KR20150112239A - Mobile terminal and method for controlling thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and a method for controlling the same. More specifically, the mobile terminal includes a touch screen in which at least a part of a side surface is curved. The mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a body having a front surface, a rear surface, and a side surface; a touch screen disposed on the front surface, and having an edge formed to be bent and to from at least a part of the side surface; and a control unit for displaying at least one display item in a first region corresponding to a front surface of the touch screen and a first index in a second region corresponding to a side surface of the touch screen, re-disposing the display item according to a first sub-index when the first sub-index is selected through a first touch in the first index, and controlling the second index to be displayed in the second region.

Description

[0001] MOBILE TERMINAL AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THEREOF [0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mobile terminal, and more particularly, to a mobile terminal having a touch screen formed at least a part of a side surface thereof and a control method thereof.

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

Such a terminal has various functions, for example, in the form of a multimedia device having multiple functions such as photographing and photographing of a moving picture, reproduction of a music or video file, reception of a game and broadcasting, etc. .

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

In addition, mobile terminals are regarded as personal items for expressing their individuality, and various design forms are required. The design form also includes structural changes and improvements for the user to use the mobile terminal more conveniently. As one of such structural changes and improvements, a touch screen in which at least a part of a side surface is formed so as to be able to touch not only the front surface of the terminal, but also the side surface can be applied. When the touch screen having such a structure is applied, functions are required to more easily use the side area formed by the curved surface.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a more convenient user interface in a mobile terminal capable of touching the front and side with a new structure different from the conventional one.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention, unless further departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It will be possible.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mobile terminal including a main body including a front surface, a rear surface, and a side surface; A touch screen disposed on the front surface and having an edge curved to form at least a part of the side surface; And a first index is displayed in a second area corresponding to a side of the touch screen and at least one display item is displayed in a first area corresponding to a front side of the touch screen, 1 touch, the control unit relocates the at least one display item according to the first sub-index, and controls the second index to be displayed in the second area.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising: displaying at least one display item in a first area corresponding to a front side of a touch screen; Displaying a first index in a second area corresponding to a side of the touch screen; Relocating the at least one display item according to the first sub-index if the first sub-index is selected through the first touch in the first index; And displaying a second index in the second area. At this time, it is preferable that the touch screen is disposed on the front surface of the main body having front, rear and side surfaces, and the edge is curved to form at least a part of the side surface.

According to the present invention, a variety of functions can be performed according to a position at which a touch is input through a mobile terminal having a touch screen having at least a part of a side surface formed into a curved surface.

The effects obtained by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description will be.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a conceptual diagram showing an operation realized by the present invention.
3A is a perspective view of an example of a mobile terminal according to the present invention.
FIG. 3B is a rear perspective view of the portable terminal shown in FIG. 3A.
4A is a flowchart illustrating an example of a search process using an index displayed in a second area in a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
4B is a diagram for explaining an example of a mode in which a first command and a second command are input according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 illustrates an example of a method for searching a telephone directory in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 shows an example of a method for searching an electronic book in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 shows an example of a method of searching for a schedule in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 shows an example of a scrolling method using a second area in a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.
9 shows another example of a method for searching an electronic book in a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.
10 illustrates an example of a mode in which a second area is used as a secondary display area in a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.
11 shows an example of a menu selection method using a second area in a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.

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

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

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

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

Hereinafter, the components will be described in order.

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

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives 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 (DVF-H) And a Digital Broadcasting System (ISDB-T) (Integrated Services Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial). Of course, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be adapted to other broadcasting systems as well as the digital broadcasting system described above.

The broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information received through the broadcast receiving module 111 may be stored in the memory 160.

The mobile communication module 112 transmits and receives radio signals to at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network. The wireless signal may include various types of data depending on a voice call signal, a video call signal or a text / multimedia message transmission / reception.

The wireless Internet module 113 is a module for wireless Internet access, and may be built in or externally attached to the mobile terminal 100. 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 mobile terminal, and a representative example thereof is a Global Position System (GPS) module.

