KR20110093090A - Portable terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A mobile terminal is provided to use an operation wheel which can be operated by various input mechanism. CONSTITUTION: A rotary wheel unit(210) comprises a rotative wheel which can perform input by the rotation angle an direction. A touch unit(220) is arranged in the central space of the wheel. The touch unit performs input regardless of the rotary wheel unit. The touch unit comprises a plurality of first sensing areas, a second sensing area, and a display part. The display part outputs indications which can be inputted through a first sensing areas and the second sensing areas on the lower part of the first sensing areas and the second sensing areas.

Description

Mobile terminal {PORTABLE TERMINAL}

The present invention relates to an input device of a mobile terminal.

A mobile terminal is a portable electronic device that is portable and has one or more functions for inputting and outputting information, making a voice or video call with a counterpart, and storing data.

As the functions are diversified, the mobile terminal may have functions such as taking a picture or video, playing a music or video file, receiving a game, or broadcasting. Such functions may be implemented in a mobile terminal to implement a multimedia device.

Mobile terminals require sufficient support in terms of hardware or software for the implementation of various functions and for the operation of components. For example, research has been conducted for the development of a user interface environment in which a user can easily and conveniently use a mobile terminal in terms of use.

In the case of a conventional keypad mounted on a mobile terminal for input, it is inconvenient because several keys must be repeatedly pressed or touched in order to retrieve a large amount of content.

To this end, a wheel device (also called a jog dial), which is designed to quickly search or access desired information through a rotation operation, is applied to a mobile terminal, thereby providing a convenient user environment.

In addition to the search function by rotating, the wheel device may be equipped with a dome switch to enable a pressing input under the scroll device. However, it is difficult to clearly distinguish between the rotation operation of the wheel and the push operation of the dome switch, and there is a possibility of malfunction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide an input device that can be operated by a mechanism different from an input by rotation of a wheel in a mobile terminal having a wheel device.

Another object of the present invention is to minimize the effect of the rotation of the wheel by such an input device.

In order to solve the above problems, a rotary wheel unit including a rotatable wheel to execute the input according to the rotation direction or angle of rotation; And an input unit disposed in the center space of the wheel and configured to input independently of the rotary wheel unit, wherein the input unit is arranged to be distributed around the center space of the wheel, for each region. A plurality of first sensing regions formed to independently sense a touch; A second sensing area disposed in the center of the plurality of first sensing areas, the second sensing area being configured to independently sense a touch with respect to the first sensing area; And a display unit for outputting a mark that can be input through the plurality of first sensing areas and the second sensing area under the plurality of first sensing areas and the second sensing areas.

The plurality of first sensing regions may be formed at positions of upper, lower, left, and right edges of the center space of the wheel, respectively.

The plurality of first sensing regions may be disposed to be adjacent to an inner edge of the wheel.

As an example related to the present invention, the input unit may include: a first conductive film having a first electrode pattern and a second electrode pattern each having an area corresponding to the first sensing area and the second sensing area; And a second conductive film having a common electrode pattern formed thereon such that the first electrode pattern and the second electrode pattern may be in common contact with each other.

As an example related to the present invention, the input unit may include: a window disposed on a surface of a central area of the wheel; And a first electrostatic pattern disposed under the window and corresponding to the first sensing area and the second sensing area so as to sense a change in capacitance of the human body applied to the first sensing area and the second sensing area. And a conductive film having a second electrostatic pattern formed thereon.

As an example related to the present invention, the input unit may include: a window disposed on a surface of a central area of the wheel; And a pressure monitoring unit disposed at an edge of the window so as to correspond to the first sensing region and the second sensing region, and configured to sense pressure applied to the window.

According to the mobile terminal according to the present invention, the input operation corresponding to the rotation position of the wheel can be performed independently of the rotation operation of the wheel. Therefore, the risk of malfunction can be reduced and reliability is improved as compared with the conventional example in which a means such as a dome switch is directly installed in the lower part of the wheel.

