KR20110127557A - Key assembly and mobile terminal having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A key assembly and a mobile terminal having the same are provided to generate a signal corresponding to a different control command according to the pressed location. CONSTITUTION: A key top(210) receives a control command. A first and second pressure units(243a,243b) is respectively projected to one surface of the key top. A dome switch(241) is arranged on one surface of the printed circuit board. The dome switch has a first and second connection unit. A contacting unit(242) is formed on one surface of the printed circuit board to generate a signal corresponding to the control command according to the contact with the dome switch.

Description

KEY ASSEMBLY AND MOBILE TERMINAL HAVING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a key assembly receiving a control command and a mobile terminal having the same.

Terminal is movable 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.

The mobile terminal is provided with an input device for inputting information, and the input device is implemented in various forms such as a dome switch, a touch pad, a touch screen, and a jog wheel.

The input device using the dome switch is a method of inputting information by a pressing operation, and it may be considered to improve the structural part of the key assembly for accurate input of information.

One object of the present invention is to propose a key assembly having a structure different from the conventional one.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a key assembly capable of inputting accurate information, and a key assembly capable of generating a signal corresponding to a different control command according to a pressed position, and a mobile terminal having the same.

In order to achieve the above object of the present invention, a key assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, the key top receiving a control command, the first and second pressing portions protruding from one surface of the key top, respectively, and a printed circuit A dome switch disposed on one surface of the substrate and having first and second contacts, and a contact portion formed on the one surface of the printed circuit board to generate a signal corresponding to the control command in contact with the dome switch; The first and second contact parts may be disposed on both sides of the dome switch so as to correspond to the first and second pressure parts, respectively, and are elastically deformed by pressing the first and second pressure parts. The contact portion is formed to be covered by the first and second contact portions, and contacts the first or second contact portion to generate the signal, respectively.

According to an example related to the present invention, the first and second contact portions are formed to be continuous in the longitudinal direction of the dome switch on the same plane.

According to another example related to the present invention, the contact portion may include first and second contact portions corresponding to the first and second contact portions, and the first and second contact portions may be insulated from each other. An insulation part formed between the two contact parts, wherein the first and second contact parts generate a signal corresponding to a first control command when the first contact part contacts the first contact part, and the second contact part When the second contact portion is in contact with the printed circuit board is a different path so that a signal corresponding to the second control command is generated.

According to another example related to the present disclosure, the first and second contact parts may generate a signal corresponding to a third control command when the first and second contact parts contact the first and second contact parts together. It is connected to the printed circuit board.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a terminal body provided with a printed circuit board, and a user input unit for receiving a control command applied to the terminal body, wherein the user input unit is a key top for receiving the control command And first and second pressing parts protruding from one surface of the key top, a dome switch disposed on one surface of the printed circuit board, and a contact formed to be covered by the dome switch on the one surface of the printed circuit board. Disclosed is a key assembly comprising a portion.

According to the present invention having the above-described configuration, it is possible to input the correct information of the user by using the dome switch including the first and second contact.

In addition, according to the present invention, a plurality of contact portions are formed in one dome switch, so that signals corresponding to different control commands can be generated according to the pressed position.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2a is a front perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2b is a rear perspective view of a mobile terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2c is a perspective view showing an open state of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a cross-sectional view of a key assembly related to an embodiment of the present invention.
4a to 4c are conceptual views showing the operation of the key assembly according to FIG.
5 is a cross-sectional view of a key assembly related to another embodiment of the present invention.
6a to 6c are conceptual views showing the operation of the key assembly according to FIG.

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 used in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have distinct meanings or roles from each other.

The mobile terminal described herein includes a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), an e-book, Navigation, etc. may be included.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal 100 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 reception 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 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 the image sensor in the video call mode or the 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 configuration aspects 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, the 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 can be implemented in a software application written in a suitable programming language. The software code may be stored in the memory 160 and executed by the controller 180.

2A is a front perspective view of an example of a mobile terminal 100 according to the present invention.

