Mobile terminal

• US 8,588,861 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2012
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Joo, Won-Seok
• Primary Examiner(s): Ajibade Akonai, Olumide T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gu, Andy
• Application Number:
  US13/557,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20120289294A1
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566
• 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, wherein the signal display unit is configured to display a virtual keyboard and a display region;

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 on a key of the virtual keyboard 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 the touch on the key of the virtual keyboard but does not display the key on the display region, when the manipulation unit is touched and the force applied to the manipulation unit does not exceed a certain level, and wherein the signal display unit displays the key on the display region when the force applied to the manipulation unit exceeds the certain level and the manipulation unit presses the second input unit to operate the second input unit, and wherein the key of the virtual keyboard corresponds to the second input unit.

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 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.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein light generated from each of the light sources is guided toward the touch-sensitive keys through a light guiding part.

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

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein a second camera is located at a rear side of the housing.

11. 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.

12. A mobile terminal comprising:

a housing;

a signal display unit disposed within the housing, wherein the signal display unit is configured to display a virtual keyboard and a display region;

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 on a key of the virtual keyboard 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 the touch on the key of the virtual keyboard but does not display the key on the display region, when the manipulation unit is touched and the force applied to the manipulation unit does not exceed a certain level, and wherein the signal display unit displays the key on the display region when the force applied to the manipulation unit exceeds the certain level and the manipulation unit presses the second input unit to operate the second input unit, and wherein the key of the virtual keyboard corresponds to the second input unit.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 12, 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.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 12, 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.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 12, 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.

16. A mobile terminal comprising:

a housing;

a signal display unit disposed within the housing, wherein the signal display unit is configured to display a virtual keyboard and a display region;

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 on a key of the virtual keyboard when the manipulation unit is touched;

a circuitry supporting substrate disposed below the signal display unit;

and a second input unit disposed below a support unit so as to support the signal display unit, wherein the first input unit senses the touch on the key of the virtual keyboard but does not display the key on the display region, when the manipulation unit is touched and the force applied to the manipulation unit does not exceed a certain level, and wherein the signal display unit displays the key on the display region when the force applied to the manipulation unit exceeds the certain level and the manipulation unit presses the second input unit to operate the second input unit, and wherein the key of the virtual keyboard corresponds to the second input unit.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 16, wherein the information is displayed on the display region when the second input unit is pressed by the force.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 16, wherein a plurality of touch-sensitive keys are disclosed near the virtual keyboard.