KR101688140B1 - Key assembly and mobile terminal having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A dome switch includes first and second pressing portions protruding from a surface of the key top, first and second contact portions disposed on one surface of the printed circuit board, And a contact portion formed on the one surface of the printed circuit board to generate a signal corresponding to the control command in contact with the dome switch, wherein the first and second contact portions correspond to the first and second pressing portions respectively Wherein the first and second contact portions are formed on both sides of the center of the dome switch so as to be elastically deformed by the pressing of the first and second pressing portions and the contact portion is formed to be covered by the first and second contact portions, The first and second contact portions being in contact with the first and second contact portions, respectively, and a mobile terminal having the same.

Description

[0001] KEY ASSEMBLY AND MOBILE TERMINAL HAVING THE SAME [0002]

The present invention relates to a key assembly for receiving control commands and a mobile terminal having the same.

The terminal is movable And can be divided into a mobile / portable terminal and a stationary terminal depending on whether the mobile terminal is a mobile terminal or a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal can be divided into a handheld terminal and a vehicle mount terminal according to whether the user can directly carry the mobile terminal.

The mobile terminal is provided with an input device for inputting information, and the input device is implemented in various forms such as a dome switch, a touch pad, a touch screen, and a jog wheel.

An input device using a dome switch is a method of inputting information by a pressing operation. It may be considered to improve a structural part of a key assembly for inputting accurate information.

It is an object of the present invention to propose a key assembly of a structure different from the conventional one.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a key assembly capable of inputting correct information and capable of generating a signal corresponding to a different control command depending on a pressed position, and a mobile terminal having the key assembly.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a key assembly comprising a key top for receiving a control command, first and second pressing portions protruding from one surface of the key top, A dome switch disposed on one side of the substrate and having first and second contact portions and a contact portion formed on the one surface of the printed circuit board to generate a signal corresponding to the control command in contact with the dome switch, , The first and second contact portions are disposed on both sides with respect to the center of the dome switch so as to correspond to the first and second pressing portions respectively and are elastically deformed by the pressing of the first and second pressing portions, , The contact portion is formed so as to be covered by the first and second contact portions, and contacts the first or second contact portion to generate the signal, respectively.

According to an example of the present invention, the first and second contact portions are formed so as to be continuous in the longitudinal direction of the dome switch on the same plane.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the contact portion includes first and second contact portions respectively corresponding to the first and second contact portions, and first and second contact portions that insulate the first and second contact portions from each other, Wherein the first and second contact portions generate a signal corresponding to a first control command when the first contact portion contacts the first contact portion, Is connected to the printed circuit board through different paths so that a signal corresponding to the second control command is generated when the second control unit contacts the second contact unit.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the first and second contact portions are formed such that signals corresponding to the third control command are generated when the first and second contact portions contact the first and second contact portions together And is connected to the printed circuit board.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable terminal including a terminal body having a printed circuit board and a user input unit receiving a control command applied to the terminal body, A first dome switch disposed on one side of the printed circuit board, and a second dome switch disposed on the one side of the printed circuit board so as to be covered by the dome switch, wherein the first and second pressing portions protrude from one side of the key top, The key assembly includes a key portion.

According to the present invention, it is possible to input accurate information by using the dome switch including the first and second contact portions.

According to the present invention, since a plurality of contact portions are formed in one dome switch, a signal corresponding to a different control command can be generated depending on the pressed position.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2A is a front perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2B is a rear perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.
FIG. 2C is a perspective view showing a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention in an opened state. FIG.
3 is a cross-sectional view of a key assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
Figures 4A-4C are conceptual diagrams illustrating the operation of the key assembly according to Figure 3;
5 is a cross-sectional view of a key assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
Figures 6A-6C are conceptual diagrams illustrating the operation of the key assembly according to Figure 5;

Hereinafter, a mobile terminal related to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The suffix "module" and " part "for the components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have their own meaning or role.

