KR102023992B1 - Mobile terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention includes a main body having a front surface, a side surface, and a rear surface, a wireless communication unit mounted on the main body to receive a radio signal, a first area disposed on the front surface, and extending from the first area and disposed on the side surface. A display unit having a second area, and a notification icon for notifying the event when the event occurs in at least one application, and outputting the information related to the event when a touch input is applied to the notification icon. Provided is a mobile terminal including a control unit displayed on the first area.

Description

Mobile terminal {MOBILE TERMINAL}

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal having a side display.

Terminal can move It may be divided into a mobile terminal (mobile / portable terminal) and a stationary terminal depending on whether or not. The mobile terminal may be further classified into a handheld terminal and a vehicle mount terminal according to whether a user can directly carry it.

As the terminal functions are diversified, for example, such a terminal is a multimedia player having a complex function such as taking a picture or a video, playing a music or video file, playing a game, or receiving a broadcast. Is being implemented.

Various new attempts have been applied in terms of hardware or software to implement the complex functions of such multimedia devices. For example, a user interface environment is provided for a user to search for or select a function easily and conveniently.

In addition, while the mobile terminal is regarded as a personal portable device for expressing its personality, various design forms are required. The design form also includes structural changes and improvements for the user to use the mobile terminal more conveniently. As one of such structural changes and improvements, a side display unit and a user interface using the same may be considered.

An object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal that can notify the occurrence of the event using the side display.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal capable of user notification and input of a new type different from the conventional method.

In order to achieve the above object, the mobile terminal according to the present invention includes a main body having a front surface, a side surface, and a rear surface, a wireless communication unit mounted on the main body to receive a radio signal, and a first area disposed on the front surface. And a display unit having a second area extending from the first area and disposed on the side surface, and outputting a notification icon for notifying the event to the second area when an event occurs in at least one application. And a controller configured to display information related to the event in the first area when a touch input is applied to the first area.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the second region has a left region and a right region disposed on left and right sides of the terminal, respectively, and the notification icon is output to at least one of the left region and the right region. When a drag input from one of the left area and the right area to the other is applied to the notification icon, the information may be displayed in the first area. An image of which size gradually changes along the path of the drag input is generated in the first region, and the information may be displayed in the image.

In addition, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the image may be processed differently depending on the point at which the drag input is released.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, when the drag input is continued from one of the left region and the right region to the other, the boundary of the image may be fixed to the other one. In a state where the boundary of the image is fixed, information displayed in the image may be controlled by using a touch input applied to the image.

Further, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the length of the notification icon depends on the amount of information related to the event.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the first region is divided into a first portion and a second portion, the first portion displays information related to the event, and the second portion includes the touch input. The screen output to the first area before being applied is continuously displayed. When an application different from the application is driven while information related to the event is displayed on the first portion, an execution screen of the other application may be output to the second portion. The controller may detect a control command related to the information displayed on the first portion by using a touch input applied to the second area.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, when the information related to the event is displayed in the first area, a scroll bar for moving the displayed information up and down is generated in at least a part of the second area.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, when a call signal is received through the wireless communication unit, an indicator indicating that the call signal is received is output to the second area, and the notification icon is not answered to the call signal. It is made to inform that. If the touch input to the second area is detected while the indicator is output, the controller may perform control related to call connection. The indicator may be moved in the second area while the call signal is received, and may disappear with generation of the notification icon.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, when a call signal is received through the wireless communication unit in a state where the counterpart covers the front surface and the display unit is inactivated, the display unit is inactivated and the second area is displayed in the second area. An indicator indicating that a call signal has been received is output.

In addition, according to another embodiment of the present invention, when information is received through the wireless communication unit, at least a part of the received information is output to the second area.

The controller may display the received information in the first region when a control command for activating the display unit is input while the second region is touched. The controller may update information output to the second area when the touch input is continuously applied to the second area at a time interval.

In another aspect, the present invention, the main body having a front, side and back, a wireless communication unit mounted on the main body for receiving information, the first area and the first area disposed on the front surface and is disposed on the side A display unit having a second area, and a control unit outputting a notification icon indicating that the information has been received to the second area, and displaying the information in the first area when a touch input is applied to the notification icon. .

The present invention informs the user regardless of the status of the terminal as the notification of the event or the output operation of the detailed information is controlled using the side display of the terminal. In addition, information related to an event that occurs even when the front display is deactivated may be provided in various ways.

In addition, as the front and side display units operate in conjunction with each other, new types of user convenience may be provided.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an operation implemented by the present invention.
3A is a front perspective view of an example of a mobile terminal related to the present invention;
3B is a rear perspective view of the mobile terminal shown in FIG. 3A.
4 is a flowchart representatively showing a control method of the present invention.
5 through 9 are conceptual views illustrating control of a status bar using a touch input applied to a side display as an example of an operation implemented by the terminal of FIG. 3A.
10 to 13 are conceptual diagrams illustrating various embodiments related to information reception.

Hereinafter, a mobile terminal according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The suffixes "module" and "unit" for components used in the following description are given or used in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have distinct meanings or roles from each other.

The mobile terminal described herein may include a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), navigation, and the like.

