KR101441922B1 - Touch-sensor assembly and portable terminal having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a touch sensor assembly having a receiving portion for receiving a part of a connection pin for connecting a pair of electrode films and a signal cable, and a portable terminal having the touch sensor assembly.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a touch sensor assembly and a portable terminal having the touch sensor assembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a touch sensor assembly formed in a window surrounding a display module and receiving input in response to a touch operation.

A portable terminal is a portable electronic apparatus which is portable and has one or more functions of voice and video call function, information input / output function, and data storing function.

As the functions of the portable terminal are diversified, the portable terminal is implemented in the form of a multimedia device having complicated functions such as photographing and photographing of a moving picture, reproduction of music or video file, reception of a game, and reception of a broadcast.

In order to implement complex functions in multimedia devices, various new attempts have been made in terms of hardware or software. For example, a user interface environment is provided for a user to easily and conveniently search for or select a function.

In implementing the user interface, the structural design and stability of circuit connection by installing the user interface may be considered.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a touch sensor assembly and a portable terminal having the touch sensor assembly.

Another object of the present invention is to make the stability of the portion connecting the touch sensor part and the signal cable to be minimally influenced from the outside.

Another object of the present invention is to prevent the adjacent portion of the terminal from being structurally weakened by the connecting portion.

A portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a body having a display module and a touch window assembly coupled to the body to cover the display module. The touch window assembly includes first and second electrode films spaced apart from each other and energized by a conductive part, and a support pad disposed in contact with the second electrode film. In order to connect the electrode films to an external signal cable, one end of the connection pin passes through the support pad and the second electrode film to be in contact with the conductive part, and the other end is connected to the signal cable. And the other end of the connection pin is received in a receiving portion formed in the support pad, so that the connection pin hardly protrudes beyond the outer surface of the support pad.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the receiving portion is recessed on an outer surface of the support pad. The receiving portion may be recessed to extend to one end of the support pad so as to accommodate one end region of the signal cable. The connecting pin may have an enlarged portion formed at the other end thereof with a larger cross-sectional area than the other portion, and the receiving portion may have a depth such that the enlarged portion does not protrude from the outer surface of the supporting pad.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the support pad is divided into a first pad and a second pad. The first pad is disposed to be in contact with the second electrode film, and the second pad is disposed to overlap the first pad and has a receiving hole for forming the receiving portion. A printed portion extending along the edge region of the second pad may be formed in a portion of the second pad to define a light transmitting region corresponding to the display module.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a touch sensor assembly comprising: first and second electrode films spaced apart from each other and energized by a conductive part; a first electrode film formed on a surface of the first electrode film, A connection pin which is connected to the signal cable through one end of the support pad and the second electrode film so as to be in contact with the conductive part and the other end of which is connected to the signal cable, .

The touch sensor assembly and the portable terminal having the touch sensor assembly according to the present invention configured as described above are configured such that the exposed ends of the connection pins electrically connecting the first and second electrode films to the signal cable are accommodated, Is less or less structurally influenced by the external structure than when exposed. This prevents an external impact from being applied to the connecting pin, so that the electrical connection is stably maintained.

In addition, since the connection pin is not protruded, it is not necessary to form a configuration for accommodating the protruding portion in the case of the terminal facing the touch sensor assembly, so that the rigidity of the case portion is deteriorated in relation to the touch sensor assembly Can be prevented.

Hereinafter, a portable terminal related to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the present specification, the same or similar reference numerals are given to different embodiments in the same or similar configurations.

1 is a perspective view of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The case (casing, housing, cover, etc.) constituting the external appearance of the main body of the terminal is formed by the front case 11 and the rear case 21. [ Various electronic components are embedded in the space formed by the front case 11 and the rear case 21. [ At least one intermediate case may be additionally disposed between the front case 11 and the rear case 21. [ The cases may be formed by injection molding of a synthetic resin or may be formed of a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti).

The display unit 13, the first sound output unit 14, the first image input unit 15, the first operation unit 16, the sound input unit 17, and the like may be disposed in the front case 11.

The display unit 13 includes a display module 12 (see FIG. 3) such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) module for displaying information visually and an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) module. The display unit 13 may further include a touch screen to enable information input by a user's touch.

The first sound output unit 14 may be implemented as a receiver or a speaker.

