KR101631082B1 - Keypad assembly and portable terminal having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a keypad comprising a keypad body, a translucent input unit mounted on the front surface of the keypad body for inputting information by a user's operation, and a display unit mounted in the keypad body, And a solar cell mounted on the rear of the light transmissive input unit and adapted to convert the light incident on the light transmissive input unit into electric energy to supply power to the light transmissive input unit and the wireless communication module and a keypad assembly To a mobile terminal.

Description

[0001] KEYPAD ASSEMBLY AND PORTABLE TERMINAL HAVING THE SAME [0002]

The present invention relates to a keypad assembly to which a solar cell is applied, and a portable terminal having the same.

A portable terminal is a portable device that is portable and has one or more functions such as voice and video call function, information input / output function, and data storing function.

As the functions of the portable terminal are diversified, for example, the portable terminal has complicated functions such as photographing and photographing of a moving picture, reproduction of music or video file, reception of a game and broadcasting, and is implemented as a multimedia device .

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 recent years, as interest in electronic devices using environmentally friendly technologies has been increasing, there have been increasing cases of applying solar cells to portable terminals.

The present invention provides a keypad assembly that can be used without additional charging by applying a solar cell to a keypad assembly and a portable terminal having the same.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a keypad assembly including a keypad body, a translucent input unit mounted on a front surface of the keypad body for inputting information by a user's operation, A wireless communication module mounted on the rear side of the light transmissive input unit and adapted to convert light incident on the light transmissive input unit into electric energy to supply power to the light transmissive input unit and the wireless communication module, And the like.

The light transmissive input unit may include a touch keypad of a transparent material having a touch sensor for touch sensing, and a touch interface connected to the touch sensor and processing a signal generated by the touch sensor.

The touch sensor may be implemented as a touch film of a translucent material attached to the rear surface of the touch keypad.

A printed circuit board having the wireless communication module may be mounted on a rear surface of the solar cell.

The solar cell may further include a rechargeable battery for recharging electric energy generated in the solar cell.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wireless communication system including a terminal body capable of performing independent wireless communication functions, and a keypad assembly capable of wireless communication with the terminal body, wherein the keypad assembly includes a keypad body, A wireless communication module mounted in the keypad main body for transmitting information transmitted from the light transmissive input unit to the main body of the terminal, and a wireless communication module mounted on the rear of the light transmissive input unit, And a solar cell converting the light incident on the input unit into electrical energy to supply power to the light transmissive input unit and the wireless communication module.

The keypad assembly according to the present invention has a structure in which power is supplied by a solar cell during use, so that it is not necessary to separately charge the keypad assembly.

In addition, since the keypad assembly according to the present invention does not have a separate power supply unit, the keypad assembly can have a reduced thickness.

In addition, the present invention provides a keypad assembly capable of wireless communication with a main body of a terminal, so that a user can input information more conveniently, and the main body of the terminal can be detachably attached to the keypad assembly to improve portability.

Hereinafter, a portable terminal related to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the portable terminal of FIG. 1. Referring to FIG.

The portable terminal according to the present invention includes a terminal body 100 capable of independently performing a wireless communication function.

A casing (a casing, a housing, a cover, etc.) constituting an outer appearance of the terminal body 100 is formed by a front case 111 and a rear case 112. Various electronic components are embedded in the space formed by the front case 111 and the rear case 112.

The cases may be formed by injection molding a synthetic resin, or may be formed to have a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti) or the like.

The display unit 113, the first sound output unit 114, the first image input unit 115, and the first operation unit 116 may be disposed in the terminal body 100, specifically, the front case 111 .

The display unit 113 includes an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) module, an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) module, and the like that visually express information. The display unit 113 may further include a touch screen to enable information input by a user's touch.

The first sound output unit 114 may be implemented in the form of a receiver or a speaker.

The first image input unit 115 may be implemented in the form of a camera module for capturing an image or a moving image of a user.

The first operation unit 116 receives a command for controlling the operation of the portable terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

At least one of the front case 111 and the rear case 112 may have a second operating portion 117, an acoustical input portion 118, and an interface 119.

The first and second operating portions 116 and 117 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.

For example, the operation units 116 and 117 may be implemented as a dome switch, a touch screen, or a touch pad capable of receiving commands or information by a push or touch operation of a user. In a functional aspect, the operation unit can operate as a hot-key for performing a special function such as activation of the first image input unit 115 or the like.

The sound input unit 118 may be implemented in the form of a microphone, for example, to receive a user's voice, other sounds, and the like.

The interface 119 is a path for allowing the portable terminal related to the present invention to exchange data with an external device. For example, the interface 119 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 port, Lan port) or the like, or power supply terminals for supplying power to the portable terminal.

The interface 119 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.

