Mechanism for switching cellular phone to digital camera

• US 20040192220A1
• Filed: 03/24/2003
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Inventec Appliances Corporation (Inventec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Inventec Appliances Corporation (Inventec Corporation)
• Inventors: Huang, Jeng-Wen, Tseng, Jung-Kuan
• Application Number:
  US10/394,252
• Publication Number:
  US 20040192220A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/74
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/021 using combined folding and rotation motions combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0212 with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, i.e. folding around a first axis and rotating around a second axis perpendicular to the first
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0243 using the relative angle between housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0063 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/007 Selecting or switching between a still picture apparatus or function and another apparatus or function H04N2201/0022 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/531 being rotatable or detachable

Abstract

The present invention is to provide a mechanism for switching a foldable cellular phone to a digital camera comprising a rotation member pivotally coupled between a display and a keypad thereof enabling the display to rotate 180 degrees and folded onto the keypad by a back of the display, wherein an image capture element being electrically connected to a control circuit thereof is provided on the back of the keypad, a magnet is provided at a side of the display; and a reed switch is provided on the keypad. Therefore, after the display being rotated 180 degrees and folded onto the keypad, the first reed switch is aligned with the magnet and switches the cellular phone to a camera mode, enabling the image capture element to take an image of an object.

Claims

1. A mechanism for switching a foldable cellular phone to a digital camera, comprising:

a rotation member pivotally coupled between a display and a keypad of the cellular phone, wherein the display can be opened to the position of the same horizontal surface as the keypad and be folded onto the keypad to close the cellular phone, or being rotated 180 degrees and folded onto the keypad by a back surface of the display;

an image capture element provided at a side on a back surface of the keypad of the cellular phone, the image capture element being electrically connected to a control circuit of the cellular phone;

a magnet provided at a side on the display; and

a first reed switch provided on the keypad, the first reed switch being disposed on the keypad at a position corresponding to the magnet and being electrically connected to the control circuit of the cellular phone;

wherein, while the display being rotated 180 degrees and folded onto the keypad by the back surface of the display, the magnet is aligned with and magnetically attracts the first reed switch, in response the control circuit is enabled to switch to a camera mode, so that the image capture element is operative to take an image of an object and shows the image of the object on a screen of the display for being previewed.

2. The mechanism of claim 1, further comprising a button of the cellular phone served as a release button of camera is operative to press for taking a photograph.

3. The mechanism of claim 1, further comprising a second reed switch on a front surface of the keypad corresponding to the magnet, the second reed switch being electrically connected to the control circuit of the cellular phone, wherein while the display being rotated to a position facing and folded onto the keypad, the magnet is aligned with and magnetically attracts the second reed switch, thereby enabling the control circuit to switch the cellular phone back to a mode functioning as a telephone.

4. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein a second pin, a first pin, and a third pin of the first reed switch are connected to the control circuit, a supply voltage of the cellular phone, and a ground of the cellular phone respectively, so that the first reed switch is opened when the magnet magnetically attracts the first reed switch for preventing the power of the supply voltage from feeding to the control circuit via the first reed switch, thereby activating the control circuit by a logic low level of the supply voltage and enabling the control circuit to switch to the camera mode.

5. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein a second pin, a first pin, and a third pin of the second reed switch are connected to the control circuit, the supply voltage of the cellular phone, and the ground of the cellular phone respectively so that the second reed switch is opened when the magnet magnetically attracts the second reed switch for preventing the power of the supply voltage from feeding to the control circuit via the second reed switch, thereby activating the control circuit by the logic low level of the supply voltage and enabling the control circuit to switch to the cellular phone mode.

6. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein a rotation member comprises a connection section having two ends inserted into and pivotal about the keypad and a pivot pin having one end rotatably connected to and being rotatable about the connection section and the other end rotatably connected to the display so that the display is operative to not only fold onto the keypad but also rotate 180 degrees about the keypad to the back of the cellular phone.