KR20100035475A - Mobile terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A mobile terminal is provided to sense a change of pressure applied to a body by a pressure sensing module. CONSTITUTION: A pressure sensing module(220) is prepared on at least one side of a body. The pressure sensing module senses pressure applied to at least one part of the body by at least two steps. The pressure sensing module generates a pressure signal through the sensing. A controller(180) generates a control signal matched with each function of a mobile terminal. A reaction module(230) operates with the control signal.

Description

Mobile terminal {MOBILE TERMINAL}

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal capable of detecting a change in pressure applied to the body by the pressure sensing module.

As terminals, such as personal computers, laptops, and mobile phones, are diversified in functions, multimedia devices having complex functions such as taking pictures or videos, playing music or video files, playing games, and receiving broadcasts are provided. ) Is implemented.

Terminals may be divided into mobile terminals and stationary terminals according to their mobility. The mobile terminal may be divided into a handheld terminal and a vehicle mount terminal according to whether a user can directly carry it.

In order to support and increase the function of the terminal, it may be considered to improve the structural part and / or the software part of the terminal.

In order to perform various functions of the mobile terminal, the mobile terminal may be provided with an input unit including various operation keys.

The present invention is to provide a mobile terminal capable of detecting a change in pressure applied to the body by the pressure sensing module.

Technical problems to be achieved by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned technical problems, and other technical problems not mentioned above will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. Could be.

A mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention for realizing the above object is provided on at least one side of the body, by detecting the pressure applied to at least one portion of the body in at least two steps or more pressure A pressure sensing module for generating a signal; A controller configured to generate a control signal corresponding to each function of the mobile terminal according to the pressure signal; And a reaction module operated by the control signal to sense a change in pressure applied to the body.

The mobile terminal according to the present invention has the following effects.

First, the present invention can detect the change in pressure applied to the body.

Second, according to the present invention it is possible to increase the ease of use by running the function matched to the pattern of the pressure applied to the body.

Third, according to the present invention, the user can provide visual and tactile feedback through light emission or vibration by sensing a change in pressure, thereby improving the user's feeling of operation and improving the emotional quality.

Fourth, the present invention can increase the user's curiosity because the mobile terminal may exhibit a different response in proportion to the magnitude and duration of the pressure.

The above objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. In addition, when it is determined that the detailed description of the known function or configuration related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Hereinafter, a mobile terminal related to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The suffixes "module" and "unit" for components used in the following description are given or used in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have distinct meanings or roles from each other.

The mobile terminal described herein may include a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), 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 A / V input unit 120, a user input unit 130, a sensing unit 140, an output unit 150, a memory unit 160, and an interface. The unit 170, the controller 180, and the power supply unit 190 may be included. The components shown in FIG. 1 are not essential, so 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 that enable wireless communication between the mobile terminal 100 and the wireless communication system or between the mobile terminal 100 and a 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 a broadcast signal 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 mean a server that generates and transmits a broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information or a server that receives a previously generated broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information and transmits the same to a terminal. The broadcast signal may include not only a TV broadcast signal, a radio broadcast signal, and a data broadcast signal, but also a broadcast signal having a data broadcast signal combined with a TV broadcast signal or a radio broadcast signal.

The broadcast related information may mean information related to a broadcast channel, a broadcast program, or 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, it may exist in the form of Electronic Program Guide (EPG) of Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) or Electronic Service Guide (ESG) of Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H).

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives broadcast signals using various broadcasting systems, and in particular, digital multimedia broadcasting-terrestrial (DMB-T), digital multimedia broadcasting-satellite (DMB-S), and media forward link (MediaFLO). Digital broadcast signals can be received using digital broadcasting systems such as only), digital video broadcast-handheld (DVB-H), integrated services digital broadcast-terrestrial (ISDB-T), and the like. Of course, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be adapted to other broadcasting systems that provide broadcast signals 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 unit 160.

The mobile communication module 112 transmits and receives a wireless signal with 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 according to transmission and reception of a voice call signal, a video call signal, or a text / multimedia message.

