KR20100050201A - Touch pad and mobile terminal having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A touch pad and portable terminal including the same confirms the generation of the touch signal which is intended by independently light-emitting each touch region applied the touch input, according to the state of radiation of the touch region. CONSTITUTION: A plurality of circuit boards(240) comprises the divided touch region(242) receiving a touch signal. A plurality of light sources(244) installs at the upper part of the circuit board. A light-emitted in the light source transmits the pad cover(210). The pad cover comprises at least, the transmission hole more than 1. The pad cover installs on the top of the light source. The light source installs to the touch region.

Description

TOUCH PAD AND MOBILE TERMINAL HAVING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a touch pad and a portable terminal having the same. More specifically, when the touch input is applied, the touch signal is generated and at the same time the light source provided in the touch area emits light to give aesthetic satisfaction, the sensitivity to the touch input is improved, and various visual lighting effects are induced. The present invention relates to a touch pad capable of doing so and a mobile terminal having the same.

The present invention relates to a touch pad having a light source 244 and a portable terminal having the same. The touch pad refers to a control signal input device having a touch sensor and generating a touch signal when a touch input is applied to the touch area.

Such touch pads have recently been applied to various electronic products. For example, it is used as a control signal input means for inputting a control signal for controlling each electronic product, such as a notebook computer or a portable terminal, mounted on portable electronic products.

In addition to a touch sensor that senses a touch signal, such a touch pad may be equipped with a light source on a substrate on which the touch sensor is mounted, thereby generating a touch signal and attempting various lighting effects.

However, a structure of a touch pad for mounting a light source on an upper portion of a circuit board having a partitioned touch area for generating a touch signal according to a touch input to emit light directly from the light source has not been disclosed.

A touch pad having a conventional light source is provided with a light source disposed below a circuit board having a touch area, and a light hole is formed on the circuit board so that light provided from the light source is reflected to emit light through the circuit board. In addition, the method of artificially forming a lighting hole in the circuit board for detecting the touch input reduces the area of the circuit board for detecting the touch input, thereby reducing the sensitivity of the touch pad to the user's touch input. have.

In addition, since a single light source is shared to emit a plurality of touch areas or reflects the same, a plurality of touch areas emit light even when one touch area is touched, thereby lighting each touch area. Or can be turned off to induce various visual lighting effects.

According to the present invention, when a touch input is applied, a touch signal is generated and at the same time, a light source provided in the touch area emits light, thereby providing aesthetic satisfaction, improving sensitivity to the touch input, and inducing various visual lighting effects. An object of the present invention is to provide a pad and a portable terminal having the same.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is a circuit board having a plurality of partitioned touch area for receiving a touch signal; A plurality of light sources mounted on the circuit board; And at least one transmission hole through which light emitted from the light source is transmitted, and a pad cover mounted on an upper portion of the light source.

In this case, at least one light source may be mounted in each of the touch areas.

In addition, a diffusion member including a plurality of diffusion parts through which light emitted from the light source is diffused and transmitted may be provided between the pad cover and the circuit board.

And an attachment member interposed between the circuit board and the diffusion member to attach the circuit board and the diffusion member to surround the light source so that the light source mounted on the circuit board is exposed toward the diffusion part. have.

Herein, the light source may be an LED element, and an LED hole corresponding to the LED element may be formed, and an upper surface of the LED element may pass through the LED hole and be exposed toward the diffusion part.

In addition, in order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a touch area for sensing a touch input, a plurality of LED elements are mounted spaced apart thereon;

A pad cover mounted on the circuit board and having a plurality of transmission holes formed at positions corresponding to the LEDs so that light emitted from the LEDs can be emitted to the outside; And,

When the touch signal is detected, a control unit for lighting the LED element and the adjacent LED element mounted on the touch area where the touch signal is sensed together or sequentially to provide a portable terminal.

In this case, in order to selectively diffuse the light emitted from the LED element, a diffusion member having a diffusion portion and a blocking portion may be further mounted between the circuit board and the pad cover.

The apparatus may further include an attachment material interposed therebetween to attach the circuit board and the diffusion member.

The attachment material may have an LED hole formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the LED element so that the LED element is exposed upward.

Here, when the control unit gradually lights up the LED element, the LED element mounted in the touch area where the touch signal is generated may be turned on first.

In addition, when the LED element is turned off, the brightness of the light may be controlled to decrease gradually.

