MOBILE TERMINAL INCLUDING MULTIFUNCTIONAL KEYPAD

• US 20080068228A1
• Filed: 09/17/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: JEONG, Yang Jae
• Application Number:
  US11/856,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20080068228A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/018 Input/output arrangements for oriental characters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods

Abstract

Provided is a mobile terminal including an attachable/detachable keypad which has keys arranged so that a user inputs characters using several fingers of one hand. The mobile terminal includes a keypad. The keypad includes a character part including a consonant part for inputting consonants of Korean alphabet, a right-side vowel part for inputting right-side vowels of Korean alphabet, a bottom vowel part for inputting bottom vowels of Korean alphabet, and a function control part, wherein the same character keys of a first character part having the consonant part located at an upper left portion of the keypad and a second character part having the consonant part located at an upper right portion share the same switch.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising a keypad, the keypad comprising:

a character part including a consonant part for inputting consonants of Korean alphabet, a right-side vowel part for inputting right-side vowels of Korean alphabet, a bottom vowel part for inputting bottom vowels of Korean alphabet, and a function control part,

wherein the same character keys of a first character part having the consonant part located at an upper left portion of the keypad and a second character part having the consonant part located at an upper right portion share the same switch.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the consonant part of the keypad has a key layout comprised of 3 columns and 3 rows, the right-side vowel part has a key layout comprised of 1 column and 3 rows, the bottom vowel part has a key layout comprised of 3 columns and 1 row, and the character part has a key layout comprised of 4 columns and 5 rows.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the first character part of the keypad comprises the right-side vowel part located at the right of the consonant part, and the bottom vowel part located below the consonant part, and

the second character part of the keypad comprises the right-side vowel part located at the left of the consonant part, and the bottom vowel part located below the consonant part.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the function control part of the keypad comprises:

a key for deleting input characters;

an Enter key for indicating that sentence input is completed;

a space key for inputting a space between characters;

a Shift key for allowing other characters labeled on each key to be selected and input; and

a Ctrl key for activating a particular function in combination with other keys.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the function control part of the keypad comprises:

a Korean/English/Number select key for selecting one of Korean, English and numbers labeled on the same key; and

an Alt key for activating a particular function in combination with other keys.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the function control part of the keypad comprises a spare key prepared for function addition.

7. A mobile terminal comprising:

a keypad comprising a character part including a consonant part for inputting consonants of Korean alphabet, a right-side vowel part for inputting right-side vowels of Korean alphabet, a bottom vowel part for inputting bottom vowels of Korean alphabet, and a function control part;

an attachment/detachment button for attaching or detaching the keypad to or from the mobile terminal;

a wired communication unit for establishing a data communication path between the keypad and the mobile terminal; and

a wireless communication unit for establishing a data communication path between the keypad and the mobile terminal.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the keypad further comprises a communication selecting unit for re-establishing the data communication path according to whether the keypad is attached to or detached from the mobile terminal.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the keypad further comprises a power supply for re-establishing a power charging or discharging path according to whether the keypad is attached to or detached from the mobile terminal.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the wired communication unit comprises:

a first wired communication unit for establishing a data communication path with the mobile terminal in the keypad for data transmission and reception; and

a second wired communication unit for establishing a data communication path with the keypad in the mobile terminal for data transmission and reception.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the wireless communication unit comprises:

a first wireless communication unit for establishing a data communication path with the mobile terminal in the keypad for data transmission and reception; and

a second wireless communication unit for establishing a data communication path with the keypad in the mobile terminal for data transmission and reception.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the wireless communication unit uses Bluetooth or ZigBee as protocol.

13. A mobile terminal comprising:

a keypad including a character part including a consonant part for inputting consonants of Korean alphabet, a right-side vowel part for inputting right-side vowels of Korean alphabet, a bottom vowel part for inputting bottom vowels of Korean alphabet, and a function control part, wherein the same character keys of a first character part having the consonant part located at an upper left portion of the keypad and a second character part having the consonant part located at an upper right portion share the same switch;

an attachment/detachment button for attaching or detaching the keypad to or from the mobile terminal;

a wired communication unit for establishing a data communication path between the keypad and the mobile terminal; and

a wireless communication unit for establishing a data communication path between the keypad and the mobile terminal.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the consonant part of the keypad has a key layout comprised of 3 columns and 3 rows, the right-side vowel part has a key layout comprised of 1 column and 3 rows, the bottom vowel part has a key layout comprised of 3 columns and 1 row, and the character part has a key layout comprised of 4 columns and 5 rows.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the first character part of the keypad comprises the right-side vowel part located at the right of the consonant part, and the bottom vowel part located below the consonant part, and

the second character part of the keypad comprises the right-side vowel part located at the left of the consonant part, and the bottom vowel part located below the consonant part.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the function control part of the keypad comprises:

a key for deleting input characters;

an Enter key for indicating that sentence input is completed;

a space key for inputting a space between characters;

a Shift key for allowing the other characters labeled on each key to be selected and input;

a Ctrl key for activating a particular function in combination with other keys.

a Hangul/English/Number select key for selecting one of Hangul, English and numbers labeled on the same key;

an Alt key for activating a particular function in combination with other keys; and

a spare key prepared for function addition.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the keypad further comprises a communication selecting unit for re-establishing the data communication path according to whether the keypad is attached to or detached from the mobile terminal;

and

a power supply for re-establishing a power charging or discharging path according to whether the keypad is attached to or detached from the mobile terminal.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the wired communication unit comprises:

a first wired communication unit for establishing a data communication path with the mobile terminal in the keypad for data transmission and reception; and

a second wired communication unit for establishing a data communication path with the keypad in the mobile terminal for data transmission and reception.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the wireless communication unit comprises:

a first wireless communication unit for establishing a data communication path with the mobile terminal in the keypad for data transmission and reception; and

a second wireless communication unit for establishing a data communication path with the keypad in the mobile terminal for data transmission and reception.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the wireless communication unit uses Bluetooth or ZigBee as protocol.