Hereinafter, a slide module and a portable terminal having the same according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the present specification, the same or similar reference numerals are assigned to the same or similar configurations in different embodiments, and the description thereof is replaced with the first description. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
1 is a perspective view of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The mobile terminal of the present invention includes a first body 110 and a second body 120 configured to be slidable in at least one direction on the first body 110. However, the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments and may be applied to various types of portable terminals such as a bar type, a folder type, a swing type, a swivel type, and the like.
A state in which the first body 110 is disposed to overlap the second body 120 may be referred to as a closed configuration, and as shown in the drawing, the first body 110 may be referred to as the second body 120. The exposed state of at least a portion of the N may be referred to as an open configuration.
The portable terminal operates mainly in the standby mode in a closed state, but the standby mode may be released by a user's operation. In addition, although the portable terminal operates mainly in a call mode or the like in an open state, the portable terminal 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 body 110 is formed by the front case 111 and the rear case 112. Various electronic components are embedded in the space formed by the front case 111 and the rear case 112. At least one intermediate case may be further disposed between the front case 111 and the rear case 112. The cases may be formed by injecting a synthetic resin or may be formed of a metal material, for example, a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti).
The display body 113, the sound output unit 114, the first image input unit 115, or the first manipulation unit 116 may be disposed on the first body 110, specifically, the front case 111.
The display unit 113 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) module, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) module, a transparent OLED (TOLED) module, and the like, which visually express information.
In addition, the display unit 113 may further include a touch screen to enable input of information by a user's touch. In addition, the display 113 may be formed to generate various tactile effects that a user can feel when touched. This may be implemented by a haptic module linked to the display 113. Vibration is a representative example of the haptic effect generated by the haptic module. The haptic module may be disposed in various ways according to the configuration of the portable terminal as well as the display 113.
The 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 video of a user.
The first operation unit 116 receives a command for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Like the first body 110, the front case 121 and the rear case 122 may form a case of the second body 120.
The second manipulation unit 123 may be disposed on the front surface of the second body 120, specifically, the front case 121.
The third operation unit 124, the first sound input unit 125, and the interface 126 may be disposed on at least one of the front case 121 and the rear case 122.
The first to third manipulation units 116, 123, and 124 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 a touch screen that can receive a command or information by a user's push or touch operation, a touch pad, or a wheel or jog method that rotates a key, or a manipulation method such as a joystick. Or the like.
In functional terms, the first operation unit 116 is for inputting a command such as start, end, scroll, and the like, and the second operation unit 123 is for inputting numbers, letters, symbols, and the like. In addition, the third manipulation unit 124 may operate as a hot-key that performs a special function such as activation of the first image input unit 115.
The first sound input unit 125 may be implemented in the form of a microphone, for example, to receive a user's voice, other sounds, and the like.
The interface 126 serves as a passage for allowing a portable terminal related to the present invention to exchange data with an external device. For example, the interface 126 may be wired or wirelessly, and a connection terminal for connecting to an earphone, a port for short-range communication (for example, an infrared port (IrDA port), a Bluetooth port, a wireless LAN port ( wireless Lan port), or at least one of power supply terminals for supplying power to the mobile terminal.
The interface 126 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 122 side, a power supply unit 127 for supplying power to the portable terminal is mounted. The power supply unit 127 may be detachably coupled for charging, for example, as a rechargeable battery.
2 is a rear perspective view of the portable terminal of FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 2, a second image input unit 128 may be additionally mounted on the rear surface of the rear case 122 of the second body 120. The second image input unit 128 may be a camera having a photographing direction substantially opposite to that of the first image input unit 115 (refer to FIG. 1) and having different pixels from the first image input unit.
For example, the first image input unit 115 has a low pixel so that the user's face is photographed and transmitted to the counterpart in case of a video call, and the second image input unit 128 immediately photographs a general subject. It is preferable to have a high pixel because it is not transmitted in many cases.
The flash 129 and the mirror unit 130 are further disposed adjacent to the second image input unit 128. The flash 129 emits light toward the subject when the subject is photographed by the second image input unit 128. The mirror unit 130 allows the user to see his / her face, etc., when the user wants to photograph himself (self-photographing) using the second image input unit 128.
