WO2011049371A2

WO2011049371A2 - Apparatus and method for preventing erroneous operation of portable terminal using sensor

Info

Publication number: WO2011049371A2
Application number: PCT/KR2010/007201
Authority: WO
Inventors: 김석기; 조순익; 최순경
Original assignee: 실리콤텍(주)
Priority date: 2009-10-20
Filing date: 2010-10-20
Publication date: 2011-04-28
Also published as: WO2011049371A3

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for preventing an erroneous operation of a portable terminal using a sensor, and more particularly to an apparatus and a method for preventing an erroneous operation of a portable terminal which prevents an erroneous operation due to body contact with or an unintended input onto a touch screen or a touch keypad when a user speaks using the portable terminal or inserts the portable terminal into a bag or a pocket without using an additional locking key. The present invention can prevent an unintended key input of the user by automatically switching the key input to a locking mode when the user uses the portable terminal or inserts the portable terminal in the bag or the pocket, and can prevent the inconvenience that the setting of the locking key in the manual mode causes the user.

Description

Device for preventing malfunction of mobile terminal using sensor and its method

The present invention relates to a device for preventing malfunction of a mobile terminal using a sensor and a method thereof, and more particularly, when a user makes a phone call using a mobile terminal or stores the mobile terminal in a bag or pocket without using a lock key. An apparatus and method for preventing malfunction of a mobile terminal using a sensor for preventing a malfunction of the mobile terminal due to an unintentional input of a user's body or an unintentional input to a touch screen or a touch keypad during a call using a sensor.

The portable terminal refers to, for example, a mobile phone, a PDA, etc., which has a user's touch as an input device such as a touch screen or a touch keypad and has a call function. Such portable terminals are increasingly miniaturized, including various functions, and their use is rapidly increasing. In addition to the trend toward miniaturization, in recent years, a device having a touch screen or a touch keypad has been widely used according to the expansion of the smart phone for convenience.

However, such a touch screen or a touch keypad causes a user to feel uncomfortable due to frequent malfunctions through face contact during a call in a situation where the user does not intend to make a call, and the mobile or the mobile terminal is stored in a bag or a pocket. Unexpected impact in the call attempts to call connection or any function may cause a lot of inconvenience.

Conventional technology for solving this problem is a method of limiting the key input of the mobile phone using the lock key. The method of using the lock key can be used by using a long key that is pressed for a few seconds, setting a lock state using a slide-type hold key, and locking when there are two or more key inputs simultaneously. And how the state is set.

This method is cumbersome because the user has to operate manually at all times, and malfunctions may occur while the input device is turned on for the user to use the portable terminal. For example, when the user is in a call through the terminal, since the input device is in a turned-on state, there is a problem that malfunction due to face contact is not solved through the lock key.

Therefore, the present invention is generated by touching the screen to the user's face during the call by locking the touch screen or touch keypad when the user brings the mobile terminal close to the face to make a call using the illumination sensor and the proximity sensor attached to the mobile terminal. The purpose is to prevent malfunction and reduce power consumption.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to prevent the power consumption or unintended call connection caused by an unexpected shock or malfunction due to an input using the illuminance sensor and the proximity sensor even when the user stores the portable terminal. .

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a device that can be implemented at low cost by using the existing illumination sensor of the portable terminal, by additionally adding a proximity sensor to prevent malfunctions.

In addition, the present invention uses an illumination sensor and a proximity sensor mounted on a portable terminal, and by adding an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor to the device to provide a device that can be implemented at low cost by automatically preventing a malfunction. There is this.

An apparatus for preventing a malfunction of a mobile terminal including a touch input unit using a sensor according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a user interface unit for receiving a user's touch through the touch input unit, the brightness of the surrounding environment or Based on the illuminance sensor measuring the amount of light and generating the illuminance value, the proximity sensor generating the distance value by measuring the signal amount according to the approach distance of the object, and based on the illuminance value provided by the illuminance sensor in the operation of the portable terminal. When the illuminance value is greater than or equal to the predetermined illuminance value, the input to the user interface unit is set to unlock, and when the illuminance value is less than or equal to the predetermined illuminance value, the proximity sensor is activated to activate the distance value. It is determined whether the input to the user interface unit is locked based on the comparison with the preset reference value. And a control unit for.

