KR20030041609A - Keypad device in a mobile phone - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A keypad device of a mobile communication terminal is provided to differently emit lights of marks on an accumulated keypad, so that a user easily recognizes the keypad and the marks. CONSTITUTION: Keypads(26-31) are sequentially accumulated inside a terminal body(22) and form a plurality of mutually different marks(30a) on each surface thereof. Illuminating units respectively illuminate the keypads(26-31) to distinguish the plurality of marks(30a). The plurality of marks(30a) are composed of consonants and vowels of the Korean alphabet, capital letters and small letters of English, digits and special characters. In the illuminating units, a plurality of light sources generate mutually different lights. Optical fibers(38) are respectively connected to the keypads(26-31) to illuminate the plurality of marks(30a) to which lights are delivered from the light sources. And an operation button sequentially illuminates the optical fibers(38) respectively connected to each light source.

Description

Keypad device in a mobile communication terminal

The present invention relates to a keypad device of a mobile communication terminal, and in particular, a keypad is formed of a plurality of films in a mobile communication terminal (hereinafter, referred to as a terminal), and signs, each having the same function as numbers, letters, and figures, are formed. Each marker is connected to an optical fiber and the optical fiber is connected to a light emitting diode so that only the required keypad can be easily seen by the user's eyes.

Generally, as shown in Fig. 1, the terminal main body 2 has a dialing key input unit 4 for dialing and a plurality of function keys for inputting letters and symbols are formed on one keypad. Marks are complex.

As an example of a function keypad, when a user wants to make a call, the user presses the 'call key' after dialing, and when the user wants to end the call, the 'end key' is pressed. 'Call key' and 'end key' are examples of function keys. .

At present, due to continuous technology development, the function and performance of the terminal are improving day by day. Unlike the terminal, which was used only at the beginning, it is being developed to support many functions.

For example, the keypad of the terminal includes not only functions related to a call but also functions not related to a call such as a text message function, an electronic calculator function, and a special character function.

However, since a single key input unit is configured to perform various functions, there has been a problem in that the user has to operate several times and find a desired function.

In addition, since a number of functions are written on the surface of one key input unit, there is a problem that it is difficult to see visually because the number of printed numbers, symbols, etc. is small.

In addition, as the functions of the terminal have been diversified, there has been a problem in that the keypad is enlarged in size since a number, letters, and special characters must be displayed on one keypad.

The present invention has been proposed to solve the above problems of the prior art, and the object of the present invention is to provide a keypad device of a terminal which reduces the inconvenience of having to operate several times using a single keypad by using a plurality of stacked keypads. It is done.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a keypad device of a terminal that allows a user to recognize the keypad and the cover by allowing the cover formed on the stacked keypads to emit light with a different light from that of the other keypad.

Keypad device of the present invention terminal to achieve the above object is a plurality of stacked inside the main body of the terminal is formed with a plurality of signs formed on each of the keypad, characterized in that it comprises a light emitting means for causing each cover of the keypad to emit light; It is done.

Since a plurality of keypads only display the sign of one keypad by the operation of the corresponding operation button, the key input unit emits light, and thus it is possible to solve the cumbersome problem of searching for a mark of a required function by operating several times.

In addition, since one or two letters or numbers appear on the key input unit, it is possible to solve a problem that is difficult for the user to see.

In addition, since a plurality of keypads are stacked, the size of one keypad can be reduced than in the related art, and thus a problem of increasing the keypad can be solved.

1 is a perspective view of a mobile communication terminal showing a conventional key input unit.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a mobile communication terminal showing an embodiment equipped with the keypad device of the present invention.

3 is a perspective view of a mobile communication terminal showing another embodiment of the present invention;

4 is a perspective view showing a state in which the keypad of the present invention is stacked inside the mobile communication terminal.

5A to 5E are front views showing embodiments of the keypad in the form of a thin film of the present invention.

* Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings *

2,22: terminal body 4,24: key input unit

26: first keypad 27: second keypad

28: third keypad 29: fourth keypad

31: fifth keypad 32: operation button

38: optical fiber 41: first light source

42: second light source 43: third light source

44: fourth light source 45: fifth light source

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the configuration of the present invention will be described in more detail.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a keypad device of a terminal in which a first keypad emits light according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a keypad device of a terminal in which a second keypad emits light according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Is a perspective view.

As shown in Fig. 2 to 5E, the present invention is a plurality of sequentially stacked inside the terminal main body 22, the light emitting for emitting light on the keypad formed with a different cover on each surface, the cover formed on the keypad It comprises a means.

As shown in FIG. 5A, in a plurality of keypads according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a first keypad 26 for dialing is stacked in the terminal body 22. In addition to numbers, the first keypad 26 also has a 'call' key and an 'end' key.

As shown in FIG. 5B, the keypad according to the embodiment of the present invention is also laminated with a second keypad 27 for displaying the Korean consonant.

As shown in Fig. 5C, the keypad according to the embodiment of the present invention is also laminated with a third keypad 28 for displaying the alphabet in English.

As shown in Fig. 5D, the keypad according to the embodiment of the present invention is also laminated with a fourth keypad 29 for creating characters.

In addition, as shown in Figure 5e, the keypad according to the embodiment of the present invention is also laminated with a fifth keypad 31 for displaying the vowel of the Hangul.

The terminal body may utilize more keypads in addition to the above-described keypads 26, 27, 28, 29, and 31.

