KR20120113050A - Mobile terminal device and automatic control method of display brightness thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A portable terminal and auto brightness control method thereof are provided to discontinuously control the brightness of a display unit by automatically converting the brightness of a display unit into the preset brightness according to the brightness value of adjacent environments. CONSTITUTION: A brightness sensing unit senses a brightness value. The brightness sensing unit outputs the brightness value. A control unit(180) discontinuously control the brightness of a display unit according to a brightness value inputted from the brightness sensing unit. When the brightness value is more than the predetermined standard value, the control unit converts the brightness value of the display unit into the set brightness value. [Reference numerals] (110) Wireless communication unit; (111) Broadcast reception module; (112) Mobile communication module; (113) Wireless internet module; (114) Local communication module; (115) Location information module; (120) A/V input unit; (121) Camera; (122) Microphone; (130) User input unit; (140) Sensing unit; (141) Proximity sensor; (142) Touch sensor; (143) Slope sensor; (144) Illuminance sensor; (150) Output unit; (151) Display unit; (152) Sound effect output module; (153) Alarm unit; (154) Haptic module; (160) Memory; (170) Interface unit; (180) Control unit; (181) Multimedia module; (190) Power supply unit

Description

MOBILE TERMINAL DEVICE AND AUTOMATIC CONTROL METHOD OF DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS THEREOF}

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal device, and more particularly, to a mobile terminal device capable of automatic brightness adjustment.

In general, a mobile communication terminal is a portable device that is portable and has one or more functions such as voice and video calling, information input / output, and data storage.

As the functions are diversified, for example, the mobile communication terminal has complicated functions such as taking a picture or a video, playing a music or video file, playing a game, receiving a broadcast, etc., in the form of a comprehensive multimedia player. Is being implemented.

Many new attempts are being applied to these multimedia devices in terms of hardware or software to implement complex functions. For example, a user interface environment is provided for a user to easily and conveniently search for or select a function.

As a power supply means of the mobile communication terminal, a battery pack that is detachably installed on the rear of the terminal is generally used. The battery pack is detached from the terminal or mounted in a predetermined charging device in a state where the battery pack is mounted in the terminal to perform a charging operation.

On the other hand, the mobile communication terminal to which the various additional functions as described above are added, because the frequency of use is gradually increased in various ways in addition to the basic call function, while the power consumption is increasing, the battery pack is gradually decreasing with the slimming trend. Therefore, it is natural for the user to increase the battery usage time. Therefore, it is common to set the brightness of the display unit, which consumes a lot of power, to be generally dark. The brightness of the display unit may be set to be changed to vary according to the illumination of the surrounding environment. However, since the automatic brightness setting is also set darkly on the premise of indoor use, the illumination of the surrounding environment is suddenly changed, such as when moving from indoors to outdoors. Increasing the brightness of the display unit is dark, the user has to inconvenience to manually adjust the brightness of the display unit.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, the mobile terminal for discontinuously adjusting the brightness of the display unit by automatically changing the brightness of the display unit to a predetermined brightness value when the illumination value of the surrounding environment is more than a predetermined reference value The object is to provide a device.

In order to solve the above problems, a mobile terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention may display the brightness of the display unit according to an illumination intensity sensing unit for sensing an ambient brightness and outputting an illumination intensity and an illumination value input from the illumination sensing unit. And a controller for discontinuously adjusting.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, if the illuminance value is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value, the controller controls to change the brightness of the display unit to correspond to a preset brightness value.

According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, when the brightness control mode of the display unit is a manual mode, when the brightness value is greater than a predetermined reference value while the brightness of the display unit is fixed, a preset brightness value Control to change the brightness of the display unit to correspond to.