In this case, the illuminance sensor may measure the amount of ambient light using a light receiving element including a photodiode, and the proximity sensor may be a capacitive proximity sensor.

The constant illuminance value is a fixed or range illuminance value that is set according to the contact of the user's body with the user's body to make a call using the portable terminal, and the reference value is the user's call using the portable terminal. In order to be set according to the contact of the user's body and the portable terminal, or may be characterized in that the fixed or range distance value is set according to the contact is received in a storage place, such as a bag or pocket. .

In addition, the illuminance sensor and the proximity sensor in the mobile terminal, when the user contacts the user's ear and the portable terminal to make a call using the mobile terminal, the illuminance value of the illuminance sensor and the distance value of the proximity sensor are changed the most. And at the location.

The controller may set the input to the user interface unit to be locked when the distance value is greater than or equal to the reference value, and set the input to the user interface unit to be unlocked when the distance value is less than or equal to the reference value.

In addition, the apparatus for preventing malfunction of a portable terminal using a sensor according to the present invention further includes a wireless circuit unit for receiving an external signal and notifying the controller of a call reception, wherein the sensor unit normally waits in a sleep mode, and the wireless circuit unit The illuminance value may be measured according to an output signal value generated by the controller based on the call transmission or reception through the call.

In this case, the output signal value may further include being generated based on an input for using a function provided by the controller through the user interface.

The proximity sensor may be activated based on a control signal generated by the controller when the illuminance value is less than the predetermined illuminance value in the standby mode.

The controller may determine whether the proximity sensor is activated after determining whether the lock is activated, and when the proximity sensor is not in a call mode while the proximity sensor is in an active mode, the controller may switch the proximity sensor to a sleep mode. In addition, the control unit determines whether the proximity sensor is activated after determining whether the lock is activated, and in the sleep mode, determines whether the call is made, and then compares the current illuminance value measured by the illuminance sensor with the predetermined illuminance value to the user interface unit. It is possible to determine whether or not to lock the input.

In this case, the control unit compares the current illuminance value with the predetermined illuminance value when the call is in a call, and unlocks the input to the user interface unit when the current illuminance value is greater than or equal to the predetermined illuminance value. The switching may be performed or maintained, and the input to the user interface may be switched or maintained as a lock when the predetermined illuminance value is less than or equal to.

In addition, the control unit determines whether the call is loaded or not, whether the function provided by the control unit is input, and whether or not an input is generated to the user interface unit for a preset time when the call is not in a call. If not, the sensor unit may be converted into a sleep mode.

In addition, the control unit provides a menu for setting the function of the lock or not, and a menu for setting the function for the lock or not to be used only for a predetermined time period through the user interface unit to select through the menu. According to the lock can be determined.

Method for preventing a malfunction of the malfunction prevention device for changing the lock setting of the input to the user interface of the portable terminal according to the change in the illumination and object proximity distance using the illumination sensor and the proximity sensor according to the present invention for achieving the above object A first step of detecting an output signal value generated according to an input to the user interface or a call reception or transmission signal through a mobile terminal; a second step of activating an illuminance sensor according to the output signal value; A third step in which the sensor measures illuminance to generate an illuminance value, and compares a current illuminance value among the illuminance values with a predetermined constant illuminance value and sets an input to the user interface to be unlocked when the illuminance value is greater than or equal to the predetermined illuminance value. And a fourth step of activating the proximity sensor when the illuminance is below a predetermined illuminance value, and the fourth step. And a fifth step of determining whether to lock the input to the user interface by comparing a distance value provided by the proximity sensor by measuring a signal amount according to an object's approach distance with a preset reference value when the proximity sensor is activated. do.

In this case, the constant illuminance value is a fixed or range illuminance value that is set according to the contact of the user's body and the portable terminal for the user to make a call using the portable terminal, and the reference value is a user's call using the portable terminal. In order to be set according to the contact of the user's body and the portable terminal, or may be characterized in that the fixed or range distance value is set according to the contact is received in a storage place, such as a bag or pocket. .

The fifth step may be set to lock the input to the user interface when the distance value is less than the reference value, and set the input to the user interface to unlock when the distance value is greater than or equal to the reference value.

In addition, a sixth step of determining whether the proximity sensor is activated after determining whether to lock the lock in the fifth step, and switching the proximity sensor to the sleep mode when the proximity sensor is not in the call mode while the proximity sensor is in the active mode. It may include.

