KR20110046886A - Handheld terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a portable terminal which can be carried and used by an individual because it is easy to carry. According to the present invention, the body is provided to be physically deformable, is provided with a sensing unit for detecting the physical change of the body can be configured to intuitively deliver the user input signal without using a keypad or touch screen type display There is an advantage to this. In addition, the deformation caused by the bending of the body can be detected as a user input signal, when using a game or a menu centered on the user interface, there is an advantage that can be maximized its use and cause the user's interest.

Detection unit, motion sensor, physical deformation, bending, user input signal

Description

Portable terminal {A PORTABLE TERMINAL DEVICE}

The present invention relates to a portable terminal which can be carried and used by an individual because it is easy to carry.

A portable terminal is an electronic device that is portable and has one or more functions for making voice and video calls, input and output information, data transmission and reception, and data storage.

As the functions are diversified, the portable terminal is equipped with complex functions such as taking a picture or a video, playing a music or video file, playing a game, receiving a broadcast, or wireless internet, and implementing a multi-media player. It is becoming.

The portable terminal implemented in the form of such a multimedia device has been applied in a variety of new attempts in terms of hardware or software in order to implement complex functions. For example, a portable terminal is provided with a user interface environment for a user to search for or select a function easily and conveniently.

In addition, the portable terminal is considered as a personal portable device to express the user's personality, and is applied to a double-sided liquid crystal display (LCD), a flexible display, a front touch screen, and the like seen from both sides. Is also being developed.

In recent years, portable terminals tend to use a touch screen type display device without a separate keypad according to the demand for light and small size. However, when a touch screen display is deactivated according to a setting in a portable terminal, there is a limit that it is difficult to make a user input smoothly.

In addition, when a separate keypad is provided on the outside of the portable terminal, the external appearance of the terminal main body is spoiled, and the user input method is not intuitive, and thus it is difficult to induce interest of the user.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable terminal capable of generating various user input signals by physical deformation of the body.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable terminal capable of detecting a change in relative position of each part caused by the bending of the body and converting it into a user input signal.

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.

According to a feature of the present invention for achieving the object as described above, the present invention comprises a body made of at least a portion of elastically deformable material; A display unit provided in the body to display a screen; It is provided on the body and provides a portable terminal comprising at least two or more sensing units for outputting an electrical signal in accordance with the change in the relative position due to the bending of the body.

The detection unit, and the first motion sensor for detecting the position of the body; It comprises a second motion sensor for detecting a change in the relative position with respect to the first motion sensor.

The first motion sensor is disposed in the center of the body, and the second motion sensor is disposed at least one spaced apart from each other corresponding to the corner of the body.

The first motion sensor and the second motion sensor detect one or more of magnetic, acceleration, tilt or angular velocity of the earth to detect a change in relative position.

The first motion sensor and the second motion sensor may be made of a geomagnetic sensor for detecting the azimuth angle by measuring the strength of the earth magnetic.

The first motion sensor and the second motion sensor may be configured as an acceleration sensor for measuring the acceleration or the strength of the impact of the moving object.

The first motion sensor and the second motion sensor may each include a three-axis geomagnetic sensor that senses the rotational direction by using the absolute direction of the north pole and a three-axis acceleration sensor that recognizes the increase and decrease of gravity acceleration.

The body, the first body; It is configured to include; at least one or more second body that is bent to the first body to be coupled.

One of the first body and the second body is made of a flexible material and the other is made of a solid material.

It is further provided to correspond to each other on the first body and the second body, and further comprises an insertion slit formed along the joining surface of the first body and the second body and a coupling rib inserted into the insertion slit. do.

The coupling ribs are provided to be spaced apart from each other, and are provided to protrude in the longitudinal direction of the first body and the second body in the insertion slit formed on the first body or the second body between the pair of coupling ribs. It further comprises a mounting rib inserted.

It further comprises a fastening boss penetrating the coupling rib inserted into the insertion slit in the first body or the second body.

The fastening boss is provided to be separated from each other, the coupling force is maintained by the fastener penetrating the fastening boss.

The display unit includes a flexible display capable of responding to bending of the body.

It further comprises a flexible circuit board of a flexible material provided in a portion bent from the body.

According to the present invention, the body is provided to be physically deformable, is provided with a sensing unit for detecting the physical change of the body can be configured to intuitively deliver the user input signal without using a keypad or touch screen type display There is an advantage to this.

In addition, the deformation caused by the bending of the body can be detected as a user input signal, when using a game or a menu centered on the user interface, there is an advantage that can be maximized its use and cause the user's interest.

And, by placing a pair of sensing units that can detect the spatial coordinates in the portion causing the deformation of the body and detect the relative movement (displacement) of the sensing unit can be accepted as a user input signal of the bending of the body, Since the input means is not exposed to the outside of the body there is an advantage that the design freedom for the design is improved.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a portable terminal according to the present invention having the configuration as described above will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Portable terminals described herein include mobile phones, smart phones, laptop computers, digital broadcasting terminals, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable multimedia players (PMPs), navigation, and the like. Can be.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a preferred embodiment of a portable terminal according to the present invention.

