KR20110112943A - Mobile terminal and method for controlling the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal having at least one transparent and flexible electronic paper type sub display unit in addition to the main display unit, and capable of displaying indicator information on the sub display unit, and a control method thereof. .

Description

MOBILE TERMINAL AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and a method of controlling the same so that user's convenience can be further considered to enable the use of the terminal.

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 such a terminal, it may be considered to improve the structural part and / or the software part of the terminal.

Recently, the display unit of the terminal has been released in the form of a touch screen capable of touch recognition, and it is required to provide various UI (User Interface) functions according to the manipulation of the touch screen.

Indicator icons representing various states of the terminal are displayed on the screen of the mobile terminal, and the user views the indicator icon, the antenna reception sensitivity of the current terminal, the fact that the message is received, and the sound / manner mode of the terminal. The remaining battery level and the current time can be known.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal capable of displaying indicator information on the sub display unit, in addition to the main display unit, including at least one transparent and flexible electronic paper type sub display unit. The purpose is to provide.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mobile terminal comprising: a main display unit provided at a front portion of a terminal body; A sub display unit of at least one electronic paper type; And a controller configured to display a standby screen on the main display unit and display at least one indicator information indicating an operation state of the terminal on the sub display unit.

In this case, the sub display unit may be provided at at least one of a rear part, an upper part, a lower part, a left part and a right part of the main body.

In this case, at least one surface of the upper portion, the lower portion, the left portion, and the right portion of the main body may be formed to be bent, and the sub display unit may be disposed on the curved surface.

In addition, the sub display unit may be disposed on an edge surface at which one surface of the upper portion, the lower portion, the left portion and the right portion of the main body and the front portion of the main body are connected to each other.

In addition, the sub display unit may be disposed on an edge surface at which one of an upper side, a lower side, a left side and a right side of the main body and a rear side of the main body are connected to each other.

The sub display unit may be an electronic paper including a touch pad, and the controller may display the indicator icon by driving the electronic paper when the electronic paper is touched.

In this case, when the electronic paper is touched again, the controller may turn off the driving of the electronic paper. The controller may display detailed information of the indicator information on the electronic paper when the electronic paper is touched again. In addition, the controller may sequentially scroll display the entirety of the detailed information of the indicator information on the electronic paper. The controller may display detailed information of the indicator information when the electronic paper is touched again.

The controller may display at least one indicator information preset by a user among the indicator information on the sub display unit. If the sub display unit and the indicator information are plural or more, the controller may display the sub information according to a user's setting. The indicator information may be classified and displayed on each of the display units.

The controller may not display the indicator information displayed on the sub display unit in the standby screen displayed on the main display unit.

The controller may determine whether all of the indicator information can be displayed on the sub display unit, and if it is impossible as a result of the determination, the controller may sequentially scroll display the indicator information.

When the driving of the main display unit is turned off, the controller may display the indicator information displayed on the standby screen of the main display unit.

In addition, when the main display unit is a touch screen and at least one indicator information is displayed on the touch screen, and the indicator information on the touch screen is flicked in a direction in which the sub display unit is arranged, The flicked indicator information may be displayed on the sub display unit.

The mobile terminal may further include a motion sensor configured to detect an inclination of the main body of the terminal, wherein the sub display unit is located at least one of an upper side, a lower side, a left side, and a right side of the terminal. The control unit may display at least one indicator information on the sub display unit disposed in the tilting direction of the main body detected by the motion sensor.

In addition, the control method of a mobile terminal according to the present invention comprises the steps of: providing a main display unit provided in the front of the terminal body; Providing at least one electronic paper type sub display unit; Displaying a standby screen on the main display unit; And displaying at least one indicator information indicating an operation state of the terminal on the sub display unit.