The mobile terminal described in this specification includes a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), a PMP (Portable Multimedia Player), an e-book, Navigation, and the like.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The mobile terminal 100 includes a wireless communication unit 110, an audio / video input unit 120, a user input unit 130, a sensing unit 140, an output unit 150, a memory 160, A controller 170, a controller 180, a power supply 190, and the like. The components shown in FIG. 1 are not essential, and a mobile terminal having more or fewer components may be implemented.

Hereinafter, the components will be described in order.

The wireless communication unit 110 may include one or more modules for enabling wireless communication between the mobile terminal 100 and the wireless communication system or between the mobile terminal 100 and the network in which the mobile terminal 100 is located. For example, the wireless communication unit 110 may include a broadcast receiving module 111, a mobile communication module 112, a wireless Internet module 113, a short range communication module 114, and a location information module 115 .

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives broadcast signals and / or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management server through a broadcast channel.

The broadcast channel may include a satellite channel and a terrestrial channel. The broadcast management server may refer to a server for generating and transmitting broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information, or a server for receiving broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information generated by the broadcast management server and transmitting the generated broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information. The broadcast signal may include a TV broadcast signal, a radio broadcast signal, a data broadcast signal, and a broadcast signal in which a data broadcast signal is combined with a TV broadcast signal or a radio broadcast signal.

The broadcast-related information may refer to a broadcast channel, a broadcast program, or information related to a broadcast service provider. The broadcast-related information may also be provided through a mobile communication network. In this case, it may be received by the mobile communication module 112.

The broadcast-related information may exist in various forms. For example, an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) of DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) or an ESG (Electronic Service Guide) of Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H).

For example, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DMB-T), a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Satellite (DMB-S), a Media Forward Link Only (DVF-H) And a Digital Broadcasting System (ISDB-T) (Integrated Services Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial). Of course, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be adapted to other broadcasting systems as well as the digital broadcasting system described above.

The broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information received through the broadcast receiving module 111 may be stored in the memory 160.

The mobile communication module 112 transmits and receives radio signals to at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network. The wireless signal may include various types of data depending on a voice call signal, a video call signal or a text / multimedia message transmission / reception.

The wireless Internet module 113 is a module for wireless Internet access, and may be built in or externally attached to the mobile terminal 100. WLAN (Wi-Fi), Wibro (Wireless broadband), Wimax (World Interoperability for Microwave Access), HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) and the like can be used as wireless Internet technologies.

The short-range communication module 114 refers to a module for short-range communication. Bluetooth, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), infrared data association (IrDA), Ultra Wideband (UWB), ZigBee, and the like can be used as a short range communication technology.

The position information module 115 is a module for obtaining the position of the mobile terminal, and a representative example thereof is a Global Position System (GPS) module.

Referring to FIG. 1, an A / V (Audio / Video) input unit 120 is for inputting an audio signal or a video signal, and may include a camera 121 and a microphone 122. The camera 121 processes 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 can be displayed on the display unit 151. [

The image frame processed by the camera 121 may be stored in the memory 160 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication unit 110. [ Two or more cameras 121 may be provided depending on the use environment.

The microphone 122 receives an external sound signal through 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 can be converted into a form that can be transmitted to the mobile communication base station through the mobile communication module 112 when the voice data is in the call mode, and output. Various noise reduction algorithms may be implemented in the microphone 122 to remove noise generated in receiving an external sound signal.

The user input unit 130 generates input data for a user to control the operation of the terminal. The user input unit 130 may include a key pad dome switch, a touch pad (static / static), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

The sensing unit 140 senses the current state of the mobile terminal 100 such as the open / close state of the mobile terminal 100, the position of the mobile terminal 100, the presence or absence of user contact, the orientation of the mobile terminal, And generates a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal 100 is in the form of a slide phone, it is possible to sense whether the slide phone is opened or closed. It is also possible to sense whether the power supply unit 190 is powered on, whether the interface unit 170 is connected to an external device, and the like. Meanwhile, the sensing unit 140 may include a proximity sensor 141.

