Mobile information terminal equipment and portable electronic apparatus

• US 20030008679A1
• Filed: 09/10/2002
• Published: 01/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Saito, Hiroshi, Sato, Hideki, Iwata, Yuji, Orita, Michio, Mochizuki, Yasuyuki, Owada, Minoru, Shinoda, Kazuhisa, Matsuura, Kazumi
• Granted Patent: US 7,069,056 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1634 Integrated protective display lid, e.g. for touch-sensitive display in handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• 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 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0237 Sliding mechanism with one degree of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/275 implemented by means of portable electronic directories
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs logging of telephone numbers H04M1/56, H04M1/57

Abstract

The objective of the present invention is to have a desired screen displayed with shortened waiting time in using functions for the electronic note, etc., while engaging in telephone talk. Another prime objective of the present invention is to achieve an easy-to-use mobile information terminal equipment which also functions as an electronic note, word processor, personal computer, and so on. In transitting from telephone mode (cover closed status) to information terminal mode (cover opened status), the screen to be displayed is determined to be either a historical information, talk log information, or user setting screen. This enables the user to obtain the desired screen with fewer number of operations and with less waiting time.

Claims

1. A mobile information terminal equipment comprising a slide cover for sliding and covering part of a surface of the mobile Information terminal equipment.

2. The mobile information terminal equipment of claim 1 further comprising:

a display unit for displaying information on a display area in part of the surface of the mobile information terminal equipment;

a location detector for detecting a location of the slide cover; and

a display switch for changing a size of the display area for displaying information and a displaying direction of information according to the location of the slide cover detected by the location detector.

3. A mobile information terminal equipment, comprising:

a display unit for displaying an application screen, wherein information is displayed in telephone mode when the mobile information terminal equipment is used as a telephone set and in information terminal mode when the mobile information terminal equipment is used as an information terminal, and wherein one of the applications among a plurality of applications, each of which has one or more application screens and displays one of the application screens on the display unit is executed in telephone mode, and;

a subsequent screen determinator for selecting possible subsequent screens among a plurality of application screens and for determining one application screen to be displayed among the possible subsequent screens in case of transitting from telephone mode to information terminal mode.

4. The mobile information terminal equipment of claim 3 further comprising:

a transition table for setting a transition condition and a subsequent screen in accordance with a use status in telephone mode, and;

wherein the subsequent screen determinator determines the subsequent screen based on the transition table.

5. The mobile information terminal equipment of claim 3 further comprising:

a user information setter for arbitrarily setting the subsequent screen as user information in accordance with the use status in telephone mode, and

wherein the subsequent screen set as the user information is retrieved as the possible subsequent screen based on which the subsequent screen is determined.

6. The mobile information terminal equipment of claim 3 further comprising:

a historical information storage for storing the use status in telephone mode and history of the subsequent screen, and

wherein the subsequent screen stored in the historical information is retrieved as the possible screen based on which the subsequent screen is determined.

7. The mobile information terminal equipment of claim 3 further comprising:

a talk log information storage for storing talk log information of telephone mode including the subsequent screen displayed during telephone talk, wherein the mobile information terminal equipment is possible to transit from telephone mode to information terminal mode during telephone talk, and;

wherein the subsequent screen is set based on the talk log information as one of the possible subsequent screens.

8. The mobile information terminal equipment of claim 3,

wherein data obtained in information terminal mode is used in telephone mode after information terminal mode is transitted to telephone mode.

9. The mobile information terminal equipment of claim 3,

wherein the application is possible to activate another application, and at least one of data displayed on a preceding application screen and data pertaining to the data displayed used in a preceding application screen and data is displayed on a subsequent application screen, in information terminal mode.

10. The mobile information terminal equipment of claim 3 further comprising a cover, and wherein the mobile information terminal equipment is used in telephone mode irrespective of a location of the cover.

11. The mobile information terminal equipment of claim 7,

wherein the talk log information storage further stores the data concerning the subsequent screen during telephone talk as the talk log information, and the data is displayed on the subsequent screen when the subsequent screen stored in the talk log information is displayed.

12. The mobile information terminal equipment of claim 3 further comprising a reservation application among the applications executed in information terminal mode, and

wherein the reservation application has an input screen on which information necessary for reservation is input and then transmitted.

13. The mobile information terminal equipment of claim 3 further comprising:

a voice output unit and a telephone keyboard used in telephone mode;

an application which has an application screen on which data can be input/output in information terminal mode, and

wherein an input request from an opposite party is made by one of outputting the input request into the voice output unit and displaying the input request on the application screen display unit, and a response to the opposite party is input from the telephone keyboard in telephone mode,

wherein an input request from the opposite party is displayed on the application screen and a response to the opposite party is input onto the application screen in information terminal mode, and

wherein the application can be executed in telephone mode and in information terminal mode.

