KR20090116591A - A user interface controlling method using gesture in the proximal space - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A user interface control method using a gesture at adjacent space is provided to control an electronic system by not touching the electronic system, but using the gesture at adjacent space to the electronic system. CONSTITUTION: An object comes close to a display. The 2D(Dimensional) motion pattern of the object is extracted. A user interface is controlled according to the extracted 2D motion pattern. If the 2D motion pattern is spiral(15), the user interface is zoomed in/out according to the spiral direction.

Description

A user interface controlling method using gesture in the proximal space}

The present invention relates to a user interface control method.

More specifically, the present invention provides various methods for detecting a user's gesture in the vicinity of a device equipped with a proximity sensor and controlling the user interface using the detected gesture.

Today, electronic systems such as TVs, cell phones, MP3 players, PMPs, notebooks and PDAs are equipped with various input / output devices.

Various input / output devices are provided for the user to conveniently control the above systems.

Among electronic systems, portable devices such as mobile phones, MP3 players, PMPs, notebook computers, PDAs, and the like are small in size, and thus, there are limitations in mounting input / output devices.

Recently, such portable devices have been equipped with touch screens, touch pads, and navigation pads as part of efforts to improve user interfaces. By adopting a touch screen, it replaces mouse and keyboard input in a general PC, and allows a user to input data and input commands in various ways even in a small space.

Despite these various user interfaces, the input and output of devices are subject to a lot of limitations, and the user also feels uncomfortable.

For example, in the case of a mobile phone, various additional functions are added in addition to a call function. For example, an MP3 player, a camera function, and an internet connection function are added.

Naturally, many of these functions are configured to be controlled by the user, but it is inconvenient for the user to control the functions properly according to the use state of the device.

An object of the present invention is to provide a user interface control method capable of controlling an electronic system by making a gesture in the vicinity of the electronic system without touching the electronic system.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a user interface control method that can give a user a comfortable and lively device in an environment in which various user interfaces such as a device are required.

A method of controlling a user interface according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a method of controlling a user interface of an electronic device having a display, the method comprising: detecting proximity of an object to the display; Detecting a two-dimensional movement pattern of the object; And controlling the user interface according to the detected two-dimensional movement pattern.

A user interface control method according to an embodiment of the present invention is a method of controlling a user interface of an electronic device having a touch screen divided into a plurality of touch sensitive regions, the first and second regions of the plurality of touch sensitive regions. Detecting an object in a space above a boundary between and outputting a corresponding detection signal; And simultaneously displaying first and second information corresponding to the first and second areas in response to the detection signal.

A method of controlling a user interface according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a method of controlling a user interface of an electronic device having a touch screen, the method including: displaying a user interface on the touch screen; Detecting a first height of a plurality of heights of an object over a surface of the touch screen; Selecting a first function from among a plurality of functions corresponding to one of the plurality of heights, respectively; And performing the selected first function.

A mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention, a display; A proximity sensor configured to detect proximity of an object on the display, detect a two-dimensional motion pattern of the object, and output a corresponding proximity and motion signal; And a processor configured to control a user interface displayed on the display based on the proximity and motion signals.

A mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention, a display having a touch screen divided into a plurality of touch sensitive areas; A proximity sensor configured to detect an object at a boundary between a first and a second area of the plurality of touch sensitive areas and output a corresponding sensor signal; And a processor configured to control the display to simultaneously display first and second information corresponding to the first and second areas in response to the sensor signal.

A mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention, a display having a touch screen; A proximity sensor configured to detect a first height of a plurality of heights of an object on a surface of the touch screen and output a corresponding first sensor signal; And a processor configured to select a first function among a plurality of functions corresponding to one of the plurality of heights, and to perform the selected first function in response to the first sensor signal.

According to the present invention, the user can input various commands even with limited input / output hardware.

