KR20090110722A - Communication terminal for inputting data and method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A communication terminal for data input and a method thereof are provided to perform various functions of the communication terminal through one input device. CONSTITUTION: A communication terminal for data input comprises a multi-directional input unit(110), a storage unit(120), and a controller(130). The multi-directional input unit generates one or more of a pushing input signal in plural directions, a rotation input signal and a horizontal movement input signal. The storage unit stores a table in which control commands are mapped to the pushing input signal, rotation input signal and a horizontal movement input signal. The controller reads out a control command and performs the function corresponding to the control command.

Description

Communication terminal for data input and method thereof

The present invention relates to a communication terminal, and more particularly, to a communication terminal and a method for data input.

Recently, with the development of portable devices such as mobile phones and various electric / electronic devices (digital processing devices) such as computers, the importance of a user interface for controlling the electric / electronic devices has been emphasized.

Most communication terminals such as mobile phones, computers, and game consoles are controlled by a user interface such as a keyboard, a keypad, or a controller, and the demand for more various types of control with a limited number of key buttons is increasing.

In general, since the display screen of the device and the keypad, which is a data input device, are spatially separated from the communication terminal, it is not easy to input data only by viewing the terminal screen unless the user of the communication terminal memorizes all of the keypad input keys. In addition, when data is input without looking at the terminal screen, input correction is often necessary due to an input error.

In addition, while having various functions, the size of the communication terminal gradually needs to be reduced, but there is a problem in that the size of the communication terminal is limited because a keypad for inputting characters and the like must be provided.

In order to solve the shortcomings of the input device of the communication terminal, a communication terminal using a touch screen device has been released to the communication terminal. In addition, unlike the keypad, which is a conventional input device, there is a lack of input feedback that the user can feel tactilely, and because the display screen is relatively large and exposed to the outside, it is easy to be damaged such as small scratches, and user sweat. It is also a problem that staining is easy.

Furthermore, the biggest problem of the communication terminal using the touch screen device is that it is very expensive in terms of price, which can be a burden for the user of the communication terminal to purchase. Is one of the most important considerations.

An object of the present invention for solving the problems of the prior art as described above is to provide a communication terminal and a method for data input for performing various functions of the communication terminal through one input device.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a communication terminal and a method which can be installed in a small space compared to the prior art having a plurality of keyboards or key buttons in the conventional manner.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a communication terminal and a method which can input quickly and simply by narrowing the distance between the communication terminal and the data input unit, and further reduce a user's data input error.

According to an aspect of the invention, the present invention provides a multi-directional input unit for generating one or more of a push input signal, a rotation input signal and a horizontal movement input signal for a plurality of directions; A storage unit storing a table in which control commands corresponding to at least one of the push input signal, the rotation input signal, and the horizontal movement input signal are mapped; And a controller configured to read a control command corresponding to at least one of the push input signal, the rotation input signal, and the horizontal movement input signal, and perform a function corresponding to the control command. have.

The apparatus may further include a display unit configured to display the pressing, rotation, and horizontal movement direction information of the multi-directional input unit and function information corresponding thereto.

The display unit may display a result of performing an input signal of the multidirectional input unit.

The pressing input signal may be a signal for at least one of information about a pressing position of the multi-directional input unit and information about pressing times when a pressing pressure is applied to the multi-directional input unit.

The rotation input signal may be a signal for one or more of information on a rotation direction, information on a rotation speed, and information on a rotation distance when the center point of the multi-directional input unit is fixed. It may be

The horizontal movement input signal may be a signal for information on a horizontal movement direction of the multidirectional input unit when the center point of the multidirectional input unit moves horizontally.

In addition, the multi-directional input unit may be automatically restored to the center of the multi-directional input unit in the state that no force is applied.

The control command may be a command for controlling one or more functions of numbers, letters, special characters, and menus.