The first image input unit 15 may be implemented as a camera module for capturing an image or a moving image of a user.

The first operation unit 16 receives a command for controlling the operation of the portable terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

The sound input unit 17 may be implemented in the form of a microphone, for example, in order to receive voice, sound, etc. of the user.

A second operating unit 23, an interface 24, a power supply unit 25, and the like may be disposed on the rear case 21 mounted on the rear side of the portable terminal.

The second operating portion 23 may be installed on a side surface of the rear case 21. [ The second operating portion 23 together with the first operating portion 16 may be collectively referred to as a manipulating portion and may be employed in any manner as long as the user operates in a tactile manner with a tactile impression . For example, the operation unit may be implemented as a dome switch, a touch screen, or a touch pad capable of receiving a command or information by a push or touch operation of a user, or may be implemented as a wheel, a jog type, Method or the like.

The second operation unit 23 can be used to input a special function such as activation of the first image input unit 15 or the like in addition to the scroll function, As a hot-key to perform the operation. If the first and second operating portions 16 and 23 are minimized as illustrated, the telephone number, characters, and the like may be input by the touch screen provided on the display unit 13. [

The interface 24 is a path through which the portable terminal can exchange data with an external device. For example, the interface 24 may be a wired or wireless connection terminal for connecting to an earphone, a port for short range communication (for example, an IrDA port, a Bluetooth port, a wireless LAN port a wireless Lan port), or power supply terminals for supplying power to the portable terminal. The interface 24 may be a card socket that accepts an external card such as a subscriber identification module (SIM) or a user identity module (UIM), a memory card for information storage, and the like.

The power supply unit 25 is installed in a rear case 21 for supplying power to the portable terminal. The power supply unit 25 may be detachably coupled to a rechargeable battery for charging or the like.

2 is a rear perspective view of the portable terminal of FIG.

2, a second video input unit 27, a second audio output unit 30, a broadcast signal receiving antenna 31, and the like may be additionally disposed in the rear case 21.

The second image input unit 27 may have a photographing direction substantially opposite to that of the first image input unit 15 (see FIG. 1), and may be a camera having different pixels from the first image input unit. For example, the first image input unit 15 has low pixels so that it is easy to capture a face of a user in the case of a video call or the like and transmit the face to the other party. The second image input unit 27 photographs a general object It is preferable to have a high pixel because it is often not transmitted.

A flash 28 and a mirror 29 are additionally disposed adjacent to the second image input unit 27. The flash 28 shines light toward the subject when the subject is photographed by the second image input unit 27. The mirror unit 29 allows the user to illuminate the user's own face or the like when the user intends to take a picture of himself / herself (self-photographing) using the second image input unit 27.

The second sound output unit 30 may implement a stereo function together with the first sound output unit 14 (see FIG. 1), and may be used for talking in a speakerphone mode.

The antenna 31 for receiving broadcast signals may be disposed on one side of the rear case 21, in addition to the antenna for communication. The antenna 31 may be installed to be able to be drawn out to the rear case 21.

In the above description, the first operating portion 16 and the like are described as being attached to the front case 11 and the second operating portion 23 and the like are attached to the rear case 21. However, the present invention is not limited to such a position. For example, the second operating portion 23 may be disposed in the front case 11 adjacent to the first operating portion 16. [ Further, even if the second image input unit 27 is not separately provided, the first image input unit 15 may be rotatably formed so that the second image input unit 27 can be photographed up to the photographing direction.

3 is an exploded perspective view of the portable terminal of FIG.

Referring to the drawing, the touch sensor assembly 100 is coupled to cover one surface of the first case 11. The touch sensor assembly 100 is also referred to herein as a touch window assembly because it covers the display module 12 such that the visual information output from the display module 12 is recognized externally. The touch sensor assembly 100 includes a touch sensor unit that can recognize a user's touch, thereby enabling input of information (command, signal, etc.).

The touch sensor assembly 100 may be divided into a light transmission region 100a having an area corresponding to the display module 12 and a non-transmission region 100b extending along an edge region. The light transmission region 100a is made of a material through which light can be transmitted, and the non-transmission region 100b is a material that can not transmit light or is a surface-treated region so that light can not be transmitted.