A power supply unit 120 for supplying power to the portable terminal is mounted on the rear case 112 side. The power supply unit 120 may be detachably coupled, for example, for charging, as a rechargeable battery.

Referring to FIG. 2, a second image input unit 121 may be additionally mounted on a rear surface of the rear case 112. The second image input unit 121 may have a photographing direction substantially opposite to that of the first image input unit 115 (see FIG. 1), and may be a camera having different pixels from the first image input unit 115.

For example, the first image input unit 115 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 send it to the other party, and the second image input unit 121 photographs a general object It is preferable to have a high pixel because it is often not transmitted.

A flash 122 and a mirror unit 123 are additionally disposed adjacent to the second image input unit 121. The flash 122 illuminates the subject when the subject is photographed by the second image input unit 121. The mirror unit 123 allows the user to illuminate his / her face or the like when the user intends to take a picture of himself / herself (self-photographing) using the second image input unit 121.

And the second sound output section 124 may be further disposed in the rear case 112. [

The second sound output unit 124 may implement a stereo function together with the first sound output unit 114 (see FIG. 1), and may be used for a call in a speakerphone mode.

In addition, on one side of the rear case 112, a broadcast signal receiving antenna 125 may be disposed in addition to an antenna for communication. The antenna 125 may be installed to be able to be drawn out from the case.

Meanwhile, the portable terminal of the present invention includes a keypad assembly 200 capable of wireless communication with the main body 100 of the terminal.

The keypad assembly 200 includes a keypad body 210 formed separately from the terminal body 110 and a transmissive input unit 220 formed on the front surface of the keypad body 110.

The keypad body 210 may be formed by a front case 211 and a rear case 212. These cases 211 and 212 may be formed by injection molding of synthetic resin or may be formed of a metal material.

The keypad assembly 200 may be carried by the user separately or may be detachably attached to the terminal body 100. The present embodiment illustrates that the keypad assembly 200 is detachably mounted on the rear surface of the terminal main body 100 for portability convenience.

To this end, a case of the terminal body 100 and a case of the keypad body 210 are provided with engaging means. The present embodiment illustrates magnets 112a and 212a that can be attached to each other as examples of coupling means. The magnets 112a and 212a can be mounted on the inner surface of the case. In addition, the coupling means can be modified in various forms as a structure that can be coupled with each other.

Although the keypad assembly 100 is formed separately from the terminal body 100 in the above description, the keypad assembly 100 may be configured to be fixed to the terminal body 100 in the same manner as the operation portions 116 and 117 of the terminal body 100 As shown in FIG.

The transmissive input unit 220 is formed of a transmissive material, and the transmissive material includes a transparent material and a semitransparent material. The light transmissive input unit 220 is configured to be able to input information to the terminal main body 110 by a user's operation.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a keypad assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG.

A mounting hole 214 is formed in the front case 211 so as to provide a mounting space for the light transmitting input unit 220.

The light transmissive input unit 220 may have various forms capable of generating a signal by a user's operation. According to the present embodiment, the light transmissive input unit 220 is implemented in such a manner that a signal is generated by a user's touch.

The light transmissive input unit 220 includes a touch keypad 221 having a transparent material having a touch sensor 222 for sensing touches and a touch interface 222 for processing signals generated from the touch sensor 222. [ 223, FIG. 6).

The touch keypad 221 may be formed of a translucent synthetic resin, or may be formed of glass or the like. Numeral 221a may be printed on the surface of the touch keypad 221 or may be printed on the touch keypad 221 or may be formed on the touch keypad 221. [ And the like.

The letters, numbers, symbols 221a, etc. may have a regularly spaced arrangement, and this embodiment illustrates that they are arranged in a QWERTY key.

The touch sensor 222 may be implemented in the form of a touch film attached to the back surface of the touch keypad 221. The touch film 222 has a translucent material and has a transparent conductive pattern for generating a signal when a touch is applied to the touch keypad 221. A light emitting element for illuminating the touch keypad 221, for example, an LED or the like may be attached to the touch film 222.

The touch interface 223 is electrically connected to the touch sensor 222 and processes signals generated by the touch sensor 222. [ That is, the touch interface 223 calculates input information from the signal transmitted from the touch sensor 222. [ The touch interface 223 may be referred to as various terms such as a controller, a signal conversion unit, and the like.

A solar cell 230 for converting light energy into electrical energy is mounted at the rear of the light transmissive input unit 220. The solar cell 230 is mounted in a space formed between the front case 211 and the rear case 212.

The solar cell 230 refers to a semiconductor device that converts light energy into electrical energy using a photoelectric effect. Various types of solar cells such as a silicon solar cell, a thin film solar cell, and a fuel-responsive solar cell can be applied to the present invention.

