KR20100070116A

KR20100070116A - Mobile communication device having optical joystick module

Info

Publication number: KR20100070116A
Application number: KR1020080128722A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 안건준
Original assignee: 크루셜텍 (주)
Priority date: 2008-12-17
Filing date: 2008-12-17
Publication date: 2010-06-25

Abstract

The present invention relates to a portable terminal having an optical joystick module, which is intended to enable fast cursor movement and quick click, good assembly, and miniaturization and slimming.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a portable terminal comprising a main body, a display unit installed in the main body, and an optical joystick module for moving a cursor or a pointer on the display unit through movement of a subject. The module includes a lower package having a light source member and an image sensor mounted on a substrate at intervals, and a transparent encapsulant sealing the light source member and the image sensor; An illumination system corresponding to the light source member to illuminate the infrared light of the light source member, an imaging system corresponding to the image sensor to image the infrared light reflected from the subject, and an external light shielding material to seal the illumination system and the imaging system. An upper package having; It is provided with a click switch that switches as the upper and lower packages are pressed and selects or executes the object pointed to by the cursor or the pointer.

Description

Mobile terminal with optical joystick module {MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE HAVING OPTICAL JOYSTICK MODULE}

The present invention relates to a portable terminal having an optical joystick module, and more particularly, to a portable terminal having an optical joystick module capable of fast cursor movement and quick click, good assembly, and miniaturization and slimming. will be.

Mobile terminals, such as mobile phones and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), have added various functions beyond simple functions such as telephone calls and schedule / address management. In particular, wireless internet functions, game functions, camera functions, and the like have recently been added.

In order to smoothly operate various additional functions, such a mobile terminal essentially employs a graphical user interface (GUI) environment. In such a GUI environment, a quick cursor movement and a quick click function are essential. It is becoming.

By the way, the conventional mobile terminal, the movement and the click function of the cursor, as shown in Figure 1, is made through the four-way key button (A) and the click key button (B), it is very inconvenient to use There is this.

In particular, after moving the cursor, pointer, etc. using the four-way key button (A), and then pressing the separate click button (B) to select and execute the object, there is a disadvantage that it is difficult to move the cursor quickly and click quickly Because of these drawbacks, there is a problem that it is very unsuitable for use in GUI environment.

On the other hand, in view of this, an optical pointing device for moving a cursor, a pointer, and the like through the movement of a finger surface has been developed, and a portable terminal capable of quickly moving a cursor by using the same has been proposed.

Examples thereof include Korean Patent Application Nos. 10-2004-113266, 10-2005-471, and the like which have been filed by the present applicant.

By the way, such conventional portable terminals have the advantage of being able to move the cursor quickly, but the assembly of the optical joystick must be assembled one by one. In particular, small size parts must be assembled manually by hand, there is a disadvantage in that the assembly is inferior, there is a problem that the production time is delayed, production efficiency is lowered due to these disadvantages.

In addition, the conventional portable terminals have a disadvantage in that the size of the optical joystick is arranged in the horizontal direction, there is a limit in reducing the size, and this problem has been pointed out that there is a limit in miniaturizing and slimming the device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a conventional problem, and an object thereof is to provide a portable terminal having an optical joystick module capable of fast cursor movement and quick click.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable terminal having an optical joystick module that can improve assembly and shorten the assembly time by simplifying the assembly structure of the optical joystick.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable terminal having an optical joystick module that can be miniaturized and slimmed by improving the structure of the optical joystick and making its size slim.

In order to achieve the above object, the portable terminal including the optical joystick module of the present invention includes a main body, a display unit installed in the main body, and an optical joystick module for moving a cursor or a pointer on the display unit through movement of a subject. A portable terminal comprising: a lower package having a light source member and an image sensor mounted at intervals on a substrate, and a transparent encapsulant sealing the light source member and the image sensor; An illumination system corresponding to the light source member to illuminate the infrared light of the light source member, an imaging system corresponding to the image sensor to image the infrared light reflected from the subject, and the illumination system and the imaging system An upper package having an external light shielding material; It is characterized in that it comprises a click switch to select or execute the object pointed to by the cursor or pointer while being switched as the upper and lower packages are pressed.

According to the portable terminal having the optical joystick module according to the present invention, since the cursor is moved and clicked using the optical joystick module, it is possible to move the cursor and click quickly. Therefore, there is an effect that it is very suitable for use in a GUI environment.

