Patent ID: 8692773

Claim:
A mobile communication terminal, comprising: a keypad having a plurality of touch keys, wherein: the keypad comprises an upper row on which a plurality of upper touch keys are aligned and a lower row on which a plurality of lower touch keys are aligned; and each of the plurality of upper touch keys is set with a relatively higher priority than a corresponding one of the plurality of lower touch keys that is substantially aligned with said each of the plurality of upper touch keys in a columnwise direction based on positions of said each of the plurality of upper touch keys and the corresponding one of the plurality of lower touch keys when both said each of the plurality of upper touch keys and the corresponding one of the plurality of lower touch keys are touched substantially simultaneously to generate a key input; a plurality of touch sensor units for sensing key inputs generated by touching the plurality of touch keys; and a controller configured to: detect an input signal corresponding to an upper touch key of the plurality of upper touch keys and an input signal corresponding to one of the plurality of lower touch keys that is substantially aligned with the upper touch key in the columnwise direction in response to the generated key input; determine the generated key input as an input corresponding to the upper touch key of the plurality of upper touch keys or an input corresponding to the one of the plurality of lower touch keys based on the relatively higher priority of the upper touch key of the plurality of upper touch keys and the detected input signals; execute a first operation associated with the upper touch key of the plurality of upper touch keys in response to the generated key input when the input signal corresponding to the one of the plurality of lower touch keys does not reach a reference level; and execute a second operation associated with the corresponding one of the plurality of lower touch keys when the input signal of the corresponding one of the plurality of lower touch keys reaches the reference level.