The apparatus may further include a locking unit for controlling whether the operation of the multidirectional input unit is activated.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a data input method in a communication terminal, the method comprising: generating one or more of a push input signal, a rotation input signal, and a horizontal shift input signal for a plurality of directions; Storing a table in which control commands corresponding to at least one of the push input signal, the rotation input signal, and the horizontal moving input signal are mapped; And reading a control command corresponding to at least one of the push input signal, the rotation input signal, and the horizontal movement input signal, and performing a function corresponding to the control command. have.

The method may further include displaying pressing, rotation, and horizontal movement direction information and corresponding function information on the display area.

In addition, the displaying may be a result of performing the input signal.

In addition, when the pressing pressure is applied to the pressing area, the pressing input signal may be a signal for at least one of information about a pressing position and information about pressing times.

The rotation input signal may be a signal for one or more of information on a rotation direction, information on a rotation speed, and information on a rotation distance when the center point of the pressing area is fixed.

The horizontal movement input signal may be a signal for information in a horizontal movement direction when the center point of the pressing area moves horizontally.

Also, the pressing area may be automatically restored to the center of the pressing area in a state where no force is applied.

The control command may be a command for controlling one or more functions of numbers, letters, special characters, and menus.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, a method for providing a recording medium in which instructions executable in a digital processing apparatus are implemented by the above method and in which a program that can be read by the digital processing apparatus is recorded.

According to the present invention, a communication terminal and a method for data input for executing various functions of the communication terminal through one input device can be provided.

In addition, the present invention can provide a communication terminal and a method which can be installed in a small space compared to the prior art having a plurality of keyboards or key buttons of the conventional method.

In addition, the present invention can provide a communication terminal and a method that can be input quickly and simply by narrowing the distance between the communication terminal and the data input unit, and further reduce the data input error of the user.

As the invention allows for various changes and numerous embodiments, particular embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the written description. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, it should be understood to include all transformations, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention. In the following description of the present invention, when it is determined that the detailed description of the related known technology may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Terms such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, the terms "comprise" or "have" are intended to indicate that there is a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, and one or more other features. It is to be understood that the present invention does not exclude the possibility of the presence or the addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, components, or a combination thereof.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a communication terminal in which a keypad function is replaced by a multidirectional input unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the communication terminal 100 according to the present embodiment includes a multidirectional input unit 110, a storage unit 120, a control unit 130, a display unit 140, and a lock unit 150. do.

The multidirectional input unit 110 may generate one or more of a push input signal, a rotation input signal, and a horizontal movement input signal. The shape of the multidirectional input unit 110 according to the present invention may be implemented in various forms such as a rectangle and a circle, so that the movement restriction range may be divided according to the shape.

Among the input signals generated by the multi-directional input unit 110, the push input signal is applied to at least one of information on the pushed position of the multi-directional input unit 110 and the number of times of information when the pressing pressure is applied to the multi-directional input unit 110. May be a signal. In addition, when the rotation input signal rotates while the center point of the multidirectional input unit 110 is fixed, at least one of information on the rotation direction, information on the rotation speed, and rotation distance of the multidirectional input unit 110. It may be a signal for. In addition, the horizontal movement input signal corresponds to the horizontal movement direction of the multidirectional input unit 110 when the center point of the multidirectional input unit 110 moves horizontally, that is, when the multidirectional input unit 110 itself is pushed in the horizontal direction. It may be a signal for information.

By generating various input signals in the multi-directional input unit 110 as described above, a keypad including a plurality of existing buttons can be replaced with one multi-directional input unit 110. In addition, the multi-directional input unit 110 according to the present embodiment may be set to operate as a joystick in the game mode.

The storage unit 120 stores a table in which control commands corresponding to at least one of the push input signal, the rotation input signal, and the horizontal movement input signal are mapped. Here, the control command mapped to the input signal may be a command for controlling one or more functions of numbers, letters, special characters, and menus.

