KR20140124274A - Terminal and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a terminal including a flexible display and a control method thereof. A terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a body which includes a display area formed on the front thereof, and is formed to be bent; a moment generating unit configured to apply a moment such that at least a part of the body is bent; a camera formed in one end of the body; and a control unit which searches a user using the camera, and uses the moment generating unit to bend the part of the body according to a location of the searched user.

Description

[0001] TERMINAL AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF [0002]

The present invention relates to a terminal including a flexible display and a control method thereof.

A terminal can be divided into a mobile / portable terminal and a stationary terminal depending on whether the terminal is movable. Again, the terminal can be divided into a handheld terminal and a vehicle mount terminal according to whether the user can carry it directly.

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 . In order to support and enhance the functionality of such terminals, it may be considered to improve the structural and / or software parts of the terminal.

2. Description of the Related Art [0002] In general, terminals evolve into various types of designs, and accordingly, flexible displays are attracting attention due to their light and non-breakable characteristics. Flexible displays may be able to create new user interface areas that are limited or impossible to apply to existing glass substrate based displays.

Also, with the attention paid to flexible displays in this way, there is a need for a user-friendly user interface using the characteristics of the flexible display.

An object of the present invention is to provide a terminal that automatically warps using the characteristics of a flexible display portion capable of bending or bending, and a control method thereof.

A terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a body having a display area on its front surface and being formed to be able to bend, a moment generating part for applying a moment to bend at least a part of the body, And a controller for searching for a user using the camera and for bending at least a part of the body according to a position of the searched user using the moment generator.

In one embodiment, the controller is configured to bend at least a part of the body including one end of the camera so that the camera can photograph the detected user according to the motion of the searched user.

In one embodiment, the controller divides the display area into first and second areas using at least a part of the curved part, and outputs different images to the first and second areas.

In one embodiment, the controller adjusts the size of at least one of the first and second regions according to the position of the searched user.

In one embodiment, the control unit changes images output from the first and second regions to each other according to a position of the searched user.

In one embodiment, the different images are images received from a partner device of a video call and an image captured by the camera.

In one embodiment, the camera may further include a wireless communication unit for capturing an image for a video communication and transmitting and receiving data for performing the video communication with the other device, And outputs an image to the display area.

In one embodiment, the control unit selectively transmits an image or a substitute image photographed by the camera to the partner device based on the presence or absence of the searched user.

In one embodiment, the controller returns at least a part of the body to a predetermined state when the video call is terminated.

In one embodiment, the controller performs a face recognition function using an image captured by the camera, and bends at least a part of the body according to a position of the recognized face.

In one embodiment, the control unit outputs an image photographed by the camera to the display area when at least a part of the body is bent by the moment generating unit.

In one embodiment, the control unit is configured to bend at least a part of the body so as to be closer to the searched user.

In one embodiment, the controller adjusts the warping angle of at least a part based on a user input.

A terminal and a control method thereof according to an embodiment of the present invention can search for a user using a camera and control at least a part of a terminal body according to a search result. Since at least a portion of the terminal body includes a display area, the user can conveniently utilize the terminal using a display that is bent according to the movement of the user.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2A and 2B are conceptual diagrams illustrating a body included in a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a flow chart for describing a control method of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention
4A, 4B, 4C, 4D and 4E are conceptual diagrams for explaining the control method of FIG. 3, which has been described above in the terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D are conceptual diagrams illustrating a method of bending at least a part of a body according to a user search result in a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6A and 6B are conceptual diagrams for explaining a method of dividing a display area into a plurality of areas according to a movement of a user in a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention
7 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a method of bending at least a part of a body in a sleep state of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to designate identical or similar elements, and redundant description thereof will be omitted. 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. In the following description of the embodiments of the present invention, a detailed description of related arts will be omitted when it is determined that the gist of the embodiments disclosed herein may be blurred. In addition, it should be noted that the attached drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, and should not be construed as limiting the technical idea disclosed in the present specification by the attached drawings.