According to the touch pad having the light source and the portable terminal having the light source according to the present invention, the sensitivity of the touch area for receiving a touch input and generating a touch signal can be improved.

In addition, according to the touch pad having the light source and the portable terminal having the light source according to the present invention, each touch area to which a touch input is applied can be independently emitted.

In addition, according to the touch pad having the light source and the portable terminal having the light source according to the present invention, each touch area to which the touch input is applied can be independently lighted, so that the user can generate the intended touch signal by the touch input. It can be checked whether or not the light emitting area of the touch area.

In addition, according to the touch pad having the light source and the portable terminal having the light source according to the present invention, each touch area can emit light independently, thereby obtaining various lighting effects.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein but may be embodied in other forms. Rather, the embodiments introduced herein are provided so that the disclosure may be made thorough and complete, and to fully convey the spirit of the present invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the specification.

The portable terminal described herein is not limited to only the mobile phone as the telephone illustrated in the drawings, but is a smart phone, a notebook computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia (PMP). Since it can be widely applied to a player, navigation, etc., it should be understood as a concept including a portable electronic product.

Hereinafter, a touch pad 200 having a light source 244 and a portable terminal having the light source 244 according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First, referring to FIG. 1, a portable terminal according to the present invention will be described in terms of components according to functions.

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

The illustrated mobile terminal 100 includes a wireless communication unit 110, an A / V input unit 120, an operation unit 130, a sensing unit 140, an output unit 150, a storage unit 160, The interface unit 170 may include a controller 180, a power supply unit 190, and the like. It should be noted that the above components may be combined into one or more components, or one component may be subdivided into two or more components as necessary when implemented in actual application.

Hereinafter, the components will be described in turn.

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, a GPS module 115, and the like.

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives a broadcast signal 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 mean a server that generates and transmits a broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information or a server that receives a previously generated broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information and transmits the same to a terminal.

The broadcast related information may mean information related to a broadcast channel, a broadcast program, or a broadcast service provider. The broadcast signal may include not only a TV broadcast signal, a radio broadcast signal, and a data broadcast signal, but also a broadcast signal having a data broadcast signal combined with a TV broadcast signal or a radio broadcast signal.

Meanwhile, the broadcast related information may be provided through a mobile communication network, and in this case, may be received by the mobile communication module 112.

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

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives broadcast signals using various broadcasting systems, and in particular, digital multimedia broadcasting-terrestrial (DMB-T), digital multimedia broadcasting-satellite (DMB-S), and media forward link (MediaFLO). Digital broadcast signals can be received using digital broadcasting systems such as only), digital video broadcast-handheld (DVB-H), integrated services digital broadcast-terrestrial (ISDB-T), and the like.

Of course, the broadcast receiving module 111 is configured to be suitable for all broadcasting systems that provide broadcasting signals 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 storage 160.

In addition, the mobile communication module 112 transmits and receives a radio signal with 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 according to transmission and reception of a voice call signal, a video call call signal, or a text / multimedia message.

The wireless Internet module 113 is a module for wireless Internet access, and the wireless Internet module 113 can be built in or externally.

The short range communication module 114 refers to a module for short range communication. As a short range communication technology, Bluetooth, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Ultra Wideband (UWB), ZigBee, and the like may be used.

In addition, the Global Position System (GPS) module 115 receives position information from a plurality of satellites.

Meanwhile, the A / V input unit 120 is for inputting an audio signal or a video signal, and may include a camera module 121 and a microphone module 122.

The camera module 121 processes image frames such as still images or moving images obtained by an image sensor in a video call mode or a photographing mode. The processed image frame may be displayed on the display module 151.

The image frame processed by the camera module 121 may be stored in the storage 160 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication unit 110. Two or more camera modules 121 may be provided according to the configuration of the terminal.

The microphone module 122 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 may be converted into a form transmittable to the mobile communication base station through the mobile communication module 112 and output in the call mode. The microphone module 122 may implement various noise removing algorithms for removing noise generated in the process of receiving an external sound signal.

The operation unit 130 generates key input data input by the user for controlling the operation of the terminal. The operation unit 130 may be configured of a key pad dome switch, a touch pad (static pressure / capacitance), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like. In particular, when the touch pad forms a mutual layer structure with the display module 151 described later, this may be referred to as a touch screen.

