the user interface of the mobile terminal 100 is displayed after a predetermined time has elapsed since the list information 210 was displayed.

7A, when no item is selected in the list information 210 within a predetermined time after the list information 210 is displayed, the controller 180 displays the list information 210, It is possible to control the display unit 151 to disappear. In other words, the home screen screen image 220 before the list information 210 is displayed can be displayed.

As another example, when the list information 210 disappears as no items are selected in the list information 210 within a predetermined time after the list information 210 is displayed, the control unit 180 determines whether or not the recommended plurality And select at least one of the plurality of second applications recommended based on the priority information for the second application. For example, the most frequently used or most recently used applications may be selected with priority over other applications. 7B, the control unit 180 displays the execution screen image 221 of the first application and the execution screen image 222 of the preferentially selected second application together with the execution screen image 221 of the first application 151 Can be controlled.

7C, the control unit 180 transmits the list information 210 modified to include the icons 212 and 213 of the second application except for the selected second application to the first and second applications 210, It is possible to control the display unit 151 to display the execution screen images 221 and 222 together with the execution screen images 221 and 222.

8A and 8B, when the icon 201 of the first application is selected by a touch input to the display unit 151, the control unit 180 displays the execution screen image 221 of the first application ) And control the display unit 151 to display the list information 210 for the recommended second application.

Next, when at least one icon 211 is selected as at least one item in the list information 210 by another touch input, the control unit 180 displays the execution screen image 221 of the first application, The display unit 151 can be controlled to display the execution screen image 222 of the second application corresponding to the icon 211. [

8A, the control unit 180 may control the display unit 151 to disappear the list information 210. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8B, The display unit 151 may be controlled to display the modified list information 210 including the remaining icons 212 and 213 together with the execution screen images 221 and 222 of the first and second applications.

9, in a state in which an execution screen image 222 of a second application recommended together with an execution screen image 221 of the first application is displayed, the touch input to the touch input applied to the display unit 151 A user interface of the mobile terminal 100 for switching a screen image is shown.

If a touch input such as a flicking gesture is detected while any one of the plurality of recommended second applications is displayed, the control unit 180 determines which one of the plurality of recommended second applications It is possible to control the display unit 151 to switch from the execution screen image 222 to another execution screen image 223. FIG.

Also, as shown in the drawing, while the screen image is switched, one execution screen image 222 gradually disappears and another execution screen image 223 gradually appears according to the movement distance of the touch input.

In addition, when the touch input is continued, the execution screen images of the plurality of recommended second applications can be sequentially displayed according to the priority order. At this time, the animation effect as if turning over the bookcase can be applied to the switching of the screen image.

10 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling the mobile terminal 100 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 10, first, step S210 of executing a first one of a plurality of applications is performed.

Next, step S220 of checking the status information at the time of execution of the first application is performed. For example, the time, place, weather, etc. at the time of execution of the first application can be confirmed.

Thereafter, the checked status information is compared with the usage history information of a plurality of applications to recommend one or a plurality of second applications (S230). To this end, a second application having representative information corresponding to the context information of the first application can be searched.

Next, step S240 of displaying list information for the recommended one or a plurality of second applications is performed.

As described above, according to the present invention, an application for multitasking can be recommended using the comparison result of the current situation information and the usage history information of the application.

11 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling the mobile terminal 100 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 11, first, in the application search mode, a step S310 of receiving (inputting) a search word is performed. To this end, the user interface of the mobile terminal 100 may provide a search word input window.

Next, a step (S320) of recommending one or a plurality of applications having tag information corresponding to the inputted search word is performed. Here, the tag information is information that is assigned to each application and indicates characteristics of each application. This tag information can be manually set by user input.

Thereafter, step S330 of displaying list information for the recommended one or a plurality of applications is performed.

As described above, according to the present invention, an application for multitasking can be recommended by using the comparison result between the tag information allocated to each application and the inputted search word.

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

In the mobile terminal disclosed in this specification, the configuration and method of the above-described embodiments are not limitedly applied, but all or some of the embodiments may be selectively combined so that various modifications can be made.

Claims (20)

A memory unit for storing usage history information of a plurality of applications;
A control unit for checking the use history information in response to an execution command for the first application among the plurality of applications and recommending one or a plurality of applications of the plurality of applications by analyzing the use history information; And
And a display unit for displaying list information on the recommended one or plurality of applications under the control of the control unit,
Wherein,
When the icon of the first application is selected by the touch input applied to the display unit in a state where the icon of the first application is displayed on the screen of the display unit, Controls the display unit to display the list information together with the icon of the first application,
Wherein when one item is selected from the list information by the touch input applied to the display unit, an execution screen image of the first application, a second application corresponding to the selected one item, An image of the execution screen of the display unit, and controls the display unit to display the list information,
The display screen image of the second application is switched to the execution screen image of the third application, which is one of the recommended applications, on the basis of the predetermined touch input being applied to the execution screen image of the second application And a control unit for controlling the control unit. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the usage history information includes at least one of time information, position information, and weather information associated with the use frequency of each application. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
Analyzing the use history information to set representative information of each application so as to indicate at least one of a time, a position and a weather in which the use frequency of each application is relatively large;
And the representative information of the one or more recommended applications corresponds to the representative information of the first application. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
And controls the display unit to display the list information together with an execution screen image of the first application. delete delete delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
And controls the display unit to display other items of the list information other than the selected at least one item. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
Wherein the controller controls the display unit such that the list information disappears when no item is selected in the list information within a predetermined time after the list information is displayed. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein,
Selecting at least one of the recommended plurality of applications based on priority information for the recommended plurality of applications when the list information disappears and selecting the at least one selected application with the execution screen image of the first application And controls the display unit to display an execution screen image of the mobile terminal. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein,
And controls the display unit to display the execution screen of the first application together with the execution screen of the recommended one application when the list information disappears. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
And updates the use history information when at least one of the plurality of applications is executed. Checking usage history information of the plurality of applications in response to an execution command for the first application among the plurality of applications;
Analyzing the usage history information to recommend one or more applications of the plurality of applications;
Displaying list information on the recommended one or plurality of applications on a display unit;
When the icon of the first application is selected by the touch input applied to the display unit in a state where the icon of the first application is displayed on the screen of the display unit, Displaying the list information with an icon of the first application;
Wherein when one item is selected from the list information by the touch input applied to the display unit, an execution screen image of the first application, a second application corresponding to the selected one item, Displaying an execution screen image of the list screen, the list information; And
Converting an execution screen image of the second application into an execution screen image of a third application, which is one of the recommended applications, based on a predetermined touch input being applied to the execution screen image of the second application; And transmitting the control information to the mobile terminal. 14. The method of claim 13,
In the step of recommending one or more of the plurality of applications,
The representative information of each application is set so as to indicate at least one of a time, a location, and a weather in which the use frequency of each application is relatively large by analyzing the use history information,
And the representative information of the one or more recommended applications corresponds to the representative information of the first application. delete delete 14. The method of claim 13,
Further comprising the step of causing the list information to disappear if no item is selected in the list information within a predetermined time after the list information is displayed. 14. The method of claim 13,
Further comprising the step of updating the use history information when at least one of the plurality of applications is executed. delete delete

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