A mobile terminal and a method of controlling the same according to the present invention include a transparent and flexible electronic paper type sub display unit at an upper / lower end or a left / right side of the terminal, and the indicator information in the form of icons in the sub display unit. By displaying, the indicator information can be viewed through the sub display unit without the user looking at the main display unit.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cell cross section and a display driving winry of an electronic paper type sub display unit according to the present invention.
3 to 6 are views showing respective positions of the sub-display unit of the electronic paper type according to the present invention.
7 is a flowchart illustrating a process of setting a sub display unit to display an indicator icon in a mobile terminal according to the present invention.
8 is a screen state diagram illustrating a process of setting a sub display unit to display an indicator icon in a mobile terminal according to the present invention.
9 is a flowchart illustrating a process of displaying an indicator icon on a sub display unit in a mobile terminal according to the present invention.
10 to 13 are flowcharts illustrating a process of displaying an indicator icon on a sub display unit in a mobile terminal according to the present invention.
14 is a flowchart of a second embodiment illustrating a process of displaying an indicator icon on a sub display unit in a mobile terminal according to the present invention.
15 and 16 are flowcharts of a second embodiment illustrating a process of displaying an indicator icon on a sub display unit in a mobile terminal according to the present invention.
17 is a flowchart illustrating a process of displaying an indicator icon on a sub display unit in a mobile terminal according to the present invention.
18 is a flowchart of a third embodiment illustrating a process of displaying an indicator icon on a sub display unit in a mobile terminal according to the present invention.
19 is a flowchart illustrating a process of displaying an indicator icon on a sub display unit in a mobile terminal according to the present invention.
20 and 21 are flowcharts illustrating a process of displaying an indicator icon on a sub display unit in a mobile terminal according to the present invention.
22 is a flowchart of a fifth embodiment illustrating a process of displaying an indicator icon on a sub display unit in a mobile terminal according to the present invention.
FIG. 23 is a flowchart illustrating a process of displaying an indicator icon on a sub display unit in a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

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.

Prior to describing the present invention, the indicator information discussed in the present invention may be any one of a text, an image, a video, and an animation in a form that a user can recognize the state of the mobile terminal 100. Two or more may be in the form of a combined icon.

That is, the indicator information includes the antenna reception sensitivity of the terminal 100, the battery level, the current time, the alarm setting, the ring / vibration mode, the video call possible, the messenger use, the sound volume The state of various terminals 100 such as a size and a ringtone size may be displayed. In the following description, it is assumed that the indicator information is in the form of an icon.

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).

For example, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DMB-T), a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Satellite (DMB-S), a Media Forward Link Only A digital broadcasting system such as DVB-CB, OMA-BCAST, or 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. According to the current technology, the GPS module 115 calculates distance information and accurate time information from three or more satellites, and then applies trigonometry to the calculated information to obtain a three-dimensional string of latitude, longitude, The location information can be accurately calculated. At present, a method of calculating position and time information using three satellites and correcting an error of the calculated position and time information using another satellite is widely used. In addition, the GPS module 115 may calculate speed information by continuously calculating the current position in real time.

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 an image frame such as a still image or a moving image obtained by an image sensor in a video call mode or a photographing mode. The processed image frame may be displayed on the display unit 151.

The image frame processed by the camera 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 and a motion sensor 142. This will be described later with reference to the touch screen.

The motion sensor 142 may detect the movement and tilt of the mobile terminal 100 and output the detected result to the controller 180. For example, the motion sensor 142 may be implemented as a tilt sensor, a gyro sensor, or the like.

The output unit 150 is used to generate an output related to visual, auditory, or tactile senses, which includes a main display unit 151, an audio output module (not shown), an alarm unit 152, a haptic module 153, and a projector. The module 154 and the sub display unit 155 may be included.

The main display unit 151 displays (outputs) information processed by the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal is in a call mode, the mobile terminal displays a user interface (UI) or a graphic user interface (GUI) related to the call. When the mobile terminal 100 is in a video call mode or a photographing mode, the mobile terminal 100 displays photographed and / or received images, a UI, and a GUI.

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

In addition, according to the present invention, the sub display unit 155 may be provided in an electronic paper form on at least one of an upper end, a lower end, a rear part, a left side, and a right side of the terminal 100.

In this case, the sub display unit 155 is provided with a smaller screen size than the main display unit 151, and at least one indicator icon is displayed according to the present invention.

The touch sensor may be mounted on the main and sub display units 151 and 155 to be provided in the form of a touch screen.

As described above, when the main and sub display units 151 and 155 are provided in the form of a touch screen, the main and sub display units 151 and 155 may be used as an input device in addition to the output device.

The touch sensor converts a change in pressure applied to specific portions of the main and sub display units 151 and 155 or capacitance generated in specific portions of the main and sub display units 151 and 155 into an electrical input signal. It can be configured to. The touch sensor may be configured to detect not only the position and area of the touch but also the pressure at the touch.

When there is a touch input to the touch sensor, the corresponding signal (s) is sent to a touch controller (not shown). The touch controller processes the signal (s) and then transmits the corresponding data to the controller 180. As a result, the controller 180 can determine which area of the main and sub display units 151 and 155 is touched.

The proximity sensor 141 may be disposed in an inner region of the mobile terminal 100 surrounded by the main display unit 151 or near the main display unit 151.

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.