According to the present invention, the user can control the electronic system more vividly through a more intuitive command input.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1A-1C illustrate the operation of proximity sensing system 11 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1A, when an object of a user's finger, stylus pen, or the like enters a space within a predetermined distance, d, for example, 1 cm (hereinafter referred to as a 'sensing field') above the sensing surface 12 of the proximity sensing system 11, the sensing surface 12 is sensed. can do.

The proximity sensing system 11 includes a capacitance system that detects a change in capacitance, an infrared system that emits infrared rays, and detects infrared rays reflected by an object, or an image sensing system that detects proximity of an object using an image sensor. Can be used.

In the case of using the capacitance method, the proximity of the object can be detected by detecting a change in capacitance generated when the object approaches the sensing field.

The proximity sensing system of the capacitance detection method may include a capacitance detection circuit and a controller (not shown) for measuring a change in the capacitance value.

The infrared sensing system may include an infrared emitter that emits infrared rays toward an object, an infrared receiver that receives infrared rays reflected by the object, a change detection circuit, a controller, and the like (not shown).

In the case of using the infrared method, by mounting the infrared emitter and the receiver array around the sensing surface 12, the position on the sensing surface 12 can be detected as well as whether the object is in proximity. In the case of the infrared method, the depth d of the sensing field may be set relatively higher than that of the capacitance method.

In the case of using an image sensor, an image sensor, such as a CMOS sensor, photographs an image of an object and processes the image to recognize whether the object is approaching or not. When using an image sensor, it is not limited by the sensing distance d and can be adjusted as needed.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, when an object, for example, a user's finger approaches the sensing field as shown in FIG. 1A, it is determined as a touch on a touch pad or a touch screen operated based on a conventional touch, and the corresponding operation is performed. Can be done. Hereinafter, an operation of entering an object within a sensing distance of the proximity sensing system is called a pickup operation.

If the user moves the object parallel to the sensing surface 12 as shown in FIG. 1B while the object is picked up by the proximity sensing system, the proximity sensing system 11 is dragged as if the user actually touched and moved the finger. You can recognize the movement pattern of the object as you do.

Accordingly, when the proximity sensing system 11 is mounted on an electronic device equipped with any processor, the processor of the device may recognize the pattern as a command so that the device may perform a specific operation.

After inputting the movement pattern, as shown in FIG. 1C, when the user moves the object further than d from the sensing surface, that is, out of the sensing field, the movement of the finger is no longer detected. Hereinafter, in the present specification, an operation out of the sensing area is referred to as a drop.

2A to 2C, the proximity sensing system 11 may be mounted on an electronic device 13 having a display such as a mobile phone according to an embodiment of the present invention. Accordingly, the user's gesture may be detected at a close distance of the electronic device 13 and the corresponding operation may be performed.

The electronic device 13 according to the present invention includes all kinds of devices equipped with a touch screen such as a mobile phone, an MP3 player, a PMP, a notebook computer, a PDA, and the like.

In the present embodiment, a mobile phone capable of internet browsing as the electronic device 13 will be described as an example.

As illustrated in FIG. 2A, the proximity sensing system 11 may be mounted on the front surface of the electronic device 13, that is, the surface on which the display is attached. Preferably, the proximity sensing system 11 may cover the entire surface of the display of the electronic device 13.

When an object 14 such as a finger or a stylus pen enters the sensing field, the proximity sensing system 11 senses the object, and the object is picked up.

When the user draws a pattern with the object 14 in the picked-up state, the proximity sensing system 11 may recognize the pattern. For example, as shown in FIG. 2B, the user can draw a spiral pattern 15 starting from a point on the sensing surface.

If the user moves the object out of the sensing field, it is dropped and the proximity sensing system 11 no longer recognizes the pattern.

As described above, the proximity sensing system 11 may use a capacitance detection system, an infrared detection system, or an image sensor system. The proximity sensing system 11 can detect the position of the object on the display without a touch, and can detect the movement pattern of the object, that is, the gesture on the display.