Since the input unit disposed at the center of the wheel is operated by a touch, it is possible to provide various visual signs that can be input by combination with a display unit located at the bottom, thereby improving convenience.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention (block diagram)
2 is a front perspective view of an example of a mobile terminal according to the present invention;
3 is an exploded perspective view showing an exploded view of a mobile terminal to which an input device according to the present invention and the first example is applied;
4 is a cross-sectional view of the first touch sensor constituting the input device of FIG.
FIG. 5 is a schematic plan layout view of a first electrode pattern constituting the first touch sensor of FIG. 4.
6 is a schematic plan view of a common electrode pattern corresponding to the first electrode pattern and the second electrode pattern of FIG. 5;
7 is an operating state diagram of an input device to which the first touch sensor of FIG. 4 is applied;
8 is an exploded perspective view showing an exploded view of a mobile terminal to which an input device according to the present invention and the second example is applied;
9 is a plan view of a second touch sensor constituting the touch unit of FIG.
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an operating state of an input device to which the second touch sensor of FIG. 9 is applied.
11 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view showing, in front, a partial cross section of a mobile terminal to which an input device according to the present invention and the third example is applied;
12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the pressure sensor constituting the touch unit of FIG.
13 is a plan view showing an arrangement of the pressure sensor of FIG.
14 is an operating state diagram of the input device to which the pressure sensor of FIG. 13 is applied

Hereinafter, a mobile terminal according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present specification, the same or similar reference numerals are assigned to the same or similar configurations in different embodiments, and the description thereof is replaced with the first description. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

The mobile terminal described herein may include a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), navigation, and the like. However, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the configuration according to the embodiments described herein may also be applied to fixed terminals such as digital TVs, desktop computers, etc., except when applicable only to mobile terminals.

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

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

Hereinafter, the components will be described in order.

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

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives a broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information from an external broadcast management server through a broadcast channel.

The broadcast channel may include a satellite channel and a terrestrial channel. The broadcast management server may mean a server that generates and transmits a broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information or a server that receives a 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 (which may be referred to as a “touch sensor”) that detects a touch operation form a mutual layer structure (it may be called a “touch screen”), the display unit 151 may be configured in addition to the 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.

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

The disclosed mobile terminal 100 has a terminal body 101 in the form of a bar. However, the input device related to the present invention is not limited thereto and may be applied to various structures such as a slide type, a folder type, a swing type, a swivel type, and two or more bodies are coupled to be relatively movable.

The terminal body 101 includes a case (casing, housing, cover, etc.) forming an external appearance. In this embodiment, the case may be divided into a front case 102 and a rear case 104. Various electronic components are built in the space formed between the front case 102 and the rear case 104. At least one intermediate case may be further disposed 103 between the front case 102 and the rear case 104.

The cases may be formed by injecting synthetic resin or may be formed of a metal material, for example, a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti).

2, a display unit 151 and an input device 200 are mounted on a front surface of the terminal body 101.

The upper portion of the terminal body 101 may be provided with a sound output unit 152 for outputting sound information, such as a notification sound or a call sound of the system.

The display unit 151 is configured to output visual information according to various modes of the mobile terminal 100. That is, the content input through the input device 200 may be displayed, the use state of the terminal 100 may be visually displayed, the state of the multimedia being played, or the viewfinder of the camera device.

The input device 200 is capable of inputting letters or numbers or inputting search or control commands. The input device 200 includes a rotary wheel unit 210 and a touch unit 220, which will be described in detail later.

A keypad means for inputting information by a push method or a touch method may be additionally disposed around the input device 200.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the mobile terminal of FIG. 2 disassembled. As shown in FIG. 3, the input device 200 may include a cover 104 that forms a partial appearance of the mobile terminal 100 and protects the display unit 151. The cover 104 may form a simple appearance of the mobile terminal 100 by being formed in a size that covers the front surface of the mobile terminal 100.

The cover 104 is provided with an installation hole 104a for installing the input device 200 related to the present invention, and a key cover for guiding a position to be operated of another type of input device around the installation hole 104a. Can be formed.

The input device 100 installed in the installation hole 104a includes a rotary wheel unit 210 and a touch unit 220. The rotary wheel unit 210 includes a wheel 211 having two moving directions opposite to the reference state, and has an input action corresponding to the rotation direction or the rotation angle of the wheel 211. The touch unit 220 is installed in the center region of the wheel 211 in a state independent of the rotation of the wheel 211.

The wheel 211 may be formed in a mechanically rotatable form or in the form of a fixed ring to detect a finger that is rotated in contact. The wheel 211 may be called by a name such as 'scroll', 'dial', 'joystick', or 'mouse'. In order to facilitate the rotation of the wheel 211, a groove or a soft member (for example, rubber) having high friction force may be attached to the surface of the wheel 211.

The rotary wheel unit 210 may perform various input operations according to the mode of the mobile terminal 100. For example, when outputting a selectable list or menu through the display unit 151, the cursor or pointer can be moved in the direction by rotating the wheel 211 in the forward or reverse direction. In addition, the wheel 211 may rotate to adjust an audio or video related function or a control panel such as volume or screen brightness.