Hereinafter, for convenience of description, the pointer is located on the main and sub display units 151 and 155 without touching the pointer on the main and sub display units 151 and 155 of the touch screen type. The act of causing this recognition is referred to as "proximity touch", and the act of actually touching the pointer on the main and sub display units 151 and 155 is referred to as "contact touch". The position where the proximity touch is performed by the pointer on the main and sub display units 151 and 155 means that the pointer is perpendicular to the main and sub display units 151 and 155 when the pointer is in close proximity touch. It means location.

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).

Hereinafter, the sub display unit 155 according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6.

First, referring to FIG. 2, the cell cross section and the display driving principle of the image display element used in the electronic paper 155 which is the sub display unit according to the present invention will be described.

First, FIG. 2A shows a state in which negatively charged particles 155e and positively charged particles 155f are disposed between opposing substrates (transparent substrate 155a and opposing substrate 155b). .

In this state, when a voltage is applied from the display electrode 155c to the high potential of the counter electrode 155d, the positively charged particles 155f are displayed by the coulomb force as shown in FIG. 2B. The electrode 155c is moved to the side of the electrode, and the negative (-) charged particles 155e are moved to the side of the counter electrode 155d. In this case, the display surface seen from the transparent substrate 155a side is seen as the color of the positively charged particles 155f.

Then, when the potential is switched to apply a voltage such that the display electrode 155c side becomes a high potential, and a voltage is applied such that the opposite electrode 155d side becomes a low potential, as shown in FIG. The negatively charged particles 155e move toward the display electrode 155c and the positively charged particles 155f move toward the opposite electrode 155d. In this case, the display surface viewed from the transparent substrate 155a side is seen as the color of the negatively-chargeable particles 155e.

Between FIG. 2B and FIG. 2C, it can display repeatedly only by inverting the electric potential of a power supply, and it can reversibly change a color by inverting electric potential of a power supply in this way. At this time, the color of the particles can be freely selected.

For example, the negatively charged particles 155e are white and the positively charged particles 155f are black, or the negatively charged particles 155e are black and positive (+). ) When the charged particles 155f are white, the display becomes a reversible display between white and black. In this manner, since each particle is in a state of being attached to the electrode by ordinary force once, the display state of the image is maintained even after the power is turned off.

As described above, the electronic paper 155 is a reflective display, and has excellent visual characteristics such as high resolution, wide viewing angle, and bright white background like conventional paper and ink.

That is, the electronic paper 155 may be implemented on any substrate such as plastic, metal, paper, and the image is maintained even after the power is cut off, and the battery life of the terminal 100 is long because there is no back light power. Can be.

As described above, the electronic paper 155, which is a sub display unit, may be provided with one or more devices in the mobile terminal 100 according to the present invention as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6 to display indicator icons.

That is, referring to FIG. 3, the main display unit 151 is mounted on the front portion 10A of the terminal 100 according to the present invention, and the upper portion 20A and the right surface 30A of the terminal 100 are mounted on the main display unit 151. Electronic paper 155 may be mounted respectively.

In addition, referring to FIG. 4, one or more electronic papers 155 may be mounted on the rear portion 10B of the terminal 100.

In addition, the electronic paper 155 may have any one surface of the upper portion 20A, the lower portion 20B, the left portion 30B, and the right portion 30A of the terminal 100 and the front portion of the main body. 10A may be mounted on an edge surface connected to each other, and any one of the upper portion 20A, the lower portion 20B, the left portion 30B, and the right portion 30A may be mounted on the edge surface. The rear portion 10B of the main body may be mounted on edge surfaces connected to each other.

For example, FIG. 5 illustrates that the electronic paper 155 is mounted on an edge surface at which the front portion 10A and the upper portion 20A of the terminal are connected to each other.

In addition, referring to FIG. 6, at least one surface of the upper portion 20A, the lower portion 20B, the left portion 30B, and the right portion 30A of the terminal 100 is formed to be bent. The electronic paper 155 may be mounted on the curved surface.

That is, as an example, FIG. 5A illustrates that the electronic paper 155 is mounted in the curved upper end portion 20A, and FIG. 5B illustrates that the electronic paper 155 is It shows what is mounted in the curved right side surface 30A.

The sub display unit 155 according to the present invention has been described above with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6.

Next, the component of FIG. 1 is demonstrated.

The sound output module (not shown) 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 (not shown) may also output a sound signal related to a function (for example, a call signal reception sound or a message reception sound) performed in the mobile terminal 100. The sound output module 152 may include a receiver, a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

The alarm module 152 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 module 152 may output a signal for notifying an occurrence of an event by vibration, in addition to a video signal or an audio signal. The video signal or the audio signal may also be output through the main display unit 151 or an audio output module (not shown). In this case, the main display unit 151 and the audio output module (not shown) may be an alarm module 152. It can be classified as a kind of).

