KR20110061237A - Mobile terminal and control for it - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A terminal and a control method thereof are provided to efficiently perform a waterproofing function with various settings of a power control mode according to a battery charging status. CONSTITUTION: A sensing unit(140) senses water or moisture. A solar cell unit(191) includes a plurality of solar cells and a rechargeable battery. A battery unit(192) charges with electric energy. If a sensing signal is transmitted from the sensing unit, a controller(180) controls each operation state of the battery unit and the solar cell unit according to the charge of the solar cell unit.

Description

Terminal and control method {Mobile terminal and control for it}

The present invention relates to a terminal, and more particularly, to a terminal having a solar cell.

The 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 the terminal, it may be considered to improve the structural part and / or the software part of the terminal, and for example, a method of utilizing a solar cell charged with a solar cell as a terminal power supply unit. There is a lot of research going on.

In general, a solar cell is a device that converts battery energy from light energy through a solar cell, and a charging method using a solar cell has an advantage that it can be easily charged without a separate power charging device regardless of a place. Therefore, when attaching a photovoltaic cell array plate in which the solar cells are arranged on the outer case constituting the terminal, it is possible to receive a certain amount of power supply using the solar cell.

However, such a solar cell may not only be charged when snow or rain falls, but also may cause a short circuit or overload due to malfunction of the photovoltaic substrate when moisture is introduced into the gas. In order to prevent this, a terminal using a solar cell uses a protection device that can protect the solar cell from moisture, or a protection method that can be used by separately connecting a charging device to the outside of the gas. However, there is a problem that battery protection is difficult when rain or snow is in contact with water when a weather change occurs or an unexpected situation when the user of the terminal is absent. In addition, when the power is turned off collectively to protect the battery, it causes inconvenience in use.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal having an efficient waterproof function by automatically performing a waterproof protection operation upon contact with water in the terminal itself, and by variously setting the power control scheme according to the state of charge of the battery in the terminal. I would like to.

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.

The terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above problems is a solar cell comprising a sensing unit for sensing water or moisture, a plurality of solar cells and a rechargeable battery for charging electrical energy from light energy. When the sensing signal is transmitted from the branch, the battery unit which receives electric energy and charges and the sensing unit is transmitted, the solar cell unit and the battery unit are classified according to whether the solar cell unit is charging. It includes a control unit.

The control unit may include a system protection module for activating a system protection function when the sensing signal is transmitted, and a power management module for managing operations of the solar cell unit and the battery unit.

When charging is performed in the solar cell unit, the system protection module may generate a first interrupt signal requesting to stop the charging operation and transmit the generated first interrupt signal to the power management module.

In this case, the power management module may control to stop the charging operation in the solar cell unit by cutting off electrical energy flowing into the rechargeable battery from the solar cell when the first interrupt signal is input.

When the solar cell unit is not charging, the system protection module may generate a second interrupt signal for requesting protection of the battery unit and transmit the generated second interrupt signal to the power management module.

In this case, when the second interrupt signal is input, the power management module may stop the charging and discharging operations of the battery unit and control the battery unit protection function to be activated.

The controller may determine whether to turn off the power in the power supply unit including the solar cell unit and the battery unit based on the sensing signal.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a terminal having a solar cell, wherein a sensing unit generates a sensing signal by detecting whether the terminal is in contact with water or moisture. In the step of receiving the sensing signal, activating a system protection function, according to whether the solar cell unit for charging the electrical energy from the light energy is performing the operation by classifying each of the solar cell unit and the battery unit Controlling.

Terminal control method according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the solar cell unit is performing the charging operation, by blocking the electrical energy flowing into the rechargeable battery from a plurality of solar cells arranged on one surface of the solar cell unit The method may further include controlling to stop the charging operation.

The terminal control method according to an embodiment of the present invention, if the solar cell unit is not performing a charging operation, stopping the charging and discharging operation in the battery unit, and controlling to activate the battery unit protection function It may further include.

The above embodiments are only some of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and various embodiments reflecting the technical features of the present invention are based on the detailed description of the present invention described below by those skilled in the art. Can be derived and understood.

The mobile terminal according to at least one embodiment of the present invention configured as described above automatically performs a waterproof protection operation upon contact with water in the terminal itself, and variously sets the power control scheme according to the state of charge of the battery in the terminal. By doing so, an efficient waterproof protection function can be performed.

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.

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 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.

In addition, the sensing unit 140 may detect a change in temperature, humidity, etc. constituting the environment in which the mobile terminal 100 is located. For example, when the mobile terminal 100 comes into contact with water, the mobile terminal 100 may detect and generate a (leakage) sensing signal and transmit the generated signal to the controller 180 to perform the waterproof protection operation.

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. 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.

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. Of course, the projector module 155 may be provided at any position of the mobile terminal 100 as necessary.