The touch unit 220 is installed in the center area 211a of the wheel 211. Referring to FIG. 2, the touch unit 220 includes a plurality of first sensing regions 221 and a plurality of first sensing regions (distributed around the center space 211a of the wheel 211). The second sensing region 222 is disposed in the center of the 221. Each first sensing area 221 is capable of detecting a touch independently with respect to the other first sensing area 221, and the second sensing area 222 also independently touches the first sensing area 221. It is formed to detect.

As a detailed configuration of the touch unit 220, according to FIG. 3, the touch unit 220 includes a first touch sensor 230, a light transmissive substrate 240, and a display unit 250. In the present embodiment, the first touch sensor 230 operates by a so-called positive pressure method, and senses a touch by the pressure applied to the first touch sensor 230.

The transparent substrate 240 may be formed of a transparent plastic or tempered glass to support the first touch sensor 230 while allowing the image output by the lower display unit 250 to be seen.

The display unit 250 may include a plurality of display elements 251 such as LEDs, LCDs, OLEDs, or e-papers. The content output by the display unit 250 may be a cover indicating a content that may be input by the first sensing area 221 and the second sensing area 222 or an arbitrary image, graphic, or text / number.

4 is a cross-sectional view of a first touch sensor constituting the input device of FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a schematic plan layout view of a first electrode pattern constituting the first touch sensor of FIG. 4, and FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view of a common electrode pattern corresponding to a first electrode pattern and a second electrode pattern of FIG. 7, and FIG. 7 is an operation state diagram of an input device to which the first touch sensor of FIG. 4 is applied.

Referring to FIG. 4, the first touch sensor 230 includes a first conductive film 232 and a second conductive film 236 spaced apart from the spacer 239. The first conductive film 232 and the second conductive film 236 have first and second electrode patterns 233A and 233B and a common electrode pattern 237, respectively, and pressure is applied to the second conductive film 236. The ground common electrode pattern 237 contacts the first and second electrode patterns 233A and 233B to generate a signal. The first and second electrode patterns 233A and 233B and the common electrode pattern 237 may be light transmissive conductive films, for example, an indium tin oxide (ITO) film or a carbon nanotube (CNT) film. Meanwhile, the first and second electrode patterns 233A and 233B may be directly formed on the light transmissive substrate 240 so that the first conductive film 232 may be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 5, the first electrode pattern 233A and the second electrode pattern 233B are disposed in areas and numbers corresponding to the first sensing region 221 and the second sensing region 222. Each of the first electrode pattern 233A and the second electrode pattern 233B is connected to the terminal 234 by a connection line connecting them. The first and second electrode patterns 233A and 233B are generally circular in shape, but may be arranged in a polygonal shape, and each of the first and second electrode patterns 233A and 233B may also be formed in a circular, oval or polygonal shape. have.

Referring to FIG. 6, the common electrode pattern 237 is in the form of one connected conductor so that the first electrode pattern 233A and the second electrode pattern 233B may be in common contact. Accordingly, when there is a touch on one side of each of the separated first electrode patterns 233A or the second electrode pattern 233B, the touch is applied to the common electrode pattern 237 by the pressure applied to the electrode pattern 233A. Will generate a signal. Since the first electrode pattern 233A and the second electrode pattern 233B are spaced apart from each other, it is possible to generate an independent input signal even when using one common electrode pattern 237. In this case, simultaneous input of two or more different electrode patterns may be possible.

In FIG. 7, an example having four first sensing regions 221 and one second sensing region 222 disposed in the middle of the first sensing regions 221 is illustrated. The signs 252 and 253 output through the display unit 250 are disposed in the first sensing region 221 and the second sensing region 222, respectively. Accordingly, the search or input may be performed by rotating the wheel 211, or the search or input may be performed by touching the first sensing area 221 on the top, bottom, left, and right sides. As an example of use, by rotating the wheel 211, a large amount of items can be searched at a high speed, and a single unit can be searched for each detail item by touching the first sensing area 221. It is possible. The plurality of first sensing regions 221 are disposed to be adjacent to the inner edge of the wheel 211 so that the touch input can be easily performed while the wheel 211 is rotated. The combination of the wheel 211 and the first sensing region 221 may be compared with the conventional example in which the dome switch is installed on the wheel itself. Since the touch on the first sensing area 221 is not influenced by the rotational operation of the wheel 211, no incorrect input due to the rotation of the wheel 211 is caused.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an exploded view of a mobile terminal to which an input device according to the present invention and a second example is applied, and FIG. 9 is a plan view of a second touch sensor constituting the touch unit of FIG. 8. 10 is a diagram illustrating an operating state of the input device to which the second touch sensor of FIG. 9 is applied.