The haptic module 153 generates various haptic effects that a user can feel. Vibration is a representative example of the haptic effect generated by the haptic module 153. The intensity and pattern of vibration generated by the haptic module 153 can be controlled. For example, different vibrations may be synthesized and output or may be sequentially output.

In addition to the vibration, the haptic module 153 may be used to stimulate a pin array that vertically moves with respect to the contact skin surface, a jetting force or suction force of air through an injection or inlet, grazing to the skin surface, contact of an electrode, and electrostatic force. 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 153 may not only deliver the haptic effect through direct contact, but may also be implemented to allow the user to feel the haptic effect through a muscle sense such as a finger or an arm. Two or more haptic modules 153 may be provided according to a configuration aspect of the mobile terminal 100.

The projector module 154 is a component for performing an image project function using the mobile terminal 100, and is the same as the image displayed on the main display unit 151 according to a control signal of the controller 180. Or at least partially different images may be displayed on an external screen or wall.

In detail, the projector module 154 may include a light source (not shown) for generating light (for example, laser light) for outputting the image to the outside, and an image for output to the outside using the light generated by the light source. And an image generating means (not shown), and a lens (not shown) for expanding and outputting the image to the outside at a predetermined focal length. In addition, the projector module 154 may include an apparatus (not shown) which may mechanically move the lens or the entire module to adjust the image projection direction.

The projector module 154 may be divided into a cathode ray tube (CRT) module, a liquid crystal display (LCD) module, a digital light processing (DLP) module, and the like, according to the device type of the display means. In particular, the DLP module may be advantageous in miniaturization of the projector module 154 by expanding and projecting an image generated by reflecting light generated from a light source to a digital micromirror device (DMD) chip.

Preferably, the projector module 154 may be provided in the longitudinal direction on the side, front or back of the mobile terminal 100. Of course, the projector module 154 may be provided at any position of the mobile terminal 100 as necessary.

The memory 160 may store a program for processing and controlling the controller 180, and stores input / output data (for example, a phone book, a message, an audio, a still image, an e-book, a video, etc.). You can also perform a function for temporary storage. 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.

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, 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 can be implemented in a software application written in a suitable programming language. The software code may be stored in the memory 160 and executed by the controller 180.

Hereinafter, referring to FIGS. 7 to 23, a process of controlling driving of the main and sub display units 151 and 155 of the controller 180 and displaying an indicator icon on the sub display unit 155 according to the present invention will be described in detail. Explain.

First, a process of setting a sub display unit to display an indicator icon in a state where a plurality of sub display units according to the present invention are provided will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

7 is a flowchart illustrating a process of setting a sub display unit to display an indicator icon in a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

8 is a screen state diagram illustrating a process of setting a sub display unit to display an indicator icon in a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

7 and 8, when the indicator display position setting menu 10 according to the present invention is selected among the setting menus of the mobile terminal 100 (FIG. 8A), the controller 180 selects the selected menu. The indicator display position setting menu 10 is displayed on the main display unit 151 [S71] (FIG. 8B).

In this case, the setting menu 10 includes an indicator setting window 20 for selecting the type of the indicator icon and a sub display setting window 30 for selecting the type of the sub display unit.

That is, as shown in (b) of FIG. 8, when the setting menu 10 is selected, the controller 180 displays the indicator icons 21 included in the mobile terminal 100 in the indicator setting window 20. ~ 27) are listed and displayed.

In addition, as shown in (b) of FIG. 8, when the setting menu 10 is selected, the controller 180 includes a plurality of subs provided in the mobile terminal 100 in the sub display unit setting window 30. The display units 31 to 33 are listed and displayed.

If the at least one indicator icon is designated through the indicator setting window 20 and the sub display unit setting window 30 [S72], and the sub display unit to display the designated indicator icon [S73], The designated indicator icon and the sub display unit are mapped to each other and stored in the memory 160] [S74].

Hereinafter, Table 1 is demonstrated to an example.

 No The type of the specified indicator. Sub display unit to display the designated indicator One Time, message, and missed notification indicators Upper sub display 2 Battery and Antenna Indicators Lower sub display 3 Sound volume indicator Right Sub Display

Table 1 shows an example of a mapping table stored in the memory 160 by the process of FIGS. 7 and 8.

For example, the indicator icons representing the message 22, the absence 23, and the time 24 state among the indicator icons 21 to 27 may be connected to the sub display unit 31 provided at the upper end of the mobile terminal 100. Indicator icons that are mapped and indicate the status of the message 22, the absence 23, and the time 24 are displayed on the sub display 31 of the upper portion.

