Portable information terminal, information viewing method, and program

• US 20030001823A1
• Filed: 05/24/2002
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Oya, Takashi, Bannai, Yuichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,061,449 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0132 comprising binocular systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface

Abstract

An information terminal comprises display means for performing a large-screen display via a sculptured surface prism. The information terminal connects to a cellular telephone using Bluetooth technology, obtains information held by a WWW server on the Internet through cooperation with the cellular telephone, and displays a screen for viewing the obtained information on the display means. Also, button operations made at the cellular telephone can be taken as input of the information terminal for performing operations on the screen of the display means. Thus, a portable information terminal which enables viewing of information on a network with a large screen can be provided, without compromising portability or operability.

Claims

1. A portable information terminal, comprising:

display means for performing large-screen display via an enlarging optical system;

connecting means for communicably connecting with a cellular telephone which has a browser for viewing information on a network, and operating buttons;

information viewing means for obtaining information on the network cooperatively with the cellular telephone connected via said connecting means, and displaying a screen for viewing the obtained information on said display means; and

operation input means for inputting operations of said operating buttons of said cellular telephone connected via said connecting means, as operations relating to viewing of information by said information viewing means.

2. A portable information terminal according to claim 1, wherein said enlarging optical system is an ocular-type enlarging optical system.

3. A portable information terminal according to claim 1, wherein said enlarging optical system of said display means is formed of a semi-transmitting optical system, and wherein said semi-transmitting optical system superimposes screens displayed by said information viewing means and external light rays so as to image at an observation position.

4. A portable information terminal according to claim 1, wherein said display means, said information viewing means, said connecting means, and said operation input means are integrated, so as to be capable of mounting on the head of a user.

5. A portable information terminal according to claim 1, wherein the cellular telephone has a plurality of buttons as said operating buttons, and wherein data input such as input of characters, numerals, symbols, and the like, cursor moving commands, specification of position, selection commands, and other such plurality of operations made on the screen of said display means, are each appropriated to said plurality of buttons.

6. A portable information terminal according to claim 1, further comprising network connection control means for controlling such that network connection is performed via the cellular telephone only in the event that network access is necessary.

7. A portable information terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

communication means for connecting to the network independently from the cellular telephone;

browser means for obtaining information on the network via said communication means, and displaying the obtained information on the screen of said display means for viewing; and

connection destination information setting means for taking in, from the cellular telephone connected via said connecting means, connection destination information currently being viewed with the cellular telephone, and setting the connection destination information that has been taken in, in said browser means.

8. A portable information terminal according to claim 1, wherein the cellular telephone has close-distance wireless communication means, and wherein said connecting means includes means capable of wireless communication with said close-distance wireless communication means.

9. A portable information terminal according to claim 8, wherein said close-distance wireless communication means and said connecting means are made up of wireless communication means using spread spectrum communication.

10. A portable information terminal according to claim 8, wherein said close-distance wireless means and said connecting means are made up of wireless communication means using infrared rays as a medium.

11. A portable information terminal, comprising:

display means for performing large-screen display;

connecting means for connecting with a cellular telephone which has operating buttons; and

operating means for inputting operations of the operating buttons of the cellular telephone connected via said connecting means, as operations relating to the screen displayed by said display means.

12. An information viewing method, wherein a cellular telephone which has a browser for viewing information on a network and operating buttons, and a portable information terminal comprising connecting means for communicably connecting with the cellular telephone and display means for performing large-screen display via an enlarging optical system cooperate so as to view information on the network with the display means of the portable information terminal, said method comprising the steps of:

connecting the portable information terminal with the cellular telephone via the connecting means;

cooperating the portable information terminal with the cellular telephone with which connection is made via the connecting step, to obtain information on the network, and display the obtained information on a screen for viewing information; and

providing for the portable information terminal to take operations of the operating keys on the cellular telephone as operations relating to viewing of the information.

13. An information viewing method, wherein a cellular telephone which has operating buttons, and a portable information terminal comprising connecting means for communicably connecting with the cellular telephone and display means for performing large-screen display cooperate so as to view information, said method comprising the following steps:

providing for the portable information terminal to display a screen for viewing the information in the display means; and

inputting operations by the portable information terminal of the operating buttons of the cellular telephone connected via the connecting means, as operations relating to the screen displayed on the display means.

14. A program for viewing information on a network with display means, executed on a portable information terminal comprising connecting means for communicably connecting with a cellular telephone which has a browser for viewing information on the network and operating keys, and the display means for performing large-screen display using an enlarging optical system, said program comprising:

an information viewing module for obtaining information on the network cooperatively with the cellular telephone connected via the connecting means, and displaying the obtained information on the display means in a viewable manner; and

an operation input module for inputting operations of the operating keys on the cellular telephone connected via the connecting means as operations relating to viewing of information by the information viewing module.

15. A program executed on a portable information terminal comprising connecting means for connecting with a cellular telephone which has operating buttons, and display means for performing large-screen display, said program comprising:

a display control module for controlling so as to display a screen for viewing information on the display means; and

an operation input module for inputting operations of the operating buttons on the cellular telephone connected via the connecting means as operations relating to the screen displayed on said display means.