An acoustic hole 14b corresponding to the acoustic input unit 14 is formed in the non-transmissive area 100b and a light transmissive image window 15b is formed corresponding to the first image input unit 15 (see FIG. 1) . In the non-transmissive area 100b, an operation area 16b is formed which corresponds to the first operation part 16 and which is to be touched or pressed by the user. In the operation area 16b, a pattern indicating a signal received by the terminal may be formed. The free end of the signal cable 160 connecting the touch sensor portion of the touch sensor assembly 100 and the control circuit or control portion 40 of the terminal 40 (see FIG. 7) extends from the touch sensor assembly 100.

The front case 11 is formed with an exposure hole 16c, a display hole 12 ', through holes 14c and 15c, and a cable hole 160'. The exposure hole 16c is formed corresponding to the operation region 16b and the display hole 12 'is formed to correspond to the light transmission region 100a. The through holes 14c and 15c are formed corresponding to the acoustic hole 14b or the image window 15b, respectively. The cable hole 160 'provides a passage through which the signal cable 160 extends through.

In the rear case 21, a display module 12 corresponding to the display hole 12 'is disposed. The speaker module 14a and the camera module 15 are disposed so as to correspond to the through holes 14c or 15c, respectively. At least one switch 16a disposed corresponding to the exposure hole 16c generates a signal by a pressing operation with respect to the operation region 16b.

The speaker module 14a, the acoustic hole 14b and the through hole 14c are classified as the first sound output section 14 described above and the camera module 15a, the image window 15b and the through hole 15c may be classified into a first image input unit 15. The switch 16a, the operation area 16b and the exposure hole 16c can be classified into the first operation part 16. [ In order to employ the touch pad as the first operating portion 16, a touch sensing element may be disposed instead of the switch 16a.

4 is a perspective view of the touch sensor assembly 100 of FIG. 3 viewed from the opposite side.

1, one end of a connection pin 150 electrically connecting the touch sensor unit built in the touch sensor assembly 100 and the signal cable 160 is exposed to the outside.

A recessed receptacle 145 is formed on the outer surface of the touch sensor assembly 100 so that the end of the connection pin 150 does not protrude beyond the outer surface of the non-permeable region 100b , The degree of protrusion at least from the outer surface is minimized.

As a result, there is no need to employ a structure for supplementing the projection of the connection pin 150 to the first case 11, which is advantageous in that the rigidity of the first case 11 is not deteriorated. In addition, since the connection pin 150 protrudes outwardly and does not collide with the adjacent structure, the connection pin 150 can stably perform the electrical connection.

In order to prevent the signal cable 160 from protruding beyond the outer surface of the touch sensor assembly 100, the receiving portion 145 may be extended to one end of the touch sensor assembly 100, as illustrated. With this configuration, when the touch sensor assembly 100 is brought into contact with the facing surface of the other member (the first case 11), the connection pin 150 or the signal cable 160 is interposed between the surfaces Is lost or minimized.

The printing unit 170 may be formed in the non-transmissive region 100b where the receiving portion 145 (and the acoustic hole 14b, etc.) is not formed. The printing unit 170 is formed in an opaque color, and can function to define the light transmitting region 100a.

5 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line V-V of Fig.

Referring to FIG. 1, the touch sensor unit includes first and second electrode films 110 and 120. The first and second electrode films 110 and 120 are spaced apart from each other by spacers 135 interposed therebetween. The spacer 135 may be a double-sided tape. The conductive part 130 is formed in a space defined by the first and second electrode films 110 and 120 and the spacer 135. The conductive part 130 is a conductive material and allows the first and second electrode films 110 and 120 to be electrically connected to each other.

A protective film 115 is attached to the outer surface of the first electrode film 110. The user touches the protective film 115 to change the gap between the first and second electrode films 110 and 120 at a specific position. A support pad 140 is disposed on the outer surface of the second electrode layer 120. The support pad 140 has a greater thickness than other layers and maintains the overall rigidity of the touch sensor assembly 100.

The connection pin 150 connected to one end of the signal cable 160 is disposed to pass through the support pad 140 and the second electrode film 120. For this arrangement, a connection hole 155 is formed in the support pad 140 and the second electrode film 120. The touch sensor unit is electrically connected to the signal cable 160 as one end of the connection pin 150 contacts the power supply unit 130 and the other end is connected to the signal cable 160.

