KR102046353B1 - Case for mobile terminal and mobile terminal having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

Terminal case according to an embodiment of the present invention, the mobile terminal having a main display unit detachable rear cover; A front cover part foldably coupled to the rear cover part and capable of covering the front of the mobile terminal coupled to the rear cover part; And a transparent part provided in the front cover part, wherein the transparent part is formed to be transparent and displays an image, a front touch part provided in front of the sub display part, and a rear part of the sub display part. It includes a rear touch unit provided.

Description

CASE FOR MOBILE TERMINAL AND MOBILE TERMINAL HAVING THE SAME

The present invention relates to a terminal case coupleable to a mobile terminal and a mobile terminal having the terminal case.

Terminals may be divided into mobile / portable terminals and stationary terminals according to their mobility.

Among them, terminals are being implemented in the form of multimedia players having complex functions such as playing music or video files, playing games, and receiving broadcasts.

Recently, as expensive mobile terminals having various functions such as smart phones are widely used, various types of mobile terminal cases for protecting them are used.

The conventional mobile terminal case is provided in a form that can cover the display unit to protect the display unit of the mobile terminal.

However, in order to perform a call function, there is a problem of following inconvenience in use, such as opening a part covering the display unit, and the mobile terminal cover itself only increases in volume without performing other functions besides a simple protection function. There is a limit to bring.

An object of the present invention is to provide a case of a terminal capable of displaying and touching an image and a mobile terminal having such a terminal case.

Terminal case according to an embodiment of the present invention, the mobile terminal having a main display unit detachable rear cover; A front cover part foldably coupled to the rear cover part and capable of covering the front of the mobile terminal coupled to the rear cover part; And a transparent part provided in the front cover part, wherein the transparent part is formed to be transparent and displays an image, a front touch part provided in front of the sub display part, and a rear part of the sub display part. It includes a rear touch unit provided.

A mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention, the terminal main body including a main display unit and a control unit for controlling the operation of the main display unit; And a terminal case detachable from the terminal body, wherein the terminal body includes a main body communication unit for transmitting and receiving a signal with the terminal case, and the terminal case covers a rear of the terminal body and the terminal body is detachable. And a rear cover part and a transparent part formed to be transparent, the front cover part foldably coupled to the rear cover part, and a case communication part for transmitting and receiving a signal to and from the control unit of the mobile terminal, wherein the transparent part And a sub display unit which can display an image and is formed transparently, a front touch unit provided in front of the sub display unit, and a rear touch unit provided behind the sub display unit.

According to the present invention, the transparent part is provided in a part of the front of the case to which the mobile terminal is coupled, so that the user can see the image displayed through the display unit of the mobile terminal without opening the case, and at the same time through the transparent part without opening the case. Touch input can be performed, thereby increasing user convenience.

In particular, with the case open, the transparent part of the case and the display part of the mobile terminal can be displayed side by side, so that images can be displayed on both sides, thereby enabling the use of a more convenient mobile terminal.

For example, an e-book application can be used with a feeling similar to that of a real book, and a mirror call sharing an image with a call partner and a video call can be simultaneously performed. In addition, when the camera application is executed to take a picture of the user (so-called self-camera), the case is completely opened, the part covering the front of the mobile terminal is positioned behind the mobile terminal, and the mobile terminal and the case are held. Touching the transparent portion with the finger, you can easily shoot.

1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a terminal case and a mobile terminal main body according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a view schematically showing the configuration of the front cover of the terminal case according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a front cover part is closed by combining a terminal case and a mobile terminal body according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a front cover part is opened by combining a terminal case and a mobile terminal main body according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a front cover part is completely folded backward by combining a terminal case and a mobile terminal main body according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a diagram illustrating a mobile terminal used as an e-book according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a user interface for mirror call and video call operation of a mobile terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating a photographing state using a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a flowchart illustrating a camera application execution method of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a view showing a part of the configuration of the terminal case according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the configuration of a mobile terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in detail.

The mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a mobile terminal main body 100 and a terminal case 200 to which the mobile terminal main body 100 is detachable. Here, a part of the terminal case 200 may be a housing forming an exterior of the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal is provided with a housing covering the rear thereof to protect various electronic components embedded therein, and a part of the terminal case 200 may serve as the housing. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a housing is provided to form an exterior of the mobile terminal, and the terminal case 200 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is provided separately from the housing to cover an outer side of the housing. May be provided.

First, the configuration of the terminal case 200 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, and then the configuration of the mobile terminal main body 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a terminal case 200 and a mobile terminal main body 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front cover of the terminal case 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. A schematic diagram of some components of the unit 220 is illustrated. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the front cover part 220 is closed by combining the terminal case 200 and the mobile terminal main body 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. The terminal case 200 and the mobile terminal main body 100 according to the embodiment are coupled to the perspective view showing the front cover 220 opened state, Figure 5 is a terminal case 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention And the mobile terminal main body 100 are coupled to each other, and the front cover 220 is a perspective view showing a state in which the rear is completely folded.

Referring to Figure 1, the terminal case 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the mobile terminal body 100 is detachably coupled to the rear cover portion 210 and the rear cover portion 210 can be folded And a front cover part 220 capable of covering the front surface of the mobile terminal 100. In addition, the rear cover portion 210 and the front cover portion 220 further comprises a connection portion 230 provided to connect.

To describe each of these configurations in more detail, the rear cover portion 210 is formed to cover any one or more of the side or the back of the mobile terminal main body 100, the mobile terminal main body 100 is removable So that the front is open. Therefore, a space in which the mobile terminal main body 100 can be accommodated is formed inside the rear cover part 210. Meanwhile, a rear cutout 211 may be formed in the rear cover part 210 to expose the rear camera provided on the rear surface of the mobile terminal main body 100.

In addition, a case connecting part 242 is provided inside the rear cover part 210. The case connecting unit 242 is configured to be in contact with the main body connecting unit 171 provided in the mobile terminal main body 100 to exchange a signal with a mobile terminal, which will be described later, and the main body connecting unit 171 will be described in detail later. Explain.

Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the rear cover part 210 may be a housing forming an exterior of the mobile terminal. That is, in order to protect various electronic components embedded in the mobile terminal main body 100, it may serve as a housing covering the rear thereof. In this case, a separate housing is not necessary.

However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the housing is provided in the mobile terminal, and the rear cover part 210 may be manufactured separately from the housing and provided to cover the rear of the housing.

The front cover part 220 is formed of a plate-shaped member having a shape corresponding to the front surface of the mobile terminal 100. The front cover part 220 is provided with a transparent part 221.

Referring to FIG. 2, the configuration of the front cover part 220 will be described in more detail. The front cover part 220 includes a transparent part 221 capable of displaying an image and a touch input, and the transparent part 221. It includes a front support portion 222 provided in front of the, and a rear support portion 223 provided at the rear of the transparent portion 221.

The transparent unit 221 includes a sub display unit 221a capable of displaying an image, a front touch unit 221b provided in front of the sub display unit 221a, and a rear of the sub display unit 221a. It includes a rear touch unit 221c.

The sub display unit 221a may be a display device including a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), and the like. Do not put The sub display unit 221a may be formed to be transparent, and more specifically, may be a flexible transparent display (TFD) device. For example, the sub display unit 221a may be a transparent OLED (TOLED). Therefore, even when the front cover part 220 covers the front surface of the mobile terminal main body 100, the user can see the image displayed on the display unit of the mobile terminal main body through the flexible transparent display (TFD) device. have.

For reference, in order to distinguish the display unit of the terminal case 200 from the display unit of the mobile terminal main body 100, the display unit provided in the mobile terminal main body 100 is called a main display unit 151, and the terminal case 200 The display unit provided in the transparent unit 221 of FIG. 2 is called a sub display unit 221a.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the front surface, the main display unit 151 is provided with respect to the mobile terminal main body 100 as a reference means a side on which the image is displayed, the rear surface is On the other side.

Meanwhile, the touch units 221b and 221c provided at the front and the rear of the sub display unit 221a may have the front touch unit 221b coupled to the front side of the display unit and the rear touch unit coupled to the rear side of the display unit 221a. The part 221c is included. Therefore, the user may touch the front touch unit 221b while the front cover unit 220 is closed as shown in FIG. 3, and as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the front cover unit 220 may be touched. In the open state, the rear touch unit 221c may be touch operated.

