KR20140007210A - Mobile terminal and network system thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and a communication network system thereof. The mobile terminal includes a communication network search unit which searches a wireless communication network which an external device forms; a signal measuring unit which measures the intensity of a reception signal from the wireless communication network searched by the communication network search unit; a wireless communication unit which receives the communication method of the wireless communication network from the external device; and a display unit which outputs the intensity of the reception signal and the communication method. [Reference numerals] (300) Wi-Fi tethering; (AA) Select network; (BB) Wired

Description

Mobile terminal and its network system {MOBILE TERMINAL AND NETWORK SYSTEM THEREOF}

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal, and more particularly, to a mobile terminal and a communication network system thereof for searching a wireless communication network formed by an external device.

A terminal can be divided into a mobile or portable terminal and a stationary terminal depending on whether the terminal is movable or not. 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.

As the functions of such terminals are diversified, they are implemented in the form of a multimedia player having complex functions such as photographing and photographing of movies, reproduction of music and video files, games, and broadcasting reception . Further, in order to support and enhance the function of the terminal, it may be considered to improve the structural and software parts of the terminal.

Thanks to this improvement, the mobile terminal can perform wireless communication using a wireless communication network formed by an external device. In this case, additional information of the available wireless communication network may be output to the display unit, and a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) may be output together with the name of the wireless communication network. However, the received signal strength only indicates the radio strength between the mobile terminal and the external device, so that the user cannot obtain information such as the communication speed of the wireless communication network itself. In addition, even when the received signal strength is good, when a temporary failure occurs in the external device, the mobile terminal may not perform wireless communication using the wireless communication network, which may cause confusion for the user.

The present invention provides a mobile terminal capable of outputting a communication method of a wireless communication network together with a received signal strength of a wireless communication network formed by an external device and a communication system thereof.

One embodiment of the invention relates to a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal includes a communication network search unit for searching a wireless communication network formed by an external device, a signal measuring unit for measuring a received signal strength of the wireless communication network searched by the communication network search unit, and a communication method of the wireless communication network from the external device. It includes a wireless communication unit for receiving and the display unit for outputting the received signal strength and the communication method together.

As an example related to the present disclosure, the apparatus may further include a controller configured to detect whether or not wireless communication is possible using the wireless communication network and to output the received signal strength differently to the display unit according to whether the wireless communication is possible. The wireless network searched by the network search unit is plural, and the control unit sorts the plural numbers according to at least one of the received signal strength and the communication scheme, and the plurality is arranged in the sorted order on the display unit. You can print The apparatus may further include a user input unit configured to receive an input for any one of the plurality, and the wireless communication unit may perform wireless communication using any one of the above.

As another example of the present disclosure, the wireless communication unit may receive data usage of the wireless communication network from the external device, and the display unit may output the data usage.

In addition, an embodiment of the present invention relates to a communication network system of a mobile terminal. The communication network system of the mobile terminal includes an external device forming a wireless communication network, a communication network search unit for searching for the wireless communication network, a signal measuring unit for measuring the received signal strength of the wireless communication network, and a wireless communication unit for receiving the communication method of the wireless communication network. And a display unit for outputting the received signal strength and the communication scheme together.

As an example related to the present disclosure, the external device may further include a control unit detecting the mobile terminal performing wireless communication using the wireless communication network and an output unit outputting communication network usage information of the mobile terminal detected by the control unit. It can be provided.

As another example related to the present invention, the communication network usage information may include at least one of data usage and resource usage rate of the wireless communication network.

As another example of the present disclosure, the external device may further include a user input unit configured to receive an input for the mobile terminal detected by the controller, and the controller may be configured to the mobile terminal received by the user input unit. It is possible to block the use of the wireless communication network.

According to the present invention, since the user can check the communication method of the wireless communication network as well as the received signal strength of the wireless communication network, the user can select a wireless communication network having a high transmission speed from among the plurality of wireless communication networks by using the communication method.

Further, according to the present invention, since the received signal strength can be output differently according to whether or not wireless communication using the wireless communication network is possible, it is possible to inform the user of the wireless communication network that cannot perform wireless communication.