In addition, after determining whether the proximity sensor is activated after determining whether the lock is performed in the fifth step, the user interface is determined by comparing the current illuminance value measured by the illuminance sensor with the predetermined illuminance value after determining whether the call is in sleep mode. The method may further include a seventh step of determining whether or not to lock the input.

In the seventh step, when the call is determined as the result of the call, the current illuminance value compares the predetermined illuminance value, and when the current illuminance value is equal to or greater than the predetermined illuminance value, the input to the user interface is unlocked. It may be characterized in that the switching to or maintained at, and when the predetermined illuminance value or less, the input to the user interface to the lock or switch. In addition, in the seventh step, when the call is determined that the call is not in a call, the operation state of the portable terminal is determined by whether the function provided by the controller is loaded and whether an input to the user interface is generated for a predetermined time. If this does not occur, it may be characterized in that the sensor unit is converted to the sleep mode.

Method for preventing malfunction of the malfunction prevention device for changing the lock setting of the input to the user interface of the portable terminal according to the movement of the portable terminal using the acceleration sensor or gyro sensor according to the present invention for achieving the above object is the user A first step of detecting an output signal value generated according to an input to an interface or a call reception or transmission signal through a mobile terminal; A second step of activating the acceleration sensor or the gyro sensor according to the output signal value; A third step of measuring the direction and acceleration of movement of the portable terminal by the acceleration sensor or the gyro sensor; And setting a lock on the input to the user interface when the measured value exceeds a set value.

An apparatus for preventing malfunction of a portable terminal using a sensor according to the present invention automatically converts a key input into a locked state when a user is in a call state using the portable terminal or when the portable terminal is stored in a bag or pocket. This prevents keystrokes that have not been made and eliminates the need to manually set the lockkey.

In addition, the malfunction prevention device of the portable terminal using the sensor according to the present invention can not only prevent battery consumption due to unintentional key input, but also operate the illumination sensor and the proximity sensor in response to a signal for receiving or making a call. It is possible to efficiently use the battery by eliminating unnecessary operations by determining the call status and the continuous use state using the portable terminal and setting the key input to the lock only when necessary.

In addition, since the illumination sensor is self-attached to the existing portable terminal, the present invention can be implemented simply by adding a proximity sensor, thereby providing an operation prevention device at low cost and increasing reliability.

1 is a block diagram of a malfunction prevention device of a portable terminal using a sensor according to the present invention.

2 is a view showing the position of the illumination sensor attached to the portable terminal according to the present invention.

3 is a view showing a proximity sensor attached to a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

4 and 5 are flowcharts illustrating a method of preventing malfunction of a portable terminal using a sensor according to the present invention.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for preventing malfunction of a portable terminal using a sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

An apparatus for preventing malfunction of a portable terminal using a sensor according to the present invention detects a change in illuminance and the presence of an object to be adjacent, and accordingly, automatically sets a lock on a user interface including a touch screen or a touch keypad of the portable terminal. It can be changed to prevent the malfunction of the portable terminal.

More specifically, after detecting the surrounding environment of the portable terminal using the illuminance sensor, if the illuminance value output by the illuminance sensor is more than a predetermined illuminance, the user determines that the user uses the function provided by the portable terminal You can unlock the input to the interface. On the other hand, when the illuminance value of the illuminance sensor is less than a predetermined illuminance, the proximity sensor is operated so that the user is in a call or stored in a bag or pocket according to an output value change, and a second using the function provided by the portable terminal. In this case, the input to the user interface is set to lock in the first case, and the input to the mobile terminal is set to unlock in the second case, thereby clearly distinguishing the use state from the surrounding environment. The user interface can be locked appropriately only in situations where it is required to prevent unauthorized input.

In addition, as described above, while the call is being stored or stored in a storage place such as a bag or a pocket, a call is interrupted or unnecessary functions are not loaded due to an input through the user interface due to a user's face or an unintended impact. Loading of a user interface input or a function may increase the brightness of the backlight of the display of the portable terminal, thereby preventing unnecessary power consumption.

Meanwhile, the portable terminal may include a mobile phone, a PDA, etc., which has a user's touch as an input device, such as a touch screen or a touch keypad, and has a call function, and the user interface is an input device based on the touch screen or touch keypad. User input can be received from the.