The touch units 221b and 221c may be transparent electrode films that detect a user's touch operation. The transparent electrode film may also be called ITO (Indum Tin Oxide), and may be produced by depositing indium and tin on the film. By depositing indium and tin on the film, the transparent electrode film may have transparency and resistance.

For example, the transparent electrode film may use a capacitive overlay, an infrared beam, or a resistive overlay.

Accordingly, the transparent electrode film may be a resistive ITO film, or may be an electrostatic ITO film.

In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the touch units 221b and 221c include a resistive ITO film region R1 made of a resistive ITO film and a capacitive ITO film region R2 made of a capacitive ITO film. You may.

For reference, when the resistive ITO film is used, the touch input can be made with any object and the sophisticated touch input can be performed on a pixel basis. However, the response speed is slow and unwanted touch may occur when placed in the pocket. There is this.

On the other hand, in the case of using the electrostatic ITO film, there is an advantage that the response speed is fast, and can prevent the unintentional touch input is made, while the relatively sophisticated touch input is difficult.

Thus, the resistive ITO film area occupies a relatively large area, thereby providing an area for detailed touch input, such as drawing or taking notes, and the capacitive ITO film area is a resistive ITO film area. It is provided to have a relatively small size in one corner of the, it can be provided as an area used for the purpose of volume control and the like. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when the front cover portion is folded back, the finger touching the electrostatic ITO film region is moved up and down, thereby enabling volume control.

On the other hand, the front touch portion 221b is composed of a resistive ITO film, and configured to allow a touch input such as answering a call even while wearing gloves in winter, while the rear touch portion 221c is composed of an electrostatic ITO film. In this case, the controller may be configured to perform an operation such as drawing a picture requiring sophisticated touch input.

The front support 222 is coupled to the front of the front touch unit 221b, and the rear support 223 is coupled to the rear of the rear touch unit 221c.

The front support part 222 has a shape corresponding to the shape of the mobile terminal main body 100 to be described later, the incision is formed in the center portion. Thus, the outer rim surrounding the cutout constitutes the front support 222.

The rear support part 223 is located behind the rear touch part 221c, and like the front support part 221b, a cutout is formed at the center thereof. Therefore, the outer rim surrounding the cutout thus constitutes the rear support 223.

The front support part 222 and the rear support part 223 may be coupled by bonding, fusion, or double-sided tape. In addition, between the front support part 222 and the transparent part 221, the rear support part 223 and the transparent part 221 may also be coupled by bonding, fusion, or double-sided tape.

In addition, the cutouts of the front support part 222 and the rear support part 223 may be provided with a protective member made of a transparent material for protecting the transparent part 221.

On the other hand, the front cover portion 220, a magnetic body 222 may be provided. The magnetic body 222 is detected by the sensing unit 140 of the mobile terminal main body 100, which will be described later, is used for determining whether the front cover 220 is closed or open.

The connection part 230 connects the rear cover part 210 and the front cover part 220. Therefore, one end of the connection portion 230 is coupled to the rear cover portion 210, the other end is coupled to the front cover portion 220. The connection part 230 is made of a flexible material. Therefore, in a state in which the mobile terminal 100 is coupled to the rear cover portion 210, the front cover portion 220 may be placed in a position where the rear surface thereof faces the front surface of the mobile terminal 100 as shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 4, it may be placed in an unfolded position, and as shown in FIG. 5, the front surface may be rotated by about 180 degrees to face a rear surface of the rear cover part 210.

Therefore, when the mobile terminal 100 is coupled to the rear cover portion 210, the front cover portion 220 may cover the front of the mobile terminal 100, may cover the rear, in this case, moving Covering the rear surface of the terminal 100 may be interpreted as having the same meaning as covering the rear surface of the rear cover part 210.

Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the terminal case 200 includes a communication unit 240 for exchanging a signal with the main body of the mobile terminal 100.

