KR101586307B1 - Touch pad and mobile terminal having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a touch pad and a portable terminal having the touch pad. More particularly, the present invention relates to a touch sensing device that generates a touch signal when a touch input is applied, and at the same time, a light source provided in the touch area emits light to provide aesthetic satisfaction, improves sensitivity to touch input, And a portable terminal having the touch pad.

Touch, LED, terminal, glow, pad

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a touch pad and a mobile terminal having the touch pad.

The present invention relates to a touch pad and a portable terminal having the touch pad. More particularly, the present invention relates to a touch sensing device that generates a touch signal when a touch input is applied, and at the same time, a light source provided in the touch area emits light to provide aesthetic satisfaction, improves sensitivity to touch input, And a portable terminal having the touch pad.

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 that includes a touch sensor and generates a touch signal when a touch input is applied to the touch area.

Such a touch pad has 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 mounted on portable electronic products, such as a notebook computer or a portable terminal.

Recently, in addition to a touch sensor that senses a touch signal, the touch pad may include a light source mounted on a substrate on which the touch sensor is mounted to generate a touch signal and try various lighting effects.

However, the structure of the touch pad is not disclosed in which a light source is mounted on an upper portion of a circuit board having a divided touch region for generating a touch signal according to a touch input, and the light is directly emitted from the light source.

A conventional touch pad having a light source has a light source installed on a lower portion of a circuit board having a touch region and a light hole provided on a circuit board so that light provided from a light source is reflected and emitted through a circuit board , A method of artificially forming an illumination hole on a circuit board for sensing a touch input reduces the area of a circuit board capable of sensing the touch input and thus reduces the sensitivity of the touch pad to the touch input of the user have.

In addition, since a single light source is shared for emitting a plurality of touch regions or a structure for reflecting the same is used, a plurality of touch regions are always emitted even when one touch region is touched, Or it can not induce various visual lighting effects.

The present invention relates to a touch sensor which generates a touch signal when a touch input is applied and at the same time a light source provided in the touch region emits an aesthetic satisfaction and improves the sensitivity to touch input, A pad and a portable terminal having the pad are provided.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a touch panel including: a circuit board having a plurality of divided touch areas for receiving a touch signal; A plurality of light sources mounted on the circuit board; And a pad cover formed on the light source, wherein at least one through hole through which light emitted from the light source can be transmitted is formed, and the pad cover is mounted on the light source.

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

Also, a diffusion member having a plurality of diffusing portions through which light emitted from the light source is diffused and transmitted may be provided between the pad cover and the circuit board.

The circuit board may further include an attachment member interposed between the circuit board and the diffusion member to attach the circuit board and the diffusion member and surround the light source so that the light source mounted on the circuit board is exposed in the direction of the diffusion unit have.

Here, the light source is an LED element, and the attachment member has an LED hole corresponding to the LED element, and the upper surface of the LED element can be exposed through the LED hole toward the diffusion portion.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a touch panel comprising: a circuit substrate having a touch region for sensing a touch input and having a plurality of LED elements spaced thereon;

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

And a controller for simultaneously or sequentially lighting the LED element mounted on the touch region where the touch signal is sensed when the touch signal is sensed and the adjacent LED element.

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

The circuit board may further include an adhesive material interposed therebetween for attaching the diffusion member to the circuit board.

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

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

Further, when the lighted LED element is turned off, the brightness of the light can be controlled to be gradually reduced.

According to the present invention, there is provided a touch pad having a light source and a portable terminal having the same, wherein the sensitivity of the touch region for generating a touch signal by receiving a touch input can be improved.

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

In addition, according to the touch pad having the light source and the portable terminal having the light source according to the present invention, since each touch region to which a touch input is applied can independently emit light, a touch signal Can be confirmed as to whether or not the touch area is illuminated.

In addition, according to the touch pad having the light source and the portable terminal having the light source according to the present invention, the respective touch regions can be independently emitted, and various lighting effects can be obtained.

