KR101398183B1 - Method of direct-running an mirror-application software of smart phone using hardware input means and the smart phone having the method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for directly running a mirror application of a smartphone using a hardware input system. The method of the present invention comprises the steps of: (a) allowing a first hardware input system of a smartphone to call a lock screen; (b) allowing a second hardware input system to execute an input event when the lock screen is called; and (c) displaying, on a smartphone screen, application software for driving a camera module while unlocking the lock screen in response to the input event.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a method of directly executing a mirror application of a smart phone using a hardware input device, and a smart phone having such a function. [0002]

The present invention relates to a method of executing application software having a mirror function of a smartphone and a smartphone in which an application executed by such method is installed.

As the smartphone becomes the center of the mobile industry, the conventional feature phone-based mobile communication service has undergone a major change. The smartphone functions not just as a mobile phone, but as a small computer in the hand, so various functions that were not previously available have been implemented. It is also possible to provide new services.

Based on enhanced computing capabilities, smartphones were provided with an application environment that works in tandem with operating system software. Platforms ensure the distribution of various applications, and there are applications that are installed on smartphones at the user's option via the platform and provide various utilities and game environments. Users enjoy a new user experience by installing a variety of applications on their smartphones.

These application software include messenger applications that serve as platforms for mobile instant messaging, SNS applications such as Facebook and Twitter, gaming applications, map / navigation applications, education / learning applications, and other utility applications.

New changes are often accompanied by new problems. As the flood of information through the Internet has led to the difficulty of information retrieval, access to the desired app became a problem as numerous application software was installed on the device. Because there are too many icons and widgets on the smartphone home screen, users had to find it before they could run the software they wanted. And, there is a need to use input means many times. This hassle adds up as more software is installed on the device.

Today, the screen of a smartphone is composed of a touch screen and interprets a touch event by a user's finger touch as an input event. Most of the major input methods of smartphones have changed to software input devices. This entailed a new problem of power efficiency. Since the entire screen must be activated to receive the touch input, power is consumed as quickly as possible. Most smartphones today have the ability to lock the screen when not in use to avoid power consumption problems and prevent accidental touch events.

However, users have more difficulty accessing the desired applications. After releasing sleep mode and also calling the home screen on the unlock screen, I had to find the desired application.

One of the most widely used functions of smartphones is the camera function. Users want to call the camera module more quickly and take pictures. On the other hand, if the user wishes to view his / her face, that is, to use the smartphone as a mirror, he / she should call the camera module and then switch to the front camera. It is usually because of the need for immediacy that the user needs a mirror. The user calls the camera module of the smartphone because of the need for something on the face, whether or not there is garbage on it, whether the makeup is correct (especially for a woman), a wound or the like. However, with conventional smart phones, it is only through a complicated procedure to check images through the front camera on the user's screen. Under normal circumstances, the smartphone had to perform at least four input actions from sleep mode to mirror mode.

The inventor of the present invention has made a long effort to solve the above problems and propose a new approach.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for a user to quickly output an application screen, for example, an application screen of a mirror function, with a single hand in a smartphone.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of directly executing a mirror application using a hardware input device of a smart phone.

Further, the present invention is to provide a smartphone in which the novel methods to be provided by the present invention are programmed.

On the other hand, other unspecified purposes of the present invention will be further considered within the scope of the following detailed description and easily deduced from the effects thereof.

In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention is a method for directly executing a mirror application of a smartphone using a hardware input device,

(a) a first hardware input device of the smart phone (an input device that releases sleep mode and calls a lock screen) calls a lock screen;

(b) the second hardware input device executing an input event with the lock screen being called; And

(c) displaying the application software on the smartphone screen to release the lock screen in response to the input event and to drive the camera module.

Further, in the method of directly executing a mirror application of a smartphone using a hardware input device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the step (c) includes the steps of releasing the lock screen, . ≪ / RTI >

In the method of directly executing a mirror application of a smartphone using a hardware input device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first hardware input device and the second hardware input device may include a power button, a volume control button, A home button, a menu button, and an additional button.

In addition, in the method of directly executing a mirror application of a smartphone using a hardware input device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first hardware input device and the second hardware input device may be different or the same hardware input device.

