KR20150068823A - Mobile terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a mobile terminal which is provided with a user interface capable of enhancing a user convenience. A mobile terminal which is provided by the present invention comprises: a display unit having a touch sensor and for outputting screen information; and a control unit for executing different controls by distinguishing, upon a drag input applied on a display unit, a single touch which is dragged in a state where a single point is touched, from a multi touch which is dragged in the same direction side by side in a state where a plurality of points are touched.

Description

[0001] MOBILE TERMINAL [0002]

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal for receiving a control command of a user through a touch sensor provided on a display unit.

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

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

As the functions of the mobile terminal are diversified, the mobile terminal is implemented in the form of a multimedia player having complicated functions such as photographing and photographing of a moving picture, reproduction of a music or video file, broadcasting reception, and a game.

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

However, the user interface currently implemented in the mobile terminal has a limitation that it does not distinguish the user's touch input method.

One object of the present invention is to propose a mobile terminal that processes a touch input method of a user separately.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal that provides a user interface that improves user's convenience.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mobile terminal including a display unit including a touch sensor and outputting screen information, And a controller for performing different controls by distinguishing a single touch dragged in a state in which the plurality of points are touched and a multi-touch dragged in parallel in the same direction while a plurality of points are touched.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the multi-touch is applied to the display unit, the controller outputs an image whose size gradually changes along the drag input path to the display unit, And displays the list of applications that have been output by each application.

When the touch input is applied to any one of the previously displayed screens, the control unit executes an application corresponding to the screen to which the touch input is applied, and outputs the screen to which the touch input is applied in the executed application have.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the controller divides the drag direction of each of the single touch and the multi-touch to perform different controls.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, when the application having the concept of the upper lists distinguished from each other and the sub-lists belonging to the upper lists is executed, the input of the single-touch or the multi- The controller divides the single touch and the multi-touch and switches the upper lists on the basis of either the single touch or the multi-touch to output the switched upper list to the display unit, And outputs the converted sub-list to the display unit.

According to the present invention, it is possible to implement a mobile terminal that provides different input methods to a user and executes different controls based on user's input in different ways.

Further, the present invention can implement a mobile terminal that performs different control by dividing the drag direction of the single-touch and multi-touch.

In addition, the present invention can implement a mobile terminal that provides convenience to a user by extending a user interface associated with input.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an example of a mobile terminal according to the present invention. FIG.
FIG. 2B is a rear perspective view of the mobile terminal shown in FIG. 2A. FIG.
FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B are conceptual diagrams illustrating operations implemented in a mobile terminal according to the present invention. FIG.
4 is a flowchart for explaining a control method for performing different controls by distinguishing a single touch and a multi-touch.
5A through 7 are conceptual diagrams illustrating a user interface implemented on the basis of the operation described with reference to FIG.

Hereinafter, a mobile terminal according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the present specification, the same or similar reference numerals are given to different embodiments in the same or similar configurations. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In addition, the suffix "module" and " part "for constituent elements used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have their own meaning or role.

The mobile terminal described in this specification includes 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 , A tablet PC (tablet PC), and an ultrabook (ultrabook). However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art 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 the configuration is applicable only to a mobile terminal.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The mobile terminal 100 includes a wireless communication unit 110, an audio / video input unit 120, a user input unit 130, a sensing unit 140, an output unit 150, a memory 160, A controller 170, a controller 180, a power supply 190, and the like. The components shown in FIG. 1 are not essential, and a mobile terminal having more or fewer components may be implemented.

Hereinafter, the components will be described in order.

The wireless communication unit 110 may include one or more modules for enabling wireless communication between the mobile terminal 100 and the wireless communication system or between the mobile terminal 100 and the network in which the mobile terminal 100 is located. For example, the wireless communication unit 110 may include at least one of a broadcast receiving module 111, a mobile communication module 112, a wireless Internet module 113, a short range communication module 114, and a location information module 115 .