The controller (not shown) of the electronic device 13 may perform a corresponding operation according to the detected gesture. For example, when the spiral pattern 15 as illustrated in FIG. 2B is detected, an enlarged screen may be displayed by performing a zoom in operation as illustrated in FIG. 2C.

The proximity sensing system 11 may detect that a circular pattern drawn by a user's finger or a stylus pen is gradually increasing, and the controller of the electronic device 13 may determine that the zoom-in command is from the detected pattern.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the screen may be enlarged and at the same time, the point where the spiral pattern 15 starts may be moved to the center point of the display. That is, when the user draws a spiral starting at the center of the display, the user can zoom in and at the same time, the starting point of the spiral pattern 15 can be a new center of the screen. The movement of the screen center may be performed when a finger is picked up or dropped.

According to an embodiment, when the user draws the spiral pattern 15 with his or her finger, the user may zoom in step by step each time the finger turns. That is, each time the user rotates the finger, the screen may be enlarged by a predetermined ratio, for example, 25%. Such stepwise zoom-in is preferably performed when the finger is dropped by the proximity sensing system 11.

On the contrary, when the user draws the spiral pattern 15 in the reverse direction, the screen may be zoomed out. In this case, the starting point is the outermost side of the spiral pattern 15, and the ending point is the center point of the spiral pattern 15. Similarly, when the user zooms out, when the user draws the spiral pattern 15 with his or her finger, the user can zoom out the screen step by step each time the finger rotates.

Even in the case of zooming out, the proximity sensing system 11 detects the pattern drawn by the user, and the control unit of the electronic device 13 determines that the radius of the circular pattern drawn by the user becomes smaller and smaller, thereby determining that it is a zoom out command and performing zoom out. Can be done.

Optionally, it may be determined from the direction in which the user draws the spiral pattern 15 whether it is a zoom in command or a zoom out command. For example, when the user draws a spiral pattern in the clockwise direction, the user may set the zoom-in command to determine the zoom-in command and draw the spiral pattern in the counterclockwise direction to perform the operation accordingly. It is also possible to set the reverse.

According to an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3A or 3B, the screen may be zoomed in even when the user repeatedly draws a circular pattern having the same size. In this case, the zoom-in or zoom-out may be performed according to the direction in which the circular pattern is drawn. For example, each time a circle is drawn in a clockwise direction as shown in FIG. 3A, the user zooms in by a predetermined ratio, and each time a circle is drawn in a counterclockwise direction as shown in FIG. 3B, the user may be configured to zoom out by a certain ratio.

The user may be configured to perform various commands according to a pattern drawn close to the sensing surface 12 of the device on which the proximity sensing system 11 is mounted, and the pattern may be a letter or a number.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when the user draws an L letter in close proximity to the electronic device, a lock may be set on the touch screen mounted on the device. Likewise, drawing a U character can be set to unlock the touch screen. In this case, when the lock is set on the touch screen, the controller may be set to ignore pattern input other than U.

Even when the electronic device 13 has an audio file playback function such as an MP3, a video file playback function, and a TV reception function, the user interface may be controlled using the gesture.

5A illustrates a screen of playing back an MP3 audio file by the electronic device 13. While playing an audio file, if the letter V is drawn at an arbitrary position on the screen as shown in FIG. 5A, the volume control menu 15 can be displayed as shown in FIG. 5B. With the volume control menu 15 displayed, the user can adjust the volume by touching the device's touch screen, ie, touching the volume control menu 15 to scroll. Of course, it can be implemented during video file playback or during TV reception.

In addition to the above-described example, the pattern that the user can draw in proximity to the sensing surface 12 of the proximity sensing system 11 may be variously changed, and the operation performed according to the pattern may be variously changed.

It is also possible to recognize a pattern of a plurality of letters or numbers and to perform a corresponding command. For example, when entering a pattern consisting of a plurality of letters or numbers, such as "Lo" or "Lock", and not a single letter such as L or V, the corresponding command can be set. This operation can be performed.