Referring to FIG. 1, an A / V (Audio / Video) input unit 120 is for inputting an audio signal or a video signal, and may include a camera 121 and a microphone 122. The camera 121 processes image frames such as still images or moving images obtained by the image sensor in the video communication mode or the photographing mode. The processed image frame can be displayed on the display module 151. [

The image frame processed by the camera 121 may be stored in the memory 160 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication unit 110. [ Two or more cameras 121 may be provided depending on the use environment.

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

The user input unit 130 generates input data for a user to control the operation of the terminal. The user input unit 130 may include a key pad dome switch, a touch pad (static / static), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

The sensing unit 140 senses the current state of the mobile terminal 100 such as the open / close state of the mobile terminal 100, the position of the mobile terminal 100, the presence or absence of user contact, the orientation of the mobile terminal, And generates a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal 100 is in the form of a slide phone, it 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. Meanwhile, the sensing unit 140 may include a proximity sensor 141.

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

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

The display module 151 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a flexible display display, and a 3D display.

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

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

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

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

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

Referring to FIG. 1, a proximity sensor 141 may be disposed in an inner region of the mobile terminal or in the vicinity of the touch screen, which is surrounded by the touch screen. The proximity sensor refers to a sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object approaching a predetermined detection surface or a nearby object without mechanical contact using the force of an electromagnetic field or infrared rays. The proximity sensor has a longer life span than the contact sensor and its utilization is also high.

Examples of the proximity sensor include a transmission 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 mobile terminal 100. [ The audio output module 152 may include a receiver, a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

The alarm unit 153 outputs a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event of the mobile terminal 100. Examples of events that occur in the mobile terminal include call signal reception, message reception, key signal input, touch input, and the like. The alarm unit 153 may output a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event in a form other than the video signal or the audio signal, for example, vibration. The video signal or the audio signal may be output through the display module 151 or the audio output module 152 so that they may be classified as a part of the alarm unit 153. [

The haptic module 154 generates various tactile effects that the user can feel. A typical example of the haptic effect generated by the haptic module 154 is vibration. The intensity and pattern of 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 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 154 can be implemented not only to transmit the tactile effect through the direct contact but also to allow the user to feel the tactile effect through the muscular sensation of the finger or arm. The haptic module 154 may include two or more haptic modules 154 according to the configuration of the portable terminal 100.

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

The memory 160 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), PROM A disk, and / or an optical disk. The mobile terminal 100 may operate in association with a web storage that performs a storage function of the memory 160 on the Internet.

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

The identification module is a chip for storing various information for authenticating the use right of the mobile terminal 100 and includes a user identification module (UIM), a subscriber identity module (SIM), a general user authentication module A Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM), and the like. Devices with identification modules (hereinafter referred to as "identification devices") can be manufactured in a smart card format. Accordingly, the identification device can be connected to the terminal 100 through the port.

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

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

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

The power supply unit 190 receives 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 May be implemented using at least one of processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and other electronic units for performing other functions. In some cases, May be implemented by the control unit 180.

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

2 is a conceptual diagram showing an operation realized by the present invention.

Referring to these figures, the display unit 251 includes a first area A disposed on the front surface of the terminal body, a second area B extending from the first area A, Respectively. According to the illustrated example, the first area A and the second area B are partitioned as having different types of user graphic interfaces (GUIs) as areas of different types of information to be displayed.

In addition, the second area B includes a left area B1 and a right area B2, which are disposed on left and right sides of the terminal, respectively. Accordingly, the second region B is formed in a bilaterally symmetrical structure with respect to the first region A as a center.

Referring to FIG. 2 (a), a home screen page page may be displayed on the display unit 251 of the mobile terminal. The screen page may include at least one object, which may be an icon or widget of an application installed in the mobile terminal. In this case, the home screen page may be output over the first and second areas A and B. [ However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the home screen page may be output only to the first area, and the second area may be the area to which the touch input is applied without outputting the information.

Referring to FIG. 2 (b), the controller senses a touch input to the second area B and performs a control operation related to the touch input. In this example, when a touch is given to the notification icon I indicating the occurrence of an event, information related to the event is displayed in the first area A. [

The operation of the side touch described above requires hardware support. Hereinafter, the hardware configuration of the terminal performing the operation of FIG. 2 will be described in detail. In addition to the above, the present invention also provides a structure in which the bezel is thinned to implement the above-described operation while realizing a large screen.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3B is a rear perspective view of the mobile terminal shown in FIG. 3A.