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 disclosed herein are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification.

The portable terminal described in the present specification is not limited to a mobile phone as a telephone shown in the figure but may be a smart phone, a notebook computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a PDA (personal digital assistant), a portable multimedia device (PMP) Player), navigation, etc., it should be understood as a concept including portable electronic products.

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

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

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

The portable terminal 100 includes a wireless communication unit 110, an audio / video input unit 120, an operation unit 130, a sensing unit 140, an output unit 150, a storage unit 160, An interface unit 170, a control unit 180, a power supply unit 190, and the like. It should be noted that when the components are implemented in a practical application, two or more components may be merged into one component, or one component may be subdivided into two or more components as necessary.

Hereinafter, the components will be described in order.

The wireless communication unit 110 may include a broadcast receiving module 111, a mobile communication module 112, a wireless Internet module 113, a short distance communication module 114 and a GPS module 115.

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives broadcast signals 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 refer to a server for generating and transmitting broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information, or a server for receiving broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information generated by the broadcast management server and transmitting the generated broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information.

The broadcast-related information may refer to a broadcast channel, a broadcast program, or information related to a broadcast service provider. The broadcast signal may include a TV broadcast signal, a radio broadcast signal, a data broadcast signal, and a broadcast signal in which a data broadcast signal is 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, it may be received by the mobile communication module 112.

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

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives broadcasting signals using various broadcasting systems. In particular, the broadcasting receiving module 111 may be a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DMB-T), a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Satellite (DMB-S) Only Digital 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 unit 160.

In addition, the mobile communication module 112 transmits and receives radio signals to at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network. Here, the wireless signal may include various types of data depending on a voice call signal, a video call signal, or a text / multimedia message transmission / reception.

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. Bluetooth, radio frequency identification (RFID), infrared data association (IrDA), ultra wideband (UWB), ZigBee, and the like can be used as the short distance communication technology.

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

The A / V (Audio / Video) input unit 120 is for inputting an audio signal or a video signal. The audio / video input unit 120 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 the image sensor in the video communication mode or the photographing mode. Then, the processed image frame can be displayed on the display module 151.

The image frame processed by the camera module 121 may be stored in the storage unit 160 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication unit 110. [ The camera module 121 may be equipped with two or more cameras according to the configuration of the terminal.

The microphone module 122 receives an external sound signal through a microphone in a communication mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, or the like, and processes it as 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 module 122 may be implemented with various noise reduction algorithms for eliminating noise generated in receiving an external sound signal.

The operation unit 130 generates key input data that the user inputs for controlling the operation of the terminal. The operation unit 130 may include a key pad dome switch, a touch pad (static / static), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like. Particularly, when the touch pad has a mutual layer structure with the display module 151 described later, it can be called a touch screen.

The sensing unit 140 senses the current state of the portable terminal 100 such as the open / close state of the portable terminal 100, the position of the portable terminal 100, To generate a sensing signal.

For example, when the portable terminal 100 is in the form of a slide phone, it is possible to sense whether the slide phone is opened or closed. Also, it is responsible for a sensing function related to whether or not the power supply unit 190 is powered on, whether the interface unit 170 is connected to an external device, and the like.

The interface unit 170 serves as an interface with all the external devices connected to the portable terminal 100. For example, it may be a wired / wireless headset, an external charger, a wired / wireless data port, a card socket (e.g. a memory card, a SIM / UIM card), an audio I / I / O (input / output) terminals, and earphones.

The interface unit 170 receives data from an external device or receives power from the external device, transfers the data to each component in the portable terminal 100, or transmits data in the portable 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, an audio output module 152, an alarm output module 153, and the like.

The display module 151 displays and outputs information processed in the portable terminal 100. [ For example, when the portable terminal is in the call mode, a UI (User Interface) or GUI (Graphic User Interface) associated with a call is displayed. When the portable terminal 100 is in the video communication mode or the photographing mode, the captured image and / or the received image or UI and GUI are displayed.