The pattern input by the user and the corresponding operation are preferably set to be intuitively and easily understood.

As described above, in the case of the volume control, it is preferable to set the first letter, V, and when zooming in with a spiral pattern, it is preferable to configure the zoom-in as the spiral pattern increases and zoom-out as the spiral pattern decreases. Do.

In the embodiments described above or below, audio visual or tactile based (eg, vibrational) feedback may be added to the visual display. In one embodiment, the volume of the audio feedback or the strength of the vibration feedback may vary with the distance of the object on the screen.

6A and 6B illustrate another embodiment of a method for controlling a user interface using proximity sensing according to the present invention.

6A shows a so-called full touch mobile phone with a display occupying most of the screen and without a number button. The display of the mobile phone of FIG. 6A shows a main menu of the mobile phone, and the main menu includes menus such as a call, a message, a phone book, an alarm / schedule, a multimedia, a convenience function, a sound / vibration, a screen setting, a mobile phone setting, and the like. The menus are represented by icons, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the display of the device may be divided into a plurality of sub-regions 16 each including one icon.

If a user touches anywhere inside the sub-regions 16 separated by the squares, the command may be executed or the command may be executed only by touching an icon included in the sub-regions 16.

As shown in FIG. 6B, when the user approaches the finger on the display of the device, the proximity sensing system mounted on the device detects the proximity of the finger and its position.

According to the detected position, the description 17 of the icon corresponding to the position may be displayed as shown in FIG. 6B. That is, if the position of the finger belongs to the sub area 16a corresponding to the call icon, the description 17a may be displayed. If the position of the finger belongs to the sub area 16b corresponding to the message icon, the description thereof may be displayed. .

The user can select each icon with a finger or a stylus pen to use the corresponding function. At this time, when the user selects using a finger or a thick object, it is sometimes unclear which icon is selected because the position where the object is detected spans a plurality of selectable areas.

That is, when a finger or other object is taken between two icons as shown in FIG. 6C, none of them may be executed or two commands may be executed simultaneously. In the situation of FIG. 6C, it is unclear whether the call menu 16a should be executed or the message menu 16b should be executed. In this state, if the touch is performed as it is, both may not be executed or both may be executed.

If it is unclear which icon is selected when the user brings the object close to the touch screen of the device, the descriptions 17a and 17b of all possible sub-regions 16a and 16b may be displayed as shown in FIG. 6C. Based on the displayed description, the user may move a finger to a desired sub area and then touch an icon of the area to perform a desired command.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the display direction of an image or a video may be changed by recognizing a pattern drawn by a user.

When a picture is displayed in the vertical direction on a display of an electronic device such as a mobile phone as shown in FIG. 7A, when the user draws the rotation pattern 18 in close proximity to the sensing detection system 11 of the device, FIG. 7B The picture can be displayed in the horizontal direction as shown.

The above embodiment may be similarly applied to the case of playing a video file using the electronic device equipped with the display, the web browsing, etc., and may be configured to operate in the same operation mode of the electronic device.

8A to 8C illustrate a method of controlling a user interface using proximity sensing according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

When the sensing system of the capacitance measurement method is used as the proximity sensing system 11, the amount of change in capacitance detected as an object such as a finger approaches is large. Therefore, the distance to the object can be measured according to the amount of capacitance change detected. The degree of proximity may be determined by dividing the field above the sensing surface 12 of the proximity sensing system 11 into a plurality of sections.

Even when using an infrared detection scheme, the angle from the sensing surface 12 to the object can be known using the angle at which the infrared light is reflected by the object. In the proximity sensing system 11 using the image sensor, the height from the sensing surface 12 to the object may be known through image processing.

The sensing field may be divided into a first field 19a and a second field 19b according to the distance from the sensing surface 12 of the proximity sensing system 11 as shown in FIG. 8A. If the user is outside the first field 19a, it is determined that there is no input.