The solar cell 230 converts the light incident on the light transmissive input unit 220 into electric energy and supplies power to the light transmissive input unit 220. Since the light transmitting input unit 220, that is, the touch keypad 221 and the touch sensor 222 have a light transmitting material, the light incident on the light transmitting input unit 220 passes through the light transmitting input unit 220, 230). The solar cell 230 generates electric energy using such light.

The keypad assembly 200 includes a wireless communication module 250 for transmitting information transmitted from the light transmissive input unit 220 to the terminal body 100 or an external device. The wireless communication module 250 may be implemented in the form of a short-range wireless communication module for Bluetooth communication. In such a case, the short-range wireless communication module 147 (see FIG.

The solar cell 230 is electrically connected to the touch interface 223 and the wireless communication module 250 to supply power thereto.

5 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the keypad assembly.

5, a printed circuit board (PCB) 241 may be mounted in the interior of the keypad body 210. The touch interface 223, the wireless communication module 250, And the like can be mounted.

The printed circuit board 241 may be mounted on the rear surface of the solar cell 230. The printed circuit board 241 may be electrically connected to the touch film 222 of the light transmitting input unit 220 by a flexible circuit board 245 (FPCB).

The built-in antenna 242 may be disposed in the outer area of the touch keypad 221 and the solar cell 230. The built-in antenna 242 is connected to the wireless communication module 250 of the printed circuit board 241 to emit a wireless signal for short-range wireless communication. This structure is for preventing the printed circuit board 241 from being exposed to the outside through the transparent keypad 221.

In addition, a rechargeable battery 243 for charging electric energy generated in the solar cell 230 may be additionally provided in the keypad body 210.

In addition, various input and output means such as a speaker and a microphone may be additionally provided to the keypad body 210.

6 is a block diagram of a keypad assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, the touch sensor 222 generates a signal by a touch operation and applies the signals to the touch interface 223.

That is, the touch interface 223 calculates input information from the signal transmitted from the touch sensor 222, and applies the input information to the wireless communication module 250.

When the wireless communication module 250 has a form of a short-range wireless communication module, the wireless communication module 250 communicates with the short-range wireless communication module 147 of the terminal main body 100 and transmits the corresponding information.

The solar cell 230 supplies power to the touch interface 223 and the wireless communication module 250 in this process.

According to such a configuration, the keypad assembly 200 has a structure in which power is supplied during use, which is advantageous in that no additional charging is required. In addition, since the keypad assembly 200 does not have a separate power supply unit, the thickness of the keypad assembly 200 can be reduced.

7 is a block diagram of a keypad assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The keypad assembly 200 'of this embodiment has the same configuration as that of the previous embodiment except for the rechargeable battery 243.

The solar cell 230 may directly supply power to the touch interface 223 and the wireless communication module 250 as in the previous embodiment. However, the touch interface 223 and the wireless communication module 250 and the solar cell 230 may be additionally provided with a rechargeable battery 243.

The rechargeable battery 243 charges the electric energy generated in the solar cell 230 to a predetermined capacity and supplies the charged power to the touch interface 223 and the wireless communication module 250.

The rechargeable battery 243 can supply power to the touch interface 223 and the wireless communication module 250 using the pre-charged power when the keypad assembly 200 'is used in a place where no light is emitted. That is, the rechargeable battery 243 functions as a spare battery required when the solar cell 230 does not operate.

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

The terminal body 100 includes a wireless communication module 141, operation units 116 and 117, image input units 115 and 121, a sound input unit 1185, a first display unit 113, a second display unit 213, The display 200, the sound output units 114 and 124, the sensing unit 146, the interface 119, the broadcast reception module 145, the memory 144, the power supply unit 120, the short- And a control unit 140.

The control unit 140 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 140 controls the configurations of the display unit 113 and the like based on the information transmitted from the keypad assembly 200 according to the present invention.

The wireless communication module 141 transmits / receives a wireless signal to / from a mobile communication base station through an antenna. A transmission unit 142 for transmitting and receiving voice data, character data, video data, and control data under the control of the control unit 140 and for modulating and transmitting a signal to be transmitted for this purpose; 143).

The operation units 116 and 117 are configured as shown in FIG. 1, and provide the control unit 140 with key input data that the user inputs for controlling the operation of the terminal.

The image input units 115 and 121 process image frames such as still images or moving images obtained by the image sensor in the video communication mode or the photographing mode. The processed image frame is converted into image data that can be displayed on the first and second display units 113 and 213 and is output to the first and second display units 113 and 213.

The image frames processed by the image input units 115 and 121 are stored in the memory 144 under the control of the control unit 140 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication module 141.

The sound input unit 118 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 141 in the communication mode, and is output to the wireless communication module. In the record mode, the processed voice data is output to be stored in the memory 144. [

The sound input unit 118 may be implemented with various noise reduction algorithms for eliminating noise generated in receiving an external sound signal.