As shown in this figure, the portable terminal 100 (hereinafter, referred to as a 'terminal') includes a wireless communication unit 110, an A / V (Audio / Video) input unit 120, a user input unit 130, and a sensing unit 140. , An output unit 150, a memory unit 160, an interface unit 170, a controller 180, a power supply unit 190, and the like.

The wireless communication unit 110 includes one or more modules that enable wireless communication between the terminal 100 and the wireless communication system or between the terminal 100 and a network in which the 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, a location information module 115, and the like. Can be.

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 mean a satellite channel, a terrestrial channel, or the like. 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 pre-generated broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information and transmits the same to the terminal 100.

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 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, 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 broadcast systems, and in particular, digital multimedia broadcasting-terrestrial (DMB-T), digital multimedia broadcasting-satellite (DMB-S), and media forward link only (MediaFLO). ), Digital broadcast signals may be received using digital broadcasting systems such as DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld) and ISDB-T (Integrated Services Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial).

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 unit 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 to the 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.

In addition, the position information module 115 is a module for acquiring the position of the terminal 100, such as GPS (GPS), and receives position information from a plurality of satellites.

Meanwhile, the A / V input unit 120 is for inputting an audio signal or a video signal, and may include a camera module 121 and a microphone module 122.

The camera module 121 processes image frames such as still images or moving images obtained by an image sensor in a video call mode or a photographing mode. The processed image frame may be displayed on the display unit 151.

The image frame processed by the camera module 121 may be stored in the memory unit 160 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication unit 110. Two or more camera modules 121 may be provided according to the configuration of the terminal 100.

The microphone module 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. Various noise reduction algorithms may be implemented to remove noise generated in the process of receiving an external sound signal from the microphone module 122.

The user input unit 130 generates key input data input by the user for controlling the operation of the terminal 100. The user input unit 130 may include a key pad, a dome switch, a touch pad (static pressure / capacitance), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

The sensing unit 140 checks the current state of the terminal 100 such as the open / closed state of the terminal 100, the position of the terminal 100, the presence or absence of a user contact, the orientation of the terminal 100, the acceleration / deceleration of the terminal 100, and the like. The sensing unit generates a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the terminal 100.

For example, when the terminal 100 is in the form of a slide phone, it may sense whether the slide phone is opened or closed. In addition, it is responsible for sensing functions related to whether the power supply unit 190 is supplied with power or whether the interface unit 170 is coupled to an external device. Meanwhile, the sensing unit 140 may include a proximity sensor 141.

The output unit 150 is used to generate an output related to visual, auditory or tactile senses, such as a display unit 151, an audio output module 152, an alarm output module 153, a haptic module 154, and a projector module. 155, and the like.

The display unit 151 displays and outputs information processed by the terminal 100. For example, when the terminal 100 is in a call mode, the terminal 100 displays a user interface (UI) or a graphic user interface (GUI) related to the call. When the terminal 100 is in a video call mode or a photographing mode, the 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 TOLED (Transparant OLED).

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.

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

When the display unit 151 and a sensor for detecting a touch operation (hereinafter, a touch sensor) form a mutual layer structure (hereinafter, a touch screen), the display unit 151 may also be used as an input device as well as an output device. Can be used. 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.

When 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 corresponding data to the controller 180. As a result, the controller 180 can know which area of the display unit 151 is touched.

Referring to FIG. 1, a proximity sensor 141 may be disposed in an inner region of the terminal 100 surrounded by the touch screen or near the touch screen. The proximity sensor refers to a sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object approaching a predetermined detection surface or an object present in the vicinity without using a mechanical contact by using an electromagnetic force or infrared rays. Proximity sensors have a longer life and higher utilization than touch sensors.

Examples of the proximity sensor include a transmission photoelectric sensor, a direct reflection photoelectric sensor, a mirror reflection photoelectric sensor, a high frequency oscillation proximity sensor, a magnetic proximity sensor, and an infrared proximity sensor.

Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the act of allowing the pointer to be recognized without being in contact with the touch screen so that the pointer is located on the touch screen is referred to as a "proximity touch", and the touch The act of actually touching the pointer on the screen is called "contact touch."

The position where the proximity touch is performed by the pointer on the touch screen refers to a position where the pointer is perpendicular to the touch screen when the pointer is in proximity proximity.

The proximity sensor detects a proximity touch and a proximity touch pattern (for example, a proximity touch distance, a proximity touch direction, a proximity touch speed, a proximity touch time, a proximity touch position, and a proximity touch movement state). Information corresponding to the sensed proximity touch operation and proximity touch pattern may be output on the touch screen.