As illustrated in FIG. 8B, an object enters the first field 19a and a case in which the object enters the second field 19b closer to each other as shown in FIG. 8C. In addition, the case where the object touches the sensing surface 12 may be distinguished. When the proximity sensing system 11 is mounted on devices requiring a user interface, when the object is in the first field 19a or the second field 19b, when the object is touched, different operations may be performed. have.

For example, when the proximity sensing system 11 is mounted on the mobile phone, when the user draws a finger on the first field 19a as shown in FIG. The action can be configured to zoom in 50%. In the touched state, it may be configured to perform another operation.

According to an embodiment, when the user's finger moves from the first field 19a to the second field 19b, the user zooms in by a certain ratio, and when the user moves from the second field 19b to the first field 19a, Can be configured to zoom out as much as possible.

According to an embodiment, when the user's finger is in the first field 19a at the time of menu selection, the icon corresponding to the position of the finger is enlarged and displayed, and when the user enters the second field 19b, the icon is displayed. It can be configured to run.

Further, according to an embodiment, when the electronic device is in the picture viewing mode and provides a preview of the picture files in the picture viewing mode, the finger position when the user's finger is in the first field 19a. If the preview is enlarged and enters the second field 19b, the picture may be displayed on the screen.

In addition, the height of the finger may be measured for a predetermined time to detect the change and may be configured to perform a specific operation of the electronic device according to the change. For example, if a finger has reciprocated three times between the first field 19a and the second field 19b, i.e., if the user shakes the finger in the first field 19a and the second field 19b, the volume is shaken a number of times. It can be configured to up or down or to zoom in or out of the screen.

According to an embodiment, the operation by the proximity sensing is the same, but the intensity of the feedback of the operation may be changed according to the distance from the sensing surface 12 measured by the proximity sensing, that is, the depth.

For example, when an object enters a sensing field of a proximity sensing system, it may provide tactile feedback or sound feedback. If the object is in the first field 19a, the feedback field may provide weak feedback, and the object may provide a second feedback. When in field 19b, it can provide relatively strong feedback. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a user with a lively user interface.

Other functions may include display control functions such as zoom function, rotation function, aperture open function, dissolve function, and menu display function. Other features may include screen activation. That is, the menu icon can be deactivated when the object / finger is far apart above the threshold distance. If it is detected that the object / finger is above a certain menu icon and below a threshold distance, the menu icon can be activated to display a submenu or to control a control function associated with the menu icon.

9A and 9B illustrate a method of controlling a user interface using proximity sensing according to another embodiment of the present invention.

9A illustrates a full touch mobile phone equipped with a photo viewing function. Icons 20 that include previews of multiple photos are displayed. When the user touches or double touches one of the pictures, the picture is displayed.

When the user does not touch and moves his or her finger within a sensing distance from the display surface of the mobile phone, that is, the sensing surface, the detailed description of the corresponding picture may be displayed as shown in FIG. 9B. The detailed description may include the file name, creation date, file size, resolution, etc. of the photo. Touch the sensing surface directly to make the photo larger.

The above operation can be applied to various devices equipped with the proximity sensing system. When various files are displayed on the screen, if an object is approached without a touch, information about the files can be displayed so that the user can grasp the contents.

In the above-described embodiment, the case of the mobile phone has been described as an example, but the present invention can be applied to all devices equipped with a sensor capable of proximity sensing as well as a portable device such as a mobile phone.

In addition, the user interface control method of the present invention may be implemented by using an infrared type touch screen or an image recognition method using a camera as well as a capacitance type touch screen as a proximity sensing sensor.

10 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Any mobile terminal (eg, mobile terminals 10, 21) referred to herein may be a mobile terminal 100 equipped with components that include a distance sensor. As mentioned above, the mobile terminal of the present invention can be implemented using various types of devices. For example, the mobile terminal described herein may be a mobile phone, a smart phone, a notebook computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), navigation, or the like. have.