A second aspect of the present invention is a smartphone,

A touch screen display;

A first hardware input device (an input device for releasing sleep mode and invoking a lock screen) and a second hardware input device for executing input to the smartphone;

Output means;

A communication module for performing data communication with an external device through a wireless communication network;

A camera module including a front camera and a rear camera;

Internal memory; And

≪ / RTI >

The internal memory stores mirror application software,

Wherein the processor is further configured to unlock the input event of the first hardware input device when an input event from the second hardware input device occurs after calling the lock screen on the smartphone in the sleep mode, 1 application software) to activate the camera function on the user screen of the smartphone.

In a smartphone according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the smartphone includes a third hardware input device,

Wherein the processor is configured to release the lock when an input event from the third hardware input device occurs after an input event of the first hardware input device calls a lock screen on a smartphone in a sleep mode, And can execute the predetermined second application software.

According to the present invention as described above, there is an advantage that a user can easily call and execute a mirror application desired on a lock screen. Not all users prefer to have many applications installed on their smartphones, especially a few applications are frequently used. A typical example is a camera, and a mirror application using a camera device can be very useful. If you can run it quickly and without wasting time running these features and applications, it will give users a new user experience.

In addition, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is very convenient to release the lock screen with only one hand, not both hands, and simultaneously activate the camera function or execute the mirror mode.

On the other hand, even if the effects are not explicitly mentioned here, the effect described in the following specification, which is expected by the technical features of the present invention, and its potential effects are treated as described in the specification of the present invention.

1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an internal electronic configuration of a smartphone according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a diagram showing an example of a process of a direct execution method of a mirror application according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the smartphone 100 in the sleep mode.
4 is a diagram showing a smartphone 100 in a lock screen state.
5 is a diagram showing a configuration in which a mirror application is executed directly by the method of the present invention.
6 is a diagram showing a configuration example of another smartphone 1000 in the sleep mode.
7 is a diagram showing a principle in which a mirror application is directly executed in the smartphone 1000 of Fig.
* The accompanying drawings illustrate examples of the present invention in order to facilitate understanding of the technical idea of the present invention, and thus the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description of the present invention, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may obscure the subject matter of the present invention.

Figure 1 schematically illustrates an internal electronic configuration of a smartphone of the present invention. The input devices 30, 31, 38 receive input events to be executed. The smartphone typically has one or more hardware input devices 30, 31, and also a touch screen 38. The input events received by the input devices 30, 31 and 38 are transmitted to the processor 10. [

Either one of the hardware input devices 30 and 31 may be a power button for switching the smartphone into a sleep mode or a function for calling a lock screen or a function for completely shutting off or re-starting the power supply of the smartphone have. The other one of the hardware input devices 30 and 31 may be a volume control button for adjusting the volume of the speaker 50. [ The hardware input devices 30 and 31 may be any one of a home button, a function selection button (e.g., a menu button, a cancel button). Although the location, size, and existence of the hardware input devices 30 and 31 are different for each smartphone maker, most smart phones include a plurality of hardware input devices 30 and 31.

The modem 60 is a communication module that exchanges data with an external device. Wireless communication is performed via the modem 60. [ All events that run the application software to communicate with an external server are also made through the wireless modem 60.

The processor 10 controls the processing of processes related to the installation, display, and execution of the application software, and in particular controls the changes of the GUI elements of the smartphone to be guaranteed by the operating system software and executed by the application software.

The internal memory 20 of the smart phone generally provides a place for storing the computer code and data used in the device. In addition, various application software are installed in the internal memory 20, and it is possible to store a resource for executing and managing each application software, and a database for storing various history and downloaded contents according to execution of the application software.

The processor 10 executes the computer code with the operating system and performs the operations of generating and using the data. The processor 10 may also use a series of instructions to receive and process input and output data between components of the smartphone. The processor 10 also serves as a control unit for executing functions of the application software installed in the smartphone.

In the present invention, the processor 10 extracts and executes application software located in the memory 20 in response to an input event of the input devices 30, 31, and 38. Although the direct execution user interface 11 is shown in the drawing as being located in the process, this is because the processor 10 in the present invention extracts the specific application stored in the memory 20 from the lock screen, In order to emphasize the control function. The memory 20 stores a mirror application 21 emphasized by the present invention. This application software uses the operation of the camera module to display the mirror function on the user's screen. Such a function is executed in response to an input event of the input devices 30, 31, This is explained below again.