The sound output module 152 outputs 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. 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 by the terminal 100. The sound output module 152 may include a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

The alarm output module 153 outputs a signal for notifying occurrence of an event of the terminal 100. Examples of events generated in the terminal 100 include call signal reception, message reception, key signal input, and touch input.

The alarm output module 153 may output a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event by vibration, in addition to a video signal or an audio signal. Since the video signal or the audio signal may be output through the display unit 151 or the audio output module 152, the display unit 151 or the audio output module 152 may be classified as part of the alarm unit 153. .

The haptic module 154 generates various tactile effects that the user can feel. Vibration is a representative example of the haptic effect generated by the haptic module 154. The intensity and pattern of vibration generated by the haptic module 154 can be controlled. For example, different vibrations may be synthesized and output or may be sequentially output.

In addition to vibration, the haptic module 154 may be configured to provide a pin array that vertically moves with respect to the contact skin surface, a jetting force or suction force of air through the jetting or suction port, grazing to the skin surface, contact of the electrode, electrostatic force, and the like. Various tactile effects can be generated, such as effects by the endothermic and the reproduction of a sense of cold using the elements capable of endotherm or heat generation.

The haptic module 154 may not only deliver the haptic effect through direct contact, but also may implement the user to feel the haptic effect through a muscle sense such as a finger or an arm. Two or more haptic modules 154 may be provided according to a configuration aspect of the terminal 100.

The projector module 155 is a component for performing an image project function using the terminal 100 and is identical to an image displayed on the display unit 151 according to a control signal of the controller 180. At least some of the other images may be displayed on an external screen or wall.

Specifically, the projector module 155 includes a light source (not shown) that generates light (for example, laser light) for outputting an image to the outside, a light source And a lens (not shown) for enlarging and outputting the image at a predetermined focal distance to the outside. Further, the projector module 155 may include a device (not shown) capable of mechanically moving the lens or the entire module to adjust the image projection direction.

The projector module 155 can be divided into a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) module, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) module and a DLP (Digital Light Processing) module according to the type of the display means. In particular, the DLP module may be advantageous in miniaturization of the projector module 151 by expanding and projecting an image generated by reflecting light generated from a light source to a digital micromirror device (DMD) chip.

Preferably, the projector module 155 may be provided in the longitudinal direction on the side, front or back of the terminal 100. Of course, the projector module 155 may be provided at any position of the terminal 100 as necessary.

The memory unit 160 may store a program for processing and controlling the controller 180, and temporarily stores input / output data (for example, a phone book, a message, an audio, a still image, a video, etc.). It can also perform a function for. The memory 160 may also store the frequency of use of each of the data (eg, each telephone number, each message, and the frequency of use of each multimedia). In addition, 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, It may include a storage medium of at least one type of magnetic disk, optical disk. The terminal 100 may operate in connection with a web storage that performs a storage function of the memory unit 160 on the Internet.

The interface unit 170 serves as a path with all external devices connected to the terminal 100. The interface unit 170 receives data from an external device, receives power, transfers the power to each component inside the terminal 100, or transmits the data inside the terminal 100 to an external device.

For example, a wired / wireless headset port, an external charger port, a wired / wireless data port, a memory card port, a port for connecting a device having an identification module, an audio I / O port, A video input / output (I / O) port, an earphone port, and the like may be included in the interface unit 170.

The identification module is a chip that stores various information for authenticating the use authority of the terminal 100, and includes a user identification module (UIM), a subscriber identify 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. Accordingly, the identification device can be connected to the terminal 100 through the port.

When the terminal 100 is connected to an external cradle, the interface unit 170 may be a passage through which power from the cradle is supplied to the terminal 100, or various command signals inputted from the cradle by a user may be received from the terminal ( It may be a passage to the 100). Various command signals or power input from the cradle may operate as signals for recognizing that the terminal 100 is correctly mounted on the cradle.

The controller 180 typically controls the overall operation of the terminal 100. 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, 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 other functions. The described embodiments may be implemented by the controller 180 itself.

According to the software implementation, embodiments such as the procedures and functions described herein may be implemented as separate software modules. Each of the software modules may perform one or more functions and operations described herein. Software code can be implemented in a software application written in a suitable programming language. The software code may be stored in the memory unit 160 and executed by the controller 180.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the front configuration of a preferred embodiment of a portable terminal according to the present invention.

Referring to these drawings, the main body of the terminal 100 is provided with a bar-shaped terminal body. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and may be applied to various structures such as a slide type, a folder type, a swing type, a swivel type, and two or more bodies are coupled to be relatively movable.

The body includes a casing (casing, housing, cover, etc.) that forms an exterior. In this embodiment, the case may be divided into a front case 101 and a rear case 102. Various electronic components are built in the space formed between the front case 101 and the rear case 102. At least one intermediate case may be further disposed between the front case 101 and the rear case 102. Such a body and case may be mixed with the main body and are not clearly distinguished.