The wireless internet module 113 refers to a module for wireless internet access, and the wireless internet module 113 may be embedded or external to the mobile terminal 100. Wireless Internet technologies may include Wireless LAN (Wi-Fi), Wireless Broadband (Wibro), World Interoperability for Microwave Access (Wimax), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), and the like.

The short range communication module 114 refers to a module for short range communication. As a short range communication technology, Bluetooth, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Ultra Wideband (UWB), ZigBee, and the like may be used.

The location information module 115 is a module for checking or obtaining the location of the mobile terminal. A representative example of the location information module is a GPS (Global Position System) module. According to the current technology, the GPS module 115 calculates information about a distance of one point (object) away from three or more satellites, and information on a time at which the distance information is measured, and then calculates the calculated distance information. By applying the trigonometric method to, three-dimensional positional information according to latitude, longitude, and altitude of one point (object) at one time can be calculated. Furthermore, a method of calculating position and time information using three satellites and correcting the error of the calculated position and time information using another satellite is also used. The GPS module 115 may continuously calculate the current position in real time and use the same to calculate speed information.

Referring to FIG. 1, the A / V 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 call mode or the photographing mode. The processed image frame may be displayed on the display unit 151.

The image frame processed by the camera 121 may be stored in the memory unit 160 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication unit 110. The camera 121 may be equipped with two or more cameras according to the configuration of the terminal.

The microphone 122 receives an external sound signal by a microphone in a call mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, etc., and processes the external sound signal into electrical voice data. The processed voice data may be converted into a form transmittable to the mobile communication base station through the mobile communication module 112 and output in the call mode. The microphone 122 may implement various noise removing algorithms for removing noise generated in the process of receiving an external sound signal.

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

The sensing unit 140 determines the current state of the mobile terminal 100 such as the open / closed 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, the acceleration / deceleration of the mobile terminal, and the like. Sensing and generating a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100. For example, if the mobile terminal 100 is in the form of a slide phone, it may sense whether the slide phone is opened or closed. In addition, it may be responsible for sensing functions related to whether the power supply unit 190 is supplied with power, whether the interface unit 170 is coupled to an external device, and the like. On the other hand, the sensing unit 140 may include a pressure sensing module 220.

The output unit 150 is used to generate an output related to sight, hearing, or tactile sense, and includes a display unit 151, an audio output module 152, an alarm unit 153, a reaction module 230, and the like. Can be.

The display unit 151 displays and outputs information processed by the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal is in a call mode, the mobile terminal displays a user interface (UI) or a graphic user interface (GUI) related to the call. When the mobile terminal 100 is in a video call mode or a shooting mode, the mobile terminal 100 displays a photographed and / or received image, a UI, or a GUI.

The display unit 151 may be a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode, a flexible display, a three-dimensional display 3D display).

Some of these displays can be configured to be transparent or light transmissive so that they can be seen from the outside. This may be referred to as a transparent display. A representative example of the transparent display is a transparent LCD. The rear structure of the display unit 151 may also be configured as a light transmissive structure. With this structure, the user can see the object located behind the terminal body through the area occupied by the display unit 151 of the terminal body.

Two or more display units 151 may exist according to the implementation form of the mobile terminal 100. For example, a plurality of display units may be spaced apart or integrally disposed on one surface of the mobile terminal 100, or may be disposed on different surfaces.

When the display unit 151 and a sensor for detecting a touch operation (hereinafter, referred to as a touch sensor) form a mutual layer structure (hereinafter, abbreviated as “touch screen”), the display unit 151 is an output device. It can also be used as an input device. The touch sensor may have, for example, a form of a touch film, a touch sheet, a touch pad, or the like.

The touch sensor may be configured to convert a change in pressure applied to a specific portion of the display unit 151 or capacitance generated in a specific portion of the display unit 151 into an electrical input signal. The touch sensor may be configured to detect not only the position and area of the touch but also the pressure at the 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 then transmits the corresponding data to the controller 180. As a result, the controller 180 can know which area of the display unit 151 is touched.

