MOBILE TERMINAL

• US 20110115712A1
• Filed: 10/21/2010
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Ko, Dongseuck, Yoo, Sunwon, HAN, Junhee, Lee, Seong-Cheol
• Granted Patent: US 8,519,962 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/169
• 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 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1669 Detachable keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1683 for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0231 Cordless keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0256 wherein the modules are operable in the detached state, e.g. one module for the user interface and one module for the transceiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

A mobile terminal includes: a terminal main body having a wireless communication module; a wireless keypad configured to input information to the terminal main body and operating in a tactile manner; and a driving unit configured to operate the wireless keypad by using power of the terminal main body, wherein the driving unit includes: first and second electrodes mounted in the terminal main body and the wireless keypad; an electric field formation unit provided in the terminal body and applying voltage to the first electrode to form an electric field between the first and second electrodes; and a controller mounted in the terminal body and detecting information regarding a touch applied to the wireless keypad based on a change in the electric field generated by a touch applied to the wireless keypad.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a main body comprising a wireless communication module;

a wireless keypad configured to operate in a tactile manner in order to input information via the main body and; and

a driving unit configured to control the wireless keypad using power of the main body,

wherein the driving unit comprises;

a first electrode located in the main body and a second electrode located in the wireless keypad;

an electric field formation unit located in the main body and configured to apply voltage to the first electrode to generate an electric field between the first and second electrodes; and

a controller located in the main body and configured to detect information related to a touch applied to the wireless keypad based on a change in the electric field between the first and second electrodes generated by the touch.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the electric field formation unit comprises a battery for supplying power to the main body.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the first electrode is mounted at a corner portion of the main body and the second electrode is mounted at a corner portion of the wireless keypad.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the wireless keypad comprises a touch pad having a plurality of conductive patterns connected to the second electrode for detecting the touch.

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

a plurality of channel units located between the conductive patterns and the second electrode to group the conductive patterns by channels, wherein each of the channel units has a different impedance value.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 4, further comprising an outline member made of an opaque material mounted at an outline of the touch pad and wherein the touch pad is made of a light-transmissive material.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 6, wherein the second electrode is located at an inner side of the outline member.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 4, further comprising a power supply unit located between the main body and the wireless keypad and wherein the wireless keypad further comprises an illumination unit configured to illuminate the touch pad using power from the power supply unit.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the power supply unit comprises:

a magnetic field generation coil connected to one side of the first electrode and configured to generate a magnetic field using voltage from the electric field formation unit; and

a magnetism induction coil connected to both the second electrode and the illumination unit and configured to generate an induced electromotive force using an electric field of the magnetic field generation coil.

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

a keypad mounting part formed on one surface of the main body; and

an attaching and detaching unit,

wherein the wireless keypad is detachably mounted to the keypad mounting part by the attaching and detaching unit.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the attaching and detaching unit comprises:

an outline member made of a metal material that is formed at an outline of the wireless keypad; and

a magnet mounted on the keypad mounting part and formed to cover the outline member when the wireless keypad is mounted.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising a withdrawal hole formed on the main body and wherein the wireless keypad is mounted in the interior of the withdrawal hole such that the wireless keypad can be moved into and withdrawn from the withdrawal hole.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the wireless keypad is movable such that it has a first configuration in which the wireless keypad is slid within the withdrawal hole, a second configuration in which the wireless keypad is withdrawn from the withdrawal hole by a certain distance, and a third configuration in which the wireless keypad is separated from the main body.

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

a pouch covering at least a portion of the main body and to which the main body is detachably coupled and the wireless keypad is detachably mounted.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of wireless keypads configured to be replacably and detachably mounted in the pouch.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the electric field formation unit comprises a battery for supplying power to the first body.

16. A mobile terminal comprising:

a first body comprising a wireless communication module;

a second body connected to the first body and configured to be movable relative to the first body;

a touch input unit located on the second body and configured to operate in a tactile manner; and

a driving unit configured to control the touch input unit by using power of the first body,

wherein the driving unit comprises;

a first electrode located in the first body and a second electrode located in second body;

an electric field formation unit located in the first body and configured to apply voltage to the first electrode to form an electric field between the first and second electrodes; and

a controller mounted in the first body and configured to detect information related to a touch applied to the touch input unit based on a change in the electric field between the first and second electrodes generated by the touch.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 16, wherein the touch input unit comprises a plurality of conductive patterns connected to the second electrode for detecting the touch.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 16, wherein the second body is further configured to be slidably movable relative to the first body.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 19, wherein the second body is further configured to be slidably movable on one surface of the first body,

21. The mobile terminal of claim 19, wherein the second body is further configured to be slidably moved into and withdrawn from an interior of the first body.

22. The mobile terminal of claim 16, wherein the second body is rotatably connected to the first body.

23. The mobile terminal of claim 16, further comprising a display unit mounted on a front surface of the first body and configured to display visual information and wherein the second body is further configured to cover either the front surface or a rear surface of the first body.

24. The mobile terminal of claim 16, further comprising a third body provided on one surface of the first body and configured to be slidable along a first direction and wherein the second body is further configured to be entered into and withdrawn from the first body along a second direction.

25. The mobile terminal of claim 24, wherein:

the first direction is one of a widthwise direction and a lengthwise direction of the first body; and

the second direction is the other of the widthwise direction and the lengthwise direction of the first body.

26. The mobile terminal of claim 16, wherein the second body comprises:

a slide part configured to be slidably movable along a side surface of the first body; and

a cover coupled to the slide part and configured to be slidably movable along a rear surface of the first body,

wherein the touch input unit is coupled to the slide part such that it can inserted into and withdrawn from an interior of the first body.