As another example, the indicator icons representing the state of the battery 21 and the antenna 25 among the indicator icons 21 to 27 are mapped to the sub display unit 32 provided at the lower end of the mobile terminal 100. Indicator icons representing the state of the battery 21 and the antenna 25 are displayed on the sub display unit 32 of the lower portion.

As another example, an indicator icon representing a sound volume size (not shown) state among the indicator icons 21 to 27 is mapped to the sub display unit 33 provided on the right side of the mobile terminal 100. The indicator icon representing the sound volume level (not shown) is displayed on the sub display unit 33 of the right side.

7 to 8 illustrate that a plurality of sub display units according to the present invention are provided. However, when the sub display unit is provided as a single unit, the sub display setting window 30 may be omitted.

As described above, the process of setting the sub display unit to display the indicator icon in a state where a plurality of sub display units according to the present invention are provided with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8 has been described in detail.

Hereinafter, each embodiment of displaying an indicator icon on the sub display unit 155 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 9 to 23.

<First Embodiment>

In the first embodiment of the present invention, the sub-display unit 155 displays an indicator icon displayed on the screen of the main display unit 151 while the main display unit 151 and the sub display unit 155 are driven together. Provides the ability to display on.

9 is a flowchart illustrating a process of displaying an indicator icon on a sub display unit in a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

10 to 13 are flowcharts illustrating a process of displaying an indicator icon on a sub display unit in a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

First, referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, the controller 180 is configured to deactivate the mobile terminal 100 so that the main and sub display units 151 and 155 are turned off. When the state is activated, the main and sub display units 151 and 155 are driven [S91].

In this case, the inactive state of the mobile terminal 100 means that the mobile terminal 100 is switched to a sleep state because a user's operation or internal operation of the mobile terminal 100 has not been performed for a preset time. do.

The controller 180 displays a screen including at least one indicator icon 21, 22, 24, or 25 on the driven main display unit 151 [S92], and the driven at least one sub display unit 155. ), The indicator icons 21, 22, 24, and 25 are displayed [S93].

That is, FIG. 10 illustrates that the sub display unit 155 according to the present invention is mounted on the upper end portion 20A of the mobile terminal 100, and the controller 180 displays indicator icons displayed on the display unit 151. 21, 22, 24, and 25 are displayed on the sub display unit 155 in duplicate.

At this time, even if the activated mobile terminal 100 is switched back to the inactive state and the main and sub display units 151 and 155 are turned off again, the sub display unit 155 is an electronic paper, so driving is turned off. Even if the indicator icons 21, 22, 24, and 25 are displayed, the afterimage may be maintained.

Therefore, even if the mobile terminal 100 is inactive and the main display unit 151 is turned off, the user may display the indicator icons 21, 22, and 24 through the sub display unit 155 provided in the mobile terminal 100. , 25) can always recognize the information it represents.

In this case, the controller 180 may change a menu function of the user when the state of the indicator icons 21, 22, 24, and 25 displayed on the sub display unit 155 is changed while the sub display unit 155 is turned off. According to a setting, the sub display unit 155 may be driven to display the indicator icons 21, 22, 24, and 25 to which the changed state is applied.

In addition, the controller 180 may change a menu function of the user when the state of the indicator icons 21, 22, 24, and 25 displayed on the sub display unit 155 is changed while the sub display unit 155 is turned off. According to the setting, an afterimage of the screen displayed on the sub display unit 155 may be removed.

Although not shown in the drawing, when the controller 180 selects at least one of the indicator icons 21, 22, 24, and 25 displayed in the sub display unit 155, details of the information indicated by the selected indicator icon are selected. The content may be displayed on the main display unit 151 or the sub display unit 155.

In this case, when the details of the selected indicator icon are displayed on the sub display unit 155, the controller 180 determines whether the entire details of the indicator icons can be displayed on the screen of the sub display unit 155. If the result of the determination is impossible, the details of the indicator icon may be sequentially scrolled on the sub display unit 155 to display the entire details.

Next, referring to FIG. 11, the controller 180 does not display the indicator icons 21, 22, 24, and 25 on the screen of the main display unit 151 according to a user's menu function setting. The indicator icons 21, 22, 24, and 25 may be displayed only on the sub display unit 155.

Next, referring to FIG. 12, if it is impossible to display all of the indicator icons 21, 22, 24, and 25 on the screen of the sub display unit 155, FIG. As shown, some indicator icons 22 and 25 are first displayed on the sub display unit 155, and as shown in FIG. 12B, the remaining indicator icons 21 and 24 are sequentially displayed. Scrolling can be displayed.