The sound output module 152 may output audio data received from the wireless communication unit 110 or stored in the memory unit 160 in a call signal reception, a call mode or a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcast reception mode, and the like. The sound output module 152 outputs a sound signal related to a function (eg, a call signal reception sound, a message reception sound, etc.) performed by the mobile terminal 100. The sound output module 152 may include a receiver, a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

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

The reaction module 230 may generate various feedback effects that the user can feel. The reaction module 230 includes a haptic module 232 and a light emitting module 236.

The haptic module 232 generates various tactile effects that a user can feel. Vibration is a representative example of the haptic effect generated by the haptic module 232. The intensity and pattern of vibration generated by the haptic module 232 can be controlled. For example, different vibrations may be synthesized and output or may be sequentially output.

In addition to the vibration, the haptic module 232, in addition to the vibration, the effect by the stimulation by the pin array vertically moving with respect to the contact skin surface, the effect by the injection force of the air through the injection or inlet or the stimulation through the suction force, the stimulation that rubs the skin surface Various tactile effects can be generated, such as effects caused by stimulation through contact of electrodes, effects by stimulation using electrostatic force, and effects of reproducing a sense of warmth and heat using an endothermic or heat generating element.

The haptic module 232 may not only deliver the effect of haptic through direct contact, but may also be implemented to feel the effect of haptic through the muscle sense of the user's finger or arm. Two or more haptic modules 232 may be provided according to a configuration aspect of the mobile terminal 100.

The light emitting module 236 may include a light emitter 234 of FIG. 4 and may operate in response to a pressure signal generated by the pressure sensing module 220 of FIG. 4. The light emitting module 236 may transmit a predetermined signal to the user by performing light emission, periodic / aperiodic blinking, or the like according to the user's manipulation.

The memory unit 160 may store a program for the operation of the controller 180 and may temporarily store input / output data (for example, a phone book, a message, a still image, a video, etc.). The memory unit 160 may store data regarding vibration and sound of various patterns output when a touch input on the touch screen is performed.

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

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

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

The interface unit may be a passage through which power from the cradle is supplied to the mobile terminal 100 when the mobile terminal 100 is connected to an external cradle, or various command signals input from the cradle by a user may be transferred. It may be a passage that is delivered to the terminal. Various command signals or power input from the cradle may be operated as signals 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, perform related control and processing for voice calls, data communications, video calls, and the like. The controller 180 may include a multimedia module 181 for playing multimedia. The multimedia module 181 may be implemented in the controller 180 or may be implemented separately from the controller 180.

The controller 180 may perform a pattern recognition process for recognizing a writing input or a drawing input performed on the touch screen as text and an image, respectively.

The power supply unit 190 receives an external power source and an internal power source under the control of the controller 180 to supply power for operation of each component.

Various embodiments described herein may be implemented 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 include application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and the like. It may be implemented using at least one of processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and electrical units for performing the functions. It may be implemented by the controller 180.

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

The mobile terminal 100 shown in FIG. 1 operates in a communication system that transmits data via frames or packets, including wireless / wired communication systems and satellite communication systems. It can be configured to. Such communication systems may use other air interfaces and / or physical layers.

Examples of the air interfaces used by the communication systems include frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA) ), And Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE) of UMTS, and Global System for Mobile communication (GSM). In the following description, the present invention is limited to the CDMA communication system, but is not limited thereto, and may be applied to other system types.

Referring to FIG. 2, a CDMA wireless communication system includes a plurality of mobile terminals 100, a plurality of base stations 270, base station controllers BSCs 275, and a mobile switching center. Switching Centers; MSCs, 280). The mobile switching center 280 is configured to be connected to a public switch telephone network (PSTN) 290. The mobile switching center 280 is also configured to be connected with the base station controllers 275. The base station controllers 275 are connected to the base stations 270 via backhaul lines. The backhaul lines may be configured according to E1 / T1, ATM, IP, PPP, frame relay, HDSL, ADSL, or xDSL known to those skilled in the art. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the system may include two or more base station controllers 275.

Each of the base stations 270 may include one or more sectors, each of which may include an omnidirectional antenna or an antenna tuned to a specific radial direction from the base station 270. Can be. Alternatively, each sector may include two antennas for diversity reception. Each base station 270 is configured to accommodate a plurality of frequency assignments, which may have a specific spectrum (eg, 1.25 MHz, 5 Mhz).

