KR101501999B1 - Mobile terminal and its charging alarm method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and its charging alarm method. When a user sets a desired charging time, the mobile terminal detects a remaining battery amount at a set charging time and determines whether the battery can be used until the next charging time And outputs a charge alarm in accordance with the determination result. In addition, since the available time of the predetermined function is calculated and output in order to use the battery up to the charging time set when the charging alarm is set and the predetermined function is executed, the battery can be prevented from being discharged before the charging time set by the user.

Mobile terminal, charge alarm, battery, charge time

Description

[0001] MOBILE TERMINAL AND CHARGING ALARM METHOD FOR BATTERY THEREOF [0002]

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and a charging alarm method for informing a charging time point of a battery in advance so that a battery can be used until a desired time by a user.

The mobile terminal may be configured to perform various functions. Examples of such various functions include a data and voice communication function, a function of photographing a video or a moving image through a camera, a voice storage function, a music file playback function through a speaker system, and an image or video display function. Some mobile terminals include additional functions to execute games, and some other mobile terminals are also implemented as multimedia devices. Moreover, recent mobile terminals can receive a broadcast or multicast signal to view a video or television program.

Further, efforts for supporting and increasing the functions of the mobile terminal continue. Such efforts include not only changes and improvements in structural components that form the mobile terminal, but also improvements in software or hardware.

Generally, a battery supplying power to a mobile terminal is very flexible in usage time depending on a usage pattern. For example, while the battery capacity is 800mAh, it can be used for about 180 hours in continuous standby mode, but the usage time in the continuous call state is reduced to about 170 minutes. In addition, the battery of the mobile terminal consumes power even when the mobile terminal does not perform a specific function, and the battery usage time is rapidly reduced when the mobile terminal performs a function such as a game, a multimedia playback,

Accordingly, since the time for which the battery can be used is uncertain, the capacity of the battery is inadequate during use, causing the user to interrupt the use of the terminal or search for a place where the battery can be charged for charging the battery.

The present invention provides a mobile terminal and a charge alarm method for determining whether a battery needs to be charged at a predetermined time using an alarm function.

In addition, the present invention provides a mobile terminal and a charge alarm method for informing the user whether a battery is available until a desired time.

In order to achieve the above object, a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a user input unit for receiving setting information for setting a charging alarm function, and a controller for setting a charging alarm function according to an input of the user input unit, And an output unit for outputting a battery charge alarm under the control of the control unit by calculating an available time of the executed predetermined function for use of the battery up to a preset charging time by detecting the remaining battery level of the battery, .

Preferably, the usable time is a maximum time during which the predetermined function can be used while supplying the normal power until the charging time with the detected battery remaining amount.

Preferably, the controller detects the battery remaining amount at the charging time and determines whether normal power supply of the battery is possible until the next charging time based on the detected remaining amount of the battery.

The mobile terminal according to the present invention configured as described above sets the charging time desired by the user by using the charging alarm function, detects the remaining battery amount at the charging time and confirms whether the charging can be continued until the next charging time, In advance. Therefore, the present invention can prevent the user from missing the battery charging time through the charge alarm.

In addition, since the present invention informs the user of the availability of the battery up to a desired point of time, the battery can be prevented from being discharged before a desired time point.

In addition, since the present invention guides the proper use of the battery, it is possible to reduce unnecessary number of times of charging, thereby providing convenience to the user and extending battery life.

Hereinafter, a mobile terminal related to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

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

The mobile terminal may be implemented in various forms. For example, the mobile terminal described in this specification may be a mobile phone, a smart phone, a notebook computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), a PMP (Portable Multimedia Player) have.

The mobile terminal 100 includes a wireless communication unit 110, an A / V input unit 120, a user input unit 130, a sensing unit 140, an output unit 150, a memory 160, An interface unit 170, a control unit 180, a power supply unit 190, and the like. 1 shows a mobile terminal having various components. However, not all illustrated components are required. A mobile terminal may be implemented by more components than the illustrated components, or a mobile terminal may be implemented by fewer components.

Hereinafter, the components will be described in order.

The wireless communication unit 110 may include at least one component that enables wireless communication between the mobile terminal 100 and the wireless communication system or wireless communication between the mobile terminal 100 and the network in which the mobile terminal 100 is located. For example, the wireless communication unit 110 may include a broadcast receiving module 111, a mobile communication module 112, a wireless Internet module 113, a short range communication module 114, and a location information module 115 .