In addition, according to the present invention, an external device for providing a wireless communication network to the mobile terminal may check the resource usage rate of the mobile terminal and, if necessary, block the use of the wireless communication network. Through this, it is possible to efficiently manage the resources of the wireless communication network.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
2A and 2B are perspective views showing the appearance of a mobile terminal according to the present invention.
3 is an exemplary view showing a communication network system of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a communication method of a wireless communication network according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a list of wireless communication networks according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is an exemplary view showing a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a diagram illustrating a mobile terminal that cannot use a wireless communication network of an external device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is an exemplary view showing an external device forming a wireless communication network according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art may easily implement the technical idea of the present invention. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. In the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted in order to clearly describe the present invention, and like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the specification.

The mobile terminal described herein 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), a navigator, have. However, it should be understood that the configuration according to the embodiments described herein may be applied to a fixed terminal such as a digital TV, a desktop computer, and the like, unless it is applicable only to a mobile terminal. It will be easy to see.

Overall configuration

1 is a block diagram illustrating a mobile terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1, a 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 controller 160, an interface unit 170, a controller 180, and a power supply unit 190. The components shown in Fig. 1 are not essential, so that a mobile terminal having more or fewer components can be implemented.

Hereinafter, the components 110 to 190 of the mobile terminal 100 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 distance communication module 114, and a location information module 115.

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives broadcast signals and broadcast related information from an external broadcast management server through a broadcast channel. Here, the broadcast-related information means information related to a broadcast channel, a broadcast program, or a broadcast service provider. The broadcast-related information can also be provided through a mobile communication network. In this case, the broadcast-related information may be received by the mobile communication module 112. The broadcast signal and the 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. Such wireless signals may include various types of data depending on a voice call signal, a video call signal, a text message, or a multimedia message transmission / reception.

The wireless Internet module 113 is a module for wireless Internet access, and may be embedded in the mobile terminal 100 or externally. WLAN (Wi-Fi), Wibro (Wireless broadband), Wimax (World Interoperability for Microwave Access), HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) and the like can be used as wireless Internet technologies.

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 can be used.

The position information module 115 is a module for acquiring the position of the mobile terminal 100, and a representative example thereof is a Global Position System (GPS) module.

1, an A / V (Audio / Video) input unit 120 is for inputting an audio signal and a video signal, and may include a camera 121, a microphone 122, and the like. The camera 121 processes image frames such as still images and moving images obtained by the image sensor in the video communication mode or the photographing mode. The image frame processed by the camera 121 can be displayed on the display unit 151. [ The image frame may be stored in the memory 160 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication unit 110. [ More than two cameras 121 may be provided depending on the use environment.

The microphone 122 processes the sound signal input from the outside in the communication mode, the recording mode, the voice selection mode, and the like as electrical voice data. The voice data processed by the microphone 122 in the communication mode can be converted into a form that can be transmitted to the mobile communication base station through the mobile communication module 112 and output. The microphone 122 may be implemented with various noise reduction algorithms for eliminating noise generated when an external sound signal is input.

The user input unit 130 generates input data for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100 by a user. The user input unit 130 may include a key pad, a dome switch, a touch pad (static pressure and static electricity), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

The sensing unit 140 senses the current state of the mobile terminal 100 such as presence or absence of a user, the open / close state of the mobile terminal 100, position, orientation, acceleration, deceleration, And generates a sensing signal. For example, when the mobile terminal 100 is in the form of a slide phone, the sensing unit 140 may detect whether the slide phone is opened or closed. The sensing unit 140 may sense whether the power supply unit 190 is powered on, whether the interface unit 170 is connected to an external device, and the like.

The sensing unit 140 may include a proximity sensor 141. The sensing unit 140 may include a touch sensor (not shown) for sensing a touch operation with respect to the display unit 151.

The touch sensor may have the form of a touch film, a touch sheet, a touch pad, or the like. The touch sensor may be configured to convert a pressure applied to a specific portion of the display portion 151 or a change in capacitance generated at a specific portion of the display portion 151 into an electrical input signal. The touch sensor may be configured to detect a touch pressure as well as a touched position and area.