Based on the above description, referring to FIG. 1, a detailed configuration of an apparatus for preventing malfunction of a mobile terminal using a sensor is provided. The user receiving a user input including the touch screen or a touch keypad-based input device as shown in FIG. Close to the interface unit 10, the wireless circuit unit 30 connected to the antenna to determine whether a call is received or originated, the controller 20 for controlling a menu function of the portable terminal, and the illumination sensor 41 It may be composed of a sensor unit 40 including a sensor 42.

In this case, the illuminance sensor 41 may output a value generated by generating a current according to the amount of ambient light using a photodiode as an illuminance value. In addition, the proximity sensor 42 may include a capacitive proximity sensor for outputting a signal amount according to an approach distance of an object as a distance value.

On the other hand, the illuminance sensor 41 is preferably installed on one side of the handset portion of the portable terminal 100, as shown in Figure 2, which is generated by measuring the external brightness or the light amount of the illuminance sensor 41 This is because the call state of the user can be determined from the illuminance value.

That is, when the user is in a call, the receiver part corresponding to the area indicated by the dotted line in the portable terminal 100 is covered by the user's ear, so that the illuminance value of the illumination sensor 200 installed at one side of the receiver is lowered. Through this, it is possible to determine the call state of the user. In addition, the illuminance sensor 41 may periodically measure the illuminance value and transmit the measured illuminance value to the control unit 20.

On the other hand, since unnecessary power consumption is generated when the illuminance value measurement of the illuminance sensor 41 is continuously performed, the controller 20 detects an incoming or outgoing signal or detects whether an input is generated through the user interface unit. By determining whether the illuminance sensor 41 is activated for the illuminance value measurement, power consumption may be prevented.

That is, the wireless circuit unit 30 may transmit the received signal to the controller 20, and the controller 20 generates an output signal value based on the received signal and transmits it to the illuminance sensor 41. The illumination sensor 41 may be activated. In addition, when the controller 20 generates a transmission signal through the wireless circuit unit 30 or loads a function of the portable terminal according to a user input received from the user interface unit 10. The illuminance sensor 41 may be activated by generating the output signal value based on the transmission signal or the control signal.

In addition, the proximity sensor 42 may be installed at the upper and lower portions of the portable terminal to which the illumination sensor 41 is attached, as shown in FIG. 3. In this way, the proximity sensor 42 may generate the distance value by detecting a signal amount according to the approach distance of the object, and may provide the distance value to the controller 20.

According to the illuminance value and the distance value output from the illuminance sensor 41 and the proximity sensor 42 as described above, the controller 20 determines whether to lock the input of the user interface unit 10. This will be described in detail.

The controller 20 changes the illuminance sensor 41 of the sensor unit 40 from the sleep mode to the activated mode based on the output signal value to periodically measure the external brightness or the amount of light to generate an illuminance value. After the activation of the illuminance sensor, the controller 20 may store the illuminance value transmitted from the illuminance sensor 41 in a register and compare it with a predetermined constant illuminance value.

In this case, the constant illuminance value may be a fixed or range illuminance value set according to the contact between the user's body and the portable terminal for the user to make a call using the portable terminal.

Subsequently, when the illuminance value is equal to or greater than the predetermined illuminance value, the control unit 20 sets the setting for the input of the touch screen or the touch keypad included in the user interface unit 10 to be unlocked, and the illuminance value is set to the unlocked value. If the predetermined illuminance value is less than the proximity sensor 41 to activate the sensor. When the illuminance value is greater than or equal to the predetermined illuminance value, the user may determine that the user is using the function provided by the controller 20 except for a call by exposing the portable terminal to the outside.

On the other hand, when the illuminance value is less than the predetermined illuminance value, the first case that the user is in contact with the mobile terminal in his ear or the mobile terminal is stored in the storage place, and the first use of the function in an environment with low illuminance In the first case, the input to the user interface 10 should be set to lock, and in the second case, the input to the user interface 10 is divided into two cases. This must be set to unlock.

Therefore, in order to distinguish between the first case and the second case, the control unit 20 activates the proximity sensor 42 after the comparison determination according to the illuminance value of the illumination sensor 41 to activate the proximity sensor 42. The first value and the second case may be distinguished through the distance value of, and the lock of the UI unit 10 may be determined for each case.