In addition, since the assembly structure of the optical joystick is simplified, the assemblability of the entire terminal is improved, and the assembly time is drastically shortened. Therefore, the production efficiency is increased, the cost reduction effect can be expected.

In addition, since the structure of the optical joystick can be improved and slimmed, the size of the entire terminal can be reduced and slimmed.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of a portable terminal having an optical joystick module according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First, the configuration of the portable terminal will be briefly described with reference to FIG. 2 before looking at the features of the portable terminal having the optical joystick module according to the present invention.

As an example of a portable terminal, there is a mobile phone 1, and the mobile phone 1 includes a main body 3.

The main body 3 includes a plurality of key buttons 5 for inputting numbers, letters, symbols, and the like, and a display unit 7 for displaying various data inputted through the key buttons 5 and related information. Is installed.

Usually, the display part 7 is provided in the cover 3a which is installed in the main body 3 so that it may be folded or slidable.

Next, the features of the portable terminal with the optical joystick module according to the present invention will be described in detail.

First, referring to FIGS. 2 to 6, the portable terminal of the present invention includes an optical joystick module 10 installed in the main body 3.

The optical joystick module 10 is provided on the main PCB 12 and includes an optical joystick 100 and a click switch 200 disposed below the optical joystick 100.

The optical joystick 100 is an input device for moving a cursor, a pointer, or the like on the display unit 7 in a desired direction, and includes a lower package 20 and an upper package 40.

The lower package 20 includes a light source member 24 mounted on the substrate 22 and the substrate 22 through a process such as SMT, and an image sensor 26 mounted on the substrate 22 and the same as the light source member 24 in the same SMT process. And a transparent encapsulant 28 to be molded.

The substrate 22 is electrically connected to the main PCB 12 through a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) 22a. The substrate 22 is connected to the displacement value calculated by the image sensor 26. Transfer to a microcomputer (not shown) of the main PC 12.

The light source member 24 is composed of LEDs that emit infrared light, and is mounted on the substrate 22 through an SMT process.

The image sensor 26 is mounted on the substrate 22 while being spaced apart from the light source member 24, and continuously captures the received light and calculates a change in the captured image screen as a displacement value.

The transparent encapsulant 28 is obtained by solidifying a liquid Clear EMC (Epoxy Molding Compound). After the previously processed mold is brought into close contact with the substrate 22, the transparent encapsulant 28 is formed between the mold (not shown) and the substrate 22. It is molded by injecting EMC. The transparent encapsulant 28 thus formed covers and encapsulates the light source member 24 and the image sensor 26 mounted on the substrate 22.

On the other hand, a blocking film 29 is provided between the light source member 24 and the image sensor 26.

The blocking film 29 blocks light emitted from the light source member 24 from leaking to the image sensor 26. Therefore, the malfunction of the image sensor 26 due to light leakage is prevented at the source.

The barrier film 29 may be installed in any material that does not transmit light. For example, it may be composed of a black EMC, a light shielding tape, a light shielding mask, or the like.

The upper package 40 is assembled in a stacked state on the upper side of the lower package 20, and includes an illumination system 42, an imaging system 44, and an external light shielding material 46 for molding them.

Here, each of the lower package 20 and the upper package 40, the protrusion 40a or the groove 28a is formed to correspond to each other, the lower package (A) as these protrusions 40a or the groove (28a) is coupled 20 and the upper package 40 is assembled. In some cases, the lower package 20 and the upper package 40 may be bonded to the double-sided tape.

The illumination system 42 is a waveguide installed to correspond to the light source member 24 of the lower package 20, and serves to illuminate the light emitted from the light source member 24 to the subject P.

The illumination system 42 may be configured to be inclined with respect to the light source member 24 in a vertical direction or at an angle. Preferably, it may be configured to be inclined at an angle with respect to the light source member 24 so as to face the end of the imaging system 44.

This is to allow more light of the illumination system 42 reflected on the subject P to be incident on the imaging system 44, whereby a high amount of light may be imaged on the image sensor 26. As a result, the sensing sensitivity of the image sensor 26 is maximized.

The imaging system 44 is an imaging lens provided to correspond to the image sensor 26 of the lower package 20, and forms an image of the light of the light source member 24 reflected from the subject P on the image sensor 26. It plays a role.