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

The mobile terminal 100 includes a wireless communication unit 110, an A / V input unit 120, a user input unit 130, a sensing unit 140, an output unit 150, a memory 160, and an interface. The unit 170, the controller 180, and the power supply unit 190 may be included. The components shown in FIG. 1 are not essential, so that a mobile terminal having more or fewer components may be implemented.

* Hereinafter, the components will be described in order.

The wireless communication unit 110 may include one or more modules that enable wireless communication between the mobile terminal 100 and the wireless communication system or between the mobile terminal 100 and a network in which the mobile terminal 100 is located. For example, the wireless communication unit 110 may include a broadcast receiving module 111, a mobile communication module 112, a wireless internet module 113, a short range communication module 114, a location information module 115, and the like. .

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives a broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information from an external broadcast management server through a broadcast channel.

The broadcast channel may include a satellite channel and a terrestrial channel. The broadcast management server may mean a server that generates and transmits a broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information or a server that receives a previously generated broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information and transmits the same to a terminal. The broadcast signal may include not only a TV broadcast signal, a radio broadcast signal, and a data broadcast signal, but also a broadcast signal having a data broadcast signal 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 may also be provided through a mobile communication network. In this case, it may be received by the mobile communication module 112.

The broadcast related information may exist in various forms. For example, it may exist in the form of Electronic Program Guide (EPG) of Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) or Electronic Service Guide (ESG) of Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H).

The broadcast receiving module 111 may include, for example, Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DMB-T), Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Satellite (DMB-S), Media Forward Link Only (MediaFLO), and Digital Video Broadcast (DVB-H). Digital broadcast signals can be received using digital broadcasting systems such as Handheld and Integrated Services Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial (ISDB-T). Of course, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be configured to be suitable for not only the above-described digital broadcasting system but also other broadcasting systems.

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

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

The wireless internet module 113 refers to a module for wireless internet access and may be embedded or external to the mobile terminal 100. Wireless Internet technologies may include Wireless LAN (Wi-Fi), Wireless Broadband (Wibro), World Interoperability for Microwave Access (Wimax), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), and the like.

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 may be used.

The location information module 115 is a module for obtaining a location of a mobile terminal, and a representative example thereof is a GPS (Global Position System) module.

Referring to FIG. 1, the A / V input unit 120 is for inputting an audio signal or a video signal, and may include a camera 121 and a microphone 122. The camera 121 processes image frames such as still images or moving images obtained by the image sensor in the video call mode or the photographing mode. The processed image frame may be displayed on the display module 151.

The image frame processed by the camera 121 may be stored in the memory 160 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication unit 110. Two or more cameras 121 may be provided according to the use environment.

The microphone 122 receives an external sound signal by a microphone in a call mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, etc., and processes the external sound signal into electrical voice data. The processed voice data may be converted into a form transmittable to the mobile communication base station through the mobile communication module 112 and output in the call mode. The microphone 122 may implement various noise removing algorithms for removing noise generated in the process of receiving an external sound signal.

The user input unit 130 generates input data for the user to control the operation of the terminal. The user input unit 130 may include a key pad dome switch, a touch pad (static pressure / capacitance), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

The sensing unit 140 detects a current state of the mobile terminal 100 such as an open / closed state of the mobile terminal 100, a location of the mobile terminal 100, presence or absence of a user contact, orientation of the mobile terminal, acceleration / deceleration of the mobile terminal, and the like. To generate a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal 100 is in the form of a slide phone, it may sense whether the slide phone is opened or closed. In addition, whether the power supply unit 190 is supplied with power, whether the interface unit 170 is coupled to the external device may be sensed. The sensing unit 140 may include a proximity sensor 141.

The output unit 150 is used to generate an output related to sight, hearing, or tactile sense, and includes a display module 151, a sound output module 152, an alarm unit 153, and a haptic module 154. Can be.

The display module 151 displays (outputs) information processed by the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal is in a call mode, the mobile terminal displays a user interface (UI) or a graphic user interface (GUI) related to the call. When the mobile terminal 100 is in a video call mode or a photographing mode, the mobile terminal 100 displays a photographed and / or received image, UI, or GUI.

The display module 151 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), and a flexible display (flexible). and at least one of a 3D display.

Some of these displays can be configured to be transparent or light transmissive so that they can be seen from the outside. This may be referred to as a transparent display. A representative example of the transparent display is TOLED (Transparant OLED). The rear structure of the display module 151 may also be configured as a light transmissive structure. With this structure, the user can see the object located behind the terminal body through the area occupied by the display module 151 of the terminal body.

There may be two or more display modules 151 according to the implementation form of the mobile terminal 100. For example, a plurality of display modules may be spaced apart or integrally disposed on one surface of the mobile terminal 100, or may be disposed on different surfaces.

When the display module 151 and a sensor for detecting a touch action (hereinafter, referred to as a touch sensor) form a mutual layer structure (hereinafter referred to as a touch screen), the display module 151 may be configured in addition to an output device. Can also be used as an input device. The touch sensor may have, for example, a form of a touch film, a touch sheet, a touch pad, or the like.

The touch sensor may be configured to convert a change in pressure applied to a specific portion of the display module 151 or capacitance generated at a specific portion of the display module 151 into an electrical input signal. The touch sensor may be configured to detect not only the position and area of the touch but also the pressure at the touch.

