Samsung keypad/battery patent

KEYPAD BATTERY PACK, MOBILE TERMINAL AVAILABLE FOR DIFFERENT KEYPAD BATTERY PACKS, AND METHOD OF CHANGING KEYPAD OF MOBILE TERMINAL

Abstract
A keypad battery pack, a mobile terminal available for different keypad battery packs, and a method for changing a keypad of a mobile terminal by replacing a battery pack with a different battery pack are provided. The mobile terminal has a keypad formed on a battery pack as well as on a front surface of the mobile terminal, thereby expanding a keypad-placement area to a rear surface of the mobile terminal. As a result, keys of the keypad are arranged on both surfaces of the mobile terminal, and thus a key arrangement space has room for an additional key, thereby enabling easy adding of a key. Further, the keypads of the mobile terminal are arranged on the rear surface and the front surface according to functions of the keypads, thereby providing a keypad structure suitable for a mobile terminal having an additional function. Further, the mobile terminal may selectively mount a plurality of battery packs having different types and arrangements of keypads.

Description

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PRIORITY

[0001]This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119(a) to a Korean Patent Application entitled "KEYPAD BATTERY PACK, MOBILE TERMINAL AVAILABLE FOR DIFFERENT KEYPAD BATTERY PACKS, AND METHOD OF CHANGING KEYPAD OF MOBILE TERMINAL" filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Jun. 28, 2006 and assigned Serial No. 2006-0058861, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002]1. Field of the Invention

[0003]The present invention relates to a mobile terminal, in particular, to a keypad battery pack, a mobile terminal available for different keypad battery packs, and a method for changing a keypad of a mobile terminal by replacing a battery pack with a different battery pack.

[0004]2. Description of the Related Art

[0005]Mobile terminals, for example mobile phones and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), have been remarkably developed and now are widely used in modern life. As use of mobile terminals becomes more common, users' demands have become more varied. Accordingly, mobile terminals have been developed to conveniently provide more functions. For example, mobile terminals are provided with various additional functions such as multimedia, wireless Internet, or digital broadcast transmitting and receiving, as well as common functions such as calling, message transmitting and receiving, or personal information management.

[0006]A mobile terminal generally has a keypad as an input means for receiving a user's input. As a mobile terminal is provided with various additional functions, a new key for performing and controlling the additional functions is added to a typical keypad. However, a mobile terminal has a limited keypad-placement area, and thus it is not easy to additionally place a new key on the limited keypad-placement area.

[0007]Meanwhile, various keypads are provided for different nations, manufacturers or product types. The types of keypads mainly include 3-.times.*4 keys of a typical telephone key arrangement and 5.times.4 keys of a QWERTY key arrangement of a keyboard. Generally, a key arrangement of a keypad is preset in a mobile terminal manufacturing process, and thus it is impossible to change the key arrangement thereafter. In other words, generally a keypad of a mobile terminal has a fixed key arrangement. Thus, if a user having a mobile terminal of a specific key arrangement (for example, 3.times.4 keys) wants to change to another key arrangement (for example, 5.times.4 keys), the user must replace the mobile terminal with a new mobile terminal having another key arrangement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008]In order to solve the above problems, the present invention expands a keypad-placement area of a mobile terminal, thereby enabling easier addition of keys.

[0009]The present invention further provides a keypad structure suitable for a mobile terminal having various additional functions.

[0010]The present invention further provides a mobile terminal and method for alternately using keypads having different key arrangements.

[0011]The present invention further provides a mobile terminal and method for replacing keypads according to purpose.

[0012]The present invention further improves convenience and satisfaction of a user of a mobile terminal.

[0013]Typically, a keypad is formed on a front surface of a mobile terminal, and a battery pack is formed on a rear surface of the mobile terminal. The present invention utilizes the rear surface of the mobile terminal, which has previously been used only as a battery pack mounting area, as a keypad-placement area.

[0014]Therefore, the present invention provides a keypad battery pack, i.e. a battery pack having a keypad thereon. The present invention further provides a mobile terminal for alternately mounting keypad battery packs of different types. The present invention further provides a method for changing a keypad of a mobile terminal by replacing a battery pack with a different battery pack.