The output unit 150 is for generating output related to the visual, auditory or tactile sense and includes a display unit 151, an audio output module 152, an alarm unit 153, and a haptic module 154 .

The display unit 151 displays (outputs) information processed by the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal is in the call mode, a UI (User Interface) or a GUI (Graphic User Interface) associated with a call is displayed. When the mobile terminal 100 is in the video communication mode or the photographing mode, the photographed and / or received video or UI and GUI are displayed.

The display unit 151 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a flexible display display, and a 3D display.

Some of these displays may be transparent or light transmissive so that they can be seen through. This can be referred to as a transparent display, and a typical example of the transparent display is TOLED (Transparent OLED) and the like. The rear structure of the display unit 151 may also be of a light transmission type. With this structure, the user can see an object located behind the terminal body through the area occupied by the display unit 151 of the terminal body.

There may be two or more display units 151 according to the embodiment of the mobile terminal 100. For example, in the mobile terminal 100, a plurality of display portions may be spaced apart from one another or may be disposed integrally with each other, or may be disposed on different surfaces.

(Hereinafter, referred to as a 'touch screen') in which a display unit 151 and a sensor for sensing a touch operation (hereinafter, referred to as 'touch sensor') form a mutual layer structure, It can also be used as an input device. The touch sensor may have the form of, for example, a touch film, a touch sheet, a touch pad, or the like.

The touch sensor may be configured to convert a change in a pressure applied to a specific portion of the display unit 151 or a capacitance generated in a specific portion of the display unit 151 into an electrical input signal. The touch sensor can be configured to detect not only the position and area to be touched but also the pressure at the time of touch.

If there is a touch input to the touch sensor, the corresponding signal (s) is sent to the touch controller. The touch controller processes the signal (s) and transmits the corresponding data to the controller 180. Thus, the control unit 180 can know which area of the display unit 151 is touched or the like.

Referring to FIG. 1, a proximity sensor 141 may be disposed in an inner region of the mobile terminal or in the vicinity of the touch screen, which is surrounded by the touch screen. The proximity sensor refers to a sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object approaching a predetermined detection surface or a nearby object without mechanical contact using the force of an electromagnetic field or infrared rays. The proximity sensor has a longer life span than the contact sensor and its utilization is also high.

Examples of the proximity sensor include a transmission type photoelectric sensor, a direct reflection type photoelectric sensor, a mirror reflection type photoelectric sensor, a high frequency oscillation type proximity sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, a magnetic proximity sensor, and an infrared proximity sensor. And to detect the proximity of the pointer by the change of the electric field along the proximity of the pointer when the touch screen is electrostatic. In this case, the touch screen (touch sensor) may be classified as a proximity sensor.

Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the act of recognizing that the pointer is positioned on the touch screen while the pointer is not in contact with the touch screen is referred to as "proximity touch & The act of actually touching the pointer on the screen is called "contact touch. &Quot; The position where the pointer is proximately touched on the touch screen means a position where the pointer is vertically corresponding to the touch screen when the pointer is touched.

The proximity sensor detects a proximity touch and a proximity touch pattern (e.g., a proximity touch distance, a proximity touch direction, a proximity touch speed, a proximity touch time, a proximity touch position, a proximity touch movement state, and the like). Information corresponding to the detected proximity touch operation and the proximity touch pattern may be output on the touch screen.

The audio output module 152 may output audio data received from the wireless communication unit 110 or stored in the memory 160 in a call signal reception mode, a call mode or a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcast reception mode, The sound output module 152 also outputs sound signals related to functions (e.g., call signal reception sound, message reception sound, etc.) performed in the mobile terminal 100. [ The audio output module 152 may include a receiver, a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

The alarm unit 153 outputs a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event of the mobile terminal 100. Examples of events that occur in the mobile terminal include call signal reception, message reception, key signal input, touch input, and the like. The alarm unit 153 may output a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event in a form other than the video signal or the audio signal, for example, vibration. The video signal or the audio signal may be output through the display unit 151 or the audio output module 152 so that they may be classified as a part of the alarm unit 153.