When the touch sensor and the display unit 151 have a mutual layer structure, the display unit 151 can be used as an input device in addition to the output device. The display unit 151 may be referred to as a 'touch screen'.

If there is a touch input via the touch screen, signals corresponding thereto are sent to a touch controller (not shown). The touch controller processes the signals transmitted from the touch sensor, and then transmits data corresponding to the processed signals to the controller 180. Thus, the control unit 180 can know which area of the display unit 151 is touched.

In the case where the touch screen is electrostatic, it can be configured to detect the proximity of the sensing object by a change of the electric field along the proximity of the sensing target. Such a touch screen may be classified as proximity sensor 141. [

The proximity sensor 141 refers to a sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object to be sensed without mechanical contact using an electromagnetic force or infrared rays. The proximity sensor 141 has a longer life than the contact type sensor and its utilization is also high. Examples of the proximity sensor 141 include a transmission type photoelectric sensor, a direct reflection type photoelectric sensor, a mirror reflection type photoelectric sensor, a high frequency oscillation type proximity sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, a magnetic proximity sensor, and an infrared proximity sensor.

Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, a proximity action is referred to as " proximity touch " while an object to be sensed does not touch the touch screen, and an action of touching the sensing object on the touch screen is called & touch ".

The proximity sensor 141 detects the presence or absence of 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, The information corresponding to the presence / absence of proximity touch and the proximity touch pattern can be output to the touch screen.

The output unit 150 generates an output related to visual, auditory, tactile, and the like. The output unit 150 may include 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 100. For example, when the mobile terminal 100 operates in the call mode, the display unit 151 displays a UI (User Interface) or a GUI (Graphic User Interface) related to the call. When the mobile terminal 100 operates in the video communication mode or the photographing mode, the display unit 151 displays the photographed image, the received image, the UI, the GUI, and the like.

The display unit 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, a 3D display, and an e-ink display.

At least one display (or display element) included in the display unit 151 may be configured to be transparent or light transmissive so that the display can see the outside through it. This can be referred to as a transparent display. A typical example of such a transparent display is TOLED (Transparent OLED). The rear structure of the display unit 151 may also be of a light transmission type. With this structure, the user can see an object located behind the terminal body through the area occupied by the display unit 151 in the terminal body.

There may be two or more display units 151 according to the embodiment of the mobile terminal 100. [ For example, in the mobile terminal 100, a plurality of display portions may be spaced apart from each other or positioned integrally with one another, and may be located on different surfaces.

The audio 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 mode, a call mode or a recording mode, a voice selection mode, a broadcast reception mode, 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 generated in the mobile terminal 100 include call signal reception, message reception, key signal input, touch input, and the like. The alarm unit 153 may output a signal for informing occurrence of an event in a form other than a video signal or an audio signal, for example, vibration. The display unit 151 and the sound output module 152 may be classified as a part of the alarm unit 153 because the video signal or the audio signal can also be output through the display unit 151 or the sound output module 152. [

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, pattern, and the like of the vibration generated by the hit module 154 are controllable. For example, different vibrations may be synthesized and output or sequentially output.

In addition to the vibration, the haptic module 154 may include a pin arrangement vertically moving with respect to the contact skin surface, a spraying force or a suction force of the air through the injection port or the suction port, a touch on the skin surface, contact with an electrode, Various effects can be generated such as the effect of heat generation and the effect of reproducing the cold sensation using the heat absorbing or heatable element.

The haptic module 154 can be configured to not only transmit the tactile effect through the direct contact but also to allow the user to feel the tactile effect through the muscular sense of the finger or arm. At least two haptic modules 154 may be provided according to the configuration of the mobile terminal 100.

The memory 160 may store a program for the operation of the controller 180 and temporarily store input and output data (e.g., a phone book, a message, a still image, a moving picture, etc.). The memory 160 may store data related to vibrations and sounds of various patterns that are output upon touch input on the touch screen.

