KR20130088613A - Mobile terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A mobile terminal is provided to implement a user input unit, capable of performing various operations, through a camera module receiving the input of a user. CONSTITUTION: A terminal body includes a front side and a rear side. A camera module (221') is disposed in at least one of the front and rear sides. The camera module takes the picture of external images. A sensing unit senses the input of a control command applied to the camera module. The camera module includes an image pickup device and a camera window. The image pickup device is built in the terminal body. The camera window is exposed to the outside of the terminal body at a position where the image pickup device is covered.

Description

[0001] MOBILE TERMINAL [0002]

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal having a camera module for capturing an external image.

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 can be divided into a handheld terminal and a vehicle mount terminal according to whether the user can directly carry the mobile terminal.

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. .

Various new attempts have been made in terms of hardware or software to implement the complex functions of such multimedia devices. For example, a user interface environment is provided for a user to easily and conveniently search for or select a function.

In addition, mobile terminals are regarded as personal items for expressing their individuality, and various design forms are required. The design form also includes structural changes and improvements for the user to use the mobile terminal more conveniently. One such structural change and improvement can be considered for the operating unit.

For example, the operation unit generally receives a user input in the form of a touch screen or provided separately. However, the form of the touch screen has a problem that the operation object is covered by a finger or a stylus pen. The separately provided form without this problem hinders the slimming and simple design of the terminal. Therefore, a new structure input method that can solve all these problems can be considered.

An object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal capable of user input of a new type different from the conventional.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal does not increase the number of the operation unit in the appearance of the terminal without covering the touch screen.

In order to achieve the above object, the mobile terminal according to the present invention, the main body having a front and rear, a camera module disposed on at least one of the front and rear and configured to shoot an external image, and the camera module And a sensing unit configured to sense an input of a control command applied to the control command.

As an example related to the present invention, the camera module includes a photographing element embedded in the main body, a camera window exposed to the outside of the main body at a position covering the photographing element, and the sensing unit is applied to the camera window. It is formed to detect a touch input.

The control command may be set differently according to the operation mode of the terminal even though the touch input has the same form.

A display unit and an audio output unit are formed on a front surface of the main body, and the touch input is dragging or flicking applied to the camera window in one direction, and the control command is scrolling on the output information of the display unit or the sound output unit. It can be scaled for the output sound.

The camera window may be disposed at the rear of the main body, and the sensing unit may include a touch sensor mounted to the camera window.

As another example related to the present invention, the camera module is formed to move in the thickness direction of the main body by the push input to enable a push input to the camera module.

The camera module may include a photographing element embedded in the main body, a frame supporting the photographing element, and the sensing unit may include a switch disposed to be pressed by the frame. The sensing unit may include a guide unit for guiding the movement of the frame such that the frame is vertically moved in the thickness direction of the main body by the push input.

A display unit is formed on the front surface of the main body, and the control command may be a power on or off of the terminal or a command to activate the display unit.

As another example, the sensing unit is configured to sense a touch input and a push input applied to the camera module, respectively.

A display unit is formed on the front surface of the main body, the cursor displayed on the display unit is moved by the touch input, and selection of a portion designated by the cursor may be made by the push input.

The present invention implements a user input unit capable of various operations in a mobile terminal through a camera module configured to receive a user input. In addition, a new type of user interface may be implemented through this.

Further, according to the present invention, when the display unit of the large screen is applied, the area occupied by the operation unit can be reduced. Through this, a mobile terminal having a large screen or a slim body can be implemented.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figures 2A and 2B are conceptual diagrams illustrating operations implemented by the present invention.
FIG. 3A is a perspective view of an example of a mobile terminal according to the present invention. FIG.
3B is a rear perspective view of the mobile terminal shown in FIG. 3A.
4 is an exploded view of the mobile terminal of FIG. 3B;
5 is a cross sectional view taken along the line VV of FIG. 3B;
6 is a conceptual diagram illustrating another example of an operation implemented by the terminal of FIG. 3B.
7 is a cross-sectional view of a mobile terminal showing another embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a cross-sectional view of a mobile terminal showing another embodiment of the present invention.
9A and 9B are conceptual views illustrating an example of an operation implemented by the terminal of FIG. 8.

Hereinafter, a mobile terminal related 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 described in this specification may include a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), a PMP (Portable Multimedia Player), and navigation.

