PORTABLE TERMINAL

• US 20080024462A1
• Filed: 07/26/2007
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VideoLabs, Inc.
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jong-Hun, Park, Min-ho
• Granted Patent: US 7,525,535 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

A portable terminal has a body including a transparent window integrally formed therein, a display disposed beneath the body and visible through the transparent window, and a touch screen located between the display and the body, the touch screen permitting signal input in a capacitive manner.

Claims

1. A portable terminal comprising:

a body having a transparent window integrally formed therein;

a display disposed beneath the body and visible through the transparent window; and

a touch pad located between the display and the body, the touch pad permitting signal input in a capacitive manner.

2. The portable terminal of claim 1, wherein the body has a surface thereof coated with an opaque film to be integrally formed with the transparent window.

3. The portable terminal of claim 1, wherein the body is formed by a double injection molding.

4. The portable terminal of claim 1, wherein the touch pad comprises:

a touch-sensing unit disposed at an inner surface of the transparent window and touchable by a user'"'"'s body via the transparent window; and

a signal-transferring unit disposed at an edge of the touch-sensing unit to transfer a coordinate value read by the touch-sensing unit.

5. The portable terminal of claim 4, wherein the signal-transferring unit installed at the edge of the touch pad is transparent.

6. The portable terminal of claim 4, wherein a gap maintaining pad is interposed between the touch pad and the display to maintain a gap between the touch pad and the display.

7. The portable terminal of claim 4, wherein the touch pad has one end electrically connected to the display and a main circuitry supporting substrate via a flexible circuitry supporting substrate.

8. The portable terminal of claim 7, wherein the flexible circuitry supporting substrate has a control circuit which converts a signal generated from the touch pad into a coordinate value and transfers the coordinate value to a controller of the main circuitry supporting substrate.

9. The portable terminal according to claim 4, wherein the body has a surface thereof coated with an opaque film to be integrally formed with the transparent window, the opaque film covering the signal transferring unit.

10. The portable terminal according to claim 1, wherein the touch screen includes a signal-transferring unit, and a covering layer disposed above the signal-transferring unit when viewed through the opening.

11. The portable terminal according to claim 10, wherein the covering layer is an opaque film applied to a lower surface of the body.

12. The portable terminal according to claim 1, wherein the body has a substantially planar front surface, and the transparent window forms a portion of the front surface.

13. The portable terminal according to claim 1, wherein the body has an uninterrupted front surface, and the transparent window forms a portion of the front surface.

14. A mobile communication device for receiving and transmitting wireless communication signals comprising:

a body having a transparent window integrally formed therein;

a display disposed beneath the body and visible through the transparent window; and

a touch pad located between the display and the body, the touch pad permitting signal input in a capacitive manner to control the mobile communication device.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 14, wherein the body has a surface thereof coated with an opaque film to be integrally formed with the transparent window.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 14, wherein the body is formed by a double injection molding.

17. The mobile communication device of claim 14, wherein the touch pad comprises:

a touch-sensing unit disposed at an inner surface of the transparent window and touchable by a user'"'"'s body via the transparent window; and

a signal-transferring unit disposed at an edge of the touch-sensing unit to transfer a coordinate value read by the touch-sensing unit.

18. The mobile communication device of claim 17, wherein the signal-transferring unit installed at the edge of the touch pad is transparent.

19. The mobile communication device of claim 17, wherein a gap maintaining pad is interposed between the touch pad and the display to maintain a gap between the touch pad and the display.

20. The mobile communication device of claim 17, wherein the touch pad has one end electrically connected to the display and a main circuitry supporting substrate via a flexible circuitry supporting substrate.

21. The mobile communication device of claim 20, wherein the flexible circuitry supporting substrate has a control circuit which converts a signal generated from the touch pad into a coordinate value and transfers the coordinate value to a controller of the main circuitry supporting substrate.

22. The mobile communication device according to claim 14, wherein the touch screen includes a signal-transferring unit, and a covering layer disposed above the signal-transferring unit when viewed through the opening.

23. The mobile communication device according to claim 22, wherein the covering layer is an opaque film applied to a lower surface of the body.

24. The mobile communication device according to claim 14, wherein the body has a substantially planar front surface, and the transparent window forms a portion of the front surface.

25. The mobile communication device according to claim 14, wherein the body has an uninterrupted front surface, and the transparent window forms a portion of the front surface.

26. The mobile communication device according to claim 25, wherein the body has a surface thereof coated with an opaque film to be integrally formed with the transparent window, the opaque film covering the signal transferring unit.

27. A mobile communication device comprising:

an upper body;

a display disposed beneath the upper body and visible therethrough;

a touch-sensing unit disposed between the upper body and the display; and

a signal-transferring unit disposed at at least one edge of the touch-sensing unit, the signal-transferring unit configured to transfer a signal generated by the touch-sensing unit.

28. The mobile communication device of claim 27, wherein the signal-transferring unit is transparent.

29. The mobile communication device of claim 27, further comprising:

a controller; and

a control circuit connected to the signal-transferring unit, the control circuit being configured to transmit a coordinate to the controller.

30. The mobile communication device of claim 29, further comprising a flexible circuitry supporting substrate, the flexible circuitry supporting substrate connecting the signal-transferring unit to the controller, the control circuit being located on the flexible circuitry supporting substrate.