Therefore, the transparent unit 221 of the terminal case 200 may exchange signals with the mobile terminal main body 100 through the communication unit 240. That is, each of the sub display unit 221a, the front touch unit 221b, and the rear touch unit 221c constituting the transparent unit 221 may be connected to the controller 180 of the mobile terminal described later through the communication unit 240. have.

The communication unit 240 may include a flexible printed circuit board 241 (FPCB) and a case connecting unit 242.

One end of the flexible printed circuit board 241 is connected to the sub display unit 221a, the front touch unit 221b, and the rear touch unit 241, and the other end of the case connecting unit is provided in the rear case 210. 242 is connected.

Meanwhile, the mobile terminal 100 includes a main body connecting unit 171 at a position corresponding to the case connecting unit 242, and the main body connecting unit 171 is connected to the controller 180 of the mobile terminal to be described later. do.

Therefore, when the mobile terminal 100 and the terminal case 200 are coupled, the case connecting unit 242 and the main body connecting unit 100 are in contact with each other to transmit an electrical signal. To this end, the case connecting part 242 and the main body connecting part 100 are provided with pins that are elastically deformable when pressed.

Due to this structure, the sub display unit 221a, the front touch unit 221b, and the rear touch unit 241 connect the flexible printed circuit board 241, the case connecting unit 242, and the main body connecting unit 171. Through this, it may exchange signals with the controller 180 of the mobile terminal 100.

Here, the case connecting unit 242 and the main body connecting unit 171 may use other methods in addition to the contact method shown in FIG. 1. For example, a connection type such as a zip type or a B to B method may be used.

Zip type is a slot (side) is provided on the rear or side of the mobile terminal, the slot (slot) is a method of coupling by pushing the contact portion of the flexible printed circuit board 241 into the slot (slot). In this case, the case connecting part may be a contact part of the flexible printed circuit board 241, and the main body connecting part may be a slot.

In the B to B method, the rear and side surfaces of the mobile terminal main body 100 and the rear cover portion 210 of the terminal case 200 are provided with male and female connectors, respectively, to provide a terminal case 200. ) And the mobile terminal main body 100, the female connector and the male connector is coupled. In this case, the case connecting portion may be either a female connector or a male connector, and the main body connecting portion may be the other of the female connector or the male connector.

The structure of the mobile terminal main body 100 other than the connecting portion 171 will be described in detail later.

Hereinafter, a configuration of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. That is, the configuration of the mobile terminal body 100 will be described together with the schematic configuration of the terminal case 200. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a mobile terminal, that is, the mobile terminal main body 100 and the terminal case 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The mobile terminal main body 100 may include 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, The interface unit 170 may include a controller 180, a power supply unit 190, and the like. The components shown in FIG. 6 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 body 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, and a location information module 115. have.

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.

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

The image frame processed by the camera module 121 may be stored in the memory 160 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication unit 110. The camera module 121 may include a front camera for photographing the front side of the mobile terminal main body 100 and a rear camera for photographing the rear side of the mobile terminal main body 100.

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 jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like. In addition, the user input unit 130 may include a main touch unit provided in front of the display unit 151 to be described later.

The sensing unit 140 detects the current state of the mobile terminal 100 such as the position of the mobile terminal 100, presence or absence of user contact, orientation of the mobile terminal, acceleration / deceleration of the mobile terminal, and the like to operate the mobile terminal 100. Generate a sensing signal for control.

Meanwhile, the sensing unit 140 may include a proximity sensor 141, and as an example of the proximity sensor 141, a hall sensor may be used. The proximity sensor 141 can detect the position of the front cover part 220 of the terminal case 200. That is, when the magnetic field of the magnetic body 222 provided in the front cover part 220 of the terminal case 200 is detected by the proximity sensor 141, the front cover part 220 may be determined to be in a closed state. If the magnetic field 222 is not detected, it may be determined that the front cover part 220 is open.

On the other hand, as a proximity sensor, in addition to a magnetic proximity sensor such as a hall sensor, an optical proximity sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, an optical proximity sensor, an eddy current proximity sensor, an ultrasonic proximity sensor, and an inductive proximity sensor may be used.