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 audio / video input unit 120, a user input unit 130, a sensing unit 140, an output unit 150, a memory 160, A controller 170, a controller 180, a power supply 190, and the like. The components shown in FIG. 1 are not essential, and 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 for enabling wireless communication between the mobile terminal 100 and the wireless communication system or between the mobile terminal 100 and the 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 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).

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 And a Digital Broadcasting System (ISDB-T) (Integrated Services Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial). 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 is a module for wireless Internet access, and may be built in or externally attached 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. 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 position information module 115 is a module for obtaining the position of the mobile terminal, and a representative example thereof is a Global Position System (GPS) 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 module 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.

The user input unit 130 generates input data for a 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 senses the current state of the mobile terminal 100 such as the open / close state of the mobile terminal 100, the position of the mobile terminal 100, the presence or absence of user contact, the orientation of the mobile terminal, And generates 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. Meanwhile, the sensing unit 140 may include a proximity sensor 141.

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

The display module 151 displays (outputs) information processed by the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal is in the call mode, a UI (User Interface) or a GUI (Graphic User Interface) associated with a call is displayed. When the mobile terminal 100 is in the video communication mode or the photographing mode, the photographed and / or received video or UI and GUI are displayed.

The display module 151 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a flexible display display, and 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 module 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 module 151 of the terminal body.

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

(Hereinafter, referred to as a 'touch screen') in which the display module 151 and the sensor for sensing the touch operation (hereinafter, referred to as 'touch sensor') have a mutual layer structure, It can also be used as an input device. The touch sensor may have the form of, for example, a touch film, a touch sheet, a touch pad, or the like.

The touch sensor may be configured to convert a change in a pressure applied to a specific portion of the display module 151 or a capacitance generated in a specific portion of the display module 151 into an electrical input signal. The touch sensor can be configured to detect not only the position and area to be touched but also the pressure at the time of touch.

If there is a touch input to the touch sensor, the corresponding signal (s) is sent to the touch controller. The touch controller processes the signal (s) and transmits the corresponding data to the controller 180. Thus, the control unit 180 can know which area of the display module 151 is touched or the like.

Referring to FIG. 1, a proximity sensor 141 may be disposed in an inner region of the mobile terminal or in the vicinity of the touch screen, which is surrounded by 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 also outputs sound signals related to functions (e.g., call signal reception sound, message reception sound, etc.) performed in the mobile terminal 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 the occurrence of an event of the mobile terminal 100. Examples of events that occur in the mobile terminal include call signal reception, message reception, key signal input, touch input, and the like. 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 module 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. A typical example of the haptic effect generated by the haptic module 154 is vibration. 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. The haptic module 154 may include two or more haptic modules 154 according to the configuration of the portable terminal 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 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 for communication with all external devices connected to the mobile terminal 100. The interface unit 170 receives data from an external device or supplies power to each component in the mobile terminal 100 or transmits data to the 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 for storing various information for authenticating the use right of the mobile terminal 100 and includes a user identification module (UIM), a subscriber identity module (SIM), a general user authentication module A 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.

When the mobile terminal 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 100, or various command signals input by the user to the cradle may be transmitted It can be a passage to be transmitted to the terminal. The various command signals or the power source input from the cradle may be operated as a signal 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, 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 may be implemented as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays May be implemented using at least one of processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and other electronic units for performing other functions. In some cases, May be implemented by the control unit 180.

According to a software implementation, embodiments such as procedures or functions may be implemented with separate software modules that perform at least one function or operation. The software code may be implemented by a software application written in a suitable programming language. The software codes are stored in the memory 160 and can be executed by the control unit 180. [

2A and 2B are conceptual diagrams illustrating operations implemented by the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2A, the terminal includes a display module 251 disposed on one surface, for example, a front surface of the main body. The display module 251 may include a touch sensor that senses a touch input. The visual information output from the display module 251 may be implemented in the form of an image, text, an icon, or the like, and a web page including the same may be output.

Referring to FIG. 2B, a camera module 221 ′ is disposed on the other side of the main body, for example, a rear surface thereof, and a control command for the web page is received at a portion occupied by the camera module 221 ′. More specifically, when a drag or flicking is applied to a portion occupied by the camera module 221 ', the web page is scrolled.

As another example, the user may move an object displayed on the display module 251 by moving the portion occupied by the camera module 221 ′, for example, a cursor or a pointer located at an icon. In addition, when the finger is moved in a portion occupied by the camera module 221 ′, a path along which the finger moves may be visually displayed on the display module 251. This may be useful for editing the image displayed on the display module 251.