The intersection of sectors and frequency assignments may be referred to as a CDMA channel. The base stations 27 may also be referred to as Base station Transceiver Subsystems (BTSs). In some examples, the term "base station" may be used to collectively refer to base station controller 275 and one or more base stations 270. The base stations may also be labeled "cell sites". Alternatively, individual sectors of a given base station 270 may be referred to as cell sites.

The terrestrial DMB transmitter 295 may broadcast to mobile terminals 100 operating in the system. The broadcast receiving module 111 of the mobile terminal 100 is generally configured to receive broadcast signals transmitted by the DMB transmitter 295. This may be similarly applied to other types of broadcast and multicast signaling as described above.

2 illustrates various Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites 300. Such satellites 300 may track the location of some or all mobile terminals 100. Although two satellites are shown, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that the location information can be obtained from more or fewer satellites. Other types of location techniques (eg, location techniques that can be used in place of or in addition to GPS technology) can be used. If desired, some or all of the GPS satellites 300 may be configured to support satellite DMB transmission separately or additionally.

During operation of the wireless communication system, the base stations 270 receive reverse-link signals from several mobile terminals 100. The mobile terminals 100 may be in a call, sending a message, or performing other communication. Each reverse link signal received by the base station is processed at the base station. The processed data is transmitted to the connected base station controller 275. The base station controller 275 provides call resource allocation and includes mobility management functionality including orchestration of soft handoffs between base stations 270. ). The base station controllers 275 also send the received data to the mobile switching centers (MSCs) 280. The mobile switching center 280 provides additional routing services for interfacing with the public switch telephone network (PSTN) 290. Similarly, the public switching telephone network 290 interfaces with the mobile switching center 280, which interfaces with the base station controllers 275. The base station controllers 275 in turn control the base stations 270 to transmit forward link signals to the mobile terminals 100.

3 is a perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the mobile terminal of FIG.

As shown in these drawings, the mobile terminal 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a body 210 and a pressure sensing module 220 provided along the side portion 212 of the body 210. A protective cover 250 surrounding the pressure sensing module 220, a reaction module 230 provided along the front edge portion 215 formed by the front portion 214 and the side portion 212 of the body 210, and a reaction. It may include a controller (180 of FIG. 1) for controlling the module 230.

The body 210 constitutes a body of the mobile terminal 100. 3 illustrates a bar-shaped body 210 in FIG. 3, the shape of the body 210 may be variously modified, such as a slide, a folder, a swing, and a swivel shape. The body 210 may include a display unit 151 for displaying an image, an audio output unit 152, a camera 121, and the like. The front part 214 of the body 210 may be formed by injecting a synthetic resin or may be formed of a metal material, for example, a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti) (101 in FIG. 4). Can be protected). The front case 101 of FIG. 4 may be made of a transparent, translucent, or opaque material. Various electronic components may be embedded in the internal space of the body 210. The pressure sensing module 220 which is protected by the protective cover 250 is provided at the side of the body 210.

The protective cover 250 may surround the side of the body 210 in a band shape. The protective cover 250 protects the pressure sensing module 220 and allows the pressure to be transmitted to the pressure sensing module 220. The protective cover 250 is made of an elastic silicone material and is deformed when the pressure is applied, and transmits the pressure to the pressure sensing module 220, and may return to the original shape when the pressure is released. In addition, the protective cover 250 may be made of a soft fiber material to improve the user's operation feeling. Protective cover 250 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in a shape surrounding one side of the body 210, the protective cover 250 is also possible when several pieces are assembled to the body 210 Of course.

The pressure sensing module 220 may detect a change in pressure including a grip force applied to the body 210. The pressure sensing module 220 may be provided on the side portion 212 of the body 210. In order to change the position of the mobile terminal 100 or to operate the mobile terminal 100, the user typically grips the side portion 212 of the mobile terminal 100. In an embodiment of the present invention, by positioning the pressure sensing module 220 on the side portion 212, the user does not take a separate action, but simply takes the action of holding the body 210 of the mobile terminal 100. The mobile terminal 100 can be operated. On the other hand, in the embodiment of the present invention has been described in the case where the pressure sensing module 220 is located on the side portion 212, the position of the pressure sensing module 220 is not limited to this, the user may feel convenient Of course, if the position can be installed in any position of the body (210).