The memory 160 may be a flash memory, a hard disk, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory), a 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) And may include at least one storage medium. The mobile terminal 100 may operate in association with a web storage that performs storage functions 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, 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, the interface unit 170 may include 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, Input / output ports, video I / O ports, earphone ports, and the like.

The identification module is a chip for storing various information for authenticating the usage right of the mobile terminal 100 and includes a user identification module (UIM), a subscriber identity module (SIM), a general user authentication module Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM)). A device equipped with an identification module (hereinafter referred to as "identification device") 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 170 may be a path through which the 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 the user, (Not shown). The various command signals or power supplied from the cradle may also act as a signal for recognizing that the mobile terminal 100 is correctly mounted in the cradle.

The controller 180 controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal 100. For example, control and processing related to 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 control unit 180 may perform pattern selection processing for selecting handwriting input and drawing input on the touch screen as characters and images, respectively.

In addition, the controller 180 may further include the communication network searcher 182 and the signal measurer 183. These 182 and 183 may be implemented in the controller 180 or may be implemented separately from the controller 180.

The network search unit 182 may search for a wireless communication network formed by an external device. For example, the network search unit 182 may periodically search the wireless communication network or search the wireless communication network only when a user request is made.

In this case, the wireless communication network may refer to a network that enables wireless Internet access using wireless Internet technology. In other words, if a wireless communication network is used, the Internet is separated from a wired environment consisting of a twisted pir cable or a coaxial cable from a hub to a user at the time of network construction. Etc. can be. Such a wireless communication network may be formed using, for example, IEEE 802.11 standard technology or technologies such as wireless fidelity, wibro and wimax.

The signal measurer 183 may measure a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the wireless communication network searched by the network search unit. The received signal strength may mean a received signal strength of a wireless signal received by the mobile terminal from an external device. For example, the received signal strength may be displayed from a maximum of 30 to a minimum of -10, and may mean that the signal strength is stronger as the number displayed is increased.

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 implemented in a recording medium readable by a computer or similar device using software, hardware, or a combination thereof.

According to a hardware implementation, the embodiments described herein may be applied to various types of application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays Microprocessors, microprocessors, and other electronic units for performing other functions, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. In some cases, the embodiments described herein may be implemented by the controller 180 itself.

According to a software implementation, embodiments such as the procedures and functions described herein may be implemented with 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 a software application written in a suitable programming language. Such software code may be stored in the memory 160 and executed by the controller 180.

Hereinafter, a method of processing user input to the mobile terminal 100 will be described.

The user input unit 130 is operated to receive a command for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100, and may include a plurality of operation units. The operating units may also be referred to as manipulating portions and may be employed in any manner as long as they are operated in a tactile manner by the user's tactile sense.

Various kinds of time information can be displayed on the display unit 151. [ Such visual information can be displayed in the form of letters, numbers, symbols, graphics, icons, and the like, and can be formed as a three-dimensional stereoscopic image. At least one of a character, a number, a symbol, a graphic, and an icon may be displayed in a predetermined arrangement for inputting time information, thereby being implemented as a keypad. Such a keypad may be referred to as a so-called " soft key ".

The display unit 151 may operate as an entire area or may be divided into a plurality of areas and operated. In the latter case, the plurality of areas can be configured to operate in association with one another. For example, an output window and an input window may be displayed on the upper and lower portions of the display unit 151, respectively. The output window and the input window are areas allocated for outputting or inputting information, respectively. In the input window, a soft key with a number for inputting a telephone number may be output. When the soft key is touched, the number corresponding to the touched soft key is displayed in the output window. When the operating unit is operated, a call connection to the telephone number displayed in the output window may be attempted, or the text displayed in the output window may be entered into the application.

The display unit 151 or the touch pad may be configured to detect touch scrolling. The user can move the cursor or the pointer positioned on the displayed object, for example, the icon, on the display unit 151 by scrolling the display unit 151 or the touch pad. Further, when the finger is moved on the display unit 151 or the touch pad, the path along which the finger moves may be visually displayed on the display unit 151. [ This will be useful for editing the image displayed on the display unit 151. [

One function of the mobile terminal 100 may be executed in response to a case where the display unit 151 and the touch pad are touched together within a predetermined time range. In the case of being touched together, there may be a case where the user clamps the main body of the mobile terminal 100 using the thumb and index finger. At this time, one function of the mobile terminal 100 to be executed may be activation or deactivation for the display unit 151 or the touch pad, for example.

