Touch key assembly for a mobile terminal

• US 8,049,728 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Ko, Dong-Seuck, Choo, Zhi-Min, Lee, Hyung-Woon
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala; Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOWDHURY, AFROZA Y
• Application Number:
  US11/618,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20070103453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,768 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/156, 345/169
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/83 characterised by legends, e.g. Braille, liquid crystal displays, light emitting or optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2201/036 Variable resistance
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2207/004 Printed circuit tail
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/014 LED
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/038 ambient light dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/06 Reflector
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/062 Light conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/07 transparent
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/09 Flexible integral part of housing
• 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 touch key assembly includes a cover having at least one touch key which is identified by an optically transmissive region of the cover. The cover is also shaped to define a push key opening. The assembly also includes a touch pad structured to operatively couple to the cover such that the touch pad is positioned relative to the touch key. A push key is positioned within the push key opening of the cover. The touch key assembly may be implemented in a portable electronic device, such as a mobile terminal or a personal digital assistant (PDA).

Claims

1. A touch key assembly, comprising:

a cover comprising an optically opaque region and a plurality of optically transmissive regions which are defined by the optically opaque region, wherein the cover comprises a top side and a bottom side, and wherein said cover is shaped to define a push key opening;

a plurality of touch keys individually associated with one of the plurality of optically transmissive regions, wherein each of the plurality of touch keys is accessible via the top side of the cover to permit user contact with the touch keys, wherein portions of the optically opaque region that are each respectively physically adjacent to one of the plurality of touch keys are coplanar relative to a respective one ofnthe plurality of touch keys;

a touch pad comprising a top side and a bottom side, the top side of the touch pad being structured to operatively couple to the bottom side of the cover, and the touch pad being located proximate to the plurality of touch keys; and

a push key positioned within said push key opening of said cover.

2. The touch key assembly according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one light source positioned relative to a bottom side of said touch pad, said at least one light source being a structure that is separate from said plurality of touch keys and being positioned to provide light to one or more of said plurality of touch keys.

3. The touch key assembly according to claim 1, further comprising:

a reflection element operatively associated with the bottom side of said touch pad, said reflection element being structured to reflect light.

4. The touch key assembly according to claim 1, wherein said push key is positioned proximate to the plurality of touch keys.

5. The touch key assembly according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of light guides formed in said touch pad, each of said plurality of light guides being individually associated with one of said plurality of touch keys; and

wherein said pad is shaped to define a plurality of apertures which individually form one of the plurality of light guides.

6. The touch key assembly according to claim 1, further comprising:

an optical waveguide positioned relative to a bottom side of said touch pad, said optical waveguide structured to transmit light.

7. The touch key assembly according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one light source positioned relative to the bottom side of said touch pad, said at least one light source being structured to provide light to said plurality of touch keys.

8. The touch key assembly according to claim 7, further comprising:

a plurality of light sources positioned relative to said bottom side of said touch pad, each of said plurality of light sources being structured to provide light to one or more of said plurality of touch keys.

19. The touch key assembly according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of touch keys are structured to be illuminated by a lighting device that is separate from the touch keys, and wherein the touch keys are positioned to receive light from the lighting device but do not themselves generate light.

9. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a first body structured to slideably engage a second body to permit opening and closing of said mobile terminal by relative sliding motion between said first body and said second body;

a display positioned relative to said first body;

a keypad positioned relative to said second body; and

a touch key assembly associated with said first body, said touch key assembly comprising;

a cover comprising an optically opaque region and a plurality of optically transmissive regions which are defined by the optically opaque region, wherein the cover comprises a top side and a bottom side, and wherein said cover is shaped to define a push key opening, and wherein said display is positioned relative to a separate optically transmissive region of said cover;

a plurality of touch keys individually associated with one of the plurality of optically transmissive regions, wherein each of the plurality of touch keys is accessible via the top side of the cover to permit user contact with the touch keys, wherein portions of the optically opaque region that are each respectively physically adjacent to one of the plurality of touch keys are coplanar relative to a respective one of the plurality of touch keys;

a touch pad comprising a top side and a bottom side, the top side of the touch pad being structured to operatively couple to the bottom side of the cover, and the touch pad being located proximate to the plurality of touch keys; and

a push key positioned within said push key opening of said cover.

10. The mobile terminal according to claim 9, further comprising:

a speaker positioned relative to said first body; and

a microphone positioned relative to said second body.

11. The mobile terminal according to claim 9, further comprising:

at least one light source positioned relative to the bottom side of said touch pad, said at least one light source being a structure that is separate from said plurality of touch keys and being positioned to provide light to one or more of said plurality of touch keys.

12. The mobile terminal according to claim 9, further comprising:

a reflection element operatively associated with the bottom side of said touch pad, said reflection element being structured to reflect light.

13. The mobile terminal according to claim 9, wherein said push key is positioned proximate to said plurality of touch keys.

14. The touch key assembly according to claim 9, further comprising:

a plurality of light guides formed in said touch pad, each of said plurality of light guides being individually associated with one of said plurality of touch keys; and

wherein said pad is shaped to define a plurality of apertures which individually form one of the plurality of light guides.

15. The mobile terminal according to claim 9, further comprising:

an optical waveguide positioned relative to the bottom side of said touch pad, said optical waveguide structured to transmit light.

16. The mobile terminal according to claim 9, further comprising:

at least one light source positioned relative to the bottom side of said touch pad, said at least one light source being structured to provide light to said plurality of touch keys.

17. The mobile terminal according to claim 16, further comprising:

a plurality of light sources positioned relative to said bottom side of said touch pad, each of said plurality of light sources being structured to provide light to one or more of said plurality of touch keys.

18. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a body;

a display positioned relative to the body;

a cover structured to couple with the body to define an area sized to receive the display, wherein the cover comprises an optically opaque region and a plurality of optically transmissive regions which are defined by the optically opaque region, and wherein the cover comprises a top side and a bottom side;

a push key;

a push key opening formed in the cover and being sized to receive the push key;

a plurality of touch keys individually defined by one of the plurality of optically transmissive regions, wherein each of the plurality of touch keys is accessible via the top side of the cover to permit user contact with the touch keys; and

a touch pad comprising a top side and a bottom side, the top side of the touch pad being structured to operatively couple to the bottom side of the cover, and the touch pad being located proximate to the plurality of touch keys, wherein portions of the optically opaque region that are each respectively physically adjacent to one of the plurality of touch keys are coplanar relative to a respective one of the plurality of touch keys;

wherein one or more of the plurality of touch keys are structured to be illuminated by a lighting device that is separate from the touch keys, and wherein the touch keys are positioned to receive light from the lighting device but do not themselves generate light.

20. The mobile terminal according to claim 18, wherein the body is structured to define a bar-type terminal body.

21. The mobile terminal according to claim 18, wherein the cover is a single structure.