KR20100059585A - Terminal and method for controlling the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A terminal and a control method for controlling the operation of a touch screen by using the contact area of a touch screen are provided to control the operation of the touch screen on the line. CONSTITUTION: If a touch screen is touched in a non-active state, a controller(180) activates the touch screen. The controller determines whether the touch input is simple contact or for controlling the terminal. If the touch input is the simple contact, the controller makes the touch screen inactivate. A memory(160) stores an algorithm for controlling the operation according to the determination.

Description

Terminal and its control method {TERMINAL AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a terminal and a control method thereof for controlling the operation of the touch screen during a telephone call.

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.

In order to support and increase the function of such a terminal, it may be considered to improve the structural part and / or the software part of the terminal. Recently, terminals equipped with touch screens are increasing. Accordingly, there is a problem in that any body part of the phone call is in contact with the touch screen, so that a touch operation not desired by the user may be executed.

The present invention is to provide a terminal and a method of controlling the same that can control the operation of the touch screen during a phone call using the terminal equipped with a touch screen.

In addition, the present invention is to provide a terminal and a control method for controlling the operation of the touch screen using the touch area of the touch screen.

In addition, the present invention is to provide a terminal and a control method for controlling the operation of the touch screen using the distance or the inner area between the contact point when two or more touch points of the touch screen.

Terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention for realizing the above problem is to activate the touch screen when a touch is input in a state of inactivation of the touch screen and the touch screen, the touch input is an input for controlling the terminal or simply If it is determined that the touch input is a simple touch, the controller for deactivating the touch screen again determines whether the touch input is a simple touch or a touch input for controlling a terminal, and controls an operation according to the determination. Memory that stores the algorithm.

In addition, the present invention for realizing the above problem is to deactivate the touch screen when the phone call state, change the touch screen to the active state when the touch is input in the deactivated state, the touch input to control the terminal Determine whether it is an input or just a contact. In response to the determination, if the touch input is a simple touch, the touch screen is deactivated again. If the touch input is an input for controlling the terminal, an operation corresponding to the touch input is performed.

When the touch screen is touched during a phone call, the terminal according to at least one embodiment of the present invention configured as described above determines whether the touch input is a simple contact or an input for controlling the operation of the terminal. In the case of a contact, by deactivating the touch screen, a user may prevent unwanted touch input.

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. However, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the configuration according to the embodiments described herein may also be applied to fixed terminals such as digital TVs, desktop computers, etc., except when applicable only to mobile terminals.

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, and a location information module 115 .

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 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 unit 151.

The image frame processed by the camera 121 may be stored in the memory 160 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication unit 110. 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 unit 151, an audio output module 152, an alarm unit 153, and a haptic module 154. Can be.

The 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 photographed and / or received images, a UI, and a GUI.

The display unit 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 unit 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 unit 151 of the terminal body.

There may be two or more display units 151 according to the implementation form of the mobile terminal 100. For example, in the mobile terminal 100, a plurality of display portions may be spaced apart from one another, or may be disposed integrally with one another, and may be disposed on different surfaces, respectively.

When the 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 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 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.

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 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 the 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 tactile effects that the 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. The device equipped with the identification module (hereinafter referred to as '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, 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.

Figure 2a is a front perspective view of an example of a mobile terminal or a portable terminal related to the present invention.

The disclosed portable terminal 100 has a terminal 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 movable relative to each other.

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 101 and a rear case 102. Various electronic components are built in the space formed between the front case 101 and the rear case 102. At least one intermediate case may be further disposed between the front case 101 and the rear case 102.

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 151, the audio output unit 152, the camera 121, the user input units 130/131 and 132, the microphone 122, and the interface 170 may be disposed in the terminal body, mainly the front case 101. have.

The display unit 151 occupies most of the main surface of the front case 101. A sound output unit 151 and a camera 121 are disposed in an area adjacent to one end of both ends of the display unit 151 and a user input unit 131 and a microphone 122 are disposed in an area adjacent to the other end. The user input unit 132 and the interface 170 may be disposed on side surfaces of the front case 101 and the rear case 102.