The terminal described in this specification includes a terminal and a fixed terminal. For example, the terminal may be a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), a navigation device, a slate PC, PC, Ultra Book and so on. The fixed terminal may include a digital TV, a desktop computer, and the like.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a terminal according to one embodiment disclosed herein.

The terminal 100 includes a 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, 170, a control unit 180, a power supply unit 190, and the like. The components shown in FIG. 1 are not essential, and a terminal having more or fewer components may be implemented.

Hereinafter, the components will be described in order.

The communication unit 110 may include one or more modules that enable communication between the terminal 100 and the communication system or between the terminal 100 and the network in which the terminal 100 is located. For example, the 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 / 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, an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) of DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) or an ESG (Electronic Service Guide) 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 mobile communication module 112 is configured to implement a video communication mode and a voice communication mode. The video call mode refers to a state of talking while viewing a video of the other party, and the voice call mode refers to a state in which a call is made without viewing the other party's video. In order to implement the video communication mode and the voice communication mode, the mobile communication module 112 is configured to transmit and receive at least one of voice and image.

The wireless Internet module 113 is a module for wireless Internet access, and may be built in or externally attached to the terminal 100. 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. 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 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 communication mode or the photographing mode. The processed image frame can be displayed on the display unit 151. [

The image frame processed by the camera 121 may be stored in the memory 160 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication unit 110. [ Two or more cameras may be provided depending on the usage 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, a dome switch, a touch pad (static / static), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

The sensing unit 140 senses the current state of the terminal 100 such as the open / close state of the terminal 100, the position of the terminal 100, the presence of the user, the orientation of the terminal, And generates a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the sensor. For example, when the terminal 100 is in the form of a slide phone, it is possible to sense whether the slide phone is opened or closed. It is also possible to 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 output unit 150 may include a display unit 151, an audio output module 152, an alarm unit 153, and a haptic module 154, for example, for generating output related to visual, auditory, have.

The display unit 151 displays (outputs) information to be processed by the terminal 100. For example, when the terminal is in the call mode, a UI (User Interface) or GUI (Graphic User Interface) associated with the call is displayed. When the 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 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.

Some of these displays may be transparent or light transmissive so that they can be seen through. This can be referred to as a transparent display, and a typical example of the transparent display is TOLED (Transparent OLED) and the like. The rear structure of the display unit 151 may also be of a light transmission type. With this structure, the user can see the object located behind the terminal body through the area occupied by the display unit 151 of the terminal body.

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

(Hereinafter, referred to as a 'touch screen') in which a display unit 151 and a sensor for sensing a touch operation (hereinafter, referred to as 'touch sensor') form 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 unit 151 or a capacitance generated in a specific portion of the display unit 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 unit 151 is touched or the like.

Referring to FIG. 1, a proximity sensor may be disposed in an inner region of a terminal or a proximity of the touch screen, which is enclosed 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 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. 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 recognizing that the pointer is positioned on the touch screen while the pointer is not in contact with the touch screen is referred to as "proximity touch & The act of actually touching the pointer on the screen is called "contact touch. &Quot; 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 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 recognition 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 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 terminal 100. Examples of events that occur in a terminal include receiving a call signal, receiving a message, inputting a key signal, and touch input. The alarm unit 153 may output a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event in a form other than the video signal or the audio signal, for example, vibration. The video signal or the audio signal may be output through the display unit 151 or the audio output module 152 so that they may be classified as a part of the alarm unit 153.

The haptic module 154 generates various tactile effects that the user can feel. A typical example of the haptic effect generated by the haptic module 154 is vibration. The intensity and pattern of the vibration generated by the hit module 154 can be controlled. 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 suction force of the air through the injection port or the suction port, a touch on the skin surface, contact with an electrode, And various tactile effects such as an effect of reproducing a cold sensation using an endothermic or exothermic element can be generated.