The disclosed mobile terminal 200 has a bar-shaped mobile phone body. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and can be applied to various structures such as a slide type, a folder type, a swing type, and a swivel type in which two or more bodies are relatively movably coupled.

The body includes a case (a casing, a housing, a cover, and the like) which forms an appearance. In this embodiment, the case may be divided into a front case 201 and a rear case 202 (see Figs. 3A and 3B). Various electronic components are embedded in the space formed between the front case 201 and the rear case 202. At least one intermediate case may be additionally disposed between the front case 201 and the rear case 202. [

The cases may be formed by injection molding a synthetic resin, or may be formed to have a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti) or the like.

The display unit 251, the sound output unit 252, the camera module 221, and the like may be disposed in the terminal body, mainly the front case 201. The interfaces 270 and the like may be disposed on the side surfaces of the front case 201 and the rear case 202.

The display unit 251 occupies most of the main surface of the front case 201. That is, the display unit is disposed on the front side of the terminal and is configured to display time information. The display unit 251 of the present invention is extended not only to the front surface of the terminal but also to the other surface of the terminal. More specifically, the display unit 251 includes a first region 251-1 (corresponding to A in FIG. 2) disposed on the front surface, a second region 252-1 extending in the first region A, And second regions 251-2 (corresponding to B1 and B2 in Fig. 2) to be disposed.

For example, the window disposed on the upper surface of the display unit 251 is bent in both sides, and the front and side surfaces of the main body are formed by the window. Therefore, the first region 251-1 and the second region 251-2 may be connected to each other in a form without a physical interface. In this case, the display unit 251 may include a display device formed in a curved shape and embedded in the window.

As another example, the display unit 251 may be a flexible display. The flexible display portion includes a display that can be bent, twistable, collapsible, and curlable, which can be bent by an external force. Here, the flexible display unit may include both a general flexible display and an electronic paper.

Here, a typical flexible display refers to a durable display that is lightweight and does not break, made on a thin and flexible substrate that can be bent, bent, folded or rolled like paper while maintaining the display characteristics of conventional flat panel displays.

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.

In this manner, the terminal main body can be configured such that both side surfaces of the display portion are bent by the flexible material property.

An acoustic output unit 252 and a camera module 221 are disposed in an area adjacent to one end of the display unit 251 at one end thereof and a front input unit and a microphone 222 are disposed in an area adjacent to the other end of the display unit 251 .

The front input unit may include a plurality of operation units as an example of the user input unit 130 (see FIG. 1). The operating units may also be referred to as manipulating portions and may be employed in any manner as long as the user is operating in a tactile manner with a tactile impression.

In addition, the display unit 251 may form a touch screen together with the touch sensor. In this case, the touch screen may be a user input unit. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a configuration without a front input unit on the front surface of the terminal. That is, the first area 252 may be the only input unit located at the front of the terminal.

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

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

A flash and a mirror may be additionally disposed adjacent to the camera module 221 '. The flash illuminates the subject when the subject is photographed by the camera module 221 '. The mirror enables the user to illuminate the user's own face or the like when the user intends to take a picture of himself / herself (self-photographing) using the camera module 221 '.

An acoustic output unit (not shown) may be further disposed on the rear surface of the terminal body. The rear audio output unit may implement the stereo function together with the front audio output unit 252 (see FIG. 3A), and may be used for the implementation of the speakerphone mode in a call.

That is, a second sound output unit including the rear surface or the speaker may be formed together with the sound output unit 252 (first sound output unit) on the front surface of the terminal, which is configured by a receiver. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a second sound output unit may be provided on a side surface of the terminal.

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

The rear input unit 232 may be disposed on the rear surface of the terminal body. The rear input unit 232 may be located, for example, below the camera module 221 '.

The rear input unit 232 is operated to receive a command for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 200, and input contents can be variously set. For example, a command such as a command such as power on / off, start, end, scrolling and the like, adjustment of the size of sound outputted from the sound output unit 252, or switching to the touch recognition mode of the display module 251 Can receive. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this, and the terminal may include only one of the front input unit and the rear input unit 232.

