KR101959313B1 - Mobile terminal and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of controlling a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: setting an NFC function according to a first user input; displaying an NFC setting icon in an indicator area of the display unit; Executing a specific application according to a second user input and displaying an operation screen associated with the specific application on the display unit; Acquiring tag information from the at least one electronic device when at least one electronic tag is tagged during execution of the specific application, and determining the type of the acquired tag information; And changing an NFC setting icon displayed in the indicator area to an NFC icon corresponding to the type of the tag information determined.

Description

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

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a mobile terminal and a control method thereof that efficiently provide tag information acquired during execution of a specific application to a user.

A mobile terminal is a portable device having one or more functions capable of carrying out voice and video communication, capable of inputting and outputting information, and storing data, while being portable. As the function of the mobile terminal is diversified, it has complicated functions such as photographing and photographing of a movie, playback of a music file or a video file, reception of a game, broadcasting, wireless Internet, etc., and a comprehensive multimedia player . Mobile terminals implemented in the form of multimedia devices are being applied variously in terms of hardware and software in order to implement complex functions.

Particularly, in recent years, NFC (Near Field Communication) technology has been applied to such a mobile terminal and is being utilized for various purposes. NFC technology is a non-contact, short-range wireless communication technology using the 13.56 MHz frequency band and complies with the ISO / IEC 18092 standard. In addition, NFC technology provides interoperability with existing contactless smart card technology and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID).

The mobile terminal to which the NFC technology is applied not only supports a credit payment function and a transportation card function, but also supports a function of transmitting and receiving data through a short distance communication with another terminal. In addition, thanks to the rapid proliferation of smartphones, it supports a variety of functions related to NFC operation.

However, when an NFC-related operation occurs while a specific application is being executed in the conventional mobile terminal, there is a problem that the tag related application is automatically executed on the screen of the display unit, thereby interfering with the operation of the specific application currently being executed.

8 (a) and 8 (b), when the NFC tagging operation occurs while the call application is being executed in the conventional mobile terminal 50, the mobile terminal 50 displays the execution screen of the tag application (810) on the display unit, thereby interfering with the user's call operation.

In addition, when a plurality of NFC-related operations occur during the execution of the call application, there is a problem that the history of the NFC operations is not systematically managed. Therefore, in order to solve these problems, it is required to provide an NFC related graphical user interface.

The present invention provides a mobile terminal and a control method thereof that efficiently provide tag information related to an NFC operation occurring during execution of a specific application to a user.

In addition, the present invention provides a mobile terminal that changes the shape of an NFC setting icon displayed in an indicator area according to the type of tag information acquired during execution of a specific application, and a control method thereof.

In addition, the present invention provides a mobile terminal and a control method thereof, in which, when a plurality of NFC operations occur during execution of a specific application, providing a history of the plurality of NFC operations after execution of the specific application is terminated.

The present invention provides a method of controlling an information processing apparatus, the method comprising: setting an NFC function according to a first user input; displaying an NFC setting icon in an indicator area of the display unit; Executing a specific application according to a second user input and displaying an operation screen associated with the specific application on the display unit; Acquiring tag information from the at least one electronic device when at least one electronic tag is tagged during execution of the specific application, and determining the type of the acquired tag information; And changing an NFC setting icon displayed in the indicator area to an NFC icon corresponding to the determined type of tag information.

The present invention allows the user to easily identify at least one tag information acquired during execution of the application without interfering with the operation of the currently executing application. In addition, the present invention can improve the user's convenience by providing a history of a plurality of NFC operations occurring during execution of a specific application after execution of the specific application is terminated.

Meanwhile, various other effects will be directly or implicitly disclosed in the detailed description according to the embodiment of the present invention to be described later.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.
FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the mobile terminal shown in FIG. 2; FIG.
4 is a detailed block diagram of a local area communication module of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;
5 is a diagram schematically illustrating a system in which a mobile terminal performs short-range wireless communication with another electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling an operation of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.
7 is a diagram illustrating an operation of a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to display an NFC setting icon on a standby screen;
8 is a diagram illustrating an operation of displaying an execution screen of a tag application on a display unit when an NFC tagging operation occurs while a call application is executed in a conventional mobile terminal;
9 is a diagram illustrating an operation of displaying tag information acquired during execution of a call application in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;
10 is a diagram illustrating the shape of an NFC icon according to the type of tag information;
11 is a view for explaining an operation of displaying tag information acquired during execution of a call application in a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention;
12 is a diagram illustrating an operation of displaying tag information acquired during execution of a multimedia playback application in a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention;
13 and 14 are diagrams illustrating an operation of displaying a plurality of pieces of tag information acquired during execution of a call application in a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention;
15 is a view for explaining an operation of providing tag information stored in a memory through a tag icon displayed on a standby screen in a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Examples of the mobile terminal described in the present specification include a mobile phone, a smart phone, a notebook computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), a PMP (Portable Multimedia Player), a camera, tablet computers, e-book terminals, and the like. In addition, suffixes "module" and " part "for the components used in the following description are given merely for convenience of description, and do not give special significance or role in themselves. Accordingly, the terms "module" and "part" may be used interchangeably.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in terms of functional components.

1, a mobile terminal 100 includes a wireless communication unit 110, an audio / video (A / V) input unit 120, a user input unit 130, a sensing unit 140, an output unit 150, A controller 160, an interface 170, a controller 180, and a power supply 190. When such components are implemented in practical applications, two or more components may be combined into one component, or one component may be divided into two or more components as necessary.