Meanwhile, when the display module 13 and the touch pad 200 have a mutual layer structure to constitute a touch screen, the display module 151 can 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, a three-dimensional display 3D display).

Also, there may be two or more display modules 151 according to the implementation mode of the portable terminal 100. [ For example, the portable terminal 100 may include an external display module (not shown) and an internal display module (not shown) at the same time.

The audio 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 mode, a call mode or a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcast reception mode, The sound output module 152 outputs sound signals related to functions (e.g., call signal reception sound, message reception sound, and the like) performed in the portable 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 the occurrence of an event of the portable terminal 100. Examples of events occurring in the portable terminal include receiving a call signal, receiving a message, and inputting a key signal. The alarm output module 153 outputs a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event in a form other than an audio signal or a video signal.

For example, it is possible to output a signal in a vibration mode. When a call signal is received or a message is received, the alarm output module 153 may output a vibration to inform it. Alternatively, when the key signal is input, the alarm output module 153 can output the vibration as the feedback to the key signal input.

The user can recognize the occurrence of an event through the vibration output as described above. Of course, a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event may also be output through the display module 151 or the audio output module 152. [

The storage unit 160 may store a program for processing and controlling the control unit 180 and may have a function for temporarily storing input / output data (e.g., a phone book, a message, a still image, . ≪ / RTI >

The storage unit 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) A RAM, and a ROM.

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

The controller 180 controls the overall operation of the portable terminal. For example, voice communication, data communication, video communication, and the like.

In addition, the control unit 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 separately from software in the controller 180. [

The power supply unit 190 receives external power and internal power under the control of the controller 180 and supplies power necessary for operation of the respective components.

In the foregoing, the mobile terminal according to the present invention has been described in terms of components according to functions. Hereinafter, the portable terminal according to the present invention will be described in further detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 in view of the components according to the external form.

Hereinafter, for simplicity of explanation, a slider type portable terminal will be exemplified among various types of portable terminals such as a folder type, a bar type, a swing type, a slider type, and the like. 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 above-mentioned type.

2 is a perspective view of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of 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.

The state where the first body 100A is disposed in a state of being overlapped with the second body 100B may be referred to as a closed configuration and the first body 100A may be referred to as a second body 100B ) May be referred to as an open configuration.

The portable terminal operates mainly in the standby mode in the closed state, but the standby mode is also released by the operation of the user. In addition, the portable terminal operates mainly in a communication mode in an open state, but may be switched to a standby mode by a user's operation or a predetermined period of time.

The casing (casing, housing, cover, etc.) constituting the outer appearance 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 additionally disposed between the first front case 100A-1 and the first rear case 100A-2.

The cases may be formed by injection molding of a synthetic resin or may be formed of a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti).

The display module 151, the first sound output module 152-1, the first camera module 121-1, or the first operation unit (not shown) is connected to the first body 100A, specifically, the first front case 100A- 130-1 may be disposed.

The first operation unit 130-1 may be provided in the form of a touch pad 200 capable of sensing a user's touch input and switching to a touch signal. The touch pad 200 is divided into a plurality of touch areas 242 by sensing a touch input of the user to generate a control signal corresponding to the touch area 242, And controls the terminal. The touch pad 200 as the first operation unit 130-1 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 4 and subsequent drawings.

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

In addition, the display module 151 overlaps the touch pad 200 in a layer structure, so that the display module 151 can operate as a touch screen to enable information input 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 adapted to photograph an image or a moving image of a user.

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

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

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

The first to third operating portions 130-1, 130-2, and 130-3 may be collectively referred to as a manipulating portion 130 and may be configured to operate in a tactile manner ) Can be employed in any manner.

