KR20090063813A

KR20090063813A - Subscriber module inserting apparatus

Info

Publication number: KR20090063813A
Application number: KR1020070131315A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 김재관
Original assignee: (주)케이티에프테크놀로지스
Priority date: 2007-12-14
Filing date: 2007-12-14
Publication date: 2009-06-18

Abstract

An apparatus for recognizing whether to insert a subscriber module by using a module insertion unit and a switch is provided to recognize the insertion of the subscriber module through a terminal regardless of the contact height of the subscriber module. A module insertion unit includes a space in which a subscriber module is inserted. The circumference of the space is prescribed by the boundary surface. A switch(80) is protruded to the space of the module insertion unit. If the subscriber module is inserted, the switch retrogrades and the insertion whether the subscriber module is recognized. The height of a protrusion(82) of the switch is higher than the height of the boundary surface.

Description

Subscriber Module Inserting Apparatus}

The present invention relates to a subscriber module mounting apparatus.

In general, a mobile terminal employing a subscriber module, such as a conventional subscriber identification module (SIM) card or a user subscriber identification module (USIM) card, may be used to identify a user by opening all or part of a battery cover or rear cover of the mobile terminal. The subscriber module mounting device is exposed to the outside. Subscriber module mounting device is a socket (socket) type, and has a connector (connector) for sending and receiving the size and electrical signals according to international standards. And the subscriber module mounting device is adapted to mount and detach the subscriber module in a sliding manner.

And the subscriber module mounting device includes a switch for recognizing whether the subscriber module is mounted. Such a switch retreats when the subscriber module is mounted to recognize that the subscriber module is mounted in the terminal. However, since the subscriber module is generally very thin, such as 1 mm thick, the contact height of the subscriber module and the switch may not match. When the contact heights of the subscriber module and the switch do not match, the terminal may determine that the subscriber module is not inserted, which may cause a problem in using the terminal.

The present invention provides a subscriber module mounting apparatus capable of recognizing whether a terminal inserts a subscriber module even if the contact height does not match.

Subscriber module mounting apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a module insertion portion having a space in which the subscriber module is inserted, the circumference of the space is defined by the circumferential surface. And the module mounting apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a switch that protrudes into the space of the module insertion portion and retracts when the subscriber module is inserted to recognize whether the subscriber module is inserted. The switch has a protrusion formed higher than the circumferential surface.

Embodiments of the subscriber module mounting apparatus according to the present invention may have one or more of the following features. For example, the protrusion may be formed at the tip of the switch to protrude upward.

The switch may retreat to the switch receiving portion formed on one side of the circumferential surface.

The bottom surface of the module insert may be formed with a connector in contact with the subscriber module.

The subscriber module may be one of a SIM (Card Subscriber Identification Module) card or a User Subscriber Identification Module (USIM) card.

The circumferential surface may be formed corresponding to the shape of the subscriber module.

The present invention can provide a subscriber module mounting apparatus that can recognize whether the terminal inserts the subscriber module even if the contact height does not match.

As the inventive concept allows for various changes and numerous embodiments, particular embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the written description. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, it should be understood to include all transformations, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention. In the following description of the present invention, if it is determined that the detailed description of the related known technology may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, the terms "comprise" or "have" are intended to indicate that there is a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, and one or more other features. It is to be understood that the present invention does not exclude the possibility of the presence or the addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, components, or a combination thereof.

1 is a plan view of a subscriber module mounting apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The subscriber module mounting apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 is formed inside the battery mounting portion of the terminal case 20. 1 illustrates a state in which a battery (not shown) is removed from a terminal.

Although FIG. 1 illustrates that the subscriber module mounting apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is formed on the back side of the terminal case 20, the subscriber module mounting apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment has a side surface of the terminal. Alternatively, the battery pack may be formed on a top and bottom surfaces or a battery mounted on the terminal.

The subscriber module includes a subscriber identity module (SIM) card or a user subscriber identity module (USIM) card. The subscriber module is installed in a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone and transmits and receives data to and from a separate authentication server. This is an authentication card that allows you to.