The user input unit 130 is manipulated to receive a command for controlling the operation of the portable terminal 100 and may include a plurality of operation units 131 and 132. The manipulation units 131 and 132 may also be collectively referred to as manipulating portions, and may be employed in any manner as long as the user operates the tactile manner with a tactile feeling.

Content input by the first or second manipulation units 131 and 132 may be variously set. For example, the first operation unit 131 receives commands such as start, end, scroll, and the like, and the second operation unit 132 controls the size of the sound output from the sound output unit 152 or the size of the sound output from the display unit 151 To the touch recognition mode of the touch screen.

FIG. 2B is a rear perspective view of the portable terminal shown in FIG. 2A.

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

For example, the camera 121 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 121 'photographs a general subject and does not transmit it immediately. It is desirable to have a high pixel because there are many. The cameras 121 and 121 'may be installed on the terminal body to be rotatable or pop-up.

A flash 123 and a mirror 124 are further disposed adjacent to the camera 121 '. The flash 123 shines light toward the subject when the subject is photographed by the camera 121 '. The mirror 124 allows the user to see his / her own face or the like when photographing (self-photographing) the user using the camera 121 '.

The sound output unit 152 'may be further disposed on the rear surface of the terminal body. The sound output unit 152 ′ may implement a stereo function together with the sound output unit 152 (see FIG. 2A), and may be used to implement a speakerphone mode during a call.

In addition to the antenna for talking and the like, a broadcast signal reception antenna 116 may be additionally disposed on the side of the terminal body. The antenna 116, which forms part of the broadcast receiving module 111 (see FIG. 1), can be installed to be able to be drawn out from the terminal body.

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

The rear case 102 may be further equipped with a touch pad 135 for sensing a touch. Like the display unit 151, the touch pad 135 may also be configured to have a light transmission type. In this case, if the display unit 151 is configured to output visual information from both sides, the visual information may be recognized through the touch pad 135. The information output on both surfaces may be controlled by the touch pad 135. Alternatively, a display may be additionally mounted on the touch pad 135, and a touch screen may also be disposed on the rear case 102.

The touch pad 135 operates in association with the display unit 151 of the front case 101. The touch pad 135 may be disposed in parallel to the rear of the display unit 151. The touch pad 135 may have the same or smaller size as the display unit 151.

Hereinafter, the operation of the display unit 151 and the touch pad 135 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B.

3A and 3B are front views of a portable terminal for explaining an operation state of the portable terminal according to the present invention.

Various types of time information can be displayed on the display unit 151. [ These pieces of information can be displayed in the form of letters, numbers, symbols, graphics, or icons.

In order to input such information, at least one of the letters, numbers, symbols, graphics, or icons may be displayed in a predetermined arrangement so as to be implemented in the form of a keypad. Such a keypad may be called a so-called " soft key ".

3A illustrates receiving a touch applied to a softkey through the front of the terminal body.

The display unit 151 may operate in an entire area or may be operated in a divided manner. In the latter case, the plurality of areas can be configured to operate in association with each other.

For example, an output window 151a and an input window 151b are displayed on the upper and lower portions of the display unit 151, respectively. The output window 151a and the input window 151b are areas allocated for outputting or inputting information, respectively. In the input window 151b, a soft key 151c displaying a number for inputting a telephone number or the like is output. When the softkey 151c is touched, a number or the like corresponding to the touched softkey is displayed on the output window 151a. When the first manipulation unit 131 is operated, a call connection to the telephone number displayed on the output window 151a is attempted.

3B illustrates receiving a touch applied to a softkey through the rear of the terminal body. If FIG. 3A is a portrait in which the terminal body is arranged vertically, FIG. 3B illustrates a landscape in which the terminal body is arranged horizontally. The display unit 151 may be configured to convert the output screen according to the arrangement direction of the terminal body.

3B shows that the text input mode is activated in the portable terminal. The display unit 151 displays an output window 151a 'and an input window 151b'. A plurality of soft keys 151c 'displaying at least one of letters, symbols, and numbers may be arranged in the input window 151b'. The softkeys 151c 'may be arranged in the form of a QWERTY key.