Meanwhile, the sensing unit 140 may sense an on / off state of the display unit 151 which will be described later. In addition, whether the power supply unit 190 supplies power or whether the interface unit 170 is coupled to an external device may be used. You can also sense.

The output unit 150 generates an output related to visual, auditory, or tactile senses, and includes a main display unit 151, an audio output module 152, an alarm unit 153, and a haptic module 154. May be included.

The main display unit 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, a UI, and a GUI.

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

When the main display unit 151 and a sensor for detecting a touch operation (hereinafter, referred to as a touch sensor) form a mutual layer structure (hereinafter referred to as a touch screen), the display unit 151 is an output device. It 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 main display unit 151 or capacitance generated in a specific portion of the display unit 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.

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

Hereinafter, in describing an embodiment of the present invention, a means for detecting a touch input provided to the main display unit 151 of the mobile terminal body 151 is called a main touch unit.

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 be output through the display unit 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 configuration aspects 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 use authority of the mobile terminal 100. The identification module includes a user identification module (UIM), a subscriber identity 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 main body 100. In addition, the overall operation of the terminal case 200 is also controlled. 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.

The 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. The described embodiments may be implemented by the controller 180 itself.

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

Hereinafter, referring to FIG. 7, when the mobile terminal body 100 is coupled to the terminal case 200 described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, a method of operating the mobile terminal will be described.

The controller 180 determines whether the front cover 220 is closed or open based on the detection information of the proximity sensor 141 of the sensing unit 140 (S101).

When the front cover unit 180 is closed, the controller 180 determines whether to activate the main display unit 151 or the sub display unit 221a (S103). For example, when the user presses a home key, the controller 180 may be connected to either the main display unit 151 or the sub display unit 221a to the main display unit 151 or the sub display unit 221a. A user interface may be provided that asks which one to be activated, and when a user selects one, the user may activate either the main display or the sub display based on the user's selection input. In this case, when the home key is pressed, a user interface asking to select either the main display unit 151 or the sub display unit 221a is displayed through the main display unit 151, or Whether to display through the sub display unit 221a can be set in advance.

When a signal for activating the main display unit 151 is input, the controller 180 turns on the main display unit 151 (S107).

In addition, the sub display unit 221a is turned off (S109). In this case, since the sub display unit 221a is in a transparent state, the user can view an image displayed on the main display unit 151 from the front of the sub display unit 221a.

Then, the front touch unit is turned on (S111). Therefore, while the image displayed on the main display unit 151, the touch input can be made through the front touch unit 221a provided in the transparent unit 221 of the terminal case 200, so that the front cover unit 220 It is possible to use a mobile terminal without opening a).

On the other hand, in this case, the controller 180 turns off the rear touch unit (S113).

Then, the main touch unit is also turned off (S115). Here, as mentioned above, the main touch unit means a means for sensing a touch input provided to the display unit 151 of the mobile terminal main body 100.

Hereinafter, a method of operating the mobile terminal when the sub display unit 221a is activated while the front cover unit 220 is closed will be described.

In step S103, when activation of the sub display unit 221a is selected, the controller 180 turns off the main display unit 151 (S117).

Then, the controller 180 turns on the sub display unit 221a so that the sub display unit 221a can display an image forward (S119).

In addition, the controller 180 turns on the front touch unit of the terminal case (S121).

Then, the rear touch unit is turned off (S123).

In addition, the main touch unit of the mobile terminal main body is turned off (S125).

Therefore, the user can make a touch input through the front touch unit while viewing the image displayed through the sub display unit 221a.

On the other hand, the front cover 220 may be opened during operation in the same way as the front cover 220 is closed (S127). In this case, the mobile terminal operates in a form including steps S131 to S153 as described below.

Meanwhile, hereinafter, when the front cover part is opened, that is, the front cover part 220 rotates about the connection part 230, that is, the main cover part of the mobile terminal rotates relative to the rear cover part 210. A method of operating a mobile terminal when 151 is exposed to the outside will be described.