That is, the controller 20 may determine whether the distance value of the proximity sensor 42 is less than or equal to a preset reference value and determine that an object corresponding to a user's body or a storage place such as a bag or a pocket is detected when the distance is less than or equal to the reference value. This corresponds to the first case and may set an input to the user interface 10 as a lock.

In this case, the reference value is set according to the contact between the user's body and the portable terminal to make a call using the portable terminal, or the portable terminal is stored in a storage place such as a bag or a pocket and is in contact with the portable terminal. The distance value may be set or fixed.

In addition, the controller 20 may determine that an object is not detected when the distance value of the proximity sensor 42 is greater than or equal to a preset reference value, which corresponds to the second case and is applied to the user interface unit 10. Can be set to unlock.

Subsequently, the controller 20 determines whether the proximity sensor 42 is activated, and if the proximity sensor 42 is in the activation mode, determines whether the user talks on the basis of the wireless circuit unit 30. If not, the proximity sensor 42 may be switched from the active mode to the sleep mode to prevent power consumption. In addition, when the proximity sensor 42 is active in the active state, the control unit 20 may continuously monitor whether the user talks through the proximity sensor 42 until the call ends.

On the other hand, the control unit 20 determines whether the user's call on the basis of the wireless circuit unit 30 when the proximity sensor 42 is in the sleep mode, and the illuminance value of the illuminance sensor 41 is constant when the call is in progress. If the illuminance value is greater than or equal to switch or maintain the lock setting of the input to the user interface unit 10, if the illuminance value is less than a predetermined illuminance value or the input to the user interface unit 10 to the lock setting or I can keep it.

That is, when the user is in a call while the proximity sensor 42 is in the sleep mode, the illuminance sensor 41 is continuously covered by the user's body by using the illuminance sensor 41 and lowered below the predetermined illuminance value. By determining whether to lose, it is possible to automatically set the input to the user interface unit 10 as a lock, thereby preventing the user and the mobile terminal from coming in contact with the user interface unit 10 occurs. As a result, unnecessary input and malfunction of the portable terminal can be prevented from occurring.

Thereafter, when the user is not in a call while the proximity sensor 42 is in the sleep mode, the controller 20 recognizes to load other functions except for a call function based on the input of the user interface unit 10. In this case, the illumination sensor 41 may be switched back to the sleep mode from the activation mode. In addition, the control unit 20 switches the illuminance sensor 41 from the active mode to the sleep mode when there is no input through the user interface unit within a preset time after the call is terminated, in addition to loading the function. can do.

On the other hand, the control unit 20 provides a menu for setting the function of the lock or not, and a menu for setting to use the function for the lock or not only for a predetermined time through the user interface unit 10. Thus, it is possible to determine whether the lock according to the selection through the menu.

In addition, the controller 20 may perform an additional function such as a silent mode function or vision protection by changing the sound function of the portable terminal and the output method of the display using the illumination sensor and the proximity sensor.

First, the controller 20 generates a sound of the portable terminal when a manner function is required because the portable terminal is left in a place such as a table due to the absence of a user after a call reception occurs based on the reception signal of the wireless circuit unit 30. You can change from vibration to silent or from sound to vibration. To this end, the controller 20 may compare the distance value of the proximity sensor with a preset reference value by activating the proximity sensor when the illumination value measured by the illumination sensor activated based on the received signal is equal to or less than a predetermined illumination value. have. Subsequently, when the distance value is equal to or less than a predetermined reference value, the controller 20 may be changed to silent when the acoustic function of the portable terminal is set to vibration or to silent or vibration when the acoustic function of the portable terminal is set to sound. .

In addition, when the portable terminal is used in a dark environment, the controller 20 may adjust a display method of the display to perform a function of protecting a user's eyesight and a manner in a place such as a movie theater.

That is, the controller 20 activates the illuminance sensor based on the input of the user interface unit 10, and then the illuminance value measured by the illuminance sensor is equal to or less than the predetermined illuminance value, and the distance measured by the proximity sensor. If the value is greater than or equal to the preset reference value, it may be determined that the user uses the mobile terminal in a dark environment. Based on the result of the illuminance value and the distance value, the controller 20 lowers the backlight output of the display to a predetermined value or less, or adjusts the output mode of the display to be output by black and white inversion or saturation control. Can protect eyesight and manner function.