The sensing unit 140 controls the operation of the mobile terminal 100 by detecting the current state of the mobile terminal 100 such as the open / closed state of the mobile terminal 100, the location of the mobile terminal 100, the presence or absence of a user contact, and the like. To generate a sensing signal.

For example, when the mobile terminal 100 is in the form of a slide phone, it may sense whether the slide phone is opened or closed. In addition, it is responsible for sensing functions related to whether the power supply unit 190 is supplied with power or whether the interface unit 170 is coupled to an external device.

The interface unit 170 serves as an interface with all external devices connected to the mobile terminal 100. For example, wired / wireless headsets, external chargers, wired / wireless data ports, card sockets (e.g. memory cards, SIM / UIM cards), audio input / output (I / O) terminals, video I / O (Input / Output) terminal, earphone, etc.

The interface unit 170 receives data from an external device or receives power and transmits the data to each component inside the mobile terminal 100 or transmits the data inside the mobile terminal 100 to an external device.

The output unit 150 is for outputting an audio signal, a video signal, or an alarm signal. The output unit 150 may include a display module 151, a sound output module 152, an alarm output module 153, and the like.

The display module 151 displays and outputs information processed by the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal is in a call mode, a user interface (UI) or a graphic user interface (GUI) related to a call is displayed. When the mobile terminal 100 is in a video call mode or a photographing mode, the mobile terminal 100 displays a photographed and / or received image, a UI, or a GUI.

Meanwhile, as described above, when the display module 13 and the touch pad 200 form a mutual layer structure to form a touch screen, the display module 151 may be used as an input device in addition to the output device.

The display module 151 may be a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode, a flexible display, or a three-dimensional display. 3D display).

In addition, two or more display modules 151 may exist according to the implementation form of the mobile terminal 100. For example, the external display module (not shown) and the internal display module (not shown) may be simultaneously provided in the portable terminal 100.

The sound output module 152 outputs audio data received from the wireless communication unit 110 or stored in the storage unit 160 in a call signal reception, a call mode or a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcast reception mode, and the like. In addition, the sound output module 152 outputs a sound signal related to a function (eg, a call signal reception sound, a message reception sound, etc.) performed in the mobile terminal 100. The sound output module 152 may include a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

The alarm output module 153 outputs a signal for notifying occurrence of an event of the portable terminal 100. Examples of events occurring in the mobile terminal include call signal reception, message reception, and key signal input. The alarm output module 153 outputs a signal for notifying occurrence of an event in a form other than an audio signal or a video signal.

For example, the signal may be output in the form of vibration. When a call signal is received or a message is received, the alarm output module 153 may output a vibration to notify this. Alternatively, when a key signal is input, the alarm output module 153 may output a vibration in response to the key signal input.

Through the vibration output as described above, the user can recognize the occurrence of the event. Of course, the signal for notification of event occurrence may be output through the display module 151 or the voice output module 152.

The storage unit 160 may store a program for processing and control of the controller 180, 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

The storage unit 160 may include a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (eg, SD or XD memory), It may include a storage medium of at least one type of RAM and ROM.

In addition, the mobile terminal 100 may operate a web storage that performs a storage function of the storage unit 150 on the Internet.

The controller 180 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, the controller 180 may include a multimedia playback module 181 for multimedia playback. The multimedia playback module 181 may be configured in hardware in the controller 180 or may be configured in software separately from the controller 180.

The power supply unit 190 receives an external power source and an internal power source under the control of the controller 180 to supply power for operation of each component.

In the above, the portable terminal according to the present invention has been described in terms of components according to functions. Hereinafter, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the portable terminal according to the present invention will be further described in terms of components according to appearance.

In the following description, a slider-type portable terminal is described as an example among various types of portable terminals such as a folder type, a bar type, a swing type, a slider type, and the like for clarity of explanation. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the slider type portable terminal, but can be applied to all types of portable terminals including the aforementioned type.

2 is a front perspective view of an example of a mobile terminal according to the present invention;

The portable terminal of the present invention includes a first body (100A) and a second body (100B) configured to be slidable in at least one direction on the first body (100A).

A state in which the first body 100A is disposed to overlap with the second body 100B may be referred to as a closed configuration, and as shown in the drawing, the first body 100A is referred to as the second body 100B. 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 100A is formed by the first front case 100A-1 and the first rear case 100A-2. Various electronic components are embedded in the space formed by the first front case 100A-1 and the first rear case 100A-2. At least one intermediate case may be further disposed between the first front case 100A-1 and the first rear case 100A-2.