Referring again to FIG. 3A, at least a portion of the second region 253 forms a side input portion in the present invention. The side input unit may include a touch sensor, and may be selectively combined with the display unit. For example, the side input unit may be a touch screen together with the display unit, or may be a touch detection area other than the display unit.

In the embodiments described below, it is assumed that the mobile terminal has a shape as shown in FIG. 3A, and unless otherwise specified, the "second region" means a second region on the right side of the mobile terminal . It goes without saying that the display object / functions displayed or executed in the second area on the right side face may be similarly applied to the second area on the first side face.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a mobile terminal and a control method thereof that can conveniently perform a scroll or a menu search using a mobile terminal having a touch screen including the first area and the second areas .

First, a step-by-step search method using an index displayed in a second area according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 4 to FIG.

4A is a flowchart illustrating an example of a search process using an index displayed in a second area in a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4A, at first, at least one item may be displayed in the first area of the touch screen 251 (S410). Here, the item may be a display that can be arranged in order, such as an individual schedule or calendar date set in the schedule application, a contact in the phonebook application, each page of the e-book, a bulletin board post, a thumbnail image of multimedia contents, It can mean an object. These items may be displayed in a list form such as horizontal / vertical / lattice type, or only one item may be displayed at a time. Of course, these items are not necessarily displayed in the first area, but at least a portion may be displayed over the second area. Also, when there are a plurality of items, it is not necessarily displayed on one screen. Only a predetermined number of items are displayed, and the remaining items can be sequentially displayed through page switching, scrolling, or the like.

In this state, the first index may be displayed in the second area (S420). The first index may be displayed together with the item being displayed, or may be displayed if there is a touch input at any point on the second area. The first index may refer to a criterion for changing the sorting state of at least one item displayed in chronological order, alphabetical order, last use order, content capacity, type, and the like. The first index may include one or a plurality of sub indexes depending on the kind.

If a specific sub-index (first specific index) of the first index is selected through the first command (S430), the display state of at least one item may be changed or relocated according to the selected sub-index (S440).

Subsequently, a second index is displayed instead of the first index in the second area (S450). The second index may be the same as or different from the first index. If different, the second index may be a lower index of the first index. For example, if the first index includes the year as a lower index, the second index may include the month as a lower index.

In this state, if a specific sub-index (second specific index) of the second index is selected through the first instruction (S460), the item rearranged according to the first specific index may be rearranged again according to the second specific index S470).

If a second instruction is input on the second area while the second index is displayed (S480), the first index may be displayed again on the second area (S420).

In the above-described process, the first command and the second command may be a touch input input on the second area. Hereinafter, an example of the first instruction and the second instruction will be described with reference to FIG.

4B is a diagram for explaining an example of a mode in which a first command and a second command are input according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4B, the first command may be a touch-drag or flicking touch that is input in the opposite direction 491 of the first area 251-1 in the second area 251-2. Also, the second command may be a touch-drag or flicking touch inputted in the direction 493 of the first area 251-1 in the second area 251-2. Of course, the directions of the first command and the second command may be set opposite to each other.

Hereinafter, the method of searching in the telephone book, the electronic book, and the fixed application through the above-described method will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 5 to FIG.

5 illustrates an example of a method for searching a telephone directory in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 5, it is assumed that the 1/2 nd index is in an alphabetical order (that is, a subindex is consonant), a first index corresponds to a first syllable, and a second index corresponds to a second syllable. It is also assumed that the contact the user is seeking is an "LG Electronics" item.

Referring to FIG. 5A, a phonebook application is executed on the touch screen 251 to display contacts. In the second area 252-2, consonants are arranged in the vertical direction at the first index. Here, the user inputs the first command after dragging the slider 510 displayed on the first index to the position of the vowel (i.e., "o") corresponding to the first syllable "el" Along with the visual effect 521 indicating the selected index as shown in FIG. 5 (b), the alignment is changed so that items with the first syllable beginning with "o" among the contact items are displayed from the top. Here, the user again inputs the first command after dragging the slider 510 to the position of the vowel ("i") corresponding to the second syllable "Zi. &Quot; Accordingly, in addition to the visual effect 523 indicating the index selected as shown in FIG. 5C, the alignment of the items in which the second syllable starting with "o" starts from " can be changed. If the second command is input to the second area 251-2 in the state of FIG. 5C, the contact items can be rearranged as shown in FIG. 5B, and conversely, A contact item in which a third syllable starts with a consonant corresponding to a position at which the first instruction is input may be placed at the top.