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. More than two haptic modules 154 may be provided according to the configuration of the 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), a static random access memory (SRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a programmable read- A disk, and / or an optical disk. The 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 terminal 100. The interface unit 170 receives data from an external device or supplies power to each component in the 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 that stores various information for authenticating the use right of the terminal 100 and includes a user identification module (UIM), a subscriber identity module (SIM), a universal user authentication module 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 terminal 100 is connected to an external cradle, the interface unit 170 may be a path through which power from the cradle is supplied to the terminal 100 or various command signals input from the cradle by the user And may be a passage to be transmitted to the terminal. Various command signals input from the cradle or the power source may be operated as a signal for recognizing that the terminal is correctly mounted on the cradle.

The controller 180 typically controls the overall operation of the 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. [

 In addition, the control unit 180 may perform a pattern recognition process for recognizing handwriting input or drawing input performed on the touch screen as characters and images, respectively.

In addition, if the state of the terminal meets a predetermined condition, the controller 180 can execute a lock state to restrict input of a control command of the user to the applications. Also, the controller 180 can control the lock screen displayed in the locked state based on the touch input sensed through the display unit (hereinafter, referred to as 'touch screen') 151 in the locked state.

The power supply unit 190 receives external power and internal power under the control of the controller 180 and supplies power necessary for operation of the respective components.

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 , Microprocessors, microprocessors, microprocessors, and other electronic units for carrying out other functions. 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.

The software code may be implemented in a software application written in a suitable programming language. The software code is stored in the memory 160 and can be executed by the control unit 180. [

Meanwhile, in the present invention, the body of the terminal 100 includes a display area and may be formed to be warped. At this time, the body itself may be formed as a flexible display, or the display area included in the body may be formed to include a flexible display. Hereinafter, a body (hereinafter, referred to as a 'flexible body') formed to be able to be bent will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2A and 2B are conceptual diagrams illustrating a body included in a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The terminal 100 shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B has a flexible body 102 formed at least in part so as to be able to be bent. This flexible body 102 refers to a bendable, collapsible, spoken body that can be bent by the external force or by the physical force exerted therein. Here, the flexible body 102 may include both a general flexible display and an electronic paper.

The flexible display 151 included in the flexible body 102 is fabricated on a thin and flexible substrate that can be bent, bent, folded or rolled like paper while maintaining the display characteristics of a conventional flat panel display, It means a robust display.

In addition, the electronic paper may be a display technology to which general ink characteristics are applied, and the point of using reflected light differs from a general flat panel display. The electronic paper can be changed by using a twist ball or electrophoresis (electrophoresis) using a capsule.

The sensing unit 182 (see FIG. 1) is included on the flexible body 102 to sense the flexure information of the flexible body 102. In this specification, the word 'warp' may include the meaning of 'warp', 'curl', 'folding', and 'bending'.

The sensing unit 182 may be disposed entirely on the flexible body 102, partially disposed on the flexible body 102, or may sense the flexure information of the flexible body 102. Here, the curvature information of the flexible body 102 may include a direction in which the flexible body 102 is bent, a degree of curvature, a curved position, a curved time, an acceleration at which the curved flexible body 102 returns to its original state, And may be various information that can be detected due to the bending of the flexible body 102.

The control unit 180 may change the information displayed on the flexible display unit 151 based on the warping information of the flexible body 102 sensed by the sensing unit 181, May be generated.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, when the flexible body 102 is bent in accordance with the external force or the internal force, the control unit 180 moves the flexible body 102 in the curved direction of the flexible body 102 The screen image previously displayed on the flexible display unit 151 can be rearranged, separated, synthesized, or changed in accordance with the bending angle, the returning acceleration that returns to the original state again.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, when the flexible body 102 is bent inward by the external or internal physical force, the control unit 180 controls the flexible display unit 151, The screen images displayed on the screen can be displayed so as to be close to each other. On the contrary, when the flexible display unit 151 is bent outward by the physical force, the screen images displayed on the flexible display unit 151 can be displayed to be spaced apart from each other.