The cases may be formed by injecting synthetic resin or may be formed of a metal material, for example, a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti).

The terminal body, mainly the front case 101, includes a display unit 151, an audio output unit 152, a camera module 121, a user input unit 130/131, 132, a microphone module 122, an interface unit 170, and the like. Can be arranged.

The display unit 151 occupies most of the main surface of the front case 101. The audio output unit 152 and the camera module 121 are disposed in areas adjacent to one end of both ends of the display unit 151, and the user input unit 131 and the microphone module 122 are disposed in areas adjacent to the other end. . The user input unit 132 and the interface unit 170 may be disposed on side surfaces of the front case 101 and the rear case 102.

The user input unit 130 is manipulated to receive a command for controlling the operation of the terminal 100 and may include a plurality of manipulation units 131 and 132. The manipulation units 131 and 132 may also be collectively referred to as manipulating portions, and may be employed in any manner as long as the user operates the tactile manner with a tactile feeling.

Content input by the first or second manipulation units 131 and 132 may be variously set. For example, the first operation unit 131 receives commands such as start, end, scroll, and the like, and the second operation unit 132 controls the size of the sound output from the sound output unit 152 or the size of the sound output from the display unit 151 To the touch recognition mode of the touch screen.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a rear configuration of a preferred embodiment of a portable terminal according to the present invention.

Referring to this figure, a camera module 121 ′ may be additionally mounted on the rear of the terminal body, that is, the rear case 102. The camera module 121 ′ has a photographing direction substantially opposite to the camera module 121 (see FIG. 2), and may be a camera module having different pixels from the camera module 121.

For example, the camera module 121 has a low pixel so that the user's face is photographed and transmitted to the counterpart in case of a video call. In many cases, it is desirable to have a high pixel. The camera modules 121 and 121 'may be installed in the terminal body so as to be rotatable or pop-up.

The flash 123 and the mirror 124 are further disposed adjacent to the camera module 121 '. The flash 123 shines light toward the subject when the subject is photographed by the camera module 121 '. The mirror 124 allows the user to see his / her own face or the like when the user wants to photograph himself (self-photographing) using the camera module 121 '.

The sound output unit 152 'may be further disposed on the rear surface of the terminal body. The sound output unit 152 ′ may implement a stereo function together with the sound output unit 152 (see FIG. 2), and may be used to implement a speakerphone mode during a call.

An antenna (not shown) for receiving a broadcast signal may be additionally disposed on the side of the terminal body. An antenna that forms part of the broadcast receiving module 111 (refer to FIG. 1) may be installed to be pulled out of the terminal body.

The terminal body is equipped with a power supply unit 190 for supplying power to the terminal 100. The power supply unit 190 may be embedded in the terminal body or may be directly detachable from the outside of the terminal body.

The rear case 102 may be further equipped with a touch pad 135 for sensing a touch. Like the display unit 151, the touch pad 135 may also be configured to have a light transmission type. In this case, if the display unit 151 is configured to output visual information from both sides, the visual information may be recognized through the touch pad 135. The information output on both surfaces may be controlled by the touch pad 135. Alternatively, a display may be additionally mounted on the touch pad 135, and a touch screen may be disposed on the rear case 102 as well.

The touch pad 135 operates in association with the display unit 151 of the front case 101. The touch pad 135 may be disposed in parallel to the rear of the display unit 151. The touch pad 135 may have the same or smaller size as the display unit 151.

4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration and change of the body in one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration and change of the body in another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to these drawings, the terminal 100 includes at least a portion of a body 200 made of an elastically deformable material, a display unit 151 provided on the body 200 to display a screen, and a body 200. And at least two detection units 540 and 560 (see FIGS. 6 to 10) for outputting an electrical signal according to a change in relative position due to bending of the body 200.

One sensing unit 540 of the pair of sensing units 540 and 560 detects a reference position of the body 200 in the space and detects that the other sensing unit 560 is moved relative to the reference position. do.

The display unit 151 is configured as a flexible display capable of responding to the bending of the body 200. The flexible display is literally a flexible screen, and ultimately a display that can be bent or rolled up. The flexible display is configured to give flexibility to fold and unfold.

In addition, a general printed circuit board P and a flexible printed circuit board f made of a flexible material may be selectively used inside the body 200. That is, a flexible printed circuit board (f) may be provided at a portion made of a flexible material in the body 200, and a printed circuit board (P) may be provided at a portion made of a rigid material. The flexible printed circuit board f is disposed.

A printed circuit board (P) is a board printed with thin copper wiring, and is an electronic component that serves as a component for connecting components, such as semiconductors, capacitors, and resistors, and can efficiently design electrical wiring. By reducing the size of electronic devices and increasing their performance. A general printed circuit board (P) is formed of a rigid substrate having a constant rigidity, but the flexible printed circuit board (f) is suitable for a structure in which deformation is made because the electronic circuit is mounted by attaching an electronic device to a substrate that is bent like plastic.

