KR20110008459A - Mobile terminal with an led backlight unit and method for controlling thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A mobile terminal with an LED backlight unit is provided to use the LED backlight unit as a communication transmitter without using an additional transmitting device. CONSTITUTION: A liquid crystal display unit is arranged in one side of a housing. A plurality of light LED for backlight is located in the rear side of the liquid crystal display. A display unit(151) includes the backlight. A control unit operates some of the LEDs by a predetermined data signal in order to transmit the predetermined data through VLC(Visible Light Communications) method.

Description

MOBILE TERMINAL WITH AN LED BACKLIGHT UNIT AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THEREOF

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a mobile terminal having a display unit using an LED backlight.

Terminal can move And can be divided into a mobile / portable terminal and a stationary terminal depending on whether the mobile terminal is a mobile terminal or a mobile terminal. 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.

Such a terminal has various functions, for example, in the form of a multimedia device having multiple functions such as photographing and photographing of a moving picture, reproduction of a music or video file, reception of a game and broadcasting, etc. .

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, a light emitting diode (LED) is employed as a backlight for illuminating a display unit of a mobile terminal. With such a backlight, more convenient and versatile mobile terminals are emerging.

The present invention has been made to solve the problems of the general technology as described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal that can operate as a transmitting end of visible light communication using only a light emitting diode backlight unit without a separate transmission device. will be.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal capable of informing a user of various information by using information received through visible light communication.

Technical problems to be achieved in the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned technical problems, and other technical problems not mentioned above will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. Could be.

Mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention for realizing the above object, a backlight comprising a liquid crystal display device disposed on one surface of the housing and the housing, and a plurality of backlight light emitting diodes located on the back of the liquid crystal display device The display unit may include a control unit configured to control at least some of the plurality of light emitting diodes to blink in correspondence with the predetermined data so that predetermined data may be transmitted to the outside through a visible light communication (VLC) method.

In addition, the control method of the mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention for realizing the above object, the step of determining the data to be transmitted via visible light communication (VLC) and converting the determined data into a predetermined pulse signal And emitting at least some of the plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) constituting the backlight unit (BLU) of the display unit so as to correspond to the pulse signal.

The mobile terminal according to at least one embodiment of the present invention configured as described above may operate as a transmitting end of visible light communication using only a light emitting diode backlight unit without a separate transmitting device.

In addition, the mobile terminal according to at least one embodiment of the present invention may inform the user of various information by using the information received through visible light communication.

The effects obtainable in the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned above may be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. will be.

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.

[Overall Configuration]

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 reception module 111 may be configured to be suitable for not only the above-described digital broadcast system but also other broadcast systems.

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

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

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

The short range communication module 114 refers to a module for short range communication. As a short range communication technology, Bluetooth, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Ultra Wideband (UWB), ZigBee, and the like may be used.

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

Referring to FIG. 1, the A / V input unit 120 is for inputting an audio signal or a video signal, and may include a camera 121 and a microphone 122. The camera 121 processes image frames such as still images or moving images obtained by the image sensor in the video call mode or the photographing mode. The processed image frame may be displayed on the display 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 can be converted into a form that can be transmitted to the mobile communication base station through the mobile communication module 112 when the voice data is in the call mode, and output. 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 visual, auditory or tactile senses, which includes a display unit 151, an audio output module 152, an alarm unit 153, a haptic module 154, and a projector module ( 155) may be included.

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. By 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.

The proximity sensor 141 may be disposed in an inner region of the 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 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 projector module 155 is a component for performing an image project function using the mobile terminal 100 and is similar to the image displayed on the display unit 151 in accordance with a control signal of the controller 180 Or at least partly display another image on an external screen or wall.

Specifically, the projector module 155 includes a light source (not shown) that generates light (for example, laser light) for outputting an image to the outside, a light source And a lens (not shown) for enlarging and outputting the image at a predetermined focal distance to the outside. Further, the projector module 155 may include a device (not shown) capable of mechanically moving the lens or the entire module to adjust the image projection direction.

The projector module 155 can be divided into a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) module, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) module and a DLP (Digital Light Processing) module according to the type of the display means. In particular, the DLP module may be advantageous for miniaturization of the projector module 151 by enlarging and projecting an image generated by reflecting light generated from a light source on a DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) chip.

Preferably, the projector module 155 may be provided longitudinally on the side, front or back side of the mobile terminal 100. It goes without saying that the projector module 155 may be provided at any position of the mobile terminal 100 as occasion demands.