The controller 130 reads out a control command corresponding to at least one of a push input signal, a rotation input signal, and a horizontal movement input signal, and performs a function corresponding to the control command, and thus, the overall control of the communication terminal 100. It controls the function.

The display unit 140 is for displaying push, rotation, and horizontal movement direction information of the multi-directional input unit 110 and function information corresponding thereto. For example, the display unit 140 may be a liquid crystal such as a liquid crystal display (LCD). In addition, the display 140 may display a result of performing the input signal of the multidirectional input unit 110.

The locking unit 150 serves to lock the function of the multidirectional input unit 110. That is, the locking unit 150 may activate or deactivate the multidirectional input unit 110 according to a user setting.

2 is a plan view for comparing the appearance of a general communication terminal having a keypad and a communication terminal having a multi-directional input unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, a communication using a general communication terminal 200 using a keypad 210 as an input device of a communication terminal and a multidirectional input unit 110 as an input device of the communication terminal 100 described in the present invention. The size of the front surface of the terminal 100 can be compared.

Intuitively comparing the volume of the devices, the communication terminal 100 using the multi-directional input unit 110 as an input device has a difference as much as the volume of the keypad 210 compared to the communication terminal 200 using the keypad 210 as an input device. 220. That is, in the related art, at least 12 keys 1 to 0, *, and # should be included to include the keypad 210 of the communication terminal 200. However, when the multi-directional input unit 110 according to the present invention is provided. Since only one button needs to be included in appearance, the configuration of the communication terminal 100 is simplified.

In FIG. 2, only the front sizes of the communication terminals 100 and 200 are compared, but considering the overall volume of the terminal, the communication terminal 100 using the multi-directional input unit 110 has a much smaller volume, thereby making it easier to downsize. . In view of the recent slimming competition among manufacturers in the communication terminal market, this corresponds to technical characteristics that are very suitable for slimming of communication terminals.

3 is a diagram illustrating input directionality of a multidirectional input unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

As described above, the multi-directional input unit 110 according to the present embodiment may generate one or more of a push input signal, a rotation input signal, and a horizontal movement input signal.

Referring to FIG. 3, the multidirectional input unit 110 according to the present exemplary embodiment may apply pressure to a user at a specific position in various directions using a finger or the like. For example, as shown in FIG. 3 (a), the multi-directional input unit 110 of the present invention may be capable of at least eight push inputs in up, down, left, right, and four diagonal directions on a two-dimensional plane. In addition, as shown in FIG. 3B, a push input may be performed in a vertical axis direction based on the center point of the multidirectional input unit 110.

Referring to FIG. 3C, the multidirectional input unit 110 according to the present exemplary embodiment may move in a plurality of directions as if the buttons slide horizontally on a two-dimensional plane on which a button is placed. In detail, the multi-directional input unit 110 may include a center point to move horizontally, and the moving direction may be a plurality of directions such as up, down, left, and right directions.

In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 3D, the multidirectional input unit 110 according to the present exemplary embodiment may generate rotation input signals by applying rotation inputs in a plurality of directions. For example, operating the multidirectional input unit 110 in the forward direction (clockwise direction) generates a forward signal, and operating in the reverse direction generates a reverse signal. The signal generated from the multi-directional input unit 110 is set to each pulse, and transmits a rotation input signal for the rotated direction and the moving distance to the controller 130. Thereafter, the controller 130 detects a signal received from the multidirectional input unit 110 and performs a task on a corresponding function.

4 to 6 are exemplary views in which a function of a keypad, which is an existing input device, is mapped to a multi-directional input unit in a communication terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The conventional keypad 210 includes a menu button, a call button, an confirm button, an end button, a cancel button, etc., as well as a number (0 to 9) button and a special character (*, #) button. According to the present invention, it is possible to map all the keys of the existing keypad 210 with only one multi-directional input unit 110. 4 to 6 only show an example implemented by mapping a function corresponding to a button of the conventional keypad 210 to the multidirectional input unit 110 of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is limited to the illustrated conditions. It doesn't happen.