According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, when the brightness adjustment mode of the display unit is an automatic mode, the control unit is in a state in which the brightness of the display unit is changed in proportion to the illuminance value, the illuminance value is a predetermined reference value. If it is above, control to change the brightness of the display unit to correspond to a preset brightness value.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method for automatically adjusting brightness of a mobile terminal device includes (a) receiving an illumination value according to ambient brightness, and (b) determining whether an illumination intensity value input in step (a) is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference value. And (c) if the illuminance value is greater than or equal to the predetermined reference value, as a result of the determination in step (b).

According to an aspect of another embodiment of the present invention, the step (c) is the brightness of the display unit to adjust the brightness value corresponding to the preset brightness value, if the illuminance value is greater than or equal to the predetermined reference value as a result of the determination of step (b) It is characterized by.

According to the present invention, when the illuminance of the surrounding environment changes drastically, the user's convenience is increased by discontinuously changing the brightness of the display unit of the mobile terminal device to a preset brightness value, thereby improving outdoor visibility. There is an advantage to improve and reduce power consumption.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2A is a front perspective view of a mobile terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2B is a rear perspective view of a mobile terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for automatically adjusting brightness of a mobile terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is an exemplary view illustrating a relationship between an illuminance value and a brightness value when the brightness control mode of the display unit is an automatic mode.
5 is an exemplary view illustrating a relationship between an illuminance value and a brightness value when the brightness control mode of the display unit is a manual mode.

Hereinafter, a mobile terminal device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The suffix "module" and " part "for the components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have their own meaning or role.

The mobile terminal device described herein includes a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), and navigation. Etc. may be included.

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 terminal devices such as digital TVs, desktop computers, etc., except when applicable only to mobile terminal devices.

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

The mobile terminal device 100 may include 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. Since the components shown in FIG. 1 are not essential, a mobile terminal device 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 device 100 and the wireless communication system or between the mobile terminal device 100 and a network in which the mobile terminal device 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 refer to a server for generating and transmitting broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information, or a server for receiving broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information generated by the broadcast management server and transmitting the generated broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information. The broadcast signal may include a TV broadcast signal, a radio broadcast signal, a data broadcast signal, and a broadcast signal in which a data broadcast signal is combined with a TV broadcast signal or a radio broadcast signal.

The broadcast-related information may refer to a broadcast channel, a broadcast program, or information related to 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 adapted to other broadcasting systems as well as the digital broadcasting system described above.

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 radio signals to 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 depending on a voice call signal, a video call signal or a text / multimedia message transmission / reception.

The wireless internet module 113 refers to a module for wireless internet access and may be embedded or external to the mobile terminal device 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. Bluetooth, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), infrared data association (IrDA), Ultra Wideband (UWB), ZigBee, and the like can be used as a short range communication technology.

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

Referring to FIG. 1, an A / V (Audio / Video) 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 can 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 depending on the use environment.

The microphone 122 receives an external sound signal through a microphone in a communication mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, or the like, and processes it as 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. Various noise reduction algorithms may be implemented in the microphone 122 to remove noise generated in receiving an external sound signal.

In the present invention, the microphone serves as an acoustic sensor. That is, in order to detect the user's motion with respect to the mobile terminal device, when the user heats the mobile terminal device, the vibration thereof may be sensed through the microphone 122. Instead of this microphone, a shock sensor can be used. The microphone and the shock sensor can sense the motion of the user's mobile terminal device in place of the sensing unit.

The user input unit 130 generates input data for the user to control the operation of the mobile terminal device. 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 may include an open / closed state of the mobile terminal device 100, a location of the mobile terminal device 100, presence or absence of a user contact, orientation of the mobile terminal device, acceleration / deceleration of the mobile terminal device, and surroundings of the mobile terminal device. A sensing signal for controlling an operation of the mobile terminal device 100 is generated by detecting a current state and a surrounding environment state of the mobile terminal device 100 such as an illuminance. For example, when the mobile terminal device 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, a touch sensor 142, an inclination sensor 143, and an illuminance sensor 144.

The illuminance sensor 144 detects the brightness around the mobile terminal device 100 and provides a corresponding illuminance value to the controller. The illuminance sensor 144 may be disposed at a position capable of detecting the brightness of the surroundings regardless of the user's use state of the mobile terminal device 100.