In addition to the above method, The control unit 180 may vary the method of displaying information on the flexible display unit 151 so that the user can accurately recognize the information displayed on the flexible display unit 151 in response to the bending of the flexible body 102 Can be controlled.

Meanwhile, the terminal 100 includes a moment generating unit 183 (see FIG. 1), so that at least a part of the flexible body 102 can be bent. The moment generating unit 183 may be disposed entirely on the flexible body 102, partially disposed, or plural. As one example, the moment generating unit 183 may apply a moment to at least a portion of the flexible body 102 by using at least one center point and at least one acting point.

Meanwhile, the flexible body 102 includes a camera 121 (see FIG. 1). The control unit 180 can capture an image using a camera and search for a user using the captured image. The control unit 180 may bend at least a part of the flexible body 102 according to the position of the searched user. Hereinafter, a method of bending at least a part of the flexible body 102 according to a position of the searched user will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

4A, 4B, 4C, 4D and 4E are diagrams for explaining a method of controlling a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention, 3 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the control method of FIG.

Referring to FIG. 3, the controller 180 (see FIG. 1) in the terminal 100 (see FIG. 1) searches for a user using an image captured by the camera 121 (see FIG. 1) . The control unit 180 may perform a face recognition function or search for a user using a moving object detection algorithm.

Here, the face recognition function is one of the methods for searching the user using the photographed image. The control unit 180 may use the principal component analysis (PCA), the linear discriminant analysis (LDA), the fuzzy classifier, the euclidean distance, or the like, for example. So that the face recognition function can be performed.

Alternatively, the control unit 180 may use a moving object detection algorithm. For example, the temporal difference method. The background subtraction method and the optical flow method can be used to detect moving objects and judge them as users.

Next, the control unit 180 can control to warp at least a part of the flexible body 102 (see Fig. 2A) according to the search result. At this time, the control unit 180 may bend at least a part of the flexible body 102 using the moment generating unit 183 (see FIG. 1).

In the embodiment, when the user is searched for the photographed image, the control unit 180 may calculate the position of the user and bend at least a part of the flexible body 102 according to the calculated position of the user.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, when the user is located on the right side with respect to the centerline of the front surface of the terminal 100, the controller 180 controls the left portion of the flexible body 102 to be close to the user. Warp. That is, the control unit 180 may bend at least a part of the display area toward the user. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C, when a plurality of users are searched, it is possible to bend at least a part of the flexible body 102 to provide an optimal view according to the position of each user searched. have.

As another example, as shown in FIG. 4D, the control unit 180 may search for eyes and bend at least a part of the flexible body 102 in consideration of the view according to the position of the eyes. That is, the display body 102 can be bent so that a larger area of the display is included in the center field of view.

Thus, since the terminal 100 according to the present invention automatically moves the flexible body 102 according to the position of the user, the user can more effectively appreciate the image output when compared with the flat display. In addition, when performing the video call function, since the camera can continuously photograph the face of the user while the flexible body 102 is bent, the user can perform the video call function while fixing the terminal 100 and moving freely . That is, user convenience can be increased.

In the embodiment, when the user is not searched for the photographed image, the control unit 180 warps one end of the flexible body 102 on which the camera 121 is formed within a range in which bending is possible. As one end of the flexible body 102 on which the camera 121 is formed moves, an area photographed by the camera 121 is changed, and the control unit 180 can continuously search for the user in the changed area.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4E, when the user is not searched while the terminal 100 is placed on the floor, the controller 180 moves the end of the flexible body 102 formed with the camera 121 slightly Warp. At this time, if the user is searched, the flexed state of the flexible body 102 is maintained, and if not, the user search is terminated and the flexible body 102 is returned to the initial state.