The wireless communication unit 110 may include a broadcast receiving module 111, a mobile communication module 113, a wireless Internet module 115, a short distance communication module 117, and a GPS module 119.

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives at least one of a broadcast signal and broadcast related information from an external broadcast management server through a broadcast channel. At this time, the broadcast channel may include a satellite channel, a terrestrial channel, and the like. The broadcast management server may refer to a server for generating and transmitting at least one of a broadcast signal and broadcast related information and a server for receiving at least one of the generated broadcast signal and broadcast related information and transmitting the broadcast signal to the terminal.

The broadcast signal may include a TV broadcast signal, a radio broadcast signal, a data broadcast signal, and a broadcast signal in which a data broadcast signal is combined with a TV broadcast signal or a radio broadcast signal. The broadcast-related information may mean 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 which case it can be received by the mobile communication module 113. Broadcast-related information can exist in various forms.

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives broadcast signals using various broadcasting systems. In particular, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DMB-T), a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Satellite (DMB-S) ), Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H), Integrated Services Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial (ISDB-T), and the like. In addition, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be configured to be suitable for all broadcasting systems that provide broadcasting signals, as well as the digital broadcasting system. The broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information received through the broadcast receiving module 111 may be stored in the memory 160.

The mobile communication module 113 transmits and receives a radio signal to at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network. Here, the wireless signal may include various types of data according to a voice call signal, a video call signal, or a text / multimedia message transmission / reception.

The wireless Internet module 115 is a module for wireless Internet access, and the wireless Internet module 115 can be built in or externally attached to the mobile terminal 100. WLAN (Wi-Fi), Wibro (Wireless broadband), Wimax (World Interoperability for Microwave Access), HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) and the like can be used as wireless Internet technologies.

The short-range communication module 117 refers to a module for short-range communication. Bluetooth, radio frequency identification (RFID), infrared data association (IrDA), ultra wideband (UWB), ZigBee, and Near Field Communication (NFC) may be used as the short distance communication technology.

A GPS (Global Position System) module 119 receives position information from a plurality of GPS satellites.

The A / V (Audio / Video) input unit 120 is for inputting an audio signal or a video signal, and may include a camera 121 and a microphone 123. The camera 121 processes image frames such as still images or moving images obtained by the image sensor in the video communication mode or the photographing mode. Then, the processed image frame can be displayed on the display unit 151. [

The image frame processed by the camera 121 may be stored in the memory 160 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication unit 110. [ The camera 121 may be equipped with two or more cameras according to the configuration of the terminal.

The microphone 123 receives an external sound signal by a microphone in a communication mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, or the like, and processes it as electrical voice data. The processed voice data can be converted into a form that can be transmitted to the mobile communication base station through the mobile communication module 113 and output when the voice data is in the call mode. The microphone 123 may be a variety of noise reduction algorithms for eliminating noise generated in receiving an external sound signal.

The user input unit 130 generates key input data that the user inputs to control the operation of the terminal. The user input unit 130 may include a key pad, a dome switch, and a touch pad (static / static) capable of receiving commands or information by a user's pressing or touching operation. The user input unit 130 may be a jog wheel for rotating the key, a jog type or a joystick, or a finger mouse. Particularly, when the touch pad has a mutual layer structure with the display unit 151 described later, it can be called a touch screen.

The sensing unit 140 senses the current state of the mobile terminal 100 such as the open / close state of the mobile terminal 100, the position of the mobile terminal 100, Thereby generating a sensing signal. For example, when the mobile terminal 100 is in the form of a slide phone, it is possible to sense whether the slide phone is opened or closed. In addition, a sensing function related to whether or not the power supply unit 190 is powered on, whether the interface unit 170 is coupled to an external device, and the like can be handled.

The sensing unit 140 may include a proximity sensor 141, a pressure sensor 143, a motion sensor 145, and the like. The proximity sensor 141 can detect an object approaching the mobile terminal 100 or the presence or absence of an object in the vicinity of the mobile terminal 100 without mechanical contact. The proximity sensor 141 can detect a nearby object by using a change in the alternating magnetic field or a change in the static magnetic field, or a rate of change in capacitance. The proximity sensor 141 may be equipped with two or more sensors according to the configuration.

The pressure sensor 143 can detect whether or not pressure is applied to the mobile terminal 100, the magnitude of the pressure, and the like. The pressure sensor 143 may be installed at a portion where the pressure of the mobile terminal 100 is required according to the use environment. When the pressure sensor 143 is installed on the display unit 151, the touch input through the display unit 151 and the pressure applied by the touch input The pressure touch input can be identified. Also, the magnitude of the pressure applied to the display unit 151 at the time of the pressure touch input can be determined according to the signal output from the pressure sensor 143. [

The motion sensor 145 senses the position or movement of the mobile terminal 100 using an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, or the like. An acceleration sensor that can be used for the motion sensor 145 is a device that converts an acceleration change in one direction into an electric signal and is widely used along with the development of MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) technology.

The acceleration sensor measures the acceleration of a small value built in the airbag system of an automobile and recognizes the minute motion of the human hand and measures the acceleration of a large value used as an input means such as a game There are various types. Acceleration sensors are usually constructed by mounting two or three axes in one package. Depending on the usage environment, only one axis of Z axis is required. Therefore, when the acceleration sensor in the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction is used instead of the Z-axis direction for some reason, the acceleration sensor may be mounted on the main substrate by using a separate piece substrate.

The gyro sensor is a sensor for measuring the angular velocity, and it can sense the direction of rotation with respect to the reference direction.