Referring to FIG. 4, a user may select a menu function by rotating the multidirectional input unit 110 with a finger or the like. In order to select a menu such as a Korean consonant, a vowel, or an English letter key, the rotation section and the rotation direction of the multi-directional input unit 110 may be set. If you rotate 90 degrees clockwise, you can set the Hangul consonant function.

If the multi-directional input unit 110 is rotated 90 degrees clockwise, when the number function is selected, as shown in FIG. 5, nine push input signals of up, down, left, right, diagonal, and center points of the multi-directional input unit 110 are illustrated. A positive integer, that is, 1 to 9, of the keypad 210, which is an input device of the existing communication terminal 100, may be input using 510.

In this case, the interval designated by the number may be additionally set to input a Korean consonant, a vowel, or an English character corresponding to the number button according to the number of pressing. For example, 'a', 'ㄲ' and 'ㅋ' are placed at the number 1 position so that any one is input according to the number of pressing.

In addition, referring to Figure 6, by using the horizontal mobility of the multi-directional input unit 110 described in the present invention two special characters (*, #) in the keypad 210, which is an input device of the existing communication terminal 100 And it is possible to enter the number 0. That is, the number 0 may input whenever the user pushes down the multidirectional input unit 110 (610), and in the case of a special character * (asterisk), the user may enter the upper left of the multidirectional input unit 110. If it is pushed in the lower right direction can be input (620). In addition, in the case of the special character # (well sperm) may be input when the upper left of the multi-directional input unit 110 is pushed from the lower left (630).

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating input direction of a multidirectional input unit and function information corresponding thereto in a display unit of a communication terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the present invention, since the space of the button itself is narrow in the multi-directional input unit 110 described above, a language (Korean, English, etc.) for using numbers, special characters, and SMS (Short Message Service) like the conventional keypad 210 is used. The function information such as cannot be displayed on the button itself.

However, in the present invention, this problem can be solved by outputting the input directionality of the multidirectional input unit 110 and corresponding function information to the display unit 140 of the communication terminal 100. That is, the display unit 140 of the communication terminal 100 displays how to operate the multi-directional input unit 110 in order to select the desired function, thereby intuitively recognizing how the user can input data. Do it.

Through this, the user can enter the data by viewing only the screen of the mobile communication terminal 100, as in the case of playing a video game, the user can play the game only by looking at the display without looking at the direction keys of the game controller. Since the user can input data and check the corresponding value through the screen of the mobile communication terminal 100, the probability of data input error can be significantly lowered when compared with the communication terminal 100 using the keypad 210. FIG. There is an advantage.

8 is a diagram illustrating an input lock button for controlling a locking operation of the multi-directional input unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

According to this embodiment, the communication terminal 100 is further provided with an input lock button (Hold Button), etc. as the locking unit 150 to prevent the user from operating the multi-directional input unit 110 unintentionally. do. For example, when a user moves in a state of putting a mobile communication terminal 100 in a pants pocket or the like, the input value should not be generated while the button is accidentally pressed. In this embodiment, the multi-directional input unit of the communication terminal 100 is used. An input lock button (Hold Button) for controlling the locking operation of the 110 may be provided separately.

The data input method of the communication terminal 100 according to the present invention may be implemented in the form of program instructions that can be executed by various computer means and recorded in a computer readable medium. The computer readable medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc. alone or in combination. Program instructions recorded on the media may be those specially designed and constructed for the purposes of the present invention, or they may be of the kind well-known and available to those having skill in the computer software arts. Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic media, such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape, optical media such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, and magnetic disks, such as floppy disks. Magneto-optical media, and hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, and the like. The medium may be a transmission medium such as an optical or metal wire, a waveguide, or the like including a carrier wave for transmitting a signal specifying a program command, a data structure, or the like. Examples of program instructions include not only machine code generated by a compiler, but also high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like. The hardware device described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the present invention, and vice versa.

