KR20090069022A - Slide-type portable terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

A slide-type portable terminal is provided to reduce the thickness of a portable terminal by forming a module in a shape proper to a body of the terminal. A first terminal body(10) is formed in a shape that is curved backward, and a second terminal body(20) has the same curvature as the body shape of the first terminal body to slide on the first terminal body. The first terminal body includes a display unit(13), a sound output unit(14), an image input unit(16), and a manipulate unit(15).

Description

SLIDE-TYPE PORTABLE TERMINAL}

The present invention relates to a slide-type mobile terminal which is slid in a curved form.

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

As the functions are diversified, the mobile terminal is equipped with complex functions such as taking a picture or video, playing a music or video file, playing a game, and receiving a broadcast, and is implemented in the form of a comprehensive multimedia player. have.

Many new attempts are being applied to these multimedia devices in terms of hardware or software to implement complex functions. For example, a user interface environment is provided for a user to search for or select a function easily and conveniently.

As a mechanical form of the portable terminal, a bar type, a slide type, or a folder type has been proposed, and the dual slide type portable terminal can receive information directly through the display unit. In addition, the operation for opening the mechanism is concise and has been preferred for its excellent usability.

The slide-type portable terminal implements semi-automatic opening and closing by additionally installing an assembly called a 'slide module' between the body to be moved and the body.

Conventional slide-type portable terminals have been opened and closed while the body and the body are moved in a straight direction, an example has been configured to move in a curved direction in accordance with the shape of the human body.

However, since the slide-type mobile terminal of the conventional curved movement type includes a spring for providing an elastic force inside the slide module, it is not only difficult to manufacture a slide module having a completely curved shape, but also rather thick to realize semi-automatic. There is a problem that is increased.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, the present invention proposes a slide-type portable terminal of the curved movement form, the slide module for coupling the slide between the body and the body in a curved form to the shape of the body Its purpose is to be able to match and reduce the thickness.

In order to solve the above problems, the portable terminal having an external module according to the present invention is fixed to the first terminal body and formed of a certain curvature, and the first slide member is fixed to the second terminal body and the curvature of the first slide member And a second slide member slidably coupled in a direction, and a magnetic action portion disposed on the first slide member and the second slide member and configured to apply a magnetic force in the slide movement direction. Since the slide module itself is formed to have a certain curvature, a straight section is not required, and the thickness of the module can be reduced while having a magnetic action part capable of realizing the force required to move the slide.

As an example related to the present invention, the magnetic action portion may be arranged along the slide direction with the magnetic poles formed on the first slide portion and the magnetic poles disposed on the second slide member. In this case, the magnetic poles formed on the first slide portion and the magnetic poles disposed on the second slide member may be arranged in parallel to each other.

As an example related to the present invention, the magnetic action portion may be formed in the form of a permanent magnet attached to the first slide member and the second slide member. Permanent magnets can be manufactured in thin form, reducing the thickness of the slide module.

As an example related to the present invention, the magnetic action part may be formed in a form in which the first slide member and the second slide member itself are magnetized. Thus, the thickness of the slide module can be made thinner as well as reduce the number of parts.

The first terminal body and the second terminal body may be formed in a curved shape to have the curvature. In this case, since the first slide member and the second slide member are formed in a curved shape, a display formed with the curvature may be disposed on the first terminal body. Such a display may be implemented by means such as e-paper or flexible LCD.

As an example related to the present invention, the first slide member and the second slide member are formed in a plate type, and both ends of the second slide member are bent to form a slide rail, so that both ends of the first slide member are formed on the slide rail. It can be configured to slide and move.

According to the portable terminal as described above, since the first terminal body slides with respect to the second terminal body by the magnetic force in the magnetic action part, the elastic spring is disposed between the first slide member and the second slide member to prevent an increase in thickness. Compared with the prior art disposed in the present invention, a curved portable slide module having a full shape and a slide portable terminal having the same can be obtained.