The memory unit 160 may store a program for processing and controlling the controller 180, and temporarily stores input / output data (for example, a phone book, a message, an audio, a still image, a video, etc.). It can also perform a function for. The memory unit 160 may also store the frequency of use of each of the data (for example, each telephone number, each message, and frequency of use for each multimedia). In addition, the memory unit 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. Devices with identification modules (hereinafter referred to as "identification devices") can be manufactured in a smart card format. Accordingly, the identification device can be connected to the terminal 100 through the 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.

[Organization Description]

2A is a front perspective view of an example of a mobile terminal or a portable terminal according 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 relatively movable.

The body includes a casing (casing, housing, cover, etc.) that forms an exterior. In this embodiment, the case may be divided into a front case 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. The sound output unit 151 and the camera 121 are disposed in regions adjacent to one end of both ends of the display unit 151, and the user input unit 131 and the microphone 122 are disposed in regions 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 'may have a photographing direction substantially opposite to 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 in the terminal body so as to be rotatable or pop-upable.

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.

The antenna 116 for receiving a broadcast signal 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 be disposed on the rear case 102 as well.

[Front touch]

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

3 is a front view 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 referred to as a so-called " virtual keypad ".

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. The input window 151b outputs a virtual keypad 151c in which numbers for inputting a telephone number and the like are displayed. When the virtual keypad 151c is touched, numbers and the like corresponding to the touched virtual keypad are 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.

On the other hand, in the manipulation of the touch screen, "pointer" or "cursor" is often used interchangeably as a word referring to an arrow displayed on the display to indicate a specific position. In the present specification, a "pointer" and a "cursor" are distinguished, and a figure or the like displayed on the display unit and pointing to a specific position thereon is referred to as a "cursor". In addition, a user's finger or stylus pen or the like used to physically apply a touch touch or a proximity touch to a specific point of the touch screen is referred to as a "pointer".

 Generally, a liquid crystal display (hereinafter referred to as "LCD") is used as the display unit 151 of the mobile terminal 100. LCD is a non-light-emitting electronic display device that does not emit light by itself, and requires a light source having an extraordinary outstanding characteristic to realize vivid and natural natural colors of moving images with high quality. The role of such a light source is called a backlight. In order to irradiate the light from the back of the LCD, a complex including a light source itself, a power circuit for driving the light source, and an integral part of the unit to provide a uniform plane light is provided with a back light unit (BLU). Is called).

The BLU may be classified into a direct type and an edge type according to a form arranged in a relationship with the LCD panel.

First, the direct type is explained. The biggest structural feature of the direct type BLU is that the light source that irradiates the LCD panel is located where the light can be irradiated directly from the back of the panel. The direct type BLU may include a backlight lamp serving as a light source, a reflector reflecting light of the backlight lamp, a diffuser spreading the reflected light evenly, and the like.

Next, the edge type will be described. The biggest structural feature of the edge type BLU is that the position of the light source is located on the side of the LCD panel. The light generated from the light source located at the side is irradiated to the LCD panel in the form of plane light through the light guide plate transmitting the light. Compared to the direct type, it is a BLU type that is advantageous for thinning.

Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps (CCFLs) have been mainly used for the backlight lamps, which are the core components of the BLU. In the cold cathode fluorescent lamp, fluorescent material is coated on the inner wall of the glass tube, electrodes are attached to both ends of the tube, and a high-pressure mixed gas and a fixed amount of mercury are enclosed in the tube. The cold cathode fluorescent lamp uses a principle that electrons from an electrode collide with mercury to generate ultraviolet rays when power is applied, and the ultraviolet rays react with the fluorescent material on the inner wall to generate visible light.

In recent years, the above-mentioned cold cathode fluorescent lamp has been replaced by a light emitting diode (LED), which is a semiconductor device using an electroluminescent effect. The BLU using the LED has advantages such as low power consumption, high color reproducibility, and excellent response speed compared to the BLU using a cold cathode fluorescent lamp.

The present invention discloses a mobile terminal that provides various visual effects and a more convenient user environment using the same by providing a display unit in which such an LED BLU is used.

In addition, the present invention discloses a mobile terminal capable of visible light communication using the LED BLU as a transmitting end of visible light communication.

First, various visual effects and a more convenient user environment using the same will be described below.

First embodiment

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a mobile terminal and a control method thereof capable of locally generating a predetermined visual effect by locally controlling light emission of an LED BLU of a display unit.