The subscriber module mounting apparatus 100 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 includes a module insertion unit 60 and a module insertion unit 60 having a space 68 into which a subscriber module (not shown) can be inserted. It includes a switch 80 to check whether the subscriber module is inserted. When the subscriber module is inserted into the module insertion unit 60, the switch 80 is retracted, thereby allowing the terminal to recognize whether the subscriber module has been inserted.

The module insertion unit 60 is formed on the rear surface of the terminal case 20 and has a shape corresponding to the shape of the subscriber module. That is, the module insertion unit 60 has a rectangular shape as a whole and has a shape in which one side edge is chamfered. The module insertion unit 60 may be modified to correspond to the shape of the subscriber module.

The module insertion unit 60 has a space 68 into which the subscriber module can be inserted. And the space 68 has a groove shape with a constant depth and the front open. The space 68 is defined by the circumferential surface 62 and the flat bottom surface 72.

The height of the circumferential surface 62 is equal to the depth of the space 68, and the circumferential surface 62 defines the planar shape of the module insert 60. The height of the circumferential surface 62 is formed similar to the thickness of the subscriber module. In general, the height of the circumferential surface 62 may be similarly formed because the thickness of the subscriber module is very thin, such as 1 mm. On one side of the circumferential surface 62, the switch 80 protrudes in the space 68 direction. The guide ribs 66 protrude inwardly on opposite sides of the circumferential surface 62.

The guide rib 66 serves to guide the subscriber module when it is mounted or detached from the module insertion unit 60. The guide rib 66 serves to prevent the subscriber module mounted on the module insertion unit 60 from being separated by an impact. The guide rib 66 may be formed to have a predetermined length with respect to the portion where the connector 74 of the module insertion part 60 is located.

The bottom surface 72 is formed in the plane. Therefore, when the subscriber module is mounted in the module inserting unit 60, it is possible to prevent the bending while supporting the subscriber module and to prevent the flow of the subscriber module. The bottom surface 72 is provided with a connector 74 for transmitting and receiving data between the subscriber module and the terminal.

One side of the circumferential surface 62 is provided with a switch accommodating portion (see 64 in FIG. 2) capable of accommodating the switch 80. Hereinafter, the switch accommodating portion 64 and the switch 80 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the switch illustrated in FIG. 1 and shows a state in which the switch 80 protrudes outward from the switch accommodating portion 64 formed on the circumferential surface 62 of the module inserting portion 60. 3 is a side view of the switch 80 shown in FIG. 2, and shows a state in which the protrusions 82 formed at the tip of the switch 80 are formed higher than the circumferential surface 62.

2 and 3, the switch receiving portion 64 is formed on one side of the circumferential surface 62. The switch accommodating portion 64 is provided with a space (not shown) in which the switch 80 can retreat, and a spring (not shown) elastically supporting the rear surface of the switch 80. Therefore, when the subscriber module is inserted into the module inserting portion 60, the switch 80 retreats to the switch receiving portion 64, and when the subscriber module is separated from the module inserting portion 60, the module inserting portion ( 60) Protrude into the inside.

The switch 80 makes it possible to check whether the subscriber module is inserted into the module insertion unit 60. In general, the thickness of the subscriber module is about 1mm and correspondingly, the height of the circumferential surface 62 of the module inserting portion 60 is also formed about 1mm. Therefore, since the subscriber module is very thin, the switch 80 may retreat into the switch accommodating unit 64 only when the subscriber module and the contact height thereof match so that the terminal recognizes that the subscriber module is inserted. If the contact height between the subscriber module and the switch 80 does not match, the terminal cannot recognize that the subscriber module has been inserted because the switch 80 does not retreat into the switch receiving portion 64 even when the subscriber module is inserted. .

As such, even though the subscriber module is inserted into the space 68 of the module insertion unit 60, the terminal does not recognize that the subscriber module is inserted because the contact height between the switch 80 and the subscriber module does not match. In order to do this, protrusions 82 are formed at the tip of the switch 80. As shown in FIG. 3, the protrusion 82 protrudes upward from the tip of the switch 80 and is formed higher than the circumferential surface 62. Therefore, the projection 82 serves to substantially increase the height of the switch 80. Therefore, even when the subscriber module is inserted slightly higher than the contact height with the switch 80, the subscriber module is in contact with the projection 82, so that the terminal can recognize that the subscriber module has been inserted.