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

The operation unit may be embodied as a dome switch or a touch pad capable of receiving a command or information by a push or a touch operation of a user, or may be implemented by a wheel, a jog type, a joystick, or the like .

In terms of functions, the first operation unit 130-1 is for inputting commands such as start, end, and scroll, and the second operation unit 130-2 is for inputting numbers, characters, symbols, will be.

Also, the third operating unit 130-3 may operate as a hot-key for activating a special function in the portable terminal.

The microphone module 122 may be implemented in a form suitable for receiving voice, sound, etc. of the user.

The interface unit 170 is a path for allowing the portable terminal according to the present invention to exchange data with an external device. For example, the interface unit 170 may be a wired or wireless connection terminal for connecting to an earphone, a port for short-range communication (for example, an IrDA port, a Bluetooth port, a wireless LAN port, etc.), or power supply terminals for supplying power to the portable terminal.

The interface unit 170 may be a card socket for accommodating an external card such as a subscriber identification module (SIM) or a user identity module (UIM) or a memory card for storing information. (Or the interface unit 170 has already been described above, a detailed description thereof will be omitted).

A power supply unit 190 for supplying power to the portable terminal is mounted on the second rear case 100B-2.

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

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

Referring to FIG. 3, a second camera module 121-2 may be further mounted on the rear surface of the second rear case 100B-2 of the second body 100B. The second camera module 121-2 has 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 121-1 (see FIG. 1).

For example, the first camera module 121-1 has low pixels so that it is easy to capture a face of a user in the case of a video call or the like and transmit the face to the other party, and the second camera module 121-2 has a general object It is often desirable to have a high pixel.

A flash 121-3 and a mirror 121-4 may be additionally disposed adjacent to the second camera module 121-2. The flash 121-3 shines light toward the subject when the subject is photographed by the second camera module 121-2. The mirror 121-4 enables the user to illuminate the user's own face or the like when the user intends to take a picture of himself / herself (self-photographing) using the second camera module 121-2.

The second sound output module 152-2 may be additionally 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.

Also, on one side of the second rear case 100B-2 (just the second rear case?), A broadcast signal receiving antenna 111-1 may be arranged in addition to an antenna for communication. The antenna 111-1 may be installed to be able to be drawn out from the second body 100B.

A part of the slide module 100C that slidably connects 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 second front case 100B-1 side of the second body 100B and may not be exposed to the outside as in this figure.

The second camera module 121-2 and the like are disposed on the second body 100B, the present invention is not limited thereto.

For example, at least two of the configurations 111-1, 121-2 to 121-3, and 152-2 described as being arranged in the second rear case 100B-2, such as the second camera module 121-2, It is also possible that at least one is mounted on the first body 100A, mainly the first rear case 100A-2.

In such a case, there is an advantage that the configuration (s) arranged in the first rear case 100A-2 in the closed state is protected by the second body 100B. Further, even if the second camera module 121-2 is not separately provided, the first camera module 121-1 is rotatably formed so that the second camera module 121-2 can be photographed up to the photographing direction of the second camera module 121-2 .

4 is a front view of the touch pad 200 that can be mounted on the first operation unit 130-1 (see FIG. 2) of the portable terminal according to the present invention. As described above, the first operation unit 130-1 may be configured as a touch pad 200 having a light source 244, which converts a touch input of a user into a touch signal.

Such a touch pad 200 can be applied not only to a portable terminal but also to various electronic products.

The top surface of the touch pad 200 may be provided with a pad cover 210 to which a user's touch input (such as a finger touch) is applied.

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

The pad cover 210 shown in FIG. 4 is used as an operation unit for inputting a control signal in the portable terminal. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the pad cover 210 is used to input control signals such as start, end, scroll, And may be variously modified depending on the use and the position of the electronic product to which the touch pad 200 according to the present invention is attached.

In the embodiment shown 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 can generate various control signals according to the position of the portion where the touch input is received, respectively.