First, the visual effect using local light emission control will be described.

4 illustrates an example of visual effects using local emission control of a BLU LED according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, referring to FIG. 4A, the LEDs are arranged in a checkerboard shape to form a BLU of a direct type. Using the BLU structure, the brightness of each LED is individually controlled through the controller 180 to provide a predetermined visual effect to the display unit 151 positioned above the BLU according to a local contrast or light emission pattern. Can be generated.

For example, as shown in (b) of FIG. 4, the LEDs positioned directly below the touched part by the pointer 10 on the touch screen 151 are brighter than the surroundings, thereby controlling the touch point or the trajectory of the touch. It can give a visual effect. In addition, the LEDs corresponding to the portions except for the touch portion may emit light even darker than the case where the touch is not applied for the greater contrast.

When the touch screen 151 recognizes the touch touch and the proximity touch separately, the touch screen 151 may be differentially set such that the brightness of the touch screen is different from that of the touch touch.

As another example, when a plurality of shortcut icons are displayed on the display unit 151 as shown in (c) of FIG. 4, the brightness or the blinking period of the LED at the position corresponding to the icon is adjusted in the order of high preference to low order. Can be. That is, the LED corresponding to the position where the icon 710 having the highest preference is displayed is brightest, and the icon 720 having a relatively high preference is brighter than normal icons but darker than the icon 710 having the highest preference. LED can be controlled. In addition, for icons 730 with low preference, the LED can be controlled locally so that the illumination appears darker than icons of normal preference. The method of differentially applying the contrast or the blinking locally can be applied to a menu composed of text as well as an icon.

5 illustrates another example of a visual effect using local emission control of a BLU LED according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5A shows a BLU LED of a direct type using a plurality of LEDs having a predetermined arrangement, and FIG. 5B shows a display 151 of an LCD disposed on the LED BLU of FIG. 5A. ) Indicates the status. Referring to FIG. 5B, indicators 810 indicating reception sensitivity and a battery state are disposed on the display 151. In addition, a center part of the display shows a phone icon indicating that the call state is activated according to the use of the call function and information 820 of the call partner, and menus 830 related to the call function are displayed at the bottom.

At this time, by using the local brightness control of the LED BLU, only the LED corresponding to the display part of the indicator, icon, and menu text displayed on the display part is brightly controlled, and the remaining LEDs are darkly controlled to deliver more clear information. This is possible. For example, the controller 180 may include an LED 801 corresponding to the indicator 810, an LED 802 corresponding to a phone icon and information 820 about a caller, and an LED 803 corresponding to a menu 830. ) To control only the light. The remaining LEDs are displayed in dark or not lit so that only information necessary for the user on the display 151 can be clearly displayed through a large contrast, and a power saving effect can also be obtained.

The application of localized light control of the LED BLU as described above is not limited to indicators, icons and menus, but may be applied to any object that is displayed on the display 151 and needs to be highlighted in comparison to other parts. In addition, the position of the local light emission control and / or the relative brightness of the controlled portion may be customized by the user according to the needs of the user.

Second embodiment

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a mobile terminal and a method of controlling the same, which can use at least a part of the light generated from the LED BLU of the display unit as illumination of the main body without using a light emitting device for separate illumination.

LED BLU is designed in such a way that light emitted from the LED can be evenly radiated to the back of the LCD. At least a part of the light generated by the LED BLU may be irradiated not only to the LCD but also to the inner wall of the outer case (ie, the housing) of the mobile terminal. In this case, the inner wall to which the light generated from the LED BLU is irradiated may be formed of a light transmissive material that passes at least a portion of the light reaching it. The light generated from the LED BLU can be used to generate a lighting effect on the outside of the mobile terminal without a light emitting device for a separate lighting. This will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 7.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for another example of a lighting form using light of an LED BLU in an outer case of a mobile terminal.

First, for the lighting effect using the light generated from the LED BLU as shown in FIG. 6A, the display unit 151 is provided on a portion 910 of the side surface of the mobile terminal 100 or as shown in FIG. 6B. Light transmissive materials may be used at the edges 920). In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 6C, a light transmissive material may be used in a predetermined region 930 on the rear surface of the mobile terminal 100. In the present invention, the position of the light transmissive material for using the light generated from the LED BLU as an external illumination is not limited to the position described in FIG. 6, and may be a combination of two or more of each position.