The display unit 113 displays and outputs information processed in the portable terminal. For example, when the portable terminal is in the call mode, the control unit 140 displays 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 140 displays and displays the photographed image, the UI, and the GUI. When the first and second display units 113 and 213 include a touch screen, the first and second display units 113 and 213 are used as an input device in addition to the output device.

The sound output units 114 and 124 receive sound data received from the wireless communication module 141 under the control of the control unit 140 in the call signal reception mode, the communication mode or the recording mode, the voice recognition mode, Converts the stored sound data and outputs it to the outside.

Also, the sound output units 114 and 124 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 114 and 124 include a speaker, a receiver, a buzzer, and the like.

The sensing unit 146 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, it senses whether or not the keypad assembly 200 is attached to or detached from the terminal body, and outputs the sensing result to the controller 140 so that the operation of the terminal is controlled. And a sensing function related to whether or not the power supply unit 120 is powered on, whether the interface 119 is coupled to an external device, and the like.

The interface 119 may include a wired / wireless headset, an external charger, a wired / wireless data port, a card socket (for example, a memory card, a SIM / UIM card) It serves as an interface with the device. The interface 119 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 144 may store a program for processing and controlling the control unit 140 and may have a function for temporarily storing input / output data (e.g., a phonebook, a message, a still image, .

Such memory 144 includes the concept of a generally known hard disk, card type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory), flash memory, RAM, ROM, and the like.

The broadcast receiving module 145 receives broadcast signals transmitted through satellite or terrestrial waves and converts them into broadcast data formats that can be output to the sound output unit 114.124, the first and second display units 113 and 213, . In addition, the broadcast receiving module 145 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 145 may be stored in the memory 144. [

The power supply unit 120 receives external power and internal power under the control of the controller 140 and supplies power necessary for operation of the respective components.

The short-range wireless communication module 147 is configured to wirelessly communicate with the short-range wireless communication module 250 of the keypad assembly 200.

The light transmissive input unit 220 of the keypad assembly 200 transmits information generated by the user's operation to the near field wireless communication module 250 and the near field wireless communication module 250 transmits the information generated by the user's operation to the near field wireless communication module 250 147 to be applied to the controller 140.

The above-described embodiments of the keypad assembly and the portable terminal having the same can be applied to all or some of the embodiments so that various modifications may be made. Or may be selectively combined.

1 is a front perspective view of a mobile 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 a keypad assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 3;

5 is a sectional view showing the internal structure of the keypad assembly;

6 is a block diagram of a keypad assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 7 is a block diagram of a keypad assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

Claims (9)

A keypad body; A light transmissive input unit mounted on a front surface of the keypad body for inputting information by a user's operation; A wireless communication module mounted inside the keypad main body and transmitting information transmitted from the light transmissive input unit to an external device; And And a solar cell mounted at the rear of the light transmissive input unit and converting power of light incident on the light transmissive input unit into electrical energy to supply power to the light transmissive input unit and the wireless communication module, Wherein the translucent input unit includes a touch keypad of a translucent material having a touch sensor for touch detection, Wherein the touch sensor is a touch film of a light transmitting material attached to a rear surface of the touch keypad. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, Further comprising a touch interface connected to the touch sensor for processing a signal generated by the touch sensor. 3. The method of claim 2, Wherein at least one of a character, a number, and a symbol is displayed on the touch keypad. delete The method according to claim 1, And a printed circuit board mounted on a rear surface of the solar cell, the printed circuit board including the wireless communication module. The method according to claim 1, Further comprising a rechargeable battery connected to the solar cell, the rechargeable battery charging electrical energy generated in the solar cell. A keypad body; A touch keypad of a translucent material mounted on a front surface of the keypad body and having a touch sensor for touch detection; A touch interface connected to the touch sensor for processing a signal generated by the touch sensor; And And a solar cell disposed on a rear surface of the touch keypad, for converting light incident on the touch keypad into electric energy and supplying power to the touch interface, Wherein the touch sensor is a touch film of a light transmitting material attached to a rear surface of the touch keypad. A terminal body capable of performing an independent wireless communication function; And And a keypad assembly capable of wireless communication with the terminal body, The keypad assembly includes: a keypad body; A light transmissive input unit mounted on a front surface of the keypad body for inputting information by a user's operation; A wireless communication module mounted inside the keypad body and transmitting information transmitted from the light transmitting input unit to the terminal body; And And a solar cell mounted at the rear of the light transmissive input unit and converting power of light incident on the light transmissive input unit into electrical energy to supply power to the light transmissive input unit and the wireless communication module, Wherein the translucent input unit includes a touch keypad of a translucent material having a touch sensor for touch detection, Wherein the touch sensor is a touch film of translucent material attached to a rear surface of the touch keypad. 9. The method of claim 8, Wherein the keypad assembly is detachably mounted to the terminal main body.

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