The haptic module 154 generates various tactile effects that the user can feel. A typical example of the haptic effect generated by the haptic module 154 is vibration. The intensity and pattern of the vibration generated by the hit module 154 can be controlled. For example, different vibrations may be synthesized and output or sequentially output.

In addition to the vibration, the haptic module 154 may include a pin arrangement vertically moving with respect to the contact skin surface, a spraying force or a suction force of the air through the injection port or the suction port, a touch on the skin surface, contact with an electrode, And various tactile effects such as an effect of reproducing a cold sensation using an endothermic or exothermic element can be generated.

The haptic module 154 can be implemented not only to transmit the tactile effect through the direct contact but also to allow the user to feel the tactile effect through the muscular sensation of the finger or arm. At least two haptic modules 154 may be provided according to the configuration of the mobile terminal 100.

The memory 160 may store a program for the operation of the controller 180 and temporarily store input / output data (e.g., a phone book, a message, a still image, a moving picture, etc.). The memory 160 may store data on vibration and sound of various patterns outputted when a touch is input on the touch screen.

The memory 160 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), PROM A disk, and / or an optical disk. The mobile terminal 100 may operate in association with a web storage that performs a storage function of the memory 160 on the Internet.

The interface unit 170 serves as a path for communication with all external devices connected to the mobile terminal 100. The interface unit 170 receives data from an external device or supplies power to each component in the mobile terminal 100 or transmits data to the external device. For example, a wired / wireless headset port, an external charger port, a wired / wireless data port, a memory card port, a port for connecting a device having an identification module, an audio I / O port, A video input / output (I / O) port, an earphone port, and the like may be included in the interface unit 170.

The identification module is a chip for storing various information for authenticating the use right of the mobile terminal 100 and includes a user identification module (UIM), a subscriber identity module (SIM), a general user authentication module A Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM), and the like. Devices with identification modules (hereinafter referred to as "identification devices") can be manufactured in a smart card format. Accordingly, the identification device can be connected to the terminal 100 through the port.

When the mobile terminal 100 is connected to an external cradle, the interface unit may be a path through which power from the cradle is supplied to the mobile terminal 100, or various command signals input by the user to the cradle may be transmitted It can be a passage to be transmitted to the terminal. The various command signals or the power source input from the cradle may be operated as a signal for recognizing that the mobile terminal is correctly mounted on the cradle.

The controller 180 typically controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal. For example, voice communication, data communication, video communication, and the like. The control unit 180 may include a multimedia module 181 for multimedia playback. The multimedia module 181 may be implemented in the control unit 180 or may be implemented separately from the control unit 180. [

The controller 180 may perform a pattern recognition process for recognizing handwriting input or drawing input performed on the touch screen as characters and images, respectively.

The power supply unit 190 receives external power and internal power under the control of the controller 180 and supplies power necessary for operation of the respective components.

The various embodiments described herein may be embodied in a recording medium readable by a computer or similar device using, for example, software, hardware, or a combination thereof.

According to a hardware implementation, the embodiments described herein may be implemented as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays May be implemented using at least one of a processor, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and other electronic units for performing other functions. In some cases, The embodiments described may be implemented by the control unit 180 itself.

According to a software implementation, embodiments such as the procedures and functions described herein may be implemented with separate software modules. Each of the software modules may perform one or more of the functions and operations described herein. Software code can be implemented in a software application written in a suitable programming language. The software code is stored in the memory 160 and can be executed by the control unit 180. [

2A is a perspective view of a mobile terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The mobile terminal 100 of the present embodiment includes first and second bodies 101 and 102 that are movably coupled to each other. Various electronic components are embedded in the inner spaces of the first and second bodies 101 and 102. Although the present embodiment illustrates a slide type terminal in which the first body 101 and the second body 102 are slidably coupled, it is also possible to have other forms such as a folder type and a swing type.

The bodies 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.