When a keypad is made of a plurality of thin films, one keypad is simplified and is easy for a user to use or view.

The material of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth keypads 26, 27, 28, 29, and 31 in the form of a thin film is a thin film to facilitate transmission of the emitted light.

As shown in Fig. 4, the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth keypads 26, 27, 28, 29, and 31 are stacked inside the terminal body 22 in a thin film form.

The above-mentioned light emitting means includes a light source for causing each mark of the keypad to emit light with different light, an optical fiber 38 connected to the mark so that the mark of one of the keypads emits light at the same time, and each of the keypads in sequence. It consists of an operation button 32 which is set to emit light at 24.

As shown in Figs. 5A to 5E, the respective marks 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d, and 30e of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth keypads 26, 27, 28, 29, and 31 are optical fibers. Connected to (38).

The inside of the terminal body 22 corresponds to each of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth keypads 26, 27, 28, 29, and 31 so that the respective signs 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d, and 30e emit light. The first, second, third, fourth, fifth light sources 41, 42, 43, 44, and 45 are provided.

The first, second, third, fourth, and fifth light sources 41, 42, 43, 44, and 45 are preferably made of high luminance light emitting diodes (LEDs) to emit different light.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the markers 30a of the first keypad 26 are connected to each other by the optical fiber 38, and one end of the optical fiber 38 is provided with a first light source 41 emitting red light. .

The cover 30b of the second keypad 27 is connected to the second light source 42 emitting blue light through the optical fiber 38, and the cover 30c of the third keypad 28 is the optical fiber 38. Is connected to the third light source 38 that emits orange light.

The cover 30d of the fourth keypad 29 is connected to the optical fiber 38, and one end thereof is connected to the fourth light source 44 emitting violet.

The cover 30e of the fifth keypad 31 is also connected to the optical fiber 38, and one end thereof is connected to the fifth light source 45 emitting yellow light.

The cover plates 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d, and 30e of the stacked first, second, third, fourth, and fifth keypads 26, 27, 28, 29, and 31 may emit light with different light. 4,5 light sources (41, 42, 43, 44, 45) is easy for the user to identify with the eye.

The key input unit 24 may have a transparent surface.

When the first, second, third, fourth, fifth keypads 26, 27, 28, 29, and 31 are stacked as shown in Figs. 2 to 3, the respective marks 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d, and 30e are stacked. ) May be slightly shifted so that they do not overlap as much as possible.

That is, the number of the first keypad 26 is located in the center of the key input unit 24 within the range that can be responded by the key input unit 24, and the Korean consonants of the second keypad 27 are located above. This will prevent overlapping as much as possible. It is preferable that the alphabets and letters of the third, fourth, and fifth keypads 28, 29, and 31 and the vowels of the Korean characters also have different positions.

It is easy to see that one key input unit 24 displays as few letters and numbers as possible.

In order to use one of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth keypads 26, 27, 28, 29, and 31, the user must manipulate the key input unit 24 to recognize a desired keypad.

As shown in Figure 2, in one embodiment of the present invention, the operation button 32 that can operate the first, second, third, fourth, fifth keypad (26, 27, 28, 29, 31) is conventional That is, a part of the key input unit formed in the 'menu' button or the like can be utilized.

When the designated operation button 32 is pressed, it is preferable that the indicators of the respective keypads sequentially emit light.

In the original circle of FIG. 2, the number of light emission is indicated by a solid line, and the labels not emitting light are indicated by a dotted line.

As shown in Fig. 3, in another embodiment of the present invention, the operation button 32 may be utilized as a 'side key'.

The operation of the present invention configured as described above will be described by way of example.

Although the figure showing the present invention is a clamshell terminal, it applies to all terminals equipped with a keypad.

When the user wants to talk, pressing the operation button 32 in sequence so that the red light appears on the key input unit 24.

The user presses a desired number on the cover of the first keypad 26 that emits red light and then presses the 'call' button to make a call with the other party.After the call, the user presses the 'end' button to make a call. You're done

When the user sequentially presses the operation button 32 as necessary, the key input unit 24 displays signs corresponding to the second, third, fourth, and fifth keypads 27, 28, 29, and 31 with light emitted.

Because a letter is displayed with a single letter or number, the number or letter that appears is large and easy to see.

Therefore, there is an effect that the user can easily find the required keypad with the operation button.

Each keypad of the stacked keypads has a larger number of indexed numbers, letters, characters, etc. than the related art, and thus is easy to see by the user.

In addition, since the indicia of each stacked keypad emit different light, there is a convenient effect for the user to identify.

In addition, since several letters or numbers are not indexed at the same time in the key input section, the appearance is not complicated.

Claims (3)

In the keypad device provided inside the terminal body of the mobile communication terminal, Keypads sequentially stacked in the terminal body and having a plurality of different marks formed on respective surfaces thereof; And a light emitting means for emitting the keypads so that the plurality of indicia can be distinguished from the outside. The method of claim 1, The plurality of signs of the keypad of the mobile communication terminal, characterized in that formed of consonants and vowels of the Hangul alphabet, upper and lower case letters, numbers, special characters of the English alphabet. The method of claim 1, The light emitting means includes a plurality of light sources for generating different light; Optical fibers respectively connected to the keypads to emit light of the plurality of indicia received from the light source; Keypad device of a mobile communication terminal, characterized in that consisting of an operation button for sequentially emitting the optical fiber connected to each of the plurality of light sources.