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives broadcast signals 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 refer to a server for generating and transmitting broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information, or a server for receiving broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information generated by the broadcast management server and transmitting the generated broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information. The broadcast-related information may refer to a broadcast channel, a broadcast program, or information related to a broadcast service provider. The broadcast signal may include a TV broadcast signal, a radio broadcast signal, a data broadcast signal, and a broadcast signal in which a data broadcast signal is 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, it may be received by the mobile communication module 112.

The broadcast-related information may exist in various forms. For example, an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) of DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) or an ESG (Electronic Service Guide) of Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H).

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives broadcasting signals using various broadcasting systems. In particular, the broadcasting receiving module 111 may be a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DMB-T), a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Satellite (DMB-S) Only Digital 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 broadcasting systems that provide broadcasting signals as well as the digital broadcasting system described above.

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

In addition, the mobile communication module 112 transmits and receives radio signals to at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network. Here, the wireless signal may include various types of data related to transmission and reception of a voice call signal, a video call signal, or a text / multimedia message.

The wireless Internet module 113 is a module for wireless Internet access, and the wireless Internet module 113 can be built in or externally.

The short-range communication module 114 refers to a module for short-range communication. Bluetooth, radio frequency identification (RFID), infrared data association (IrDA), ultra wideband (UWB), ZigBee, and the like can be used as the short distance communication technology.

The location information module 115 is a module for confirming or obtaining the location of the mobile terminal. One example is the GPS (Global Position System) module. The GPS module receives position information from a plurality of satellites. Here, the location information may include coordinate information indicated by latitude and longitude. For example, the GPS module can accurately calculate the current location according to the triangulation method by measuring the precise time and distance from three or more satellites and measuring three different distances. A method of obtaining distance and time information from three satellites and correcting the error by one satellite may be used. In particular, the GPS module can acquire latitude, longitude and altitude as well as three-dimensional velocity information and accurate time from the position information received from the satellite.

An audio / video (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 an image frame such as a still image or a moving image obtained by the image sensor in the video communication mode or the photographing mode. Then, the processed image frame can 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. [ The camera 121 may be equipped with two or more cameras according to the configuration of the terminal.

The microphone 122 receives an external sound signal by a microphone in a communication mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, or the like, and processes it as electrical voice data. The processed voice data can be converted into a form that can be transmitted to the mobile communication base station through the mobile communication module 112 when the voice data is in the call mode, and output. The microphone 122 may be implemented with various noise reduction algorithms for eliminating noise generated in the process of receiving an external sound signal.

The user input unit 130 generates input data for a user to control the operation of the terminal. The user input unit 130 may include a key pad dome switch, a touch pad (static / static), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like. Particularly, when the touch pad has a mutual layer structure with the display unit 151, which will be described later, it can be called a touch screen.

The sensing unit 140 senses the current state of the mobile terminal 100 such as the open / close state of the mobile terminal 100, the position of the mobile terminal 100, the presence or absence of user contact, the orientation of the mobile terminal, And generates a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal 100 is in the form of a slide phone, it is possible to sense whether the slide phone is opened or closed. Also, it is responsible for a sensing function related to whether or not the power supply unit 190 is powered on, whether the interface unit 170 is connected to an external device, and the like.

The interface unit 170 serves as an interface with all external devices connected to the mobile terminal 100. 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, Video input / output (I / O) ports, earphone ports, and the like.

Here, the identification module is a chip that stores various information for authenticating the usage right of the mobile terminal 100, and includes a user identification module (UIM), a subscriber identity module (SIM) , A Universal Subscriber Identity Module (" USIM "), and the like. In addition, an apparatus having an identification module (hereinafter referred to as 'identification device') can be manufactured in a smart card format. Accordingly, the identification device can be connected to the terminal 100 through the port. The interface unit 170 receives data from an external device or receives power from the external device to transfer the data to each component in the mobile terminal 100 or to transmit data in 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, an audio 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 the call mode, a UI (User Interface) or a GUI (Graphic User Interface) associated with a call is displayed. If the mobile terminal 100 is in the video communication mode or the photographing mode, the captured image and / or the received image or UI and GUI are displayed.

Meanwhile, as described above, when the display unit 13 and the touch pad have a mutual layer structure to constitute a touch screen, the display unit 151 can be used as an input device in addition to the output device. 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). In addition, there may be two or more display units 151 according to the embodiment of the mobile terminal 100. For example, the mobile terminal 100 may be provided with an external display unit (not shown) and an internal display unit (not shown) at the same time.