Although the above has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below It will be appreciated that modifications and variations can be made.

1 is a configuration diagram schematically showing a configuration of a communication terminal in which a keypad function is replaced by a multi-directional input unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a plan view for comparing the appearance of a general communication terminal having a keypad and a communication terminal having a multi-directional input unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a diagram illustrating input directionality of a multidirectional input unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

4 to 6 are exemplary diagrams mapping functions of a keypad, which is an existing input device, to a multi-directional input unit in a communication terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a view outputting the input directionality of the multi-directional input unit and the corresponding function information to the display unit of the communication terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a diagram illustrating an input lock button for controlling a locking operation of the multi-directional input unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

<Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

100: communication terminal 110: input unit

120: storage unit 130: control unit

140: display unit 150: locking unit

210: keypad

Claims (18)

A multi-directional input unit generating one or more of a push input signal, a rotation input signal, and a horizontal movement input signal for a plurality of directions; A storage unit storing a table in which control commands corresponding to at least one of the push input signal, the rotation input signal, and the horizontal movement input signal are mapped; And A control unit configured to read a control command corresponding to at least one of the push input signal, the rotation input signal, and the horizontal movement input signal to perform a function corresponding to the control command Communication terminal for data input comprising a. The method of claim 1, And a display unit configured to display pressing, rotation, and horizontal movement direction information of the multi-directional input unit and function information corresponding thereto. The method of claim 2, The display unit displays a result of performing the input signal of the multi-directional input unit.  The method of claim 1, And the push input signal is a signal for at least one of information about a push position and press count information of the multi-directional input unit when a pressing pressure is applied to the multi-directional input unit.  The method of claim 1, The rotation input signal may be a signal for one or more of information on the rotation direction, information on the rotation speed, and rotation distance of the multi-directional input unit when the center point is fixed. A communication terminal for data input, characterized in that.  The method of claim 1, And the horizontal movement input signal is a signal for information on a horizontal movement direction of the multidirectional input unit when the center point of the multidirectional input unit moves horizontally. The method of claim 1, And the multidirectional input unit is automatically restored to the center of the multidirectional input unit in a state where no force is applied thereto.  The method of claim 1, And the control command is a command for controlling one or more functions of numbers, letters, special characters, and menus.  The method of claim 1, And a locker configured to control whether the multidirectional input unit is activated. In the data input method in the communication terminal, Generating at least one of a push input signal, a rotation input signal, and a horizontal shift input signal for a plurality of directions; Storing a table in which control commands corresponding to at least one of the push input signal, the rotation input signal, and the horizontal shift input signal are mapped; And Reading a control command corresponding to at least one of the push input signal, the rotation input signal, and the horizontal movement input signal, and performing a function corresponding to the control command; Data input method of the communication terminal comprising a. The method of claim 10, A data input method of a communication terminal further comprising the step of displaying the push, rotation and horizontal direction information and the corresponding function information on the display area The method of claim 11, The displaying step And displaying a result of performing the input signal.  The method of claim 10, The press input signal is a data input method of a communication terminal, characterized in that when the pressing pressure is applied to the pressing area, at least one of the information on the pressing position and the number of times of pressing information. The method of claim 10, The rotation input signal is a signal for one or more of information on the rotation direction, information on the rotation speed, and information on the rotation distance when the center point of the pressing area is fixed. Input method. The method of claim 10, And the horizontal movement input signal is a signal for information in a horizontal movement direction when the center point of the pressing area moves horizontally. The method of claim 10, And the pressing area is automatically restored to the center of the pressing area in a state where no force is applied. The method of claim 10, The control command is a data input method of a communication terminal, characterized in that a command for controlling one or more functions of a number, a letter, a special character and a menu.  A recording medium in which instructions executable in a digital processing apparatus are implemented by the method of any one of claims 10 to 17, and in which a program which can be read by the digital processing apparatus is recorded.

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