Mobile communication terminal having qwerty keys and method for outputting dual tone multi-frequency signal thereof

• US 7,848,773 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Yang, Sung Chul, Jang, Il Seok, Jin, Sang Hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh; Sonny
• Application Number:
  US11/840,908
• Publication Number:
  US 20080224898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/90.3, 455/566, 455/73, 455/556.1, 455/575.1, 379/433.04, 379/433.07, 379/433.01
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• 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 1/505 signals generated in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems

Abstract

A mobile communication terminal having QWERTY keys and a method for outputting Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) signals thereof are disclosed. The user inputs information including alphabetic characters that is requested by a directory system, while viewing the alphabetic characters marked on the QWERTY keys. The mobile communication terminal outputs DTMF signals of symbols marked on the input QWERTY keys identical to the DTMF signals of the corresponding symbols of keys arrayed in a conventional 3×4 key array format. The alphabetic keys of the QWERTY keys output DTMF signals identical to those of the keys of the 3×4 array format in an alphabet input mode. Therefore, the user can easily input information requested by the directory system while viewing the symbols marked on the QWERTY keys, without requiring the user to memorize the array of alphabetic characters of the 3×4 key array format.

Claims

1. A mobile communication terminal having QWERTY keys, the mobile communication terminal comprising:

a case;

a wireless communication unit installed within the case, for transmitting and receiving information to and from a directory system;

a QWERTY keypad comprising a plurality of QWERTY keys on which alphabetic characters are marked keypad being formed on the case;

a display unit installed on the case above the QWERTY keypad; and

a controller for controlling the wireless communication unit to output DTMF signals to the directory system in response to input by the QWERTY keypad,

wherein some of the plurality of QWERTY keys are keys on which both an alphabetic character and a numeral are marked as numeral marked QWERTY keys, with the numeral marked QWERTY keys formed in 3×

4 array format, and a plurality of additional alphabetic characters arc marked adjacent to each numeral marked QWERTY key, and

wherein the controller receives response information input by the numeral marked QWERTY keys selected according to the additional alphabetic characters marked adjacent to the numeral marked QWERTY keys and controls the wireless communication unit to output DTMF signals to the directory system corresponding to the selected numeral marked QWERTY keys.

2. The terminal of claim 1, wherein information is requested by the directory system and comprises at least one alphabetic character.

3. The terminal of claim 2, wherein the alphabetic characters arrayed in the 3×

4 array format have a color different from a color of symbols marked on the QWERTY keys, and are translucently formed on the case.

4. The terminal of claim 3, wherein:

the color of the symbols marked on the QWERTY keys is different from a color of the case; and

the color of the alphabetic characters arrayed in the 3×

4 array format is similar to the color of the case.

5. The terminal of claim 1, wherein each QWERTY key marked with a numeral is not adjacent to another QWERTY key marked with a numeral on all sides thereof.

6. The terminal of claim 1, wherein only a symbol on the at least one numeral marked key of the QWERTY keys allows light to pass through, thereby creating particular prominence of the symbol from a body of the at least one numeral marked key of the QWERTY keys.