Multifunctional mobile electronic device

• US 20040174430A1
• Filed: 03/04/2004
• Published: 09/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sasaki, Makoto, Kurokawa, Seiji, Sawahara, Shingo, Machide, Hirokazu
• Granted Patent: US 7,126,626 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/531 being rotatable or detachable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

The main body section and the cover section, those of which are combined with the coupling section so that the electronic device can pivot, constitute the present invention. There is an input key section is provided in the opposed surface of the main body section meeting the cover section when the device is folded. There is the main display section provided in the opposing surface of the cover section meeting the main body section when the device is folded. Because of this, the electronic device can be used easier as a mobile phone. Furthermore, the electronic device also can be used easier as a still camera because the device can be used as a still camera immediately whenever the user wants to, even when the electronic device is in stand-by mode of mobile phone mode.

Claims

1. A multifunctional mobile electronic device comprising a device main body that is combined by a main body section and a cover section via a coupling section such that the main body and the cover section can be folded, one of inner surfaces (surfaces of the main body section and the cover body meeting each other when the electronic device is folded) of the main body section and the cover section being provided with an input key section including numeral keys, the other of the inner surfaces being provided with a main display section,

said device further comprising:

a lens section of a first camera provided in one of outer surfaces (surfaces of the main body and the cover which are exposed to outside when the electronic device is folded) of the main body section and the cover section;

a sub display section, that serves as a finder of the first camera, provided in the other of the outer surfaces; and

a shutter button for the first camera provided in a side surface part of the device main body.

2. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the device main body has a rectangular shape.

3. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 2, wherein:

the shutter button for the first camera is provided in an oblong part of the device main body.

4. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the sub display section displays at least one part of information displayed in the main display section.

5. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 2, wherein:

the sub display section displays at least one part of information displayed in the main display section.

6. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 3, wherein:

the sub display section displays at least one part of information displayed in the main display section.

7. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said device has a communication function.

8. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 7, wherein:

said device has a mobile phone function.

9. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the main display section displays information such that the coupling section is downward, and the sub display section displays information such that the coupling section is upward.

10. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 7, wherein:

the sub display section displays at least identification information of a sending end that has transmitted a communication request, while the multifunctional mobile electronic device is folded.

11. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 10, wherein:

the main body section includes a microphone in its inner surface; and

the cover section includes a speaker in its inner surface

12. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 10, wherein:

the cover section includes a sub camera in its inner surface.

13. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 11, wherein:

the cover section includes a sub camera in its inner surface.

14. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 12, wherein:

the main body section includes a shutter button for the sub camera in its inner surface.

15. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 13, wherein:

the main body section includes a shutter button for the sub camera in its inner surface.

16. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 10, further comprising:

a shutter button for a second camera provided around the sub display section.

17. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 12, wherein:

the main display section simultaneously displays images taken by the camera and the sub camera, respectively.

18. A multifunctional mobile electronic device comprising a device main body that is combined by a main body section and a cover section via a coupling section such that the main body and the cover section can be folded, an inner surface (a surface of the main body section or the cover body meeting the other surface when the electronic device is folded) of the main body section being provided with an input key section including numeral keys, an inner surface (a surface of the main body section or the cover body meeting the other surface when the electronic device is folded) of the cover section being provided with a main display section,

said device further comprising:

a lens section of a first camera provided in an outer surface (a surface of the main body or the cover which is exposed to outside when the electronic device is folded) of the cover section;

a sub display section, that serves as a finder of the first camera, provided in an outer surface (a surface of the main body or the cover which is exposed to outside when the electronic device is folded) of the main body section; and

a shutter button, for the first camera, provided in the device main body.

19. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 18 wherein:

the main body has a rectangular shape.

20. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 19, wherein:

the shutter button for the first camera in an oblong part of the device main body.

21. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 18, wherein:

the sub display section displays at least one part of information displayed in the main display section.

22. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 19, wherein:

the sub display section displays at least one part of information displayed in the main display section.

23. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 20, wherein:

the sub display section displays at least one part of information displayed in the main display section.

24. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 18, wherein:

said device has a communication function.

25. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 24, wherein:

said device has a mobile phone function.

26. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 18, wherein:

the main display section displays information such that the coupling section is downward, and the sub display section displays information such that the coupling section is upward.

27. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 24, wherein:

the sub display section displays at least identification information of a sending end that has transmitted a communication request, while the multifunctional electronic device folded.

28. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 27, wherein:

the main body section includes a microphone in its inner surface; and

the cover section includes a speaker in its inner surface.

29. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 27, wherein:

the cover section includes a sub camera in its inner surface.

30. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 28, wherein:

the cover section includes a sub camera in its inner surface.

31. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 29, wherein:

the main body section includes a shutter button for the sub camera in its inner surface.

32. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 30, wherein:

the main body section includes a shutter button for the sub camera in the inner surface.

33. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 27, further comprising:

a shutter button for a second camera provided around the sub display section.

34. The multifunctional mobile electronic device as set forth in claim 29, wherein:

the main display section simultaneously displays images taken by the camera and the sub camera, respectively.

35. An electronic device in which first and second members can be folded via a coupling section, wherein:

the first member includes a first image pick-up section provided in a surface on an opposite side of an opposed surface which faces the second member when the electronic device is folded; and

the second member includes a first display section, which displays at least an image taken by the first image-pick up section, provided in a surface on an opposite side of an opposed surface which faces the first member when the electronic device is folded.

36. The electronic device as set forth in claim 35, wherein:

an operation section of key-switch type is provided in an opposed surface of the first member or the second member; and

a second display section which displays at least data supplied via the operation section in the other of the opposed surfaces.

37. The electronic device as set forth in claim 35, further comprising:

a first shutter button for the first image pick-up section provided in an outer surface of the electronic device when the electronic device is folded.

38. The electronic device as set forth in claim 36, further comprising:

a first shutter button for the first image pick-up section provided in an outer surface of the electronic device when the electronic device is folded.

39. The electronic device as set forth in claim 37, wherein:

the first shutter button is provided in a surface which is perpendicular to the opposed surface of the first member or is provided in a surface which is perpendicular to the opposed surface of the second member.

40. The electronic device as set forth in claim 38, wherein:

the first shutter button is provided in a surface which is perpendicular to the opposed surface of the first member or is provided in a surface which is perpendicular to the opposed surface of the second member.

41. The electronic device as set forth in claim 37, wherein:

the first shutter button is provided in the surface on the opposite side of the opposed surface of the first member or is provided in the surface on the opposite side of the opposed surface of the second member.

42. The electronic device as set forth in claim 38, wherein:

the first shutter button is provided in the surface on the opposite side of the opposed surface of the first member or is provided in the surface on the opposite side of the opposed surface of the second member.

43. The electronic device as set forth in claim 35, further comprising:

a second image pick-up section provided in an opposed surface of the first or second member.

44. The electronic device as set forth in claim 36, further comprising:

a second image pick-up section provided in an opposed surface of the first or second members.

45. The electronic device as set forth in claim 37, further comprising:

a second image pick-up section provided in an opposed surface of the first or second members.

46. The electronic device as set forth in claim 43, further comprising:

a second shutter button for the second image pick-up section provided in an opposed surfaces of the first or second members.

47. The electronic device as set forth in claim 44, further comprising:

a second shutter button for the second image pick-up section provided in an opposed surfaces of the first or second members.

48. The electronic device as set forth in claim 45, further comprising:

a second shutter button for the second image pick-up section provided in an opposed surfaces of the first or second members.

49. The electronic device as set forth in claim 35, wherein:

said device has a communication function.

50. The electronic device as set forth in claim 49, wherein:

said device has a mobile phone function.