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 first body 100A, specifically, the first front case 100A-1 may include a display module 151, a first sound output module 152-1, a first camera module 121-1, or a first manipulation unit ( 130-1) may be disposed.

The first manipulation unit 130-1 may be provided in the form of a touch pad 200 that detects a user's touch input and converts it into a touch signal. The touch pad 200 is divided into a plurality of touch regions 242 in which a circuit board 240 having a touch sensor is mounted, and detects a user's touch input to generate a control signal corresponding to the touch region 242 to carry the touch pad 200. To control the terminal. The touch pad 200 as the first manipulation unit 130-1 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 4.

The display module 151 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD), organic light emitting diodes (OLED), and the like, which visually express information.

In addition, since the touch pad 200 is superimposed on the display module 151 in a layer structure, the display module 151 may operate as a touch screen to enable input of information by a user's touch.

The first sound output module 152-1 may be implemented in the form of a receiver or a speaker.

The first camera module 121-1 may be implemented to be suitable for capturing an image or a video of a user.

Like the first body 100A, the case forming the exterior of the second body 100B is formed by the second front case 100B-1 and the second rear case 100B-2.

The second manipulator 130-2 may be disposed on the front body of the second body 100B, specifically, the second front case 100B-1.

The third manipulation unit 130-3, the microphone module 122, and the interface unit 170 may be disposed on at least one of the second front case 100B-1 or the second rear case 100B-2).

The first to third manipulation units 130-1, 130-2, and 130-3 may be collectively referred to as a manipulating portion 130, and may be manipulated while giving a tactile feeling to the user. May be employed in any manner.

Although the first and second manipulation units 130-1 and 130-2 are illustrated as being provided in a button manner in FIG. 3, it is obvious that other methods may be employed. For example, as described above, the first manipulation unit 130-1 is provided in the form of a touch pad 200, and in addition to the first manipulation unit 130-1, the first and second manipulation units 130-1, 130-2) may also be provided in a touch pad manner.

The operation unit may be implemented as a dome switch or a touch pad that may receive a command or information by a user's push or touch operation, or may be implemented as a wheel or a jog or a joystick that rotates keys. .

In functional terms, the first operation unit 130-1 is for inputting a command such as start, end, scrolling, etc., and the second operation unit 130-2 is for inputting numbers, letters, symbols, and the like. will be.

In addition, the third operation unit 130-3 may operate as a hot key for activating a special function in the mobile terminal.

The microphone module 122 may be implemented in a form suitable for receiving a user's voice, other sounds, and the like.

The interface unit 170 serves as a passage for allowing the portable terminal according to the present invention to exchange data with an external device. For example, the interface unit 170 is wired or wirelessly, a connection terminal for connecting with 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) etc.}, or at least one of the power supply terminals for supplying power to the portable terminal.

The interface unit 170 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. (Or the interface unit 170 has already been described above, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.)

On the side of the second rear case 100B-2, a power supply unit 190 for supplying power to the portable terminal is mounted.

The power supply unit 190 may be detachably coupled for charging, for example, as a rechargeable battery.

3 is a rear perspective view of the portable terminal of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 3, a second camera module 121-2 may be additionally mounted on the rear surface of the second rear case 100B-2 of the second body 100B. The second camera module 121-2 may have a photographing direction substantially opposite to that of the first camera module 121-1 (see FIG. 1), and may have different pixels from the first camera module.

For example, the first camera module 121-1 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 camera module 121-2 is a general subject. It is preferable to have a high pixel because it is not often photographed and transmitted immediately.

A flash 121-3 and a mirror 121-4 may be further disposed adjacent to the second camera module 121-2. The flash 121-3 illuminates the light toward the subject when the subject is photographed by the second camera module 121-2. The mirror 121-4 allows the user to see his / her own face or the like when the user wants to photograph himself (self-photographing) using the second camera module 121-2.

The second sound output module 152-2 may be further disposed in the second rear case 100B-2.

The second sound output module 152-2 may implement a stereo function together with the first sound output module 152-1 (see FIG. 2), and may be used for a call in a speakerphone mode.

In addition, an antenna 111-1 for receiving a broadcast signal may be disposed on one side of the second rear case 100B-2 (only the second rear case?). The antenna 111-1 may be installed to be pulled out of the second body 100B and 2.