The output unit 150 is for outputting an audio signal, a video signal, or an alarm signal. The output unit 150 may include a display unit 151, an audio output module 153, an alarm unit 155, and a haptic module 157.

The display unit 151 displays and outputs information processed by the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal 100 is in the call mode, a UI (User Interface) or a GUI (Graphic User Interface) associated with a call is displayed. When the mobile terminal 100 is in the video communication mode or the photographing mode, the photographed or received images can be displayed individually or simultaneously, and the UI and the GUI are displayed.

Meanwhile, as described above, when the display unit 151 and the touch pad have a mutual layer structure to constitute a touch screen, the display unit 151 may be an input device capable of inputting information by a user's touch in addition to the output device Can also be used.

If the display unit 151 is configured as a touch screen, it may include a touch screen panel, a touch screen panel controller, and the like. In this case, the touch screen panel is a transparent panel that is attached to the outside, and can be connected to the internal bus of the mobile terminal 100. The touch screen panel keeps a watch on the contact result, and if there is a touch input, sends the corresponding signals to the touch screen panel controller. The touch screen panel controller processes the signals, and then transmits corresponding data to the controller 180 so that the controller 180 can determine whether the touch input has been made and which area of the touch screen has been touched.

The display unit 151 may be formed of an e-paper. Electronic paper (e-Paper) is a kind of reflective display, and has excellent visual characteristics such as high resolution, wide viewing angle and bright white background as conventional paper and ink. The electronic paper (e-paper) can be implemented on any substrate such as plastic, metal, paper, and the image is maintained even after the power is shut off, and the battery life of the mobile terminal 100 is long Can be maintained. As the electronic paper, a hemispherical twist ball filled with a telephone can be used, or an electrophoresis method and a microcapsule can be used.

In addition, the display unit 151 may be a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode, a flexible display, a three- (3D display). In addition, there may be two or more display units 151 according to the embodiment of the mobile terminal 100. For example, the mobile terminal 100 may include an external display unit (not shown) and an internal display unit (not shown) at the same time.

The audio output module 153 outputs audio data received from the wireless communication unit 110 or stored in the memory 160 in a call signal reception mode, a call mode or a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcast reception mode, In addition, the sound output module 153 outputs sound signals related to functions performed in the mobile terminal 100, for example, call signal reception tones, message reception tones, and the like. The sound output module 153 may include a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

The alarm unit 155 outputs a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event of the mobile terminal 100. Examples of events that occur in the mobile terminal 100 include call signal reception, message reception, and key signal input. The alarm unit 155 outputs a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event in a form other than an audio signal or a video signal. For example, it is possible to output a signal in a vibration mode. The alarm unit 155 can output a signal to notify when a call signal is received or a message is received. Also, when the key signal is inputted, the alarm unit 155 can output the signal as the feedback to the key signal input. The user can recognize the occurrence of an event through the signal output by the alarm unit 155. A signal for notifying the occurrence of an event in the mobile terminal 100 may also be output through the display unit 151 or the sound output module 153. [

The haptic module 157 generates various tactile effects that the user can feel. A typical example of the haptic effect generated by the haptic module 157 is a vibration effect. When the haptic module 157 generates vibration with a haptic effect, the intensity and pattern of the vibration generated by the haptic module 157 can be converted, and the different vibrations can be synthesized and output or sequentially output.

In addition to the vibration, the haptic module 157 may be provided with a function of stimulating by a pin arrangement vertically moving with respect to the contact skin surface, an effect of stimulating air through the injection or suction force of the air through the injection port or the suction port, A variety of tactile effects such as an effect of stimulation through the contact of the electrode (eletrode), an effect of stimulation by electrostatic force, and an effect of cold / warm reproduction using a device capable of endothermic or exothermic can be generated. The haptic module 157 can be implemented not only to transmit the tactile effect through direct contact but also to feel the tactile effect through the muscular sense of the user's finger or arm. The haptic module 157 may include two or more haptic modules 157 according to the configuration of the mobile terminal 100.

The memory 160 may store a program for processing and controlling the control unit 180 and may store a function for temporarily storing input or output data (e.g., a phone book, a message, a still image, .

The memory 160 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory), a RAM , And a ROM. ≪ / RTI > In addition, the mobile terminal 100 may operate a web storage for storing the memory 150 on the Internet.

The interface unit 170 serves as an interface with all external devices connected to the mobile terminal 100. Examples of the external device connected to the mobile terminal 100 include a wired / wireless headset, an external charger, a wired / wireless data port, a memory card, a SIM (Subscriber Identification Module) card, a UIM An audio input / output (I / O) terminal, a video I / O (input / output) terminal, and an earphone. The interface unit 170 may receive data from the external device or supply power to the respective components in the mobile terminal 100 and may transmit data in the mobile terminal 100 to the external device .

The interface unit 170 may be a path through which the power from the cradle connected to the mobile terminal 100 is connected to the cradle when the mobile terminal 100 is connected to the cradle, And may be a passage to be transmitted to the terminal 100.

The controller 180 typically controls the operation of the respective units to control the overall operation of the mobile terminal 100. For example, voice communication, data communication, video communication, and the like. In addition, the control unit 180 may include a multimedia playback module 181 for multimedia playback. The multimedia playback module 181 may be configured in hardware in the controller 180 or separately from software in the controller 180. [

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 mobile terminal 100 having such a configuration can be configured to be operable in a communication system capable of transmitting data through a frame or a packet, including a wired / wireless communication system and a satellite-based communication system. have.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the mobile terminal shown in FIG. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, a mobile terminal according to the present invention will be described in terms of components according to the external appearance. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, a bar type mobile terminal having a front touch screen among various types of mobile terminals such as a folder type, a bar type, a swing type, a slider type, etc. will be described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to the bar-type mobile terminal but can be applied to all types of mobile terminals including the above-mentioned types.