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives 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 mobile terminal 100. Examples of the wireless Internet technology include a wireless LAN (WLAN), a wireless fidelity (WiFi) direct, a DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance), a Wibro (Wireless broadband), a Wimax (World Interoperability for Microwave Access), HSDPA Can be used.

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, NFC (Near Field Communication), etc. are used as short range communication technology .

The position information module 115 is a module for obtaining the position of the mobile terminal, and representative examples thereof include a Global Position System (GPS) module or a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) 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 may be transmitted to an external device through the wireless communication unit 110. In addition, The camera 121 may be provided in two or more depending on the use environment.

The microphone 122 receives an external sound signal through a microphone in a communication mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, or the like, and processes it as electrical voice data. The processed voice data can be converted into a form that can be transmitted to the mobile communication base station through the mobile communication module 112 when the voice data is in the call mode, and output. Various noise reduction algorithms may be implemented in the microphone 122 to remove noise generated in receiving an external sound signal.

The user input unit 130 generates input data according to a control command for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100 applied by the user. 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 may sense the position of the mobile terminal 100 such as the open / close state of the mobile terminal 100, the position of the mobile terminal 100, the presence of the user, the orientation of the mobile terminal, And generates a sensing signal (or sensing signal) for sensing the current state and controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100. For example, the sensing unit 140 may detect whether the slide phone is opened or closed when the mobile terminal 100 is in the form of a slide phone. 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 output unit 150 may include a display unit 151, an audio output module 153, an alarm unit 154, a haptic module 155, and the like in order to generate output related to visual, auditory, have.

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

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 mobile terminal 100. For example, in the mobile 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.

Also, the display unit 151 may be configured as a stereoscopic display unit 152 for displaying a stereoscopic image.

Here, a stereoscopic image represents a 3-dimensional stereoscopic image, and a 3-dimensional stereoscopic image represents a progressive depth and reality in which objects are located on a monitor or a screen. It is an image that makes you feel the same as reality space. 3D stereoscopic images are implemented using binocular disparity. The binocular parallax means the parallax caused by the positions of the two separated eyes. When the two eyes see different two-dimensional images and the images are transmitted to the brain through the retina and fused, the depth and real feeling of the stereoscopic image can be felt do.

The stereoscopic display unit 152 may be applied to a three-dimensional display system such as a stereoscopic system (glasses system), an autostereoscopic system (no-glasses system), and a projection system (holographic system). The stereoscopic method, which is widely used in home television receivers, includes a Wheatstone stereoscopic method.

Examples of the autostereoscopic method include a parallax barrier method, a lenticular method, an integral imaging method, and a switchable lens method. The projection method includes a reflection type holographic method and a transmission type holographic method.

Generally, 3D stereoscopic images consist of left image (left eye image) and right image (right eye image). A top-down method of arranging a left image and a right image in one frame according to a method in which a left image and a right image are combined into a three-dimensional stereoscopic image, A checker board system in which pieces of a left image and a right image are arranged in a tile form, a left-to-right (right-side) Or an interlaced method in which rows are alternately arranged, and a time sequential (frame-by-frame) method in which right and left images are alternately displayed in time.

In addition, the 3D thumbnail image can generate a left image thumbnail and a right image thumbnail from the left image and right image of the original image frame, respectively, and combine them to generate one 3D thumbnail image. In general, a thumbnail means a reduced image or a reduced still image. The left image thumbnail and the right image thumbnail generated in this way are displayed on the screen with a difference of the left and right distance by the depth corresponding to the parallax between the left image and the right image, thereby exhibiting a stereoscopic spatial feeling.

The left and right images necessary for realizing the three-dimensional stereoscopic image can be displayed on the stereoscopic display unit 152 by a stereoscopic processing unit (not shown). The stereoscopic processing unit receives a 3D image and extracts a left image and a right image from the 3D image, or receives a 2D image and converts it into a left image and a right image.