That is, the touch pad 200 according to the present invention can generate separate control signals according to the divided touch regions 242 of the circuit board 240 described later. The partition line 213 shown in FIG. 4 is not a line that is actually visible, but a partition line that separates the touch input area 212 (212) of the pad cover 210 corresponding to each touch area 242 do.

In addition, it is shown that the touch pad 200 shown in FIG. 4 is provided with nine touch input areas 212 and 212 in total. The touch area 242 and the touch input areas 212 and 212 are provided at vertically corresponding positions.

The touch input area 212 is a portion to which a touch input by a user's finger is inputted. 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 described later to provide a light emitting function.

The light supplied from the light source 244 located below the pad cover 210 is transmitted to the pad cover 210 through the light source 244 mounted on the circuit board 240 A plurality of through holes 211 may be formed.

The through hole 211 may 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 through hole 211.

The through holes 211 may be formed as one large hole, or a plurality of small through holes 211 may be formed by dividing one character or symbol into several.

4, the letter "M" of the touch input area 212 located at the upper left corner is composed of a plurality of through 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 under the pad cover 210 and a plurality of touch areas 242 for receiving touch signals And a circuit board (240).

The circuit board on which the light source is mounted can also operate as a touch region by mounting the light source on the touch region 242 receiving the user's touch input. That is, unlike a conventional touch pad having a light source, a hole or hole is formed in a touch area for receiving a touch input, and light emitted from a light source located under the circuit substrate is reflected and emitted through the hole There is an advantage that the decrease of the touch sensitivity due to the loss of the touch area can be prevented.

The circuit board 240 includes a plurality of touch regions 242 each having a touch sensor (not shown) for receiving a user's touch input and converting the touch input into a touch signal, 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 detecting the change in capacitance caused when the body or a specific object touches. The final output is detected by detecting the difference between the minute capacitance change value and the set value generated when the human body touches the surface to be touched.

Various sensors other than the capacitive touch sensor may be employed as the touch sensor that can generate a touch signal by sensing the user's touch input.

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

A light source 244 may be mounted on the upper surface of the touch area 242 provided on the circuit board 240. The light source 244 may receive a touch input from the touch area 242, The light source 244 may be controlled to emit light.

The light source 244 may be controlled so that only the light source 244 mounted on the touch region 242 to which the touch input is applied may emit light or a light source 244 mounted on the touch region 242 to which the touch input is applied 244 may also be controlled to emit light together or sequentially. That is, the pattern or the manner in which the light source 244 is emitted may be variously modified.

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 upper portion of the touch region 242 to which the touch input is applied, It is preferable that it is turned on. So that the user can easily determine that the touch signal is generated in the specific touch area.

Also, when the light source is turned off, the light of the light source may be controlled to be gradually decreased.

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 having the pad cover 210 and the light source 244 .

The diffusion member 220 smoothly diffuses the light emitted from the light source 244 and provides uniform illumination to the transmission hole 211 of the pad cover 210 regardless of the size of the light source 244. [ It is for this reason.

That is, the shape of the letter or symbol by the transmission hole 211 of the pad cover 210 may vary, and the size of the light source 244, The diffusion member 220 may be disposed between the light source 244 and the light source 244 so that the letters or symbols of each pad cover 210 emit uniformly when the light source 244 emits light, It is necessary to diffuse the light emitted from the light source.

The portion of the diffusion member 220 where the light is diffused, that is, the diffusion portion 223, may be made of semitransparent plastic or the like. The light transmitted through the diffusion member 220 is diffused during the transmission process and is transmitted through the transmission hole 211 of the touch input area 212 with a uniform brightness Therefore, when the touch pad 200 is observed from above the pad cover 210, a uniform illumination effect can be obtained.

5 diffuses the light supplied from the light source 244 of the circuit board 240 through the transmission hole 211 of the pad cover 210, A diffusion unit 223 and a blocking unit 225 for blocking diffusion.