The output unit 150 is for generating output related to the visual, auditory or tactile sense and includes a display unit 151, an audio output module 152, an alarm unit 153, and a haptic module 154 .

The display unit 151 displays (outputs) information processed by the mobile terminal device 100. For example, when the mobile terminal device is in a call mode, a user interface (UI) or a graphic user interface (GUI) related to a call is displayed. When the mobile terminal device 100 is in a video call mode or a photographing mode, the mobile terminal device 100 displays a photographed and / or received image, a UI, or 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 may be transparent or light transmissive so that they can be seen through. This can be referred to as a transparent display, and a typical example of the transparent display is TOLED (Transparent OLED) and the like. The rear structure of the display unit 151 may also be of a light transmission type. 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 mobile terminal device body.

There may be two or more display units 151 according to the implementation form of the mobile terminal device 100. For example, a plurality of display units may be spaced apart or integrally disposed on one surface of the mobile terminal device 100, or may be disposed on different surfaces.

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 142 may be, for example, in the form of a touch film, a touch sheet, a touch pad, or the like.

The touch sensor 142 may be configured to convert a change in pressure applied to a specific portion of the display unit 151 or capacitance generated at a specific portion of the display unit 151 into an electrical input signal. The touch sensor 142 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 142, the corresponding signal (s) are sent to the touch controller. The touch controller processes the signal (s) and 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 brightness of the display unit 151 may be selectively adjusted by the user. In the brightness control mode of the display unit 151, first, an automatic mode in which the brightness of the display unit 151 is adjusted in proportion to the illumination of the surrounding environment, and second, the brightness of the display unit 151 regardless of the illumination of the surrounding environment. There is a manual mode where it remains fixed. The user may set the automatic mode or the manual mode by the touch input to the touch sensor 142 with respect to the brightness adjustment item. The mobile terminal device according to the present invention provides the 'outdoor visibility' item in parallel with the two brightness control modes of the automatic mode or the manual mode, thereby displaying the display unit 151 in an outdoor environment having high ambient illumination. Automatic adjustment of the brightness can be made.

When the user sets the 'outdoor visibility' item, the controller 180 compares the peripheral illuminance value provided from the illuminance sensor 144 with a predetermined reference value, and when it is determined that the illuminance value is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value, The brightness of the display unit 151 is controlled to be changed according to a preset brightness value. In this case, the predetermined reference value and the predetermined brightness value may be stored in the memory 160 and changed by the user. Since the preset brightness value may be set to be greater than the brightness value range of the display unit 151 according to the automatic mode or the manual mode, the brightness of the display unit 151 may be changed and controlled to be discrete. . The 'outdoor visibility' item may be set together with the automatic mode or the manual mode.

Referring to FIG. 1, a proximity sensor 141 may be disposed in an inner region of the mobile terminal device 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 a nearby object without mechanical contact using the force of an electromagnetic field or infrared rays. The proximity sensor has a longer life span than the contact sensor and its utilization is also high.

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. And to detect the proximity of the pointer by the change of the electric field along the proximity of the pointer when the touch screen is electrostatic. 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 pointer is proximately touched on the touch screen means a position where the pointer is vertically corresponding to the touch screen when the pointer is touched.

The proximity sensor detects a proximity touch and a proximity touch pattern (e.g., a proximity touch distance, a proximity touch direction, a proximity touch speed, a proximity touch time, a proximity touch position, a proximity touch movement state, and the like). Information corresponding to the detected proximity touch operation and the 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 by the mobile terminal device 100. The audio 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 device 100. Examples of events generated in the mobile terminal device include call signal reception, message reception, key signal input, and touch input. The alarm unit 153 may output a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event in a form other than the video signal or the 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 may be classified as a 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 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 an injection or inlet port, grazing to the skin surface, contact of an 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 can be implemented not only to transmit the tactile effect through the direct contact but also to allow the user to feel the tactile effect through the muscular sensation of the finger or arm. Two or more haptic modules 154 may be provided according to the configuration aspect of the mobile terminal device 100.