On the other hand, when a display unit 151 and a sensor (hereinafter, referred to as 'touch sensor') that detects a touch operation form a mutual layer structure (hereinafter referred to as a 'touch screen' It can also be used as an input device in addition to the 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 where the touch object is touched on the touch sensor but also the pressure at the time of touch. Here, the touch object may be a finger, a touch pen, a stylus pen, a pointer, or the like as an object to which a touch is applied to the touch sensor.

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 141 may be disposed in an inner region of the mobile terminal or in the vicinity of the touch screen, which is surrounded by the touch screen. The proximity sensor 141 may be provided as an example of the sensing unit 140. The proximity sensor 141 measures the presence or absence of an object approaching a predetermined sensing surface It refers to a sensor that uses infrared rays to detect without mechanical contact. 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 fluorescent light sensor, a mirror reflection fluorescent light sensor, a high frequency oscillation proximity sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, a magnetic proximity sensor, and an infrared proximity sensor. When the touch screen is electrostatic, it is configured to detect the proximity of the pointer by a change of the electric field along the proximity of an object having conductivity (hereinafter, referred to as a pointer). 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 141 detects a proximity touch and a proximity touch pattern (for example, a proximity touch distance, a proximity touch direction, a proximity touch speed, a proximity touch time, a proximity touch position, 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.

In the case where the three-dimensional display unit 152 and the touch sensor have a mutual layer structure (hereinafter referred to as a 'three-dimensional touch screen') or a three-dimensional sensor that detects the touch operation and the stereoscopic display unit 152 are combined with each other The stereoscopic display unit 152 may also be used as a three-dimensional input device.

The sensing unit 140 may include a proximity sensor 141, a three-dimensional touch sensing unit 142, an ultrasonic sensing unit 143, and a camera sensing unit 144 as an example of the three-dimensional sensor.

The proximity sensor 141 measures the distance between the sensing surface (for example, a user's finger or a stylus pen) to which the touch is applied without mechanical contact using the force of the electromagnetic field or infrared rays. The terminal recognizes which part of the stereoscopic image has been touched using the distance. In particular, when the touch screen is of the electrostatic type, the proximity of the sensing object is detected by a change of the electric field according to the proximity of the sensing object, and the touch on the three-dimensional is recognized using the proximity.

The stereoscopic touch sensing unit 142 senses the strength or duration of a touch applied to the touch screen. For example, the three-dimensional touch sensing unit 142 senses a pressure to apply a touch, and when the pressing force is strong, recognizes the touch as a touch to an object located further away from the touch screen toward the inside of the terminal.

The ultrasonic sensing unit 143 is configured to recognize the position information of the sensing target using ultrasonic waves.

The ultrasound sensing unit 143 may include, for example, an optical sensor and a plurality of ultrasound sensors. The light sensor is configured to sense light, and the ultrasonic sensor is configured to sense ultrasonic waves. Since light is much faster than ultrasonic waves, the time it takes for light to reach the optical sensor is much faster than the time it takes for the ultrasonic waves to reach the ultrasonic sensor. Therefore, it is possible to calculate the position of the wave generating source using the time difference with the time when the ultrasonic wave reaches the reference signal.

The camera sensing unit 144 includes at least one of a camera 121, a photo sensor, and a laser sensor.

For example, the camera 121 and the laser sensor are combined with each other to sense a touch of a sensing target with respect to a three-dimensional stereoscopic image. When the distance information detected by the laser sensor is added to the two-dimensional image photographed by the camera, three-dimensional information can be obtained.

As another example, a photosensor may be stacked on a display element. The photosensor is configured to scan the movement of the object proximate to the touch screen. More specifically, the photosensor mounts photo diodes and TRs (Transistors) in a row / column and scans the contents loaded on the photosensor using an electrical signal that varies according to the amount of light applied to the photo diode. That is, the photo sensor performs coordinate calculation of the object to be sensed according to the amount of light change, thereby acquiring position information of the object to be sensed.