The mobile terminal 100 of the present embodiment includes first and second bodies 101 and 102 coupled to each other so as to be relatively movable. Various electronic components are embedded in the internal spaces of the first and second bodies 101 and 102. The present embodiment illustrates a slide type terminal in which the first body 101 and the second body 102 are slidably coupled, but may have other forms such as a folder type and a swing type.

The bodies may be formed by injecting synthetic resin, or may be formed to have a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti).

The first body 101 may display a display unit 151, a camera 121, a speaker 152, a first manipulation unit 131, a microphone 122, and the like. The display unit 151 may be disposed to occupy most of the main surface of the front case 101. The speaker 152 and the camera 121 may be disposed in areas adjacent to one end of both ends of the display unit 151, and the user first operation unit 131 and the microphone 122 may be disposed in areas adjacent to the other end. have.

The second body 102 may be equipped with a second manipulation unit 132, the interface unit 170, and the like.

The contents input by the first or second manipulation units 131 and 132 may be variously set. For example, the first operation unit 131 receives commands such as start, end, scroll, and the like, and the second operation unit 132 controls the size of the sound output from the sound output unit 152 or the size of the sound output from the display unit 151 To the touch recognition mode of the touch screen.

FIG. 2B is a rear perspective view of the mobile terminal 100 shown in FIG. 2A.

Referring to FIG. 2B, a camera 121 ′ may be additionally mounted on the second body 102. 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-up.

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 sound output unit 152 ′ may be further disposed on the rear surface of the second body 102. The sound output unit 152 ′ may implement a stereo function together with the sound output unit 152 (see FIG. 2A), and may be used to implement a speakerphone mode during a call.

An antenna for receiving a broadcast signal may be additionally disposed on the side of the second body 102 in addition to an antenna for a call. An antenna constituting a part of the broadcast receiving module 111 (refer to FIG. 1) may be installed to be pulled out from the second body 102.

The second body 102 is equipped with a power supply unit 190 for supplying power to the mobile terminal 100. The power supply unit 190 may be embedded in the terminal body or may be directly detachable from the outside of the terminal body.

2C is a perspective view illustrating an open state of the mobile terminal 100 illustrated in FIG. 2A.

The second body 102 may move from the closed state in which the partial region is covered by the first body 101 to the open state in which the hidden region is exposed. The third manipulation unit 133 is mounted in the area exposed by the movement.

The third operation unit 133 may include key buttons having an array of QWERTY type, and the key buttons are displayed with key information (eg, letters, numbers, symbols, etc.) for key input. .

The key assemblies 200 and 300 of the present invention may be applied to the user input unit 130 including the dome switch. The key assemblies 200 and 300 can be used for the third operating unit 133 having, for example, a QWERTY keyboard.

3 is a cross-sectional view of a key assembly 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, the key assembly 200 includes a key top 210, first and second pressing parts 243a and 243b, a dome switch 241, and a contact part 242.

The keytop 210 receives a control command. The key top 210 may be fixed to the second body 102 or the printed circuit board 240 and have a structure that is movable inward of the second body 102.

The printed circuit board 240 may be formed in the form of a rigid substrate. The printed circuit board 240 may be supported by a support formed in the second body 102, and may be electrically connected to the main board inside the terminal body by a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB).

First and second pressing parts 243a and 243b are formed on the bottom surface of the key top 210 to protrude. The first and second pressing units 243a and 243b are moved in the pressing direction as the keytop 210 is pressed, and presses the lower dome switch 241. The first and second pressing units 243a and 243b may be spaced apart from each other to have a specific distance with respect to the center of the key top 210.

A dome switch 241 is formed on one surface of the printed circuit board 240 facing the first and second pressing parts 243a and 243b. The dome switch 241 may be formed to be long in the longitudinal direction. The dome switch 241 includes first and second contact parts 249a and 249b corresponding to the first and second pressurization parts 243a and 243b, respectively. The first and second contact parts 249a and 249b may be disposed at both sides with respect to the center of the dome switch 241. The first and second contact portions 249a and 249b may be formed to extend in the longitudinal direction of the dome switch 241 on the same plane.