In this embodiment, the body 200 is substantially made of a frame or the like provided in the interior of the case (101, 102), but is not substantially distinct from the case (101, 102). That is, the body 200 may be described as constituting the entire skeleton of the terminal 100 including the cases 101 and 102 and a frame constituting the internal shape thereof.

Since the body 200 is configured to be bent by itself, at least a part of the body is made of an elastically deformable material and exposed to the outside, or if the separate cases 101 and 102 are provided according to design conditions, the cases 101 and 102 are also bodies. It is made of a material capable of elastic deformation as shown in 200 to enable the physical appearance deformation of the terminal 100.

The body 200 may include a first body 210 and at least one second body 230 that can be bent to the first body 210. In the present embodiment, the second body 230 may include a second body 230a provided at one side of the first body 210 and a second body 230b provided at the other side of the first body 210. However, it is not largely divided in structure or functional part.

At this time, any one of the first body 210 and the second body 230 is made of a flexible material and the other is made of a solid material. For example, when the first body 210 is made of a flexible material, the second body 230 may be provided to have a certain rigidity, and according to design conditions, the first body 210 and the second body 230. It may be formed integrally to have a flexible material.

Referring to FIG. 4, an embodiment of the body 200 will be described. The first body 210 may be made of a flexible material, and the second body 230 may be made of a solid material. In this case, the flexible printed circuit board f may be provided in the first body 210, and the printed circuit board P and the battery 190 may be provided in the second body 230.

That is, the flexible printed circuit board (f) suitable for bending is applied to the first body (210) made of a flexible material, and the printed circuit board (P) does not bend to the second body (230) having a certain rigidity. The battery 190 is required to be stable.

In this case, the display unit 151 is configured as a flexible display capable of bending and disposed on one side of the body 200. In this case, the display unit 151 may be provided in the first body 210 and the second body 230, respectively, but may be provided only in the first body 210 or the second body 230 according to the design conditions. . When the first body 210 is made of a flexible material, when an external force is applied to the second body 230, the first body 210 is elastically deformed and guides the relative movement of the second body 230.

Meanwhile, referring to another embodiment of the body 200 with reference to FIG. 5, the first body 210 may be made of a rigid material, and the second body 230 may be made of a flexible material. At this time, the first body 210 may be provided with a printed circuit board (P) and the battery 190, and the second body 230 may be provided with a flexible printed circuit board (f).

When the second body 230 is made of a flexible material, when an external force is applied to the second body 230, the second body 230 is elastically deformed by itself and moves relative to the first body 210 (rotation or bending). do. As such, the first body 210 and the second body 230 may be designed differently according to its material.

Figure 6 is a plan view schematically showing the arrangement of the sensing unit in an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to this figure, the sensing units 540 and 560 may include a proximity sensor, a pressure sensor, an acceleration sensor, and the like. The proximity sensor can detect the presence or absence of an approaching object or an object present in the vicinity without mechanical contact. The proximity sensor can detect a proximity object by using a change in an alternating magnetic field or a change in a static magnetic field, or by using a change rate of capacitance. Two or more proximity sensors may be provided according to the configuration aspect.

The pressure sensor may detect whether pressure is applied to the terminal 100 and the magnitude of the pressure. The pressure sensor may be installed at a portion requiring detection of pressure in the terminal 100 according to the use environment.

Pressure sensors measure pressure using displacement, deformation, self-thermal conductivity, frequency, and the like. Recently, micro pressure sensors manufactured using semiconductor technology have been spotlighted due to miniaturization, low cost, and high performance.

Pressure sensors are classified into capacitive pressure sensors and piezoresistive pressure sensors. Capacitive sensors have a low temperature coefficient and low power loss, but require a large signal area due to the large area of the device and the use of capacitance as output signals, whereas piezoresistive pressure sensors have good linearity and signal processing. There are advantages and disadvantages to each of them, which are easy but have low sensitivity and are more temperature dependent than capacitive. The capacitive pressure sensor and the piezoresistive pressure sensor are used according to the characteristics of each application.

An acceleration sensor is a device that converts an acceleration change in one direction into an electrical signal, and is widely used with the development of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology. The acceleration sensor measures the acceleration of a small value built in the airbag system of an automobile and recognizes the minute motion of the human hand and measures the acceleration of a large value used as an input means such as a game There are various types. Acceleration sensors are usually constructed by mounting two or three axes in one package. Depending on the usage environment, only one axis of Z axis is required. Therefore, when the acceleration sensor in the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction is used instead of the Z-axis direction for some reason, the acceleration sensor may be mounted on the main substrate by using a separate piece substrate.