The pressure sensing module 220 may be continuously provided on the side portion 212. That is, it means that the mobile terminal 100 can be disposed along the upper, lower, left, right sides. Since the pressure sensing module 220 is continuously disposed throughout the side portion 212, it is possible to scroll the image displayed on the display unit 151 by sweeping the side portion 212.

The pressure sensing module 220 is different from a conventional switch capable of detecting a change in pressure in two or more stages and detecting only an on / off change according to a user's pressurization. . That is, the pressure sensing module 220 detects the degree of change of the pressure in at least two stages, and preferably, the change in pressure may be linearly and continuously detected. Since the pressure can be linearly detected, it is possible to detect that the pressure is changed even when the change in the pressure applied to the pressure sensing module 220 is small because the range of the threshold pressure capable of detecting the degree of pressure change is small. Means. However, this does not mean a complete continuity in a mathematical sense, but it means that a finer change can be detected as compared to a sensor that detects only a simple on / off difference.

When the user starts to pressurize the pressure sensing module 220, the pressure sensing module 220 continuously detects a change in the pressing force being increased or decreased, thereby generating a pressure signal. Therefore, it is possible for the mobile terminal 100 to show a different reaction depending on the magnitude of the pressure.

FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a cutaway view taken along the line I-I of FIG. 5.

Hereinafter, the pressure sensing module 220 and the reaction module 230 of the mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to these drawings.

The pressure sensing module 220 is continuously provided on the side portion 212 as described above. The pressure sensing module 220 includes a plurality of pressure sensing members 237.

The pressure sensing member 237 is a portion that receives a pressure substantially and converts the pressure signal. The pressure sensing member 237 may be provided in a plurality of side parts 212. In order to continuously detect a change in pressure, the pressure sensing member 237 may include a touch sensor, a hall sensor, or the like.

The touch sensor may be a capacitive touch sensor capable of detecting a change in multi-touch and pressure. The capacitive touch sensor is a sensor using a method of generating a detection signal by using a change in capacitance between two electrode plates.

Hall sensor is a sensor using the Hall Effect (Hall Effect). The Hall effect refers to a phenomenon in which a potential difference occurs between where charges are concentrated and where electrons are located in a specific direction. The Hall effect can be caused by moving an object with an electric charge in the magnetic field, and the sensor using the Hall effect is a Hall sensor. Since the specific configuration and operation of the hall sensor is well known to those skilled in the art, a detailed description of the hall sensor will be omitted. Hereinafter, the reference numeral '237', which is a reference numeral of the pressure sensor, will be described with respect to the hall sensor.

The hall sensor 237, which is a pressure sensing body, includes a pressure transmission unit 231, a sensing unit 233, and a return spring 235 that provides an elastic force to the pressure transmission unit 231. The pressure transmitting unit 231 moves in a direction closer to the sensing unit 233 by the pressure received through the protective cover 250 of FIG. 4. On the other hand, when the external force on the pressure transfer unit 231 is released, the pressure transfer unit 231 returns to the initial position by the elastic force of the return spring 235. When the distance between the pressure transmission unit 231 and the sensing unit 233 is changed by an external force and an elastic force, a potential difference is generated, and the potential difference is detected by the sensing unit 233. The potential difference detected by the sensing unit 233 is continuously changed according to the distance between the pressure transmission unit 231 and the sensing unit 233. Accordingly, by sensing the change in the potential difference, a pressure signal that varies according to the magnitude of the pressure can be obtained. The reaction of the reaction module 230 may be different according to the pressure signal generated by the hall sensor 237.