[0015]A mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a terminal body having a front surface and a rear surface, a front display unit formed on the front surface, and a rear display unit and a battery mounting area formed on the rear surface; a battery pack having an inner surface contacted with the rear surface of the terminal body and an outer surface facing the same direction as the rear surface of the terminal body, and having a rear keypad formed on the outer surface, wherein the battery pack is mounted on the battery mounting area of the terminal body to be electrically connected to the terminal body.

[0016]The terminal body may further include a front keypad formed on the front surface. The terminal body may further include a charging terminal formed on the battery mounting area, and the battery pack may further include a battery terminal formed on the inner surface, wherein the charging terminal and the battery terminal are electrically connected to each other by contact.

[0017]A type of the front keypad may be different from a type of the rear keypad. At least one of the front keypad and the rear keypad may have one of a 3.times.4 and a 5.times.4 key arrangement, and may include a search key.

[0018]The terminal body may further include a first key scan control unit and a second key scan control unit electrically connected to the front keypad and the rear keypad, respectively, for recognizing a specific key input. Alternatively, the terminal body may further include a first key scan control unit and the battery pack further includes a second key scan control unit.

[0019]The charging terminal and the battery terminal may each have a serial communication terminal. A size of the front display unit may be larger than a size of the rear display unit, and the front display unit may be formed over an entire front surface of the terminal body.

[0020]A mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a terminal body having a front surface and a rear surface, a front display unit formed on the front surface, and a rear display unit and a battery mounting area formed on the rear surface; a first battery pack having an inner surface and an outer surface mounted on the battery mounting area of the terminal body such that the inner surface is contacted with the rear surface of the terminal body to be electrically connected to the terminal body, and having a first keypad formed on the outer surface facing the same direction as the rear surface of the terminal body; and a second battery pack having an inner surface and an outer surface, and having a second keypad formed on the outer surface that is of a different type from a type of the first keypad.

[0021]The terminal body may further include a front keypad formed on the front surface. The terminal body may further include a charging terminal formed on the battery mounting area, and each of the first and second battery packs may further include a battery terminal formed on the respective inner surfaces thereof to be electrically connected to the charging terminal.

[0022]A type of the front keypad may be different from a type of the first keypad and a type of the second keypad. The front keypad may include a search key, and one of the first keypad and the second keypad has a 3.times.4 key arrangement and the other has a 5*4 key arrangement. The first keypad and the second keypad may each include a search key, and one of the first keypad and the second keypad has a 3.times.4 key arrangement and the other has a 5.times.4 key arrangement.

[0023]The terminal body may further include a first key scan control unit electrically connected to the front keypad for recognizing a specific key input. The terminal body may further include a second key scan control unit electrically connected to the first keypad or to the second keypad for recognizing a specific key input. Alternatively, the first battery pack may further include a second key scan control unit electrically connected to the first keypad for recognizing a specific key input, and the second battery pack further includes a third key scan control unit electrically connected to the second keypad for recognizing a specific key input.

[0024]The charging terminal and the battery terminal may each have a serial communication terminal. A size of the front display unit may be larger than a size of the rear display unit, and the front display unit may be formed over the entire front surface of the terminal body.

[0025]According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method for changing a keypad of a mobile terminal having a terminal body having a front surface with a front display unit and a rear surface with a rear display unit and battery mounting area, a first battery pack mounted on the battery mounting area and having an outer surface with a first keypad, and a second battery pack having an outer surface with a second keypad that is of a different type from a type of the first keypad, includes removing the first battery pack from the battery mounting area; and mounting the second battery pack on the battery mounting area.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026]The objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0027]FIG. 1A is a perspective view illustrating an example of a keypad battery pack in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view illustrating another example of a keypad battery pack in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0028]FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a front surface of a mobile terminal having a keypad battery pack in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0029]FIG. 3A is a perspective view illustrating a rear surface of the mobile terminal having the keypad battery pack of FIG. 2, and FIG. 3B is an exploded perspective view illustrating the rear surface of the mobile terminal having the keypad battery pack of FIG. 2;

[0030]FIG. 4A is a perspective view illustrating a front surface of a mobile terminal having a keypad battery pack in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4B is a perspective view illustrating a rear surface of the mobile terminal having the keypad battery pack of FIG. 4A;

[0031]FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a method for changing a keypad of a mobile terminal by replacing a battery pack with a different battery pack in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

[0032]FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a mobile terminal in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.