Since the magnetic action unit can be manufactured in a form suitable for the slide member while transmitting force in a non-contact form, there is an advantage of reducing the thickness of the slide module and the portable terminal.

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

1 is a front perspective view of the mobile terminal according to the present invention as viewed from the front, and FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the mobile terminal of FIG.

As shown in these figures, the portable terminal 1 has a first terminal body 10 having a curved shape with a central portion curved toward the rear side, and the first terminal body 10 of the first terminal body 10. The second terminal body 20 is configured to be slidably movable in a curvature such as a curved shape.

As shown in FIG. 1, a state in which the first terminal body 10 is disposed to completely overlap with the second terminal body 20 may be referred to as a closed configuration. As shown in FIG. 2, the first terminal body 10 may be A state in which at least a portion of the second terminal body 20 is exposed may be referred to as an open configuration.

Although the portable terminal 1 mainly operates in the standby mode in the closed state, the standby mode may be released by a user's operation. In the open state, the apparatus mainly operates in a call mode or the like, but may be switched to a standby mode by a user's operation or a lapse of a predetermined time.

The case (casing, housing, cover, etc.) forming the exterior of the first terminal body 10 is formed by the front case 11 and the rear case 12. Various electronic components are built in the space formed by the front case 11 and the rear case 12.

At least one intermediate case may be further disposed between the front case 11 and the rear case 12. The cases 11 and 12 may be formed by injecting synthetic resin, or may be formed to have a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti).

The display terminal 13, the audio output unit 14, the image input unit 16, or the first manipulation unit 15 may be disposed in the first terminal body 10.

The display unit 13 may be formed in a curved shape (curve shape) with the same curvature as the outer shape of the first terminal body 10 has a predetermined curvature. The shape of the display unit 13 is due to the curved shape of the slide module (see number 40 of FIGS. 4A and 4B) as described below. In this regard, the elastic means may be disposed even in the curved slide movement. This is different from the conventional example, in which the slide module was forced to be flat.

The curved display unit 13 includes an e-paper or a flexible liquid crystal display. In addition, the display unit 13 may further include a touch screen to enable input of information by a user's touch.

The sound output unit 14 may output not only the call sound but also various notification sounds of the system or the reproduction sound of the multimedia. The sound output unit 14 may be provided in plural so as to implement a stereo function, and may be used in a speakerphone mode during a call.

The image input unit 16 may be implemented in the form of a camera module for capturing an image or a video of a user. The image input unit 16 may be configured to be rotatable back and forth with respect to the first terminal body 10 and may also be disposed on the rear surface of the first terminal body 10.

Like the first terminal body 10, the second terminal body 20 may also include a front case 21 and a rear case 22.

The second manipulation unit 23 may be disposed on the front surface of the second terminal body 20, specifically, the front case 21.

At least one of the front case 21 and the rear case 22 may be provided with a third manipulation unit 26, a sound input unit 24, or an external interface 27.

The first to third manipulators 15, 23, and 26 may be collectively referred to as manipulating portions, and may be employed in any manner as long as the user is tactile in a tactile manner. For example, the operation unit may be implemented as a dome switch or touch screen or a touch pad, which may receive a command or information by a user's push or touch operation, or a wheel or jog method or joystick that rotates a key. It can also be implemented in a manner such as to operate. In the functional aspect, the first operation unit 15 is for inputting a command such as start, end, scroll, and the like, and the second operation unit 23 is for inputting numbers, letters, symbols, and the like. In addition, the third manipulation unit 26 may operate as a hot-key that performs a special function such as activation of the first image input unit 16.

The first sound input unit 24 may be implemented in the form of, for example, a microphone to receive a user's voice, other sounds, and the like.

The external interface 27 is a passage for allowing the portable terminal 1 according to the present invention to exchange data with an external device including the external module 40. For example, the external interface 27 may be at least one of a connection terminal for connecting to the earphone, an infrared port (IrDA port), and a wireless LAN port in a wired or wireless manner. The external interface 27 may be a card socket that accommodates an external card such as a subscriber identification module (SIM) or a user identity module (UIM) and a memory card for storing information.