Referring to FIG. 2, the case constituting the appearance of the mobile terminal 100 is formed by the front case 100-1 and the rear case 100-2. Various electronic components are incorporated in the space formed by the front case 100-1 and the rear case 100-2.

The display unit 151, the first sound output module 153a, the first camera 121a, and the first through third user input units 130a, 130b, and 130c are connected to the main body, specifically, the front case 100-1 . A fourth user input unit 130d, a fifth user input unit 130e, and a microphone 123 may be disposed on a side surface of the rear case 100-2.

The display unit 151 may be constructed such that the touch pad is overlapped with the layer structure so that the display unit 151 operates as a touch screen so that information can be input by a user's touch.

The first acoustic output module 153a may be implemented in the form of a receiver or a speaker. The first camera 121a may be implemented in a form suitable for capturing an image or a moving image of a user. The microphone 123 may be implemented in a form suitable for receiving a user's voice, other sounds, and the like.

The first to fifth user input units 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d and 130e and the sixth and seventh user input units 130f and 130g described below may be collectively referred to as a user input unit 130, Any manner can be employed in a tactile manner.

For example, the user input unit 130 may be embodied as a dome switch or a touch pad capable of receiving a command or information by a user's pressing or touching operation, or may be a wheel, jog system, Or the like. In a functional aspect, the first to third user input units 130a, 130b and 130c are for inputting commands such as start, end, and scroll, and the fourth user input unit 130d is for inputting a selection of an operation mode, . In addition, the fifth user input unit 130e may operate as a hot-key for activating a special function in the mobile terminal 100. [

 3, a second camera 121b may be additionally mounted on a rear surface of the rear case 100-2. On the side surface of the rear case 100-2, a sixth and a seventh user input units 130f, 130g, and an interface unit 170 may be disposed.

The second camera 121b has a photographing direction substantially opposite to that of the first camera 121a, and may have pixels different from those of the first camera 121a. A flash (not shown) and a mirror (not shown) may be additionally disposed adjacent to the second camera 121b. In addition, another camera may be installed adjacent to the second camera 121b to use it for shooting a three-dimensional stereoscopic image.

The flash illuminates the subject when the subject is photographed by the second camera 121b. The mirror enables the user to illuminate the user's own face or the like when the user intends to photograph (self-photograph) himself / herself using the second camera 121b.

A second sound output module (not shown) may be further disposed in the rear case 100-2. The second sound output module may implement the stereo function together with the first sound output module 153a, and may be used for talking in the speakerphone mode.

The interface unit 170 can be used as a path for exchanging data with an external device. An antenna for receiving broadcast signals (not shown) may be disposed in one area of the front case 100-1 and the rear case 100-2 in addition to the antenna for communication. The antenna may be installed to be capable of being drawn out from the rear case 100-2.

A power supply unit 190 for supplying power to the mobile terminal 100 may be mounted on the rear case 100-2. The power supply unit 190 may be a rechargeable battery, for example, and may be detachably coupled to the rear case 100-2 for charging or the like.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the second camera 121b and the like are disposed in the rear case 100-2, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Also, the first camera 121a may be rotatably formed so that the second camera 121b can be photographed up to the photographing direction, even if the second camera 121b is not separately provided.

4 is a detailed block diagram of the local area communication module 117 of the mobile terminal 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention. 4 is merely an example of the local area communication module 117 of the mobile terminal 100 according to the present invention. The structure of the local area communication module 117 is not essential and may be less or more than the configuration shown in FIG. 4 It can include many configurations.

Referring to FIG. 4, the short range communication module 117 includes an NFC communication module 117_1, a Bluetooth communication module 117_2, and a Wi-Fi communication module 117_3.

The NFC communication module 117_1 is an electronic device located within a distance of 10 cm or shorter (preferably, within 4 cm) using an ultra short-range contactless data transfer technology related to RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) Lt; / RTI >

The NFC communication module 117_1 can communicate with other electronic devices supporting NFC communication in various operation modes. At this time, the various operation modes include a card emulation mode, a reader / writer mode, and a peer to peer mode.

When the NFC communication module 117_1 operates in the card emulation mode, the NFC communication module 117_1 of the mobile terminal 100 can function as a card, i.e., a tag. In this case, the NFC communication module of the other electronic device operates in the reader mode to acquire data from the NFC communication module 117_1 of the mobile terminal 100. [

When the NFC communication module 117_1 operates in a reader / writer mode, the NFC communication module 117_1 of the mobile terminal 100 can function as an interrogator or a writer. In this case, the NFC communication module 117_1 of the mobile terminal 100 acquires information from the electronic tag or records the information in the electronic tag.

When the NFC communication module 117_1 operates in a peer-to-peer mode, the NFC communication module 117_1 of the mobile terminal 100 exchanges data with the NFC communication module of another electronic device Function can be performed.

The mobile terminal 100 forms an NFC communication link with another electronic device and then transmits the NFC communication link and other types of communication using the Bluetooth communication module 117_2 and / or the Wi-Fi communication module 117_2 with other electronic devices Link can be formed. Accordingly, the mobile terminal 100 can continue data communication with other electronic devices through the Bluetooth communication link and / or the Wi-Fi communication link even if the NFC communication link is disconnected. Here, a series of processes for forming an NFC communication link and then forming a communication link with the NFC communication link is referred to as a 'handover'.