The acceleration sensor detects dynamic forces such as acceleration, vibration, and shock by using the application principle of inertial force, electric deformation, and gyro, and when classified into detection methods, there are inertial, gyro, and silicon semiconductor types.

In addition, the sensing units 540 and 560 include at least one of a motion sensor, a temperature sensor, a tension sensor, a current sensor, a tactile sensor, and an inclination sensor, and whether the body 200 is folded or bent, and which portion is folded or bent. It can be detected whether or not it loses.

In this embodiment, the sensing units 540 and 560 are made of a motion sensor that detects a relative position changed by bending of the body 200.

That is, the detection unit includes a first motion sensor 540 for detecting a position state of the body 200 and a second motion sensor 560 for detecting a change in relative position with respect to the first motion sensor 540. It is made.

The first motion sensor 540 is disposed at the center of the body 200, and the second motion sensor 560 is disposed to be spaced apart from each other at least one corresponding to the edge of the body 200. The first motion sensor 540 detects the spatial coordinates of the absolute position of the body 200, the second motion sensor 560 relative position of the second motion sensor 560 relative to the first motion sensor 540. Detects whether the body 200 is deformed. Therefore, the second motion sensor 560 is disposed in the body 200 to be deformable based on the position where the first motion sensor 540 is disposed.

The first motion sensor 540 and the second motion sensor 560 detect one or more of the earth's magnetism, acceleration, inclination or angular velocity to detect a change in relative position.

In the present embodiment, the first motion sensor 540 and the second motion sensor 560 may be made of a geomagnetic sensor that detects the azimuth angle by measuring the intensity of the earth's magnetic field, and measures the acceleration or the impact strength of the moving object. It may be made of an acceleration sensor.

The first motion sensor 540 and the second motion sensor 560 each use a three-axis geomagnetic sensor that senses the rotational direction using the absolute direction of the north pole and a three-axis acceleration sensor that recognizes the increase and decrease of gravity acceleration. It may be made, including. The three-axis geomagnetic sensor detects the magnetic field strength in the three-axis direction orthogonal to each other, and the three-axis acceleration sensor is configured to detect the acceleration in the three-axis direction.

That is, when the first motion sensor 540 is provided on the first body 210, and the second motion sensor 560 is provided on the second body 230 deformable with respect to the first body 210, the first motion sensor 540 is provided. The first motion sensor 540 detects absolute coordinates in space of the first body 210, and the second motion sensor 560 detects relative coordinates with respect to the first motion sensor 540. At this time, when the second body 230 is deformed with respect to the first body 210, the relative coordinates of the second motion sensor 560 with respect to the first motion sensor 540 are deformed, and the controller 180 is configured as described above. A change in the relative position of the first motion sensor 540 and the second motion sensor 560 is detected and accepted as a user input signal.

7 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a coupling structure of multiple bodies in one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to this figure, the first body 210 and the second body 230 is provided to be bent. In the present embodiment, the first body 210 is provided to have a ductility of a flexible material, the second body 230 is provided to have a certain rigidity of a solid material.

The first body 210 and the second body 230 are provided with coupling ribs 212 and insertion slits 232 for coupling with each other. Insertion slit 232 is formed along the bonding surface (l) of the first body 210 and the second body 230, the coupling rib 212 is inserted into the insertion slit 232 is provided to be coupled. . In this case, a first motion sensor 540 may be provided on the first body 210, and a second motion sensor 560 may be provided on the second body 230.

The first body 210 is provided with a coupling rib 212 inserted into the second body 230a. The coupling rib 212 extends along the coupling surface of the first body 210 and the second body 230a. That is, the coupling rib 212 is formed to protrude toward the second body 230a along one edge of the first body 210.

In addition, an insertion slit 232 into which the coupling rib 212 is inserted is formed in the second body 230a. The insertion slit 232 is formed by recessing a part of the second body 230a. Coupling rib 212 and the insertion slit 232 is preferably provided so as not to be exposed to the outside when combined with each other.

Mounting ribs 234 may be provided on the first body 210 or the second body 230a. The mounting rib 234 is provided to correspond to the coupling rib 212 in the second body 230a. In the insertion slit 232 formed in the first body 210 or the second body 230a, the mounting rib 234 is provided to protrude in the longitudinal direction of the first body 210 and the second body 230a.

At this time, the coupling ribs 212 are provided with a pair of spaced apart from each other, the mounting ribs 234 are inserted between the pair of coupling ribs 212 to secure the coupling force of the first body 210 and the second body 230a. Keep it.

In more detail, the coupling rib 212 protrudes toward the second body 230a based on the joint surface L, whereas the mounting rib 234 is based on the joint surface L. Protrudes to the 210 side serves to strengthen the mutual coupling force of the first body 210 and the second body (230a).