14. The mobile information terminal equipment of claim 3,

wherein a content of the display unit in telephone mode is selected and discarded before being displayed on the display unit when transitting from information terminal mode to telephone mode.

15. The mobile information terminal equipment of claim 3 comprising the telephone keyboard for inputting data in telephone mode;

wherein the application is executed one of by limiting its functions and by selecting and discarding the information to be displayed on the display unit in information terminal mode.

17. The mobile information terminal equipment of claim 16, wherein the first and the second software modules share information for a telephone operation.

18. The mobile information terminal equipment of claim 16 further comprising a third software module for providing a function to access the shared data.

19. The mobile information terminal equipment of claim 18, wherein the mobile information terminal equipment can be used as a telephone set in the door closed status by the same operation as that for a mobile telephone with the switch button.

20. The mobile information terminal equipment of claim 16 or claim 19,

wherein characters and pictographs are displayed on the display window of the door in the direction easier to see when the body is vertically held in the door closed status.

21. The mobile information terminal equipment of claim 16 or claim 19,

wherein the touch screen is located under the door and touched by pressing the switch button of the door in the door closed status, and a touch input is mapped with the switch button of the door.

22. The mobile information terminal equipment of claim 16 or claim 19,

wherein the touch screen can be directly touched in the door opened status, and wherein a personal management information function, telephone, and data transmission are enabled by graphic user interface (GUI) using a display screen.

23. The mobile information terminal equipment of claim 16 or claim 22,

wherein the characters and pictographs are displayed on the display unit in the direction easier to see when the body is horizontally held in the door opened status.

24. The mobile information terminal equipment of claim 16 or claim 22,

wherein the touch input is mapped with the graphic user interface in the door opened status.

25. The mobile information terminal equipment of claim 16 further comprising a microphone and a speaker,

and wherein the input sensitivity to the microphone and the output from the speaker are adjustable so that the user can use the body in hand-free condition with ear and mouth released from the body when the door is opened from the door closed status.

26. The mobile information terminal equipment of claim 16 further comprising a microphone, a voice signal switch unit, a radio unit, and a modem, and a control unit for controlling the microphone, the voice signal switch unit, the radio unit and the modem, and

wherein the control unit instructs the voice signal switch unit to temporarily shut a path from the microphone to the radio unit during talk to validate a path from the modem to the radio unit, so as to switch the line used for the telephone to the modem to allow the user to halt the talk being conducted with hand-free condition and to transmit the data including the information written using the personal management function, and then resume the talk upon completion of the data transmission.

29. The portable electronic apparatus of claim 27 further comprising a rail on the body for sliding the slide cover.

30. The portable electronic apparatus of claim 27 further comprising a support projection on the surface for supporting an inside of the slide cover.

31. The portable electronic apparatus of claim 29 further comprising a switch on the rail for detecting opened/closed status of the slide cover.

32. The portable electronic apparatus of claim 27 further comprising a cut-off part on the slide cover for displaying part of the input display unit even when it is covered with the slide cover.

33. The portable electronic apparatus of claim 27 further comprising a transparent part on the slide cover.

34. The portable electronic apparatus of claim 29 further comprising the opening/closing support projection for the slide cover and the rail for keeping the slide cover in its opened/closed position.

35. The portable electronic apparatus of claim 29 further comprising projection on the rail for preventing the slide cover from falling off the body.

36. The portable electronic apparatus of claim 27 further comprising a convex on the slide cover for facilitating a slide operation on the surface.

37. The portable electronic apparatus of claim 29 further comprising the slide operation support projection on the slide cover for making the slide cover smoothly slide against the rail.

16. A mobile information terminal equipment having a body, comprising:

a display unit having a touch screen;

a door having a display window on part of the display unit a switch button;

a door opening/closing detector for detecting door opened/closed status,

a first software module for providing a user interface when using as a telephone set in the door closed status, and

a second software module for providing a user interface when using as an information processor in the door opened status.

27. A portable electronic apparatus, comprising:

an input display unit for inputting information and displaying the information;

a key panel with switches;

a body with the input display unit and the key panel allocated on a surface, and;

a slide cover mounted on the surface of the body for opening/closing the input display unit.

28. The portable electronic apparatus of claim 27:

wherein the slide cover is used to select one of the input display unit and the key panel and to protect the covered other part.