Next, an example of a process in which the light generated from the LED BLU reaches the outer case of the light transmissive material will be described with reference to FIG. 7.

In order to reach the light generated from the LED BLU to the inner wall of the light transmissive material formed at a predetermined position of the outer case, a prism 1000 as shown in FIG. 7A may be used. The prism 1000 may change the traveling direction by refracting the light incident from the outside. If such a prism is disposed in an appropriate shape in consideration of the relative positional relationship with the LED BLU inside the mobile terminal, a part of the light generated from the LED BLU may reach the light-transmitting material of the outer case so as to produce a lighting effect.

In FIG. 7B, it is assumed that the outer case of the mobile terminal includes an upper plate 101 and a lower plate 102, and an LED BLU 1005 of a type directly under the backlight is disposed on the back of the LCD 151. do. Among the LEDs constituting the LED BLU 1005, the light generated from the LED 1010 positioned at the edge of the LED BLU 1005 is changed in the traveling direction through the prism 1000 so that the light is transmitted to the light-transmitting material 1030 around the LCD or to one side of the outer wall. A light transmissive material 1040 can be reached. The LED BLU may be formed in a structure that can directly and indirectly transmit the light of the LED in the opposite direction of the LCD. In this case, the lighting effect may also be generated through the light-transmitting material 1050 located at the rear of the mobile terminal. have.

Means for adjusting the direction of the light generated from the LED BLU in the present invention is not limited to the above-described prism, and the light of the reflector, diffuser, light guide plate (LGP: light guide plate) and optical fiber using the principle of the mirror or lens Various means of changing the direction of travel may be used.

The external lighting using the backlight LED may generate various visual effects in association with a predetermined function or event executed in the mobile terminal 100. This will be described with reference to FIG. 8.

FIG. 8 illustrates examples in which external lighting using light generated from the LED BLU is utilized as another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring first to (a) of FIG. 8, in the mobile terminal 100, portions 1110 and 1120 of side and rear surfaces may be formed of a light transmissive material so that light generated from the LED BLU may be used for external lighting. When a specific event occurs in the mobile terminal, the mobile terminal may change or blink the brightness of some LEDs of the LED BLU to give various visual effects to the external lighting.

For example, when a call is made to the mobile terminal 100, the controller 180 may control some LEDs of the LED BLU so that the phone shape 1130 may be displayed or flashed on the light transmissive material on the rear surface.

As another example, when the mobile terminal 100 includes a sensing module 140 capable of detecting a state in which the mobile terminal is placed (direction or inclination with respect to the ground), the controller 180 may determine a state in which the mobile terminal is placed. Considering this, it can give a visual effect to the external lighting. That is, the controller 180 may sense that the rear surface of the mobile terminal is placed upward as shown in FIG. 8A through the sensing module 140. In order to inform the user of such a state, the controller 180 may control some LEDs of the LED BLU so that a predetermined figure, text, or an animation effect using them may appear on the light-transmissive material portion 1120 on the rear side.

Next, referring to FIG. 8 (b), it is assumed that external illumination units 1160 and 1170 of light-transmitting materials using light generated from the LED BLU are provided at corners of both sides of the display unit of the mobile terminal 100, respectively. do. In this case, the music reproduction mode is executed in the mobile terminal 100, and accordingly, the display unit 151 may display a predetermined graph 1150 indicating a ratio of volume for each sound band or a ratio of left and right sounds in the stereo mode. . The controller 180 may link both external lighting units with the graph 1150 so that visualization may be generated according to the ratio or volume of each band of the music currently being played.

In order to implement this, the controller 180 controls each of the LEDs that directly or indirectly affect the external lighting of the LED BLU, and changes the intensity or area of the light in consideration of the corresponding sound range or the size of the left and right volume to view the external lighting unit. You can make the effect work.

For example, the controller 180 may link the bass portion of the currently played music with the left external lighting unit 1170 and the treble part with the right external lighting unit 1160. That is, the controller 180 controls the LEDs that affect the left external lighting unit 1170 in the LED BLU at the moment when the specific portion of the bass portion of the currently played music is high, or increases the light, or the large area of the external lighting unit 1170. Can be made to emit light. On the contrary, the controller 180 may control the LEDs at a moment when the specific gravity of the bass portion of the currently played music is weak, or may emit light only in a partial area of the external lighting unit 1170.