The illustrated mobile terminal 100 includes a wireless communication unit 110 that can be implemented with several known components. For example, the wireless communication unit 110 typically includes one or more components that enable wireless communication between the mobile terminal 100 and a wireless communication system or network in which the mobile terminal is located.

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 related information may mean information related to a broadcast channel, a broadcast program, or a broadcast service provider. 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.

Meanwhile, the broadcast related information may be provided through a mobile communication network, and in this case, 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 is configured to be suitable for all broadcast systems providing broadcast signals as well as the digital broadcast system described above.

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

In addition, the mobile communication module 112 transmits and receives a radio 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 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 internal or external.

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.

In addition, the location information module 115 is a module for checking or obtaining the location of the mobile terminal. One example is the Global Position System (GPS) module. The GPS module receives location information from a plurality of satellites. Here, the location information may include coordinate information represented by latitude and longitude. For example, the GPS module can measure the exact time and distance from three or more satellites and accurately calculate the current position by triangulating three different distances. A method of obtaining distance and time information from three satellites and correcting the error with one satellite may be used. In particular, the GPS module can obtain not only the location of latitude, longitude, and altitude but also accurate time together with three-dimensional speed information from the location information received from the satellite.

Meanwhile, 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 160 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication unit 110. Two or more cameras 121 may be provided according to the configuration aspect 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. In particular, when the touch pad has a mutual layer structure with the display unit 151 described later, this may be referred to as a touch screen.

The sensing unit 140 detects 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 a user contact, the orientation of the mobile terminal, the acceleration / deceleration of the mobile terminal, and the like. The sensing unit generates a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100.

The sensing unit 140 may include an inertial sensor for detecting a movement or a position of a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, or a distance sensor for detecting or measuring a distance relationship between a user and the mobile terminal 100.

The interface unit 170 serves as an interface with all external devices connected to the mobile terminal 100. 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, Video I / O (Input / Output) port, earphone port, etc. may be included.

Here, 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) and a subscriber identify module (SIM). ), A Universal Subscriber Identity Module (“USIM”), and the like. In addition, the device equipped with the identification module (hereinafter, 'identification device') may be manufactured in the form of a smart card. Therefore, the identification device may be connected to the terminal 100 through a port. 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.

The output unit 150 is for outputting an audio signal, a video signal, or an alarm signal. The output unit 150 may include a display unit 151, a sound output module 152, an alarm unit 153, and the like. 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, a user interface (UI) or a graphic user interface (GUI) related to a call is displayed. When the mobile terminal 100 is in a video call mode or a photographing mode, the mobile terminal 100 displays a photographed and / or received image, a UI, or a GUI.

The touch screen panel may be mounted on the display unit 151. By such a configuration, the display unit 151 may serve as both an input unit and an output unit.

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, or a three-dimensional display. 3D display). In addition, two or more display units 151 may exist according to the implementation form of the mobile terminal 100. For example, an external display unit (not shown) and an internal display unit (not shown) may be simultaneously provided in the mobile terminal 100.

The sound output module 152 outputs audio data received from the wireless communication unit 110 or stored in the memory 160 in a call signal reception, a call mode or a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcast reception mode, and the like. In addition, 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 in the mobile terminal 100. The sound output module 152 may include 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, and key signal input. The alarm unit 153 may output a signal for notifying occurrence of an event in a form other than an audio signal or a video signal. For example, the signal may be output in the form of vibration. When a call signal is received or a message is received, the alarm unit 153 may output a vibration to inform this. Alternatively, when a key signal is input, the alarm unit 153 may output a vibration in response to the key signal input. Through the vibration output as described above, the user can recognize the occurrence of the event. Of course, the signal for notification of event occurrence may be output through the display unit 151 or the voice output module 152.

The memory 160 may store a program for processing and controlling the controller 180 and may provide a function for temporarily storing input / output data (for example, a phone book, a message, a still image, a video, etc.). It can also be done.