A display unit 151, a camera 121, a speaker 152, a first operation unit 131, a microphone 122, and the like may be displayed on the first body 101. The display unit 151 can be arranged to occupy most of the main surface of the front case 101. A speaker 152 and a camera 121 may be disposed in an area adjacent to one end of the display unit 151 and a user first operation unit 131 and a microphone 122 may be disposed in an area adjacent to the other end. have.

A second operation unit 132, an interface unit 170, and the like may be mounted on the second body 102.

The contents inputted by the first or second operation unit 131 or 132 can be variously set. For example, the first operation unit 131 receives commands such as start, end, scroll, and the like, and the second operation unit 132 controls the size of the sound output from the sound output unit 152 or the size of the sound output from the display unit 151 To the touch recognition mode of the touch screen.

2B is a rear perspective view of the mobile terminal 100 shown in FIG. 2A.

Referring to FIG. 2B, the second body 102 may further include a camera 121 '. The camera 121 'may have a photographing direction substantially opposite to the camera 121 (see FIG. 2A), and may be a camera having different pixels from the camera 121.

For example, the camera 121 may have a low pixel so that the face of the user can be photographed and transmitted to the other party in case of a video call or the like, and the camera 121 ' It is preferable to have a large number of pixels. The cameras 121 and 121 'may be installed in the terminal body such that they can be rotated or pop-up.

A flash 123 and a mirror 124 are additionally disposed adjacent to the camera 121 '. The flash 123 illuminates the subject when the subject is photographed by the camera 121 '. The mirror 124 allows the user to illuminate the user's own face or the like when the user intends to shoot himself / herself (self-photographing) using the camera 121 '.

The sound output unit 152 'may be further disposed on the rear surface of the second body 102. The sound output unit 152 'may implement the stereo function together with the sound output unit 152 (see FIG. 2A), and may be used for the implementation of the speakerphone mode during a call.

An antenna for receiving a broadcast signal may be additionally disposed on the side surface of the second body 102 in addition to an antenna for a call or the like. An antenna constituting a part of the broadcast receiving module 111 (see FIG. 1) may be installed to be able to be drawn out from the second body 102.

The second body 102 is equipped with a power supply unit 190 for supplying power to the mobile terminal 100. The power supply unit 190 may be built in the terminal body or may be detachable from the outside of the terminal body.

2C is a perspective view showing the mobile terminal 100 shown in FIG. 2A in an open state.

The second body 102 can be moved to the open state in which the first body 101 exposes a region that was covered in a closed state in which a part of the region is covered. The third operation unit 133 is mounted in the area exposed by such movement.

The third operation unit 133 may include key buttons having an arrangement of QWERTY type and key information for key input (e.g., letters, numbers, symbols, etc.) is displayed on the key buttons .

The key assembly 200, 300 of the present invention can be applied to a user input 130 including a dome switch. The key assemblies 200, 300 are available, for example, to a third operating unit 133 having a QWERTY keyboard.

3 is a cross-sectional view of key assembly 200 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

3, the key assembly 200 includes a key top 210, first and second pressing portions 243a and 243b, a dome switch 241, and a contact portion 242.

The key top 210 receives a control command. The key top 210 may have a structure that is fixed to the second body 102 or the printed circuit board 240 and is movable inward of the second body 102.

The printed circuit board 240 can be formed in the form of a rigid substrate. The printed circuit board 240 may be supported by a support formed on the second body 102 and may be electrically connected to a main board inside the terminal body by a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB).

First and second pressing portions 243a and 243b protruding from the bottom surface of the key top 210 are disposed. The first and second pressing portions 243a and 243b are moved in the pressed direction as the key top 210 is pressed and press the lower dome switch 241. The first and second pressing portions 243a and 243b may be spaced apart from each other by a specific distance with respect to the center of the key top 210.

A dome switch 241 is formed on one surface of the printed circuit board 240 facing the first and second pressing portions 243a and 243b. The dome switch 241 may be formed to be long in the longitudinal direction. The dome switch 241 includes first and second contact portions 249a and 249b respectively corresponding to the first and second pressing portions 243a and 243b. The first and second contact portions 249a and 249b may be disposed on both sides with respect to the center of the dome switch 241. [ The first and second contact portions 249a and 249b can be formed to be continuous in the longitudinal direction of the dome switch 241 on the same plane.