When there is a touch input to the touch sensor, the corresponding signal (s) is sent to the touch controller. The touch controller processes the signal (s) and then transmits the corresponding data to the controller 180. As a result, the controller 180 can determine which area of the display module 151 is touched.

Referring to FIG. 1, a proximity sensor 141 may be disposed in an inner region of a mobile terminal surrounded by the touch screen or near the touch screen. The proximity sensor refers to a sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object approaching a predetermined detection surface or an object present in the vicinity without using a mechanical contact by using an electromagnetic force or infrared rays. Proximity sensors have a longer life and higher utilization than touch sensors.

Examples of the proximity sensor include a transmission photoelectric sensor, a direct reflection photoelectric sensor, a mirror reflection photoelectric sensor, a high frequency oscillation proximity sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, a magnetic proximity sensor, and an infrared proximity sensor. When the touch screen is capacitive, the touch screen is configured to detect the proximity of the pointer by the change of the electric field according to the proximity of the pointer. In this case, the touch screen (touch sensor) may be classified as a proximity sensor.

Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the act of allowing the pointer to be recognized without being in contact with the touch screen so that the pointer is located on the touch screen is referred to as a "proximity touch", and the touch The act of actually touching the pointer on the screen is called "contact touch." The position where the proximity touch is performed by the pointer on the touch screen refers to a position where the pointer is perpendicular to the touch screen when the pointer is in proximity proximity.

The proximity sensor detects 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, and a proximity touch movement state). Information corresponding to the sensed proximity touch operation and proximity touch pattern may be output on the touch screen.

The terminal may be provided with an illumination sensor, a gyro sensor, etc. together with the proximity sensor. Ambient light sensor measures the amount of light around the terminal. Gyro sensor, also known as acceleration sensor, measures the moving speed and position of the terminal.

The sound 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, a call mode or a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcast reception mode, and the like. The sound output module 152 may also output a sound signal related to a function (eg, a call signal reception sound, a message reception sound, etc.) performed in the mobile terminal 100. The sound output module 152 may include a receiver, a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

The alarm unit 153 outputs a signal for notifying occurrence of an event of the mobile terminal 100. Examples of events occurring in the mobile terminal include call signal reception, message reception, key signal input, and touch input. The alarm unit 153 may output a signal for notifying occurrence of an event in a form other than a video signal or an audio signal, for example, vibration. The video signal or the audio signal may also be output through the display module 151 or the audio output module 152, so that they 151 and 152 may be classified as part of the alarm unit 153.

The haptic module 154 generates various haptic effects that a user can feel. Vibration is a representative example of the haptic effect generated by the haptic module 154. The intensity and pattern of vibration generated by the haptic module 154 can be controlled. For example, different vibrations may be synthesized and output or may be sequentially output.

In addition to vibration, the haptic module 154 may be configured to provide a pin array that vertically moves with respect to the contact skin surface, a jetting force or suction force of air through the jetting or suction port, grazing to the skin surface, contact of the electrode, electrostatic force, and the like. Various tactile effects can be generated, such as effects by the endothermic and the reproduction of a sense of cold using the elements capable of endotherm or heat generation.

The haptic module 154 may not only deliver the haptic effect through direct contact, but also may implement the user to feel the haptic effect through a muscle sense such as a finger or an arm. Two or more haptic modules 154 may be provided according to a configuration aspect of the mobile terminal 100.

The memory 160 may store a program for the operation of the controller 180 and may temporarily store input / output data (for example, a phone book, a message, a still image, a video, etc.). The memory 160 may store data regarding vibration and sound of various patterns output when a touch input on the touch screen is performed.

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), RAM (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), Magnetic Memory, Magnetic It may include a storage medium of at least one type of disk, optical disk. The mobile terminal 100 may operate in connection with a web storage that performs a storage function of the memory 160 on the Internet.

The interface unit 170 serves as a path with all external devices connected to the mobile terminal 100. The interface unit 170 receives data from an external device, receives power, transfers the power to each component inside the mobile terminal 100, or transmits data inside the mobile terminal 100 to an external device. For example, wired / wireless headset ports, external charger ports, wired / wireless data ports, memory card ports, ports for connecting devices with identification modules, audio input / output (I / O) ports, The video input / output (I / O) port, the earphone port, and the like may be included in the interface unit 170.

The identification module is a chip that stores various types of information for authenticating the usage rights of the mobile terminal 100, and includes a user identification module (UIM), a subscriber identify module (SIM), and a universal user authentication module ( Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM), and the like. A device equipped with an identification module (hereinafter referred to as an 'identification device') may be manufactured in the form of a smart card. Therefore, the identification device may be connected to the terminal 100 through a port.

The interface unit may be a passage through which 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 a user may be transferred. It may be a passage that is delivered to the terminal. Various command signals or power input from the cradle may be operated as signals for recognizing that the mobile terminal is correctly mounted on the cradle.

The controller 180 typically controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal. For example, perform related control and processing for voice calls, data communications, video calls, and the like. The controller 180 may include a multimedia module 181 for playing multimedia. The multimedia module 181 may be implemented in the controller 180 or may be implemented separately from the controller 180.

The controller 180 may perform a pattern recognition process for recognizing a writing input or a drawing input performed on the touch screen as text and an image, respectively.

The power supply unit 190 receives an external power source and an internal power source under the control of the controller 180 to supply power for operation of each component.