4 and 5 are flowcharts illustrating a method of preventing malfunction of a mobile terminal using a sensor according to the present invention, wherein the controller continuously monitors whether there is a call request through the wireless circuit unit in the standby mode (S401), and the user interface unit. When there is a call reception through the user input or the reception of an external signal through the wireless circuit unit (S402) generates an output signal value indicating the call reception or outgoing. The output signal value may be generated even when there is a user input for using a function provided by the controller.

The control unit inputs the output signal value to the illuminance sensor of the sensor unit, and the illuminance sensor is changed from the sleep mode to the activation mode to measure an external light quantity to output an illuminance value (S403), and provide it to the control unit.

Thereafter, the controller stores the illuminance value measured by the illuminance sensor in a register and determines whether the illuminance value is equal to or greater than a predetermined predetermined illuminance value (S404).

Based on the determination, when the illuminance value is equal to or greater than a predetermined illuminance value, the controller may set an input to the user interface unit to be unlocked (S405). In addition, when the illuminance value is less than a predetermined illuminance value, and activates the proximity sensor of the sensor unit (S406) to determine whether there is an adjacent object within the reference distance by comparing the distance value provided by the proximity sensor according to the signal amount with a preset reference value. (S407).

If the distance value is less than the reference value, the controller determines that there is an adjacent object and sets the input to the user interface unit as a lock (S408). If the distance value is greater than or equal to the reference value, the controller locks the input to the user interface unit. It may be set to release (S405).

Thereafter, the controller determines whether the proximity sensor is activated (S409), and determines whether the user calls through the wireless circuit unit (S412). In the active mode of the proximity sensor, the controller continuously monitors the call state of the user through the proximity sensor while maintaining a lock setting for the input to the user interface unit. In addition, when the call is not in the active mode of the proximity sensor, the controller switches the proximity sensor to the sleep mode (S413).

On the other hand, when the proximity sensor is in the sleep mode by determining whether the proximity sensor is activated, the controller determines whether the user talks through the wireless circuit unit (S410), and when the call is in progress, the controller determines the illuminance sensor. If the predetermined illuminance value is equal to or greater than the predetermined illuminance value (S411), the input to the user interface unit may be set to unlock, and if the predetermined illuminance value or less, the input to the user interface unit may be set to lock.

When the proximity sensor is switched to or maintained in the sleep mode through the above-described process, and the user is not in a call, the controller does not receive an input for loading a function other than the call through the user interface unit (S414). When there is no input through the user interface unit for a predetermined time (S415) it is possible to reduce the power consumption by changing the light sensor to the sleep mode (S416). That is, when a call reception or an outgoing signal related to a call is not detected, the controller may reduce power consumption by changing the illumination sensor to a sleep mode.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of preventing malfunction of a mobile terminal using a sensor according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in which an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor is used in addition to the illumination sensor and the proximity sensor described above with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. Accurate and effective judgments can be made. That is, the output value of the acceleration sensor (or 3-axis acceleration sensor) or the gyro sensor may be determined, and when the output value is equal to or greater than the reference value, the portable terminal may be determined to be in use.

For example, when a call is received, the user picks up the portable terminal and moves to the side of the face for the call, so that the portable terminal moves with constant direction and acceleration. Therefore, by determining the direction and acceleration of the movement of the portable terminal by the acceleration sensor or the gyro sensor provided in the portable terminal, it is possible to determine that the user is in a phone call state.

In more detail, in the standby mode, when a call mode or a keypad input occurs, an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor (or a 3-axis acceleration sensor) is turned on according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. At this time, when the output value of the acceleration sensor or the gyro sensor is more than a predetermined reference value or a change in speed occurs in a certain direction, it is considered as a call state and the keypad is locked. On the other hand, when the output value of the acceleration sensor or the gyro sensor is below a certain reference value, the keypad is unlocked because it is a mobile terminal using mode instead of a busy state.

Subsequently, in the busy state, as described above with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the busy state may be monitored using the illumination sensor and the proximity sensor, or the output values of the acceleration sensor or the gyro sensor may be measured. In addition to the criterion, it can be considered as a weight in determining the call state.

