Portable telephone device

• US 20020065111A1
• Filed: 11/27/2001
• Published: 05/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Otsuka, Shuji, Kawasaki, Hideji, Kashu, Hiroomi
• Granted Patent: US 6,941,160 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit

Abstract

The present invention is a portable telephone device that is composed of two displays of substantially a same size, and can continuously perform two display processes in parallel by allocating different display processes to each of the displays.

Claims

1. A portable telephone device comprising:

two displays of substantially a same size; and

allocation means for allocating a different display process to each of the displays,

wherein each display process is a process for outputting different display data including at least one of image data and character data.

2. The portable telephone device of claim 1

wherein the displays are positioned so that display content on each of the displays is visible in one field of vision.

3. The portable telephone device of claim 2

wherein the allocation means includes:

a storage unit for storing a table showing a correspondence between each of the displays and the display process being allocated thereto;

a specification unit for specifying a display process to be allocated to one of the displays;

a selection unit for selecting, according to the correspondence shown in the table, one of the displays to allocate the specified display process to; and

an updating unit for updating the table so as to show the correspondence between the selected display and the specified display process,

wherein the allocation means allocates the specified display process to the selected display.

4. The portable telephone device of claim 3

wherein the specification unit includes:

a detection unit for detecting a call signal,

wherein the specification unit, on detecting the call signal, specifies a display process which outputs display data forming an image showing to a communication state and which is to be newly allocated to one of the displays; and

the selection unit includes;

a judgement unit for judging, based on the table, whether a state of either of the displays is one of (a) having no display process allocated thereto, and (b) having a display process outputting the display data forming an image of stand-by display allocated thereto,

wherein the selection unit, when the judgement unit judges the state of one of the displays to be one of (a) and (b), selects the display as a display to which the specified display process is to be newly allocated.

5. The portable telephone device of claim 4 wherein the selection unit further includes:

a saving unit for saving, when the state of the displays is not one of (a) and (b), data being displayed on one of the displays,

wherein the selection unit selects the display whose data has been saved as a display to which the specified display process is to be newly allocated.

6. The portable telephone device of claim 5

wherein the selection unit further includes:

a restoration unit for restoring, on completion of the specified display process, the saved data on the display on which the specified display process has ended.

7. The portable telephone device of claim 4

wherein the communication state is one of an incoming-call being received, electronic mail having been received, and a call in progress.

8. The portable telephone device of claim 5

wherein the communication state is one of an incoming-call being received, electronic mail having been received, and a call in progress.

9. The portable telephone device of claim 6

wherein the communication state is one of an incoming-call being received, electronic mail having been received, and a call in progress.

10. The portable telephone device of claim 3

wherein the specification unit includes:

an instruction receiving unit for receiving an operation instruction from a user,

the specification unit specifying, a display process to be newly allocated to a display from a plurality of display processes, according to the operation instruction;

and

the selection unit includes;

a judgement unit for judging, based on the table, whether a state of either of the displays is one of (a) having no display process allocated thereto, and (b) having a display process outputting the display data forming an image of stand-by display allocated thereto,

wherein the selection unit, when the judgement unit judges the state of one of the displays to be one of (a) and (b), selects the display as a display to which the specified display process is to be newly allocated.

11. The portable telephone of claim 10

the plurality of display processes include a display process which outputs the display data forming an image relating to at least one of electronic mail, a game, telephone directory creation, and a photograph.

12. The portable telephone of claim 2

wherein the allocation means allocates a display process which outputs the display data forming an image showing a communication state to one of the displays, and allocates another display process to the other display.

13. The portable telephone device of claim 3

wherein the allocation means allocates, as the other display process, a display process which outputs the display data forming an image relating one of electronic mail, a game, and telephone directory creation.

14. The portable telephone device of claim 2

wherein the allocation means includes:

a selection instruction reception unit for receiving from the user a selection instruction for selecting, from the displays having a different display process allocated thereto, a display to respond to user display instructions; and

a display selection unit for selecting, according to the selection instruction, a display to respond to user display instructions.

15. The portable telephone of claim 14

wherein the selection instruction reception unit includes at least one selection key for receiving the selection instruction, and receives the selection instruction by the selection key being continuously operated for a set amount of time.

16. The portable telephone of claim 15

wherein the allocation means further includes:

a position storing unit which stores cursor position information, the cursor position information showing a position of a cursor on a display screen of the selected display;

a position updating unit for updating, each time the cursor is moved according to a user display instruction, the cursor position information into cursor position information which shows a position to which the cursor has been moved, and

the display selection unit further has the cursor displayed, according to the selection instruction, in the position shown in the position information stored in the position storing unit.

17. The portable telephone device in claim 3

the allocation means includes:

a selection instruction reception unit for receiving from the user a selection instruction for selecting, from the displays having a different display process allocated thereto, a display to respond to user display instructions; and

a display selection unit for selecting, according to the selection instruction, a display to respond to user display instructions.

18. The portable telephone device of claim 17

wherein the selection instruction reception unit includes at least one selection key for receiving the selection instruction, and receives the selection instruction by the selection key being continuously operated for a set amount of time.

19. The portable telephone device of claim 18

wherein the allocation means further includes:

a position storing unit which stores cursor position information, the cursor position information showing a position of a cursor on a display screen of the selected display;

a position updating unit for updating, each time the cursor is moved according to a user display instruction, the cursor position information into cursor position information which shows a position to which the cursor has been moved, and

the display selection unit further has the cursor displayed, according to the selection instruction, in the position shown in the position information stored in the position storing unit.

20. The portable telephone device of claim 17

wherein the specification unit includes:

an instruction receiving unit for receiving an operation instruction from a user,

the specification unit specifying, a display process to be newly allocated to a display from a plurality of display processes, according to the operation instruction; and

the selection unit includes;

a judgement unit for judging, based on the table, whether a state of either of the displays is one of (a) having no display process allocated thereto, and (b) having a display process outputting the display data forming an image of stand-by display allocated thereto,

wherein the selection unit, when the judgement unit judges the state of one of the displays to be one of (a) and (b), selects the display as a display to which the specified display process is to be newly allocated.

21. The portable telephone device of claim 20 the plurality of display processes include a display process which outputs the display data forming an image relating to at least one of electronic mail, a game, telephone directory creation, and a photograph.

22. The portable telephone device of claim 20

wherein the selection instruction reception unit includes at least one selection key for receiving the selection instruction, and receives the selection instruction by the selection key being continuously operated for a set amount of time.

23. The portable telephone device of claim 22

wherein the allocation means further includes:

a position storing unit which stores cursor position information, the cursor position information showing a position of a cursor on a display screen of the selected display;

a position updating unit for updating, each time the cursor is moved according to a user display instruction, the cursor position information into cursor position information which shows a position to which the cursor has been moved, and

the display selection unit further has the cursor displayed, according to the selection instruction, in the position shown in the position information stored in the position storing unit.