A portion of the slide module 100C for slidably coupling the first body 100A and the second body 100B is disposed on the first rear case 100A-2 side of the first body 100A.

The other part of the slide module 100C may be disposed on the side of the second front case 100B-1 of the second body 100B and may not be exposed to the outside as shown in the drawing.

In the above description, it is described that the second camera module 121-2) is disposed on the second body 100B, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

For example, at least one of the elements 111-1, 121-2 to 121-3, and 152-2 described as disposed on the second rear case 100B-2, such as the second camera module 121-2. At least one may be mounted to the first body 100A, mainly the first rear case 100A-2.

In such a case, there is an advantage that the configuration (s) disposed in the first rear case 100A-2 in the closed state are protected by the second body 100B. Furthermore, even if the second camera module 121-2 is not separately provided, the first camera module 121-1 is formed to be rotatable so that shooting can be performed up to the shooting direction of the second camera module 121-2. May be

4 is a front view of the touch pad 200 that may be mounted on the first manipulation unit 130-1 (see FIG. 2) of the mobile terminal according to the present invention. As described above, the first manipulation unit 130-1 may detect a user's touch input, convert the user's touch input into a touch signal, and may include a touch pad 200 having a light source 244.

The touch pad 200 may not only be applied to a portable terminal but may be widely applied to various electronic products.

An upper surface of the touch pad 200 may be provided with a pad cover 210 to which a user's touch input (finger touch, etc.) is applied.

The pad cover 210 is in direct contact with the user's body and is exposed to the outside and may be made of plastic or glass.

Since the pad cover 210 shown in FIG. 4 is used as an operation unit for inputting a control signal in the portable terminal, as shown in FIG. 4, inputting a control signal such as start, end, scrolling, camera mode switching, and the like of a call. For the purpose, the touch pad 200 according to the present invention can be variously modified according to the use and location of the electronic product is mounted.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the pad cover 210 may receive a plurality of control signals. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, control signals for starting and ending a call may generate various control signals according to positions of portions where a touch input is received.

That is, the touch pad 200 according to the present invention may generate separate control signals according to the partitioned touch area 242 of the circuit board 240 which will be described later. The partition line 213 shown in FIG. 4 is not actually a visible line but a partition line that separates the touch input areas 212 and 212 of the pad cover 210 corresponding to each touch area 242. do.

In addition, the touch pad 200 illustrated in FIG. 4 is provided with a total of nine touch input areas 212 and 212. The touch area 242 and the touch input areas 212 and 212 are provided at positions corresponding to up and down.

The touch input area 212 is a portion where a touch input by a user's finger or the like is input. Accordingly, the touch input area 212 may be provided to the pad cover 210 in a number and size corresponding to the touch area 242 of the circuit board 240 which will be described later.

In addition, the touch pad 200 according to the present invention includes a light source 244 which will be described later to provide a light emitting function.

Accordingly, light supplied from the light source 244 disposed below the pad cover 210 may pass through the light provided from the light source 244 mounted on the circuit board 240 to be described later. A plurality of transmission holes 211 may be formed.

The transmission hole 211 may actually be a hole formed in the pad cover 210 or may be a transparent portion through which light can pass.

In the former case, when a hole is formed in the pad cover 210, light may be emitted through the transmission hole 211.

The transmission hole 211 may be formed as one large hole, and in some cases, a plurality of small transmission holes 211 may be formed by dividing one letter or symbol.

As shown in the enlarged partial view of FIG. 4, the letter “M” of the touch input area 212 located at the upper left is configured to include a plurality of transmission holes 211.

5 is an exploded perspective view of a touch pad 200 having a light source 244 according to the present invention. The touch pad 200 having the light source 244 according to the present invention includes a light source 244 below the pad cover 210, and includes a plurality of touch areas 242 for receiving a touch signal. The circuit board 240 is included.

By mounting a light source on the touch area 242 receiving a user's touch input, the circuit board on which the light source is mounted may also operate as the touch area. That is, unlike a touch pad having a conventional light source, a hole or a hole is formed in a touch area that receives a touch input, so that light provided from a light source located under the circuit board is reflected and emits light through the hole. Since it may not be possible, there is an advantage in that the touch sensitivity may be prevented from being lost due to the loss of the touch area.