The reaction module 230 allows the user to recognize the place where the pressure occurred and the magnitude of the pressure. That is, when the pressure increases gradually, the reaction of the reaction module 230 may also increase. The reaction of the reaction module 230 may be expressed by light emission or vibration. Therefore, when the pressure is small, the degree of light emission is small, and as the pressure increases, it is possible to have stronger light emitted. In addition, when the pressure is small, the vibration is small, but as the pressure increases, it is also possible to vibrate more strongly. Such an example can be variously changed, such as the degree of blinking of light and the duration of vibration. As described above, the reaction module 230 may be capable of reacting, for example, vibration by the haptic module 232, but in the following, the reaction module 230 is a light emitting module 236 that reacts with light in detail. Explain.

The light emitting module 236 may be provided along the front edge portion 215 forming the front portion 214 of the body 210. Since the light emitting module 236 is provided at the front edge portion 215, a user who operates the mobile terminal (100 of FIG. 4) at the front side may visually recognize the light emitted from the light emitting module 236. However, the position of the light emitting module 236 is not limited thereto, and may be installed at various positions in consideration of visibility or design aspects of the user. The light emitting module 236 may include a light emitter 234.

The light emitter 234 is a part that emits light substantially by the pressure signal. A plurality of light emitters 234 may be provided along the front edge portion 215. When the light emitter 234 is continuously provided along the front edge portion 215, it is possible to operate the light emitter 234 positioned closest to the position where the pressure signal is generated. That is, the user can visually recognize which position is pressed by operating the light emitter 234 closest to the position pressed by the user. In addition, the user's input may be induced by causing the light emitter 234 to be close to a position to be pressed by the user for a specific operation. The light emitter 234 can use an LED or the like. Meanwhile, in the embodiment of the present invention, a case where a plurality of light emitters are provided is described, but it is also possible to apply a band-shaped light emitter capable of selectively emitting a specific position.

7 to 18 are diagrams illustrating a state of use of the mobile terminal of FIG. 3, and FIG. 19 is a flowchart of a process of changing the pressure position of the mobile terminal of FIG. 3.

Hereinafter, with reference to these drawings, it will be described in detail the state of use of the mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, the user may use the mobile terminal 100 in a portrait direction to display an image vertically on the display unit 151 of the mobile terminal 100. In this case, the user may cause the image displayed on the display unit 151 to change in the portrait direction only by the operation in which the mobile terminal 100 naturally grasps the portrait direction.

When the mobile terminal 100 is gripped by the left hand, as shown in FIG. 7, the thumb F1 naturally grips the first point S1, which is the left side of the mobile terminal 100. Also, the index finger F2 to the holding finger F5 generally hold the second to fifth points S2 to S5. However, since each point described below is set for convenience of description, a specific pressing point for activating / deactivating each function of the mobile terminal 100 is not limited thereto.

The mobile terminal 100 stores such a conventional gripping form of a user. Therefore, at the moment when the user grips the mobile terminal 100, it may be determined whether the grip type matches the pre-stored state, and if so, the function may be activated / deactivated.

Matching is performed according to the pressure signal pattern according to the distinguishing pressure. Pressing a specific point of the mobile terminal 100 generates a pressure signal. The pressure signal at this time is different from the pressing point, the pressing force, etc. according to the specific action according to the user's grip. That is, in the case of FIGS. 7 and 8, the positions S1 to S5 of FIG. 7 and S1 to S4 of FIG. 8 are different in position and pressure for each position. Therefore, by identifying the difference in the pressure signal according to such a specific grip, it is possible to match different functions to different pressure signals. When such a match is made, a specific function is performed by simply performing a grip, thereby increasing convenience of use. That is, when the user grips the mobile terminal 100 as illustrated in FIG. 7, the controller (180 of FIG. 1) may change the image displayed on the display unit 151 in the portrait direction without any additional manipulation.

The pressure of the user is sensed by the pressure sensing module 220 of FIG. 4 provided on the side of the mobile terminal 100. The pressure sensing module 220 of FIG. 4 senses a pressure and transmits the pressure to the controller (180 of FIG. 1), and the controller 180 is located near the first to fifth points S1 to S5 that are gripped. 234 to emit light. Therefore, the user can visually recognize whether the current gripping is correctly performed and the place where the gripping is actually performed.