That is, the handover allows the mobile terminal 100 to establish an NFC communication link with another electronic device, then form another communication link, and transmit / receive data through the other communication link formed. In this way, the user can easily form an NFC communication link through tagging between the mobile terminal 100 and another electronic device, and then communicate with an alternative communication link suitable for long-distance and / or large- The means can be changed.

Also, as shown in FIG. 4, it can be seen that the mobile terminal 100 can perform handover from the NFC communication link to the Bluetooth communication link and the Wi-Fi communication link. However, no. For example, the mobile terminal 100 may perform handover to various communication links such as an infrared communication link, a wireless gigabit (WiGig) communication link, and the like.

The Bluetooth communication module 117_2 performs data communication with devices within a radius of 10 to 100 m using Bluetooth, which is one of the short-range wireless communication standards. For reference, Bluetooth is a short-range wireless networking technology jointly developed by the Bluetooth Special Group (SIG), which was formed in 1998 by five companies, including Ericsson, IBM and Toshiba.

The WiFi communication module 117_3 combines wireless technology with Hi-Fi (High Fidelity), and is a wireless LAN technology that enables high-performance wireless communication. Such a wireless LAN technology is a local area network (LAN) capable of providing high-speed Internet within a certain distance of a place where a wireless access point is installed.

In the foregoing, the configuration of the mobile terminal 100 according to the present invention has been described with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. Hereinafter, a method for efficiently providing tag information acquired during execution of a specific application in a mobile terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention to a user will be described in detail.

5 illustrates an example of a communication system in which a mobile terminal performs NFC communication with another electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 5, the communication system includes at least one electronic device 200, 300 that supports NFC communication with the mobile terminal 100.

The mobile terminal 100 includes a control unit 180 and a short range communication module 117. The short range communication module 117 includes an NFC communication module 117_1, a Bluetooth communication module 117_2 and a WiFi communication module 117_3. .

The control unit 180 controls at least one of the NFC communication module 117_1, the Bluetooth communication module 117_2 and the WiFi communication module 117_3 so that the mobile terminal 100 and the other electronic devices 200, Thereby enabling wireless communication to be performed.

The NFC communication module 117_1 establishes an NFC communication link through tagging with at least one electronic device 200 or 300 and then performs wireless communication in any one of the above three operation modes . Meanwhile, in the present embodiment, the NFC communication module 117_1 exemplifies operation in a reader / writer mode or a peer-to-peer mode among the three operation modes described above Explain. Accordingly, the mobile terminal 100 acquires tag information or data from other electronic devices 200 and 300 through the set NFC communication link.

The at least one electronic device 200, 300 may be any electronic device that supports NFC communication. For example, the electronic device may be a mobile terminal 200 such as a cell phone, a smart phone, or a tablet PC supporting NFC communication. The mobile terminal 200 includes an NFC communication module 117_1 to support the NFC communication function.

Also, the electronic device may be an electronic tag 300 supporting NFC communication. The electronic tag 300 may be a passive type or an electromagnetic wave type and an active type according to an operation power supply type by reading data information or reading recorded data information in an IC chip element included therein. ) Type or an inductively coupled type.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling an operation of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. That is, in this embodiment, a method of efficiently providing the tag information acquired while the specific application is executed in the mobile terminal to the user will be described. Also, in the present embodiment, the mobile terminal 100 exemplifies a situation in which tag information is acquired from other electronic devices 200 and 300 through tagging while a specific application is executed.

Referring to FIG. 6, when the mobile terminal 100 desires to use the NFC function, the user operates an environment setting menu of the mobile terminal 100 to set the NFC function (S610). When the NFC function is set, the mobile terminal 100 displays an NFC setting icon in the indicator area of the display unit 151 (S620).

For example, referring to FIG. 7, the mobile terminal 100 displays the idle screen 700 on the display unit 151 according to a user command. At this time, the idle screen 700 is divided into an indicator display area 710 and a widget / menu display area 720.

Icons representing information on the current state of the mobile terminal 100 are displayed in the indicator area 710. [ Icons displayed in the indicator area 710 include a signal strength icon, a message notification icon, an alarm setting icon, a reception mode setting icon, a clock icon, and a battery remaining amount display icon.

Among the icons, a signal strength icon, a call setup mode icon, a clock icon, and a battery remaining amount display icon are fixedly displayed in the indicator area 710. On the other hand, the message notification icon is displayed only when there is a message received from a third party, and the alarm setting icon is displayed only when background music is set by the user.

The widget / menu display area 720 may be divided into a widget display area and a menu display area. At least one widget is displayed in the widget display area so that information such as weather, calendar, time, and information such as news, games, and stocks can be directly used without going through a web browser.

In the menu display area, a plurality of icons corresponding to a plurality of applications related to the operation of the mobile terminal 100 are displayed. In particular, in the menu display area according to the present embodiment, a tag icon 730 related to the NFC operation can be displayed.

If the NFC function is set by the user while the idle screen with such a configuration is displayed, the mobile terminal 100 displays an NFC setting icon 740 in the indicator area 710 of the idle screen to inform the user that the NFC function has been set Display.

6, when the NFC function is set, the mobile terminal 100 executes a specific application according to a user command and displays a screen on which the specific application is executed on the display unit 151 S630). During the execution of the specific application, the mobile terminal 100 determines whether an NFC-related operation with other electronic devices 200 and 300 occurs (S640).