The external lighting effect using the LED BLU according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various patterns depending on other functions of the mobile terminal, for example, the occurrence of an event such as a game, watching a video and receiving a call or a message. Can be applied as

In addition, the external lighting effect using the LED BLU according to the present invention may function as a transmitting end of the visible light communication (VLC). Hereinafter, the application of the present invention to visible light communication will be described in detail.

Third Embodiment

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a mobile terminal and a control method thereof capable of performing visible light communication using light generated from the LED BLU of the display unit.

First, the concept of visible light communication (VLC) will be described.

Visible light communication technology is a communication technology that delivers information by using visible visible wavelengths.It blinks the LED at an invisible speed and sends and receives data so that high-speed data communication can be performed wherever there is LED lighting. will be. Such visible light wireless communication uses a wavelength (380 nm to 780 nm) that is most similar to infrared communication (IrDA) using a wavelength of 870 to 900 nm, but it is a feature and an advantage that can communicate simultaneously with lighting. Another advantage of visible light communication is that it has a minimal effect on the human body and the device due to radio waves, and the light reach range is a communication range, which is advantageous for security and easy frequency reuse.

Since the visible light communication uses the LED as described above, if the LED BLU of the display unit is used as a light source, the mobile terminal can operate as a transmitting end of the visible light communication without an LED for separate visible light communication.

A structure of a visible light communication module capable of performing such visible light communication will be described with reference to FIG. 9.

First, the transmission function of the visible light communication module will be described.

Referring to FIG. 9, the protocol management unit 1201 functions to control the overall functions of the visible light communication module, and receives data to be transmitted through the visible light communication from the control unit 180. Techniques and so on.

The pulse shaper 1202 may convert the data to be transmitted into a pulse signal form according to the determined modulation and encoding technique. The pulse signal obtained by converting the data is transmitted to the optical driver 1203, and the optical driver 1203 emits the transmission diode 1204 to satisfy the intensity and specific frequency of light corresponding to the transmitted pulse signal. You can.

Next, a reception function of the visible light communication module will be described.

The visible light signal may be converted into an electrical signal through the receiving photoelectric terminal 1214. In this case, the receiving photoelectric terminal 1214 may be a semiconductor light receiving element. As an example of a semiconductor light-receiving device, an image sensor such as a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) may be used, and an electric current flowing property when receiving light is used. Photo diodes may also be used.

The electrical signal converted by the receiving photoelectric stage 1214 may be transferred to the optical front end amplifier 1213 and amplified. The amplified electrical signal may be restored in the form of digital data through the data / clock decoding unit 1212. The recovered digital data may be transferred to the protocol manager 1201. The protocol manager 1201 may transfer the received data to the controller 180.

When the above-described visible light communication module is implemented in the mobile terminal 100, each part except for the transmitting diode 1204 and the receiving photoelectric terminal 1214 may be included in the controller 180. In addition, the function of the transmitting diode 1204 may be replaced by the LED of the backlight unit BLU of the display unit 151. Even when the LED BLU is used as a transmitting end of the optical communication, the LED blinks at a high speed which cannot be discriminated by the user's naked eye, and thus does not cause visual inconvenience to the user.

In this way, the mobile terminal 100 may operate as a transmitting end of the visible light communication without a separate device, and when the mobile terminal 100 is provided with the receiving photoelectric end, the mobile terminal 100 may perform both the transmitting and receiving functions of the visible light communication.

FIG. 10 illustrates still another embodiment of the present invention in which a mobile terminal operates as a transmitting end of visible light communication.

Referring to FIG. 10A, the mobile terminal 100 may directly perform visible light communication through the display unit 151.

Next, referring to FIG. 10B, the mobile terminal 100 uses the external lighting function described above in the second embodiment, in addition to the display unit 151, the external lighting unit 1301 made of a light transmissive material formed on the external case. Visible light communication can be performed through. In addition, as shown in FIG. 10C, when the mobile terminal 100 is in the form of a folder in which the upper portion 1320 and the lower portion 1330 are hinged, the external lighting unit 1340 of the light transmissive material formed on the upper cover is formed. Visible light communication can be performed.

In this way, the mobile terminal can communicate with another mobile terminal or a fixed terminal without using an LED for visible light communication by using the LED BLU as a transmitting end of the visible light communication. If the mobile terminal is provided with a receiving photoelectric terminal, the mobile terminal may perform data exchange wherever there is an LED light for performing visible light communication.

For example, the mobile terminal may obtain and display information on the structure of the building through the LED lighting in the building, or provide information on the state of the traffic light to the visually impaired through the speaker or vibration through the LED traffic light of the crosswalk. .