The audio output module 153 can 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 153 also outputs sound signals related to functions (e.g., call signal reception sound, message reception sound, etc.) performed in the mobile terminal 100. [ The sound output module 153 may include a receiver, a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

The alarm unit 154 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 154 may output a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event by using 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 sound output module 153 so that the display unit 151 and the sound output module 153 may be classified as a part of the alarm unit 154 .

The haptic module 155 generates various tactile effects that the user can feel. A typical example of the haptic effect generated by the haptic module 155 may be vibration. The intensity and pattern of the vibration generated by the hit module 155 can be controlled by the user's selection or setting of the control unit. For example, the haptic module 155 may combine and output different vibrations or sequentially output the vibrations.

In addition to the vibration, the haptic module 155 may be configured to perform various functions such as 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, 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 155 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 sense of the finger or arm. At least two haptic modules 155 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 / 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- And may include a storage medium of at least one type of disk and optical disk. The mobile terminal 100 may operate in association with a web storage that performs a storage function of the memory 160 on the Internet.

The interface unit 170 serves as a path for communication with all external devices connected to the mobile terminal 100. The interface unit 170 receives data from an external device or supplies power to each component in the mobile terminal 100 or transmits data to the external device. For example, a port for connecting a device equipped with a wired / wireless headset port, an external charger port, a wired / wireless data port, a memory card port, An audio I / O port, a video I / O port, an earphone port, and the like may be included in the interface unit 170.

The identification module is a chip for storing various information for authenticating the use right of the mobile terminal 100 and includes a user identification module (UIM), a subscriber identity module (SIM) A universal subscriber identity module (USIM), and the like. Devices with identification modules (hereinafter referred to as "identification devices") can be manufactured in a smart card format. Therefore, the identification device can be connected to the terminal 100 through the interface unit 170. [

The interface unit 170 may be a path through which power from the cradle is supplied to the mobile terminal 100 when the mobile terminal 100 is connected to an external cradle, And various command signals may be transmitted to the mobile terminal 100. The various command signals or the power source input from the cradle may be operated as a signal for recognizing that the mobile terminal 100 is correctly mounted on the cradle.

The controller 180 typically controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal 100. 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 mobile terminal meets a set condition, the controller 180 can execute a lock state for restricting input of a control command of the user to the applications. In addition, the controller 180 may control the lock screen displayed in the locked state based on a touch input sensed through the display unit 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. [

2A is a perspective view of a mobile terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The disclosed mobile terminal 100 includes a bar-shaped terminal body. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and can be applied to various structures such as a watch type, a clip type, a spectacle type, or a folder type, a flip type, a slide type, a swing type and a swivel type in which two or more bodies are movably coupled have.

The body includes a case (frame, housing, cover, etc.) which forms an appearance. In this embodiment, the case may be divided into a front case 101 and a rear case 102. [ A variety of electronic components are embedded in the space formed between the front case 101 and the rear case 102. At least one intermediate case may be additionally disposed between the front case 101 and the rear case 102. A battery cover 103 covering the battery 191 may be detachably attached to the rear case 102 have.

The cases may be formed by injection molding of synthetic resin, or may be formed of metal such as stainless steel (STS), aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), or the like.

A first sound output module 153a, a first camera 121a, a first operation unit 131 and the like are disposed on the front surface of the terminal body, and a microphone 122, an interface unit 170 ), A second operation unit 132, and the like.

The display unit 151 is configured to display (output) information processed by the mobile terminal 100. The display unit 151 may include a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) ), A flexible display, a 3D display, and an e-ink display.

The display unit 151 may include touch sensing means for receiving a control command by a touch method. When a touch is performed on any one of the display units 151, the touch sensing unit senses the touch and the content corresponding to the touched position is input. The content input by the touch method may be a letter or a number, an instruction in various modes, a menu item which can be designated, and the like.