The second sound output unit 131 may be further disposed on the rear case 122.
The second sound output unit 131 may implement a stereo function together with the first sound output unit 114 (refer to FIG. 1), and may be used for a call in a speakerphone mode.
An antenna 132 for receiving a broadcast signal may be disposed on one side of the rear case 122 in addition to an antenna for a call or the like. The antenna 132 may be installed to be pulled out of the second body 120.
A portion of the slide module 133 that slidably couples the first body 110 and the second body 120 to the rear case 112 side of the first body 110 is disposed.
The other part of the slide module 133 may be disposed on the front case 121 side of the second body 120 and may not be exposed to the outside as shown in the drawing.
In the above description, the second image input unit 128 is disposed on the second body 120, but is not necessarily limited thereto. For example, at least one or more of the components 128 to 132 described as disposed on the rear case 122, such as the second image input unit 128, may be disposed on the first body 110, mainly the rear case 112. It is also possible to be mounted. In such a case, there is an advantage that the configuration (s) arranged in the rear case 112 in the closed state are protected by the second body 120. In addition, even if the second image input unit 128 is not separately provided, the first image input unit 115 may be rotatably configured to allow shooting up to the shooting direction of the second image input unit 128.
3 is an exploded view of the first body 110 of FIG. 1.
An acoustic hole 114a corresponding to the sound output unit 114 and an image window 115a corresponding to the first image input unit 115 (see FIG. 1) may be formed at one side of the front case 111. The image window 115a may be formed of a material that can transmit light. An operation hole 116a corresponding to the first operation unit 116 may be formed at the other side of the front case 111, and an operation pad 116 to be touched or pressed by the user in correspondence with the operation hole 116a. ') Can be mounted.
The rear case 121 may include a circuit board 118, a speaker module 114b, a camera module 115b, a switch 116b, and the like.
The circuit board 118 may be configured as an example of the controller 170 (see FIG. 8) to operate various functions of the portable terminal. As illustrated, the speaker module 114b, the camera module 115b, the switch 116b, and the like may be mounted on the circuit board 118.
The speaker module 114b may be disposed to correspond to the sound hole 114a, and the camera module 115b may be disposed to correspond to the image window 115a.
At least one switch 116b is mounted on the circuit board 118 so as to correspond to the operation pad 116 '. Information can be input according to the pressing operation of the operation pad 116 '. The switch 116b and the operation pad 116 ′ may be classified into the first operation unit 116 (see FIG. 1). In addition, a microphone for inputting sound may be mounted below the switch 116b.
Referring to this figure, a window hole 113a is formed in the front case 111. A window 113b is coupled to one surface of the front case 111 to correspond to the window hole 113a.
The window 113b is made of a material through which light can pass, for example, a transparent synthetic resin, tempered glass, or the like. However, the window 113b may include a portion through which light cannot pass. This part is a material through which light can not penetrate, or a surface-treated area such that light cannot penetrate.
The display module 113c is mounted to the rear case 112. Referring to this figure, the display module 113c may be mounted on the circuit board 118.
At least a portion of the display module 113c is disposed to face the facing member. Referring to this figure, the facing member may be a window 113b. Hereinafter, the facing member of the present invention will be described based on the window 113b, but the facing member of the present invention is not limited thereto.
The window 113b and the display module 113c may be classified into the display unit 113 (see FIG. 1). The window 113b may have an area corresponding to the display module 113c and is disposed to cover the display module 113c. Through this, visual information output from the display module 113c may be recognized from the outside.
The coupling member 140 is disposed between the window 113b and the display module 113c. The coupling member 140 may have a sheet shape and may be formed wider than at least one of the display module 113c and the window 113b.
The engagement member 140 forms an adhesive region 141 and a protruding region 142.
The adhesion region 141 is formed to bond the window 113b and the display module 113c to each other. The protruding region 142 is formed to protrude more than at least one of corners adjacent to each other of the window 113b and the display module 113c in the adhesive region 141.
