KR20080093278A - Method and apparatus for using only function in portable terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for using a single function in a portable terminal are provided to enable a user to go into a single mode and use other function though the user does not turn off the portable terminal in specific situations like a hospital or an airplane where usage of the portable terminal is prohibited. A method for using a single function in a portable terminal comprises the following several steps. The terminal, which is turned on, displays a list for enabling a user to set a single mode where only one function is activated if the user selects an environment setup menu(201). The terminal checks whether the user selects the single mode(203). If the user selects the single mode, the terminal displays a function list settable via the single mode(205). If the user selects one among the displayed functions(207), the terminal drives the selected functions and stops driving other functions(209).

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USING ONLY FUNCTION IN PORTABLE TERMINAL}

1 is a diagram illustrating a circuit device for single mode entry in a portable terminal according to the present invention;

2 is a diagram illustrating a single mode entry procedure in a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for using a single function in a portable terminal, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for using only one function in a multifunctional portable terminal.

Recently, with the development of Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) and computing technology, various types of small size portable terminals have been released in accordance with the trend of miniaturization of all products. As the portable terminal becomes smaller and lighter, the convenience of the mobile phone increases and the demand of the portable terminal increases rapidly. Thus, the portable terminal has various functions. For example, the portable terminal may include a voice call, data communication, a game, a scheduler, a morning call, an MP 3 player, a video player, a digital camera, and a GPS. It provides various functions such as Global Positioning System service.

However, portable terminals having various functions as described above have a problem that their use may be prohibited by rules due to the specificity of a situation or a place. For example, a place such as an airplane or a hospital forbids the use of mobile communication terminals capable of voice communication and data communication in consideration of malfunction of advanced equipment caused by radio interference. Therefore, users who are in such a specific place or situation suffer from the inconvenience of not being able to use other functions mounted on the terminal as the mobile communication terminal capable of the voice call and data communication cannot be used.

In addition, the conventional portable terminal has a problem of increasing the power consumption of the limited terminal by continuously using the power in the terminal by operating a radio frequency (RF) module for voice call or data communication even in a normal standby mode. That is, even when a user of the portable terminal wants to use only an MP3 player function, there is a problem in that power of the terminal is quickly consumed because the RF module continues to operate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for using a single function in a portable terminal.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method using only a single function that is not limited by the rules of a place or a situation in a multifunctional portable terminal.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for reducing power consumption by activating only a single function in a multifunctional portable terminal.

According to a first aspect of the present invention for achieving the above objects, a single function using apparatus in a portable terminal includes a key of a key matrix and a stroke key connected to a power signal input port of a power management IC. A power management integrated circuit which receives a power-on signal from a power signal input port to perform a power-on operation when the stroke key is pressed, and detects a state of the stroke key when the power-on operation is performed; It characterized in that it comprises a base band integrated circuit (Base band IC) for determining whether to enter the single function use mode.

According to a second aspect of the present invention for achieving the above objects, a method of using a single function in a portable terminal, when the single mode entry menu is selected when the power is turned on (ON), at least one single function list And displaying a display and entering a mode using only one single function selected by the user from the list of single functions.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In describing the present invention, when it is determined that a detailed description of a related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with respect to a method and apparatus for using only a single function that is not limited by a rule of a place or a situation in a multifunctional portable terminal.

Hereinafter, an apparatus for entering a single mode using only a single function when the power of the portable terminal is in the OFF state will be described with reference to FIG. 1, and the power of the portable terminal is turned on with reference to FIG. 2. It will be described how to enter a single mode using only the single function in the ON) state.

1 shows a circuit arrangement for single mode entry in a portable terminal according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the portable terminal includes a key matrix capable of providing a plurality of keys. Here, the key matrix refers to keys in a matrix form consisting of a combination of an input port and an output port, and may provide a key input method corresponding to the number of keys. In general, most of the plurality of keys are used as specific keys, such as 3 × 4 type alphanumeric input keys, direction keys, side keys, or camera keys. Therefore, in the present invention, keys not used as a specific key are used as the stroke key 101 for entering a single mode. For example, in a portable terminal including a 5 × 5 key matrix capable of providing 25 keys, if a specific function is assigned to only 21 of the 25 keys, the remaining 4 keys are assigned to the single mode. It can be used as the stroke key 101 for entering.