8 illustrates a state in which a user grips the mobile terminal 100 in a landscape direction. In this case, the user may grip the mobile terminal 100 using the thumb F1, the index finger F2, and the portions P1 and P2 of the palm. When pressure is applied to the first to fourth points S1 to S4 by the thumb F1 or the like, the controller (180 of FIG. 1) may determine that the mobile terminal 100 is gripped in the landscape direction. Accordingly, the direction of the image displayed on the display unit 151 is changed in the landscape direction, and the light emitters 234 closest to the first to fourth points S1 to S4 are emitted.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an operation of scrolling a screen using a pressure sensing module (220 of FIG. 5) provided at a side of the mobile terminal 100. The user may move the pressure signal sequentially by moving the finger (F6) from the upper side to the lower side or the lower side to the upper side while pressing the pressure sensing module (220 of FIG. 5) provided on the side. When a pressure signal that is sequentially moved occurs, the controller (180 of FIG. 1) may cause the image to scroll.

The light emitter 234 expresses the portion S1 that is currently pressed brighter than the portion S2 that has been pressed in the past, and the portion S2 that has been pressed in the past sequentially weakens the light intensity so that the finger F6 It is possible to make the trajectory of the movement visually represented.

10 illustrates an operation of setting and releasing a mobile terminal lock mode, and FIG. 11 illustrates an operation of setting and releasing a mobile terminal manner mode.

As shown in these figures, by pressing a specific position of the mobile terminal 100 can be activated or deactivated a function unique to the mobile terminal 100. That is, when the positions to press at the same time or at regular time intervals are different, accordingly, the reaction of the mobile terminal 100 may be different.

12 shows another function of the luminous body.

As shown in FIG. 2, the light emitter 234 may emit light to indicate a portion requiring pressurization for a specific function such as setting / release of the lock mode. That is, as shown in FIG. 10, it can be seen that the first and second positions S1 and S2 should be pressed to set the lock mode. However, a user who is not familiar with the mobile terminal 100 may not know which part of the pressure sensing module 220 of FIG. 5 to press.

Accordingly, the user can be induced to press the first and second positions S1 and S2 by emitting the light emitters 234 corresponding to the first and second positions S1 and S2 to be pressed.

13 to 15 illustrate a mobile terminal control operation using a pressure sensing module.

In a situation where the first image F1 is displayed on the display unit 151, a user may want to switch to the second image F2.

As illustrated in FIG. 13, the user may press part of the first and second positions S1 and S2 so that a part of the second image F2 is displayed on the display unit 151. Meanwhile, the first and second positions S1 and S2 are not limited to the illustrated positions, as described above.

The user may change the degree of display of the second image F2 on the display unit 151 by adjusting the degree of the pressing force.

As shown in FIG. 14, when the user increases the pressing force, the degree of displaying the second image F2 may be increased. In addition, when the pressing force is removed in such a state, the second image F2 may disappear, and only the first image F1 may be displayed on the display unit 151.

As shown in FIG. 15, when the user presses the pressing force greater than the threshold pressure, the second image F2 completely replaces the first image F1 and may be displayed on the display unit 151. The user may repeatedly switch the image to be displayed by repeating the process of FIGS. 13 to 15.

In addition, by varying the pressing force for the first and second positions S1 and S2, the direction in which the image is switched can be forward or backward. That is, if the first position S1 is pressed harder than the second position S2, the mobile terminal 100 is pressed when the second position S2 is pressed harder than the first position S1. It is possible if the image is switched in the right direction.

16 illustrates a change in color of the display unit through the pressure sensing module.

As shown in the figure, the user may change the color of a part of the display unit 151 by pressing the first and second positions S1 and S2 which are arbitrary positions of the mobile terminal 100. The change in color occurs largely at the first and second positions S1 and S2 under pressure, and the degree of change in color is such that the second change C2 occurs when the first change C1 increases when the pressing force is reduced. can do.

17 and 18 illustrate a process of changing the pressure position of the mobile terminal.

The function according to the pressure position set at the time of shipment of the mobile terminal 100 may not be suitable for the user who is actually using the mobile terminal. In this case, the user may change the specific position of the pressure sensing module 220 matching the specific function to a position suitable for him.