The touch sensing means may be formed of a translucent material so that the visual information output from the display unit 151 can be seen, and a structure for enhancing the visibility of the touch screen in a bright place. 2A, the display unit 151 occupies most of the front surface of the front case 101.

A first camera module 121a is disposed in a region adjacent to one end of the display unit 151 and a first operation unit 131 and a microphone 122 are disposed in a region adjacent to the other end of the first sound output module 153a, . The second operation unit 132 (see FIG. 2B), the interface unit 170, and the like may be disposed on the side of the terminal body.

The first sound output module 153a may be implemented in the form of a receiver for delivering a call sound to a user's ear or a loud speaker for outputting various alarm sounds or multimedia playback sounds.

The sound generated from the first sound output module 153a may be configured to be emitted along the assembly gap between the structures. In this case, the hole formed independently for the apparent acoustic output is hidden or hidden, so that the appearance of the mobile terminal 100 can be simplified. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a hole for emitting the sound may be formed in the window.

The first camera 121a processes an image frame such as a still image or moving image 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 user input unit 130 is operated to receive a command for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100 and may include first and second operation units 131 and 132. The first and second operation units 131 and 132 may be collectively referred to as a manipulating portion and may be any type of tactile manner such as touch, push, scroll, etc., .

In the figure, the first operation unit 131 is a touch key, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the first operation unit 131 may be a mechanical key, or a combination of a touch key and a touch key.

The contents input by the first and / or second operation units 131 and 132 may be variously set. For example, the first operation unit 131 receives a command such as a menu, a home key, a cancellation, a search, and the like, and the second operation unit 132 adjusts the size of the sound output from the first sound output module 153a And a switch to the touch recognition mode of the display unit 151 and the like.

The microphone 122 is configured to receive a user's voice, other sounds, and the like. The microphone 122 may be provided at a plurality of locations to receive stereophonic sound.

The interface unit 170 is a path for allowing the mobile terminal 100 to exchange data with an external device. For example, the interface unit 170 may include a connection terminal for connecting to an earphone by wire or wireless, a port for short-range communication (for example, an IrDA port, a Bluetooth port, LAN Port) or the like, or power supply terminals for supplying power to the mobile terminal 100. [ The interface unit 170 may be implemented as a socket for receiving an external card such as a SIM (Subscriber Identification Module) or a UIM (User Identity Module) or a memory card for storing information.

FIG. 2B is a rear perspective view of the mobile terminal 100 shown in FIG. 2A.

Referring to FIG. 2B, a second camera 121b may be additionally mounted on the rear surface of the terminal body, that is, the rear case 102. The second camera 121b may have a photographing direction substantially opposite to that of the first camera 121a (see FIG. 2A), and may be a camera having different pixels from the first camera 121a.

For example, the first camera 121a has low pixels so that it is easy to capture a face of a user in the case of a video call or the like and transmit the face to the other party. The second camera 121b photographs a general object and immediately transmits It is preferable to have a high pixel. The first and second cameras 121a and 121b may be installed in the terminal body so as to be able to rotate or pop-up.

A flash 123 and a mirror 124 are further disposed adjacent to the second camera 121b. The flash 123 shines light toward the subject when the subject is photographed by the second camera 121b. The mirror 124 enables the user to illuminate the user's own face or the like when the user intends to photograph the user himself / herself (self-photographing) using the second camera 121b.

And a second sound output module 153b may be further disposed on the rear surface of the terminal body. The second sound output module 153b may implement the stereo function together with the first sound output module 153a (see FIG. 2A) and may be used for implementing the speakerphone mode in a call.

An antenna (not shown) for receiving a broadcast signal may be additionally disposed on the side of the terminal body in addition to an antenna for a call or the like. An antenna 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.