When the user presses the key top 210, the first and second pressing portions 243a and 243b are moved in the pressing direction to elastically deform the first and second contact portions 249a and 249b, respectively.

The contact portion 242 is formed on one side of the printed circuit board 240 so as to be covered by the first and second contact portions 249a and 249b of the dome switch 241. [ When the contact portion 242 comes into contact with the dome switch 241, a current flows through the contact portion 242 through the dome switch 241. The controller 180 senses this and generates a signal corresponding to the control command of the key top 210. The contact portion 242 may be in contact with the first or second contact portion 249a or 249b, respectively, to generate a signal.

As described above, FIG. 3 illustrates the implementation of the pressure input method including the dome switch 241. The key assembly 200 of the present embodiment may be applied not only to a method of pressing the key top 210 but also an input method in which a method of touching the key top 210 is added.

The control unit 180 controls the mounting parts mounted on the first and second bodies 101 and 102 based on the touch input signal generated by the input signal generating unit and the pressing input signal generated at the contact unit 242, .

The key top 210 may include a touch module having a touch sensor, a window, and a display unit. The touch method may be either a static pressure type in which the touch sensor is disposed on the upper surface of the window and a pressure sensor in which the pressure is applied, or an electrostatic type in which the touch sensor is disposed on the lower surface of the window to sense a change point of the charge amount.

Hereinafter, a pressing input method of the key assembly 200 will be described in detail.

Figs. 4A-4C are conceptual diagrams illustrating the operation of the key assembly 200 according to Fig.

Referring to FIG. 4A, when the user presses the center of the key top 210, the first and second pressing portions 243a and 243b are moved in the pressed direction. The first and second pressing portions 243a and 243b press the dome switch 241 together and the first and second contacting portions 249a and 249b corresponding to the first and second pressing portions 243a and 243b ) Is elastically deformed. When the first and second contact portions 243a and 243b are brought into contact with the contact portion 242 together, a current flows through the contact portion 242, and a current corresponding to the control command of the key top 210 A signal is generated.

As described above, since one contact portion 242 covered by the dome switch 241 including a plurality of contact portions is provided, one signal is generated once even if the user presses the center of the key top 210 . That is, when the user presses the center of the key top including a plurality of dome switches, double clicking where the same signal is generated more than once does not occur.

Referring to FIGS. 4B and 4C, when the user presses one end of the key top 210, one end of the key top 210 rotates. For example, one end of the key top 210 may rotate around the center or the other end of the key top 210. In some cases, the rotation of the key top 210 may be caused to overlap with the rotation of the key top 210. Accordingly, the first or second pressing portion 243a, 243b corresponding to one region to be pressed is moved in the pressed direction. The first or second pressing portion 243a or 243b presses the dome switch 241 and the first or second contact portion 249a or 249b corresponding to the first or second pressing portion 243a or 243b, Is elastically deformed. When the first or second contact portions 243a and 243b come into contact with the contact portion 242, a current flows and current flows, and one signal corresponding to the control command of the key top 210 Is generated.

The signal generated in FIGS. 4B and 4C is the same as the signal generated in FIG. 4A since the single contact portion 242 is formed to be covered by the first and second contact portions 249a and 249b. Therefore, even when the user presses one end rather than the center of the key top 210, the dome switch 241 can be pressed to generate a signal.

The key top 210 may be, for example, a space key or a shift key formed to be long in the longitudinal direction. In addition, an enter key having a larger area than other key tops may be formed as described above. With this structure, the user can input accurate information without a double click or a phenomenon in which one end of the key top is not clicked.

5 is a cross-sectional view of key assembly 300 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the contact portion 342 is divided into first and second contact portions 342a and 242b corresponding to the first and second contact portions 349a and 349b, respectively. An insulating portion 344 is formed between the first and second contact portions 342a and 342b to insulate the first and second contact portions 342a and 342b from each other. By forming the insulating portion 344, the first and second contact portions 342a and 342b can be electrically separated.