When the user presses the key top 210, the first and second pressing parts 243a and 243b are moved in the pressing direction, and press the first and second contact parts 249a and 249b to elastically deform.

The contact portion 242 is formed to be covered by the first and second contact portions 249a and 249b of the dome switch 241 on one surface of the printed circuit board 240. When the contact portion 242 is in contact with the dome switch 241, a current flows through the dome switch 241 to the contact portion 242. The controller 180 detects this and generates a signal corresponding to the control command of the keytop 210. The contact part 242 may generate a signal by contacting the first or second contact parts 249a and 249b, respectively.

As described above, FIG. 3 illustrates that the pressure input method including the dome switch 241 is implemented. In the key assembly 200 according to the present embodiment, an input method including a method of pressing the key top 210 as well as a method of touching the key top 210 may be applied.

The controller 180 controls the mounting parts mounted on the first and second bodies 101 and 102 based on the touch input signal generated by the input signal generator and the pressurized input signal generated by the contact unit 242. Is applied.

The key top 210 may include a touch module having a touch sensor, a window, and a display unit. The touch method may be either a static pressure type in which a touch sensor is disposed on the upper surface of the window to sense a point at which pressure is applied, or a capacitive type touch sensor in the bottom surface of the window to sense a change point of the amount of charge.

Hereinafter, the pressure input method of the key assembly 200 will be described in detail.

4A to 4C are conceptual views illustrating the operation of the key assembly 200 according to FIG. 3.

Referring to FIG. 4A, when the user presses the center of the key top 210, the first and second pressing units 243a and 243b are moved in the pressing direction. The first and second pressing parts 243a and 243b together press the dome switch 241, and the first and second contact parts 249a and 249b respectively corresponding to the first and second pressing parts 243a and 243b, respectively. ) Is elastically deformed. When the first and second contact portions 243a and 243b come into contact with the contact portion 242 together, the current flows through the energized state, and the controller 180 responds to a control command of the key top 210 by the controller 180. The signal is generated.

As described above, a single contact portion 242 covered by the dome switch 241 including a plurality of contacts is provided so that one signal is generated once even when the user presses the center of the key top 210. Can be. That is, when the user presses the center of a keytop including a plurality of dome switches, a double click does not occur in which the same signal is generated more than once.

4B and 4C, when the user presses one end of the keytop 210, one end of the keytop 210 is rotated. For example, one end of the key top 210 may be rotated about the center or the other end of the key top 210. In some cases, the rotation may be overlapped with both ends of the key top 210 together with the rotation. Therefore, the first or second pressing parts 243a and 243b corresponding to the one region in which the pressing operation is performed are moved in the pressing direction. The first or second pressing parts 243a and 243b press the dome switch 241 and the first or second contact parts 249a and 249b respectively corresponding to the first or second pressing parts 243a and 243b. Is elastically deformed. When the first or second contact portions 243a and 243b come into contact with the contact portion 242, a current flows through the energized state, and a signal corresponding to the control command of the keytop 210 is controlled by the controller 180. Is generated.

Since one contact part 242 is formed to be covered by the first and second contact parts 249a and 249b, the signal generated in FIGS. 4B and 4C is the same as the signal generated in FIG. 4A. Therefore, even when the user presses one end instead of the center of the keytop 210, the dome switch 241 may be pressed to generate a signal.

The key top 210 may be, for example, a space key or a shift key formed long in the longitudinal direction. In addition, an enter key having a larger area than other key tops may be formed as described above. Through such a structure, the user can input accurate information without double click or one end of the key top being not clicked.

5 is a cross-sectional view of a key assembly 300 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the contact portion 342 is divided into first and second contact portions 342a and 242b corresponding to the first and second contact portions 349a and 349b, respectively. In addition, an insulating portion 344 is formed between the first and second contact portions 342a and 342b to insulate the first and second contact portions 342a and 342b from each other. As the insulating part 344 is formed, the first and second contact parts 342a and 342b may be electrically divided.