The memory 160 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory), RAM 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, At least one type of storage medium may be included in the optical disc. In addition, the mobile terminal 100 may operate a web storage that performs a storage function of the memory 150 on the Internet.

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. In addition, 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 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.

The various embodiments described herein may be implemented in a computer readable recording medium 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. In addition, the software code may be stored in the memory 160 and executed by the controller 180.

The terminal 100 illustrated in FIG. 10 may be configured to be operable in a communication system capable of transmitting data through a frame or packet, including a wired / wireless communication system and a satellite based communication system. Can be.

Hereinafter, referring to FIG. 11, a communication system capable of operating a terminal according to the present invention will be described.

The communication system may use different air interfaces and / or physical layers. For example, a radio interface usable by a communication system may include frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), and code division multiple access (Code Division). Multiple Access (CDMA), Universal Mobile Telecommunications Systems (UMTS) (especially Long Term Evolution (LTE)), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), etc. May be included. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, the description will be limited to CDMA. However, it is a matter of course that the present invention is applicable to all communication systems including the CDMA wireless communication system.

As illustrated in FIG. 11, the CDMA wireless communication system includes a plurality of terminals 100, a plurality of base stations (BS) 270, and base station controllers (BSCs) 275. ), And a mobile switching center (MSC) 280. The MSC 280 is configured to be connected to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 290 and is also configured to be connected to BSCs 275. The BSCs 275 may be coupled to the BS 270 through a backhaul line. The backhaul line may be provided according to at least one of E1 / T1, ATM, IP, PPP, Frame Relay, HDSL, ADSL, or xDSL. Thus, a plurality of BSCs 275 may be included in the system shown in FIG.

Each BS 270 may include at least one sector, and each sector may include an omnidirectional antenna or an antenna pointing radially out of BS 270. In addition, each sector may include two or more antennas of various types. Each BS 270 may be configured to support a plurality of frequency assignments, each of which has a specific spectrum (eg, 1.25 MHz, 5 MHz, etc.).

The intersection of sectors and frequency assignments may be called a CDMA channel. BS 270 may be referred to as a base station transceiver subsystem ('BTSs'). In this case, the word "base station" may be called the sum of one BSC 275 and at least one BS 270. The base station may also indicate “cell site”. Alternatively, each of the plurality of sectors for a particular BS 270 may be called a plurality of cell sites.

As shown in FIG. 11, the broadcasting transmitter (BT) 295 transmits a broadcast signal to the terminals 100 operating in the system. The broadcast module 111 shown in FIG. 10 is provided in the terminal 100 to receive a broadcast signal transmitted by the BT 295.

In addition, FIG. 11 illustrates a number of satellite positioning system (GPS) satellites 300. The satellites 300 help to locate the at least one terminal of the plurality of terminals 100. Although two satellites are shown in FIG. 11, useful location information may be obtained by two or less or more satellites. The GPS module 115 shown in FIG. 10 cooperates with the satellites 300 to obtain desired location information. Here, the location can be tracked using all the techniques that can track the location, not just the GPS tracking technology. In addition, at least one of the GPS satellites 300 may optionally or additionally be responsible for satellite DMB transmission.

During typical operation of a wireless communication system, BS 270 receives a reverse link signal from various terminals 100. At this time, the terminals 100 are connecting a call, transmitting or receiving a message, or performing another communication operation. Each of the reverse link signals received by a particular base station 270 is processed within by the particular base station 270. The data generated as a result of the processing is transmitted to the connected BSC 275. BSC 275 provides call resource allocation and mobility management functionality, including the organization of soft handoffs between base stations 270. In addition, the BSC 275 transmits the received data to the MSC 280, and the MSC 280 provides an additional transmission service for connection with the PSTN 290. Similarly, PSTN 290 connects with MSC 280, MSC 280 connects with BSCs 275, and BSCs 275 send BSs 270 to transmit a forward link signal to terminals 100. ).