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, a wired / wireless headset port, an external charger port, a wired / wireless data port, a memory card port, a port for connecting a device having an identification module, an audio I / O port, A video input / output (I / O) port, an 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.

In addition, the controller 180 may include a system protection module 182 that performs an overall control operation for protecting the terminal from problems such as overload occurring inside the mobile terminal or shock, temperature change, humidity change, etc. transmitted from the outside. Include. The system protection module 182 may control the system protection function to protect the mobile terminal against a change in state occurring inside or outside the terminal. In addition, it may be connected to a submodule managing each function of the mobile terminal and may generate a request signal to perform an operation for protecting a corresponding function in a specific situation and transmit the request signal to each submodule. The controller may include a power management module 183 for managing an operation of the power supply unit 190 mounted in the mobile terminal as an example of the sub module. The power management module 183 may be implemented in the system protection module 182, may be implemented separately from the control unit 180, or may be implemented in the power supply unit 190.

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

The power supply unit 190 receives an external power source and an internal power source under the control of the controller 180 to supply power for operation of each component. The power supply unit 190 includes a solar cell unit 192 and a rechargeable battery unit 191 capable of obtaining electrical energy from light energy. In general, the rechargeable battery 192 is made of a method of charging by plugging the charging device into the outlet in the home, office or car to connect to the mobile terminal. The photovoltaic cell unit 191 is a device that converts light energy into electrical energy. When the light is irradiated to a contact surface of a metal and a semiconductor or a pn junction of a semiconductor, photovoltaic power is generated by a photoelectric effect. The contact between the metal and the semiconductor is used as a selenium photovoltaic cell and a cuprous oxide photovoltaic cell. The pn junction of the semiconductor is used as a solar cell, which is a silicon photovoltaic cell.

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

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

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

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 a video call or the like, 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. Although not shown in FIG. 2B, the power supply unit 190 includes a solar cell unit 191 that receives and charges electric energy from sunlight and a rechargeable battery unit 192 that receives and charges electric energy.

In order to supply electrical energy to the solar cell unit 191, the rear case 102 may be equipped with a photovoltaic panel 135 in which solar cells are arranged to obtain electrical energy from light energy. The photovoltaic array plate 135 may be mounted on the lower end of the rear case 102 to be protected from the external environment, and the transparent case may be mounted on the upper end of the photovoltaic array plate 135. Alternatively, unlike illustrated in FIG. 2B, the photovoltaic array plate 135 may be mounted on the front surface of the terminal body or may be configured as a separate external device and connected to the terminal.

3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a controller and a power supply unit in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a power control operation in the mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. A procedure flow diagram showing an example of a process. Specifically, FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate an example of a process in which a power control operation is performed in a mobile terminal in contact with water as one example of factors causing malfunction, short circuit, or overload of the mobile terminal.

Referring to FIG. 3, the mobile terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a system protection module 182, a power management module 183, and a power supply 190. The power management module may include a solar cell control module 1832 for controlling the solar cell 192 and a battery control module 1831 for controlling the rechargeable battery 191.

When the sensing unit 140 described above with reference to FIG. 1 detects a day of the week in which a short circuit occurs, such as contact with water, a sensing signal is generated accordingly. The sensing unit 140 may adjust the intensity of the sensing signal and the like so as to indicate a risk of occurrence of a short circuit based on the area, time, etc. of the mobile terminal in contact with the water (S10).

When the generated sensing signal is input to the system protection module 182 of the controller 180, the system protection module 182 activates the waterproof protection function among the system protection functions. In this case, the system protection module 182 may determine whether to activate the waterproof protection function based on the strength of the transmitted sensing signal (S11).

In addition, the system protection module 182 may perform an overall control operation for preventing a short circuit or overload of the mobile terminal, and also includes a management operation for the power supply unit 190 and a power on / off control. When it is determined that the leakage or overload occurrence rate and the generation degree are greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value through the strength of the sensing signal, the power of the mobile terminal may be 'Power Off' (S12 and S13).

When the short circuit or overload occurs as a result of the determination, the system protection module 182 determines whether charging is performed in the solar cell, and accordingly, divides the solar cell and the battery into an interrupt to the power management module 183. Send an interrupt signal. In the present invention, the "interrupt signal" is defined as a specific signal for continuing the function execution even when an unexpected problem occurs during the operation (S14).

The power management module 183 is configured with a power management integrated circuit (PMIC). PMIC is an integrated circuit for power management, and is generally used in mobile terminals and portable media player devices, and the like, mainly performs battery management, voltage regulation, and charging functions. The PMIC may use pulse frequency modulation and pulse-width modulation.