6 shows an example of a method for searching an electronic book in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 6, it is assumed that the first index is a chapter and the second index is a page. It is also assumed that the item the user wants to find is a page of three chapters.

6A, an electronic book application is executed and a cover page is displayed. Of course, the default page or the last page read may be displayed instead of the cover page. In the second area 252-2, the chapter list is arranged in the vertical direction with the first index. When the user inputs a first command at a position corresponding to three chapters in the first index, the first page of three chapters is displayed as shown in FIG. 6 (b). Accordingly, pages in the second region 251-2 are arranged in the vertical direction in the second index. Here, as the user touches and dragges the pointer (i.e., the finger) downward along the second index, a visual effect may be displayed such that the pages are turned over corresponding to the position of the pointer as shown in FIG. 6C. When a user releases a finger at a position corresponding to a specific page or inputs a first command, the page can be displayed as a full screen.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a method of searching for a schedule in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 7, it is assumed that the first index is a year, the second index is a month, and the third index is a date. It is also assumed that the item the user is looking for is May 14, 2012.

In the second area 252-2, when the calendar application is executed and the calendar is displayed, the list of years can be listed in the vertical direction with the first index. Here, when the user inputs the first command at the position corresponding to 2012, the calendar of January 2012 is displayed together with the visual effect 710 indicating that 2012 is selected as shown in Fig. 7 (a). In the second area 251-2, the second indices are arranged in the vertical direction from January to December. Here, when the user inputs the first command at the position corresponding to May, the calendar in May 2012 may be displayed together with the visual effect 720 indicating that May is selected as shown in FIG. 7B. In the second area 251-2, the dates of May are listed in the vertical direction with the third index. Here, if the user inputs the first command at the position corresponding to the 14th day, the visual effect 730 indicating that the 14th day is selected as shown in (c) of FIG. 7, A screen can be displayed.

Meanwhile, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the second area may be used for inputting a scroll command. This will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 8 shows an example of a scrolling method using a second area in a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8A, a map is displayed on the touch screen 251 as the map / navigation application is executed, and an indicator 810 indicating the position of the current mobile terminal can be displayed thereon. At this time, when the touch-drag input is inputted in the direction of the arrow 820 on the first area 251-1 to search around the current position, the general scroll function is executed, It can be scrolled. If the touch-drag input is again input onto the first area in a direction 830 similar to the previous one, the indicator 810 and its surroundings may no longer be visible as in (c) of FIG. In order to solve such a problem, if there is a touch-drag input on the second area 251-2, the predetermined area 840 around the indicator 810 as shown in FIG. 8 (d) So as not to disappear from the screen. It goes without saying that the area 840 can be displayed at another position (for example, in the center of the screen).

Next, another method of scrolling the electronic book will be described with reference to Fig.

9 shows another example of a method for searching an electronic book in a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.

9A, a cover page of a specific electronic book is displayed on the first area 251-1 as the electronic book application is executed, and a cover page of a specific electronic book is displayed on the second area 251-2, The remaining pages can be displayed in the thickness direction. In this case, if the user tries to pass the 1/4 of the entire page, if the user touches the 1/4 point of the second area with the pointer 910 and wobbles the mobile terminal in the arrow direction, The page scroll can be performed. 9A, when the user tries to turn over half of the entire page, the mobile terminal is shaken in the direction of the arrow in a state in which the user touches the 1/2 point of the second area with the pointer 920 , Page scrolling may be performed as shown in FIG. 9 (c).

Meanwhile, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the second area may be used as a sub display area. This will be described with reference to FIG.

10 illustrates an example of a mode in which a second area is used as a secondary display area in a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 10, it is assumed that a character is received in the mobile terminal.