The audio output module 152 outputs audio data received from the wireless communication unit 110 or stored in the memory 160 in a call signal reception mode, a call mode or a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcast reception mode, The sound output module 152 outputs an acoustic signal related to functions (e.g., call signal reception sound, 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 the occurrence of an event of the mobile terminal 100. Examples of events that occur in the mobile terminal include receiving a call signal, receiving a message, and inputting a key signal. The alarm unit 153 may output a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event in a form other than an audio signal or a video signal. For example, it is possible to output a signal in a vibration mode. When the call signal is received or a message is received, the alarm unit 153 can output a vibration to notify it. Alternatively, when the key signal is input, the alarm unit 153 can output the vibration by the feedback to the key signal input. The user can recognize the occurrence of an event through the vibration output as described above. Of course, a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event may also be output through the display unit 151 or the audio output module 152.

The memory 160 may store a program for processing and controlling the control unit 180 and may store a function for temporarily storing input / output data (e.g., a phone book, a message, a still image, .

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), a RAM (Random Access Memory) SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), PROM (Programmable Read- And an optical disc. In addition, the mobile terminal 100 may operate a web storage for storing the memory 150 on the Internet.

The control unit 180 typically controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal. For example, for voice call, data communication, video call, and the like. In addition, the control unit 180 may include a multimedia module 181 for multimedia playback. The multimedia module 181 may be implemented in the control unit 180 or may be implemented separately from the control unit 180. [

The power supply unit 190 receives external power and internal power under the control of the controller 180 and supplies power necessary for operation of the respective components.

The various embodiments described herein may be embodied in a computer-readable recording medium using, for example, software, hardware, or a combination thereof.

According to a hardware implementation, the embodiments described herein may be implemented as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays May be implemented using at least one of processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and electrical units for performing functions. In some cases, And may be implemented by the control unit 180.

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

 In the foregoing, the mobile terminal related to the present invention has been described in terms of components according to functions. Hereinafter, the mobile terminal related to the present invention will be further described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 in view of the components according to the outline. Hereinafter, for simplicity of explanation, a slider type mobile terminal will be described as an example among various types of mobile terminals such as a folder type, a bar type, a swing type, a slider type, and the like. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to a slider type mobile terminal but can be applied to all types of mobile terminals including the above-mentioned type.

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

The mobile terminal of the present invention includes a first body 200 and a second body 205 configured to be slidable along at least one direction on the first body 200.

The state where the first body 200 is disposed in a state of being overlapped with the second body 205 may be referred to as a closed configuration and the first body 200 may be referred to as a second body 205 ) May be referred to as an open configuration.

The mobile terminal operates mainly in the standby mode in the closed state, but the standby mode is also released by the operation of the user. The mobile terminal operates mainly in a communication mode in an open state, but is also switched to a standby mode by a user's operation or a predetermined period of time.

The casing (casing, housing, cover, etc.) constituting the outer appearance of the first body 200 is formed by the first front case 220 and the first rear case 225. Various electronic components are installed in a space formed by the first front case 220 and the first rear case 225. At least one intermediate case may be additionally disposed between the first front case 220 and the first rear case 225.

The cases may be formed by injection molding of a synthetic resin or may be formed of a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti).

The display unit 151, the sound output module 152, the camera 121 or the first user input unit 210 may be disposed in the first body 200, specifically, the first front case 220.

The display unit 151 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD), an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes), and the like that visually express information.

In addition, the display unit 151 is overlapped with the touch pad in a layer structure, so that the display unit 151 may operate as a touch screen to enable information input by a user's touch.

The sound output module 152 may be implemented in the form of a speaker.

The camera 121 may be implemented to suitably photograph an image or a moving image for a user and the like.

As in the case of the first body 200, the case constituting the outer appearance of the second body 205 is formed by the second front case 230 and the second rear case 235.

The second user input unit 215 may be disposed on the front surface of the second body 205, specifically, the second front case 230.

A microphone 122 and an interface unit 170 may be disposed on at least one of the first front case 230 and the second rear case 235. The third user input unit 245,

The first to third user input units 210, 215 and 245 may be collectively referred to as a manipulating portion 130. If the user operates in a tactile manner with a tactile impression, Can be employed.

For example, the user input unit may be implemented by a dome switch or a touch pad capable of receiving a command or information by a push or a touch operation of a user, or may be a wheel, a jog type, a joystick, or the like Can also be implemented.

In a functional aspect, the first user input unit 210 is for inputting commands such as start, end, scrolling, etc., and the second user input unit 215 is for inputting numbers, letters, symbols and the like.

Also, the third user input unit 245 may operate as a hot-key for activating a special function in the portable terminal.

The microphone 122 may be implemented in a form suitable for receiving voice, sound, etc. of the user.