The stroke key 101 is simultaneously connected to the key of the key matrix and PWR_ON 103. Here, the PWR_ON 103 is a port for inputting a signal indicating power-on of the terminal to a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) (not shown), and the power management integrated circuit is connected to the PWR_ON 103. When the input of the signal is detected from the terminal performs an operation for turning on (ON) the power of the terminal.

According to the present invention, when the stroke key 101 is pressed while the terminal is powered off, the power management integrated circuit senses a signal input from the PWR_ON 103 to turn on the terminal. To perform the operation. Here, when an initialization process for turning on the power of the terminal is performed, a base band integrated circuit (not shown) of the terminal may detect a state of a stroke key located in the key matrix. That is, the baseband integrated circuit does not perform a power-on process due to a key input that senses a pressed state of the stroke key to control power on / off, but the stroke key for entering a single mode. The input of 101 may detect that the power-on process is performed. When the input of the stroke key 101 is detected, the baseband integrated circuit processes an operation of changing the mode of the terminal to a single mode to enter a single mode using only one selected function. In other words, the baseband integrated circuit activates only one function selected by the user and deactivates all functions other than the activated function. In this case, the terminal may display a single function setting window on the screen in the initialization process of turning on the power, so that the user may be selected one function for entering the single mode.

2 illustrates a single mode entry procedure in a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, when the terminal in the power-on state is first selected in step 201, the terminal displays a list for setting whether to use a single mode for activating only one function and proceeds to step 203. It is checked whether or not to use the single mode. If the single mode is not selected, the terminal terminates the algorithm according to the present invention. If using the single mode is selected, the terminal proceeds to step 205 and displays a list of functions that can be set to the single mode. . For example, 1: MP3 2: Camera 3: GPS.

Thereafter, if one item of the displayed function list is selected in step 207, the terminal proceeds to step 209 to drive only the selected one function and stop all other functions. That is, the terminal activates only a module for driving the selected one function, and deactivates all other modules so that the terminal can perform only the selected one function. For example, when the user selects an MP3 item from the displayed list, the terminal activates only the MP3 player function and deactivates all other functions. Thereafter, the terminal terminates the algorithm according to the present invention.

Meanwhile, in the detailed description of the present invention, specific embodiments have been described, but various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be determined not only by the scope of the following claims, but also by the equivalents of the claims.

As described above, the present invention provides a single mode in which only one function can be used in a multifunctional portable terminal, so that the portable terminal is not turned off in a place or a specific situation such as a hospital or an airplane which prohibits the use of the mobile communication terminal. There is an effect that can use other functions through the single mode entry without. In addition, it is possible to reduce the power consumption of the terminal by activating only one function.

Claims (5)

In a single function using device in a portable terminal, A key of the key matrix and a stroke key connected to the power signal input port of the Power Management IC, A power management integrated circuit which receives a power on signal from a power signal input port and performs an operation for power on when the stroke key is pressed; And a base band integrated circuit configured to detect a state of the stroke key to determine whether to enter a single function use mode when the power-on operation is performed. The method of claim 1, The baseband integrated circuit may determine to enter a single function use mode when the stroke key is detected, and not to enter the single function use mode when the stroke key is not detected. Device. The method of claim 1, And wherein the baseband integrated circuit activates a module for a particular function and deactivates all modules for other functions when it is determined to enter the single function use mode. In the method of using a single function in a portable terminal, Displaying a list of at least one single function when the single mode entry menu is selected while the power is on; And entering a mode of using only one single function selected by the user among the single function list. The method of claim 4, wherein Entering a mode using only the single function, Activating a module for the single function and deactivating all modules for other functions.

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