The memory 160 may store a program for the operation of the controller 180 and temporarily store input / output data (e.g., a phone book, a message, a still image, a moving picture, etc.). The memory 160 may store data on vibration and sound of various patterns outputted when a touch is input on the touch screen.

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), a RAM (Random Access Memory), SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), PROM A disk, and / or an optical disk. The mobile terminal device 100 may operate in association 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 device 100. The interface unit 170 receives data from an external device, receives power, transfers the power to each component inside the mobile terminal device 100, or transmits data within the mobile terminal device 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 use authority of the mobile terminal device 100. The identification module may include 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. Therefore, the identification device may be connected to the mobile terminal device 100 through a port.

When the mobile terminal device 100 is connected to an external cradle, the interface unit may be a path through which power from the cradle is supplied to the mobile terminal device 100, or various command signals input from the cradle by a user may be used. It may be a passage that is delivered to the mobile terminal device. Various command signals or power input from the cradle may operate as signals for recognizing that the mobile terminal device is correctly mounted on the cradle.

The controller 180 typically controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal device. For example, voice communication, data communication, video communication, and the like. The control unit 180 may include a multimedia module 181 for multimedia playback. The multimedia module 181 may be implemented in the control unit 180 or may be implemented separately from the control unit 180. [

The controller 180 may perform a pattern recognition process for recognizing handwriting input or drawing input performed on the touch screen as characters and images, 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 various embodiments described herein may be embodied 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 of the functions and operations described herein. Software code may be implemented in software applications written in a suitable programming language. The software code is stored in the memory 160 and can be executed by the control unit 180. [

2A is a front perspective view of an example of a mobile terminal device according to the present invention;

The disclosed mobile terminal device 100 has a terminal body in the form of a bar.

However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and can be applied to various structures such as a slide type, a folder type, a swing type, and a swivel type in which two or more bodies are relatively movably coupled.

The body includes a case (a casing, a housing, a cover, and the like) which forms an appearance.

In this embodiment, the case may be divided into a front case 101 and a rear case 102. [ A variety of electronic components are embedded in the space formed between the front case 101 and the rear case 102. At least one intermediate case may be additionally 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 terminal body, mainly the front case 101, has a display unit 151, an audio output unit 152, a camera 121, user input units 131 and 132, a microphone 122, an interface 170, an illumination sensor 144, and the like. This can be arranged.

The display unit 151 occupies most of the main surface of the front case 101. A sound output unit 152 and a camera 121 are disposed in an area adjacent to one end of both ends of the display unit 151 and a user input unit 131 and a microphone 122 are disposed in an area adjacent to the other end. The user input unit 132 and the interface 170 may be disposed on the 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 mobile terminal device 100 and may include a plurality of manipulation 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.

The contents inputted by the first or second operation unit 131 or 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.

The illuminance sensor 144 is disposed at a position capable of detecting the brightness of the surroundings regardless of the user's use state of the mobile terminal device 100, and is disposed on the side surfaces of the front case 101 and the rear case 102. desirable.

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

Referring to FIG. 2B, a camera 121 'may be further mounted on the rear surface 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 may have a low pixel so that the face of the user can be photographed and transmitted to the other party in case of a video call or the like, and the camera 121 ' It is preferable to have a large number of pixels. 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 illuminates the subject when the subject is photographed by the camera 121 '. The mirror 124 allows the user to illuminate the user's own face or the like when the user intends to shoot himself / herself (self-photographing) using the camera 121 '.

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

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

The terminal body is equipped with a power supply unit 190 for supplying power to the mobile terminal device 100. The power supply unit 190 may be embedded in the terminal body or may be directly detachable from the outside of the terminal body.