On the rear case 22 side, a power supply unit 25 for supplying power to the portable terminal 1 is mounted. The power supply unit 25 may be in a form that can be charged so that it can be continuously used, and may be detachably integrated in the second terminal body 20 or in an external package form. The power supply unit 25 or the second terminal body 20 may further include an external terminal to be directly connected to a means such as a charging cradle.

One side of the second terminal body 20 may be provided with a connector to receive power from the outside to charge the power supply 25. The connector may be formed in a form in which a plug such as an external travel charger may be inserted, and may also function as an input / output (I / O) port.

3 is an exploded perspective view of a portable terminal related to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first terminal body 10 and the second terminal body 20 are slid in a curve by a slide module 40 disposed therebetween.

The slide module 40 is fixed to the first terminal body 10 and is formed with a curvature similar to that of the first terminal body 10 and the second terminal body 20 and is fixed to the first terminal body 20. A second slide member 42 coupled to the slide member 41 so as to be slidably movable in the curvature direction of the first slide member 41, and disposed on the first slide member 41 and the second slide member 42. And magnetically acting portions 46 and 47 formed to apply magnetic force in the slide movement direction.

Specifically, the first slide member 41 and the second slide member 42 are formed in a plate type, which is advantageous to reduce the overall thickness of the slide module 40.

Both ends of the second slide member 42 are bent to form the slide rail 43. The slide rail 43 is also formed in a curved shape of the second slide member 42, and both ends of the first slide member 41 are fitted to the slide rail 43 to be slidably moved.

The first terminal body 10 and the second terminal body 20 are electrically connected by a cable or a flexible PCB 28. The first terminal member 10 and the second terminal body 20 are provided with a cutting hole in the first slide member 41 and the second slide member 42 to provide a moving space of the cable or flexible PCB 28 during the slide movement. This can be formed.

Referring to FIG. 3, the magnetic action parts 46 and 47 are implemented in the form of permanent magnets attached to the first slide member 41 and the second slide member 42, respectively. In this case, the permanent magnet may be bonded to the first slide member 41 and the second slide member 42 by a double-sided tape or an adhesive, which is manufactured in the form of a thin sheet.

The magnetically acting portions 46 and 47 in the form of permanent magnets can be formed in the curved shape of the first slide member 41 and the second slide member 42, but also transmit a force in a non-contact form to each other, thereby providing a curved shape. Easy to apply to slide movement.

In addition, the magnetic action unit may be implemented by permanently magnetizing the first slide member 41 and the second slide member 42. That is, by forming a ferromagnetic material on the first slide member 41 and the second slide member 42 and magnetizing them, the permanent magnet may be separately attached. In this case, the thickness of the slide module can be further reduced, and there is an advantage of simplifying assembly and parts.

4A and 4B are side cross-sectional views illustrating a closed state and an open state of the portable terminal according to the present invention, respectively. As shown in these figures, the first terminal body 10, the second terminal body 20, the first slide member 41, the second slide member 42, and the display unit 13 that constitute the portable terminal. ) Are all curved. This is a result of applying a magnetic action portion between the first slide member 41 and the second slide member 42 that can be easily deformed to match the shape of the slide member, and thus, the first slide member 41 and the second slide 42. The member 42 also facilitates the manufacture of curved shapes.

Furthermore, the display unit 13 is also formed in a curved shape so as to correspond to the first terminal body 10 and the first slide member 41, and includes a terminal body having a flat display unit and a curved slide surface. It is possible to produce much thinner than the portable terminal. The display unit 13 may be implemented by means such as an e-paper or a flexible LCD.

5A to 5C are side cross-sectional views illustrating a moving process of a slide module by a magnetic action unit according to the present invention.