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

According to a hardware implementation, the embodiments described herein include application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and the like. It may be implemented using at least one of processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and electrical units for performing other functions. These may be implemented by the controller 180.

In a software implementation, embodiments such as procedures or functions may be implemented with separate software modules that allow at least one function or operation to be performed. The software code may be implemented by a software application written in a suitable programming language. The software code may be stored in the memory 160 and executed by the controller 180.

Referring to the display module 151 again, in the present invention, the display module 151 is formed to be able to display not only the front side but also the side of the terminal, and thus the display may be formed into a larger screen. That is, the present invention provides a terminal having a front display and a side display, and provides a new type of user interface using the same. Hereinafter, the front display and the side display and the operations implemented thereby will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an operation implemented by the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the display unit 251 may include a first region 252 disposed on the front surface of the terminal body and a second region 253 extending from the first region 252 and disposed on the side of the main body. Equipped. According to the drawing, the first area 252 and the second area 253 are divided according to different types of user graphic interfaces (GUIs) as areas that differ in the type of information to be displayed.

In addition, the second region 253 includes a left region 253a and a right region 253b which are disposed on left and right sides of the terminal, respectively. Therefore, the second region 253 is formed in a symmetrical structure with respect to the first region 252.

Referring to FIG. 2A, a home screen page page may be output on the display unit 251 of the mobile terminal. The screen page may include at least one object, and the object may be an icon or a widget of an application installed in the mobile terminal. The home screen page may be output on an area where the first area 252 and the second area 253 of the display unit 251 are combined.

At this time, when an event occurs in at least one application, the controller outputs a notification icon 261 indicating the event to the second area 253. However, the home screen page being output to the display unit 251 is merely an example, and a graphic user interface (GUI) of the currently executing application is output to the display unit 251, and the event may occur in this state.

The display unit 251 may include a touch sensor that detects a touch input to enable a touch input on the notification icon. The display unit 251 outputs visual information implemented in the form of images, texts, icons, etc., like the GUI, but may be switched to a deactivated state after a predetermined time or by input of a specific control command.

The notification icon 261 may be output to at least one of the left area 253a and the right area 253b. In this example, the notification icon 261 represents a case in which the notification icon 261 is disposed in the left area 253a. The notification icon 261 may be a bar-shaped image formed along the side of the terminal and may be displayed adjacent to an upper end of the left area 253a.

Referring to FIG. 2B, when a touch input is applied to the notification icon 261, the controller displays information related to the event in the first area 252.

In this example, the notification icon 261 notifies the arrival of a message, and when a user applies a drag input to the notification icon 261, the controller outputs information related to the event to the first area 252. Information related to the event is at least a part of the message content, which may be output in a preview form.

In addition, an image 262 of which size is gradually changed along the path of the drag input is generated in the first area 252, and at least a part of the message content is displayed in the image 262. That is, the information is provided in the form in which the image 262 is unfolded according to the drag input, and thus the content of the output message is gradually displayed. As a more specific example, an effect in which paper or the like is unfolded according to a drag input in a curled form may be applied to the image. At this time, the notification icon may be moved together with the drag input.

Referring to FIG. 2C, when the drag input is released, the information related to the event disappears from the display unit 251. For example, when a user's hand, which applied a drag input, falls off the display unit 251, the image 262 gradually disappears while moving to the left area. According to such a driving method, the contents of the information can be taken out and only the contents can be checked and reinserted, thereby implementing a simple user interface.

In addition, in the past, several kinds of notifications were mixed, and it took a long time to find complicated and necessary information, or the information received was not able to see what the user was doing by covering the entire screen. Solve it.

As such, the terminal may inform the user of the information in a new form through the operation control of the side display.

Hereinafter, the hardware configuration of the terminal performing the operation of FIG. 2 will be described in more detail. 3A is a front perspective view of an example of a mobile terminal according to the present invention, and FIG. 3B is a rear perspective view of the mobile terminal shown in FIG. 3A.

The disclosed mobile terminal 200 has a mobile phone body in the form of a bar. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and may be applied to various structures such as a slide type, a folder type, a swing type, a swivel type, and two or more bodies are coupled to be relatively movable.

The body includes a casing (casing, housing, cover, etc.) that forms an exterior. In this embodiment, the case may be divided into a front case 201 and a rear case 202 (see FIGS. 3A and 3B and above). Various electronic components are embedded in the space formed between the front case 201 and the rear case 202. At least one intermediate case may be further disposed between the front case 201 and the rear case 202.

The cases may be formed by injecting synthetic resin or may be formed of a metal material, for example, a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti).

The display unit 251, the audio output unit 252, the camera module 221, and the like may be disposed in the terminal body, mainly the front case 201. Interfaces 270 and the like may be disposed on side surfaces of the front case 201 and the rear case 202.

The display unit 251 occupies most of the main surface of the front case 201. That is, the display unit is disposed in front of the terminal and is configured to display visual information. The display unit 251 of the present invention is formed to extend not only to the front surface of the terminal but also to the other side of the terminal. More specifically, the display unit 251 includes a first region 252 disposed on the front surface and a second region 253 extending from the first region 252 and disposed on the side of the main body.

