KR20110002366A - Mobile terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A mobile terminal is provided to mount a control circuit unit and a touch sensor on a FPCB(Flexible Printed Circuit Broad) and fold the FPCB, thereby minimizing the thickness of a mounted component and the FPCB in the limited mounting space and mounted surface. CONSTITUTION: A first extended unit is mounted in first direction from a touch sheet(235). A second extended unit is folded at an end part of the first extended unit. The second extended unit is mounted in a second direction. A touch sensor(251) is mounted in the first extended unit. The touch sensor senses a touch about a key area. A control circuit unit(255) is mounted on a first extended unit. The control circuit unit processes touch information of the touch sheet and the touch sensor.

Description

Mobile terminal {MOBILE TERMINAL}

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal having a touch screen and a touch key for a touch operation.

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

Such a terminal has various functions, for example, in the form of a multimedia device having multiple functions such as photographing and photographing of a moving picture, reproduction of a music or video file, reception of a game and broadcasting, etc. .

In order to support and increase the function of such a terminal, it may be considered to improve the structural part and / or the software part of the terminal.

Recently, in order to implement a simple design of a mobile terminal and to provide a convenient user interface, touch-related technologies such as a touch screen and a touch pad have been applied to the mobile terminal.

The present invention is to reduce the thickness and size of the entire terminal by reducing the mounting space of the structure for the touch sensing in the terminal having a touch screen and a touch key.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a terminal body including a display area and a key area, a touch sheet disposed on the display area and sensing a touch applied to the display area, and the touch sheet and the inside of the terminal body. And a flexible printed circuit board electrically connecting the main board, wherein the flexible printed circuit board is folded in a second direction by being folded at an end of the first extension part and a first extension part extending in a first direction from the touch sheet. And a second extension unit in which a touch sensor for sensing a touch applied to a key region is mounted, and a control circuit unit mounted on the first extension unit and processing touch information of the touch sheet and the touch sensor. Initiate a mobile terminal.

The flexible circuit board may include a first surface on which the control circuit part and the touch sensor are mounted, and a second surface facing each other in a state in which the second extension part is folded with respect to the first extension part. It may include cotton.

The second extension part may be configured to be folded in a thickness direction of the terminal body such that the touch sensor is positioned at a position corresponding to the key area.

The second extension part may include an overlapping part overlapping the first extension part, and a non-overlapping part extending in at least one direction from the overlapping part so as not to overlap the first extension part. The touch sensor may be mounted on one surface of the non-overlapping part, and at least one mounting part may be disposed on the other surface of the non-overlapping part.

According to the present invention, the touch sensor and the control circuit unit are mounted on the flexible circuit board, and the flexible circuit board is folded and disposed, thereby minimizing the thickness and mounting area occupied by the flexible circuit board and the mounting components in a limited mounting space. can do.

In addition, the structure applied to the flexible circuit board of the present invention provides a wiring space of a relatively large circuit line, and thus has an advantage of optimizing the wiring of the circuit line.

In addition, the mounting space of the mounting component is provided in the non-overlapping portion of the second extension unit, thereby providing a structure capable of minimizing the mounting space of the mounting component.

In addition, the present invention provides a new form factor that is composed of a light-transmitting material of the slider slidably mounted to the main body and through which the slider of the light-transmitting material can see the opposite object.

Hereinafter, a mobile terminal according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The suffixes "module" and "unit" for components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have distinct meanings or roles by themselves.

The mobile terminal described herein may include a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), navigation, and the like.

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

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

Hereinafter, the components will be described in order.

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

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives 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 pre-generated broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information and transmits the same to a terminal. 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.

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

The broadcast related information may exist in various forms. For example, 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 may include, for example, Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DMB-T), Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Satellite (DMB-S), Media Forward Link Only (MediaFLO), and Digital Video Broadcast (DVB-H). Digital broadcast signals can be received using digital broadcasting systems such as Handheld and Integrated Services Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial (ISDB-T). Of course, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be configured to be suitable for not only the above-described digital broadcasting system but also other broadcasting systems.

