Portable communication device having a touch-screen locking unit

• US 8,515,501 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2009
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lim, Seung-Woo, Lee, Min-Sung
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Simon
• Application Number:
  US12/556,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20100081479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455/575.1, 455/90.3, 345/173, 345/179
• US Class Current: 455/575.1
• 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 2200/1632 Pen holder integrated in the computer

Abstract

A portable communication device having a touch-screen locking unit that can prevent operation of the touch screen due to an unwanted screen touch is disclosed. The device comprises a main body housing having a touch screen. A mount is formed in the main body housing. An input unit is attached to or detached from the mount. A locking unit is provided on the mount and turns on/off a locking state of the touch screen according to attachment/detachment of the input unit. The locking state of the touch screen can be automatically set to an ON/OFF state by attaching/detaching a stylus pen to/from a mounting groove. When the touch screen is carried or kept, a touch screen operation or change according to an external environment can be prevented.

Claims

1. A portable communication device having a touch-screen locking unit, comprising:

a main body housing having a touch screen;

a mount formed in the main body housing to/from which an input unit is removably attached;

a locking unit provided on the mount and turning on/off a locking state of the touch screen according to attachment/detachment of the input unit within the main body housing, and

a slide button arranged on an outer periphery of the input unit which slides and moves at a position engaged with a protrusion on an inner periphery of the mounting groove to turn on/off the locking state of the touch screen according to being slid in a respective predetermined direction.

2. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the mount is made of a mounting groove and the input unit is made of a stylus pen.

3. The portable communication device of claim 2, wherein the locking unit is made of a dome key.

4. The portable communication device of claim 3, wherein a support member for supporting the dome key and preventing movement of the stylus pen is provided on the mounting groove.

5. The portable communication device of claim 4, wherein the support member includes:

a first bracket provided at a lower end of the dome key and supporting the dome key; and

a second bracket provided on the mounting groove, surrounding the stylus pen, and preventing the movement of the stylus pen.

6. The portable communication device of claim 5, wherein the locking state of the touch screen is set to an ON state by pressing the dome key when the stylus pen is attached to the mounting groove, and the locking state of the touch screen is set to an OFF state by releasing the pressed dome key when the stylus pen is detached from the mounting groove.

7. The portable communication device of claim 2, wherein the locking unit is made of a button key and a printed circuit board (PCB) electrically connected to the button key and a main PCB of the touch screen is provided at a lower end of the button key.

8. The portable communication device of claim 7, wherein a support member for supporting the button key and preventing movement of the stylus pen is provided on the mounting groove.

9. The portable communication device of claim 8, wherein the locking state of the touch screen is set to an ON state by pressing the button key when the stylus pen is attached to the mounting groove, and the locking state of the touch screen is set to an OFF state by releasing the pressed button key when the stylus pen is detached from the mounting groove.

10. The portable communication device of claim 2, wherein the locking unit is made of a touch key and the locking state of the touch screen is set to an ON or OFF state when the stylus pen is in contact or non-contact with the touch key.

11. The portable communication device of claim 10, wherein a support member for supporting the touch key and preventing movement of the stylus pen is provided on the mounting groove.

12. The portable communication device of claim 11, wherein the support member includes:

a first bracket provided at a lower end of the touch key and supporting the touch key; and

a second bracket provided on the mounting groove, surrounding the stylus pen, and preventing the movement of the stylus pen.

13. The portable communication device of claim 12, wherein the locking state of the touch screen is set to an ON state by making contact with the touch key when the stylus pen is attached to the mounting groove, and the locking state of the touch screen is set to an OFF state by releasing the touch key making contact with the stylus pen.

14. The portable communication device of claim 2, wherein the locking unit includes:

a first magnetic member provided at one end of the stylus pen; and

a second magnetic member provided at an end of the mounting groove and engaging with the first magnetic member or making contact therewith,

wherein the locking state of the touch screen is set to an ON or OFF state when the first magnetic member is in contact or non-contact, respectively, with the second magnetic member.

15. The portable communication device of claim 14, wherein the locking state of the touch screen is set to an ON state when the first magnetic member provided at the end of the stylus pen is in contact with the second magnetic member provided on the mounting groove, and the locking state of the touch screen is set to an OFF state and the first magnetic member is in non-contact with the second magnetic member when the stylus pen is detached from the mounting groove.

16. The portable communication device of claim 2, wherein the locking unit comprises:

a sensor provided on the mounting groove and

a controller for controlling a signal sensed by the sensor when the stylus pen is attached/detached.

17. The portable communication device of claim 16, wherein the locking state of the touch screen is set to an ON state when the sensor senses the detachment of the stylus pen.

18. A touch screen locking mechanism within a portable communication device comprising:

a mounting groove contained within said device, said mounting groove including an open end and a closed end, said closed end including a means for contacting a PCB, said PCB generating a signal for locking a touch screen when said means contacts said PCB;

a latching mechanism attached to an inner periphery of said mounting groove, and said means for contacting the PCB includes a slide button arranged on an outer periphery of an input unit which slides and moves at a position engaged with a protrusion on the inner periphery of the mounting groove to turn on/off the locking state of the touch screen according to being slid in a respective predetermined direction.

19. The touch screen locking mechanism of claim 18, wherein said means for contacting said PCB consists of at least one element selected from the group consisting of:

a dome key, a button key, a touch key, a magnetic element and a sensor/controller element.