Organization description

2A and 2B are perspective views showing an appearance of a mobile terminal 100 according to the present invention. FIG. 2A shows a front side and one side of the mobile terminal 100, and FIG. 2B shows a rear side and the other side of the mobile terminal 100. FIG.

Referring to FIG. 2A, the mobile terminal 100 includes a bar-shaped terminal body. However, the mobile terminal 100 is not limited thereto, and may be realized in various forms such as a slide type, a folder type, a swing type, and a swivel type in which two or more bodies are movably coupled to each other.

The terminal body includes a case (a casing, a housing, a cover, and the like) that forms an appearance. In the 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 injection molding of a synthetic resin or may be formed to have a metal material such as stainless steel (STS), titanium (Ti) or the like.

The display unit 151, the sound output unit 152, the camera 121, the user input unit 130 (see FIG. 1), the microphone 122, the interface 170, can do.

The display unit 151 occupies a main portion of the front case 101. [ The audio output unit 152 and the camera 121 are located in a region adjacent to one end of the display unit 151 and the first user input unit 131 and the microphone 122 are located in a region adjacent to the other end. The second user input unit 132 and the interface 170 may be located on the sides of the front case 101 and the rear case 102. [

The user input unit 130 is operated to receive a command for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100. [ The user input unit 130 may include a plurality of operation units 131 and 132.

The first or second operating units 131 and 132 can receive various commands. For example, the first operation unit 131 can receive commands such as start, end, scroll, and the like. The second operation unit 132 can receive commands such as adjusting the size of the sound output from the sound output unit 152, switching to the touch selection mode of the display unit 151, and the like.

Referring to FIG. 2B, a rear camera 121 'may be additionally mounted on the rear surface of the terminal body, that is, the rear case 102. The rear camera 121 'has a photographing direction opposite to that of the front camera 121 (see FIG. 2A), and may be configured to have pixels different from those of the front camera 121.

For example, the front camera 121 may be configured to have a low pixel, and the rear camera 121 'may be configured to have a high pixel. Accordingly, when the front camera 121 is used during a video call, the size of the transmission data may be reduced when the user's face is photographed and transmitted to the counterpart in real time. On the other hand, the rear camera 121 'can be used for the purpose of storing a high-quality image.

Meanwhile, the cameras 121 and 121 'may be installed in the terminal body so as to be rotated or popped up.

The flash 123 and the mirror 124 may be further positioned adjacent to the rear camera 121 '. The flash 123 emits light toward the subject when the user photographs the subject with the rear camera 121 '. The mirror 124 illuminates the user's face when the user photographs himself (self-photographing) using the rear camera 121 '.

A rear sound output unit 152 'may be additionally disposed on the rear surface of the terminal body. The rear sound output unit 152 'may perform a stereo function together with the front sound output unit 152 (see FIG. 2A), and may perform a speakerphone function during a call.

In addition to the antenna for communication, an antenna 116 for receiving broadcast signals may be additionally provided on the side surface of the terminal body. The antenna 116 constituting a part of the broadcast receiving module 111 (see FIG. 1) can be installed to be able to be drawn out from the terminal body.

A power supply unit 190 for supplying power to the mobile terminal 100 is mounted on the terminal body. The power supply unit 190 may be built in the main body of the terminal or may be detachable from the outside of the main body of the terminal.

The rear case 102 may further include a touch pad 135 for sensing a touch. The touch pad 135 may be of a light transmission type like the display unit 151 (see FIG. 2A). Further, a back display unit for outputting time information can be additionally mounted on the touch pad 135. [ At this time, information output from both sides of the front display unit 151 and the rear display unit can be controlled by the touch pad 135. [

The touch pad 135 operates in correlation with the display unit 151. [ The touch pad 135 may be positioned 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.