Next, referring to FIG. 13, when a plurality of sub display units 155 are provided in the mobile terminal 100, indicator icons may be classified and displayed on each of the sub display units.

That is, in FIG. 13, for example, the sub display unit 155 is provided at the upper end portion 20A and the right portion 30A of the mobile terminal 100, respectively, and the controller 180 controls the upper end portion 20A. And indicator icons preset by the user of Table 1 on each of the sub display units 155 disposed on the right portion 30A.

9 to 13, the first embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail.

Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 14 to 16.

Second Embodiment

According to the second embodiment of the present invention, when the main display unit 151 is driven, the sub display unit 155 is turned off. When the main display unit 151 is turned off, the sub display unit 155 is driven. Provides a function of displaying the indicator icons displayed on the main display unit 151 on the driven sub display unit 155.

14 is a flowchart of a second embodiment illustrating a process of displaying an indicator icon on a sub display unit in a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

15 and 16 are flowcharts of a second embodiment illustrating a process of displaying an indicator icon on a sub display unit in a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

First, referring to FIGS. 14 and 15, the controller 180 drives the main display unit 151 and turns off the sub display unit 155 when the mobile terminal 100 is activated [S141] [FIG. 15 (A)].

The controller 180 displays a screen including at least one indicator icon 21, 22, 24, or 25 on the driven main display unit 151 [S142].

In this case, when the mobile terminal 100 is switched from an active state to an inactive state, the controller 180 turns off the driving of the main display unit 151 [S143] and drives the sub display unit 155 [ S144].

Next, the controller 180 displays the indicator icons 21, 22, 24, and 25 displayed on the main display unit 151 on the driven sub display unit 155 [S145] [FIG. 15. (B)].

In this case, although not shown in the drawing, when at least one of the indicator icons 21, 22, 24, and 25 displayed in the sub display unit 155 is selected, the controller 180 details the information indicated by the selected indicator icon. The content may be displayed on the main display unit 151 or the sub display unit 155.

In this case, when the details of the selected indicator icon are displayed on the sub display unit 155, the controller 180 determines whether the entire details of the indicator icons can be displayed on the screen of the sub display unit 155. If the result of the determination is impossible, the details of the indicator icon may be sequentially scrolled on the sub display unit 155 to display the entire details.

In addition, the controller 180 may not display all of the indicator icons 21, 22, 24, and 25 on the screen of the sub display unit 155. 25 may be displayed first, and the remaining indicator icons 21 and 24 may be sequentially scrolled.

Next, referring to FIG. 16, when a plurality of sub display units 155 are provided in the mobile terminal 100, indicator icons may be classified and displayed on each of the sub display units.

That is, in FIG. 16, for example, the upper display unit 20A and the right display unit 30A of the mobile terminal 100 are provided with the sub display unit 155, respectively, and the controller 180 controls the main display unit ( When 151 is turned off, the sub-display unit 155 disposed at the upper end portion 20A and the right-side portion 30A is driven, and indicator icons preset by the user of Table 1 are respectively set on the sub-display unit 155. I can display it.

In the above, the second embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to FIGS. 14 to 16.

Hereinafter, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 17 and 18.

Third Embodiment

According to the third embodiment of the present invention, when the sub display unit 155 is touched while the sub display unit 155 is turned off, indicator icons are displayed on the sub display unit 155, and the indicator icons are displayed. When the sub display unit 155 is touched again, the sub display unit 155 may be turned off.

17 is a flowchart illustrating a process of displaying an indicator icon on a sub display unit in a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

18 is a flowchart of a third embodiment illustrating a process of displaying an indicator icon on a sub display unit in a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

17 and 18, in a state in which driving of the sub display unit 155 provided in at least one of the mobile terminals 100 is turned off (S171), the sub display unit is turned off by the user. If 155 is touched [S171] (FIG. 18A), the touched sub display unit 155 is driven [S172].

In this case, the main display unit 151 may be driven or turned off. That is, according to the third embodiment of the present invention, regardless of whether the main display unit 151 is driven or not, the indicator icons are displayed on the sub display unit 155 according to the user's touch.

Meanwhile, since the sub display unit 155 is provided as a touch screen type or a heat sensing sensor (not shown) is provided around the sub display unit 155, the controller 180 controls a sub display unit for a user ( The touch of 155 may be sensed.

If the touched sub display unit 155 is driven, the controller 180 displays at least one indicator icon 21, 22, 24, or 25 on the driven sub display unit 155 [S174] [ (B) of FIG. 18].