The body 200 further includes a fastening boss 236 penetrating the coupling rib 212 inserted into the insertion slit 232 in the first body 210 or the second body 230a. The fastening boss 236 is provided at a portion where the insertion slit 232 is formed, and at least two or more are preferably spaced apart from each other to maintain a constant fastening force.

At least two fastening bosses 236 may be provided to be separated from each other, and may be configured to maintain a coupling force by a fastener f passing through the fastening boss 236. However, according to design conditions, the first body 210 and the second body 230a do not have the fastening boss 236, but are fastened through the first body 210 and the second body 230. It may be combined with each other by the sphere j.

8 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a coupling structure of multiple bodies in another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to this figure, the first body 210 and the second body 230 is provided to be bent. In the present embodiment, the first body 210 is provided to have a certain rigidity with a solid material, and the second body 230 is provided to have a softness with a flexible material.

The first body 210 and the second body 230 are provided with coupling ribs 212 and insertion slits 232 for coupling with each other. Insertion slit 232 is formed along the bonding surface (l) of the first body 210 and the second body 230, the coupling rib 212 is inserted into the insertion slit 232 is provided to be coupled. .

The first body 210 is provided with a coupling rib 212 inserted into the second body 230. The coupling rib 212 extends along the coupling surface of the first body 210 and the second body 230. That is, the coupling rib 212 is formed to protrude toward the second body 230 along one side edge of the first body 210.

At this time, the coupling rib 212 is located on the side of the second body (230a) relative to the bonding surface (L) in the first body (210), the second body (230a) is based on the bonding surface (L) 1 is not located on the body 210 side. As such, when the second body 230a does not protrude toward the first body 210 based on the joint surface L, the second body 230a is coupled to the first body 210 when the first body 210 is coupled to the first body 210. There is little contact area with respect to 210 so that the deformation occurs well.

The body 200 further includes a fastening boss 236 penetrating the coupling rib 212 inserted into the insertion slit 232 in the first body 210 or the second body 230. At least two fastening bosses 236 may be provided to be separated from each other, and may be configured to maintain the coupling force by the fastener j passing through the fastening boss 236.

Hereinafter, the operation of the portable terminal according to the present invention having the configuration as described above will be described in detail.

9 and 10 are explanatory views showing the displacement of the sensing unit according to the deformation of the body in one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 11 is a perspective view showing a form in which the body is deformed in the embodiment of the present invention It is.

Referring to these drawings, the terminal 100 is provided such that the body 200 can be bent, and receives a user signal by bending or twisting an edge or an edge of the body 200 to operate the terminal 100. Can be.

To this end, a first motion sensor 540 is provided on the first body 210, and a second motion sensor 560 is provided on the second body 230. The first motion sensor 540 detects the spatial coordinates of the absolute position of the first body 210, the second motion sensor 560 of the second motion sensor 560 relative to the first motion sensor 540 The relative position is detected to detect whether the body 200 is deformed.

First, referring to FIG. 9, in a state where the body 200 is not bent, the first motion sensor 540 and the second motion sensor 560 detect one or more of the earth's magnetism, acceleration, inclination, or angular velocity. The spatial coordinates of the first body 210 and the second body 230 are detected.

Referring to FIG. 10, when the body 200 is bent by an external force, the second body 230b causes deformation with respect to the first body 210, and the position of the second motion sensor 560 is changed. do.

That is, when the relative position of the second motion sensor 560 with respect to the first motion sensor 540 changes, the controller 180 detects the displacement x of the second motion sensor 560 and accepts the user signal as a user signal. Perform the set operation.

In this case, the first motion sensor 560 becomes a reference sensor and detects a relative position with respect to the second motion sensor 560. The second motion sensor 560 is provided when the second motion sensor 560 is provided alone. This is because the sensing of the deformation of the body 200 but the body 200 is moved in the same way because it may cause an error.

That is, when the first motion sensor 540 becomes a reference sensor and detects a relative position of the second motion sensor 560 and the first motion sensor 540, the controller 180 may be configured to move the body 200. The bending of the body 200 can be determined.

Referring to FIG. 11, when the body 200 is provided to be physically deformable and the sensing units 540 and 560 capable of detecting the physical change of the body 200 are provided, the keypad 200 or the touch screen type display may not be used. Intuitively delivers user input signals.

In addition, the relative movement of the pair of sensing units 540 and 560 generated by the bending of the body 200 can be detected as a user input signal, so when the game or the user interface-oriented menu is used, the utilization is maximized and the user There is an advantage that can cause interest. When the physical deformation of the body 200 is recognized as one user input signal, the operation of the terminal 100 may be controlled in various ways.

12 and 13 are explanatory diagrams showing a process of executing the operation control menu according to the deformation of the body in the embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 12A, when the left edge of the terminal 100 is bent (711), a menu item 712 positioned on the left side of the display unit 151 may be selected. The selected menu item may be executed immediately or may be executed according to whether to execute or not.