In this example, the rotary wheel unit 310 constituting the input device 300 is similar to the first example, but the touch unit 320 is operated by a so-called 'electrostatic method'.

In more detail, the touch unit 320 includes a window 340, a second touch sensor 330, and a display 350 from the top.

The window 340 is formed of light-transmissive plastic or glass, and is formed in a shape that can be disposed on the surface of the center area 311a of the wheel 311.

The second touch sensor 330 includes a conductive film 331 on which a first electrostatic pattern 333A and a second electrostatic pattern 333B are formed. The conductive film 331 is disposed under the window 340 and senses a change in capacitance of the human body being touched. The first electrostatic pattern 333A and the second electrostatic pattern 333B may be configured to detect a change in capacitance of the human body applied to the first sensing region 221 and the second sensing region 222. 221 and the second sensing region 222.

Accordingly, when there is a touch on one of the separated first electrostatic patterns 333A or the second electrostatic pattern 333B, the on-off signal is followed by a change in capacitance of the electrostatic pattern (change above the reference value). Will occur. Since the first blackout pattern 333A and the second blackout pattern 333B are spaced apart from each other, it is possible to generate an independent input signal. In this case, simultaneous input of two or more different electrode patterns may be possible.

FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view showing a partial cross section of a mobile terminal to which the input device according to the present invention and the third example is applied from the front, FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a pressure sensor constituting the touch unit of FIG. 11 is a plan view illustrating an arrangement of the pressure sensor of FIG. 11, and FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an operating state of the input device to which the pressure sensor of FIG. 13 is applied.

In this example, the rotary wheel unit 410 constituting the input device 400 is similar to the first or second example, but the touch unit 420 is operated by a so-called pressure sensor method.

In more detail, the touch unit 420 includes a window 440, a pressure sensor 430, and a display 450 from the top.

The window 440 is formed of a light-transmissive plastic or glass, and is formed in a shape that can be disposed on the surface of the center area 411a of the wheel 411.

The pressure sensor 430 is disposed between the window 440 at the edge of the window 440 and the intermediate case 106 so as to correspond to the first sensing region described in the first and second examples, and the window 340. It is formed to detect the pressure applied to the. Each pressure sensor 430 includes a first electrode 431 and a second electrode 432 spaced apart from each other with the compressive dielectric layer 433 interposed therebetween, and detects a change in dielectric constant due to compression. I can do it.

As shown in FIG. 13, the pressure sensor 430 is arranged in the form of an array of circle bands, unlike the quadrangle of the first or second example. Therefore, the pressure sensor 430 corresponding to the pressure applied to the window 440 is operated to sense the touch. In this case, when a pressure corresponding to the second sensing region described in the first and second examples is generated, the input may be set by an on / off operation of two or more pressure sensors 430.

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

Claims (6)

A rotary wheel unit including a rotatable wheel to execute an input according to the rotation direction or the rotation angle; And
A touch unit disposed in a center space of the wheel and configured to be input independently from the rotary wheel unit, wherein the touch unit includes:
A plurality of first sensing regions arranged to be distributed around the center space of the wheel, the plurality of first sensing regions configured to independently sense a touch in each region;
A second sensing area disposed in the center of the plurality of first sensing areas, the second sensing area being configured to independently sense a touch with respect to the first sensing area; And
And a display unit configured to output a mark that can be input through the plurality of first sensing areas and the second sensing area under the plurality of first sensing areas and the second sensing areas. The method of claim 1,
And the plurality of first sensing regions are formed at positions of upper, lower, left and right edges of the center space of the wheel, respectively. The method of claim 2,
And the plurality of first sensing regions are disposed to be adjacent to an inner edge of the wheel. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch unit,
A first conductive film having a first electrode pattern and a second electrode pattern each having an area corresponding to the first sensing area and the second sensing area; And
And a second conductive film having a common electrode pattern formed thereon so that the first electrode pattern and the second electrode pattern can be in common contact with each other. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch unit,
A window disposed on a surface of the center region of the wheel; And
A first electrostatic pattern disposed under the window and corresponding to the first sensing area and the second sensing area so as to sense a change in capacitance of the human body applied to the first sensing area and the second sensing area; A mobile terminal comprising a conductive film having a second electrostatic pattern formed thereon. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch unit,
A window disposed on a surface of the center region of the wheel; And
And a pressure monitor disposed at an edge of the window so as to correspond to the first sensing area and the second sensing area, and configured to sense pressure applied to the window.

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