The diffusion unit 223 is a region where light can be diffused or transmitted, and the blocking unit 225 is a peripheral region of the diffusion unit, which blocks diffusion of light.

The reason for including the blocking portion 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 is controlled to emit light .

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

Accordingly, the blocking unit 225 may selectively block the light emitted from the light source 244. The blocking portion 225 may be a portion coated with a blocking material (e.g., a paint) to prevent light from being transmitted through the diffusion member 220.

Of course, a method of constructing the shielding portion of the diffusion member 220 with a material that can not transmit light is also applicable.

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

As shown in FIG. 5, the touch pad 200 according to the present invention may further include an adhesive material 230.

The attachment member 230 removes a gap existing between the circuit board 240 on which the light source 244 is mounted and the diffusion member 220 and removes the gap between the circuit board 240 and the diffusion member 220 And attaches them to each other.

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

Therefore, if the adhesive material 230 does not exist, a gap may be formed between the diffusion member 220 and the circuit board 240 due to the LED device.

Therefore, the adhesive material 230 removes a clearance that may exist between the circuit board 240 and the diffusion member 220, and attaches the circuit board 240 and the diffusion member 220 to each other.

The attachment member 230 may include an LED hole 234 for transmitting light emitted from the light source 244 toward the diffusion unit 230.

The LED hole 234 is formed in the adhesive material 230 so as to surround and enclose the LED mounted on the circuit board 240. Therefore, only the upper surface of the LED-shaped light source 244 can be exposed upward.

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

The LED hole 234 formed in the adhesive material 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 of the light source 244 so that only the upper surface of the LED element is exposed to the outside.

As described above, the diffusion member 220 smoothly diffuses light, while the diffusion unit and the blocking unit selectively shield or transmit light, so that the interference between the light sources 244 spaced apart from each other in the touch region 242 As shown in FIG.

In order to prevent the light emitted from the light source 244 mounted on the specific touch area 242 from being supplied to the transmission hole 211 above the other touch area 242, The size of the LED hole can be matched with the size of the light source 244.

6 is a sectional view of the touch pad 200 according to the present invention. An independent touch sensor is mounted on the touch area 242 of each of the touch pads 200 shown in FIG. 6 and connected to the touch controller 300 to generate a touch signal when the touch input is applied.

The touch control unit 300 transmits a touch signal to a light source control unit 400 that controls the light source 244 to be turned on or off and the light source control unit 400 controls a light source 244.

The touch controller 300 senses a touch signal applied to a specific touch area 242 by touch sensors (not shown) mounted on each divided touch area 242 of the circuit board 240.

Accordingly, the light source control unit 400 can turn on / off the light source 244 mounted on the corresponding touch area 242 according to the touch signal in a predetermined manner.

As described above, a diffusion member 220 for diffusing light emitted from the light source 244 is provided under the pad cover 210.

The diffusion part of the diffusion member 220 should be positioned between the light source 244 and the transmission hole 211. The diffusion portion 223 may have a size enough to cover the entirety of the 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 adhesive material 230 for 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 surrounding the side surface of the light source 244 and exposing an upper surface thereof toward the diffusion portion 223 of the diffusion member 220.

The LED hole 234 can prevent light supplied from the light source 244 from being reflected in the lateral direction of the light source 244 while the light source 244 is seated.

The touch pad 200 according to the present invention provides a lighting function. The light source 244 is mounted on the circuit board 240 of the touch pad 200 so that the light source 244 corresponding to the touch signal can be controlled to emit light.

The touch pad 200 according to the present invention is provided with a light source 244 which can be independently controlled in each touch area 242. [ The touch pad 200 according to the present invention can be formed by a method of providing a light source 244 that can be independently controlled to each touch region 242, Can be selectively controlled.

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

Accordingly, the touch input area 212 can 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 can be independently emitted, the touch pad 200 according to the present invention can emit the light source 244 in various ways.