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

The mobile communication module 112 transmits and receives a wireless 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 refers to a module for wireless internet access and may be embedded or external to the mobile terminal 100. Wireless Internet technologies may include Wireless LAN (Wi-Fi), Wireless Broadband (Wibro), World Interoperability for Microwave Access (Wimax), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), and the like.

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.

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

Referring to FIG. 1, the A / V input unit 120 is for inputting an audio signal or a video signal, and may include a camera 121 and a microphone 122. The camera 121 processes image frames such as still images or moving images obtained by an image sensor in a video call mode or a photographing mode. The processed image frame may be displayed on the display unit 151.

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

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

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

The sensing unit 140 detects a current state of the mobile terminal 100 such as an open / closed state of the mobile terminal 100, a location of the mobile terminal 100, presence or absence of a user contact, orientation of the mobile terminal, acceleration / deceleration of the mobile terminal, and the like. To generate a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal 100 is in the form of a slide phone, it may sense whether the slide phone is opened or closed. In addition, whether the power supply unit 190 is supplied with power, whether the interface unit 170 is coupled to the external device may be sensed. The sensing unit 140 may include a proximity sensor 141.

The output unit 150 is used to generate an output related to sight, hearing, or tactile sense, and includes a display unit 151, an audio output module 152, an alarm unit 153, and a haptic module 154. Can be.

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

The display unit 151 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), and a flexible display (flexible). and at least one of a 3D display.

Some of these displays can be configured to be transparent or light transmissive so that they can be seen from the outside. This may be referred to as a transparent display. A representative example of the transparent display is TOLED (Transparant OLED). The rear structure of the display unit 151 may also be configured as a light transmissive structure. With this structure, the user can see the object located behind the terminal body through the area occupied by the display unit 151 of the terminal body.

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

When the display unit 151 and a sensor for detecting a touch operation (hereinafter, referred to as a touch sensor) form a mutual layer structure (hereinafter referred to as a touch screen), the display unit 151 may be configured in addition to an output device. Can also be used as an input device. The touch sensor may have, for example, a form of a touch film, a touch sheet, a touch pad, or the like.

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

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

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

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

Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the act of allowing the pointer to be recognized without being in contact with the touch screen so that the pointer is located on the touch screen is referred to as a "proximity touch", and the touch The act of actually touching the pointer on the screen is called "contact touch." The position where the proximity touch is performed by the pointer on the touch screen refers to a position where the pointer is perpendicular to the touch screen when the pointer is in proximity proximity.

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

The sound output module 152 may output audio data received from the wireless communication unit 110 or stored in the memory 160 in a call signal reception, a call mode or a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcast reception mode, and the like. The sound output module 152 may also output 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 receiver, a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

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

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

In addition to vibration, the haptic module 154 may be configured to provide a pin array that vertically moves with respect to the contact skin surface, a jetting force or suction force of air through the jetting or suction port, grazing to the skin surface, contact of the electrode, electrostatic force, and the like. Various tactile effects can be generated, such as effects by the endothermic and the reproduction of a sense of cold using the elements capable of endotherm or heat generation.

The haptic module 154 may not only deliver the haptic effect through direct contact, but also may implement the user to feel the haptic effect through a muscle sense such as a finger or an arm. Two or more haptic modules 154 may be provided according to a configuration aspect of the mobile terminal 100.

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

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

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

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

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

The controller 180 typically controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal. For example, perform related control and processing for voice calls, data communications, video calls, and the like. The controller 180 may include a multimedia module 181 for playing multimedia. The multimedia module 181 may be implemented in the controller 180 or may be implemented separately from the controller 180.

The controller 180 may perform a pattern recognition process for recognizing a writing input or a drawing input performed on the touch screen as text and an image, respectively.

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.

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

According to a hardware implementation, embodiments described herein include application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and the like. It may be implemented using at least one of processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and electrical units for performing other functions. The described embodiments may be implemented by the controller 180 itself.

