MOBILE TERMINAL

• US 20120289294A1
• Filed: 07/24/2012
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Won-Seok Joo
• Original Assignee: Won-Seok Joo
• Inventors: JOO, Won-Seok
• Granted Patent: US 8,588,861 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• 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 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A mobile terminal is provided. The mobile terminal includes a housing having at least one manipulation part, a signal display unit located in the housing, the signal display unit being configured to selectively display one of at least two inputable signal sets, the selectively displayed inputable signal set being visible through the at least one manipulation part, and an input unit located in the housing, the input unit being configured to receive at least one signal corresponding to the selectively displayed inputable signal set.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a housing;

a signal display unit disposed within the housing;

a manipulation unit disposed within the housing to cover the signal display unit, the manipulation unit allowing light to be transmitted therethrough; and

an input unit disposed within the housing, wherein the input unit comprises;

a first input unit disposed above the signal display unit and configured to sense a touch when the manipulation unit is touched;

a support unit disposed at a rear surface of the signal display unit so as to support the signal display unit;

a circuitry supporting substrate disposed below the support unit; and

a second input unit disposed below the support unit, the second input unit being connected to the circuitry supporting substrate,

wherein the first input unit senses a touched position when the manipulation unit is touched, and

wherein when a force applied to the manipulation unit exceeds a certain level after the manipulation unit is touched, the second input unit operates and the signal display unit outputs information associated with the touched position.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a front cover and a rear cover, and the manipulation unit is located in the front cover.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein a battery and a side key are mounted at the rear cover.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein internal and external surfaces of the manipulation unit are formed to be smooth without a step.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the signal display unit is configured to display a virtual keyboard and a display region, and information inputted by the virtual keyboard is displayed on the display region when the force applied to the manipulation unit exceeds the certain level.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein the information is not displayed unless the second input unit is depressed by the signal display unit even though the virtual keyboard is touched, in a state that the virtual keyboard and the display region have been displayed.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein a plurality of touch-sensitive keys are disposed on a front side of the housing and light sources are disposed below the plurality of touch-sensitive keys.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein light generated from each of the light sources is guided toward the touch-sensitive keys through a light guiding part.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the signal display unit includes at least an LCD or an OLED.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the signal display unit is configured to selectively display one of at least two inputtable signal sets or other visual information different from the inputtable signal sets.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein a camera is located on a front side of the housing, the camera being disposed to be adjacent to an end portion of the manipulation unit.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein a second camera is located at a rear side of the housing.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising at least one pressing protrusion protruding from the support unit and formed to correspond to the second input unit.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein a plurality of touch-sensitive keys are disclosed near the virtual keyboard.

14. A mobile terminal comprising:

a housing;

a signal display unit disposed within the housing;

a manipulation unit disposed within the housing, the manipulation unit being configured to cover the signal display unit and allowing light to be transmitted therethrough; and

an input unit disposed within the housing, wherein the input unit comprises;

a first input unit disposed above the signal display unit and configured to sense a

touch when the manipulation unit is touched;

a support unit disposed at a rear surface of the signal display unit so as to support the signal display unit;

a circuitry supporting substrate disposed below the support unit; and

a second input unit disposed below the support unit, the second input unit being connected to the circuitry supporting substrate and configured to operate when the second input unit is pressed by the support unit via the manipulation unit,

wherein the first input unit senses a touched position when the manipulation unit is touched, and the signal display unit outputs information associated with the touched position when the second input unit is pressed by the signal display unit.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the housing comprises a front cover and a rear cover, and

wherein the manipulation unit is located in the front cover and at least a battery or a side key is mounted at the rear cover.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the signal display unit is configured to display a virtual keyboard and a display region, and information inputted by the virtual keyboard is displayed on the display region when the second input unit is pressed by the signal display unit.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein a plurality of touch-sensitive keys are disclosed on a front side of the housing and light sources are disposed below the plurality of touch-sensitive keys.

18. A mobile terminal comprising:

a housing;

a signal display unit disposed within the housing;

a manipulation unit disposed within the housing to cover the signal display unit, the manipulation unit being configured to allow light to be transmitted therethrough; and

an input unit disposed within the housing, wherein the input unit comprises;

a first input unit disposed above the signal display unit and configured to sense a touch when the manipulation unit is touched;

a circuitry supporting substrate disposed below the signal display unit; and

a second input unit disposed below the support unit, the second input unit being connected to the circuitry supporting substrate and configured to operate when a force applied to the manipulation unit reaches beyond a certain level after the manipulation unit is touched,

wherein the signal display unit is configured to display a virtual keyboard and a display region,

wherein information inputted by the virtual keyboard is displayed on the display region when the force applied to the manipulation unit exceeds the certain level, in a state that the virtual keyboard and the display region have been displayed, and

wherein the information is not displayed unless the force applied to the manipulation unit exceeds the certain level even though the virtual keyboard is touched in the state.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 18, wherein the information is displayed on the display region when the second input unit is pressed by the force.