An enlarged portion 153 having a sharp cross-sectional area may be formed on the exposed end side of the connection pin 150. The enlarged portion 153 is brought into contact with the outer surface of the signal cable 160 so that the signal cable 160 does not escape from the connection pin 150. The enlarged portion 153 does not protrude beyond the outer surface of the supporting pad 140 by the receiving portion 145.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing the touch sensor assembly 200 according to the modification of FIG.

The touch sensor assembly 200 of this modification is similar to the touch sensor assembly 100 of the previous embodiment except that the support pad 240 is composed of the first and second pads 241 and 242. However, the support pad 240 does not have a thickness beyond that of the support pad 140.

The first pad 241 is disposed in contact with the second electrode film 120 and the second pad 242 is laminated on the first pad 241 to form an outer surface of the support pad 240.

A connection hole 155 is formed in the first pad 241 and a receiving portion 145 is formed in the second pad 242. For this, the thickness of the second pad 242 may be the sum of the thickness of the signal cable 160 and the enlarged portion 153 of the connecting pin 150.

At this time, the receiving portion 145 may be formed in a manner of forming a hole (receiving hole) in the second pad 242, unlike the method of processing the recess in the previous embodiment.

As described above, since the support pad 240 is formed in a two-layer structure, the process for forming the receiving portion 145 is easier than in the previous embodiment. Also, when forming the printing unit 170 (see Fig. 4), the back surface printing method can be applied to the second pads 242 as well.

The portable terminal related to one embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the bar type shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but can be applied to various structures such as a slide type, a folder type, and a swing type.

7 is a block diagram of a portable terminal according to the present invention.

7, a portable terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a wireless communication module 41, operation units 16 and 23, image input units 15 and 28, an acoustic input unit 17, a display unit 13, An audio output unit 14 and 30, a sensing unit 46, an interface 24, a broadcast receiving module 45, a memory 44, a power supply unit 25 and a control unit 40.

The control unit 40 typically controls the overall operation of the portable terminal. For example, voice communication, data communication, video communication, and the like. In addition to the normal function control, the control unit 40 controls the operation of the portable terminal related to the present invention.

The wireless communication module 41 transmits / receives a wireless signal to / from a mobile communication base station through an antenna. A transmission unit 42 for transmitting and receiving voice data, character data, video data, and control data under the control of the control unit 40 and for modulating and transmitting a signal to be transmitted for this purpose; 43).

The operation units 16 and 23 provide the control unit 40 with key input data that the user inputs for controlling the operation of the terminal. The operation units 16 and 23 are composed of a dome switch, a touch pad (static / static), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

The image input units 15 and 28 process image frames such as still images or moving images obtained by the image sensor in the video communication mode or the photographing mode. Then, the processed image frame is converted into image data that can be displayed on the display unit 13 and output to the display unit 13. [ The image frames processed by the image input units 15 and 28 are stored in the memory 44 under the control of the control unit 40 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless transmission / reception unit 41.

The sound input unit 17 receives an external sound signal by a microphone in a communication mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, or the like, and processes it as electrical voice data. The processed voice data is converted into a form that can be transmitted to the mobile communication base station through the wireless communication module 41 in the communication mode, and is output to the wireless communication module. In the case of the recording mode, the processed voice data is output to be stored in the memory 44. The sound input unit 17 may be implemented with various noise reduction algorithms for eliminating noise generated in the process of receiving an external sound signal.

The display unit 13 displays and outputs information processed in the portable terminal. For example, when the portable terminal is in the call mode, the control unit 40 displays and outputs a UI (User Interface) or GUI (Graphic User Interface) related to the call. When the portable terminal is in the video communication mode or the photographing mode, the control unit 40 displays and displays the photographed image, the UI, and the GUI. When the display unit 13 includes a touch screen, the display unit 13 is used as an input device in addition to the output device.

The sound output units 14 and 30 receive sound data received from the wireless communication module 41 under the control of the control unit 40 in the call signal reception mode, the communication mode or the recording mode, the voice recognition mode, And outputs the converted sound data to the outside. Also, the sound output units 14 and 30 output sound signals related to functions (e.g., call signal reception sound, message reception sound, etc.) performed in the portable terminal. The sound output units 14 and 30 include a speaker, a receiver, a buzzer, and the like.