When the system protection module 182 receives the electric energy from the photovoltaic array plate 135 in the solar cell unit 191 and performs charging, a short circuit detection signal is input from the sensing unit 140. Generate a first interrupt signal to protect the signal. The first interrupt signal is for requesting the solar cell unit 191 to stop the charging operation and is transmitted to the solar cell control module 1831. Then, the solar cell control module 1831 transmits the charge stop request signal to the solar cell unit 191 to protect the solar cell (S15).

The photovoltaic cell unit 191 receiving the charge stop request signal interrupts an electric energy signal transmitted from the photovoltaic array plate 135 to stop the charging operation, thereby preventing a short circuit or an overload from occurring in the photovoltaic cell unit. Can be. Alternatively, the charging operation may be stopped by not generating electrical energy from light energy in the photovoltaic array plate 135 when the solar cell control module 1831 transmits the charging stop request signal (S16).

On the other hand, when the earth leakage detection sensing signal is input to the system protection module 182 when the solar cell unit 191 is not charging, a second interrupt signal for protecting the main battery is generated. When the second interrupt signal is input, the battery control module 1832 transmits a control signal related to a power control operation to the rechargeable battery unit 192. The control signal related to the power control operation includes instruction information for instructing to perform power cutoff transmitted from the battery unit 192 to the inside of the terminal (S12 and S17).

The battery unit 192 receiving the control signal may reduce the amount of power transmitted to each module mounted inside the terminal or cut off the power supply using a transistor mounted in the battery unit. For example, the battery unit 192 may generate a predetermined threshold voltage for turning on / off the transistor so as to stop charging and discharging of the battery unit 192.

Alternatively, the reserve power transmitted from the solar cell unit 191 may be blocked. When the terminal is in contact with water, a short circuit or overload may occur in the solar cell unit 191, thereby preventing the secondary damage by blocking the battery unit 192 from the solar cell unit 191. . In addition, when the battery control module 1832 is provided with a battery protection circuit in the battery unit 192 itself, the battery control module 1832 transmits a protection signal to the battery unit 192 to perform a protection function. It may be (S18).

Unlike the above description, the system control module 182 transmits the first interrupt signal and the second interrupt signal to the power management module 183, and classifies the interrupt signals transmitted from the power management module 183, respectively. The battery control module 1831 and the battery control module 1832 can be transferred.

In addition, since the leakage or overload information of the mobile terminal may be rapidly increased in real time, unlike the system protection module 182 as well as the power management module 183 as shown in FIG. In this case, a control signal requesting to turn off the power of the mobile terminal may be transmitted to the power supply unit 190.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the above-described method may be implemented as code that can be read by a processor in 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 mobile terminal having the solar cell described above is not limited to the configuration and method of the embodiments described above, the embodiments are all or part of each embodiment so that various modifications can be made It may alternatively be configured in combination.

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 block diagram illustrating an example of a controller and a power supply unit in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a power control operation process in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (10)

Sensing unit for detecting water or moisture; A solar cell unit including a plurality of solar cells and a rechargeable battery for charging electrical energy from light energy; A battery unit for charging and receiving electric energy; And And a controller configured to control the operation state of the solar cell unit and the battery unit according to whether the solar cell unit is being charged when the sensing signal is transmitted from the sensing unit. The method of claim 1, The control unit may include a system protection module for activating a system protection function when the sensing signal is transmitted; And And a power management module for managing operations of the solar cell unit and the battery unit. The method of claim 2, When charging is performed in the solar cell unit, And the system protection module generates a first interrupt signal for requesting to stop the charging operation and transmits the first interrupt signal to the power management module. The method of claim 3, wherein The power management module is characterized in that the control to interrupt the charging operation in the solar cell unit by blocking the electric energy flowing into the rechargeable battery from the solar cell when the first interrupt signal input. The method of claim 2, When not charging in the solar cell unit, The system protection module generates a second interrupt signal requesting protection of the battery unit and transmits to the power management module. The method of claim 5, And the power management module stops charging and discharging operations in the battery unit when the second interrupt signal is input, and controls to activate the battery unit protection function. The method of claim 1, The controller may determine whether to perform a power-off from a power supply unit including the solar cell unit and the battery unit based on the sensing signal. In the control method of a terminal provided with a solar cell, Generating a sensing signal by detecting whether the terminal is in contact with water or moisture in a sensing unit; Receiving the sensing signal to activate a system protection function; And And controlling each operation state by dividing the solar cell unit and the battery unit according to whether the solar cell unit for charging electrical energy from light energy is being performed. The method of claim 8, When the solar cell unit is performing a charging operation, And controlling the electric energy flowing into the rechargeable battery from the plurality of solar cells arranged on one surface of the housing to stop the charging operation in the solar cell unit. The method of claim 8, If the solar cell unit is not performing a charging operation, And stopping the charging and discharging operations in the battery unit, and controlling the battery unit protection function to be activated.

Images