The imaging system 44 is made of a rod-shaped and is composed of a green lens (Gradient Index Lens), a convex lens and the like that can adjust the image position according to the pitch. The imaging system 44 is applicable to any lens that can image light. In the present invention, the green lens was applied as the imaging system 44.

The external light shielding material 46 is composed of black EMC, and is formed by covering the illumination system 42 and the imaging system 44 with a pre-processed mold, and then injecting the liquid black EMC into the mold to solidify it. . The external light shielding material 46 thus formed covers and seals the illumination system 42 and the imaging system 44. In particular, it is sealed so as not to be influenced by external light.

Here, a process such as polishing may be performed on the outer surface of the external light shielding material 46 so as to keep the surface smooth.

Next, an operation example of the optical joystick 100 having such a configuration will be described. First, in a state in which the lower package 20 and the upper package 40 are bonded to each other, the subject P contacts the upper package 40.

Then, the light emitted from the light source member 24 is transmitted to the subject P after passing through the illumination system 42. In this case, when the subject P is the user's finger, the light passes through the surface of the subject and proceeds to the inside of the subject P, and is reflected downward by colliding with a substance such as blood or bone in the subject P.

The reflected light again passes through the surface of the subject P and enters the imaging system 44, and the transmitted light passes through the imaging system 44 and is transmitted to the image sensor 26 in the form of an image.

Although not shown in the drawing, the image sensor 26 captures the received light, compares the captured image screen in real time, and calculates a displacement value as much as a difference occurs in the image screen. The calculated displacement value is transmitted to a microcomputer (not shown) of the main PC 12, and the microcomputer forms a cursor on the display unit 7. As shown in FIG.

On the other hand, such a light joystick 100, the light of the illumination system 42 has a precondition that the object P is transmitted through and collides with the material inside to reflect. Because, as shown in Figure 4, the light reflection is made at the portion (C) where the axis center of the illumination system 42 and the axis center of the imaging system 44 intersects, at this time, the illumination system 42 and the imaging system This is because the portion C at which the axis center of 44 intersects is the internal portion of the subject P. FIG.

However, when the light of the illumination system 42 does not penetrate the subject P, for example, when a heat insulating member such as a glove is worn on the subject P, as shown in FIG. 4, the illumination system 42 ) Light is reflected only on the surface of the subject P, so that the light amount of the light introduced from the illumination system 42 to the image forming system 44 is drastically lowered. As a result, the illuminance of the light formed on the image sensor 26 is reduced, which may cause a malfunction.

To solve this problem, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a predetermined distance is formed between the illumination system 42 and the imaging system 44 and the subject P in close contact with the illumination system 42, thereby illuminating the illumination system 42. What is necessary is just to align the portion C where the axis center of the image forming system 44 intersects with the surface portion of the subject P.

Therefore, the present invention proposes a housing 50 which provides a space between the subject P and the upper package 40 while accommodating the upper package 40 and the lower package 20 therein.

The housing 50 includes a transmission zone 52 and a non-transmission zone 54 in which the object P is directly contacted while the light of the light source member 24 is transmitted.

The transmission zone 52 may have a flat plate shape and may be manufactured in a form in which an infrared pass layer 52a is provided in an optical plastic, transparent glass, or transparent plastic through which infrared rays are transmitted.

In this case, when the transmission zone 52 is made of transparent glass or transparent plastic, the image forming system 44 may further include a filter 44a for blocking the inflow of light other than the infrared wavelength band.

The filter 44a may be a coating material formed on any one of an upper surface, a lower surface and a front surface of the imaging system 44, and may also be formed of a tape formed on any one of the upper surface, the lower surface and the front surface of the imaging system. .

The non-transmissive zone 54 serves to protect the outer surfaces of the upper and lower packages 40 and 20 while supporting the transmission zone 52.

According to the housing 50, when the subject P contacts the transmission zone 52 in the state of being installed in the upper and lower packages 40, 20, the light of the light source member 24 passes through the illumination system 42. While totally reflected, the totally reflected light is reflected from the surface of the object (P) and then flows into the imaging system 44.

At this time, since the transmission zone 52 of the housing 50 provides a gap between the subject P and the upper package 40, the light of the illumination system 42 is reflected by hitting the surface portion of the subject P, Light is incident on the upper layer 44 without loss, and light incident without loss is imaged at high illuminance on the image sensor 26.