The control unit 180 may move one end of the flexible body 102 in which the camera 121 is formed in accordance with the movement of the user so that the camera 121 can continuously photograph the user. That is, the terminal 100 tracks the movement of the user using the camera 121. In particular, the controller 180 may move at least a portion of the flexible body 102 such that the face of the user is photographed in the center of the camera 121.

At this time, the control unit 180 can output the image captured by the camera 121 to the display unit 151 (see FIG. 1). When the movement of the flexible body 102 is changed according to the movement of the user, the captured image can be outputted to the display unit 151 for a predetermined time as means for notifying the user of such fact. If the predetermined time has elapsed or the movement of the user stops, the previously output image can be output again.

As described above, in the terminal 10 according to the present invention, by bending at least a part of the flexible body 102 according to the position of the user, the user can effectively view the display area included in the flexible body 102 while changing the position have. That is, an optimal view based on the location of the user can be provided.

5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D are conceptual diagrams illustrating a method of bending at least a part of a body according to a user search result in a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As described above, in the terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention, when a user is searched by the camera 121, at least a part of the flexible body 102 can be bent according to the search result.

The flexible body 102 may be bent in various ways depending on the position of the user. At this time, the controller 180 may use information related to the user's position information stored in the memory 160 (see FIG. 1) and the moment corresponding to the position information. The information related to the moment may include, for example, the center point of curvature, the point of action, the direction and intensity of the force applying the moment, and the angle to be bent.

 5A, when the user is positioned at the first position, the control unit 180 controls at least a part of the flexible body 102, centering on a predetermined virtual reference axis A, And can be bent at an angle of 45 degrees from the back surface of the flexible body 102. [ 5B, the control unit 180 rotates at least a part of the flexible body 102 from the ground 30 (see FIG. 5B) about the reference axis A. In this case, It can be bent at an angle.

The virtual reference axis may be a plurality of virtual reference axes, and the position of the reference axis and the degree of bending may be variously changed. That is, it is also possible to cause a multi-directional buckling rather than a single direction by a plurality of reference axes. For example, as shown in FIG. 5C, both ends of the flexible body 102 may be bent differently by the plurality of reference axes B and C.

In addition, when the terminal 100 is a mobile terminal, the flexible body 102 can be bent in various ways depending not only on the location of the user but also on the state of the terminal.

For example, the state of the terminal can be divided into a portrait as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B and a landscape shown in FIG. 5D. 5A and 5D, it can be seen that at least a part of the flexible body 102 is bent around the reference axis in different directions depending on the state of the terminal.

In addition, the user can change the setting of at least one of the reference axis, the deflection direction, and the angle by using the management function. For example, the automatic bending function of the flexible body according to the user's position can be activated or deactivated. Alternatively, it is possible to change the setting such as the maximum deflection angle of the flexible body.

6A and 6B are conceptual diagrams illustrating a method of dividing a display area into a plurality of areas according to a movement of a user in a terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

6A and 6B, a terminal 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a flexible body 102, a camera 121, and a display unit 151. When the flexible body 102 is bent according to the movement of the user, the control unit 180 can divide the display unit 151 into a plurality of areas.

At this time, the control unit 180 can distinguish the display unit 151 by using the position of the user or the bending of the flexible body 102. And output different images to the divided regions.

6A, when the user is searched at the first position, the flexible body 102 is bent based on the predetermined virtual first reference line A, and the first reference line A The display unit 151 can be divided into the first and second regions 151a and 151b.

6B, when the user is searched at the second position, the flexible body 102 is bent based on the preset virtual second reference line A ', and the second reference line A' The display unit 151 can be divided into the first and second areas 151a 'and 151b' based on the first area A '.

In addition, the display unit 151 may be divided into a plurality of areas in various ways according to the location of the searched user, and the sizes of the divided areas may be varied. The control unit 180 can change the output position of output images as the sizes of the divided regions are changed.

6A, an image received from the counterpart terminal by the wireless communication unit 110 is output to the first area 151a, and is output to the camera 121 by the camera 121. In this embodiment, And the photographed image may be output to the second area 151b.