As shown in these figures, the magnetic action portion is arranged along the slide direction with the magnetic poles formed on the first slide member 41 and the magnetic poles disposed on the second slide member 42. The magnetic poles formed on the first slide member 41 and the magnetic poles disposed on the second slide member 42 are arranged antiparallel to each other. That is, in the state where the portable terminal is closed as shown in FIG. 5A, the second slide member 42 is disposed in the order of S-pole and N-pole from top to bottom, and the first slide member 41 is the first slide member 41. Are arranged in the order of S-pole and N-pole from the N pole position. Therefore, the closed state is maintained by the attraction force of the S pole of the first slide member 41 and the N pole of the second slide member 42.

When the first slide member 41 is applied to the second slide member 42, as shown in FIG. 5B, the S pole of the first slide member 41 is the S pole of the second slide member 42. The north pole of the first slide member 41 is disposed at a portion where the north pole of the second slide member is present. This moment becomes the dead point, and if it exceeds the dead point, the repulsive force between the N pole of the first slide member 41 and the N pole of the second slide member 42 and the S pole and the second slide of the first slide member 41 are measured. The repulsive force between the S poles of the member 42 continues to move in the direction of the slide movement. Thus, semi-automatic (if the user exerts a force up to a certain moment, the slide moves automatically without applying force after that moment).

When the N pole of the first slide member 41 is near the S pole of the second slide member 42, the open state of the mobile terminal is realized by the attraction force of the anode.

However, the stop position between the first slide member 41 and the second slide member 42 may be adjusted, and may include another stopper device to complete the movement before the exact same position.

4 is a block diagram of a slide-type portable terminal according to the present invention.

One example of the present invention shown is the wireless communication module 51, the operation unit (15, 23, 26), the image input unit 16, the sound input unit 24, the display unit 13, the sound output unit 14, external And an interface 27, a broadcast receiving module 56, a memory 54, a power supply unit 25, a control unit 50, and the like.

The operation units 15, 23, and 26 are configured as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 to provide the control unit 50 with input data input by the user for controlling the operation of the terminal.

The controller 50 controls the overall operation of the portable terminal. For example, perform related control and processing for voice calls, data communications, video calls, and the like.

The wireless communication module 51 transmits / receives a radio signal with a mobile communication base station through an antenna. For example, under the control of the controller 50, the transmission unit 83 is responsible for transmitting and receiving voice data, text data, image data, and control data, and modulates and transmits a signal to be transmitted, and a receiving unit for demodulating the received signal. 82).

The image input unit 16 may be implemented in the form of a camera module for capturing an image or a video of a user. When the image input unit 16 is in a used mode, that is, in a photographing or video call mode, the display unit 13 displays indicia for controlling various functions of the image input unit 16 under the control of the controller 50. .

The image input unit 16 processes image frames such as still images or moving images obtained by the image sensor. The processed image frame is converted into image data displayable on the display unit 13 and output to the display unit 13. The image frame processed by the image input unit 16 is stored in the memory 54 under the control of the control unit 50 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication module 51.

The sound input unit 24 receives an external sound signal by a microphone in a call mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, or the like, and processes the external sound signal into electrical voice data. The processed voice data is converted into a form transmittable to the mobile communication base station through the wireless communication module 51 and output to the wireless communication module 51 in the call mode. In the recording mode, the processed voice data is output to be stored in the memory 54.

The sound input unit 24 may implement various noise removing algorithms for removing noise generated in the process of receiving an external sound signal.

The display unit 13 displays and outputs information processed by the portable terminal. For example, when the mobile terminal is in a call mode, the control unit 50 displays and outputs a user interface (UI) or a graphic user interface (GUI) related to the call. When the portable terminal is in the video call mode or the photographing mode, the mobile terminal displays and outputs the captured image, UI, or GUI under the control of the controller 50.