7 shows 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.

7A, the call control signal of the portable terminal, on which the touch pad 200 according to the present invention is mounted, is controlled by a plurality of transmission holes in the touch input area 212 of the pad cover 210 And touching the touch input area 212 marked "SEND ".

However, when the touch input area 212 is touched by a finger or the like, only the touch input area 212 is not necessarily emitted. That is, if the user recognizes that a finger is touched in the touch input area 212 and a colorful lighting effect occurs, the position is not important.

When the touch input area 212 corresponding to the call button is touched, the touch input area 212 existing in the periphery of the pad cover 210 in a rectangular shape as shown in FIG. 7 (a) Or can simultaneously emit light.

7B shows an example of the light emission state of the touch input area when a touch input is applied to a portion of the touch input area 212 where the "OK" character is displayed. The touch input area to which the touch input is applied, that is, the "OK" part and the adjacent upper, lower, right, and left touch input areas may be simultaneously or sequentially turned on. Accordingly, if the user touches the "OK" part, if the light is emitted in the shape of '+', the user can touch the 'OK' character and recognize that the corresponding touch signal has been generated.

As a result of such a lighting effect induced by the control signal generated in the specific touch area 242, the user can generate a control signal in the dark place due to the light emission of the touch input area 212, And it is possible to amplify the mystery due to the lighting effect.

When the size of one touch input area 212 is small due to a large number of touch input areas 212, the touch input area 212 adjacent to the specific touch input area 212 may be simultaneously or sequentially So that a mysterious lighting effect can be obtained.

Further, by using the method of gradually increasing the brightness of each of the light sources 244 or gradually extinguishing the light, it is possible to obtain more various lighting effects.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. . 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 portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a perspective view of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

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

4 is a front view of a touch pad that can be mounted on a first operating portion of the portable terminal according to the present invention.

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

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

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

Claims (11)

A circuit board having a plurality of divided touch areas for receiving a touch signal; A plurality of light sources mounted on the circuit board; At least one through hole through which the light emitted from the light source can be transmitted is formed, and the pad cover is mounted on the light source; A diffusion member provided between the pad cover and the circuit board and having a plurality of diffusions through which light emitted from the light source is diffused and transmitted; And And an adhesive material interposed between the circuit board and the diffusion member to attach the circuit board and the diffusion member and to surround the light source so that a light source mounted on the circuit board is exposed in the direction of the diffusion part, Wherein a region of the circuit board on which the light source is mounted is included in the touch region. The method according to claim 1, Wherein at least one light source is mounted on each of the touch regions. delete delete The method according to claim 1, Wherein the light source is an LED element, and the attachment member has an LED hole corresponding to the LED element, and an upper surface of the LED element is exposed in the direction of the diffusion portion through the LED hole. A circuit board on which a touch region capable of sensing a touch signal is formed and on which a plurality of LED elements are spaced apart; A pad cover mounted on the circuit board and having a plurality of through holes at positions corresponding to the LEDs so that light emitted from the LEDs can be emitted to the outside; A diffusion member mounted between the circuit board and the pad cover and having a diffusion part and a blocking part for selectively diffusing light emitted from the LED device; An attachment member interposed therebetween for attaching the circuit board and the diffusion member; And And a control unit for simultaneously or sequentially lighting the LED element mounted on the touch region where the touch signal is sensed and the adjacent LED element when the touch signal is sensed, Wherein a region of the circuit board on which the LED is mounted is included in the touch region. delete delete The method according to claim 6, Wherein the attachment member has an LED hole formed in a shape corresponding to a shape of the LED element so that the LED element is exposed upward. The method according to claim 6, Wherein when the control unit gradually illuminates the LED element, the LED element mounted on the touch region in which the touch signal is generated is first turned on. The method according to claim 6, Wherein the brightness of the light is controlled so as to be gradually decreased when the LED device is turned off.

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