Mobile terminal and case for mobile terminal

• US 8,046,039 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2007
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Min-Soo, Kwak, Woo-Young, Kim, Tai-Woo, Park, Seung-Woo
• Primary Examiner(s): MIZRAHI, DIANE D
• Application Number:
  US11/874,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20080096620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/412.2, 455/517, 455/556.1, 455/575.8, 455/577, 455/575.1, 455/575.4, 340/539.3, 715/716, 715/764, 715/769, 715/852, 345/169, 345/173, 370/338, 370/493, 701/200, 711/171, 257/66, 355/69, 355/72, 438/151, 438/161, 427/62
• US Class Current: 455/575.8
• 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 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724092 Interfacing with an external cover providing additional functionalities

Abstract

A case of a mobile terminal includes a user input unit, a controller for manipulating an input signal, an interface for transmitting the manipulated input signal and protects a mobile terminal. As the case of the mobile terminal provides an additional user input, this allows a user to control each function of the mobile terminal with user friendly manner, or to input data efficiently, and to improve a design quality of the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A case for a mobile terminal, comprising:

a first body for detachably coupling a body of the mobile terminal;

a second body foldably coupled to the first body to cover at least one surface of the body of the mobile terminal, wherein a user input unit is disposed on the second body of the case in order to receive an input signal by a user; and

an interface for transmitting the input signal received by the user input unit,

wherein the interface of the case is disposed on the first body of case,

wherein the transmitted input signal is received through an interface of the mobile terminal, and

wherein the transmitted input signal is used for an operation of the mobile terminal.

2. The case for the mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the case is provided with one or more power supplies generated from at least one of an external power supplying unit, a power supplying unit of the mobile terminal and a power supplying unit of the case.

3. The case for the mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the one or more provided power supplies to the case are controlled by automatically or a user setting information.

4. The case for the mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the interface of the case and the interface of the mobile terminal are configured each other so that the input signal and/or a power supply can be transmitted between the body of the mobile terminal and the case.

5. The case for the mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one or more contacting units for providing a power supply to the case from a power supplying unit of the mobile terminal.

6. The case for the mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensing unit for determining whether the case has been opened or not.

7. The case for the mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the user input unit is implemented in a qwerty manner.

8. The case for the mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the user input unit is implemented with a light emitting device.

9. The case for the mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the user input unit is implemented with at least one of a pressure switch and a touch pad.

10. The case for the mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a controlling unit for controlling the first interface and/or second interface to be turned ON/OFF.

11. The case for the mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a power supplying unit of the case provides a power supply to a power supplying unit of the body.