1A-1C illustrate the operation of a proximity sensing system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

2A to 2C illustrate a method of zooming in or out of a display using a gesture of a user according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3A and 3B illustrate a method of zooming in or out of a display in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

4 to 7b illustrate a user interface control method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

8A to 8C illustrate an operation of a proximity sensing system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

9A and 9B illustrate a user interface control method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

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

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a CDMA wireless communication system to which the mobile terminal of FIG. 10 can be applied.

Claims (21)

A method of controlling a user interface of an electronic device having a display, the method comprising: Detecting proximity of an object to the display; Detecting a two-dimensional movement pattern of the object; And And controlling the user interface according to the detected two-dimensional movement pattern. The method of claim 1, wherein the two-dimensional movement pattern is a spiral, and the controlling step includes zooming in or out of the user interface based on a direction of the spiral. The method of claim 1, wherein the two-dimensional movement pattern is circular, and the controlling step includes rotating the user interface based on the direction of the circle. The method of claim 1, wherein the two-dimensional movement pattern comprises one of alphabets, numbers, and symbols, and the controlling may include controlling one of a volume control menu and setting or releasing a lock on the user interface. User interface control method comprising. A method of controlling a user interface of an electronic device having a touch screen divided into a plurality of touch sensitive regions, the method comprising: Detecting an object in a space above a boundary between first and second regions of the plurality of touch sensitive regions and outputting a corresponding detection signal; And And simultaneously displaying first and second information corresponding to the first and second areas in response to the detection signal. The method of claim 5, Detecting a movement moving from the boundary of the object to the space of the first area; And And displaying the first information without displaying the second information. A method of controlling a user interface of an electronic device having a touch screen, the method comprising: Displaying a user interface on the touch screen; Detecting a first height of a plurality of heights of an object over a surface of the touch screen; Selecting a first function from among a plurality of functions corresponding to one of the plurality of heights, respectively; And And performing the selected first function. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the selected function is one of an auditory based function, a tactile based function, a visual based function, and a transmission function. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the selected function is one of a zoom function, a rotation function, an aperture opening function, a dissolve function, and a menu display function. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the selected function is a menu icon activation function. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the selected function is a volume control function. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the selected function is a vibration control function. The method of claim 7, wherein Detecting a second height of a plurality of heights of an object on a surface of the touch screen; Selecting a second function of the plurality of functions; And And performing the selected second function. The method of claim 13, wherein the first function is an icon magnification function, and the second function is an icon execution function. The method of claim 13, wherein the first function is a first vibration intensity execution function and the second function is a second vibration intensity execution function. The method of claim 13, wherein the first function is a first zoom level setting function, and the second function is a second zoom level setting function. display; A proximity sensor configured to detect proximity of an object on the display, detect a two-dimensional motion pattern of the object, and output a corresponding proximity and motion signal; And And a processor configured to control a user interface displayed on the display based on the proximity and motion signals. A display having a touch screen divided into a plurality of touch sensitive regions; A proximity sensor configured to detect an object at a boundary between a first and a second area of the plurality of touch sensitive areas and output a corresponding sensor signal; And And a processor configured to control the display to simultaneously display first and second information corresponding to the first and second areas in response to the sensor signal. A display having a touch screen; A proximity sensor configured to detect a first height of a plurality of heights of an object on a surface of the touch screen and output a corresponding first sensor signal; And And a processor configured to select a first function among a plurality of functions corresponding to one of the plurality of heights, and to perform the selected first function in response to the first sensor signal. The method of claim 19, The proximity sensor is configured to detect a second height of the plurality of heights of the object on the surface of the touch screen and output a corresponding second sensor signal, And the processor is configured to select a second one of the plurality of functions and to perform the selected second function in response to the second sensor signal. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein the plurality of functions comprise one of the following: The first function is an icon magnification function, and the second function is an icon execution function; The first function is a first vibration intensity execution function, and the second function is a second vibration intensity execution function; And The first function is a first zoom level setting function, and the second function is a second zoom level setting function.

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