When the first contact portion 349a contacts the first contact portion 342a, the first and second contact portions 342a and 342b generate a signal corresponding to the first control command and the second contact portion 349b And is connected to the printed circuit board 340 through different paths so as to generate a signal corresponding to the second control command when the second contact point 342b is touched.

6A and 6C are conceptual diagrams illustrating the operation of the key assembly 300 according to FIG.

6A and 6B, when the user presses one end of the key top 310, one end of the key top 310 rotates. Accordingly, the first or second pressing portion 343a, 343b corresponding to one region to be pressed is moved in the pressed direction. The first or second pressing portion 343a or 343b gradually pressurizes the dome switch 341 and the first or second contact portion 349a or 349b corresponding to the first or second pressing portion 343a or 343b ) Is elastically deformed. The first or second contact portions 349a and 349b are brought into contact with the first or second contact portions 342a and 342b to be energized to allow current to flow therethrough, And a signal corresponding to the second control command are generated.

Referring to FIG. 6C, when the user presses the center of the key top 310, the first and second pressing portions 343a and 343b are moved in the pressed direction. The first and second pressing portions 343a and 343b together press the dome switch 341 and the first and second contacting portions 349a and 349b corresponding to the first and second pressing portions 343a and 343b, Is elastically deformed. The first and second contact portions 349a and 349b are brought into contact with the first and second contact portions 342a and 342b to be in the energized state to allow the current to flow, A corresponding signal is generated.

The key assembly 300 having the above structure can generate a signal corresponding to a plurality of control commands with one key top 310. Thus, the components of the key assembly 300 can be minimized to improve productivity and minimize the volume of the mobile terminal 100. [

The key top 310 may be formed, for example, as a volume key so that the first and second control commands control the volume adjustment, and the third control command may be configured to control the blocking of the transmission tone. In addition, the key top 310 is formed by a direction movement key so that the first and second control commands control movement of directions, and the third control command instantaneously captures the screen of the display unit 151 of the mobile terminal 100 Function.

The above-described key assembly and the mobile terminal having the key assembly are not limited to the configurations and the methods of the embodiments described above, but all or a part of the embodiments may be selectively combined .

Claims (5)

A key top for receiving a control command;
First and second pressing portions protruding from one surface of the key top, respectively;
A dome switch disposed on one side of the printed circuit board and having first and second contacts; And
And a contact portion formed on the one surface of the printed circuit board to generate a signal corresponding to the control command in contact with the dome switch,
The first and second pressing portions are disposed on both sides of the key top so as to have a specific distance from the center of the key top,
The first and second contact portions are disposed on both sides of the center of the dome switch so as to correspond to the first and second pressing portions, respectively, and are elastically deformed by the pressures of the first and second pressing portions,
The contact portion
The first contact portion and the second contact portion are formed to be covered by the first and second contact portions,
Wherein the first and second contact portions are respectively in contact with the first and second contact portions so as to generate the signal when either one of the first and second contact portions is touched or touched together. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first and second contact portions are formed to be continuous in the longitudinal direction of the dome switch on the same plane. The method according to claim 1,
The contact portion includes first and second contact portions respectively corresponding to the first and second contact portions and an insulating portion formed between the first and second contact portions to insulate the first and second contact portions from each other and,
Wherein the first and second contact portions generate a signal corresponding to a first control command when the first contact portion contacts the first contact portion and when the second contact portion contacts the second contact portion, And wherein the keypad is connected to the printed circuit board in a different path so that a signal corresponding to the control command is generated. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the first and second contact portions are connected to the printed circuit board so that a signal corresponding to a third control command is generated when the first and second contact portions contact the first and second contact portions together / RTI > A terminal body having a printed circuit board; And
And a user input unit for receiving a control command applied to the terminal body,
Wherein the user input unit comprises:
A mobile terminal comprising a key assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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