The terminal body is provided with a power supply unit 190 (see FIG. 1) for supplying power to the mobile terminal 100. The power supply unit 190 may include a battery 191 built in the terminal body or detachable from the outside of the terminal body. This figure illustrates that the battery cover 103 is coupled to the rear case 102 so as to cover the battery 191 to restrict the detachment of the battery 191 and to protect the battery 191 from external impact and foreign matter .

The extracted location information of the mobile terminal 100 is transmitted to the mobile terminal 100 through the Wi-Fi location server 310 so that the mobile terminal 100 can acquire the location information.

Hereinafter, an operation of the mobile terminal, a control method thereof, and a user interface according to the present invention will be described.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are conceptual diagrams illustrating operations implemented in the mobile terminal 200 according to the present invention.

The display unit 251 includes a touch sensor (not shown), and outputs screen information. When a drag input is applied to the display unit 251, a control unit (not shown) divides a single touch, which is dragged while one point is touched, and a multi-touch, which is dragged in parallel in the same direction, Other control is executed.

FIG. 3A shows an operation implemented in the mobile terminal 200 when a drag input by a single touch is applied.

an image 252 whose size gradually changes along the drag input path is displayed on the display unit 251 in response to a single touch that is dragged in the direction of the lower end while touching one point of the upper end of the display unit 251, (251).

Referring to FIG. 5B, the image 252 includes a graphical object 252a for confirming the status of the terminal 200, an icon 252b for changing the settings of the terminal 200, The icon 252c is displayed.

FIG. 3B illustrates an operation performed by the mobile terminal 200 when a multi-touch drag input is applied.

(a), an image 252 gradually changing in size along the drag input path is applied as a result of the multi-touch operation in which a plurality of points on the upper end of the display unit 251 are touched and dragged in the direction of the lower end is applied And is output to the display unit 251.

(b), the controller divides the single touch and the multi-touch, and outputs a processing result different from that when inputting with a single touch to the image 252. The control unit outputs to the display unit 251 the list 253 of applications that have been executed in the terminal 200 in the past and the screens 254 that have been output in the past in each application.

As shown in the figure, the list 253 of applications that have been executed in the terminal 200 is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the terminal 200 and output to the display unit 251, Are arranged in the width direction of the terminal 200 and output to the display unit 251.

The list 253 of applications that have been executed indicates applications that have been executed in the terminal 200 in the past and the screens 254 that have been output in the respective applications indicate images or moving images that have been output in the respective applications. For example, if a music, a web browser, or a gallery application has been executed in the past, the music, the web browser, and the gallery application are a list 253 of the currently executing applications that are distinguished from each other. The representative pictures of the music that have been reproduced in the music application correspond to the display screens 254 of the gallery application and the music application, respectively.

The list 253 of application programs such as a music application, a web browser application and a gallery application is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the terminal 200 and is distinguished from each other. They are arranged in the width direction and can be distinguished from each other.

Conventionally, multitasking supported by a mobile terminal provides only a function of switching each application, and does not provide a history of screen information output from each application. Therefore, in order to halt the operation of the application in use and call up a screen that was previously executed in another application, it is necessary to switch from the multitasking application to another application and blow up the screen that was executed in the past through detailed control in the switched application There was an inconvenience.

However, in the present invention, the image 252 outputted to the display unit 251 by the multi-touch includes not only the list 253 of applications that have been executed but also a history of the screen information 254 that has been output in each application . Therefore, unlike the conventional mobile terminal, the user can select a specific history (screen 254) in the process of switching the application, and immediately call up the screen that was executed in the terminal in the past.

For example, in the case of a music application, the present invention outputs an image 252 to the display unit 251 by multi-touch and selects a representative screen of music that has been reproduced in the past in the history of the music application The lower control unit can switch to the music application and play the selected music immediately.

