Mobile terminal key input device and method
AssigneeLG Electronic Inc.
InventorsHee Sik In, Huhn Kim, Sang Yeon Lim, Hyun Ho Kim
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mobile terminal keypad is provided having a plurality of key switches on the keypad that provides a first signal or a second signal according to the pressure applied to the key switch. In each of the plurality of key switches, a plate is provided to sequentially contact with a first contact and a second contact according to the applied pressure.
Claims24
A mobile terminal comprising:
- a key input device comprising a plurality of key switches, each key switch comprises at least two contact points, a plate formed over the contact points, and a key button formed over the plate, wherein pressing the key button urges the plate to sequentially contact each of the at least two contact points, wherein the plate sequentially contacts each of the at least two contact points according to the pressure applied to the key button, and
- a controller providing control signals in accordance with the sequential contacts of the plate with the at least two contact points.
A key input device comprising a plurality of key switches, the key input device comprising:
- at least two contact points formed in a substrate;
- a plate formed over the at least two contact points;
- and
- a key button formed over the plate for urging the plate into sequential contact with the at least two contact points according to pressure applied to the key button.
A method for processing a key input device of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:
- receiving a key switch signal from the key input device that sequentially generates at least two signals in accordance with the pressure applied to the key input device;
- determining whether the key switch signal is a first signal or a second signal in accordance with a pressure applied to the key input device;
- and
- processing a function according to whether the key switch signal is the first or the second signal.
The method of claim 211 further comprising feeding back at least one of the first signal and the second signal to display the input.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.