The display 40 and the speaker 50 of the smartphone function as output devices of the smartphone. The camera 70 may be a camera module including a front camera and a rear camera.

2 schematically illustrates a process for a direct execution method of a mirror application in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The smartphone enters the sleep mode to prevent power consumption and to block unnecessary input events if it is not used for a long time. No indication appears on the smartphone screen. Assume that the current smartphone is in this sleep mode.

First, the first hardware input device awakes the sleep mode and calls a lock screen (S200). In this state, the second hardware input device is pressed again to generate an input event (S210). This input event calls the mirror application.

Then, the lock screen is automatically released and the set mirror application is executed without entering the home screen or the widget screen (S220).

2, since the mirror application software can be executed directly at the same time that the lock screen is released, the user can execute the desired application without performing the input operation several times. Therefore, at least the time for using the smart phone as the mirror function is eliminated, Can be saved.

In the present invention, the mirror application can be defined as software that executes a function of changing a screen of a smart phone to a camera screen by driving a camera module. That is, the software executes a function of displaying an image obtained through the camera lens on the screen of the smartphone.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mirror application can directly display a user's image, particularly a face image of a user, on a screen of a smartphone by driving a front camera. In another embodiment of the present invention, the mirror application may drive the rear camera to display an image on the opposite side of the user to the screen of the smartphone (substantially the same as the camera mode of the smartphone). In this case, by selecting the icon displayed on the upper side of the camera screen, it is possible to enter the mirror mode by changing to the front side camera.

Figures 3-5 illustrate example scenarios in which a mirror application is executed directly by the method of the present invention.

3 illustrates an exemplary smartphone 100 in a sleep mode. The smartphone 100 has various hardware input devices. The hardware input device 120 is a power button. The hardware input device 130 is a volume control button. The hardware input device 140 is a home button. Also, hardware input devices 150 and 151 may be further included which are faintly visible. The power supply to the user screen 110 is cut off.

The user can press the hardware input device 120, which is a power button, as shown in FIG. Then, power is supplied to the smartphone 100 and the user screen 111 is changed to a lock screen. Normally, the unlocking touch event is generated here to release the lock and enter the home screen. However, in the present invention, a second hardware input is executed. Call the mirror application directly, for example, by pressing another hardware input device 130, as shown in FIG. Then, the user screen 112 is changed to the execution screen of the mirror application. At this time, the lock screen is automatically released.

The mirror application that allows the smart phone to function as a mirror mode camera may not include the function portion 112a on the upper side of the screen and the function portion 112b on the lower side of the screen on the camera screen. In addition, additional functions may be further included (e.g., brightness control, etc.) to allow the camera image to function more as a mirror.

5, the user presses the hardware input device 120, which is a power button, with one finger while holding the smartphone with one hand, and the other hardware input device 130, which is a volume control button, with the other finger So that the mirror application can be executed immediately. It is not necessary to use the other hand unlockingly to unintentionally bother. Everything is possible with one hand. The camera functioning in the mirror mode from the sleep mode can be executed only by the two finger presses (the input event by the hardware input device).

There are several variations on which hardware input device to use. In another embodiment of the present invention, the second hardware input device may be the home button 140 or the buttons 150 and 151 for performing other functions. Although two hands can be used in this embodiment, the finger usage still strikes twice. You can run the mirror application directly by double-clicking on the hardware input device.

In addition, a new hardware input device can be configured as an add button on the outside of the smartphone. These additional buttons can be dedicated to the ability to run the mirror application directly.

The method and the method of the present invention are not limited to the type and the model of the smartphone in which the program is installed. Several manufacturers are producing smartphones of various models. Therefore, hardware input devices are different in position and size, and unlocking and touch input methods are different for each manufacturer. Figures 6 and 7 show examples of other smart models (e.g., iPhone ^TM ).

As shown in FIG. 6, waking up the smartphone 1000 in the sleep mode is a hardware input device 1200 (power button) installed above the device. The lock screen is displayed. At this time, by depressing the second hardware input device 1300 (volume control button) located at a different position from the first hardware input device 1200, the lock screen is released and the lock screen 1101 moves to the mirror application screen. The advantage of this embodiment is that as shown in FIG. 5, the preset application software can be executed directly while releasing the lock with only one hand. In the past, even unlocking had to use both hands.