The interface unit 170 is a path for allowing a mobile terminal related to the present invention to exchange data with an external device. For example, the interface unit 170 may be a wired or wireless connection terminal for connecting to an earphone, a port for short-range communication (for example, an IrDA port, a Bluetooth port, (wireless Lan port), etc.), or power supply terminals for supplying power to the mobile terminal.

The interface unit 170 may be a card socket for accommodating an external card such as a subscriber identification module (SIM) or a user identity module (UIM) or a memory card for storing information.

And a power supply unit 190 for supplying power to the mobile terminal is mounted on the second rear case 235 side.

The power supply unit 190 may be detachably coupled to a rechargeable battery, for example, for charging.

3 is a rear perspective view of the mobile terminal of FIG.

Referring to FIG. 3, a camera 121 may be further mounted on the rear surface of the second rear case 235 of the second body 205. The camera 121 of the second body 205 has a photographing direction which is substantially opposite to that of the camera 121 of the first body 200. The camera 121 of the first body 200 and the camera 121 of the first body 200, And different pixels.

For example, the camera 121 of the first body 200 has low pixels so that it is easy to capture a face of a user in the case of a video call or the like and transmit it to the other party, Since it is often the case that a subject is photographed and not immediately transferred, it is preferable to have a high pixel.

A flash 250 and a mirror 255 may be additionally disposed adjacent to the camera 121 of the second body 205. The flash 250 illuminates the subject when the subject of the subject is photographed by the camera 121 of the second body 205. The mirror 255 allows the user to illuminate the user's own face or the like when the user intends to take a picture of himself / herself (self-photographing) using the camera 121 of the second body 205.

The second rear case 235 may further include an acoustic output module 152.

The sound output module 152 of the second body 205 may implement a stereo function together with the sound output module 152 of the first body 200 and may be used for a call in a speakerphone mode.

In addition, an antenna 260 for receiving broadcast signals may be disposed on one side of the second rear case 235 in addition to the antenna for communication. The antenna 260 may be installed to be detachable from the second body 205 (2).

A portion of the slide module 265 that slidably couples the first body 200 and the second body 205 is disposed on the first rear case 225 side of the first body 200.

The other part of the slide module 265 may be disposed on the second front case 230 side of the second body 205 and may not be exposed to the outside as in this figure.

The second camera 121 and the like are disposed on the second body 205, the present invention is not limited thereto.

For example, at least one of the configurations 260, 121 to 250, and 152 described as being disposed in the second rear case 235, such as the camera 121 of the second body, It is also possible that the first rear case 225 is mounted to the rear case 225. In such a case, there is an advantage that the configuration (s) disposed in the first rear case 225 in the closed state is protected by the second body 205. Further, even if the camera 121 of the second body is not separately provided, the camera 121 of the first body may be configured to be rotatable so that the camera 121 of the second body can be photographed up to the photographing direction .

The terminal 100 shown in Figs. 1 to 3 is operable in a communication system capable of transmitting data through a frame or a packet, including a wired / wireless communication system and a satellite-based communication system .

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

The communication system may use different air interfaces and / or physical layers. For example, wireless interfaces that can be used by communication systems include, but are not limited to, Frequency Division Multiple Access ('FDMA'), Time Division Multiple Access ('TDMA'), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Universal Mobile Telecommunications Systems (UMTS) (especially Long Term Evolution (LTE)), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) . Hereinafter, for the sake of convenience of description, the description will be limited to CDMA. However, the present invention is applicable to all communication systems including CDMA wireless communication systems.

4, the CDMA wireless communication system includes a plurality of terminals 100, a plurality of base stations (BSs) 270, and base station controllers (BSCs) 275 , And a mobile switching center ('MSC') 280. MSC 280 is configured to be coupled to a Public Switched Telephone Network (" PSTN ") 290, and is also configured to be coupled to BSCs 275. BSCs 275 may be coupled in pairs with 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 comprise at least one sector, and each sector may comprise an omnidirectional antenna or an antenna pointing to a particular direction of radial from 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 and each of the plurality of frequency assignments has a specific spectrum (e.g., 1.25 MHz, 5 MHz, etc.).

The intersection of sector and frequency assignment may be referred to as 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 referred to as a combination of one BSC 275 and at least one BS 270. [ The base station may also indicate a "cell site ". Alternatively, each of the plurality of sectors for a particular BS 270 may be referred to as a plurality of cell sites.

4, a broadcasting transmitter (BT) 295 transmits a broadcasting signal to the terminals 100 operating in the system. The broadcast module 111 shown in FIG. 1 is provided in the terminal 100 to receive a broadcast signal transmitted by the BT 295.