The sound output unit 14 transmits to the sound data or the memory 54 received from the wireless communication module 51 under the control of the control unit 50 in a call signal reception, a call mode or a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcast reception mode, and the like. The stored sound data is converted and output to the outside. In addition, the sound output unit 14 outputs a sound signal related to a function (for example, a call signal reception sound, a message reception sound, etc.) performed in the portable terminal. The sound output unit 14 includes a speaker, a receiver, a buzzer, and the like.

The external interface 27 connects a portable terminal to a mobile terminal other than a wired / wireless headset, an external charger, a wired / wireless data port, a card socket (eg, a memory card, a SIM / UIM card), and the like. It serves as an interface with external devices. The external interface 27 receives data or power from an external device and transmits the data to each component inside the mobile terminal or transmits the data inside the mobile terminal to the external device.

The memory 54 may store a program for processing and controlling the control unit 50, and a function for temporarily storing input / output data (for example, a phone book, a message, a still image, a video, etc.). You can also do This memory 54 includes the concepts of generally known hard disks, card type memory (eg SD or XD memory, etc.), flash memory, RAM, ROM, and the like.

The sensing unit 55 detects a current state of the portable terminal such as an open / closed state of the portable terminal, a position of the portable terminal, presence or absence of a user contact, and generates a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the portable terminal.

In addition, the sensing unit 55 senses whether the first terminal body (No. 10 in FIG. 1) is opened or closed and outputs a sensing result to the controller 50 to control the operation of the terminal. In addition, it is responsible for sensing functions related to whether the power supply unit 25 is supplied with power, whether the external interface 27 is coupled to an external device, and the like.

The broadcast receiving module 56 receives a broadcast signal transmitted through a satellite or terrestrial wave, converts the broadcast signal into a broadcast data format that can be output to the sound output unit 14 and the display unit 13, and outputs the broadcast signal to the controller 50. In addition, the broadcast receiving module 56 receives additional data related to the broadcast (for example, an EPG (electric program guide), a channel list, etc.). The broadcast data and additional data converted by the broadcast receiving module 56 may be stored in the memory 54.

The slide-type portable terminal described above is not limited to the configuration and method of the above-described embodiments. The above embodiments may be configured by selectively combining all or some of the embodiments so that various modifications can be made.

1 is a front perspective view of a mobile terminal according to the present invention viewed from the front;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view illustrating an open state in which the mobile terminal of FIG. 1 is slid and moved.

3 is an exploded perspective view of a mobile terminal related to the present invention;

4A and 4B are side cross-sectional views illustrating a closed state and an open state of the portable terminal according to the present invention, respectively.

Figures 5a to 5c is a side cross-sectional view showing a moving process of the slide module by the magnetic action unit associated with the present invention

6 is a block diagram of a portable terminal related to the present invention.

Claims (8)

A first slide member fixed to the first terminal body and formed to have a predetermined curvature; A second slide member fixed to a second terminal body and slidably coupled to the first slide member in the curvature direction; And And a magnetic action unit disposed on the first slide member and the second slide member and configured to apply a magnetic force in a slide movement direction. The method of claim 1, And the magnetic pole formed on the first slide member and the magnetic pole disposed on the second slide member are arranged along the slide direction. The method of claim 2, The magnetic pole formed on the first slide member and the magnetic pole disposed on the second slide member are arranged antiparallel to each other. The method of claim 1, The magnetic action unit is a slide-type portable terminal, characterized in that formed in the form of a permanent magnet attached to the first slide member and the second slide member. The method of claim 1, And the magnetic action portion is formed in a form in which the first slide member and the second slide member themselves are magnetized. The method of claim 1, The first terminal body and the second terminal body is a slide-type portable terminal, characterized in that formed in a curved shape to have the curvature. The method of claim 6, The first terminal body is a slide-type portable terminal, characterized in that the display formed with the curvature is disposed. The method of claim 1, The first slide member and the second slide member is formed in a plate type, And both ends of the second slide member are bent to form a slide rail, wherein both ends of the first slide member are fitted to the slide rail to slide.

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