The circuit board 240 includes a plurality of touch regions 242 each equipped with a touch sensor (not shown) for receiving a user's touch input and converting the user's touch input into a touch signal, and on the upper surface of the touch region 242. A plurality of light sources 244 are mounted.

The touch sensor may be, for example, a capacitive touch sensor. The capacitive touch sensor operates by sensing a change in capacitance generated when the body or a specific object comes in contact with the body. The final output is detected by detecting the difference between the small capacitance change and the set value generated when the human body contacts the surface to be touched.

If the touch sensor can detect a user's touch input and generate a touch signal, various sensors besides the capacitive touch sensor may be employed.

The light source 244 may be an LED device or the like. As described above, the touch area 242 is a partitioned area of the circuit board 240 corresponding to the touch input area 212 of the pad cover 210. Each touch area 242 may generate a control signal according to each corresponding touch input.

Light sources 244 may be mounted on upper surfaces of the touch area 242 of the circuit board 240, and the light source 244 may receive a touch input from the touch area 242 to generate a touch signal. In this case, the light source 244 may be controlled to emit light.

The light source 244 may be controlled to emit light only in the light source 244 mounted on the touch area 242 to which the touch input is applied, and the light source mounted on the touch area 242 to which the touch input is applied ( Light sources other than 244 may be controlled to emit light together or sequentially. That is, the pattern or method in which the light source 244 emits light may be modified in various ways.

When a light source other than the light source 244 mounted on the touch region 242 to which the touch input is applied is also turned on, the light source 244 mounted on the touch region 242 to which the touch input is applied first comes first. It is preferable to light up. This is for the user to easily determine that the touch signal is generated in the specific touch area.

In addition, when the light source is turned off, the light of the light source may be controlled to gradually decrease.

The touch pad 200 according to the present invention may further include a diffusion member 220 as shown in FIG. 5 in addition to the circuit board 240 provided with the pad cover 210 and the light source 244. .

The diffusion member 220 gently diffuses the light emitted from the light source 244 to provide uniform illumination to the transmission hole 211 of the pad cover 210 regardless of the size of the light source 244. For sake.

That is, the shape of the letter or symbol by the transmission hole 211 of the pad cover 210 is varied, the size of the light source 244, for example, the LED element provided below the shape of the letter or symbol Since it is not a size that can accurately correspond to the size, in order for the letters or symbols of the respective pad covers 210 to emit light uniformly when the light source 244 emits light, the diffusion member 220 uses the light source 244. It is necessary to diffuse the light emitted from the light.

The light diffusion portion of the diffusion member 220, that is, the diffusion portion 223 may be a translucent plastic or the like. When an ABS resin, to which a pigment or the like is added, is used, light passing through the diffusion member 220 is diffused during the transmission process, and transmitted to the transmission hole 211 of the touch input area 212 with uniform brightness. Therefore, when observing the touch pad 200 from the top of the pad cover 210, a uniform lighting effect can be obtained.

In addition, the diffusion member 220 illustrated in FIG. 5 allows the light supplied from the light source 244 of the circuit board 240 to diffuse through the transmission hole 211 of the pad cover 210. It may be configured as a diffusion portion 223 and a blocking portion 225 to block the diffusion.

The diffuser 223 is a region through which light can be diffused or transmitted, and the blocking unit 225 is a portion that blocks diffusion of light as a peripheral region of the diffuser.

The reason for having the blocking unit 225 is as follows. When the light source 244 provided on the circuit board 240 emits light, only the transmission hole 211 of the touch input area 212 to which the touch input is applied among the pad covers 210 is controlled to emit light. It is preferable.

That is, if a touch input is applied to a specific touch input area 212, but the light emitted from the light source 244 is emitted through the transmission hole 211 of the surrounding touch input area 212, the correct touch input is applied. Can not be confirmed through the lighting function.

Therefore, the blocking unit 225 may be provided to selectively block the light emitted from the light source 244. The blocking unit 225 may be a portion coated by a blocking material (for example, a paint) to prevent light from being transmitted through the diffusion member 220.

Of course, the method of configuring the blocking portion of the diffusion member 220 is made of a material that can not transmit light is also applicable.

The light passing through the transmission hole 211 by the diffusion member 220 may have a uniform brightness.

5, the touch pad 200 according to the present invention may further include an attachment member 230.

The attachment member 230 removes the gap between the circuit board 240 on which the light source 244 is mounted and the diffusion member 220, and removes the circuit board 240 and the diffusion member 220 from each other. It is attached to each other.