When the soft keys 151c 'are touched through the touch pad 135 (refer to FIG. 2B), letters, numbers, symbols, etc. corresponding to the touched soft keys are displayed on the output window 151a'. As described above, the touch input through the touch pad 135 has an advantage of preventing the softkey 151c 'from being covered by the finger when touched, as compared with the touch input through the display unit 151. When the display unit 151 and the touch pad 135 are transparent, the fingers located at the rear of the terminal body can be visually checked, and thus more accurate touch input is possible.

In addition to the input methods disclosed in the above embodiments, the display unit 151 or the touch pad 135 may be configured to receive a touch input by scrolling. By scrolling the display unit 151 or the touch pad 135, the user may move an object displayed on the display unit 151, for example, a cursor or a pointer located at an icon. Further, when the finger is moved on the display portion 151 or the touch pad 135, the path along which the finger moves may be visually displayed on the display portion 151. [ This may be useful for editing an image displayed on the display unit 151.

One function of the terminal may be executed in response to a case where the display unit 151 (touch screen) and the touch pad 135 are touched together within a predetermined time range. In the case of being touched together, there may be a case where the user clamps the terminal body using the thumb and index finger. For example, the function may include activation or deactivation of the display unit 151 or the touch pad 135.

The proximity sensor 141 described with reference to FIG. 1 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 4.

4 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a proximity depth of a proximity sensor.

As shown in FIG. 4, when a pointer such as a user's finger or a pen approaches the touch screen, the proximity sensor 141 disposed in or near the touch screen detects this and outputs a proximity signal.

The proximity sensor 141 may be configured to output different proximity signals according to a distance between the proximity touched pointer and the touch screen (hereinafter, referred to as “proximity depth”).

In FIG. 4, for example, a cross section of a touch screen on which proximity sensors capable of sensing three proximity depths is disposed. Of course, proximity sensors that detect less than three or more than four proximity depths are also possible.

In detail, when the pointer is completely in contact with the touch screen (d0), the pointer is recognized as a touch. When the pointer is positioned below the distance d1 on the touch screen, the pointer is recognized as a proximity touch of a first proximity depth. When the pointer is spaced apart from the distance d1 or more and less than d2 on the touch screen, the pointer is recognized as a proximity touch of a second proximity depth. When the pointer is spaced apart from the d2 distance by more than d3 distance on the touch screen, it is recognized as a proximity touch of a third proximity depth. When the pointer is located at a distance greater than or equal to d3 on the touch screen, the proximity touch is recognized as released.

Accordingly, the controller 180 may recognize the proximity touch as various input signals according to the proximity depth and the proximity position of the pointer, and perform various operation control according to the various input signals.

Hereinafter, embodiments related to a control method that can be implemented in a terminal configured as described above will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiments described later may be used alone or in combination with each other. In addition, embodiments described below may be used in combination with the above-described user interface (UI).

5 is a flowchart illustrating a process of controlling an operation of a touch screen of a terminal according to the present invention.

As shown therein, the user manipulates the terminal to make a telephone call (S101).

For example, when a call is received, the user enters a call button (eg, a Send button). In the case of sending a call, the user inputs a counterpart phone number and a call button. Then, after waiting a few seconds when the phone is connected, the user can start the call.

While waiting for the call to be connected, the controller 180 controls the display function and the touch function of the screen.

For example, after a button (for example, a call button) for manipulating the terminal is finally input, and before a predetermined time elapses (NO in S102), the display function and the touch function of the screen are normally operated (S104). ). When the specific time elapses (YES in S102), the screen display function and the touch function are deactivated (S103).

The touch function can be operated in two steps.

For example, the operation may be performed in a first step of operating the touch function as a simple switching function and in a second step of operating the touch function as a function capable of detecting a coordinate to which the touch is input. Therefore, deactivating the touch function means operating the touch screen only as a first step.

If a touch is input in the first step, the second step may be activated.

When the second step is activated, the screen display function is turned on, and various information displayed on the screen can be controlled by a touch input method. That is, when the second step is activated during the phone call, a touch that is not desired by the user may be input.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a method for preventing a user's undesired touch input when the second step is activated in a specific operation state (eg, during a phone call) of the terminal. An algorithm for preventing a touch input that is not desired by the user is stored in the memory 160.