In addition, FIG. 4 illustrates several Global Positioning System ('GPS') satellites 300. The satellites 300 help to locate at least one of the plurality of terminals 100. Although two satellites are shown in Figure 4, useful location information may be obtained by two or more satellites. The GPS module 115 shown in FIG. 1 cooperates with satellites 300 to obtain desired location information. Here, you can track your location using all of the technologies that can track your location, as well as your GPS tracking technology. Also, at least one of the GPS satellites 300 may optionally or additionally be responsible for satellite DMB transmission.

Among the typical operations of a wireless communication system, the BS 270 receives a reverse link signal from the various terminals 100. At this time, the terminals 100 are in the process of connecting a call, transmitting or receiving a message, or performing another communication operation. Each of the reverse link signals received by the particular base station 270 is processed by the particular base station 270. The data resulting from the processing is transmitted to the connected BSC 275. The BSC 275 provides call resource allocation and mobility management functions, including the organization of soft handoffs between the base stations 270. The BSC 275 also transmits the received data to the MSC 280 and the MSC 280 provides additional transmission services for connection with the PSTN 290. [ Similarly, the PSTN 290 connects to the MSC 280, the MSC 280 connects to the BSCs 275, and the BSCs 275 communicate with the BSs 270 ).

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B are views showing a charge alarm setting screen of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention to be.

5, a mobile terminal 100 according to the present invention includes a wireless communication unit 110, a user input unit 130, an output unit 150, a memory 160, a controller 180, and a power supply unit 190 .

The wireless communication unit 110 may include one or more components that allow wireless communication between wireless communication systems or wireless communication between the mobile terminal 100 and a network on which the mobile terminal 100 is located, as described above. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the mobile communication terminal 100 includes a broadcast receiving module 111, a mobile communication module 112, a wireless Internet module 113, a short distance communication module 114, a location tracking module 115, .

The user input unit 130 generates input data for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100 according to a user operation. Accordingly, the user can set / cancel the charge alarm function through the user input unit 130, and input the input data required when the charge alarm function is set, that is, the setup information. The setting information may include an alarm type, a time, a date, a cycle (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly, etc.). The alarm system may include a mode in which the user can recognize the occurrence of an alarm by using a visual, auditory, or tactile sense such as silence, bell, vibration, bell + vibration, after-bell vibration,

Also, the user input unit 130 may include a separate key for activating the charge alarm function.

The output unit 150 is for outputting audio, video, or alarm signals as described above, and may include a display unit 151, an audio output module 152, an alarm unit 153, and the like.

The display unit 151 displays the status and the result of the operation of the mobile terminal 100 and displays processed information according to the charging alarm function. The display unit 151 may display the processed information in a pop-up form.

Also, the display unit 151 may be implemented as a touch screen coupled with the user input unit 130. Therefore, the display unit 151 can be used not only as an output device but also as an input device.

The audio output module 152 outputs the audio data received via the wireless communication unit 110 or stored in the memory 160 as described above. Also, the sound output module 152 may output an acoustic signal related to a function performed by the mobile terminal 100.

In the present invention, the sound output module 152 may output an acoustic signal related to performing a charge alarm function. The sound signal can be set and changed according to a menu operation of the user.

The alarm unit 153 outputs a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event of the mobile terminal 100 as described above. The event may include receiving a call signal, receiving a message, inputting a key signal, and the like.

In this embodiment, the alarm unit 153 generates a signal indicating that the battery is required to be charged. The notification signal may be implemented in the form of a beep, light emitting device on / off, vibration, or the like. Also, the notification signal may be output through the display unit 151 or the audio output module 152.

The memory 160 stores various programs necessary for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100 and an application program for controlling the charge alarm function. In addition, the memory 160 may store setting information related to a charge alarm function, a terminal usage pattern, a consumed current amount per each function, an average consumed current amount, and the like.

The setting information may include an alarm system, a charging time, a date, a cycle, and the like. The alarm system may include a form in which a user recognizes that a charge alarm is generated by using a visual, auditory, or tactile sense. For example, the alarm system may include a warning sound, a vibration, a flashing of a light emitting element, an alarm message, a bell, and the like.

The charging time is a point in time when the user wants to normally use the mobile terminal 100 and can perform charging.

The period includes a period for checking whether or not the battery needs to be charged, for example, every day, every two days, every week, every month, and the like.

The terminal usage pattern can be used for various functions such as voice / video call, wireless internet, multimedia playback, short message and multimedia message in a specific time unit (e.g., 24 hours, 12 hours, 6 hours) Information.

