Mobile terminal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9916078-B2
Application number	US-201514713892-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2015
Priority date	Feb 8, 2013
Publication date	Mar 13, 2018
Grant date	Mar 13, 2018

Abstract

A mobile terminal includes a terminal body having a front surface and a rear surface, an input unit disposed at the rear surface to sense an input of a control command and a controller configured to process an input applied to the input unit. The input unit includes a first button portion exposed at an outside of the terminal body at the rear surface of the terminal body and configured to receive a push input corresponding to a first function and a second button portion surrounding the first button portion and configured to receive a push input corresponding to a second function different from the first function, the second button portion including keys disposed adjacent the first button portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile terminal comprising:
a terminal body having a front surface, a lateral surface and a rear surface;
a touch screen disposed at the front surface;
a rear input unit disposed at the rear surface, the rear input unit including a button and a fingerprint sensor mounted on a surface of the button; and
a controller configured to:
activate the touch screen in response to an input being applied to the button, wherein the input is applied to the button in a state where the touch screen is deactivated and the mobile terminal is in a locked state,
display a lock screen on the activated touch screen, and
release the locked state of the mobile terminal and switch the lock screen to a home screen in response to a fingerprint recognized through the fingerprint sensor corresponding to a preset fingerprint,
wherein the rear input unit is operated as a home key performing a control command for returning to a home screen page in an unlocked state,
wherein the touch screen occupies most of the front surface,
wherein the rear input unit is overlapped with the touch screen in a thickness direction of the terminal body, and
wherein the rear surface is formed to be planar, and a portion of the lateral surface is curved to be connected to the rear surface.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the fingerprint sensor recognizes a fingerprint of a finger applying the input to the button.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the rear input unit further includes a dome switch configured to be pressed by the button.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the lateral surface is a curved surface being joined to the rear surface.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the terminal body is a bar-type terminal body including the front surface and the rear surface.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
display, on the activated touch screen, a graphic user interface (GUI) of a previously reproduced music reproduction application executing when the touch screen was deactivated.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein when the touch screen is switched from a deactivated state to an activated state, the controller is further configured to display an execution screen of an application executing when the touch screen was deactivated on the touch screen.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to perform a function associated with power on of the mobile terminal when the rear input unit is pushed in a state that power of the mobile is turned off.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein when the button is pushed in a state that the power of the terminal is turned off, the fingerprint sensor recognizes a fingerprint, and
wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether or not the recognized fingerprint corresponds to the preset fingerprint, and continue to progress of the power on of the mobile terminal when the recognized fingerprint corresponds to the preset fingerprint.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the terminal body includes a first portion and a second portion,
wherein the first portion is formed at an edge of the front surface, and made with a shape in which a predetermined cross section extends along a length direction of the terminal body, and
wherein the second portion extends from the first portion to be joined to the rear surface, and curved against the first portion.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the terminal body includes a front case and a rear case, and
wherein a battery accommodating portion for accommodating a battery is formed on the rear case, and a battery cover for covering the battery accommodating portion is mounted on the rear case.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 11 , wherein a camera module is disposed on the rear surface, and
wherein the battery cover is provided with a first through hole corresponding to the rear input unit and a second through hole corresponding to the camera module.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the rear input unit is configured to receive a push input and a touch input.

14. A mobile terminal comprising:
a terminal body having a front surface, a lateral surface and a rear surface;
a touch screen disposed at the front surface;
a rear input unit disposed at the rear surface, the rear input unit including a button and a fingerprint sensor mounted on a surface of the button; and
a controller configured to process one or more functions corresponding to an input applied to the rear input unit,
wherein the touch screen occupies most of the front surface,
wherein the rear input unit is overlapped with the touch screen in a thickness direction of the terminal body, and
wherein the rear surface is formed to be planar, and a portion of the lateral surface is curved to be connected to the rear surface.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 14 , wherein the portion of the lateral surface is a curved surface being joined to the rear surface.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 15 , wherein the terminal body includes a first portion and a second portion,
wherein the first portion is formed at an edge of the front surface, and made with a shape in which a predetermined cross section extends along a length direction of the terminal body, and
wherein the second portion extends from the first portion to be joined to the rear surface, and curved against the first portion.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 14 , wherein the terminal body includes a front case and a rear case, and
wherein a battery accommodating portion for accommodating a battery is formed on the rear case, and a battery cover for covering the battery accommodating portion is mounted on the rear case.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 17 , wherein a camera module is disposed on the rear surface, and
wherein the battery cover is provided with a first through hole corresponding to the rear input unit and a second through hole corresponding to the camera module.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 14 , wherein the rear input unit is configured to receive a push input and a touch input.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 14 , wherein a supporting member is mounted at the terminal body to support the rear input unit, the supporting member overlapping at least a part of the rear input unit.

21. A mobile terminal comprising:
a terminal body having a front surface and a rear surface;
a touch screen disposed at the front surface;
a rear input unit disposed at a planar surface of the rear surface, the rear input unit including a button and a fingerprint sensor mounted on a surface of the button; and
a controller configured to process one or more functions corresponding to an input applied to the rear input unit,
wherein the touch screen occupies most of the front surface,
wherein the rear input unit is overlapped with the touch screen in a thickness direction of the terminal body, and
wherein the rear input unit is provided with a single button.

22. The mobile terminal of claim 21 , wherein a lateral surface is curved to be connected to planar surface of the rear surface.

23. The mobile terminal of claim 22 , wherein a portion of the lateral surface is a curved surface being joined to the planar surface of the rear surface.

24. The mobile terminal of claim 23 , wherein the terminal body includes a first portion and a second portion,
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Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Jaichul
• Lee Seungil
• Lee Chulbae
• Hong Sukho

Classifications

• G06F3/041

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title

• H04M1/236 Primary

  including keys on side or rear faces · CPC title

• G06F3/0488 Primary

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• G06F3/03

  Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form · CPC title

• G06K9/00087

  Physics · mapped topic