When the touch function is deactivated as described above, the touch screen operates in a first step (S103). However, when a touch is input to the touch screen operating in the first step (YES in S105), the controller 180 activates the touch screen in the second step. As described above, in the second step, the display function of the screen is turned on and the coordinates input by the touch can be detected. Only when the coordinates of the touch point are detected as described above, an operation such as input, drag, or click of a software button is possible.

Then, the purpose of the input touch is determined (S106). That is, it is determined whether the touch input is an input for controlling the terminal or a simple contact. For example, a simple contact that may occur on the touch screen in a specific operating state of the terminal (eg, during a phone call) is that a part of the body (eg, ear or face) is touched. Methods for distinguishing a touch input from the control and a simple contact will be described in detail with reference to the other drawings.

If the touch input is input by simple contact according to the determination (YES in S107), the touch screen is operated again in a first step (S108). However, if the touch input is an input for controlling the terminal (NO in S107), the touch screen is operated in a second step (S109).

In the state of operating the touch screen as the second step as described above, if it is determined that the touch input is not a simple touch but a control purpose of the terminal, an operation corresponding to the touch input is immediately performed.

6A to 6C are exemplary views illustrating one example of methods for determining the purpose of a touch input in a terminal according to the present invention. That is, it is determined whether the touch input has a purpose for controlling the terminal or a simple contact with no special purpose.

In general, when a touch is input for the purpose of controlling the terminal, for a more accurate touch, an input is performed using a pointed means or a finger such as a pen. Therefore, the touch area becomes less than or equal to a specific pixel.

Accordingly, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 6A, an area of a touch input for the purpose of controlling the terminal may be set to a specific pixel (eg, 10 pixels) 310 or less. The touch input with the area less than the specific pixel is determined as an input for controlling the terminal, and the touch input with an area larger than the touch area (eg, 13 pixels) 320 may be determined as a simple touch. Can be.

In addition, when the terminal is in close contact with a part of the body (eg, ear, face, palm) for a phone call, at least two or more touch points occur. As described above, the area of each touch point is also larger than the area of the touch point input for control purposes.

Accordingly, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 6B, the distance or area between the touch points that are widely distributed is obtained, and if the distance or area is more than the predetermined specific distance or the specific area, it is determined as a simple contact.

In this case, a line may be formed by connecting the touch points, and the area may be calculated even if the internal space of the line is not touched. At this time, even if the line is not a closed curve, if it is possible to form a virtually elliptical, circular or polygonal shape can be divided into internal and external. The shape does not necessarily have to be a perfect shape.

For example, when the touch screen touches the face, the entire contact surface is touched without any empty space. However, as shown in FIG. 6B, when touching the ear, a touch point occurs only at the outer portion of the ear and connects the touch points. This is because an empty space may be generated inside a line.

In order to determine the distance or area, center coordinates (eg, X-axis coordinates and Y-axis coordinates) of the touch points may be used. For example, the coordinate of the first touch point 340 is ″ 4,2 ″, the coordinate of the second touch point 340 is ″ 3,7 ″, and the coordinate of the third touch point 350 is ″ 7,4. Assuming that the coordinate of the fourth touch point 360 is ″ 7,5 ″, the distance between the touch area and the specific pixel may be determined by calculating the number of pixels between the coordinates. That is, the distance between the Y-axis of the first touch point and the second touch point may be calculated to be 5 pixels.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 6C, the simple touch of the touch screen in a specific operating state (eg, during a phone call) has a relatively longer holding time when compared to a touch input for controlling the terminal. Is common.

In addition, even if the touch point does not form a line as described above, it is common to generate multi-touch. The touch point may also change when the user changes a phone call posture. However, compared with the touch input for the purpose of controlling the terminal, the time for which the touch is maintained is relatively much longer.

Therefore, when the multi-touch is input, the touch holding time is detected (S201), and when the holding time of the multi-touch is maintained for a predetermined time or more (YES in S202), it can be determined as a simple contact (S203). ). When the holding time of the multi-touch is smaller than a predetermined specific time (NO in S202), it may be determined as a touch input for controlling the terminal (S204).