Hereinafter, the hardware configuration of the terminal performing the operations of FIGS. 2A and 2B will be described in more detail. 3A is a front perspective view of an example of a mobile terminal according to the present invention, and FIG. 3B is a rear perspective view of the mobile terminal shown in FIG. 3A.

The disclosed mobile terminal 200 has a bar-shaped mobile phone body. 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 201 and a rear case 202. [ Various electronic components are embedded in the space formed between the front case 201 and the rear case 202. At least one intermediate case may be additionally disposed between the front case 201 and the rear case 202. [

The cases may be formed by injecting synthetic resin or may be formed of a metal material, for example, a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti).

The display body 251, the audio output unit 252, the camera module 221, the user input units 231 and 232, the microphone 222, and the interface 270 may be disposed in the terminal body, mainly the front case 201. .

The user input units 231 and 232 are manipulated to receive a command for controlling the operation of the portable terminal 200 and may include a plurality of operation units 231 and 232. The operation units 231 and 232 may be collectively referred to as a manipulating portion and may be employed in any manner as long as the user operates in a tactile manner.

Content input by the operation units 231 and 232 may be variously set. For example, one operation unit 231 receives a command such as start, end, scroll, and the like, and another operation unit 232 adjusts the volume of the sound output from the sound output unit 252 or the display module 251. Commands such as switching to the touch recognition mode may be input. The display module 251 forms a touch screen together with a touch sensor, and the touch screen may be an example of the user input unit 230.

The display module 251 occupies most of the main surface of the front case 201. The audio output unit 252 and the camera module 221 are disposed in areas adjacent to one end of both ends of the display module 251, and the front operation unit 231 and the microphone 222 are disposed in areas adjacent to the other end. do. The side side operation unit 232, the interface 270, and the like may be disposed on side surfaces of the front case 201 and the rear case 202.

Referring to FIG. 3B, a camera module 221 'may be further mounted on the rear surface of the terminal body, that is, the rear case 202. The camera module 221 'may have a photographing direction substantially opposite to that of the camera 221 (see FIG. 3A), and may be a camera having different pixels from the camera module 221.

For example, the camera module 221 has low pixels so that it is easy to capture a face of a user in the case of a video call or the like and send it to the other party, and the camera module 221 ' It is preferable to have a high pixel. The camera modules 221 and 221 'may be installed in the terminal body such that they can be rotated or pop-up.

A flash 223 and a mirror 224 are further disposed adjacent to the camera module 221 ′. The flash 223 emits light toward the subject when the subject is photographed by the camera module 221 ′. The mirror 224 allows the user to see his / her own face or the like when the user wants to photograph himself (self-photographing) using the camera module 221 '.

The sound output unit may be additionally disposed at the rear of the terminal body. The rear audio output unit may implement the stereo function together with the front audio output unit 252 (see FIG. 3A), and may be used for the implementation of the speakerphone mode in a call.

A power supply unit 290 for supplying power to the portable terminal 200 is mounted on the terminal body. The power supply unit 290 may be built in the terminal body or may be detachable from the outside of the terminal body.

The rear case 202 may additionally be equipped with a touch sensor for sensing a touch. Like the display module 251, the touch sensor may also be configured as a light transmitting type. In this case, if the display module 251 is configured to output visual information on both sides, the visual information may be recognized through the touch sensor. Information output on both surfaces may be controlled by the touch sensor. Alternatively, a display may be additionally attached to the touch sensor, such that a touch screen may be disposed on the rear case 202.

The touch sensor operates in association with the display module 251 of the front case 201. The touch sensor may be disposed parallel to the rear of the display module 251. The touch sensor may have a size equal to or smaller than that of the display module 251.

Referring again to the user input unit 230, the user input unit 230 of the present invention is provided with a new type of operation unit 233. The new type operation unit 233 is configured to receive a user's control command for the portion occupied by the camera module 221 '. Hereinafter, the configuration of the operation unit 233 will be described in more detail.

4 is an exploded view of the mobile terminal of FIG. 3B, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V-V of FIG. 3B, and FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram illustrating another example of an operation implemented by the terminal of FIG. 3B.

Referring to this figure, a circuit board 281 is embedded in the terminal body. The circuit board 281 may be mounted to, for example, the front case 201 or the rear case 202, or may be mounted to a separate internal structure 203. The separate inner structure may form an intermediate case. Hereinafter, the front case 201 or the rear case 202 will be described based on a separate configuration, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the cases 201 and 202 may be integrally formed.