If tagging occurs between the mobile terminal 100 and the other electronic devices 200 and 300, the mobile terminal 100 establishes an NFC communication link with the other electronic devices 200 and 300. Then, the mobile terminal 100 reads tag information through the set NFC communication link, and then stores the tag information in a predetermined space of the memory 160. [ At the same time, the mobile terminal 100 determines the type of the tag information acquired from the other electronic devices 200 and 300 (S650). At this time, the type of the tag information can be classified into a URL tag, a text tag, a contact tag, a memo tag, and a schedule tag according to the attribute of data constituting the tag information.

Thereafter, the mobile terminal 100 changes the shape of the NFC setting icon displayed in the indicator area of the display unit 151 according to the type of the tag information determined in operation 650 (S660). Accordingly, the mobile terminal 100 can easily change the shape of the NFC setting icon without having to display the tag application execution screen 810 as shown in FIG. 8B on the display unit 151, It is possible to notify the user that an NFC-related operation has occurred while a specific application is being executed.

If it is determined that there is no tagging between the mobile terminal 100 and the other electronic devices 200 and 300, the mobile terminal 100 moves to step 630 and continuously executes the currently executed application .

Then, the mobile terminal 100 confirms whether the specific application currently being executed is terminated (S670). If it is determined that the specific application is terminated, the mobile terminal 100 displays the tag information on the screen of the display unit 151 (S680). That is, as the execution of the specific application is terminated, the mobile terminal 100 automatically displays the tag information acquired during execution of the specific application. Accordingly, the user can easily identify the tag information acquired during execution of the application, without interrupting the operation of the application currently being executed.

9 illustrates an operation of displaying tag information acquired during execution of a call application in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. Meanwhile, in the present embodiment, the mobile terminal 100 acquires the tag information from the electronic tag 300, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the tag information may be acquired through data exchange with another mobile terminal 200 have.

Referring to FIG. 9A, when the NFC function is set, the mobile terminal 100 executes a call application according to a user command and displays a call execution screen 900 on the display unit 151. That is, according to a call origination request of the user or a call reception request from the other party, the mobile terminal 100 displays a screen 900 or a screen (not shown) in communication with the other party on the display unit 151 .

When tagging is performed between the mobile terminal 100 and the electronic tag 300 while the call application is being executed, the mobile terminal 100 reads the tag information from the electronic tag 300, In a predetermined space of the memory (160). At the same time, the mobile terminal 100 determines the type of the tag information acquired from the electronic tag 300. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the type of the tag information is a text tag.

9B, the mobile terminal 100 changes the NFC setting icon 920 displayed in the indicator area of the display unit 151 to a text icon 930 corresponding to the text tag, and displays the changed icon. Accordingly, the user can identify, via the changed text icon 930, that an NFC operation regarding the text tag has occurred while the call application is being executed.

9, when the type of the tag information is determined to be a different type of tag than the text tag, the mobile terminal 100 displays the NFC setting icon 920 displayed in the indicator area on the text icon 930), and display the changed icon shape.

For example, FIG. 10 is a table illustrating the shape of an NFC icon set in advance according to the type of tag information. Here, the information on the table of FIG. 10 needs to be stored in advance in the form of a look-up table in the memory 160 of the mobile terminal 100. Accordingly, when the type of the tag information is the contact tag, the mobile terminal 100 displays the contact icon 1020 corresponding to the contact tag using the NFC setting icon 920 using the information stored in the memory 160, Can be displayed and changed.

If the type of the determined tag information is a URL tag, the mobile terminal 100 can change the NFC setting icon 920 to a URL icon 1030 corresponding to the URL tag and display it. In addition, when the type of the tag information can not be determined, the mobile terminal 100 may change the NFC setting icon 920 to an icon shape 1040 corresponding to an unknown tag type and display it. In FIG. 10, NFC icons according to the type of the tag information are illustrated as four in total, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and additional icons corresponding to the memo tag and the schedule tag can be added thereto. something to do.

Referring again to FIG. 9C, when the currently executed calling application is terminated, the mobile terminal 100 displays a tag notification window 940 in one area of the display unit 151.

The tag notification window 940 is displayed in the form of a rectangular bar including an image 941 representing the electronic tag and a text 942 indicating the type of the acquired tag information. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the tag notification window 940 may include other images and / or other text, and may be formed in a shape other than a bar shape. In addition, the tag notification window 940 may be displayed in the form of a pop-up message or a semi-transparent window in the center of the display unit 151.

Referring to FIG. 9D, when the tag notification window 940 is selected, the mobile terminal 100 displays the tag information acquired while the call application is executed. That is, as shown in FIG. 9E, the mobile terminal 100 displays an execution screen 915 corresponding to the acquired tag information on the display unit 151. Through the execution screen 915, the user can confirm that the text information "Hello" is received while the call application is being executed.

The execution screen 915 includes option menus 950 and 960 at the lower end thereof together with the above-described text information, and the option menu again includes an end menu 950 and a delete menu 960. [ When the end menu 950 of the option menu is selected, the execution screen 915 is terminated. When the delete menu 960 is selected, the tag information of the execution screen is deleted.

9 (e), when the end menu 950 or the delete menu 960 is selected, the mobile terminal 100 displays the idle screen 910 as shown in (f) of FIG. 9 on the display unit 151 ). At this time, the mobile terminal 100 changes the text icon 930 displayed in the indicator area of the display unit 151 to the original NFC setting icon 920.

Through the above-described processes, the present invention allows the user to easily identify the tag information acquired during execution of the application without interfering with the operation of the currently executed application.