The amount of consumed current for each function includes the amount of current consumed for each function such as a voice call, a video call, a short message, a multimedia message, a multimedia message, a photograph, The amount of consumed current may be updated to a periodically measured value or an average value at the time of performing each function. Alternatively, the amount of consumed current according to the function may be a value stored in advance as a default in manufacturing the terminal.

The average consumed current amount is an average of the amount of current consumed for a predetermined time, and may be updated in units of a predetermined time.

The control unit 180 sets / releases the charge alarm function according to the input from the user input unit 130. [ Upon receiving the charging alarm function execution command from the user input unit 130, the controller 180 displays the charging alarm setting screen as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B on the display unit 151. The user inputs information necessary for setting through the charging alarm setting screen displayed on the display unit 151. [

When the setting of the charge alarm function is completed, the controller 180 stores the setting information related to the charge alarm function in the memory 160. [ The setting information includes an alarm type, a charging time, a date, a cycle, and the like.

As described above, the alarm system is implemented in a form that can be recognized by the user using the five senses such as sight, hearing, and tactile sense, and includes, for example, silence, bell, vibration and the like.

If the alarm mode is silent, the control unit 180 outputs an alarm message to the display unit 151 indicating that charging is required.

Alternatively, when the alarm type is bell, the control unit 180 outputs a predetermined sound signal and an alarm sound (alarm sound) through the sound output module 152 and the alarm unit 153. The sound signal and the alarm sound can be changed and set by the user. When the sound signal and the alarm sound are output, the display unit 151 may display an alarm message and a background image related to the charge alarm.

Alternatively, when the alarm type is vibration, the controller 180 controls the vibrator (not shown) according to a predetermined vibration mode. The vibration mode is classified according to vibration time, type, intensity, etc., and the user can change the setting. In addition, the controller 180 may display an alarm message, a background image, and the like on the display unit 151 at the time of vibration output.

The charging time is a time when the user can perform charging and a time when the user wishes to use the battery 191 normally. In other words, the charging time is a time when the user desires to use the terminal in a normal operation state. For example, if the user wants to keep the terminal powered on until he arrives home, he sets the charging time to the time the user arrives at the home. In other words, the charging time indicates a point at which charging can be performed.

Further, the controller 180 compares the current time and the set charging time, and detects the remaining amount of the battery 191 when the current time reaches the set charging time. The control unit 180 determines whether normal power supply to the mobile terminal 100 is possible until the next charging time, based on the remaining amount of the battery 191 detected. At this time, the controller 180 determines whether the battery 191 needs to be charged through the terminal usage pattern and the average consumption current amount stored in the memory 160. For example, when the charging time is set to 9:00 PM, the controller 180 detects the remaining amount of the battery 191 when the current time reaches 9:00 PM, and, based on the detected remaining amount, It is determined whether power supply is possible.

The controller 180 informs the user of the necessity of charging the battery 191 according to the determined result. If it is determined that the battery 191 needs to be charged, the controller 180 notifies the output unit 150 that charging is required. On the other hand, when it is not necessary to charge the battery 191, the control unit 180 may not output the charge alarm, or may display a message on the display unit 151 indicating that the charge is not necessary, Module 152, as shown in FIG.

In addition, when the predetermined function is executed in the state that the charging alarm function setting is completed, the controller 180 calculates a time for performing the predetermined function so that the terminal can operate normally until the predetermined charging time, And outputs the result through at least one of the display unit 151, the sound output module 152, and the alarm unit 153 so as to be recognized by the user. At this time, the controller 180 calculates the usable time of the predetermined function by using the amount of consumed current and the amount of the consumed current stored in the memory 160. The predetermined functions include games, character input / storage, wireless Internet, voice / video call, digital broadcast reception, multimedia playback, and the like. For example, when a video call is attempted with the charge time set to 9:00 PM, the controller 180 calculates a maximum time for using the video call using the amount of current consumed in performing the video call. Then, the control unit 180 outputs a message " It is possible to use normally until 9 pm today when using video call within 20 minutes' to inform the calculated usable time. At this time, the controller 180 may output bell or / and vibration together. Alternatively, the control unit 180 may convert the message into a voice signal and output the voice signal.

In the present embodiment, the use time is confirmed and informed in the case where the function causing a large current consumption is performed. However, even if the amount of consumed current increases due to the service area departure, Is displayed on the display unit 151 or converts it into a voice signal and outputs the voice signal to the sound output module 152 ).