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

2A and 2B are front perspective views of an example of a mobile terminal or a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

2A and 2B, the disclosed portable terminal 100 includes two bodies 210 and 220 slidably coupled to each other. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and may be applied to various structures such as a slide type, a folder type, a swing type, a swivel type, and two or more bodies are coupled to be relatively movable.

The terminal body forming the exterior of the portable terminal according to the present embodiment includes a main body 210 and a slider 220 slidably connected to each other.

A state in which a portion of the slider 220 is exposed to the front may be referred to as an open configuration (see FIG. 2A), and a state in which the exposed portion of the slider 220 is covered by the main body 210 is closed. configuration (see FIG. 2B).

The main body 210 and the slider 220 may be formed in a bar shape and overlap each other. In addition, as shown in FIG. 4 to be described later, the main body 210 and the slider 220 are formed in a cross-sectional shape of a '⊂' and disposed to face each other, so that the main body 210 and the front of the slider 220 in the open state are disposed. It is possible to implement a form factor that minimizes the generation of a step or a step between the rear surface of the body 210 and the slider 220.

Although the mobile terminal 100 operates mainly in the standby mode in the closed state, the standby mode may be released by a user's operation. In the open state, the phone operates in the call mode, the edit mode, and the like, but may be switched to the standby mode by the user's operation or a lapse of a certain time.

A plurality of cases (which may be referred to as a casing, a housing, a cover, etc.) forming the exterior of the main body 210 may be formed in plural, and various electronic components are embedded in the inner space of the case. The cases may be formed by injecting synthetic resin or may be formed of a metal material, for example, a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti).

According to the present exemplary embodiment, the display unit 151, the audio output unit 152, the camera 121, the user input units 130/131 and 132, and the interface 170 may be disposed in the main body 210.

The display unit 151 may be implemented in the form of a touch screen to enable input of information by touch. In this case, the display unit 151 may be formed in a size corresponding to the front surface of the main body 210, and may be configured to perform both input and output through the display unit 151 in a closed state. As an example, the display unit 151 may output a soft key to execute an input or iconic function of numbers or letters, and the user may input by touching a soft key.

The user input unit 130 is operated to receive a command for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100, and includes a touch key 131 that receives a command by a touch operation and a push that receives a command by a push operation. It may be implemented in various forms such as the white (132).

The content input through the user input unit 130 may be variously set. For example, the touch key 131 receives a command such as start, end, scroll, and the like, and the push key 132 adjusts the volume of the sound output from the sound output unit 152 or touch recognition of the display unit 151. Commands such as switching to the mode may be input.

The slider 220 may be formed of a light transmissive material, and a touch keypad 133 may be provided on the front surface of the slider 220 that is exposed to the outside in an open state. The touch keypad 133 may include a plurality of numbers, letters, or symbols 135 (hereinafter, referred to as "numbers"). Such numbers and the like may be formed by printing, imprinting, or the like, and may be configured to be identified by illumination.

The push key 132 may be mounted on the side of the slider 220, in which case the side of the slider 220 may be opaque.

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

Referring to FIG. 3, a camera 121 ′ may be additionally mounted on the rear surface of the main body 210. The camera 121 'may have a photographing direction substantially opposite to the camera 121 (see FIG. 2A), and may be a camera having different pixels from the camera 121.

For example, the camera 121 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 camera 121 'photographs a general subject and does not transmit it immediately. It is desirable to have a high pixel because there are many. The cameras 121 and 121 'may be installed in the terminal body so as to be rotatable or pop-upable.

A flash 123 and a mirror 124 are further disposed adjacent to the camera 121 '. The flash 123 shines light toward the subject when the subject is photographed by the camera 121 '. The mirror 124 allows the user to see his / her own face or the like when photographing (self-photographing) the user using the camera 121 '.