As another example, when the direction of the receiving photoelectric terminal is fixed to the traveling direction of the vehicle in the vehicle, the mobile terminal may notify the driver through the display unit or the speaker by obtaining traffic information through the LED of the street light or the traffic light. In addition, the mobile terminal may obtain information on the driving state (eg, sudden stop) of the front vehicle through a headlight of the front vehicle (for example, a brake lamp at the rear) using the LED and transmit a warning message to the user. .

In the above-described embodiments, when the light generated from the LED BLU is used for external illumination of the mobile terminal, not only the intensity, the area and the position of the light emission, but also the color may be controlled through the controller 180. This is not a BLU using LEDs that emit white light. It can be applied to a BLU designed to emit white light with a combination of red, green and blue (ie RGB) LEDs, respectively. In other words, the controller 180 may control the blinking of the LEDs at positions participating in the external lighting in the LED BLU according to the colors so that a specific color appears in the external lighting.

In this case, however, the LED of a specific color may be biased at a specific position to emit light, which may affect the color of the LCD. In order to solve this problem, this problem can be solved by controlling the color of the LCD corresponding to the portion where the LED of the specific color is biased in a direction compensating for the color of the biased LED. For example, if a blue LED is strongly lit on a specific part of the LED BLU to emit blue light on the external light, the user can either weaken the blue component of the color displayed on the LCD of that part or display the complementary color of the blue strongly. You can minimize the color change you feel.

Further, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the above-described method can be implemented as a code that can be read by a processor on a medium on which the 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 mobile terminal having the display unit using the LED backlight described above is not limited to the configuration and method of the embodiments described above, the embodiments are all of the embodiments so that various modifications can be made Or some may be selectively combined.

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

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.

3 is a front view of a mobile terminal for explaining an operation state of the mobile terminal according to the present invention.

4 illustrates an example of visual effects using local emission control of a BLU LED according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows another example of visual effects using local emission control of a BLU LED as an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for another example of a lighting form using light of an LED BLU in an outer case of a mobile terminal.

FIG. 7 illustrates another example of a process in which light generated from the LED BLU reaches an outer case of a light transmissive material.

FIG. 8 illustrates examples in which external lighting using light generated from the LED BLU is utilized as another embodiment of the present invention.

9 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a structure of a visible light communication module.

FIG. 10 illustrates a conceptual diagram in which visible light communication is performed in a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (11)

housing; A display unit including a liquid crystal display device disposed on one surface of the housing and a backlight including a plurality of backlight light emitting diodes positioned on a rear surface of the liquid crystal display device; And And a controller configured to control at least some of the plurality of light emitting diodes to blink in correspondence with the predetermined data so that predetermined data can be transmitted to the outside in a visible light communication (VLC) manner. The method of claim 1, The housing includes a light transmitting area for transmitting a portion of the light generated by the plurality of light emitting diodes to the outside of the housing. 3. The method of claim 2, The light transmission region, And at least one of a periphery of the display unit, a side surface of the housing, and a rear surface of the housing. The method of claim 3, wherein And at least one of a prism, a reflector, a diffuser plate, a lens, an optical fiber, and a light guide plate for transmitting light generated from the plurality of light emitting diodes to the light transmitting region. 3. The method of claim 2, Further comprising a receiving unit using an optical element for converting the blinking signal of the visible light band received from the outside into an electrical signal, The control unit, And control to restore the electrical signal to digital data. The method of claim 5, The optical element, And a photodiode, a charge coupled device (CCD), or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS). The method of claim 5, Further comprising a sound output unit, The control unit, And a sound effect corresponding to the restored digital data is output through the sound output unit. The method of claim 7, wherein The blinking signal of the visible light band is transmitted from the headlight of the vehicle, The digital data includes information about the driving state of the vehicle, The sound effect is a mobile terminal, characterized in that a warning message according to the driving state of the vehicle. Determining data to be transmitted via visible light communication (VLC); Converting the determined data into a predetermined pulse signal; And And emitting at least some of the plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) constituting a backlight unit (BLU) of the display unit so as to correspond to the pulse signal. The method of claim 9, Converting a blinking signal of a visible light band received from the outside into an electrical signal through a predetermined optical element; And Restoring the electrical signal to digital data. The method of claim 10, And outputting a predetermined sound effect corresponding to the restored digital data through a sound output unit.

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