For example, the window disposed on the upper surface of the display unit 251 is formed in the form that both sides are bent, through which the appearance of the front and side of the main body is formed by the window. Therefore, the first region 252 and the second region 253 may be connected to each other in a form without a physical interface. In this case, the display unit 251 may be provided with a display element that is formed in a curved shape and built in correspondence to the window.

As another example, the display unit 251 may be a flexible display. The flexible display portion includes a bendable, bent, foldable, rollable display that can be bent by an external force. The flexible display unit may include both a general flexible display and an electronic paper.

Here, the general flexible display means a light and unbreakable, durable display that is fabricated on a thin flexible substrate that can be bent, bent, folded or rolled like a paper while maintaining the display characteristics of a conventional flat panel display.

In addition, electronic paper is a display technology to which the characteristics of general ink are applied, and the use of reflected light may be different from that of a general flat panel display. Electronic paper can change pictures or text using twisted balls or electrophoresis using capsules.

As such, the terminal main body may be configured in which both sides of the display are bent by the flexible material.

The audio output unit 252 and the camera module 221 are disposed in regions adjacent to one end of both ends of the display unit 251, and the front input unit (not shown) and the microphone 222 are disposed in regions adjacent to the other end. Can be.

The front input unit may include a plurality of operation units as an example of the user input unit 130 (see FIG. 1). The manipulation units may also be referred to collectively as a manipulating portion, and may be employed in any manner as long as the user is operating with a tactile feeling.

In addition, the display unit 251 may form a touch screen together with a touch sensor. In this case, the touch screen may be a user input unit. Through this, a configuration without a front input unit in the front of the terminal is possible. In this case, the mobile terminal may be configured such that an input operation to the terminal body is possible only through the display unit 251 and the rear input unit 232 to be described later.

Referring to FIG. 3B, a camera module 221 ′ may be additionally mounted on the rear of the terminal body, that is, the rear case 202. The camera module 221 ′ has a photographing direction substantially opposite to the camera 221 (see FIG. 3A) and may be a camera having different pixels from the camera module 221.

For example, the camera module 221 has a low pixel so that the user's face is photographed and transmitted to the counterpart in case of a video call, and the camera module 221 'photographs a general subject and does not transmit it immediately. In many cases, it is desirable to have a high pixel. The camera modules 221 and 221 ′ may be installed in the terminal body in a rotatable or pop-up manner.

A flash and a mirror may be further disposed adjacent to the camera module 221 ′. The flash shines toward the subject when the subject is photographed by the camera module 221 ′. The mirror allows the user to see his / her face or the like when photographing (self-photographing) the user using the camera module 221 '.

A sound output unit (not shown) may be further disposed on the rear side of the terminal body. The rear sound output unit may implement a stereo function together with the front sound output unit 252 (see FIG. 3A), and may be used to implement a speakerphone mode during a call.

That is, along with the sound output unit 252 (the first sound output unit) on the front surface of the terminal configured as the receiver, the second sound output unit configured as the rear surface or the speaker may be formed. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the second sound output unit may be provided at the side of the terminal.

The terminal body is equipped with a power supply unit 290 for supplying power to the portable terminal 200. The power supply unit 290 may be built in the terminal body or may be directly detachable from the outside of the terminal body.

According to the illustration, the rear input unit 232 may be disposed on the rear of the terminal body. The rear input unit 232 may be, for example, located under the camera module 221 ′.

The rear input unit 232 is manipulated to receive a command for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 200, and the input content may be variously set. For example, input commands such as power on / off, start, end, scroll, etc., adjust the volume of sound output from the sound output unit 252, or switch to the touch recognition mode of the display module 251. I can receive it. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto, and the terminal may include only one of the front input unit and the rear input unit 232.

Meanwhile, as mentioned above, the controller 180 can generate a control signal related to an event generated in an application by using the side of the display unit.

As such an example, the flow of a control method for outputting information related to an event and controlling a function by combining the front and side surfaces of the display unit will be described below. 4 is a flowchart representatively showing a control method of the present invention.

First, the controller detects that an event has occurred in at least one application (S100).

The application is a concept including a widget, a home launcher, etc., and means any type of program that can be run in the terminal. Accordingly, the application may be a program that performs a function of a web browser, video playback, message transmission, reception, schedule management, and application updating.

The occurrence of the event may be, for example, when there is a missed call, when there is an application to be updated, when a message arrives, charging, power on, power off, power off, display activation keys of the terminal. LCD awake keys, alarms, incoming calls, missed notifications, and the like.

As another example, when specific information is received through the wireless communication unit of the terminal, an event occurs in an application related to the specific information, and the controller detects this. Or, if there is an item input by the user on the schedule management, when the date is a date corresponding to the item, it means that an event has occurred in the schedule management application.

Next, the controller outputs a notification icon indicating that an event has occurred on the side display (S200).

The display unit of the terminal may be defined as a first area disposed on the front surface of the main body and a second area extending from the first area and disposed on the side of the main body, and the side display corresponds to the second area. The second area includes a left area and a right area disposed on left and right sides of the terminal, respectively, and the notification icon is output to at least one of the left area and the right area.

The notification icon 261 may be an image of a bar shape that is formed along a side of the terminal, and may be different images according to the type of application in which the event occurs. As another example, the image may be different depending on the type of event, or may be different image according to the amount of information related to the event. Here, different images mean, for example, images having different shapes, lengths, colors, and the like.