First, the controller 180 determines whether to execute the dual mode or the single mode based on the user input (S131). The dual mode refers to a mode in which the main display unit 151 of the mobile terminal main body 100 and the sub display unit 221a of the terminal case 200 are used at the same time. This refers to a mode using only one of the display unit 151 and the sub display unit 221a of the terminal case 200. In the present embodiment, a single mode and a mode using only the main display unit 151 will be described as an example. This process displays a user interface that asks whether to use dual mode or single mode on either the main display unit 151 or the sub display unit 221a, and selects whether the user uses the dual mode or not. It may be made based on the touch input. In addition, the dual mode is automatically selected so that the image is displayed on both the main display unit 151 and the sub display unit 221a, and then changed to the single mode by the user's setting change. After setting the single mode to be selected automatically, the user may be switched to the dual mode by changing the settings.

Hereinafter, a method of operating a mobile terminal when the dual mode is selected will be described first, followed by a method of operating a mobile terminal when the single mode is selected.

First, when the dual mode is selected, the controller turns on the main display unit 151 (S133).

At the same time, the sub display unit 221a is turned on (S135). In this case, the user mainly views an image through the rear surface of the sub display unit 221a.

In addition, the controller 180 turns off the front touch unit (S137).

In addition, the controller 180 turns on the rear touch unit (S139).

The controller 180 turns on the main touch unit (S141).

Accordingly, the user can use both the main display unit 151 and the sub display unit 221a. The user interface provided when using dual mode and some specific examples of operation will be described later.

In operation S131, when the single mode is selected, the controller 180 turns on the main display unit 151 (S131). For reference, the main display unit 151 is all turned on whether the dual mode is executed or the single mode is executed.

On the other hand, the controller 180 turns off the sub display unit 221a (S145).

The front touch unit is turned off (S147).

In addition, the rear touch unit is turned off (ff) (S149).

The main touch unit is turned on (S151).

Therefore, the user can use the mobile terminal in the same form as a mobile terminal mounted on a conventional case cover without a transparent portion. That is, the touch unit 221 provided in the front cover part 220 of the terminal case 200 does not operate, and only the mobile terminal main body 100 is used.

On the other hand, in this way, when the front cover 220 is in use while the front cover 220 is closed, the mobile terminal operates in a form including steps S103 to S127.

8 to 11, some examples of a method for operating a mobile terminal in the case of using the dual mode will be described.

First, as shown in Fig. 8, the mobile terminal can be used for the purpose of an e-book. 8 is a diagram illustrating a mobile terminal when the e-book application is executed in the dual mode. The controller 180 may display the user application of the e-book on both the main display unit 151 and the sub display unit 221a similarly to the case where the book is actually opened.

In addition, the mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figure 9, can proceed with the video call and the mirror call. 9 illustrates a case where a mirror call and a video call are simultaneously performed in a mobile terminal.

For reference, the mirror call refers to a function of remotely controlling the mobile terminal of the other party in a call, sharing a screen, or displaying a text or a picture together on the screen. Conventionally, when executing a mirror call application, since the image to be shared on the main display unit 151 had to be displayed, it was not possible to perform a mirror call and a video call together, but this is possible in the dual mode.

That is, the controller 180 can display a user interface for a video call on either the main display unit 151 or the sub display unit 221a, and display an image to be shared with the call counterpart on the other. .

Next, an example of executing the camera application in the dual mode will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a user photographing herself by executing a camera application in a dual mode, and FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a mobile terminal when using the mobile terminal in the same manner as in FIG. 10.

First, the controller 180 executes a camera application based on a user input in operation S201.

When the front camera is selected by the user input, the front camera is operated (S203). Here, the front camera means a camera for photographing the front. The mobile terminal often includes a rear camera for photographing the rear side and a front camera for photographing the front side, and in this case, which camera can be selected by user input. Meanwhile, when the front camera for photographing the front is selected and executed, the controller 180 displays an image photographed by the front camera on the main display unit 151.

The controller 180 determines whether the front cover 220 is opened based on the measurement information of the proximity sensor 141 (S205). As described above, whether the front cover 220 is opened may be determined by whether the magnetic field of the magnetic material provided in the front cover 220 is detected by the proximity sensor 141 which is a hall sensor.