On the other hand, the grid shown in the drawings for explaining the present embodiment is shown enlarged to easily explain the calculation method of the distance or area using the pixel on the screen, the grid is not displayed on the actual screen.

7 is a flowchart illustrating a processing process according to an object in which a touch is input according to the present invention.

As described above, according to the result of determining the purpose of the touch input (S301), when the touch input is input by simple contact (YES in S302), the touch screen is operated in a first step (S303). That is, the display function of the screen is turned off and the touch function is deactivated (S304), so that only the touch input is detected without detecting the coordinates of the touch.

However, if it is determined that the touch input is an operation for controlling the terminal (NO in S302), the touch screen is operated in a second step (S305). That is, the display function of the screen is turned on and the touch function is activated (S306). As described above with reference to FIG. 5, after a button for operating the terminal is finally input, the touch screen is operated in a second step before a preset specific time elapses, and when the specific time elapses, the touch screen is operated. Change to the first step to operate.

As described above, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the above-described method may be embodied as a processor readable code on a medium in which a program is recorded. Examples of processor-readable media include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage, and the like, and may be implemented in the form of a carrier wave (for example, transmission over the Internet). Include.

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. It may be.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal associated with one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2a is a front perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2B is a rear perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3A and 3B are front views of a portable terminal for explaining an operation state of the portable terminal according to the present invention.

4 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a proximity depth of a proximity sensor.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a process of controlling an operation of a touch screen of a terminal according to the present invention.

6A to 6C are exemplary diagrams showing examples of methods for determining the purpose of a touch input in a terminal according to the present invention.

7 is a flowchart illustrating a processing process according to an object in which a touch is input according to the present invention.

Claims (12)

With touch screen; When a touch is input in the deactivated state of the touch screen, the touch screen is activated, and it is determined whether the touch input is an input for controlling a terminal or a simple contact. When the touch input is a simple touch, the touch screen is deactivated again. A control unit to make it; And a memory for determining whether the touch input is a simple touch or a touch input for controlling the terminal, and storing an algorithm for controlling an operation according to the determination. The method of claim 1, wherein the deactivation of the touch screen is performed. The terminal is set to turn off the display function of the screen and to simply detect whether or not a touch is input. The method of claim 1, wherein the deactivation of the touch screen is performed. And after the terminal operation is finally input, the terminal being set to be executed after a predetermined specific time has elapsed. The method of claim 1, wherein the activation of the touch screen, And a state in which the display function of the screen is turned on and a touch is set to detect input coordinates. The method of claim 1, wherein the control unit, And if the touch input is an input for controlling the terminal, performing an operation corresponding to the touch input. The method of claim 1, wherein the control unit, Detecting an area of the input touch point, And if the detected area is wider than a predetermined area, determine as a simple contact. The method of claim 1, wherein the control unit, Construct a virtual shape that connects touch points, And detecting an inner area of the virtual shape and determining that the detected area is a simple contact if the detected area is wider than a predetermined area. The method of claim 1, wherein the control unit, Detect the time that the touch input is maintained, The terminal, characterized in that for determining if the holding time of the detected touch longer than a predetermined specific time as a simple contact. Deactivating the touch screen when the phone call is in a busy state; Changing the touch screen to an active state when a touch is input in the deactivated state, and determining whether the touch input is an input for controlling a terminal or a simple touch; If the touch input is a simple touch, deactivating the touch screen again, and if the touch input is an input for controlling the terminal, performing an operation corresponding to the touch input; Control method. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining of whether the touch input is a simple contact comprises: Detecting an area of the input touch point, And if the detected area is larger than a predetermined area, determine that the contact is a simple contact. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining of whether the touch input is a simple contact comprises: Construct a virtual shape that connects touch points, And detecting an inner area of the virtual shape and determining that the detected area is a simple contact if the detected area is larger than a predetermined area. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining of whether the touch input is a simple contact comprises: Detect the time that the touch input is maintained, And if the detected holding time of the touch is longer than a predetermined specific time, determine as a simple contact.

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