Referring back to the display unit 151 of the present invention, it is possible to output information about the wireless communication network formed by the external device. For example, the name of the wireless communication network of the external device searched by the communication network searching unit 182 and the received signal strength of the wireless communication network measured by the signal measuring unit 183 may be output.

Hereinafter, a communication network system of a mobile terminal for outputting information on a wireless communication network formed by an external device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3.

Mobile network system

3 is an exemplary view showing a communication network system of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the communication network system of the mobile terminal 100 may include at least one external device 300 and 400 and the mobile terminal 100.

The external devices 300 and 400 may form a wireless communication network that can be used by the mobile terminal 100. The external devices 300 and 400 may be any one of a wireless modem, a mobile router, an access router (AP), and a terminal on which a tethering function is executed. Such an external device is not limited to a name, and may correspond to an external device according to the present invention as long as it is a communication device forming a wireless communication network.

The wireless modem may be a device for forming a wireless communication network through which a plurality of terminals can communicate wirelessly. For example, a device such as a bridge, peer to peer (P2P), and the like may correspond.

The wireless router 400 may be a device for connecting a wireless LAN with a local area network (LAN) corresponding to a telephone line or a dedicated line.

The tethering function is a function that can utilize the terminal as a modem, such an external device 300 may execute a tethering function using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, and form a wireless communication network.

The mobile terminal 100 may include a display unit 151 and output information 210 and 220 on the wireless communication network to the display unit 151. Referring to FIG. 3, there are two wireless communication networks that can be used by the mobile terminal 100. The information on the wireless communication network may include a name of the wireless communication network, a received signal strength of the wireless communication network, and a communication method of the wireless communication network. have.

The communication method of the wireless communication network may be received from the external devices 300 and 400 using the wireless communication unit 110. For example, when the external device 400 is a wireless router and the wireless router uses a wired LAN to form a wireless communication network, the communication method may be “wired”. For another example, when the external device 400 is a terminal using a 4G mobile communication method (4G) and the terminal forms a wireless communication network using a tethering function, the communication method may be “4G”.

The information about the communication method may be received by the wireless communication unit 110 from an external device. Alternatively, the controller 180 may measure a data transmission rate of a wireless communication network and detect a communication method corresponding to the data transmission rate measured by using a data table of a communication method stored in the memory unit 160. It may be. The data table relating to the communication method may include information about a data transmission rate and information about a communication method corresponding to the data transmission rate.

For example, when the data transmission rate corresponding to the fourth generation mobile communication method is 100Mbps to 1Gbps, and the data transmission rate of the wireless communication network measured by the controller 180 is 150Mbps, the controller 180 is a communication method of the wireless communication network. Can be detected as "4G".

In addition, the controller 180 may output the measured data transmission rate to the display unit 151 instead of the communication method or together with the communication method. In general, the data transmission speed according to the communication method may be slow in the order of wired, 4G, WiBro, and 3G. The mobile terminal 100 may store information regarding such a communication scheme in the memory 160 and use it.

In general, the data transmission rate (or communication rate) of a wireless communication network depends on the communication scheme forming the wireless communication network. For example, the communication speed of wired communication may be relatively faster than that of wireless communication. For another example, in the mobile communication standard, the data transmission rate may be relatively faster than the fourth generation mobile communication method than the third generation mobile communication.

Therefore, according to the present invention described above, the user can check not only the received signal strength of the wireless communication network to be used, but also information on the communication scheme forming the wireless communication network. In addition, since the user can select a relatively fast wireless communication network by using the information on the communication method output to the display unit 151, the user's convenience can be increased.

Communication method On display  Example of outputting

4 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a communication method of a wireless communication network according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, a format in which a communication method corresponding to a fourth generation mobile communication method is output to the display unit 151 is illustrated.

The controller 180 may output the information about the communication method to the display unit 151 using the text 242, the icon 244, and the trademark 246 corresponding to the communication method. Although not shown in the drawing, any one of a hologram and a video may be used.

Alternatively, the controller 180 may output the communication scheme 248 with the received signal strength. In general, in a mobile terminal, the received signal strength may be output in a fan shape used to indicate Wi-Fi strength. In this case, the controller 180 may output information on a communication method together with a fan shape corresponding to the received signal strength.