When the front cover part is opened, the controller 180 displays a user interface for selecting a photograph on the sub display unit 221a (S207). In addition, the rear touch unit 221c of the transparent unit 221 is turned on. Here, the user interface for selecting a photo may be, for example, an icon in the form of a camera. Therefore, a camera-shaped icon is displayed on the sub display unit 221a, and when the icon is touched, photographing may be performed.

Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 10, the user touches an icon to execute shooting displayed on the rear touch unit 221c provided in the front cover unit 220 using a finger while holding the mobile terminal. You can take a picture.

Therefore, the user's face or body can be photographed in a more comfortable state.

12, a partial configuration of a terminal case according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described. The same components as in the embodiments described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions of the same components having the same role will be omitted.

According to the present embodiment, the terminal case is provided with a controller 251 itself.

In addition, the battery 252 itself is provided, and a wireless charging loop antenna 253 for charging the battery 252 is provided to extend along the outer edge.

On the other hand, unlike the communication unit 240 includes the FPCB 241 and the case connecting unit 242 in the previous embodiment, the communication unit 254 in the present embodiment, the wireless communication module 254a and the wireless antenna ( 254b).

Meanwhile, the transparent part 221 is the same as in the previous embodiment and includes a sub display part, a front touch part and a rear touch part.

Accordingly, the communication unit 254 may exchange signals with the terminal body 100 through wireless communication, and the control unit 251 may operate the transparent unit 221 based on a signal input through the communication unit 254. The control unit may transmit the signal received through the transparent unit 221 to the control unit 180 of the mobile terminal main body 100 through the communication unit 254.

Meanwhile, the battery 252 may be charged using the wireless loop antenna 253.

Claims (10)

A rear cover unit to which a mobile terminal having a main display unit is detachable;
A front cover part foldably coupled to the rear cover part and capable of covering the front of the mobile terminal coupled to the rear cover part;
A transparent part provided in the front cover part, the transparent part including a sub display part capable of displaying an image, a front touch part provided in front of the sub display part, and a rear touch part provided behind the sub display part. Transparent parts;
Communication unit for transmitting and receiving a signal with the mobile terminal;
battery; And
Wireless charging unit; including
Terminal case.
The method of claim 1,
In the front cover portion,
Magnetic material for detecting the opening and closing state of the front cover portion is provided by the mobile terminal
Terminal case.
delete delete A main body including a main display unit and a control unit controlling an operation of the main display unit; And
The terminal body includes a removable terminal case,
The terminal body is
It includes a main body communication unit for transmitting and receiving a signal with the terminal case,
The terminal case,
A rear cover part covering the rear of the terminal body and detachable from the terminal body;
A front cover part having a transparent part formed to be transparent and foldably coupled to the rear cover part;
It includes a case communication unit for transmitting and receiving a signal with the control unit of the terminal,
The transparent portion,
A sub display unit capable of displaying an image and formed transparently;
A front touch unit provided in front of the sub display unit;
It includes a rear touch unit provided on the rear of the sub display unit,
The main body communication unit
It includes a connecting portion provided on the back or side of the terminal body,
The case communication unit
A case connecting part provided at a position corresponding to the connecting part;
One end is connected to the case connecting portion, and the other end includes a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) is connected to the transparent portion
Mobile terminal.
delete The method of claim 5,
The case communication unit,
Including a wireless communication module and a wireless communication antenna
Mobile terminal.
The method of claim 5,
The control unit,
With the front cover closed,
Turn on either the main display unit or the sub display unit,
Turn on the front touch unit,
Turn off the rear touch unit,
By turning off the main touch unit,
To enable touch input through the front touch unit.
Mobile terminal.
The method of claim 5,
The control unit,
With the front cover part open,
Turn on the main display unit,
Turn on or off the sub display based on a user input;
Turn on the main touch unit,
When the sub display unit is on, the rear touch unit is turned on; when the sub display unit is off, the rear touch unit is turned off.
Turning off the front touch unit
Mobile terminal.
The method of claim 9,
When the camera application is executed with the front cover part flipped back,
The control unit,
Displays an image taken by the camera on the main display unit,
Displaying a user interface for enabling shooting by a touch input on the sub display unit
Mobile terminal.

Images