In this case, the indicator icons 21, 22, 24, and 25 may be icons preset by the user or icons displayed on the main display unit 151 according to the processes of FIGS. 7 and 8.

Although not shown in the drawing, the controller 180 partially displays the indicator icons 21, 22, 24, and 25 on the screen of the sub display unit 155. The indicator icons 22 and 25 may be displayed first, and the remaining indicator icons 21 and 24 may be sequentially scrolled.

As described above, the controller 180 displays the indicator icons 21, 22, 24, and 25 on the sub display unit 155, and when the sub display unit 155 is touched again by the user. [S175] (FIG. 18B), the driving of the sub display unit 155 is turned off [S176] (FIG. 18C).

In the above, the third embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to FIGS. 17 and 18.

Hereinafter, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 19 to 21.

<Fourth Embodiment>

In the fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the indicator icon displayed on the main display unit 151 is flickered in a specific direction in a state in which the plurality of sub display units 155 are provided at different positions in the mobile terminal 100. When flicking, a function of displaying the flicked indicator icon on the sub display unit 155 disposed in the flicked direction is provided.

19 is a flowchart illustrating a process of displaying an indicator icon on a sub display unit in a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

20 and 21 are flowcharts illustrating a process of displaying an indicator icon on a sub display unit in a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

First, referring to FIGS. 19 and 20, the controller 180 drives the first main display unit 151 [S191], and the controller 180 controls at least one indicator icon on the driven main display unit 151. The screen including the fields 21, 24, and 25 is displayed [S192] (Fig. 20 (a)).

In this case, when the at least one icon 21 of the indicator icons 21, 24, and 25 of the indicator icons 21, 24, and 25 is touched by the user in a specific direction on the main display unit 151 [S193] 20 (a)], among the plurality of sub display units 155 provided in the mobile terminal 100, the sub display unit 155 disposed in the flicking direction is driven [S194].

The controller 180 displays the indicator icon 21 flicked by the main display unit 151 on the driven sub display unit 155 [S195] (FIG. 20B).

That is, as an example, in FIG. 20A, the sub display unit 155 is disposed at the upper end portion 20A and the right portion 30A of the mobile terminal 100, respectively, and a battery indicator icon in the main display unit 151 is provided. FIG. 21 illustrates the flicking of the terminal 21 toward the sub display unit 155 located at the upper end portion 20A of the terminal 100.

As described above, when the battery indicator icon 21 is flicked in the direction of the upper part 20A, the controller 180 drives the upper part 20A sub display unit 155 disposed in the flicking direction, and the upper part The battery indicator icon 21 is displayed on the sub display unit 155.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 21, in the fourth embodiment of the present invention, even if an area where the indicator icons 21, 24, and 25 are disposed in the main display unit 151 is flickered, the flicking is performed. All of the indicator icons 21, 24, and 25 in the flicked area may be displayed on the sub display unit 155 positioned in the direction.

In the above, the fourth embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to FIGS. 19 to 21.

Hereinafter, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 22 and 23.

<Fifth Embodiment>

According to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the tilt direction of the terminal 100 detected through the motion sensor 142 in a state in which the plurality of sub display units 155 are provided at different positions in the mobile terminal 100 is provided. It provides a function of displaying the indicator icons that were displayed on the main display unit 151 on the sub display unit 155 disposed in the.

22 is a flowchart of a fifth embodiment illustrating a process of displaying an indicator icon on a sub display unit in a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a flowchart illustrating a process of displaying an indicator icon on a sub display unit in a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

22 and 23, the controller 180 drives the first main display unit 151 [S221], and at least one indicator icon 21, 24, or 25 on the driven main display unit 151. ) Screen is displayed [S222] (FIG. 23 (a)).

When the screen including the indicator icons 21, 24, and 25 is displayed on the main display unit 151, the controller 180 drives the motion sensor 142 [S223] and operates the motion sensor 142. Detecting the tilt of the body of the terminal 100 through the [S224].

When the inclination direction of the main body of the terminal 100 is detected through the motion sensor 142 (S225), the controller 180 controls the sub display unit 155 disposed in the detected inclination direction by the terminal 100. Drive [S226] and display the indicator icons 21, 24, and 25 displayed on the main display unit 151 on the driven sub display unit 155 [S227] (Fig. 23 (b)). .

That is, as an example, in FIG. 23A, the sub display unit 155 is disposed at the upper end portion 20A and the right portion 30A of the mobile terminal 100, and the main body of the terminal 100 is in the right direction. It is shown to be inclined.