The coupling member 140 is formed to separate the bonded window 113b from the display module 113c. The coupling member 140 may be formed of a tape that may extend in one direction, for example, a command double-sided tape. The coupling member 140 is formed to be separated from the display module 113c and / or the window 113b by extending in one direction (see FIG. 5B).
The protruding region 142 is formed in the shape of a triangle having one corner of the adhesive region 141 as one corner of the protruding region 142. As a result, a distribution of the tensile force applied to the adhesive region 141 may be uniformed by the user pulling the protrusion region 142. However, the shape of the protruding region 142 is not limited thereto, and may be, for example, a polygon or semicircle other than a triangle.
Since the coupling member 140 fills the space between the window 113b and the display module 113c, the coupling member 140 may also serve as a sealing material that prevents moisture or the like from penetrating.
In order to visually recognize visual information output from the display module 113c, the coupling member 140 is formed of a light transmissive material. The coupling member 140 may be formed in a form having a good optical performance, for example, a film having a high light transmittance and a thin thickness.
The coupling member 140 may be formed to have an adhesive force to couple the window 113b and the display module 113c. To this end, an adhesive layer may be formed on at least one of both surfaces of the coupling member 140 respectively corresponding to the window 113b and the display module 113c.
4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cross section taken along the line IV-IV of FIG. 1.
Both surfaces of the adhesive region 141 of the coupling member 140 are in close contact with the window 113b and the display module 113c, respectively. The protruding region 142 (see FIG. 3 above) is formed to be adhered to a case forming an exterior of the portable terminal. The protruding region 142 is coupled to one surface of the front case 111 to widen the coupling region of the window 113b and the front case 111.
If an air layer is formed between the window 113b and the display module 113c, the optical performance of the display unit 113, for example, contrast, is degraded by the air layer. Formation of the air layer between the window 113b and the display module 113c may be alleviated or prevented by the coupling member 140. This mitigates scattering or reflection of light with respect to an external light source that may occur in the display unit 113 (see FIG. 1). In addition, the contrast of the visual information output from the display 113 is increased through this.
5A and 5B are conceptual views illustrating a separation method of the coupling member 140 of FIG. 4.
Referring to FIG. 5A, the protruding region 142 is formed to protrude beyond the edge of the display module 113c in the bonding region 141. The protruding region 142 may have a size that can be grasped by a user using a hand or a tool.
Referring to FIG. 5B, the adhesive region 141 extends in the pulling direction by pulling the protruding region 142. The adhesive region 141 is formed to shrink and deform in the vertical direction of the pulling direction by the stretching. The contraction of the coupling member 140 gradually progresses toward the center of the adhesive region 141, thereby facilitating separation of the display module 113c adhered to the window 113b.
6A through 6C are conceptual views illustrating modifications to the coupling member 140 of FIG. 4.
Referring to FIG. 6A, the coupling member 240 protrudes from corners adjacent to each other of the window 213b and the display module 213c. This allows the user to grasp the coupling member 240 more easily than when the coupling member 240 protrudes from one of the corners adjacent to each other of the window 213b and the display module 213c.
Referring to FIG. 6B, the protruding regions 342 may be formed at all corners of the bonding region 341. This allows the protruding region 342 to be formed to surround the adhesive region 341. As a result, the user may simultaneously pull out the plurality of protruding regions 342 centering on the adhesive region 341, and the adhesive region 341 may be more easily contracted.
Referring to FIG. 6C, the protruding region 442a may be formed to share one edge with the bonding region 441. In addition, the protruding region 442b may be formed to protrude from a part of one edge of the coupling member 440. It is formed to pick up the coupling member 440 with a hand or a tool. Through this, the operator can easily pull the coupling member 440.
7A and 7B are cross-sectional views illustrating modifications to the facing member of FIG. 3.
Referring to FIG. 7A, the facing member may be a circuit board 518. The display module 513c is mounted to the circuit board 518 through the coupling member 540 '. The coupling member 540 ′ is formed to protrude from one edge of the display module 513c.
Referring to FIG. 7B, the facing member may be a supporting member 640a supporting the display module 613c. The support member 640a may be a bracket for supporting the display module 613c. The support member may be disposed between the display module 613c and the window 613b, as illustrated. Referring to this figure, the coupling member 640 'is formed to protrude more than one corner of the support member 640a to be pulled by the user.