In the first and second contact portions 342a and 342b, when the first contact portion 349a contacts the first contact portion 342a, a signal corresponding to the first control command is generated, and the second contact portion 349b is generated. When contacting the second contact portion 342b, the signal is connected to the printed circuit board 340 through different paths so as to generate a signal corresponding to the second control command.

6A and 6C are conceptual views illustrating the operation of the key assembly 300 according to FIG. 5.

6A and 6B, when a user presses one end of the keytop 310, one end of the keytop 310 is rotated. Therefore, the first or second pressing parts 343a and 343b corresponding to the one region to be pressed are moved in the pressing direction. The first or second pressurizing parts 343a and 343b gradually pressurize the dome switch 341, and the first or second contact parts 349a and 349b respectively corresponding to the first or second pressurizing parts 343a and 343b. ) Is elastically deformed. The first or second contact portions 349a and 349b are in contact with the first or second contact portions 342a and 342b, respectively, and are energized so that current flows, and the first and second contacts 349a and 349b are different from each other by the controller 180. And a signal corresponding to the second control command.

Referring to FIG. 6C, when the user presses the center of the key top 310, the first and second pressing units 343a and 343b are moved in the pressing direction. The first and second pressing parts 343a and 343b together press the dome switch 341, and the first and second contact parts 349a and 349b corresponding to the first and second pressing parts 343a and 343b. Is elastically deformed. The first and second contact portions 349a and 349b are brought into contact with the first and second contact portions 342a and 342b together, the energized state flows, and a current flows to the third control command by the controller 180. The corresponding signal is generated.

The key assembly 300 having the above structure may generate signals corresponding to a plurality of control commands with one key top 310. Accordingly, the productivity of the key assembly 300 may be minimized, and the volume of the mobile terminal 100 may be minimized.

The keytop 310 may be formed of, for example, a volume key so that the first and second control commands control the adjustment of the volume and the third control command controls the blocking of the call tone. In addition, the keytop 310 is formed of a direction movement key so that the first and second control commands control the movement of the direction, and the third control command instantly captures the screen of the display unit 151 of the mobile terminal 100. It can be formed to have a function.

The key assembly described above and the mobile terminal having the same are not limited to the configuration and method of the embodiments described above, but the embodiments are configured by selectively combining all or some of the embodiments so that various modifications can be made. May be

Claims (5)

A key top for receiving a control command;
First and second pressing parts protruding from one surface of the key top, respectively;
A dome switch disposed on one surface of the printed circuit board and having first and second contacts; And
A contact portion formed on the one surface of the printed circuit board to generate a signal corresponding to the control command in contact with the dome switch,
The first and second contact parts are disposed on both sides with respect to the center of the dome switch so as to correspond to the first and second pressing parts, respectively, and are formed to be elastically deformed by pressing the first and second pressing parts, respectively.
And the contact portion is formed to be covered by the first and second contact portions, and contacts the first or second contact portion to generate the signal, respectively. The method of claim 1,
And the first and second contact portions are formed to extend in the longitudinal direction of the dome switch on the same plane. The method of claim 1,
The contact portion includes first and second contact portions corresponding to the first and second contact portions, respectively, and an insulation portion formed between the first and second contact portions to insulate the first and second contact portions from each other. and,
The first and second contact parts generate signals corresponding to a first control command when the first contact part contacts the first contact part, and when the second contact part contacts the second contact part, a second signal is generated. Key assembly characterized in that connected to the printed circuit board in different paths to generate a signal corresponding to a control command. The method of claim 3,
The first and second contact parts may be connected to the printed circuit board such that a signal corresponding to a third control command is generated when the first and second contact parts contact the first and second contact parts together. Key assembly. A terminal body having a printed circuit board; And
A user input unit for receiving a control command applied to the terminal body,
The user input unit,
A key top receiving the control command, first and second pressing parts protruding from one surface of the key top, a dome switch disposed on one surface of the printed circuit board, and the dome switch on the one surface of the printed circuit board. A mobile terminal comprising a contact portion formed so as to be covered by, the key assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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