As described above, the power supply unit 190 receives external power and internal power under the control of the controller 180, and supplies power required for operation of the respective components. The power supply unit 190 may include a battery 191, a remaining amount detecting unit 192 for detecting the remaining amount of the battery 191, and a consumed current amount detecting unit 193 for detecting the amount of consumed current of the battery. The amount of consumed current and the amount of consumed current according to the function can be periodically updated through the amount of consumed current detected through the consumed current amount detector 192. [

7 is a flowchart illustrating a charge alarm method of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

7, when the user executes the charge alarm function to set the charge alarm function, the control unit 180 displays the charge alarm setting screen as shown in FIG. 8A on the display unit 151. FIG. The controller 180 sets a charge alarm function through the input data input through the user input unit 130 on the charge alarm setting screen displayed on the display unit 151 (S101). Then, the controller 180 stores the setting information related to the charging alarm function in the memory 160. The setting information may include an alarm system, a date, a cycle, a charging time, and the like. The alarm system includes silence, vibration, bell, etc., and can simultaneously output at least one of the alarm systems. For example, it is also possible that the vibration and the bell are outputted simultaneously or the bell is outputted after the vibration.

In other words, as shown in FIG. 8A, the user sets the alarm mode to bell, the cycle every day, and the charge time to 9:00 pm on the charge alarm setting screen. When the save button is selected, the setting of the charge alarm function is completed. The charging time is a time when the user wishes to normally use the mobile terminal 100 and a time when the battery 191 desires to maintain the normal power supply to the mobile terminal 100, Time. That is, the time for charging the battery 191 is reserved in advance.

When the setting is completed, the controller 180 compares the current time with the set charging time (S103). As a result of the comparison, when the current time reaches the charging time, the control unit 180 controls the remaining amount detecting unit 192 to detect the remaining battery amount (S105). In other words, the controller 180 detects the remaining amount of the battery 191 through the remaining amount detecting unit 192 when the current time reaches the set charging time of 9 pm. For example, since the mobile terminal 100 measures the voltage of the battery 191, the remaining battery capacity can be confirmed.

In this embodiment, the battery remaining amount is measured by measuring the voltage of the battery 191. However, since the amount of current consumed from the battery 191 is measured, the remaining amount of the battery may be checked.

The controller 180 determines whether the normal operation of the terminal is possible until the next charging time based on the detected battery remaining amount (S107). At this time, the controller 180 may determine whether the normal operation of the terminal is possible until the next charging time, based on the battery remaining amount detected through the average consumption current amount or the usage pattern information of the user. In other words, the controller 180 determines whether the battery remaining amount detected by the mobile terminal 100 can be normally supplied until the next charging time.

If it is determined that the normal operation of the terminal is not possible until the next charging time, the control unit 180 notifies the user of the necessity of charging according to the predetermined alarm system (S109). The alarm system may include silence, bell, vibration, and the like.

If the preset alarm mode is silent, the controller 180 may display a message 'Charging is required' on the display unit 151 or turn on / off the light emitting device as shown in FIG. 8B .

Alternatively, if the preset alarm method is bell, the control unit 180 may convert the message 'need charging' to a voice signal and output it or output a predetermined ringing tone through the sound output module 152 . In addition, the controller 180 may output the preset alarm sound through the alarm unit 153. [ The ringing tone and the alarm tone may be changed by a menu operation of the user.

Alternatively, when the predetermined alarm system is the vibration, the controller 180 controls the vibrator (not shown) according to a predetermined vibration mode to notify that the charging is required.

In the above-described embodiment, only one of the alarm systems such as silence, bell, and vibration is used as an example, but two or more of them may be combined.

9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of displaying the available time of the mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 9, in response to a user's request, the controller 180 sets a charge alarm function (S201). In other words, a time to charge the battery 191 (hereinafter referred to as a charging time), an alarm method, and the like are set.

In a state in which the charge alarm function is executed according to the setting, when the user instructs execution of a predetermined function having a large current consumption such as video call, movie, MP3 playback, game, etc., the controller 180 calculates (S203, S205). Here, the controller 180 detects the remaining amount of the battery 191. The control unit 180 calculates a usable time of the predetermined function for normally operating the terminal up to the set charging time using the amount of consumed current and average consumed current for each function stored in the memory 160, . In other words, the controller 180 calculates a usable time of the predetermined function to allow the battery to be used until the preset charging time based on the detected battery remaining amount.

For example, if the user sets the charge time to 9 pm, the control unit 180 first detects the battery remaining amount. Then, the maximum remaining time that the user can use the video call is calculated so that the remaining battery amount of the detected battery does not become OFF until 9:00 pm and the terminal operates normally.