The circuit board 281 is configured as an example of the controller 180 (see FIG. 1) for operating various functions of the mobile terminal. The circuit board 281 may be provided in plural and may perform a function of the controller 180 by combining with each other. In order to perform this function, the circuit board 281 is equipped with various electronic devices.

In addition, the circuit board 281 is electrically connected to the antenna 210, and is configured to process a radio signal corresponding to radio electromagnetic waves transmitted and received by the antenna 210. The antenna 210 is disposed between the internal structure 203 and the circuit board 281 to mainly transmit and receive radio signals through the rear case 202.

The antenna 210 may be configured to transmit / receive radio signals for wireless communication, global positioning system (GPS), Media Forward Link Only (MediaFLO), and the like, and may be configured as a main antenna unit of a mobile terminal. .

According to an illustration, the circuit board 281 may be electrically connected to the camera module 221 ′. In addition, a through hole 204 is formed in the rear case 202 or the battery cover, and the camera module 221 ′ is disposed to face the outside through the through hole 204. The camera module 221 ′ is disposed on the opposite side of the antenna 210 with the battery interposed therebetween, so as to capture an external image through the rear surface of the terminal.

Referring to FIG. 5, the camera module 221 ′ includes a photographing element 225 and a camera window 226. The photographing device 225 is formed in a form in which a semiconductor chip for sensing an image is mounted on a sensor substrate and embedded in a terminal.

The semiconductor chip may be implemented by a Charge-Coupled Device (CCD), a Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS), or the like, which converts light into a charge to obtain an image. The lens assembly may be disposed on the front surface of the semiconductor chip. As such, the photographing device 225 may include an optical system including a lens, an image sensor, and a circuit unit for obtaining an image by processing a sensed light signal in a module.

According to the illustration, the photographing element 225 is covered by the camera window 226. The camera window 226 is disposed at the rear of the terminal and is exposed to the outside of the rear case at a position covering the photographing device. To this end, a mounting jaw in which the camera window 226 is seated may be formed in the through hole 204.

The aforementioned operation unit 233 (see FIG. 3B) may be implemented as the sensing unit 234 is added to the camera module 221 ′. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. For example, the sensing unit 234 may be equally applied to the camera module 221 on the front of the terminal. The sensing unit 234 is configured to detect an input of a control command applied to the camera module 221 ′.

Referring to FIG. 5, the sensing unit 234 may include a touch sensor 234a mounted to the camera window 226. The touch sensor 234a may be mounted on the front or rear of the camera window 226 in the form of an ITO film, or may be a touch pattern formed inside the camera window 226 and integrally formed with the camera window 226. have. 5 illustrates an electrostatic ITO film mounted on the rear surface of the camera window 226, which may be electrically connected to the circuit board 281 by a flexible circuit board.

As such, the manipulation unit 233 is implemented as the touch sensor 234a detects a touch input applied to the camera window 226. That is, the manipulation unit 233 is implemented by a combination of the touch sensor 234a and the camera window 226.

Hereinafter, different functions of the mobile terminal controlled by the operation unit 233 will be described by way of example. Referring to FIG. 6, the control command input by the operation unit may be a size control for the output sound of the sound output unit 252 disposed on the front of the terminal. In this case, the operation unit 232 (see FIG. 3A) disposed on the side of the terminal can be eliminated.

In addition, the control command executed by the input to the operation unit 233 of the present invention may be set differently according to the operation mode of the terminal even though the touch input applied to the camera window 226 has the same form. For example, referring to 6 as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, when the touch input is dragging or flicking, scrolling is performed on output information of the display unit 251 in the web mode, and in the music mode or the call mode. In this case, the size of the output sound of the sound output unit 252 may be adjusted.

As such, receiving a user's control command using a portion occupied by the camera module in the terminal may be modified in various forms. In the following modifications or embodiments, the same or similar reference numerals are assigned to the same or similar components as the foregoing examples, and the description is replaced with the first description.

7 is a cross-sectional view of a mobile terminal showing another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, the camera module 321 ′ includes a photographing element 325 and a frame 327. The imaging device 325 is built in the terminal, and the frame 327 is configured to support the imaging device. The camera window 326 may be mounted at one end of the frame 327.

According to the present embodiment, the camera module 321 'is formed to move in the thickness direction of the terminal body by the push input to enable a push input to the camera module 321'. More specifically, the sensing unit 334 may include a switch 334b disposed to be pressed by the frame 327.