4 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the subscriber module 100 is inserted higher than the contact height with the switch 80. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which the subscriber module 100 is inserted into a height relative to the contact height with the switch 80 and locked to the protrusion 82.

4 and 5, it can be seen that the subscriber module 100 is in contact with the protrusion 82 when the subscriber module 100 is inserted higher than the contact height with the switch 80. If the protrusion 82 is not formed in the switch 80, the subscriber module 100 does not contact the switch 80 in FIG. 4, and thus the terminal recognizes that the subscriber module is not inserted. When the subscriber module 100 is fully inserted as shown in FIG. 5, the subscriber module 100 contacts the protrusion 82 to retract the switch 80 to the switch receiving unit 64.

6 is a block circuit diagram illustrating a subscriber module connection structure of a subscriber module mounting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, data for operating a terminal stored in the subscriber module 100 is recognized and read by a microcontroller unit (MCU) 120. When the subscriber module is fully inserted into the module inserting unit 60, the power supply unit 140 for supplying power to the subscriber module 100 and whether the power supply unit 140 applies power to the subscriber module 100. An application detecting unit 160 that detects is shown. The MCU 120 may receive, recognize, and read data stored in the subscriber module 100 only when power is applied to the subscriber module 100 according to a detection signal transmitted from the authorization detection unit 160.

The power supply unit 140 includes a power supply unit V _BAT for supplying power to the subscriber module 100 when the subscriber module 100 is completely mounted in the module insertion unit 60, and the subscriber module 100 completely connected to the terminal. And a switch 80 that senses whether or not it is mounted so that operating power applied from the power supply unit V _BAT can be delivered to the subscriber module 100. In this case, the power supply unit V _BAT may be a battery mounted in the terminal or a power source itself provided in the terminal body.

The switch 80 is connected to the power supply terminal and the power supply unit (V _BAT ) of the subscriber module 100 and is automatically inserted into the module insertion unit 60 when the subscriber module is fully inserted into the power supply unit (V _BAT ) and the subscriber module. The power supply terminal is configured to be connected.

The application sensing unit 160 includes a transistor connected to the reference voltage to generate a signal having a different voltage level according to whether the mounting sensing unit 80 is powered, and configured to apply the generated signal to the MCU 120. When the subscriber module 100 is mounted, power is applied to the base (gate) of the transistor. Accordingly, the transistor is turned on so that a low level signal is applied to the MCU 120.

Accordingly, when the low level signal is applied to the INT port connected to the authorization sensing unit 160, the MCU 120 automatically determines that the subscriber module is installed to supply power and accordingly stores data stored in the subscriber module. A control command for receiving is generated and transmitted to the subscriber module 100.

Although the above has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below It will be appreciated that modifications and variations can be made.

1 is a plan view of a subscriber module mounting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the switch of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side view of the subscriber module mounting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a state before the subscriber module is mounted in the subscriber module mounting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which the subscriber module in contact with the projection of the switch in the subscriber module mounting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a block circuit diagram showing a subscriber module connection structure of the subscriber module mounting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

* Description of Drawing Symbols *

20: mobile phone case 60: module insertion unit

62: circumference 64: switch housing

80: switch 82: turning

100: subscriber module

Claims

A module insert having a space into which the subscriber module is inserted, the perimeter of the space being defined by a circumferential surface;

And a switch protruding into the space of the module insertion unit and retracting when the subscriber module is inserted to recognize whether the subscriber module is inserted.

The switch module mounting apparatus having a protrusion formed higher than the circumferential surface.

The method of claim 1,

And the protrusion is formed at the front end of the switch and protrudes upward.

The method of claim 1,

The switch module mounting apparatus, characterized in that the switch retracts to the switch receiving portion formed on one side of the circumferential surface.

The method of claim 1,

Subscriber module mounting apparatus, characterized in that the bottom surface of the module insertion portion is formed with a connector in contact with the subscriber module.

The method of claim 1,

The subscriber module is a subscriber module mounting apparatus, characterized in that one of the SIM (SIM, Subscriber Identification Module) card or the SIM (User Subscriber Identification Module, USIM) card.

The method of claim 1,

Subscriber module mounting apparatus, characterized in that the peripheral surface is formed corresponding to the shape of the subscriber module.