Alternatively, the controller 180 may rotate the fan shape used to display the received signal strength, and output the distinguished information from the received signal strength by using it as information on a communication method. In general, since the fan shape decreases as the data transmission speed increases, the controller 180 may output a fan shape as the data transmission speed of the communication method increases.

Alternatively, the controller 180 may output information regarding a communication method in the same form as the fan shape, but may distinguish the received signal strength from each other using different colors.

5 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a list of wireless communication networks according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The network search unit 182 may search for wireless communication networks formed by a plurality of external devices. In this case, referring to FIG. 5A, the controller 180 may sort the list of the wireless communication networks based on the name of the wireless communication network. In addition, referring to FIG. 5B, the controller 180 may sort the list for the wireless communication networks in ascending or descending order of the data transmission rate according to at least one of the received signal strength and the communication scheme.

In this case, referring to FIG. 5C, the controller 180 assigns a weight to each of the received signal strength and the communication scheme, detects the quality of the wireless communication network using the weight, and wirelessly according to the quality of the wireless communication network. You can sort the list for the networks. For example, if the wire is formed by a terminal named "A", and the received signal strength is the strongest among the remaining terminals, but a temporary failure occurs and Internet connection is not possible, the quality of the wireless communication network may be detected at the lowest level. Can be.

6 is an exemplary view illustrating a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 6, the controller 180 may output information about a communication scheme to an indicator display area of the display unit 151.

In general, in the mobile terminal, the indicator display area 260 may refer to an area of the display unit 151 that outputs information regarding the state of the mobile terminal 100 in real time. The indicator display area 260 may be located at the top of the display unit 151.

The information output to the indicator display area 260 may be, for example, a local time, an antenna-shaped icon indicating an antenna reception state of a mobile terminal, a battery-shaped icon indicating a battery remaining amount, or an SMS (Short Messaging Service). When a message or a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message is received, the message may include at least one of an icon of an envelope shape.

The controller 180 may output the received signal strength 262 and the information 264 regarding the communication method of the wireless communication network to the indicator display area 260. In addition, the controller 180 may output the wireless data usage 266 and the wireless communication network usage rate 268 of the mobile terminal 100. Such information 262 to 268 may be periodically received from an external device or detected by the controller 180.

The wireless data usage 266 may include at least one of an average amount, a maximum amount, and a minimum amount of data transmitted and / or received by the mobile terminal 100.

The wireless network utilization rate 268 may refer to a resource of a wireless communication network that the external device or the mobile terminal 100 is using. Alternatively, this may mean resource utilization of the entire wireless communication network.

7 is a diagram illustrating a mobile terminal that cannot use a wireless communication network of an external device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 7, the display unit 151 of the mobile terminal 100 may output a received signal strength 272 and a communication method 274 of a wireless communication network formed by an external device.

Referring to FIG. 7, the mobile terminal 100 may use a wireless communication network formed by an external device using "wired wire". The controller 180 may output the information to the display unit 151 using the information 274 about the communication method. In this case, although the received signal strength 272 received by the mobile terminal 100 from the external device is smooth, a case where the wireless communication network of the external device does not operate may occur.

In this case, the controller 180 may detect whether the wireless communication network of the external device is operating normally. That is, the wireless communication unit 110 may detect whether the wireless communication unit 110 can perform wireless communication using the wireless communication network of the external device.

For example, the controller 180 may differently output the received signal strength to the display unit 180 according to the detection result. If the wireless communication network is operating normally, the received signal strength may be output in blue, otherwise, the received signal strength may be output in red.

For another example, the controller 180 may output information on the communication method 274 including whether the wireless communication network is operating. It is possible to output the unavailability indication or the communication speed of the wireless communication network together with the communication method. If the communication speed is 0, it may mean that communication cannot be performed using a wireless communication network.

External device included in communication network system of mobile terminal

8 is an exemplary diagram illustrating an external device forming a wireless communication network according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8A, the external device 300 forming the wireless communication network may include an output unit 310 and a controller (not shown). The external device 300 may be, for example, a terminal that supports a tethering function.