The sensing unit 46 senses the current state of the portable terminal, such as the opening / closing state of the portable terminal, the position of the portable terminal, whether or not the user touches the portable terminal, and generates a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the portable terminal. For example, if the portable terminal is in the form of a slide phone, it senses whether the slide phone is opened or closed and outputs the sensing result to the controller 40 so that the operation of the terminal is controlled. And a sensing function related to whether or not the power supply unit 25 is powered on, whether the interface 24 is connected to an external device, and the like.

The interface 24 may be any type of external wireless headset, external charger, wired / wireless data port, card socket (e.g. a memory card, SIM / UIM card) It serves as an interface with the device. The interface 24 receives data from an external device or receives power from the external device, transfers the data to each component in the portable terminal, or transmits data in the portable terminal to an external device.

The memory 44 may store a program for processing and controlling the control unit 40 and may have a function for temporarily storing input / output data (e.g., a phone book, a message, a still image, . In addition, the memory 44 stores a program for controlling the operation of the portable terminal related to the present invention. The memory 44 includes the concept of a generally known hard disk, a card type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory), a flash memory, a RAM, a ROM, and the like.

The broadcast receiving module 45 receives broadcast signals transmitted through satellite or terrestrial waves and converts the received broadcast signals into broadcast data formats that can be output to the sound output units 14 and 30 and the display unit 13 and outputs them to the control unit 40 . In addition, the broadcast receiving module 45 receives additional data (e.g., EPG (Electric Program Guide), channel list, etc.) related to broadcasting. The broadcast data and the additional data converted by the broadcast receiving module 45 may be stored in the memory 44. [

The power supply unit 25 receives external power and internal power under the control of the control unit 40 and supplies power necessary for operation of the respective components.

When the user touches the protective film 115 of the touch sensor assemblies 100 and 200, it is detected that the distance between the first and second electrode films 110 and 120 constituting the touch sensor unit is changed. The sensed signal is transmitted to the signal cable 160 through the connection pin 150.

The signal cable 160 is connected to the control unit 40 and receives the signal from the control unit 40 and controls the wireless communication module 41 and the display module 12 in response to the signal. By this operation, the user can enter a phone number displayed on the display unit 13 to make a call, or can select and execute a menu.

The touch sensor assembly and the portable terminal having the touch sensor assembly described above are not limited to the configuration and method of the embodiments described above, but all or a part of the embodiments may be selectively combined so that various modifications may be made. .

1 is a front perspective view of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention,

2 is a rear perspective view of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention,

3 is an exploded perspective view of the portable terminal of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the touch sensor assembly of FIG. 3 seen from the opposite side,

5 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line V-V of Fig. 4,

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a touch sensor assembly according to a modification of FIG. 5,

7 is a block diagram of a portable terminal according to the present invention.

Claims (8)

A main body having a display module; And a touch window assembly coupled to the body to cover the display module, The touch window assembly includes: First and second electrode films arranged to be spaced apart from each other and energized by a current passing portion; A support pad disposed in contact with the second electrode film; At least one connection pin, one end of which is connected to the conductive part through the support pad and the second electrode film and the other end is connected to the signal cable; And And a receiving portion formed on the support pad for receiving the other end of the connection pin, Wherein the receiving portion is recessed on an outer surface of the support pad. delete The method according to claim 1, Wherein the receiving portion is extended to one end of the support pad so as to receive an end region of the signal cable. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the connecting pin has an enlarged portion formed at the other end thereof with a larger cross-sectional area than the other portion, and the receiving portion has a depth such that the enlarged portion does not project beyond the outer surface of the supporting pad. The method according to any one of claims 1, 3, and 4, The support pad A first pad disposed in contact with the second electrode film; And And a second pad which is arranged to be overlapped with the first pad and in which a receiving hole for forming the receiving portion is formed. 6. The method of claim 5, And a printing unit formed on a part of the second pad. The method according to claim 6, Wherein the printing unit extends along an edge area of the second pad to define a light transmitting area corresponding to the display module. First and second electrode films arranged to be spaced apart from each other and energized by a current passing portion; A support pad coupled to an outer surface of the second electrode film to support the electrode films; A connection pin having one end passing through the support pad and the second electrode film to be in contact with the conductive portion and the other end connected to the signal cable; And And a receiving portion formed on the support pad for receiving the other end of the connection pin, Wherein the receiving portion is recessed on an outer surface of the support pad.

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