Therefore, the light joystick 100 operates efficiently even though a thermal insulation member such as a glove is worn on the subject P. FIG.

And, as shown in Figure 7, between the upper package 40 and the lower package 20, any one of the boss or gasket 60 can be further provided to adjust the height of the upper package 40. . In the present invention, it is shown in the figure with the gasket 60 applied.

In other words, the combined height of the upper package 40 and the lower package 20 is manufactured to be as slim as possible for the purpose of ultra-slim, but unlike this purpose, if they are configured to a height higher than the combined height, the upper package 40 The boss or gasket 60 may be further installed between the lower package 20 and the lower package 20.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 8, as another embodiment of the optical joystick 100, the upper package 40 and the lower package 20 may be integrally manufactured to form a single package 110.

In another embodiment, the optical joystick 100 includes a light source member 24 and an image sensor 26 mounted on a substrate 22 and an illumination system 42 and a texture to correspond to the light source member 24 and the image sensor 26. After the upper layer 44 is disposed, the external light shielding material 46 is filled to surround all of the upper layers 44, and then configured as one package 110.

Here, the imaging system 44 may be a green lens, and an exit convex lens may also be used. In addition, the illumination system 42 may be installed in the vertical or horizontal direction. In addition, the external light shielding material 46 may be a black epoxy molding compound (EMC).

The housing 50 is coupled to the outer surface of the package 110. The housing 50 is composed of a transmission zone 42 and a non-transmission zone 54 provided with a contact surface of the object P. FIG. In particular, the transmission zone 42 may provide a space between the subject P and the upper surface of the external light blocking material 46.

Therefore, even if a thermal insulation member such as a glove is worn on the subject P, the light emitted from the light source member 24 hits the surface of the subject P through the illumination system 42 and then flows into the imaging system 44. As the incoming light is imaged, it may be transmitted to the image sensor 26.

The optical joystick 100 of this other embodiment, since the upper package 40 and the lower package 20 is integrally manufactured and constituted as one package 110, assembly and handling are easy. Therefore, the assembly speed of the apparatus can be further shortened. As a result, productivity is maximized.

Next, referring to FIGS. 3 to 6, the click switch 200 will be described in detail.

The click switch 200 is installed in the form of a dome on the main PC 12, and is configured to switch as the optical joystick 100 is pressed.

The click switch 200 is switched as the optical joystick 100 is pressed, thereby generating a switching signal, and transmitting the generated signal to the microcomputer of the main PC 12. Thus, the microcomputer can select or execute the object indicated by the cursor or the pointer.

On the other hand, an actuator 202 is provided between the click switch 200 and the optical joystick 100.

The actuator 202 is made of an elastic material, for example, rubber or elastic plastic, and provides a predetermined elastic force to improve the sense of height when the optical joystick 100 is pressed.

According to the portable terminal of the present invention having the above-described configuration, since the cursor is moved and clicked using the optical joystick module 10, it is possible to move the cursor quickly and click quickly. Therefore, it is very suitable for use in GUI environment.

In addition, the portable terminal of the present invention includes an optical joystick 100, but since each component is integrated in a package form, it is very easy and simple to assemble. Therefore, the assemblability of the entire terminal is improved, and the assembling time is greatly shortened. As a result, production efficiency is increased, and cost reduction effects can be expected.

In addition, since the portable terminal of the present invention can be made slimmer by improving the structure of the optical joystick 100, the size of the entire terminal can be reduced in size and slimmed. In particular, since the structure of changing the path of the light in the vertical direction, the size of the device can be significantly reduced compared to the conventional configuration of the light path in the horizontal direction. Therefore, miniaturization and slimming are possible, which can enhance product quality and competitiveness.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above by way of example, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and may be appropriately changed within the scope of the claims.

1 is a view showing a portable terminal having a conventional optical joystick module,

2 is a perspective view showing a portable terminal having an optical joystick module according to the present invention;

3 is an exploded perspective view of an optical joystick module which is a feature of a portable terminal having an optical joystick module according to the present invention;

4 is a cross-sectional view showing a coupling state of the optical joystick module shown in FIG. 3;

5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the housing is coupled to the optical joystick shown in FIG.

6 is a view showing an example of use of the optical joystick module constituting the portable terminal of the present invention;

7 and 8 are cross-sectional views showing another embodiment of the optical joystick module constituting the portable terminal of the present invention.

