Mobile terminal

• US 8,854,306 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2010
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Seo, Seongyoung, Kang, Yunhwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Srilakshmi K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Treitler, Damon
• Application Number:
  US12/958,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20110141024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,406 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-173, 340/407.1
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/83 characterised by legends, e.g. Braille, liquid crystal displays, light emitting or optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2201/018 transparent
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2205/002 fixed to operating part
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2209/038 transparent
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2209/082 transparent
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2231/022 Telephone handset
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/036 Application nanoparticles, e.g. nanotubes, integrated in switch components, e.g. contacts, the switch itself being clearly of a different scale, e.g. greater than nanoscale

Abstract

A mobile terminal includes: a light-transmissive actuator having a dome-like shape; a conductive coating layer formed to be light-transmissive and formed at an inner side of the actuator; a light-transmissive base including a first light-transmissive electrode pattern and a second light-transmissive electrode pattern formed thereon, the first light-transmissive electrode pattern being configured to contact with the edge of the actuator, and the second light-transmissive electrode pattern being configured to contact with the central portion of the actuator when the actuator is pressed; and a display unit disposed under the light-transmissive base and configured such that visual information is seen thereon through the actuator, the coated layer and the base.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a key pad device, comprising;

a light-transmissive actuator having a plurality of dome-shaped first areas and a plurality of second areas adjacent each of the plurality of first areas, wherein the plurality of dome-shaped first areas comprise an exposed surface to permit direct user contact with each of the plurality of dome-shaped first areas;

a conductive coating layer formed of a light-transmissive material and disposed on an inner surface of the actuator;

a light-transmissive base having a first light-transmissive electrode pattern and a second light-transmissive electrode pattern formed on a top side of the base, the first light-transmissive electrode pattern being configured to always be in contact with first areas of the coating layer corresponding to edge portions of the plurality of first areas, and the second light-transmissive electrode pattern being configured to be in contact with second areas of the coating layer corresponding to substantial portions of the plurality of first areas only when the actuator is pressed;

a display comprising a top side and an opposing bottom side, wherein the display is light-transmissive and is coupled to a bottom side of the base; and

a touch sensing layer coupled to the bottom side of the display,

wherein the display is configured to display visual information that is simultaneously viewable from both the top side and the bottom side of the display, such that the visual information is viewable through the actuator, the coating layer, and the base,

wherein the visual information is also viewable through the touch sensing layer,

wherein the visual information comprises a plurality of key marks accessible via the plurality of dome-shaped first areas and the touch sensing layer

wherein a first set of key marks, of the plurality of key marks, is displayed when a first application is executed at the apparatus,

wherein the first set of key marks is dynamically changed to a second set of key marks that is different from the first set of key marks when the apparatus terminates the first application,

wherein the first set of key marks relate to functions associated with the first application and the second set of key marks relate to functions associated with a second application executed at the apparatus, wherein the first application is different from the second application,

wherein the keypad device, with the light-transmissive actuator formed on top of the keypad device and the touch sensing layer formed on bottom of the keypad device, is configured to receive a push type input on the top of the keypad device simultaneously with a tactile input to the bottom of the keypad device, and

wherein a portion of the first light-transmissive electrode pattern brought into contact with edges of dome parts of the actuator is thicker than other portions of the first light-transmissive electrode pattern so that it is not abraded due to a repeated pressing of the actuator.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the visual information comprises multiple visual information that is displayed only via the plurality of first areas of the actuator and the plurality of second areas are configured to be a boundary that separates each of the plurality of first areas.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the multiple visual information comprises at least a thumbnail image, an icon, or a character that is displayed via a respective one of the plurality of first areas.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of first areas is configured as a key for receiving user input.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coating layer and the first and second electrode patterns are made of light-transmissive carbon nano-tube (CNT) or light-transmissive conductive polymer.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a resistance corrector configured to correct deviation of resistance according to a length corresponding to a portion of the first and second electrode patterns when at least one of the plurality of first areas is pressed such that the portion is in contact with the actuator.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cover layer that is disposed on an outer surface of the actuator, the cover layer comprising a plurality of openings through which the plurality of first areas are exposed.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first set of key marks comprise a plurality of numbers to permit data entry,

wherein the second set of key marks comprise a plurality of images, wherein each image of the plurality of images is associated with a phone book entry such that each key mark of the second set of key marks serve as a hotkey for an associated image.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first light-transmissive electrode pattern and the second light-transmissive electrode pattern lie in a same plane.

8. A mobile terminal comprising:

a first body having a first display and a keypad; and

a second body coupled to the first body, wherein the keypad comprises;

a light-transmissive actuator having a plurality of dome-shaped first areas and a plurality of second areas adjacent each of the plurality of first areas, wherein the plurality of dome-shaped first areas comprise an exposed surface to permit direct user contact with each of the plurality of dome-shaped first areas;

a conductive coating layer formed of a light-transmissive material and disposed on an inner surface of the actuator;

a light-transmissive base having a first light-transmissive electrode pattern and a second light-transmissive electrode pattern formed on a top side of the base, the first light-transmissive electrode pattern being configured to always be in contact with first areas of the coating layer corresponding to edge portions of the plurality of first areas, and the second light-transmissive electrode pattern being configured to be in contact with second areas of the coating layer corresponding to substantial portions of the plurality of first areas only when the actuator is pressed;

a second display comprising a top side and an opposing bottom side, wherein the second display is light-transmissive and is coupled to a bottom side of the base; and

a touch sensing layer coupled to the bottom side of the second display,

wherein the second display is configured to display visual information that is simultaneously viewable from both the top side and the bottom side of the display, such that the visual information is viewable through the actuator, the coating layer, and the base,

wherein the visual information is also viewable through the touch sensing layer,

wherein the visual information comprises a plurality of key marks accessible via the plurality of dome-shaped first areas and the touch sensing layer,

wherein a first set of key marks, of the plurality of key marks, is displayed when a first application is executed at the mobile terminal,

wherein the first set of key marks is dynamically changed to a second set of key marks that is different from the first set of key marks when the mobile terminal terminates the first application,

wherein the first set of key marks relate to functions associated with the first application and the second set of key marks relate to functions associated with a second application executed at the mobile terminal, wherein the first application is different from the second application,

wherein the keypad device, with the light-transmissive actuator formed on top of the keypad device and the touch sensing layer formed on bottom of the keypad device, is configured to receive a push type input on the top of the keypad device simultaneously with a tactile input to the bottom of the keypad device, and

wherein a portion of the first light-transmissive electrode pattern brought into contact with edges of dome parts of the actuator is thicker than other portions of the first light-transmissive electrode pattern so that it is not abraded due to a repeated pressing of the actuator.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the visual information comprises a set of images, each image of the set of images being displayed via a respective one of the plurality of dome-shaped areas, and at least two images in the set are related to the first application.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the first display is configured to display a screen image corresponding to one of a plurality of images displayed on the second display.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the actuator is configured to receive user input and each of the plurality of dome-shaped areas is configured as a key for receiving a specific user input.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of dome-shaped areas is configured as a specific key for receiving an input for displaying a different set of images on the second display.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the different set of images comprises at least two identical images that were also included in a previous image set.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the second display is configured to display the same visual information as displayed on the first display.