Next, the controller detects a touch input applied to the notification icon (S300). To this end, the second area is configured as a touch screen.

In response to the touch input, the controller outputs information related to the event to the front display (first area) (S400). For example, the event can be a message reception, and the information can be the content of the message. As another example, the event may be a notification of a schedule set in schedule management, and the information may be detailed information of the set schedule. As another example, the event may be an occurrence of an application to be updated, and the information may be detailed information of the update target.

In this case, different controls may be executed according to the type of the touch input. For example, when a short touch is applied to the notification icon, the notification content may be updated, and when the long touch is applied, the notification icon may be deleted. In this example, when a drag input is applied to the notification icon, the controller displays information related to the event in the first area.

Finally, the controller processes the output of information related to the event differently depending on the point at which the drag input is released (S500).

As an example, an image having a size gradually changed along the path of the drag input is generated in the first area, the information is displayed in the image, and the image is processed differently according to the point at which the drag input is released. . The image may be, for example, a status bar or an execution screen of a specific function (for example, call signal connection).

More specifically, when the drag input is released in the first area, the image and information disappear from the display. However, when the drag input is released from the left area to the right area and then released in the right area, The output is maintained.

A new control command may be performed according to a touch input applied to the image while the output of the image and information is maintained. For example, the output information may be changed according to the flicking input applied to the image. The information output here may be information corresponding to events that occur sequentially.

The control method related to the present invention described above may be embodied in various forms as shown in FIGS. 5 to 13. In the embodiment described below, the same or similar reference numerals are assigned to the same or similar configurations as the foregoing examples, and the description is replaced with the first description.

5 to 9 are examples of operations implemented by the terminal of FIG. 3A, and are conceptual views illustrating control of a status bar using a touch input applied to a side display.

As an example of such control, referring to FIG. 5, the notification icons are generated in the order in which the events occur and may disappear when the user's confirmation ends.

More specifically, referring to FIG. 5 (a), in the order in which events occur in an application, a notification icon for notifying the event occurrence is output in order. As an example, the figure illustrates an example in which the first to third notification icons 261a, 261b, and 261c are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the terminal.

In this case, each notification icon may be an icon representing a category. For example, the first notification icon 261a may receive a message, the second notification icon 261b may be a schedule management, and the third notification icon 261c may be an icon corresponding to a category related to application update. As such, the notifications are organized by category so that the user can collect only the notifications of the necessary applications and view them at once.

First, when a message arrives while the second and third notification icons 261b and 261c are output in the second area 253, the first notification icon 261a indicating the arrival of the message is displayed in the second area 253. Is output. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5B, the second and third notification icons 261b and 261c move downward along the longitudinal direction of the terminal. That is, the notification icon disposed at the top informs the latest event.

According to the present example, the problem of having to execute an application in order to confirm the previous notification by overwriting the previous notification in the conventional terminal can be solved.

However, the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto, and as another example, the first to third notification icons 261a, 261b, and 261c may be output at positions designated in the order in which the events occur.

As shown in FIG. 5C, when a user applies a drag input to the first notification icon 261a to check information related to an event in the image 262 and releases the drag input, as shown in FIG. 5D. The first notification icon 261a disappears. In this case, image 262 may be a status bar.

In addition, the location of the remaining notification icons 261b and 261c is determined as the icon related to the latest event (in this example, the second notification icon) moves to the top. That is, the second notification icon 261b is disposed at the top, followed by the third notification icon 261c.

As another example of control, referring to FIG. 6, as the release point of the drag input is changed, information related to an event may be continuously output on the screen without disappearing.

For example, if a drag input is continued from one of the left region 253a and the right region 253b to the other, the boundary of the image is fixed to the other one. In a state where the boundary of the image is fixed, information displayed in the image is controlled by using a touch input applied to the image.

More specifically, in the state in which the notification icon is output (refer to (a) of FIG. 6), as shown in FIGS. 6B and 6C, the drag input extends from the left region 253a to the right region 253b. When later released from the right area 253b, the output of the image and information (in this example, the message content of the status bar) is maintained. That is, the status bar fills the display area between the left area 253a and the right area 253b along the width direction of the terminal, and the notification icon 261 moves from the left area 253a to the right area 253b. It moves and is located in the right area 253b.

In other words, if the user drags to the end of the screen, the notification content does not disappear and is attached. Through this, a sticker function may be implemented to fix the status bar and use a related application.

The sticker function may be released by a drag input applied in a different direction as shown in FIG. For example, when the user applies a drag input in a direction from the right area 253b to the left area 253a, the status bar gradually disappears while moving to the left area. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto, and the sticker function may be released by another type of touch input, for example, a continuous touch.

The sticker function as described above may be utilized in various control methods, which will be described in more detail below. 7 to 9 are conceptual diagrams illustrating an extension example of a sticker function.

Referring to (a) and (b) of FIG. 7, while the output of images and information (in this example, the message contents of the status bar) is maintained, the images and information are dragged up and down by the user applied to the notification icon. To be moved.

That is, the image is moved by the drag input that spreads the image and the drag input applied to the notification icon in the vertical direction. In this case, the remaining notification icons will also move along the image. The point where the user's drag input is released becomes the final image position in the vertical direction.

This allows the user to place the image and information at a desired point in the vertical direction.

