Portable information terminal

• US 20040198458A1
• Filed: 02/19/2003
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kawamura, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 7,496,378 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• 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 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit
• 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 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a wider display screen to a portable information terminal including a video telephone function and to provide means for simultaneously confirming both a transmission screen and a reception screen.

A movable display part in a shape of a lid body that can be opened is provided in a back of a case of the portable information terminal and the movable display part is opened taking an axis provided on the case as a center, thereby enabling a display screen of the movable display part to be seen from the same direction as that of a fixed display part. Thus, a wider display screen than the conventional one is provided. Moreover, different information is displayed on the fixed display part and the movable display part, thus increasing an amount of information that can be recognized by an operator at a time. Particularly, in using a video telephone, a transmitted image is displayed on one of the screens and a received image is displayed on the other screen. As a result, it is made possible to make a phone call while confirming an image in an actual dimension of the transmitted image, which was difficult to perform in the conventional portable information terminal.

Claims

1. A portable information terminal including a fixed display part and a movable display part in a shape of a lid body that can be opened from a back of a case, wherein a display screen of the movable display part is attached thereto so as to be viewable from the back of the case.

2. The portable information terminal of claim 1, further comprising a mechanism for temporarily fixing the display screen of the movable display part after being opened and a display screen of the fixed display part at an angle capable of viewing the display screens from a given direction.

3. The portable information terminal of claim 1, further comprising a mechanism for fixing the display screen of the movable display part after being opened at an arbitrary angle with respect to the display screen of the fixed display part.

4. The portable information terminal of any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a control unit for controlling a transmission circuit for transmitting a voice of an operator, a reception circuit for receiving a radio signal and a control unit for controlling the entire portable information terminal.

5. The portable information terminal of claim 4, wherein the control unit allows the display screens of the fixed display part and the movable display part to display information different from each other.

6. The portable information terminal of claim 4, wherein the control unit allows the display screens of the fixed display part and the movable display part to display the same information.

7. The portable information terminal of any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a movable display part opening and closing detecting unit for detecting opened and closed states of the movable display part.

8. The portable information terminal of claim 7, wherein, when the movable display part is closed, the control unit allows not only the fixed display part but also the movable display part to operate.

9. The portable information terminal of claim 7, wherein, when the movable display part is closed, the movable display part stops its display operation.

10. The portable information terminal of any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a protection cover for protecting the movable display part, wherein even in a state where the movable display part is protected by the protection cover which is entirely or partially transparent, any one of the entire display screen of the movable display part and a part thereof operates its display.

11. The portable information terminal of any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a protection cover of the movable display part, wherein the protection cover protects the display screen of the movable display part when the movable display part is closed.

12. The portable information terminal of any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising a camera for photographing a still image and a motion image.

13. The portable information terminal of claim 12, further comprising:

the fixed display part, the movable display part and a display control unit for controlling the display parts;

a transmission circuit and a transmission part, which allow a voice of an operator to be in a transmittable state;

a reception circuit and a reception part, which playback a received content;

a operating part by which the operator operates the portable telephone;

a control unit including a memory;

the camera and a camera control unit, which perform photographing of a still image and a motion image; and

an antenna.

14. The portable information terminal of claim 13, further comprising a control unit for sequentially transmitting a motion image photographed by the camera to a transmission destination simultaneously with an audio, and a video telephone function.

15. The portable information terminal of claim 14, further comprising a control unit for displaying a received image on any one of the fixed display part and the movable display part and an image to be transmitted on the other thereof in use of the video telephone.

16. The portable information terminal of any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the case can be folded.

17. The portable information terminal of any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the case is slidable.