For example, in the embodiments of FIGS. 4 and 5, if the busy state is determined only by the illuminance sensor, it is possible to misjudge the end of the call for the unexpectedly brightening state during the call. Therefore, in this situation, when the output value of the acceleration sensor or the gyro sensor is further considered, it is possible to determine a more accurate call state. That is, even if the output value of the illuminance sensor temporarily exceeds the reference value due to irregular infiltration of the indirect lighting while the mobile terminal is in contact with the side of the face during a call, it is desirable to determine that the call is still in progress when the output value of the acceleration sensor is lower than the reference value. Do.

Claims

An apparatus for preventing a malfunction of a portable terminal including a touch input unit using a sensor,

A user interface unit receiving a user's touch through the touch input unit;

An illuminance sensor measuring illuminance or amount of light in an environment to generate an illuminance value;

Proximity sensor for measuring the amount of signal in accordance with the approach distance of the object to generate a distance value; And

Compared with a predetermined illuminance value based on an illuminance value provided by the illuminance sensor in an operation state of the portable terminal, if the illuminance value is equal to or greater than a predetermined illuminance value, the input to the user interface unit is set to unlock, and the Control unit for activating the proximity sensor when the illuminance value is less than a predetermined illuminance value to determine whether to lock the input to the user interface unit by comparing with the reference value preset based on the distance value

Malfunction prevention device of a mobile terminal using a sensor comprising a.
The method according to claim 1,

The illuminance sensor is a malfunction prevention device of a portable terminal using a sensor, characterized in that for measuring the amount of light in the surroundings by using a light receiving element including a photodiode.
The method according to claim 1,

The proximity sensor is a malfunction prevention device of a portable terminal using a sensor, characterized in that the capacitive proximity sensor.
The method according to claim 1,

The predetermined illuminance value is a fixed or range illuminance value set by the user according to the contact between the user's body and the portable terminal to make a call using the portable terminal.
The method according to claim 1,

The reference value is set according to the contact between the user's body and the portable terminal for the user to make a call using the portable terminal, or fixed according to the portable terminal being stored in contact with a storage place such as a bag or a pocket. Or a distance value of a range.
The method according to claim 1,

The illuminance sensor and the proximity sensor are positioned at the position where the illuminance value of the illuminance sensor and the distance value of the proximity sensor change most when the user's ear contacts the portable terminal to make a call using the portable terminal. Malfunction preventing device of a mobile terminal using a sensor, characterized in that the.
The method according to claim 1,

The control unit sets the input to the user interface unit as the lock when the distance value is greater than or equal to the reference value, and sets the input to the user interface unit as the unlock when the distance value is less than the reference value. Malfunction prevention device.
The method according to claim 1,

It further comprises a wireless circuit unit for receiving an external signal to inform the control unit of the call reception,

The sensor unit normally waits in a sleep mode and is activated according to an output signal value generated by the controller based on a call transmission or reception through the wireless circuit unit and measures the illuminance value. Malfunction prevention device.
The method according to claim 8,

And the output signal value is generated based on an input for using a function provided by the control unit through the user interface unit.
The method according to claim 1,

And the proximity sensor is activated on the basis of a control signal generated by the controller when the illuminance value is equal to or less than the predetermined illuminance value in the standby mode in the sleep mode.
The method according to claim 1,

The control unit determines whether the proximity sensor is activated after determining whether the lock is activated, and when the proximity sensor is not in a call mode while the proximity sensor is in an active mode, the controller switches the proximity sensor to a sleep mode. Malfunction prevention device.
The method according to claim 1,

The control unit determines whether the proximity sensor is activated after determining whether the lock is activated, and determines whether to call in the sleep mode, and then compares the current illuminance value measured by the illuminance sensor with the predetermined illuminance value to input the user interface unit. Device for preventing malfunction of a mobile terminal using a sensor, characterized in that for determining whether the lock.
The method according to claim 12,

The controller compares the predetermined illuminance value when the current illuminance value is equal to or greater than the predetermined illuminance value when the call is in a call, and switches the input to the user interface unit to unlock or when the current illuminance value is greater than or equal to the predetermined illuminance value. And the input to the user interface unit is locked or switched to a lock when the predetermined illuminance value is less than or equal to the predetermined illuminance value.
The method according to claim 12,

If the control unit determines that the call is not in a call, the controller determines whether the function provided by the control unit is loaded and whether an input is generated to the user interface unit for a predetermined time so that the operation state of the portable terminal does not occur. If not, the malfunction prevention device of a mobile terminal using a sensor, characterized in that for switching the sensor unit to the sleep mode.
The method according to claim 1,

The control unit provides a menu for setting a function for locking or not, and a menu for setting the function for locking or not for a predetermined time only through the user interface unit.