Referring to FIG. 10 (a), a notification area can be displayed as a touch-drag input is detected downward in an indicator area at the top of the touch screen. Here, the notification area or the quick panel may generally mean an area in which event information is displayed and icons that can be toggled to determine whether to activate various functions. Information 1010 of received characters can be displayed in the notification area. Here, if the user 1010 of the character displayed in the notification area is dragged to the second area, the character information 1010 disappears in the notification area as shown in FIG. 10B, A corresponding icon 1020 may be displayed. If the icon 1020 is touched, the contents of the character can be displayed on the second area as shown in FIG. 10C. If the icon 1020 is dragged to the first area, A character application can be executed.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a display object displayed in the first area may be selected through a second area parallel to the display object. This will be described with reference to FIG.

11 shows an example of a menu selection method using a second area in a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 11A, a web browser application is executed on the touch screen 251 to display a web page. At the top of the web page, four category tabs 1110 are displayed. The first tab 1111 is selected as a default, and contents corresponding to the first tab are displayed at the bottom of the category tabs. At this time, when the user inputs the first command on the second area 251-2 on the position 1120 parallel to the category tabs 1110, the second tab 1112 is selected as shown in FIG. 11B And the contents corresponding to the second tap can be displayed below it. In this state, if the second command is input to the corresponding position 1120, the state can be returned to the state shown in FIG. 11 (a) again.

11 (c), when the user touches the pointer at a position 1140 parallel to the position where the menu buttons at the bottom of the web page are arranged, the first menu button is selected by default A visual effect 1131 can be displayed. Here, if the user again inputs the first command to the corresponding position 1140, a visual effect 1132 indicating that the second menu is selected may be displayed.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, 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 not only to the configuration and method of the embodiments described above but also to the embodiments described above so that all or some of the embodiments may be selectively combined have.

Claims (16)

A main body having front, rear and side surfaces;
A touch screen disposed on the front surface and having an edge curved to form at least a part of the side surface; And
Wherein a first index is displayed in at least one display area in a first area corresponding to a front side of the touch screen and in a second area corresponding to a side of the touch screen, And a controller for rearranging the at least one display item according to the first sub-index if the selection is made through the touch, and controlling the second index to be displayed in the second area. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
And relocates the at least one display item according to the first sub-index and the second sub-index if a second sub-index is selected through the first touch in the second index. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
And controls the first index to be displayed in the second area when a second touch is input when the second index is displayed in the second area. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the first touch is input in a direction opposite to the first area in the second area and the second touch is input in the second area in a direction of the first area. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the at least one display item comprises:
A date on a calendar, a contact in a phonebook application, a page of an e-book, a post on a bulletin board, a thumbnail image of multimedia contents, and an icon of an application list. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first index and the second index comprise a plurality of sub-indexes identical to each other, The method according to claim 1,
And the second index is a lower hierarchical index of the first index. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
And controls the visual effect corresponding to the first sub-index to be displayed on the touch screen when the first sub-index is selected through the first touch. Displaying at least one display item in a first area corresponding to a front side of the touch screen;
Displaying a first index in a second area corresponding to a side of the touch screen;
Relocating the at least one display item according to the first sub-index if the first sub-index is selected through the first touch in the first index; And
And displaying a second index in the second area,
The touch screen,
Wherein the front surface, the rear surface, and the side surface are disposed on the front surface of the main body, and the edge is formed to be bent so as to form at least a part of the side surface. 10. The method of claim 9,
Further comprising rearranging the at least one display item according to the first sub-index and the second sub-index if a second sub-index in the second index is selected through the first touch, Control method. 10. The method of claim 9,
And displaying the first index again in the second area when a second touch is input when the second index is displayed in the second area. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the first touch is input in a direction opposite to the first area in the second area, and the second touch is input in the second area in a direction of the first area. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the at least one display item comprises:
A date on a calendar, a contact in a phonebook application, a page of an e-book, a post on a bulletin board, a thumbnail image of multimedia contents, and an icon of an application list. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the first index and the second index include a plurality of sub-indices identical to each other. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the second index is a lower hierarchical index of the first index. 10. The method of claim 9,
And displaying the visual effect corresponding to the first sub-index on the touch screen when the first sub-index is selected through the first touch.

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