When the controller 180 detects that the main body of the terminal 100 is inclined in the right direction through the motion sensor 142 as described above, the controller 180 controls the upper display 20A sub display unit 155 disposed in the inclined direction. And display the indicator icons 21, 24, and 25 displayed on the main display unit 151 on the upper 20A sub display unit 155.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof.

The present invention described above can be embodied as computer-readable codes on a medium on which a program is recorded. The computer-readable medium includes all kinds of recording devices in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored. Examples of computer-readable media include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disks, optical data storage devices, and the like, which are also implemented in the form of carrier waves (eg, transmission over the Internet). It also includes. Also, the computer may include a control unit 180 of the terminal.

Accordingly, the above detailed description should not be construed as limiting in all aspects and should be considered as illustrative. The scope of the invention should be determined by reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the equivalent scope of the invention are included in the scope of the invention.

The above-described mobile terminal and its control method are not limited to the configuration and method of the above-described embodiments, but the embodiments may be modified such that all or some of the embodiments are selectively And may be configured in combination.

100: mobile terminal 110: wireless communication unit
111: broadcast receiver 112: mobile communication module
113 wireless Internet module 114 short-range communication module
115: Position information module 120: A / V input section
121: camera 122: microphone
130: user input unit 140: sensing unit
141: proximity sensor 142: motion sensor
150: output unit 151: main display unit
152: alarm module 153: haptic module
154: projector module 155: sub display unit
160: memory 170: interface unit
180: control unit 181: multimedia module
190: power supply

Claims (19)

A main display unit provided in the front portion of the terminal body;
At least one electronic paper type sub display unit; And
And a controller configured to display a standby screen on the main display unit, and display at least one indicator information indicating an operation state of the terminal on the sub display unit. The method according to claim 1,
The at least one sub display unit is provided at the rear of the main body. The method according to claim 1,
The sub display unit is provided in at least one of the upper portion, the lower portion, the left portion and the right portion of the main body. The method of claim 3,
At least one surface of the upper portion, the lower portion, the left portion and the right portion of the main body is formed to be bent,
And the sub display unit is disposed on the curved surface. The method according to claim 1,
And the sub display unit is disposed on an edge surface at which one of an upper side, a lower side, a left side and a right side of the main body and a front side of the main body are connected to each other. The method according to claim 1,
And the sub display unit is disposed on an edge surface at which one of an upper side, a lower side, a left side and a right side of the main body and a rear side of the main body are connected to each other. The method according to claim 1,
The sub display unit is an electronic paper including a touch pad,
The controller is characterized in that when the electronic paper is touched, the electronic paper is driven to display the indicator information. The method of claim 7, wherein
The control unit, when the electronic paper is touched again, the mobile terminal, characterized in that to drive off the electronic paper. The method of claim 7, wherein
The controller, if the electronic paper is touched again, the mobile terminal, characterized in that to display the detailed information of the indicator icon on the electronic paper. 10. The method of claim 9,
The control unit, the mobile terminal, characterized in that for scrolling sequentially display the entire content of the detailed information on the electronic paper. The method of claim 7, wherein
The control unit, when the electronic paper is touched again, the mobile terminal, characterized in that to display the detailed information of the indicator information on the main display unit. The method according to claim 1,
The controller may display at least one indicator information preset by a user among the indicator information on the sub display unit. The method according to claim 1,
The controller, when the sub display unit and the indicator information is plural or more, according to a user's setting, characterized in that the indicator information is classified and displayed on each of the sub display units, respectively. The method according to claim 1,
The control unit does not display indicator information displayed on the sub display unit in the standby screen displayed on the main display unit. The method according to claim 1,
The controller determines whether all of the indicator information can be displayed on the sub display unit, and if it is impossible as a result of the determination, scrolls the indicator information sequentially. The method according to claim 1,
The controller, when the driving of the main display unit is turned off, displays the indicator information displayed on the standby screen of the main display unit on the sub display unit. The method according to claim 1,
The main display unit is a touch screen,
At least one indicator information is displayed on the touch screen.
And when the indicator information displayed on the touch screen is flicked in a direction in which the sub display unit is arranged, the controller displays the flickered indicator information on the sub display unit. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising: a motion sensor for detecting the tilt of the terminal body,
The sub display unit includes at least one of at least one of an upper side, a lower side, a left side, and a right side of the terminal,
The controller may display at least one indicator information on the sub display unit disposed in the tilting direction of the main body detected by the motion sensor. Providing a main display unit provided in the front portion of the terminal body;
Providing a sub display unit of at least one electronic paper type; And
Displaying a standby screen on the main display unit; And
And displaying at least one indicator information indicating an operation state of the terminal on the sub display unit.

Images