The main body 210 is equipped with a power supply unit 190 for supplying power to the portable terminal 100. The power supply unit 190 may be embedded in the terminal body as a form of a battery or may be directly detachable from the outside of the main body 210. When the battery 190 is configured to be detachable from the main body 210, the cover part 222 constituting the slider 220 may be configured to be opened to attach or detach the battery 190.

4 is a cross-sectional view showing an open state of a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

The slider 220 slides on the main body 210 to be accommodated in or drawn out of the main body 210, and is coupled to the slide part 221 to the main body 210. Cover portion 222 is formed to be slidably moved along the back of the (). Here, the slide part 221 and the cover part 222 may be formed of a light transmitting material.

The main body 210 may include a front case 211 and a rear case 212 coupled to each other, and the slide hole 207 in the longitudinal direction to accommodate the slide unit 221 inside the main body 210. Is formed. Therefore, the slide unit 221 is accommodated in the slide hole 207 when it is closed, so that the slide unit 221 is not visible from the outside.

The display module 151, the main board 215, a printed circuit board, a battery 190, and the like are mounted in the main body 210. The display module 151 and the battery 190, the display module 151, and the main board 215 may be arranged to overlap at least a portion. For example, the display module 151 may be disposed at one side of the slide hole 207, and the battery 190 and the main board 215 may be mounted at the other side. Herein, the battery 190 and the main board 215 may be arranged along the length direction of the main body 210, and the main board 215 may be implemented in a form in which two substrates overlap each other.

The slide unit 221 may be formed with the numbers described above. The number 135 may be formed by a method such as stamping on the surface of the slide unit 221. Further, the numeral 135 may be one of output contents of a transmissive display device, for example, liquid crystal, transparent organic LED, and e-paper.

The touch sensing unit 223 is disposed on the rear side of the slide unit 221. The touch sensing unit 223 may be formed in the form of a conductive film having a translucent material, for example, an indium tin oxide (ITO) film, and is configured to sense a touch applied to the touch keypad 133.

An accommodation space 208 is formed between the slide part 221 and the cover part 222, and a part of the main body 210, for example, a battery 190, is accommodated in the accommodation space 208 in a closed state. As shown in FIG. 4, since the accommodation hole 208 becomes empty in the open state, the opposite object can be seen through the light transmissive slide part 221 and the cover part 222. Here 'translucent' includes 'completely transmissive' or 'semitransparent'.

The shape and arrangement of the main body 210 and the slider 220 as described above minimizes the difference between the thickness of the main body 210 and the overall thickness of the mobile terminal 100, and in the open state, the main body 210 and the slider ( It is possible to reduce the step difference between the 220).

5 is a perspective view of the front case of the main body viewed from the rear side.

The front case 211 includes a display area 231 corresponding to an output area of the display unit 151 and a key area 232 corresponding to an arrangement area of the touch key 131.

The display area 231 is provided with a window 213 made of a light transmissive material, and a user can view output information of the display unit 151 through the window 213. According to the present exemplary embodiment, the window 213 has an area corresponding to the display area 231, but the window 213 may have an area corresponding to the front surface of the front case 211.

A touch sheet 235 may be attached to one surface of the window 213 to sense a touch applied to the display area 231. The touch sheet 235 may be formed in the form of a film having a conductive pattern, and the conductive pattern may be formed of a transparent conductive material, for example, indium tin oxide (ITO).

The conductive pattern of the touch sheet 235 may be formed of a plurality of lines, and they may be formed to have a predetermined pattern. The touch sheet 235 may be formed as a single layer or may have a form in which a plurality of layers are stacked.

The flexible printed circuit board 240 (FPCB) for electrically connecting the touch sheet 235 and the main board 215 is connected to the touch sheet 235.

6A and 6B are rear views of the front case shown in FIG. 5 and show mounting states of the flexible printed circuit board. 6A shows a state in which the flexible circuit board is being mounted, and FIG. 6B shows a state in which the flexible circuit board is mounted. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the front case shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B.