(c), when an input for dragging the screen 254, which has been outputted in the respective applications, in the width direction of the terminal 200 is applied, the screens which have not been output to the display unit 251 are scrolled and output have. Although not shown in the figure, in the case of the application list 253 which has been executed in the same manner, when a dragging input in the longitudinal direction of the terminal 200 is applied, a list 253 of previously executed applications that have not been output to the display unit 251, Can be scrolled and output.

the additional image 255 is output to the previously displayed screens 253 and the detailed information of the screen outputted from the application is displayed when the additional image 255 is touched An additional image 256 that can be confirmed is output.

For example, if the user touches the additional image 255 in the music application, the title, album, artist, and release date of the selected music may be output as the additional image 256. If the additional application 255 is touched in the gallery application, The photographing date and time, the photographing place, and the like can be output as the additional image 256. [

Accordingly, the user can easily input the single touch and the multi-touch into the application, switch between applications through the initial execution application 253 and the screens 254 previously output from the respective applications, You can easily check the additional information of the displayed screens.

Hereinafter, a control method for distinguishing between a single touch and a multi-touch will be described.

4 is a flowchart for explaining a control method for performing different controls by distinguishing between a single touch and a multi-touch.

First, when a touch input is applied to the display unit, the touch sensor senses a touch input (S100). The touch input includes a short touch that allows the touch sensor to be touched for a short time, a short touch that maintains a certain point of the touch sensor for a predetermined time, a drag that moves to the touched state, ), And so on. The present invention is based on a drag input.

When the touch sensor provided on the display unit senses a touch input, the control unit distinguishes between a single touch and a multi-touch depending on whether one point is dragged in a touched state or a plurality of points are touched in a same direction S200).

Further, the control unit not only distinguishes the single touch and the multi-touch, but also performs different control by dividing the drag direction of each of the single touch and the multi-touch. For example, a single touch and a multitouch which are dragged in the longitudinal direction of the terminal are distinguished from a single touch and a multitouch which are dragged in the width direction of the terminal, and different controls are executed.

If the divided drag is a single-touch input, control is performed on the single-touch (S310), and if the drag is multi-touch, control set on the multi-touch is executed (S320). Different controls are set for single-touch and multi-touch.

In accordance with this flow, the control unit distinguishes the single touch and the multi-touch from each other and executes different controls, and the different controls executed by the control unit will be described below.

5A to 7 are conceptual diagrams illustrating a user interface implemented on the basis of the operation described with reference to FIG.

5A and 5B are conceptual diagrams showing a user interface in which a single touch and a multi-touch are distinguished in a music application to perform different controls.

5A, when a multi-touch input is dragged from the lower end to the upper end of the terminal 200, a selection window 257a for adding a play list is displayed on the display unit 251 . The user can add the selected music to the playlist through the touch input.

(b), a multi-touch input is dragged from the upper end of the terminal 200 toward the lower end, and a selection window 257b is displayed on the display unit 251 to delete the play list. The user can remove the selected music from the playlist through touch input.

5A, it can be seen that the control unit (not shown) divides the drag direction of the multi-touch and performs different controls.

Referring to FIG. 5B, when a single-touch input is dragged from the lower end of the terminal 200 toward the upper end, a display 251 displays a web browser search result 258a of the selected music.

(d2), detailed information 258b of the selected music is output to the display unit 251 as a single-touch input from the upper end to the lower end of the terminal is applied.

5B, it can be seen that the controller divides the drag direction of the single touch and executes different controls. 5A and 5B are compared with each other, it can be seen that the control unit distinguishes between the single touch and the multi-touch and performs different controls.

FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a mobile terminal 200 performing an operation different from the operations described in FIGS. 5A and 5B.

When a single-touch or multi-touch input is applied to the display unit 251 in a state in which an application having the concept of upper lists distinguished from each other and sub-lists belonging to the upper lists is executed, And outputs the upper list or the lower list to the display unit 251. Specifically, when the single touch is inputted, the upper list is switched and when the multi-touch is inputted, the lower list can be set to be switched. On the other hand, when the multi-touch is inputted, the upper list is switched and when the single touch is inputted, Can be set.