Similarly, referring to FIG. 12B, when the right edge of the terminal 100 is bent (713), a menu item 714 positioned on the right side of the display unit 151 may be selected. In addition, the menu item 716 located at the center of the display unit 151 may be selected when the upper end of the terminal 100 is bent forward or backward.

Referring to FIG. 13A, when the left edge of the terminal 100 is bent (731), the selected menu item 735 is executable according to a touch and drag input 740. FIG. It may be preset among menu items. Referring to FIG. 13B, a menu item to be executed when a right edge of the terminal 100 is bent (732) for a touch and drag input is set. Referring to FIG. 13C, two or more menu items selected when the terminal 100 is bent may be set. In such a case, a menu item to be executed may be displayed as a message for the user to select.

14 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a process of displaying an operation control menu according to a deformation of a body in an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 14A and 14B, when an operation screen is displayed on the display unit 151, when one side of the terminal 100 is bent (751), an operation that is executable on the display unit 151 is performed. The control menu 760 is displayed. When a menu item is selected by the touch input 761 in the displayed operation control menu 760, an operation corresponding to the selected menu item is executed. In FIG. 14C, an operation screen is displayed on the display unit 151 according to the execution result of the selected menu item.

As described above, the terminal 100 enables various operation control by bending the body 200 including the flexible portion.

The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but is defined by the claims, and various changes and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the claims. It is self-evident.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a preferred embodiment of a portable terminal according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a front configuration of a preferred embodiment of a portable terminal according to the present invention.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a rear configuration of a preferred embodiment of a portable terminal according to the present invention.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration and change of the body in one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration and change of the body in another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a plan view schematically showing the arrangement of the sensing unit in an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a coupling structure of multiple bodies in one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a coupling structure of a plurality of bodies in another embodiment of the present invention.

9 and 10 are explanatory views showing the displacement of the sensing unit according to the deformation of the body in one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 11 is a perspective view showing a form in which the body is deformed in an embodiment of the present invention.

12 and 13 are explanatory diagrams showing a process of executing the operation control menu according to the deformation of the body in the embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 14 is an explanatory diagram showing a process of displaying the operation control menu according to the deformation of the body in the embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

100: terminal 151: display unit

200: body 210: first body

230: second body 540,560: detection unit

Claims (15)

A body made of at least a portion of an elastically deformable material; A display unit provided in the body to display a screen; And at least two sensing units provided in the body and outputting an electrical signal according to a change in relative position due to bending of the body. The method of claim 1, The detection unit, A first motion sensor for detecting a position of the body; And a second motion sensor configured to detect a change in relative position with respect to the first motion sensor. The method of claim 2, The first motion sensor is disposed in the center of the body, the second motion sensor is a portable terminal, characterized in that at least one or more spaced apart from each other corresponding to the corner of the body. The method of claim 3, wherein The first motion sensor and the second motion sensor is a portable terminal, characterized in that for detecting any one or more of the earth's magnetism, acceleration, inclination or angular velocity change relative position. The method of claim 3, wherein The first motion sensor and the second motion sensor is a portable terminal, characterized in that consisting of a geomagnetic sensor for detecting the azimuth angle by measuring the strength of the earth magnetic. The method of claim 3, wherein The first motion sensor and the second motion sensor is a portable terminal, characterized in that consisting of an acceleration sensor for measuring the acceleration or the strength of the impact of the moving object. The method of claim 3, wherein The first motion sensor and the second motion sensor each comprises a three-axis geomagnetic sensor for detecting the direction of rotation using the absolute direction of the north pole and a three-axis acceleration sensor for detecting the increase and decrease of gravity acceleration Handheld terminal. The method of claim 1, The body, A first body; And at least one second body which is bent to the first body to be coupled to the portable body. The method of claim 8, Portable terminal, characterized in that any one of the first body and the second body is made of a flexible material and the other is made of a solid material. The method of claim 8, It is further provided to correspond to each other on the first body and the second body, and further comprises an insertion slit formed along the joining surface of the first body and the second body and a coupling rib inserted into the insertion slit. Portable terminal. 11. The method of claim 10, The coupling ribs are provided to be spaced apart from each other, and are provided to protrude in the longitudinal direction of the first body and the second body in the insertion slit formed on the first body or the second body between the pair of coupling ribs. The portable terminal further comprises a mounting rib inserted. 11. The method of claim 10, The mobile terminal further comprises a fastening boss penetrating the coupling rib inserted into the insertion slit in the first body or the second body. 13. The method of claim 12, The fastening boss is provided separately from each other, characterized in that the coupling force is maintained by the fastener penetrating the fastening boss. The method of claim 1, The display unit is a portable terminal, characterized in that consisting of a flexible display (flexible display) capable of responding to the bending of the body. The method of claim 1, A portable terminal further comprising a flexible circuit board of a flexible material provided in a portion bent from the body.

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