The flexible circuit board 240 includes a first extension part and a second extension part at least partially disposed to overlap each other.

The first extension part 241 extends from the touch sheet 235 in the first direction D1, and the embodiment extends from the display area 231 to the key area 232 as an example of the first direction D1. The direction is illustrated.

Referring to FIG. 6A, the second extension part 242 extends from an end portion of the first extension part 241, and the second extension part 242 touches the key region 232, that is, the touch key 131. It is equipped with a touch sensor for sensing. According to the present embodiment, the plurality of touch sensors 251, 152, and 253 are mounted at a plurality of locations of the second extension part 242. Here, the touch sensors 251, 152, and 253 may have a number corresponding to the number of the touch keys 131.

The first extension unit 241 is equipped with a control circuit unit 255 for processing touch information of the touch sheet 235 and the touch sensors 251, 252, and 253. The control circuit unit 255 is electrically connected to the touch sheet 235 and the touch sensors 251, 252, and 253 by conductive lines formed on the flexible circuit board 240.

The control circuit unit 255 converts the signals generated from the touch sheet 235 into coordinate values, and transfers the converted coordinate values to the controller 180 of the main board 215. In addition, the control circuit unit processes the signals generated from the touch sensor and transmits the signals to the controller 180 of the main board 215.

6B and 7, the second extension part 242 is folded at the end of the first extension part 241 and extends in the second direction D2. Between the first extension part 241 and the second extension part 242, that is, at the end of the first extension part 241, a folding part 248, that is, a folding part, is provided, and the second direction D2 is formed in a second direction D2. The direction opposite to the one direction (D1).

The flexible circuit board 240 has a first surface S1 and a second surface S2 facing in opposite directions. According to the present embodiment, the control circuit unit 255 and the touch sensors 251, 252, and 253 are mounted on the first surface S1, that is, on the same surface.

Hereinafter, a mounting process of the flexible circuit board 240 according to the present invention will be described.

As shown in FIG. 6A, before the flexible circuit board 240 is mounted, the first extension part 241 and the second extension part 242 are on the same plane.

6B and 7, when the flexible printed circuit board 240 is mounted, the second extension part 242 is folded around the folding part 248. Here, the second extension part 242 is folded in the thickness direction of the main body 210 such that the touch sensors 251, 252, and 253 are located at positions corresponding to the touch keys 231. Accordingly, the second surface S2 of the flexible circuit board 240 is disposed to face each other.

According to the mounting structure of the flexible printed circuit board 240, the touch sensors 251, 252 and 253 and the control circuit unit 255 are mounted on the flexible printed circuit board 240, and the flexible printed circuit board 240 is folded and disposed, thereby limiting. The thickness and the mounting area of the flexible circuit board 240 and the mounting component in the mounting space can be minimized. In addition, since the structure of the flexible circuit board 240 as described above provides a wiring space of a relatively wide circuit line, there is an advantage that can optimize the line wiring.

6A and 6B, the detailed structure of the flexible circuit board will be described.

The first extension part 241 may include a bonding part 243, a mounting part 244, and a connection part 245.

The bonding unit 243 includes a plurality of pads and is attached to pads formed in the touch sheet 235. The pads of the touch sheet 235 are connected to conductive lines arranged along the edge of the touch sheet, and the conductive lines are connected to the conductive patterns in the center area of the touch sheet 235.

The bonding part 243 may be attached to the touch sheet by an anisotropic conductive film (ACF), and pads of the touch sheet and pads of the bonding part are electrically connected to each other.

The mounting unit 244 includes a mounting area for mounting the control circuit unit 255, and may be spaced apart from the bonding unit at a predetermined interval.

The connection part 245 connects the bonding part 243 and the mounting part 244, and has a predetermined length or more. The structure of the connection part 245 is suitable when the stepped region 202 is formed on the inner wall of the front case 211 as shown in FIG. 4.