For example, in a music application, the top list may be a music album or music folder, and the bottom list is music belonging to the music album or music folder. As another example, in a gallery application, the top list may be a photo album or a photo folder, and the sublist is a photo or a video belonging to the photo album or photo folder. As another example, in the web browser application, the top list may be a window of the web browser, and the bottom list may be a tab belonging to the window of the web browser.

FIG. 6 shows that the controller divides a single touch and a multi-touch into a music list and switches between a top list and a bottom list.

(a), the controller switches the music 259a belonging to the lower list as the single touch input that is dragged in the width direction of the terminal 200 is applied. When the music 259a is switched, the representative screen of the converted music 259a 'is output to the display unit 251 and the converted music 259a' is output from the sound output module 253a.

(b), the control unit switches the music folder 259b belonging to the upper list as the multi-touch input for dragging in the width direction of the terminal 200 is applied. When the music folder 259b is switched, at least one of the switched music folder 259b 'and the music list belonging to the switched music folder 259b' is output to the display unit 251. Then, In the output module 253a, one piece of music 259a "belonging to the switched music folder 259b 'is output.

Accordingly, the present invention not only distinguishes between a single touch and a multi-touch as described in Figs. 5A and 5B and Fig. 6, but also differently controls the drag direction of the single touch and the multi-touch to perform different controls, Is visually outputted to the display unit 251 or audibly output through the sound output module 253a.

The different controls that may be implemented by the present invention are not limited to those described above. In a case where it is necessary to provide a user interface that performs different controls through an input method in which screens displayed on the display unit 251 are classified in the same state, And allocates different controls to the respective drag directions, thereby providing a user interface with improved user convenience.

7 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an example of providing a user interface with improved convenience.

(a), a user interface for switching a frame of a moving picture being reproduced in the display unit 251 according to a continuous time sequence as a single-touch input for dragging in a width direction of the terminal 200 is applied, Can be provided.

(b), the present invention can be applied to a user interface for switching frames of a moving picture being reproduced by the display unit 251 in a discontinuous time order as a multitouch input for dragging in the width direction of the terminal 200 is applied Can be provided.

Although not shown in FIG. 7, the present invention can be applied to a mobile terminal that assigns a user interface to be distinguished from a single-touch and a multi-touch that drag in the longitudinal direction of the terminal 200, It is possible to provide a mobile terminal with enhanced convenience for a user by allocating user interfaces that are distinguished from each other in touch.

The mobile terminal described above is not limited to the configuration and the method of the embodiments described above, but the embodiments may be configured by selectively combining all or a part of each embodiment so that various modifications can be made.

Claims (5)

A display unit having a touch sensor and outputting screen information; And
When a drag input is applied to the display unit, a single touch being dragged in a state where one point is touched and a multi-touch being dragged in the same direction in a state where a plurality of points are touched, And the mobile terminal. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the control unit outputs to the display unit an image that gradually changes in size along the drag input path when the multi-touch is applied to the display unit, and causes the display unit to display the list of applications previously executed in the terminal, And outputting the previously output images. 3. The method of claim 2,
The control unit executes an application corresponding to the screen to which the touch input is applied when the touch input is applied to any one of the previously displayed screens and outputs the screen to which the touch input is applied in the executed application The mobile terminal comprising: The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the controller divides the drag direction of each of the single touch and the multi-touch to perform different controls. The method according to claim 1,
When the input of the single touch or the multi-touch is applied to the display unit in a state in which the application having the concepts of the upper lists and the lower lists belonging to the upper lists is executed,
The controller divides the single touch and the multi-touch, switches the upper lists on the basis of either the single touch or the multi-touch, outputs the switched upper list to the display unit, And outputs the converted sub-list to the display unit by switching the sub-lists.

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