The rear case 102 may further include a touch pad 135 for sensing a touch. The touch pad 135 may also be of a light transmission type like the display unit 151. [ In this case, if the display unit 151 is configured to output time information on both sides, the time information can be recognized through the touch pad 135 as well. The information output on both sides may be all controlled by the touch pad 135. [ Alternatively, a display may be additionally mounted on the touch pad 135, and a touch screen may be disposed on the rear case 102 as well.

The touch pad 135 operates in correlation with the display portion 151 of the front case 101. The touch pad 135 may be disposed parallel to the rear of the display unit 151. The touch pad 135 may have a size equal to or smaller than that of the display unit 151.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for automatically adjusting brightness of a mobile terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The automatic brightness control method is to adjust the brightness of the display unit 151 discontinuously when the illuminance value according to the ambient brightness is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference value, and the illuminance sensor 144 detects the ambient brightness and thereby the illuminance value. It provides to the control unit 180 (S110).

The controller 180 compares the illuminance value input in step S110 with a predetermined reference value (S120).

As a result of the comparison in step S120, when the illuminance value is smaller than a predetermined reference value, the controller 180 determines the brightness adjustment mode of the display unit 151. That is, the controller 180 adjusts the brightness of the display unit 151 according to the automatic mode or the manual mode set by the user's selection (S130). When the brightness adjustment mode set by the user's selection is the automatic mode, the controller 180 continuously varies the brightness of the display unit 151 in proportion to the illuminance value of the surrounding environment. When the brightness control mode set by the user's selection is the manual mode, the controller 180 maintains the brightness of the display unit 151 at a fixed brightness value regardless of the illuminance value of the surrounding environment.

As a result of the comparison in step S120, when the illuminance value is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value, the controller 151 controls to adjust the brightness of the display unit 151 according to a preset brightness value (S140). Since the preset brightness value may be set to be greater than the brightness value range of the display unit 151 according to the automatic mode or the manual mode, the brightness of the display unit 151 may be changed and controlled to be discrete. . As described above with reference to FIG. 1, the brightness adjustment in step S140 may be performed when the 'outdoor visibility' item is set in parallel with the automatic mode or the manual mode. have. In the automatic brightness control method according to the present invention, when the mobile terminal device is used in an outdoor environment in which illuminance of a predetermined reference value 401 or more is sensed, it is possible to secure outdoor visibility by discontinuously increasing the brightness of the display unit 151. Can reduce power consumption.

4 is an exemplary view illustrating a relationship between an illuminance value and a brightness value when the brightness control mode of the display unit is an automatic mode.

Referring to FIG. 4, since the brightness control mode of the display unit 151 is set to the automatic mode by the user's selection, the controller 180 variably sets the brightness of the display unit 151 according to the illuminance value.

That is, when the illuminance value provided by the illuminance sensor 144 is smaller than the predetermined reference value 401, the controller 180 corresponds to a brightness value that increases or decreases in proportion to the illuminance value provided by the illuminance sensor 144. To adjust the brightness of the display unit 151.

As such, in the state set to the automatic mode, an 'outdoor visibility' item may be additionally set by the user's selection. In this case, the controller 180 compares the illuminance value provided from the illuminance sensor 144 with a predetermined reference value 401 stored in the memory 160. When the 'outdoor visibility' item is set, the illumination sensor 144 may provide the illumination value to the controller 180 periodically or in a specific case. The specific case may be, for example, a case in which a movement of a user who carries a mobile terminal device is detected by using an acceleration sensor provided in the sensing unit 140. The predetermined reference value 401 may be determined by referring to an average illuminance value calculated by collecting illuminance observed in an outdoor environment for a predetermined period.