Referring to FIG. 7C, when the flicking is applied in the fixed state and the up and down directions are scrolled, the long message can be confirmed. In this case, the image 262 on which the first message is output is changed to the image 264 on which the second message is output.

As another example, a scroll bar may be generated or the length of the image may be adjusted by dragging. In this regard, the length of the notification icon may vary depending on the amount of information related to the event.

In the case of a scroll bar, when information related to an event is displayed in the first area 252, a scroll bar for moving the displayed information up and down may be generated in at least a part of the second area 253.

Through this, the 'read' check is not checked in the messenger application, but the user can check all the contents. In the present example, as illustrated in FIG. 7B, the flicking input is applied after the vertical movement of the image. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the vertical movement operation of the image shown in FIG. 7B can be deleted in the process. In addition, the movement operation or the scrolling may be a control operation added to the above embodiment or the embodiment described below.

In addition, left and right scrolling is possible as shown in FIG. In this case, when the user applies the flicking in the left and right directions in a fixed state, the received messages may be sequentially output. This allows the user to check the previously arrived message. Even in this case, the image 264 outputting the second message may be changed to the image 265 outputting the third message.

8A and 8B, the lower screen can be used in the sticker function, and thus the following applications can be used.

For example, the first region 252 is divided into a first portion and a second portion, the first portion displays information related to the event, and the second portion displays the first portion before the touch input is applied. The screen output to the first area 252 is continuously displayed. At this time, if an application other than the application is driven while the information related to the event is displayed on the first portion, an execution screen of the other application may be output to the second portion. The controller detects a control command related to the information displayed on the first portion by using a touch input applied to the second region 253.

Referring to a specific example, as shown in FIG. 8A, the lower screen is configured to allow touch input while the image is fixed. In this state, when the user touches an icon of an application on the home screen page, the application is executed.

For example, FIG. 8A illustrates a case where the schedule management application is executed, and the execution screen is output on the lower screen while the image is fixed according to the execution of the application. As a more specific example, when a schedule is included in the message content, when the user touches and drives the icon of the schedule management application, the schedule of the message content may be input on the execution screen. In this case, the image is made of a transparent image, the execution screen overlaps the image, and even if a part of the execution screen of the schedule management application is shown, the touch input for the image defines a control command for the image. Can be.

As another example, the result of the control command for the image may be used to control the execution screen. Referring to FIG. 8B, mobile banking may be driven while the image is fixed, and information to be output on the image may be used as content to be input on the execution screen of the application. More specifically, at least some of the output information may be copied by a user's touch input. In this example, when the user applies a long touch to the output text or number, the text or number is copied, and when the user applies a long touch to the execution screen, the paste function is executed. The execution screen portion to which the long touch is applied may be an active portion of the execution screen for input.

According to this embodiment, copy-paste interaction with the status bar and the main screen is possible. You can also switch between applications when you need to do other activities while viewing messages, and move text / images from the status bar directly to the application's execution screen.

9 shows another example of managing a message at a time by category.

As shown in (a) of FIG. 9, when the user drags the notification icon to the end of the screen, the notification content does not disappear but is attached, and an X mark is generated. In this case, touching the X mark deletes the specific message. That is, when an image is fixed, a specific icon is generated, and when a touch input is applied to the specific icon, the corresponding message is deleted. At this point, the image remains fixed and the contents of the next message are printed.

As another example, double tapping the right area 253b disappears all the notification messages accumulated so far. More specifically, when a continuous touch is applied to the notification icon of the right area 253b, all cumulative messages are deleted. In this case, the user can delete the message all at once by category.

However, the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto, and may be configured such that only a specific notification, such as an application update notification, disappears at a time. Specifically, message notifications may be deleted one by one, but application update notifications may be configured to be deleted all at once. In this case, the delete command may be either a double tap of the right area 253b or a touch input for a specific icon.

In addition, the side display of the present invention can be usefully used even when receiving specific information through the wireless communication unit. This will be described in more detail below. 10 to 13 are conceptual diagrams illustrating various embodiments related to information reception.

10 is a conceptual diagram illustrating driving of a side display when a call signal is received.

According to the drawing, when a call signal is received while the application is running, information related to the call signal is displayed in the second area 253. As a specific example, referring to FIG. 10A, when a moving image reproducing application is executed, an execution screen related to moving image reproduction is output over the first region 252 and the second region 253.

When the call signal is received in this state, an indicator 263 indicating that the call signal is received is output to the second area 253 as shown in FIG. The indicator 263 may be, for example, information of a counterpart terminal transmitting a call signal, for example, a phone number or a counterpart name.

The indicator 263 is moved in the second area 253 while the call signal is received, and disappears with generation of a notification icon.

For example, the information of the counterpart terminal is displayed while scrolling on the second area 253. The scrolling display may be displayed while moving information of the counterpart terminal from the upper side to the lower side of the screen or from the lower side to the upper side.

In addition, the scrolling display may be continued from the left region 253a to the right region 253b. As an example, the information of the counterpart terminal may be scrolled from the upper side to the lower side in the left region 253a and then scrolled from the lower side to the upper side in the right region 253b.

As shown in FIG. 10C, when the user does not answer the call signal, a notification icon 261 indicating a missed call is output to the second area 253. Through this, the user can recognize that there is a missed call.