Referring to FIG. 4, a stepped region 202 may be formed between the display region 231 and the key region 232 in the thickness direction of the main body 210. The stepped region 202 may be formed when a portion of the body 210 is rounded to reduce the thickness and size of the body 210.

As a modification of the present invention, a structure in which a touch sensor is formed on the touch sheet 235 itself may be possible. However, when the step region is formed in the main body, the touch sheet 235 may be formed in the key region ( It is difficult to attach up to 232, and it is difficult to attach a touch sheet having a touch sensor to the front case 211 having a stepped structure. In the case of the present invention, the length of the connection portion 245 is implemented as the length corresponding to the stepped region 202 to solve the problem that may occur due to the stepped structure as described above.

6A and 6B, the second extension part 242 is overlapped with the first extension part 241 in a folded state and at least one direction in the overlap part so as not to overlap with the first extension part. It may include an extended non-overlapping portion 247. According to the present embodiment, the non-overlapping portion 247 extends in both directions along the width direction of the main body 210 at the overlapping portion 246, and the non-overlapping portion 247 is a mounting portion of the first extension portion 241 ( 244) does not overlap the structure. The first touch sensor 251 is mounted on one surface of the overlapping part 246, and the second and third touch sensors 252 and 253 are mounted on one surface of the pair of non-overlapping parts 247, respectively.

An adhesive film may be provided between the first to third touch sensors 251, 252, and 253 and the key region 232, and the adhesive film may include the first surface S1 and the front case 211 of the second extension part 241. ).

When the touch sensor 251 is mounted on one surface of the non-overlapping portion 247 as described above, the other surface of the non-overlapping portion 247 may provide a mounting space for mounting at least one mounting component. In this case, a third extension part 249 may be additionally formed in the first extension part 241 for connection with the mounting part. The third extension part 249 may extend in at least one direction from the mounting part 244.

8 is a rear view of the front case showing that the mounting part is mounted on the other surface of the non-overlapping part.

8 illustrates a microphone 122 for receiving sound as an example of a mounting component. However, the mounting parts disposed on the other surface of the non-overlapping portion 247 may have various forms such as various sensors, vibration motors, and speakers.

According to the present exemplary embodiment, when the slider 220 is formed of a transparent material and the mounting part is mounted therein, the aesthetics of the terminal are hindered. Thus, the microphone 122 is not disposed inside the slider 220, and thus the main body ( 210).

The microphone 122 may be mounted on the auxiliary flexible circuit board 260, and the auxiliary flexible circuit board 260 connects the flexible circuit board 240 and the main board 215. The third extension part 249 of the flexible printed circuit board 240 and the auxiliary flexible printed circuit board 260 may be connected to each other by the connector 261, and the auxiliary flexible printed circuit board 260 may extend in the longitudinal direction of the main body 210. It may be extended to the main board 215 located on the upper portion of the main body 210.

As such, since the portion where the non-overlapping portion 247 is positioned is relatively thinner than the portion where the non-overlapping portion is located, the portion where the non-overlapping portion is positioned may provide a mounting space for other mounting parts. Accordingly, since the touch sensors 251, 252, 253, the control circuit unit 255, and other mounting parts (eg, a microphone) can be mounted in a limited mounting space, the mobile terminal can be further miniaturized and slimmed.

9A and 9B are diagrams illustrating an operating state of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9A illustrates a case in which the mobile terminal is in a closed state, and FIG. 9B illustrates a case in which the mobile terminal is in an open state.

As shown in Figure 9a, the mobile terminal according to the present invention has a bar type in a closed state. In addition, the mobile terminal may be used similarly to a bar type mobile terminal to which a touch screen is applied in a closed state.

The touchable visual information may be displayed on the display 151. These pieces of information can be displayed in the form of letters, numbers, symbols, graphics, or icons.

In order to input such information, at least one of the letters, numbers, symbols, graphics, or icons may be displayed in a predetermined arrangement so as to be implemented in the form of a keypad. Such a keypad may be called a so-called " soft key ". The user can enter information by touching this softkey. 9A illustrates menus representing various functions of the mobile terminal displayed in the form of icons.