11 illustrates an operation of displaying tag information acquired during execution of a call application in a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention. That is, FIG. 9 notifies the occurrence of the tag information by changing the shape of the NFC setting icon displayed in the indicator area, whereas FIG. 11 notifies the occurrence of the tag information by adding a new NFC icon in the indicator area.

Referring to FIG. 11A, when the NFC function is set, the mobile terminal 100 executes a call application in response to a user command and displays a call execution screen 1100 on the display unit 151. When tagging is performed between the mobile terminal 100 and the electronic tag 300 while the call application is being executed, the mobile terminal 100 reads the tag information from the electronic tag 300, In a predetermined space of the memory (160). At the same time, the mobile terminal 100 determines the type of the tag information acquired from the electronic tag 300. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the type of the tag information is a text tag.

Referring to FIG. 11B, the mobile terminal 100 adds a text icon 1130 corresponding to a text tag beside the NFC setting icon 1120 without changing the shape of the NFC setting icon 1120 . Accordingly, the user can identify, via the added text icon 1130, that an NFC operation on the text tag has occurred while the call application is running.

Referring to FIG. 11 (c), when the currently running call application terminates, the mobile terminal 100 displays a tag notification window 1140 in one area of the display unit 151. If the tag notification window 1140 is selected, the mobile terminal 100 can display the tag information acquired while the call application is being executed.

9 and 11 illustrate the case of displaying tag information when an NFC-related operation occurs while a call application is executed in the mobile terminal, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the present invention displays tag information according to the same method even when an NFC-related operation occurs while another application is executed in addition to the call application.

12 (a), in a state where the NFC function is set, the mobile terminal 100 executes the multimedia playback application according to a user command, and displays the multimedia playback screen 1200 on the display unit 151 Display. When tagging is performed between the mobile terminal 100 and the electronic tag 300 during the execution of the multimedia playback application, the mobile terminal 100 reads the tag information from the electronic tag 300, In a predetermined space of the memory (160). At the same time, the mobile terminal 100 determines the type of the tag information acquired from the electronic tag 300. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the type of the tag information is a text tag.

12B, the mobile terminal 100 changes the NFC setting icon 1220 displayed in the indicator area of the display unit 151 to a text icon 1230 corresponding to the text tag, and displays the changed icon. Accordingly, the user can identify, through the changed text icon 1230, that an NFC operation regarding the text tag has occurred while the multimedia playing application is being executed.

Referring to FIG. 12C, when the currently executing multimedia playback application is terminated, the mobile terminal 100 displays a tag notification window 1240 in one area of the display unit 151. When the tag notification window 1240 is selected, the mobile terminal 100 displays the tag information acquired during the execution of the multimedia playback application.

In the above embodiments of FIGS. 9, 11, and 12, a method of displaying acquired tag information when one NFC related operation occurs while a specific application is executed in the mobile terminal has been described. 13 and 14, a method of displaying acquired tag information when a plurality of NFC-related operations occur during execution of a specific application in a mobile terminal will be described in detail.

13 illustrates an operation of displaying a plurality of pieces of tag information acquired during execution of a call application in a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the mobile terminal 100 acquires tag information from a plurality of electronic tags. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and tag information may be acquired through exchange of data with other mobile terminals .

Referring to FIG. 13A, in a state where the NFC function is set, the mobile terminal 100 executes a call application according to a user command and displays a call execution screen 1300 on the display unit 151.

When tagging is sequentially performed between the mobile terminal 100 and the plurality of electronic tags 300_1 to 300_3 while the call application is being executed, the mobile terminal 100 transmits the plurality of electronic tags 300_1 to 300_3, And then stores the tag information in a predetermined space in the memory 160. The tag information is stored in the memory 160 in a predetermined space. For example, in the present embodiment, the mobile terminal performs the tagging operation in the order of the URL tag 300_1, the contact tag 300_2, and the text tag 300_3 during the execution of the call application. At the same time, the mobile terminal 100 determines the types of tag information sequentially acquired from the plurality of electronic tags 300_1 to 300_3.

Referring to FIG. 13B, the mobile terminal 100 displays an NFC setting icon 1320 displayed in the indicator area of the display unit 151 as a superimposing icon 1330 in order to notify that a plurality of tag information has been received And displays it. At this time, the overlapping icon 1330 may be displayed in a form of overlapping a plurality of icon images.

In addition, a tag icon image tagged at the end may be displayed on the front side of the overlapping icon 1330. 13, when the text tag 300_3 is tagged in the last order, an image corresponding to the text icon may be displayed on the front side of the overlapping icon 1330. In this case,

14, when the URL tag 300_1 is tagged in the last order, an image corresponding to the URL icon may be displayed on the front side of the overlap icon 1340. [ In addition, in the present embodiment, an image of the tag icon last tagged is displayed on the front of the overlap icon 1330, but not limited thereto, and an image of the tag icon tagged first may be displayed . Accordingly, the user can identify, through the changed overlay icon 1330, that a plurality of NFC-related operations have occurred while the call application is being executed.

Referring to FIG. 13C, when the currently executing call application is terminated, the mobile terminal 100 displays a tag notification window 1340 in one area of the display unit 151.

The tag notification window 1340 is displayed in a rectangular bar shape including an image 1341 representing an electronic tag and a text 1342 indicating a plurality of tag information, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the tag notification window 1340 may include other images and / or other text, and may be formed in a shape other than a bar shape. Also, the tag notification window 1340 may be displayed in the form of a pop-up message or a semi-transparent window in the center of the display unit 151. [

Referring to FIG. 13D, when the tag notification window 1340 is selected, the mobile terminal 100 displays a plurality of pieces of tag information acquired during the execution of the call application. 13 (e), the mobile terminal 100 displays an NFC tag information window 1350 in which the plurality of tag information is grouped according to the tag type, into one area on the display unit 151 It is displayed in pop-up window form.