The controller 310 of the external device 300 may detect at least one terminal using a wireless communication network and communication network usage information of the terminal. In addition, the controller 310 of the external device 300 may output the detected communication network usage information to the output unit 310.

For communication network usage information, referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, the number 320 of terminals using the wireless communication network, the name of the terminal using the wireless communication network, and the terminal using the wireless communication network are being transmitted and / or received. At least one of data usage, resource utilization rate of the wireless communication network, and an application being used by a terminal using the wireless communication network may be included.

Referring to FIG. 8A, the number 320 of terminals using a wireless communication network may be output to the display 310. The external device 300 may further include a user input unit (not shown), and the user input unit (not shown) may receive an input for the number 320 of terminals using a wireless communication network.

Referring to FIG. 8B, in response to an input of the number 320 of terminals, the controller (not shown) of the external device 300 may display the network usage information lists 330 and 340 for the terminal using the wireless communication network. You can print

In this case, the user input unit (not shown) of the external device 300 may receive a block command 348 for at least one of the communication network use information lists 330 and 340. The controller (not shown) of the external device 300 may block the terminal corresponding to the received communication network usage information from the wireless communication network.

In addition, the controller (not shown) of the external device 300 may periodically detect the resource utilization rate of the wireless communication network. At least one of resource utilization and total resource usage for each of the terminals using the wireless communication network may be detected.

In this case, the controller (not shown) of the external device 300 may be notified by using the output unit 310 when the total resource usage rate is greater than the preset limit usage rate. The known method may be, for example, at least one of a method of outputting a warning window to the display 310, outputting a vibration or a sound using an alarm unit, or transmitting a text message to a preset contact.

In addition, the controller (not shown) of the external device 300 may block the use of the at least one wireless communication network when the resource usage rate of at least one of the terminals using the wireless communication network is greater than a preset limit usage rate.

As described above, according to the present invention, the mobile terminal 100 can output information regarding the communication method of the wireless communication network together with the received signal strength of the wireless communication network. Using this, the user can check the quality of the wireless communication network and select a relatively good wireless communication network. In addition, since the communication method is output to the indicator display area, user convenience may be increased.

In addition, according to the present invention, the external device may output the communication network usage information for the terminal using the wireless communication network, and block the terminal having a greater resource utilization than the preset limit usage rate. The user can use this to manage the quality of the wireless communication network.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims (8)

A communication network search unit for searching a wireless communication network formed by an external device;
A signal measuring unit measuring a received signal strength of the wireless communication network searched by the communication network searching unit;
A wireless communication unit which receives a communication method of the wireless communication network from the external device; And
And a display unit for outputting the received signal strength and the communication scheme together. The method of claim 1,
And a controller configured to detect whether or not wireless communication is possible using the wireless communication network, and to output the received signal strength differently to the display unit according to whether the wireless communication is possible. 3. The method of claim 2,
The wireless network searched by the network search unit is a plurality,
The control unit is arranged in accordance with at least one of the received signal strength and the communication scheme of the plurality of mobile terminals, characterized in that the output in the order of sorting the plurality of mobile terminals. The method of claim 1,
The wireless communication unit receives the data usage of the wireless communication network from the external device,
The display unit outputs the data usage. An external device forming a wireless communication network; And
A communication network searching unit for searching the wireless communication network, a signal measuring unit for measuring the received signal strength of the wireless communication network, a wireless communication unit for receiving the communication method of the wireless communication network and a display unit for outputting the received signal strength and the communication method together Communication network system comprising a mobile terminal provided. The method of claim 5,
The external device includes:
And a control unit for detecting the mobile terminal performing wireless communication using the wireless communication network and an output unit for outputting communication network usage information of the mobile terminal detected by the control unit. The method according to claim 6,
The communication network usage information comprises at least one of data usage and resource usage rate of the wireless communication network. The method according to claim 6,
The external device further includes a user input unit configured to receive an input for the mobile terminal detected by the controller,
The control unit, the communication network system, characterized in that to block the use of the wireless communication network for the mobile terminal received by the user input unit.

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