Portable telephone apparatus and control method thereof

• US 20040067784A1
• Filed: 10/08/2003
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Mamoru, Nanmoku, Teruo, Kubo, Tetsuya, Nagasawa, Naokazu, Onozuka, Kuniko
• Granted Patent: US 7,103,396 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.4
• 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 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

When the key operation area is pressed, a decision is made about whether the key is pre-registered a single button dialing telephone number or not (step 3). In case a decision is made that a single button dialing telephone number is pre-registered to the key in step 3, the timer starts when the key is pressed (step 6). In case the key is held down for the predetermined period (T1), an operation to instruct single button dialing via a so-called hold-down operation is assumed, thus causing the single button dialing telephone number pre-registered to the key held down to appear on the display (step 8). When a predetermined period (T2) has elapsed with the key held down (step 9), an operation to instruct a call origination to the telephone number on the display is assumed and a call is originated then conversation starts depending on the answer of the distant party (step 10). Keys on the cover can be used to operate keys on the body.

Claims

1. A portable telephone apparatus comprising:

means for radio communication, said means for radio communication including a transmitter and a receiver;

a body, said body including a plurality of first key entry means; and

a cover slidably connected to said body, said cover having one or more second key entry means, each of said one or more second key entry means capable of activating a corresponding one of said first key entry means when said cover is in a closed position.

2. The portable telephone apparatus of claim 1, further comprising cover opening/closing state detecting means, wherein at least one operation is performed when said cover opening/closing state detecting means detects that said cover is slid opened or slid closed.

3. The portable telephone apparatus of claim 1, said body further including a first microphone and said cover further including a second microphone.

4. The portable telephone apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display, wherein some portion of said first key entry means can be registered with a corresponding phone number, and further wherein, if one of said some portion of said first key entry means is activated for more than a first time period, the corresponding phone number is displayed on said display, and still further wherein, if said one of said some portion of said first key entry means is activated for more than a second time period, said corresponding phone number is connected.

5. A portable telephone apparatus comprising:

means for radio communication, said means for radio communication including a transmitter and a receiver;

a body, said body including a plurality of first key entry means and a first microphone;

a cover moveably connected to said body, said cover having a second microphone and a plurality of second key entry means, each of said second key entry means capable of activating a corresponding one of said first key entry means when said cover is in a closed position; and

cover opening/closing state detecting means;

wherein at least one operation is performed when said cover opening/closing state detecting means detects that said cover is opened or closed.

6. The portable telephone apparatus of claim 5, said cover opening/closing detecting means including a magnet and a means for detecting said magnet.

7. The portable telephone apparatus of claim 5, wherein said at least one operation is programmable by a user.

8. The portable telephone apparatus of claim 5, wherein said cover is slidably connected to said body.

9. The portable telephone apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a display, wherein some portion of said first key entry means can be registered with a corresponding phone number, and further wherein, if one of said some portion of said first key entry means is activated for more than a first time period, the corresponding phone number is displayed on said display, and still further wherein, if said one of said some portion of said first key entry means is activated for more than a second time period, said corresponding phone number is connected.

10. A portable telephone apparatus comprising:

means for radio communication, said means for radio communication including a transmitter and a receiver;

a display;

a body, said body including a plurality of first key entry means; and

a cover moveably connected to said body, said cover having a plurality of second key entry means, each of said second key entry means capable of activating a corresponding one of said first key entry means when said cover is in a closed position, wherein some portion of said first key entry means can be registered with a corresponding phone number, and further wherein, if one of said some portion of said first key entry means is activated for more than a first time period, the corresponding phone number is displayed on said display, and still further wherein, if said one of said some portion of said first key entry means is activated for more than a second time period, said corresponding phone number is connected; and

cover opening/closing state detecting means;

wherein at least one operation is performed when said cover opening/closing state detecting means detects that said cover is opened or closed.

11. The portable telephone apparatus of claim 10, said cover opening/closing detecting means including a magnet and a means for detecting said magnet.

12. The portable telephone apparatus of claim 10, wherein said at least one operation is programmable by a user.

13. The portable telephone apparatus of claim 10, said body further including a first microphone and said cover further including a second microphone.

14. The portable telephone apparatus of claim 10, wherein said cover is slidably connected to said body.

15. A portable telephone apparatus comprising:

means for radio communication, said means for radio communication including a transmitter and a receiver;

a body, said body including a plurality of first key entry means; and

a cover slidably connected to said body, said cover having a plurality of second key entry means capable of activating a corresponding one of said first key entry means when said cover is closed,

wherein some portion of said first key entry means can be registered with a corresponding phone number,

and further wherein, if one of said first key entry means is activated for more than a predetermined period, said corresponding number is connected.

16. A portable telephone apparatus comprising:

means for radio communication, said means for radio communication including a transmitter and a receiver;

a body, said body including a plurality of first key entry means; and

a cover slidably connected to said body, said cover having a plurality of second key entry means capable of activating a corresponding one of said first key entry means when said cover is in a closed position, wherein some portion of said first key entry means can be registered with a corresponding phone number, each of said first entry means being pre-registered with a corresponding key input operation signal, and further wherein, when one of said some portion of said first key entry means is activated shorter than a predetermined period, said key input operation signal is inputted, and when one of said some portion of said first key entry means is activated longer than the predetermined period, said corresponding number is connected; and

cover opening/closing state detecting means,

wherein at least one operation is performed when said cover opening/closing state detecting means detects that said cover is slid opened or slid closed.

17. The portable telephone apparatus of claim 16, wherein said one operation is reducing a volume of a ringing tone when said cover opening/closing state detecting means detects that said cover is opened.

18. The portable telephone apparatus of claim 16, wherein said one operation is illuminating a display means when said cover opening/closing state detecting means detects that said cover is opened.

19. The portable telephone apparatus of claim 16, wherein said one operation is performing a call release operation when said cover opening/closing state detecting means detects that said cover is closed.