As a result of the comparison, when it is determined that the illuminance value provided by the illuminance sensor 144 is equal to or greater than the predetermined reference value 401, the controller 180 displays the brightness value 407 stored in advance in the memory 160. The brightness of the unit 151 is changed and set. The pre-stored brightness value 407 may be set to a brightness value capable of ensuring visibility in the outdoors based on the experience of using the mobile terminal device in an outdoor environment, and during a manufacturing process of the mobile terminal device or a user input. It can be set by. The pre-stored brightness value 407 is compared with the brightness value change (ie, 403 to 405) in normal use of the mobile terminal device (ie, indoor use), as shown in FIG. 4. As you can see, it is quite large. The brightness value from 403 to 405 is due to the user setting the brightness of the display unit 151 to be generally dark in order to reduce power consumption as described above, and the mobile terminal device according to the present invention has a predetermined reference value. In an outdoor environment in which illuminance of 401 or more is sensed, outdoor visibility may be secured by discontinuously increasing the brightness of the display unit 151.

5 is an exemplary view illustrating a relationship between an illuminance value and a brightness value when the brightness control mode of the display unit is a manual mode.

Referring to FIG. 5, since the brightness control mode of the display unit 151 is set to the manual mode by the user's selection, the controller 180 may adjust the brightness of the display unit 151 to a fixed brightness value regardless of the illuminance value. 503). When the illuminance value provided by the illuminance sensor 144 is smaller than the predetermined reference value 501, the controller 180 may correspond to a display brightness (eg, a fixed brightness value) regardless of the illuminance value provided by the illuminance sensor 144. Adjust the brightness of the 151).

As such, in the state set to the manual mode, an 'outdoor visibility' item may be additionally set by the user's selection. In this case, the controller 180 compares the illuminance value provided by the illuminance sensor 144 with a predetermined reference value 501 stored in the memory 160. The predetermined reference value 501 may be determined by referring to an average illuminance value calculated by collecting illuminance observed in an outdoor environment for a predetermined period of time.

As a result of the comparison, when it is determined that the illuminance value provided by the illuminance sensor 144 is greater than or equal to the predetermined reference value 501, the controller 180 displays the brightness value 505 stored in advance in the memory 160. The brightness of the unit 151 is changed and set. The pre-stored brightness value 505 may be set to a brightness value capable of ensuring visibility in the outdoors based on the experience of using the mobile terminal device in an outdoor environment, and during a manufacturing process of the mobile terminal device or a user input. It can be set by. As shown in FIG. 5, the pre-stored brightness value 505 is set to be considerably large when compared with the brightness value (sign 503) in general use (ie, indoor use) of the mobile terminal device. Can be. The brightness value 503 is due to the user setting the brightness of the display unit 151 to be generally dark in order to reduce the power consumption as described above, and the mobile terminal device according to the present invention has a predetermined reference value 501 or more. In an outdoor environment in which illuminance is sensed, outdoor visibility may be secured by discontinuously increasing the brightness of the display unit 151.

While the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Accordingly, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the following claims, as well as equivalents thereof.

Claims (6)

A display unit;
An illuminance sensor for detecting an ambient brightness and outputting an illuminance value; And
And a controller for discontinuously adjusting the brightness of the display unit according to an illuminance value input from the illuminance sensor.
The method of claim 1,
The control unit,
And when the illuminance value is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value, changing the brightness of the display unit to correspond to a preset brightness value.
The method of claim 1,
The control unit
When the brightness control mode of the display unit is a manual mode, when the brightness of the display unit is fixed, if the illuminance value is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value, the mobile terminal controls to change the brightness of the display unit to correspond to a preset brightness value. Device.
The method of claim 1,
The control unit
When the brightness control mode of the display unit is an automatic mode, when the brightness of the display unit varies in proportion to the illuminance value, and the illuminance value is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference value, the brightness of the display unit corresponds to a preset brightness value. A mobile terminal device for controlling to change.
(a) receiving an illuminance value according to ambient brightness;
(b) determining whether the illuminance value input in the step (a) is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference value; And
and (c) adjusting the brightness of the display unit discontinuously if the illuminance value is greater than or equal to the predetermined reference value as a result of the determination of step (b).
The method of claim 5,
The step (c)
And adjusting the brightness of the display unit so as to correspond to a predetermined brightness value when the illuminance value is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value.

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