As shown in Figure 9b, the mobile terminal related to the present invention can be used as a slide type mobile terminal in the open state. The user may make various touch inputs through the touch keypad 133 of the slider 220. For example, the corresponding content may be input by touching a number 135 and the information may be input by dragging or swirling on the touch keypad 133. Such an input method through the touch keypad 133 has an advantage of preventing the softkey from being blocked by the finger during touch as compared to the touch input through the touch screen.

In addition, the present invention provides a new form factor composed of a light-transmissive material of the slider 220 and through the light-transmitting slide 221 and the cover portion 222 to see the opposite object.

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

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

2A and 2B are front perspective views of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a rear perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;

4 is a cross-sectional view showing an open state of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the front case of the main body from the rear.

6A and 6B are rear views of the front case shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the front case shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B.

8 is a rear view of the front case showing that the mounting part is mounted on the other surface of the non-overlapping part.

9A and 9B illustrate an operating state of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (17)

A terminal body having a display area and a key area; A touch sheet disposed in the display area and configured to sense a touch applied to the display area; And And a flexible circuit board electrically connecting the touch sheet and the main board inside the terminal body. The flexible circuit board, A first extension part extending in a first direction from the touch sheet; A second extension part which is folded at an end of the first extension part and extends in a second direction and is equipped with a touch sensor for sensing a touch applied to the key area; And And a control circuit mounted on the first extension and configured to process touch information of the touch sheet and the touch sensor. The method of claim 1, The display area includes a window made of a light transmissive material to which the touch sheet is attached. And a touch key formed in the key area to enable a touch operation. The method of claim 1, wherein the flexible circuit board, A first surface on which the control circuit unit and the touch sensor are respectively mounted; And And a second surface having a direction opposite to the first surface and disposed to face each other in a state in which the second extension is folded with respect to the first extension. The method of claim 3, The first direction is a direction from the display area toward the key area, and the second direction is a direction opposite to the first direction. The method of claim 1, And a stepped area formed between the display area and the key area stepped in the thickness direction of the terminal body. The method of claim 5, wherein the first extension portion, A bonding unit bonded to one end of the touch sheet; A mounting portion having a mounting area for mounting the control circuit portion; And And a connection part having a length corresponding to the step area and connecting the bonding part and the mounting part. The method of claim 1, And the second extension part is folded in a thickness direction of the terminal body such that the touch sensor is positioned at a position corresponding to the key area. The method of claim 1, wherein the second extension portion, An overlapping portion overlapping the first extension portion; And And a non-overlapping portion extending in at least one direction from the overlapping portion so as not to overlap with the first extension portion. The method of claim 8, One surface of the non-overlapping portion is equipped with the touch sensor, The other side of the non-overlapping portion of the mobile terminal, characterized in that to provide a mounting space for placing at least one mounting component. 10. The method of claim 9, The mounting part comprises a microphone for inputting sound. 10. The method of claim 9, And an auxiliary flexible circuit board having the mounting component and connecting the flexible circuit board to the main board. The method of claim 11, wherein the flexible circuit board, And a third extension part extending from the first extension part to one side and connected to the auxiliary flexible circuit board. The method of claim 1, And a slider of a translucent material slidably connected to the terminal body. The method of claim 13, wherein the slider, A slide part made of a translucent material slidably mounted to the terminal body to be pulled out of the terminal body; And The mobile terminal is coupled to the slide unit, characterized in that it comprises a cover portion of a translucent material formed so as to slide along the rear surface of the terminal body. The method of claim 14, The touch unit is equipped with a touch sensing unit to enable the sensing of the touch The method of claim 15, The slide unit comprises a touch keypad operated by the touch sensing unit. The method of claim 14, The main board and the display module are disposed to overlap each other inside the terminal body, The slide unit is configured to slide the inside of the space formed between the display module and the main board, the mobile terminal.

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