♣ Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawing ♣

1: mobile terminal 3: body

5: Key Button 7: Display

10: optical joystick module 12: main PCB

20: lower package 22: substrate

24: light source member 26: Image Sensor

28: transparent encapsulant 29: barrier film

40: upper package 42: lighting system

44: imaging system 44a: filter

46: external light shielding material 50: housing

52: transmission zone 52a: infrared path layer

54: non-transmissive zone 60: gasket

100: optical joystick 110: package

200: Click Switch 202: Actuator

P: Subject

Claims

A main body 3, a display unit 7 installed on the main body 3, and an optical joystick module 10 for moving a cursor or a pointer on the display unit 7 through the movement of the subject P. In the mobile terminal,

The optical joystick module 10,

A lower package having a light source member 24 and an image sensor 26 mounted on the substrate 22 at intervals, and a transparent encapsulant 28 sealing the light source member 24 and the image sensor 26 ( 20);

The illumination system 42 corresponding to the light source member 24 and the infrared light reflected from the subject P are imaged on the image sensor 26 so as to illuminate the infrared ray of the light source member 24 to the subject P. FIG. An upper package 40 having an imaging system 44 corresponding to the image sensor 26, and an external light shielding material 46 sealing the illumination system 42 and the imaging system 44;

And a click switch (200) for selecting or executing an object indicated by the cursor or the pointer while switching according to pressing the upper and lower packages (40, 20).

The method of claim 1,

The lower package 20 and the upper package 40 are accommodated in the housing 50 provided with the object contact surface,

The housing (50) is a portable terminal having an optical joystick module, characterized in that spaced apart so that a predetermined interval is formed between the subject (P) in contact with the subject contact surface and the upper package (40).

The method of claim 1,

The illumination system (42) is a portable terminal having an optical joystick module, characterized in that the sealing is inclined at an angle toward the portion of the imaging system (44) for introducing the light reflected from the subject (P).

The method of claim 3, wherein

The illumination system 42 is a portable terminal having an optical joystick module, characterized in that the coating material is coated with a high reflectance on the inner surface or the outer surface so that the infrared ray of the light source member 24 is made to total reflection.

The method of claim 1,

A portable terminal comprising an optical joystick module between the light source member 24 and the image sensor 26 is provided with a blocking film 29 for blocking infrared radiation emitted from the light source member 24.

The method of claim 1,

Between the lower package 20 and the upper package 40, any one of a boss or a gasket for adjusting the height of the upper package 40 is further provided with an optical joystick module.

The method of claim 1,

The imaging system (44) is a portable terminal having an optical joystick module, characterized in that the (Gradient Index Lenses: GRIN LENS).

The method of claim 7, wherein

The imaging system (44) further comprises a filter (44a) for blocking the inflow of light outside the infrared wavelength band, the portable terminal having an optical joystick module.

The method of claim 1,

The external light blocking material 46 is a black (EM) black portable terminal having an optical joystick module, characterized in that.

The method of claim 1,

It further comprises an actuator 202 installed between the click switch 200 and the lower package 20, the actuator 202 provides an elastic force to improve the key feeling when the optical joystick module 10 is pressed. Portable terminal equipped with an optical joystick module, characterized in that.

The optical joystick module 10,

A light source member 24 and an image sensor 26 mounted on the substrate 22 at intervals;

The illumination system 42 corresponding to the light source member 24 and the infrared light reflected from the subject P are imaged on the image sensor 26 so as to illuminate the infrared ray of the light source member 24 to the subject P. FIG. An imaging system 44 corresponding to the image sensor 26;

An external light blocking material 46 sealing the light source member 24, the image sensor 26, the illumination system 42, and the imaging system 44 to form a package 110;

And a click switch (200) for switching in response to pressing the package (110) and selecting or executing an object pointed to by the cursor or the pointer.

The method of claim 11,

The package 110 is accommodated in the housing 50 having the subject contact surface,

The housing (50) is a portable terminal having an optical joystick module, characterized in that spaced apart so that a predetermined interval is formed between the subject (P) and the package 110 in contact with the subject contact surface.

The method of claim 11,

15. The method of claim 14,

The method of claim 11,

It further comprises an actuator 202 installed between the click switch 200 and the package 110, the actuator 202 provides an elastic force to improve the feeling of the key when the optical joystick module 10 is pressed. Portable terminal having an optical joystick module, characterized in that.