The direct execution method of a mirror application of a smartphone according to an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented in the form of a program command that can be executed through various computer means and recorded in a computer readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, and the like, alone or in combination. The program instructions recorded on the medium may be those specially designed and constructed for the present invention or may be available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of computer-readable media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape; optical media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs; magnetic media such as floppy disks; Magneto-optical media, and hardware devices specifically configured to store and perform program instructions such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, and the like. Examples of program instructions include high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, as well as machine accords such as those produced by a compiler. The hardware devices described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the present invention, and vice versa.

<Other Modifications>

(1) In the above embodiment, the first hardware input device and the second hardware input device are described as different buttons. However, the above-described method of the present invention can be executed by repeatedly pressing the first hardware input device (power button) two or more times. It is also possible to set the time of repetitive pressing. For example, the method of the present invention can be carried out by repeatedly pressing at intervals of about 1 second or less. A button to be input later is regarded as an input event of the second hardware input device.

(2) Although only direct execution of the mirror application has been described in the above-described embodiment, it may also include direct execution of another specific application using a hardware input device. More than one application software executed directly may be designated. In this case, the combination of input events will be further defined. For example, if the "power button + volume control button" directly executes the mirror application, the "power button + home button" can direct other applications to run directly. The latter hardware input device can be distinguished as the third hardware input device.

 (3) In implementing the modification of the above (2), the direct execution setting user interface 11 of FIG. 1 may be used. The direct execution setting user interface described above can be defined as a user interface for selecting any one of the application software installed in the smartphone. The selected application software is executed immediately upon releasing the lock screen in response to the input event described above. The Direct Execution Settings user interface may include elements that access application software stored on the smartphone, elements that display a list of application software, and elements from which the user selects specific application software.

The application software that is directly executed as described above may preferably be a user downloaded and installed on his smartphone through the application market. There are the following types:

Various utility applications;

An application running a web browser;

Game applications;

An SNS application (e.g., Facebook or Twitter); And

A mobile messenger application (using a user account to send a mobile instant message (MIM) or to send and receive real-time chat communications).

In another embodiment of the present invention, it may be application software preset by the manufacturer of the smartphone. In this embodiment, the basic software of the smartphone can be called directly. Mail software, calendar software, map software, music software, and the like.

The scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the description and the expression of the embodiments explicitly described in the foregoing. It is again to be understood that the scope of protection of the present invention can not be limited by obvious alterations or permutations of the present invention.

Claims (9)

(a) a first hardware input device of the smart phone (an input device that releases sleep mode and calls a lock screen) calls a lock screen;
(b) the second hardware input device executing an input event with the lock screen being called; And
(c) canceling the lock screen in response to the input event and executing mirror application software for driving a camera module built in the smart phone, and displaying an image obtained through the camera lens on a screen of the smart phone; A method of direct execution of a smartphone &apos; s mirror application using a hardware input device. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the step (c) includes the step of canceling the lock screen and simultaneously displaying the image of the front camera directly on the smartphone screen. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first hardware input device and the second hardware input device are any one of a power button, a volume control button, a home button, a menu button, and an additional button of a smartphone. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first hardware input device and the second hardware input device are different or the same hardware input device. In smartphones,
A touch screen display;
A first hardware input device (an input device for releasing sleep mode and invoking a lock screen) and a second hardware input device for executing input to the smartphone;
Output means;
A communication module for performing data communication with an external device through a wireless communication network;
A camera module including a front camera and a rear camera;
Internal memory; And
&Lt; / RTI &gt;
The internal memory stores mirror application software for driving the camera module and displaying an image obtained through a camera lens on a screen of a smartphone,
Wherein the processor is configured to release the lock event when an input event from the second hardware input device occurs after an input event of the first hardware input device calls a lock screen on a smartphone in a sleep mode, 1 application software) to activate the function of changing the user screen of the smartphone to the camera screen. 6. The method of claim 5,
The smartphone includes a third hardware input device,
Wherein the processor is configured to release the lock when an input event from the third hardware input device occurs after an input event of the first hardware input device calls a lock screen on a smartphone in a sleep mode, And executes the predetermined second application software. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the first hardware input device and the second hardware input device are different or the same hardware input device, 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the first hardware input device is a power button and the second hardware input device is a volume control button. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the first hardware input device is a power button and the second hardware input device is a home button or a function selection button.

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