The controller 180 displays the calculated result on the display unit 180 (S207). For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the display unit 151 displays a message 'normal use is available until 9 pm today when using a video call within 20 minutes' indicating that the video call can be used for a maximum of 20 minutes, . In this embodiment, the available time of the executed function is displayed on the display unit 180 as an example, but it may be outputted in the form of a voice signal through the sound output module 152. [

Thereafter, when the user starts to perform the function, the controller 180 operates the counter (not shown) to generate the sound effect in units of a predetermined time so as not to exceed the usable time, So that the user can recognize it. For example, when a selected video call is started, an effect sound is generated in units of one minute to inform that one minute has elapsed, and a warning sound is generated when the available time is reached. In addition, when the usable time of the video call has elapsed, it is possible to output a warning message and a warning sound such as 'usable time can not be used until 9 pm today' as shown in FIG. 11 .

Alternatively, if the execution time of the executed function exceeds the available time, the charging alarm may be output according to the predetermined alarm method, and execution of the function being performed may be suspended.

Further, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the above-described method can be implemented as computer-readable code on a medium on which a program is recorded. The computer readable medium includes all kinds of recording devices in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored. Examples of the computer-readable medium include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage, and the like, and also implemented in the form of a carrier wave (for example, transmission over the Internet) . In addition, the computer may include a control unit 180 of the terminal.

The mobile terminal described above can be applied to not only the configuration and method of the embodiments described above but also all or some of the embodiments may be selectively combined so that various modifications may be made to the embodiments It is possible.

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

2 is a front perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;

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

4 is a block diagram of a wireless communication system in which a mobile terminal may operate in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;

6A and 6B illustrate an example of a charge alarm setting screen of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a charging alarm method of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

FIG. 8A is an exemplary view showing a charge alarm setting screen of the mobile terminal according to the embodiment of FIG. 7; FIG.

FIG. 8B is an exemplary view showing an alarm screen of the mobile terminal according to the embodiment of FIG. 7; FIG.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of displaying available time of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

FIG. 10 is an exemplary view showing an alarm screen of a mobile terminal according to the embodiment of FIG. 9; FIG.

11 is an exemplary view showing an alarm screen of a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS

100: mobile terminal 110: wireless communication unit

120: A / V input unit 130: user input unit

140: sensing unit 150: output unit

160: memory 170: interface section

180: control unit 190: power supply unit

Claims (14)

Setting a charging time indicating a time when a user is expected to perform charging using a charging alarm function; Detecting a remaining amount of the battery when the predetermined function is executed while the charge alarm function is set; Calculating a usable time indicating a recommended execution time of the predetermined function so that the terminal operates normally until the set charging time with the detected battery remaining amount; And And notifying the calculated time and whether charging is required. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the mobile terminal includes a function for consuming a large current such as a game, a wireless Internet, a multimedia playback, a digital broadcast reception, a photo shoot, and a message input / storage. The method according to claim 1, Detecting a battery remaining amount when the current time reaches the set charging time and confirming whether the terminal can be normally operated until the next charging time with the detected remaining battery amount; And notifying whether charging is required according to a result of the checking. 4. The method as claimed in claim 3, The terminal usage pattern information and the average consumption current amount to determine whether charging is required. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the usage pattern information and the average consumed current amount Wherein the mobile terminal is periodically updated. 4. The method of claim 3, If the normal operation of the terminal is not possible, notifies the necessity of charging according to a predetermined alarm system. 4. The method according to claim 3, Wherein the outputting is performed according to a predetermined alarm method before the execution of the predetermined function or when the execution time of the predetermined function reaches the calculated available time. 8. The method of claim 7, Wherein the at least one of the at least one of the first, second, A user input unit for receiving setting information for setting a charging alarm function; A control unit configured to set a charging time indicating a time at which charging is expected from the user using the charging alarm function when the charging alarm function is set according to an input of the user input unit; And an output unit for outputting a battery charge alarm under the control of the control unit, The control unit A remaining capacity of the battery is detected and a usable time indicating a recommended execution time of the executed predetermined function is calculated so that the mobile terminal operates normally until the set charging time with the detected battery remaining amount, And outputs the output signal. 10. The method according to claim 9, An alarm method, a charging time, a date, and a cycle. 10. The apparatus according to claim 9, And determines whether normal power supply of the battery is possible by using the terminal use pattern and the average consumed current amount. delete 10. The apparatus according to claim 9, Detects the battery remaining amount when the current time reaches the charging time, and confirms whether normal power supply of the battery is possible until the next charging time based on the detected remaining amount of the battery. 10. The apparatus according to claim 9, A display unit for displaying a status and a result of the charging alarm function; An acoustic output module for outputting an acoustic signal related to the charging alarm function; And an alarm unit for outputting an alarm sound indicating that the battery is required to be charged.

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