The switch 334b may be, for example, a dome switch mounted on the circuit board 381, and a push protrusion 327a for pressing the switch 334b may be formed in the frame 327. In addition, the frame 327 may be supported by a spring 328. Through this, the camera module 321 'is restored to its original position after the push input and is elastically supported at the original position.

As illustrated, the sensing unit 334 may include a guide unit 335 for guiding the movement of the frame 327 to vertically move the frame 327 in the thickness direction of the terminal body by the push input. have. The guide part 335 may be formed on the inner surface of the rear case 302 to guide the sliding of the frame 327.

The control command input by the operation unit configured as described above may be power on or off for the terminal or a command to activate the display unit. For a command for activating the display unit, for example, a sliding operation on the camera module 321 ′ may generate a signal for turning on or off the display element.

As another example, the state of the mobile terminal may be divided into a 'locked state' and a 'released state' according to whether a user inputs a control command. The operation unit may switch between the locked state and the released state. Here, the locked state is a state of limiting input of a user's control command to applications included in the terminal. This is to prevent the functions and applications of the mobile terminal from being activated or deactivated by inputting a control command that is not intended by a user in a mobile terminal mainly capable of touch input.

8 is a cross-sectional view of a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 9A and 9B are conceptual views illustrating an example of an operation implemented by the terminal of FIG. 8.

According to the illustration, the sensing unit 434 may be formed to sense a touch input and a push input applied to the camera module 421 ′, respectively.

More specifically, the camera window 426 is equipped with a touch sensor 434a, through which a touch input applied to the camera window 426 is sensed, and the lower portion of the frame 427 for supporting the photographing element 425 The switch 434b pressed by the frame 427 is disposed. The camera module 421 'is slidably formed by the push input, thereby pressing the switch 434b.

In addition, the guide portion 435 for guiding the vertical movement of the frame 427 may be formed in a different form than the embodiment shown in FIG. As an example, the guide portion 435 may include a link 435b, one end of which is rotatably fixed, and the other end of which is movably fixed within the slit 435a. In this case, the camera module 421 'may be supported only by the elastic force of the switch 434b.

The operation unit configured as described above implements a new user interface different from the conventional one. For example, the cursor C or the pointer displayed on the display unit 451 may be moved by the touch input, and selection of a portion designated by the cursor C may be made by the push input (FIG. 9A). And FIG. 9B). According to the illustration, the icon designated by the cursor C is highlighted, and a function related to the icon is executed after the push input. In this way, it is possible to input a hybrid type control command by the operation unit.

The mobile terminal described above can be applied not only to the configuration and method of the embodiments described above but also to the embodiments described above so that all or some of the embodiments may be selectively combined have.

Claims (11)

A terminal body having a front side and a rear side;
A camera module disposed on at least one of the front and rear surfaces and configured to photograph an external image; And
And a sensing unit configured to sense an input of a control command applied to the camera module. The method of claim 1,
The camera module includes a photographing element embedded in the main body, a camera window exposed to the outside of the main body at a position covering the photographing element,
The sensing unit is configured to detect a touch input applied to the camera window. The method of claim 2,
The control command may be set differently according to an operation mode of the terminal even though the touch input has the same form. The method of claim 2,
The front of the main body is formed with a display unit and a sound output unit,
The touch input is dragging or flicking applied in one direction with respect to the camera window.
The control command is a scroll for the output information of the display unit or the mobile terminal, characterized in that the size adjustment for the output sound of the sound output unit. The method of claim 2,
The camera window is disposed on the rear of the main body, the sensing unit comprises a touch sensor mounted to the camera window. The method of claim 1,
The camera module is configured to move in the thickness direction of the main body by the push input to enable a push input to the camera module. The method according to claim 6,
The camera module includes a photographing element embedded in the main body, a frame for supporting the photographing element,
The sensing unit comprises a switch arranged to be pressed by the frame. The method of claim 7, wherein
The sensing unit further comprises a guide unit for guiding the movement of the frame to vertically move the frame in the thickness direction of the main body by the push input. The method according to claim 6,
A display unit is formed on the front surface of the main body,
The control command may be a power on or off for the terminal, or a command to activate the display unit. The method of claim 1,
The sensing unit is configured to detect a touch input and a push input applied to the camera module, respectively. The method of claim 10,
A display unit is formed on the front surface of the main body,
The cursor displayed on the display unit is moved by the touch input, and the selection of the portion designated by the cursor is performed by the push input.

Images