A specific position (S1 to S3 in FIG. 11) for setting and releasing the mobile terminal manner mode has been described with reference to FIG. When the user is not satisfied with such a position and wants to press the user setting position S5, the user may wish to set the silent mode on / off.

In this case, as shown in Fig. 17, the user selects the pressure position change mode, and then presses the user's preferred position S5. Of course, the number of the position of the user setting position (S5) and the position to be pressed can be variously modified.

As shown in Fig. 18, after the user setting position S5 is pressed, the user setting position S5 becomes a new manner mode setting / release position by selecting a function to match the user setting position S5. have.

19 is a flowchart illustrating the progress of the pressure position change mode of the mobile terminal of FIG. 3.

As shown, when entering the pressure position change mode (S10), it detects the pressure distribution generated by holding the mobile terminal (S20).

After detecting the pressure distribution, a specific function to be matched with the pressure distribution is selected and determined (S30).

When the specific function according to the pressure distribution is determined, the matched function is stored. (S40) Therefore, the new matched function is activated when the new input position is pressed later.

It is determined whether the pressure position change mode is terminated (S50), and if not, the above operation is repeated.

In the above-described embodiments, the case in which the pressure sensing module is provided on the entire side of the body has been described. For example, the pressure sensing module may be used only to facilitate scrolling by installing only the pressure sensing module on one side of the terminal in the longitudinal direction, and of course, the pressure sensing module may be installed only on some regions of the terminal.

As described above, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, such modifications or variations are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

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

diagram).

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a CDMA wireless communication system communicating with the mobile terminal shown in FIG.

3 is a perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is an exploded perspective view of the mobile terminal of FIG. 3.

5 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I-I of FIG. 5.

7 to 18 are diagrams illustrating a state of use of the mobile terminal of FIG. 3.

19 is a flowchart illustrating a process of changing the pressure position change mode of the mobile terminal of FIG. 3.

Claims (15)

In the mobile terminal, A pressure sensing module provided on at least one surface of the body and configured to sense a pressure applied to at least one portion of the body in at least two stages to generate a pressure signal; A controller configured to generate a control signal corresponding to each function of the mobile terminal according to the pressure signal; And A mobile terminal comprising a reaction module operated by the control signal. The method of claim 1, The matching is, A mobile terminal made according to a pattern of the pressure signal according to the plurality of pressures distinguished from each other. The method of claim 1, The pressure sensing module, the mobile terminal is provided on the side of the body. The method of claim 3, wherein The pressure sensing module, A mobile terminal comprising a plurality of pressure sensing bodies provided continuously along the side. The method of claim 4, wherein The pressure sensing body, Mobile terminal, which is either a Hall sensor or a touch sensor. The method of claim 1, The reaction module, Mobile terminal provided in at least one position of the front, side, back, the corner forming the front of the body. The method of claim 1, The reaction module, A mobile terminal comprising a light emitting module including at least one light emitting body that is lit according to the control signal. The method of claim 7, wherein The control signal is, And the light emitter located adjacent to the pressure sensing module generating the pressure signal turns on. The method of claim 7, wherein The control unit, And lighting at least one of the light emitters to indicate a portion to which the pressure is to be applied. The method of claim 1, The reaction module, A mobile terminal comprising a haptic module including at least one vibrating body vibrating according to the control signal. The method of claim 1, A mobile terminal surrounding the pressure sensing module, further comprising a protective cover made of a material deformable within a predetermined range so that the pressure can be transmitted to the pressure sensing module. The method of claim 1, The body includes a display unit, The control signal is, A mobile terminal for changing the display state of the display unit. The method of claim 1, The pressure sensing module, Mobile terminal for sensing the pressure substantially linearly (Linear). In the mobile terminal, A pressure sensing module including a plurality of pressure sensing bodies provided continuously along the side of the body, the pressure sensing module sensing at least substantially linearly the degree of pressure applied to the body; A light emitting module including a light emitting body disposed along an edge forming a front surface of the body; And And a control unit for turning on at least one light emitter close to each of the positions where at least one pressure signal is generated. 15. The method of claim 14, The control unit, A mobile terminal for generating a control signal matching each function of the mobile terminal according to the pressure signal generated by the pressure sensing module.

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