MOBILE TERMINAL

• US 20110050583A1
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Tho, Gihoon
• Granted Patent: US 9,244,534 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials

Abstract

A mobile terminal includes a transparent keypad having a plurality of key regions, a first transparent sheet having first conductive patterns to detect touch inputs on respective ones of the key regions, a plurality of luminous elements aligned with the key regions, and a second transparent sheet having second conductive patterns coupled to respective ones of the luminous elements. The first and second conductive patterns are transparent and the second conductive patterns deliver signals to the luminous elements to light the key regions. The keypad may be mounted on a slider for sliding into and out of a main body of the terminal.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a transparent keypad having a plurality of key regions;

a first transparent sheet having first conductive patterns to detect touch inputs on respective ones of the key regions;

a plurality of luminous elements aligned with the key regions; and

a second transparent sheet having second conductive patterns coupled to respective ones of the luminous elements, wherein the first and second conductive patterns are substantially transparent and wherein the second conductive patterns deliver signals to the luminous elements to light the key regions.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the transparent keypad, the first transparent sheet, the plurality of luminous elements, and the second transparent sheet are vertically arranged to form an input device.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the input device includes an upper surface and a lower surface and wherein the input device is transparent from the upper surface to the lower surface.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 2, further comprising:

a slider to support the input device, wherein;

the slider moves between first and second positions, and

the input device is covered by a housing of the mobile terminal in the first position and the input device is exposed in the second position.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the key regions include at least one of characters, numbers or symbols, and

the luminous elements are at positions corresponding to respective ones of the key regions.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller to control operation of the luminous elements based upon touch signals generated from the first conductive patterns.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured either to operate luminous elements corresponding to touched key regions or to operate luminous elements corresponding to adjacent regions of a touch key region.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 6, wherein:

the first conductive patterns are configured to detect a directional touch having at least one directionality, and

the controller sequentially operates the luminous elements located on a trace of the directional touch as the directional touch is input on the transparent keypad.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, further comprising:

a display configured to output visual information,

wherein the display displays information corresponding to the directional touch as the directional touch is input on the transparent keypad.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the display moves an output screen along the trace of the directional touch or displays an image corresponding to the trace of the directional touch.

11. A mobile terminal comprising:

a transparent keypad having a plurality of key regions;

a plurality of luminous elements aligned with the key regions;

a transparent sheet disposed adjacent the transparent keypad; and

conductive patterns to detect touch inputs on respective ones of the key regions and to apply signals to respective ones of the luminous elements to light the key regions, wherein the conductive patterns are substantially transparent and wherein the luminous elements are coupled to the transparent sheet.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the conductive patterns and the luminous elements are coupled to the transparent sheet.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the transparent keypad, the luminous elements, the conductive patterns, and the transparent sheet are vertically arranged to form an input device.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the input device includes an upper surface and a lower surface and wherein the input device is transparent from the upper surface to the lower surface.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 14, further comprising:

a slider to support the input device, wherein;

the slider moves between first and second positions, and

the input device is covered by a housing of the mobile terminal in the first position and the input device is exposed in the second position.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein:

the key regions include at least one of characters, numbers or symbols, and

the luminous elements are at positions corresponding to respective ones of the key regions.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 16, wherein each of the conductive patterns comprises:

a first pattern having one end coupled to one side of a corresponding luminous element and occupying a partial area of a corresponding key region;

a second pattern, having one end coupled to another side of the corresponding luminous element, to form a touch region for the corresponding key region; and

transparent wires coupled to other ends of the first and second patterns and to a controller for control of the luminous elements.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 17, further comprising:

a first interface circuit to process the touch signals, and

a second interface circuit to generate the signals to be applied to the luminous elements, wherein the first and second interface circuits are respectively coupled to the first and second patterns in parallel.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein one of the first or second patterns is coupled to an anode of a respective one of the luminous elements, and the other one of the first or second patterns is coupled to a cathode of a respective one of the luminous elements.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 11, further comprising:

a controller to control operations of the luminous elements based on touch signals generated from the conductive patterns.

21. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein the controller is configured either to operate luminous elements corresponding to touched key regions or to operate luminous elements corresponding to adjacent regions of a touch key region.

22. The terminal of claim 20, wherein:

the conductive patterns are to detect directional touches, each having at least one directionality, and

the controller sequentially operates the luminous elements located on one or more traces of the directional touch as the directional touch is input on the transparent keypad.

23. A mobile terminal comprising:

a terminal body; and

a transparent touch input unit coupled to the terminal body,

wherein the transparent touch input unit comprises;

(a) a transparent keypad having a plurality of key regions;

(b) a first transparent sheet having first conductive patterns to detect touch inputs on respective ones of the key regions;

(c) a plurality of luminous elements aligned with the key regions; and

(d) a second transparent sheet having second conductive patterns coupled to respective ones of the luminous elements, wherein the first and second conductive patterns are substantially transparent and wherein the second conductive patterns deliver signals to the luminous elements to light the key regions.

24. The mobile terminal of claim 23, wherein the terminal body comprises:

a main body having a wireless communication module; and

a slider slidably coupled to the main body and the transparent touch input unit.

25. The mobile terminal of claim 24, wherein the slider comprises:

a slide portion slidably coupled to the main body and configured to be slid into the main body or slid out of the main body; and

a cover coupled to the slide portion and slidable along a surface of the main body, wherein at least one of the slide portion or the cover portion is made of a transparent material.

26. The mobile terminal of claim 23, further comprising:

a controller configured to control operations of the luminous elements based on touch signals generated from the first conductive patterns.

27. The mobile terminal of claim 26, wherein the controller is configured either to operate luminous elements corresponding to touched key regions or to operate luminous elements corresponding to adjacent regions of a touch key region.

28. A mobile terminal comprising:

a terminal body; and

a transparent touch input unit coupled to the terminal body,

wherein the transparent touch input unit comprises;

(a) a transparent keypad having a plurality of key regions;

(b) a plurality of luminous elements aligned with the key regions;

(c) a transparent sheet disposed adjacent the transparent keypad; and

(d) conductive patterns to detect touch inputs on respective ones of the key regions and to apply signals to respective ones of the luminous elements to light the key regions, wherein the conductive patterns are substantially transparent and wherein the luminous elements are coupled to the transparent sheet.