As the light source 244 provided on the circuit board 240, an LED device or the like may be used, and the LED device protrudes from the circuit board 240 with a predetermined height.

Therefore, if the attachment member 230 does not exist, a gap due to the LED element may occur between the diffusion member 220 and the circuit board 240 due to the LED element.

Accordingly, the attachment member 230 removes the gap that may exist between the circuit board 240 and the diffusion member 220, and attaches the circuit board 240 and the diffusion member 220.

In addition, the attachment member 230 should include an LED hole 234 to allow the light emitted from the light source 244 to be transmitted to the diffusion unit 230.

The LED hole 234 is formed in the attachment member 230 to receive and surround the LED mounted on the circuit board 240 therein. Therefore, only the top surface of the LED light source 244 may be exposed upward.

The attachment member 230 may be an adhesive double-sided tape. Since the adhesive material is coated on both surfaces, the circuit board 240 and the diffusion member 220 may be firmly adhered to each other.

The LED hole 234 formed in the attachment member 230 may be formed to have a size corresponding to the size of the light source 244. That is, it is preferable to determine the size so that only the top surface of the LED element as the light source 244 can be exposed to the outside.

As described above, the diffusion member 220 smoothly diffuses the light and at the same time, the diffusion portion and the blocking portion selectively block or transmit the light so that the interference between the light sources 244 spaced apart from each touch area 242 is provided. It can play a role in preventing the problem.

Therefore, in addition to the blocking portion of the diffusion member 220, the light emitted from the light source 244 mounted on the specific touch region 242 is prevented from being supplied to the transmission hole 211 above the other touch region 242. The size of the LED hole may be more sure by matching the size of the light source 244.

6 is a cross-sectional view of the touch pad 200 according to the present invention. Independent touch sensors are mounted on the touch areas 242 of each of the touch pads 200 shown in FIG. 6, and are connected to the touch control unit 300 to generate touch signals when a touch input is applied.

The touch control unit 300 transmits a touch signal to the light source control unit 400 that controls the lighting or turning off of the light source 244, and the light source control unit 400 includes a light source mounted on each touch area 242. 244).

The touch controller 300 is a touch sensor (not shown) mounted on each of the divided touch regions 242 of the circuit board 240 to sense a touch signal applied to a specific touch region 242.

Therefore, the light source controller 400 may control the light source 244 mounted on the touch region 242 to be turned on or off in a predetermined manner according to the touch signal.

As described above, a diffusion member 220 is provided below the pad cover 210 to diffuse light emitted from the light source 244.

The diffusion part of the diffusion member 220 should be located between the light source 244 and the transmission hole 211. The diffusion part 223 may have a size that can cover the entire transmission hole 211. The blocking unit 225 blocks the light supplied from the light source 244 from being supplied to the transmission hole 211 of the touch input area 212 above the other touch area 242.

An attachment member 230 attaching the diffusion member 220 and the circuit board 240 is provided between the diffusion member 220 and the circuit board 240 on which the light source 244 is mounted. The attachment member 230 includes an LED hole 234 so as to surround a side surface of the light source 244 and expose an upper surface of the diffusion member 220 toward the diffusion part 223.

The LED hole 234 may prevent the light supplied from the light source 244 in the lateral direction of the light source 244 in the state in which the light source 244 is seated.

Touch pad 200 according to the present invention provides an illumination function. As described above, the light source 244 may be mounted on the circuit board 240 of the touch pad 200 so that the light source 244 corresponding to the touch signal may be controlled to emit light.

The touch pad 200 according to the present invention is provided with a light source 244 that can be controlled independently of each touch area 242. By installing a light source 244 that can be independently controlled in each touch area 242, the touch pad 200 according to the present invention emits light from the touch input area 212 of the pad cover 210. Can be selectively controlled.

In order to enable selective light emission of the light source 244, the blocking member of the blocking member and the attachment member 230 surrounding the light source 244 are further provided.

Accordingly, the touch input area 212 may be independently emitted according to a touch signal generated in the touch area 242 of each circuit board 240. Since the touch input area 212 may emit light independently, the touch pad 200 according to the present invention may emit the light source 244 in various ways.