8 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to the present invention.
Referring to FIG. 8, a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a wireless communication module 161, an operation unit 116, 123, 124, an image input unit 115, 128, an audio input unit 125, a display unit 113, and an audio output unit. It includes the 114 and 131, the sensing unit 166, the interface 126, the broadcast receiving module 165, the memory 164, the power supply unit 127, and the controller 170.
The controller 170 typically controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal. For example, perform related control and processing for voice calls, data communications, video calls, and the like.
In addition to the normal function control, the controller 170 additionally controls the operation of the mobile terminal related to the present invention.
The wireless communication module 161 transmits / receives a radio signal with a mobile communication base station through an antenna. For example, under the control of the controller 170, the transmitter 162 is responsible for transmitting and receiving voice data, text data, video data, and control data, and modulates and transmits a signal to be transmitted, and a receiver for demodulating the received signal. 163).
The operation units 116, 123, and 124 are configured as shown in FIG. 1 to provide the control unit 170 with key input data input by the user for controlling the operation of the terminal. The operation units 116, 123, and 124 are composed of a dome switch, a touch pad (static pressure / capacitance), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.
The image input units 115 and 128 process image frames such as still images or moving images obtained by the image sensor in a video call mode or a photographing mode. The processed image frame is converted into image data displayable on the display unit 113 and output to the display unit 113.
The image frames processed by the image input units 115 and 128 are stored in the memory 164 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless transceiver 161 under the control of the controller 170.
The sound input unit 125 receives an external sound signal by a microphone in a call mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, etc., 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 161 and output to the wireless communication module in the call mode. In the recording mode, the processed voice data is output to be stored in the memory 164.
The sound input unit 125 may implement various noise removing algorithms for removing noise generated in the process of receiving an external sound signal.
The display 113 displays and outputs information processed by the portable terminal. For example, when the mobile terminal is in a call mode, the control unit 170 displays and outputs a user interface (UI) or a graphic user interface (GUI) related to the call. When the mobile 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 170. When the display unit 113 includes a touch screen, the display unit 113 is used as an input device in addition to the output device.
The sound output units 114 and 131 may receive sound data or memory 164 received from the wireless communication module 161 under the control of the control unit 170 in a call signal reception, a call mode or a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, and a broadcast reception mode. The stored sound data is converted and output to the outside.
In addition, the sound output units 114 and 131 output sound signals related to a function (for example, a call signal reception sound and a message reception sound) performed in the portable terminal. The sound output units 114 and 131 may include a speaker, a receiver, a buzzer, and the like.
The sensing unit 166 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. For example, when the portable terminal is in the form of a slide phone, whether the slide phone is opened or closed is sensed so as to output a sensing result to the controller 170 to control the operation of the terminal. In addition, it is responsible for sensing functions related to whether the power supply unit 127 is supplied with power, whether the interface 126 is coupled to an external device, and the like.
The interface 126 may be connected to a mobile terminal using a wired / wireless headset, an external charger, a wired / wireless data port, a card socket (eg, a memory card, a SIM / UIM card), or the like. It serves as an interface with the device. The interface 126 receives data from an external device or receives power and transfers the data to each component inside the mobile terminal or transmits data within the mobile terminal to the external device.
The memory 164 may store a program for processing and controlling the control unit 170, and provides a function for temporarily storing input / output data (for example, a phone book, a message, a still image, a video, etc.). It can also be done.
In addition, the memory 164 stores a program for controlling the operation of the portable terminal according to the present invention.
This memory 164 includes concepts such as hard disks, card type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory, etc.), flash memory, RAM, ROM, and the like, which are generally known.
The broadcast receiving module 165 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 units 114 and 131 and the display unit 113, and outputs the broadcast signal to the controller 170. In addition, the broadcast receiving module 165 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 165 may be stored in the memory 164.
The power supply unit 127 receives an external power source and an internal power source under the control of the controller 170 to supply power for operation of each component.
The portable terminal is not limited to the configuration and method of the embodiments described above, but the embodiments may be configured by selectively combining all or some of the embodiments so that various modifications can be made.