In this case, when a drag input is applied to the notification icon 261, a status bar may be output to the first area 252 as in the previous embodiment, and information of the counterpart terminal may be output to the status bar.

Referring to FIG. 11, if a touch input to the second region 253 is detected while the indicator 263 is output, the controller performs control related to an incoming call.

As shown in (b) of FIG. 11, while the information of the counterpart terminal is scrolled in the second area 253, as shown in (c) and (d) of FIG. 11, the second area 253 is dragged in one direction. Alternatively, call signal connection is performed when a flicking input is applied. The execution screen of the call signal connection may be output to the first area 252 together with the call signal connection.

As another example, when a drag or flicking input is applied to the second area 253 in another direction, a control command of rejection of connection (that is, hangup) is input. In this way, the information is output to the second area 253 and the user can answer or hang up the call according to the direction of the touch input applied to the second area 253. Can be determined simultaneously.

That is, according to the present example, when the user is using the smart phone, the user can know that the call has come through the side display, and the user can answer or hang up the call through flicking in / out.

As another example, according to the present invention, the phone can be easily disconnected even when the terminal is turned upside down. 12 exemplifies such an operation.

In the present example, the display unit operates differently according to whether the terminal is in the first state, the second state, or the third state.

The first state and the second state are states in which the terminal is placed with the front side facing upward and the rear side with the rear side facing upward. In contrast, the third state is a state in which the main body of the terminal is covered by a separate case (pouch) or the like.

The determination of the first to third states may be made by a combination of at least two of a proximity sensor, an illumination sensor, and a gyro sensor.

In the figure, the operation of the terminal in the second state and the third state is shown. For example, when a call signal is received through the wireless communication unit while the other side covers the front surface of the terminal and the display unit is deactivated, the deactivation of the display unit is maintained and the call signal is received in the second area 253. An indicator 263 is output to indicate that it is.

The indicator may be information of the counterpart terminal or lighting information. Through this, when the terminal is turned upside down, it is possible to check the reception to the side.

At this time, when the user applies a touch input to the second area 253, a control command of rejection of connection (that is, hang up) is input. The touch input may be a touch, flicking, drag input, or the like. In the case of a drag input, a control command of telephone connection or rejection may be performed according to the dragging direction.

In addition, the present invention can perform a function of viewing the latest information without affecting the main screen. 13 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an embodiment related to this.

According to FIG. 13A, when the front surface is covered with a pouch, the controller detects this. When information is received through the wireless communication unit in this state, the received information 266 is displayed in the second area 253. At least part of is output. If the user does not input any control command, the notification icon 261 is output while the output of the received information 266 disappears as in the previous embodiment.

In this case, when the control command for activating the display unit is input while the second region 253 is touched, the controller may display the received information in the first region 252. For example, when the pouch is opened while the second region 253 is touched, the terminal detects this and displays the received information in the first region 252.

Referring to FIG. 13B, when the controller detects a touch input continuously applied to the second area 253 at a time interval, the controller updates information output to the second area 253.

As a specific example, news / weather and the like appear on the side display, and are updated with the latest information every time the side display is tapped. In other words, widgets that require periodic updates such as news and weather are shown on the side, and tapping the side whenever an update is required, and new information can be viewed without affecting the main screen.

As described above, according to the present invention, the front and side display units may operate in conjunction with each other to provide a new type of user convenience.

The above-described mobile terminal is not limited to the configuration and method of the above-described embodiments, but the embodiments may be configured by selectively combining all or some of the embodiments so that various modifications can be made. have.

Claims (20)

A main body having a front side, a left side, a right side, and a rear side;
A wireless communication unit mounted to the main body to receive a wireless signal;
A display unit having a front region disposed at the front surface, a left side region extending from the front region, and a right side region disposed at the right side; And
When an event occurs in at least one application, a notification icon for notifying the event is output to any one of the left side region and the right side region, and a drag touch input is applied to any one region where the notification icon is displayed. And a control unit which displays an image including information related to the event on the front region when it is applied.
The control unit,
When the drag touch is applied from one of the regions to the other of the left and right regions, the image is continuously output to the front region even when the drag touch is released.
In a state in which the image is output, when an icon of a specific application is selected in a region other than the image in the display area of the display unit, an execution screen of the specific application is overlapped with the image and outputted.
When the execution screen of the specific application and the image overlap, the transparency of the image is changed so that the execution screen of the specific application is visible,
And the output of the image is terminated when the drag touch is released from the front region in one of the regions. delete delete The method of claim 1,
The image is a mobile terminal, characterized in that the size gradually changes along the path of the drag touch. delete delete delete The method of claim 1,
The length of the notification icon is dependent on the amount of information associated with the event. delete delete delete delete The method of claim 1,
When a call signal is received through the wireless communication unit, an indicator indicating that the call signal is received is output to one of the areas.
And the notification icon is configured to notify that the call signal is not answered. The method of claim 13,
The control unit performs control related to call connection when a touch input to any one area is detected while the indicator is output. The method of claim 13,
And the indicator is moved within the one area while the call signal is received, and disappears with generation of the notification icon. The method of claim 1,
When a call signal is received through the wireless communication unit while the other side covers the front surface and the display unit is deactivated, the deactivation of the display unit is maintained and an indicator indicating that the call signal has been received in one of the areas is output. Mobile terminal, characterized in that. delete delete delete delete

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