The NFC tag information window 1350 includes a text tag item 1351, a URL tag item 1353, and a contact tag item 1355 according to the type of the tag, and may further include other items. In addition, the tag information window 1350 may display information on the number of tag information included in each item along with the items.

In FIG. 13E, when the text tag item 1351 is selected, the mobile terminal 100 displays text information acquired while the call application is being executed. That is, as shown in FIG. 13F, the mobile terminal 100 displays a text information window 1360 in which text information is arranged in a pop-up window in one area on the display unit 151. At this time, the text information window 1360 includes text information 1361, 1363, and 1365 arranged in a time order acquired from other electronic devices.

In FIG. 13 (f), when one item of the text information window 1360 is selected, the mobile terminal 100 displays text information corresponding to the selected item among the text information acquired during execution of the call application do. 9 (g), the mobile terminal 100 displays on the display unit 151 an execution screen 1315 indicating the acquired text information. Through the execution screen 1315, the user can confirm that the text information "Hello" is received while the call application is being executed.

The execution screen 1315 includes option menus 1370 and 1380 at the lower end thereof together with the text information described above and the option menu includes a termination menu 1370 and a delete menu 1380. [ When the end menu 1370 of the option menu is selected, the execution screen 1315 is terminated. When the delete menu 1380 is selected, the tag information of the execution screen is deleted.

13 (g), when the end menu 950 or the delete menu 960 is selected, the mobile terminal 100 displays the idle screen 1310 as shown in FIG. 13 (h) on the display unit 151 ). At this time, the mobile terminal 100 changes the superimposed icon 1330 displayed in the indicator area of the display unit 151 to the original NFC setting icon 1320.

Through the above-described processes, the present invention allows a user to easily identify a plurality of pieces of tag information acquired during execution of the application without interfering with the operation of the currently executed application.

15 illustrates an operation of a mobile terminal providing tag information stored in a memory via a tag icon displayed on the idle screen.

Referring to FIG. 15 (a), the mobile terminal 100 displays the idle screen 1500 on the display unit 151 according to a user command. At this time, the idle screen 1500 is largely divided into an indicator display area and a widget / menu display area.

If the NFC function is set in the state that the idle screen 1500 is displayed, the mobile terminal 100 displays the NFC setting icon 1530 in the indicator area of the idle screen 1500.

Also, the mobile terminal 100 may display a tag icon 1540 for executing an NFC-related application in the menu display area of the idle screen 1500. [ Through execution of the tag icon 1540, the mobile terminal 100 can generate new tag information and transmit it to another electronic device, or provide tag information acquired from another electronic device to the user.

15 (a), when the tag icon 1540 is selected, the mobile terminal 100 displays a tag execution screen 1510 as shown in FIG. 15 (b) on the display unit 151 do.

The tag execution screen 1510 includes a "New" menu for generating new tag information, a "Shared" menu for sharing tag information, a "Read" menu for reading tag information stored in its memory, And a "Favorites" menu for adding the selected tag information as a favorite.

When the "Read" menu 1520 is selected from among the plurality of menus, the mobile terminal 100 displays a plurality of lists 1521 to 1529 grouped according to the type of the tag information stored in its memory do. 15 (b), the mobile terminal 100 may include a contact tag entry 1521, a URL tag entry 1523, a memo tag entry 1525, a schedule tag entry 1525, 1527 and a text tag entry 1529. [ Accordingly, the user can select the desired item among the plurality of items to confirm the tag information stored in the memory.

As described above, the mobile terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention can easily identify the at least one tag information acquired by the user during the execution of the application, without disturbing the operation of the currently executed application . In addition, the mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention can improve the user's convenience by providing a history of a plurality of NFC operations occurring during execution of a specific application, after execution of the specific application is terminated.

Meanwhile, the present invention can be implemented as a code readable by a processor in a processor-readable recording medium provided in a mobile terminal. The processor-readable recording medium includes all kinds of recording apparatuses in which data that can be read by the processor is stored. Examples of the recording medium readable by the processor include a ROM, a RAM, a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, an optical data storage device, and the like, and also a carrier wave such as transmission over the Internet. In addition, the processor readable recording medium may be distributed over networked computer systems so that code readable by the processor in a distributed manner can be stored and executed.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, but, on the contrary, It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

110: wireless communication unit 120: A / V input unit
130: user input unit 140: sensing unit
150: output unit 151: display unit
160: memory 170: interface section
180:

Claims (5)

Setting an NFC (Near Field Communication) function according to a first user input and displaying an NFC setting icon in an indicator area of the display unit;
Executing a specific application according to a second user input and displaying an operation screen associated with the specific application on the display unit;
Acquiring tag information from the at least one electronic device when at least one electronic tag is tagged during execution of the specific application, and determining the type of the acquired tag information;
Changing an NFC setting icon displayed in the indicator area to an NFC icon corresponding to the type of the determined tag information;
Displaying a tag notification window in one area of the display unit when execution of the specific application is terminated; And
And displaying an execution screen of the tag application corresponding to the acquired tag information when the tag notification window is selected. delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the specific application is a call application. The method according to claim 1,
And changing the NFC setting icon to an overlapping icon shape when sequentially tagging the plurality of electronic tags while the specific application is executed. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein an image of a tag icon tagged at the end of the plurality of electronic tags is displayed on the front side of the overlapping icon.

Images