7 illustrates a light emitting state of the touch pad according to the present invention. 7 (a) and 7 (b) are front views of the touch pad 200 according to the present invention.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 7 (a), the call control signal of the mobile terminal is equipped with a touch pad 200 according to the present invention by a plurality of transmission holes of the touch input area 212 of the pad cover 210 The touch input area 212 marked with "SEND" may be generated by touching.

However, when the touch input area 212 is touched by a finger or the like, only the touch input area 212 is not required to emit light. That is, if the user recognizes that the finger touches the corresponding touch input area 212 and a brilliant lighting effect occurs, the location is not important.

When the touch input area 212 corresponding to the call button is touched, the touch input area 212 sequentially around the outside of the pad cover 210 is sequentially formed in a quadrangle as illustrated in FIG. 7A. Or it can emit light simultaneously.

FIG. 7B shows an example of the light emitting state of the touch input area when the touch input is applied to the portion of the touch input area 212 where the letter “OK” is displayed. The touch input area to which the touch input is applied, that is, the “OK” portion and the adjacent up, down, left, and right touch input areas may be turned on simultaneously or sequentially. Therefore, when the user touches the "OK" portion, if the light is emitted in the form of '+' character, the user may recognize that a touch signal corresponding to the "OK" character has been generated.

As described above, the user may operate the control terminal as intended by a mobile terminal because any control signal is generated even in a dark place by the light emission of the touch input area 212 due to the lighting effect induced by the control signal generated in the specific touch area 242. It can be easily seen that it can be amplified mystery by the lighting effect.

In addition, when the number of the touch input areas 212 is large and the size of one touch input area 212 is small, simultaneous or sequential operation of the touch input areas 212 and the adjacent touch input areas 212 together with light emission of the specific touch input area 212. Lights up to get mysterious lighting effect.

In addition, a more colorful lighting effect can be obtained by using a method of gradually turning on the brightness of each light source 244 or turning off the light gradually.

Although the present specification has been described with reference to preferred embodiments of the invention, those skilled in the art may variously modify and change the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims set forth below. Could be done. It is therefore to be understood that the modified embodiments are included in the technical scope of the present invention if they basically include elements of the claims of the present invention.

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

2 is a front perspective view of an example of a mobile terminal according to the present invention;

3 is a rear perspective view of the portable terminal of FIG. 2.

4 is a front view of a touchpad that can be mounted to a first control unit of a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

5 is an exploded perspective view of a touch pad with a light source according to the present invention.

6 is a cross-sectional view of the touchpad according to the present invention.

7 illustrates a light emitting state of the touch pad according to the present invention.

Claims (11)

A circuit board having a plurality of partitioned touch regions for receiving a touch signal; A plurality of light sources mounted on the circuit board; And, And at least one transmission hole through which light emitted from the light source is transmitted, and a pad cover mounted on the light source. The method of claim 1, And at least one light source mounted on each of the touch areas. The method of claim 1, And a diffusion member having a plurality of diffusion parts through which light emitted from the light source is diffused and transmitted is provided between the pad cover and the circuit board. The method of claim 3, And an attachment member interposed between the circuit board and the diffusion member to attach the circuit board and the diffusion member to surround the light source so that the light source mounted on the circuit board is exposed in the direction of the diffusion part. Touchpad. The method of claim 4, wherein The light source is an LED element, and the attachment member is formed with an LED hole corresponding to the LED element, the upper surface of the LED element is penetrated through the LED hole is characterized in that the touch pad is exposed in the direction of the diffusion. A circuit board on which a touch area for sensing a touch input is formed, and a plurality of LED elements spaced apart from each other; A pad cover mounted on the circuit board and having a plurality of transmission holes formed at positions corresponding to the LEDs so that light emitted from the LEDs can be emitted to the outside; And, And a controller for lighting the LED elements mounted on the touch area where the touch signal is detected and the adjacent LED elements together or sequentially when the touch signal is detected. The method of claim 6, And a diffusion member including a diffusion portion and a blocking portion is further mounted between the circuit board and the pad cover to selectively diffuse the light emitted from the LED element. The method of claim 7, wherein And a mounting material interposed therebetween for attaching the circuit board and the diffusion member. The method of claim 7, wherein The attachment member is a portable terminal, characterized in that the LED hole is formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the LED element so that the LED element is exposed to the top. The method of claim 6, And when the controller gradually turns on the LED element, the LED element mounted on the touch area where the touch signal is generated is first turned on. The method of claim 6, And when the LED element that is turned off is controlled, the brightness of the light is gradually reduced.

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