MOBILE TERMINAL AND METHOD FOR OPERATING TOUCH KEYPAD THEREOF

• US 20070126705A1
• Filed: 11/09/2006
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, In-Yong, Ko, Dong
• Granted Patent: US 7,932,839 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/170
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/84 characterised by ergonomic functions, e.g. for miniature keyboards; characterised by operational sensory functions, e.g. sound feedback legends H01H13/83
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/03 Sound
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/052 piezoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2217/032 Feedback about selected symbol, e.g. display
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/038 ambient light dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/039 Selective or different modes of illumination
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

A mobile terminal and method for operating a touch keypad, the mobile terminal including a touch keypad, a touch sensor for sensing a signal inputted from a key selected by a user on the touch keypad and outputting location information corresponding to the selected key based upon the sensed signal, a Control Processor (CPU) for outputting at least one or more control signals based upon the outputted location information, and a light emitting diode controller for independently driving a light emitting diode corresponding to the selected key based upon the outputted control signals.

Claims

1. A method for operating a touch keypad of a mobile terminal, the touch keypad having a plurality of keys and at least one light emitting unit associated with each of the plurality of keys, the method comprising:

sensing a signal input from a selected one of the plurality of keys, the signal generated by a user touching the selected key; and

illuminating the light emitting unit associated with the selected key independent of the light emitting units associated with the non-selected keys such that the user can recognize the selected key.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an audible indication of the selected key.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a vibration to indicate that one of the plurality of keys was selected.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein illuminating the light emitting unit associated with the selected key comprises turning off the light emitting units associated with the non-selected keys.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein illuminating the light emitting unit associated with the selected key comprises illuminating the light emitting unit associated with the selected key such that it emits a different color than the light emitting units associated with the non-selected keys.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein illuminating the light emitting unit associated with the selected key comprises illuminating the light emitting unit associated with the selected key such that it blinks.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising turning off the light emitting units associated with the non-selected keys.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising illuminating the light emitting units associated with the non-selected keys such that they emit a constant light.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein illuminating the light emitting unit associated with the selected key comprises:

illuminating the light emitting units associated with the non-selected keys such that they emit a constant light of a first magnitude; and

illuminating the light emitting unit associated with the selected key such that it emits a constant light of a second magnitude,

wherein the second magnitude is greater than the first magnitude,

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating one of an audible indication of the selected key, a vibration to indicate that one of the plurality of keys was selected and both the audible indication and the vibration, the generating performed according to a preset option, the preset option based upon one of a mode, a time of day and a level of illuminance of external light.

11. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a transceiving unit adapted to transmit and receive signals;

a touch keypad having a plurality of keys adapted to allow a user to enter information, each of the plurality of keys having an associated light emitting unit; and

a control unit adapted to sense a signal input from a selected one of the plurality of keys when a user touches the selected key and to illuminate the light emitting unit associated with the selected key independent of the light emitting units associated with the non-selected keys such that the user can recognize which of the plurality of keys was touched.

12. The terminal of claim 11, further comprising an alarm unit and wherein the control unit is further adapted to control the alarm unit to generate an audible indication of the selected key.

13. The terminal of claim 12, further comprising a vibration unit and wherein the control unit is further adapted to control the vibration unit to generate a vibration to indicate that one of the plurality of keys was selected.

14. The terminal of claim 11, wherein the control unit is further adapted to turn off the light emitting units associated with the non-selected keys and turn on the light emitting unit associated with the selected key.

15. The terminal of claim 11, wherein the control unit is further adapted to illuminate the light emitting unit associated with the selected key such that it emits a different color than the light emitting units associated with the non-selected keys.

16. The terminal of claim 11, wherein the control unit is further adapted to:

illuminate the light emitting unit associated with the selected key such that it blinks; and

illuminate the light emitting units associated with the non-selected keys such that they emit a constant light.

17. The terminal of claim 11, wherein the control unit is further adapted to:

illuminate the light emitting units associated with the non-selected keys such that they emit a constant light of a first magnitude; and

illuminate the light emitting unit associated with the selected key such that it emits a constant light of a second magnitude,

wherein the second magnitude is greater than the first magnitude.

18. The terminal of claim 11 further comprising an alarm unit and a vibration unit and wherein the control unit is further adapted to detect a preset option and one of control the alarm unit to generate an audible indication of the selected key, control the vibration unit to generate a vibration to indicate that one of the plurality of keys was selected and control both the alarm unit to generate the audible indication and the vibration unit to generate the vibration.

19. The terminal of claim 18, wherein the preset option is based upon one of a mode, a time of day and a level of illuminance of external light.

20. The terminal of claim 19, wherein the mode comprises one of normal and manner and the control unit is further adapted to one of control the alarm unit to generate the audible indication and control both the alarm unit to generate the audible indication and the vibration unit to generate the vibration in normal mode and to control the vibration unit to generate the vibration in manner mode.

21. The terminal of claim 19, wherein the time of day comprises one of morning, afternoon and night and the control unit is further adapted to control the vibration unit to generate the vibration in the morning and afternoon and one of control the alarm unit to generate the audible indication and control both the alarm unit to generate the audible indication and the vibration unit and the vibration at night.

22. The terminal of claim 19, wherein the level of illuminance comprises one of a bright area and a dark area and the control unit is further adapted to control both the alarm unit and the vibration unit to generate the audible indication and the vibration in a bright area and one of control the alarm unit to generate the audible indication, control the vibration unit the generate the vibration and control both the alarm unit and the vibration unit to generate the audible indication and the vibration in a dark area.

23. The terminal of claim 11, wherein the control unit comprises:

a touch sensor processor adapted to sense the signal input from the selected key and output location information corresponding to the selected key based upon the sensed signal;

a control processor unit (CPU) adapted to output at least one control signal according to the location information; and

a light emitting unit controller adapted to independently drive the light emitting unit associated with the selected key according to the at least one control signal.

24. The terminal of claim 23, further comprising an Inter IC Bus (I2C) controller adapted to provide an I2C interface between the touch sensor processor and the CPU and between the CPU and the light emitting unit controller.

25. The terminal of claim 23, further comprising a memory adapted to store location information corresponding to each of the plurality of keys.

26. The terminal of claim 25, wherein the CPU is further adapted to output a control signal for controlling the light emitting unit associated with the selected key based upon the key location information from the touch sensor processor and the location information stored in the memory.

27. The terminal of claim 11, wherein the touch keypad comprises capacitors arranged in an arbitrary form.

28. The terminal of claim 27, wherein the touch sensor processor is further adapted to sense a signal input from the selected key according to changes in capacitance values.

29. The terminal of claim 11, wherein the touch keypad further comprises:

a first unit providing the light emitting units associated with the plurality of keys;

a second unit providing guiding portions adapted to guide light from each light emitting unit to the associated one of the plurality of keys; and

a touch keypad panel providing the plurality of keys.

30. The terminal of claim 11, wherein the touch keypad comprises:

a first unit providing the light emitting units associated with the plurality of keys;

a second unit providing guiding portions adapted to guide light from each light emitting unit to the associated one of the plurality of keys and additional light emitting units adapted to provide backlighting for the plurality of keys; and

a touch keypad panel providing the plurality of keys.