Device for preventing malfunction of a mobile terminal using a sensor, characterized in that for determining whether the lock according to the selection through the menu.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the device,

And an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor for determining whether the user talks by determining the directionality and acceleration of the movement of the portable terminal.
In the malfunction prevention method of the malfunction prevention device for changing the lock setting of the input to the user interface of the portable terminal according to the change of the illuminance and the object approach distance using the illuminance sensor and the proximity sensor,

A first step of detecting an output signal value generated according to an input to the user interface or a call reception or transmission signal through a mobile terminal;

A second step of activating an illuminance sensor according to the output signal value;

A third step of generating an illuminance value by measuring the illuminance of the illuminance sensor;

A fourth step of comparing the current illuminance value among the illuminance values with a predetermined constant illuminance value to set the input to the user interface to be unlocked when the predetermined illuminance value is higher than the predetermined illuminance value and to activate the proximity sensor when the illuminance value is lower than the predetermined illuminance value; ; And

When the proximity sensor is activated through the fourth step, the proximity sensor determines whether to lock the input to the user interface by comparing a distance value provided by measuring a signal amount according to an object's approach distance with a preset reference value. 5th step

Method for preventing malfunction of the mobile terminal using a sensor comprising a.
The method according to claim 17,

The predetermined illuminance value is a fixed or range illuminance value set by the user according to the contact of the user's body and the portable terminal to make a call using the portable terminal.
The method according to claim 17,

The reference value is set according to the contact between the user's body and the portable terminal for the user to make a call using the portable terminal, or fixed according to the portable terminal being stored in contact with a storage place such as a bag or a pocket. Or a distance value of the range.
The method according to claim 17,

In the fifth step, when the distance value is greater than or equal to the reference value, the input to the user interface is set to lock, and when the distance is less than or equal to the reference value, the portable terminal is set to unlock the input to the user interface. To prevent malfunction.
The method according to claim 17,

Determining whether the proximity sensor is activated after determining whether the proximity sensor is activated in the fifth step, and switching the proximity sensor to a sleep mode when the proximity sensor is not in a call mode. Method for preventing malfunction of a mobile terminal using a sensor, characterized in that.
The method according to claim 17,

In the fifth step, after determining whether the lock is activated, it is determined whether the proximity sensor is activated, and in the sleep mode, the call is determined whether the current illuminance value measured by the illuminance sensor is compared with the predetermined illuminance value for the user interface. And a seventh step of determining whether the input is locked.
The method according to claim 22,

In the seventh step, when the call is determined, the current illuminance value compares the predetermined illuminance value when the call is in a call; Or maintaining and switching or maintaining the input to the user interface as a lock when the predetermined illuminance value is less than or equal to the predetermined illuminance value.
The method according to claim 22,

In the seventh step, when it is determined that the call is not in a call, an operation state of the portable terminal is generated by determining whether the function provided by the controller is loaded and whether an input to the user interface is generated for a predetermined time. If not, the method of preventing a malfunction of a mobile terminal using a sensor, characterized in that for switching the sensor unit to a sleep mode.
The method according to claim 17,

Detecting an output signal value generated according to an input to the user interface or a call reception or transmission signal through a mobile terminal;

Activating an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor according to the output signal value;

Measuring the direction and acceleration of the movement of the portable terminal by the acceleration sensor or the gyro sensor; And

When the measured value exceeds a set value, setting an input to the user interface as a lock; further comprising: preventing a malfunction of the mobile terminal using a sensor.
In the malfunction prevention method of the malfunction preventing apparatus for changing the lock setting of the input to the user interface of the portable terminal in accordance with the movement of the portable terminal using an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor,

A first step of detecting an output signal value generated according to an input to the user interface or a call reception or transmission signal through a mobile terminal;

A second step of activating the acceleration sensor or the gyro sensor according to the output signal value;

A third step of measuring the direction and acceleration of movement of the portable terminal by the acceleration sensor or the gyro sensor; And

And a fourth step of setting an input to the user interface as a lock if the measured value exceeds a set value.