At this time, when the user moves from the first position to the second position, as shown in FIG. 6B, the curvature of the flexible body 102 is changed, so that the size of at least one of the first and second regions is changed (151a? 151a ', 151b? 151b').

If the user is not searched during the video call, the control unit 180 may move at least a part of the flexible body 102 on which the camera 121 is formed within the allowable bending range to continue searching for the position of the user. If the user is not searched for a preset time, the control unit 180 may transmit the alternative image stored in the memory 160 to the counterpart terminal instead of the image captured by the camera 121. [

Then, the controller 180 can output the images output from the first and second areas to each other. This is because an image that the user is interested in in a video call is an image received from the other device, so that the image is received from the other device in a relatively larger area.

7 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a method of bending at least a part of a body in a sleep state of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, a cross-sectional view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. When the mobile terminal is not used by the user, a sleep function is operated to prevent battery consumption. The sleep function means that the power is turned on but the screen is turned off.

In the sleep state, the control unit 180 can make the flexible body 102 in a bent state and maintain the bent state.

The control unit 180 may photograph an image using the camera 121 and determine whether the display unit 151 is laid facing the ground or facing the user using the photographed image. In addition, whether the display unit 151 faces the ground can be determined using a gravity sensor, an acceleration sensor, or the like.

According to the direction of the display unit 151, the control unit 180 can control the deflection direction of the flexible body 102 differently.

For example, in order to prevent the display unit 151 from being damaged by friction with the ground plane when the display unit 151 faces the ground, as shown in FIG. 7A, the display unit 151 151 bend the flexible body 102 so as not to touch the ground.

7 (b), when the display unit 151 faces the user, it may be inconvenient for the user to hold the terminal unit 100 because the ground plane and the terminal 100 are in close contact with each other. At this time, the controller 1480 bends the flexible body 102 so that at least one end of the flexible body 102 does not touch the ground.

These functions can be activated or deactivated by user input. Thus, the terminal according to the present invention can provide convenience for the user to easily grasp while protecting the display unit 151.

As described above, in the terminal according to the present invention, the user can receive an optimal display view at its own position without changing the position of the terminal, using the curvature characteristic of the flexible body.

Further, according to the embodiment disclosed herein, the above-described method can be implemented as a code that can be read by a processor on a medium on which the program is recorded. Examples of the medium that can be read by the processor include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage, etc., and may be implemented in the form of a carrier wave (e.g., transmission over the Internet) .

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

Claims (13)

A body having a display area on the front surface and formed to be able to bend;
A moment generating unit that applies a moment to at least a part of the body to be bent;
A camera formed at one end of the body; And
And a controller for searching for a user using the camera and for bending at least a part of the body according to the position of the searched user using the moment generator. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the controller is configured to bend at least a part of the body including one end of the camera so that the camera can photograph the detected user according to the motion of the searched user. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the controller divides the display area into first and second areas using at least a part of the curved parts and outputs different images to the first and second areas. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the control unit adjusts the size of at least one of the first and second areas according to the position of the searched user. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the control unit interchanges images output from the first and second regions according to a position of the searched user. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the different image is a video received from a partner device of a video call and a video shot by the camera. 3. The method of claim 2,
The camera captures an image for a video call,
Further comprising a wireless communication unit for transmitting and receiving data for performing the video communication with the other device,
Wherein the control unit outputs the image received from the counterpart device to the display area. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the control unit selectively transmits an image or a substitute image photographed by the camera to the partner device based on the presence or absence of the searched user. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the control unit returns at least a part of the body to an initial state when the video call is terminated. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the control unit performs a face recognition function using an image captured by the camera and bends at least a part of the body according to a position of the recognized face. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the control unit outputs an image captured by the camera to the display area when at least a part of the body is bent by the moment generating unit. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the control unit warps at least a portion of the body to be closer to the searched user. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the controller adjusts the warping angle of at least a part based on a user input.

Images