Portable communication terminal

• US 20050156879A1
• Filed: 01/11/2005
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2004
• 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: Hayashi, Takayuki, Li, Xiaobing, Ishii, Hiroki, Honda, Masanori
• Granted Patent: US 7,925,305 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• 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 1/72472 wherein the items are sorted according to specific criteria, e.g. frequency of use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit

Abstract

There is provided a portable communication terminal capable of switching between icon display and non-display. Processes executed by a control unit of a portable phone which is an aspect of the portable communication terminal comprises the steps of detecting, during the execution of an icon-bar displaying process, a press of an operation key, terminating outputting icon data if the operation key is associated with the icon-bar non-display function and if there is already no icon bar being displayed, detecting a press of the operation key, and executing the icon-bar displaying process if the operation key is associated with the icon-bar display function and if there is no icon bar being displayed.

Claims

1. A portable communication terminal comprising:

a storing unit for storing image plane data for displaying image planes and a plurality of image data associated with a plurality of functions of said portable communication terminal;

a first display unit for displaying images based on data stored in said storing unit;

a second display unit for displaying images based on data stored in said storing unit;

a determining unit for determining whether or not images based on said image data are to be displayed;

a generating unit for generating display data for displaying said images based on the result of said determining unit, wherein said generating unit includes a first generating unit for generating said display data according to the image display area of said first display unit when said determining unit determines that images based on said image data are to be displayed on said first display unit, and a second generating unit for generating said display data according to the image display area of said second display unit when said determining unit determines that images based on said image data are to be displayed on said second display unit;

an input unit for receiving an input of a selection instruction for said images; and

a processing unit for executing the function associated with the image data of selected said image.

2. The portable communication terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first cabinet and a second cabinet which is foldable with respect to said first cabinet, wherein said input unit includes a first input unit for receiving an input of said selection instruction for images displayed on said first display unit; and

a second input unit for receiving an input of said selection instruction for images displayed on said second display unit, wherein said second display unit is placed on the outer side of said portable communication terminal when said first cabinet and said second cabinet are folded and said first display unit is placed on a different surface from the surface on which said second display unit is placed.

3. The portable communication terminal according to claim 1, further comprising an information input unit for receiving an input of information from the outside, wherein said determining unit includes a display determining unit for determining whether or not the images based on said image data are to be displayed based on said information from the outside.

4. The portable communication terminal according to claim 3, wherein said information input unit includes a receiving unit for receiving information through a communication line,

said portable communication terminal further comprises an identifying unit for identifying functions associated with said information based on said received information, wherein said storing unit further stores setting information designating whether or not the images based on the image data associated with said functions are to be displayed, and said display determining unit determines whether or not the images based on said image data are to be displayed based on the setting information associated with said identified functions.

5. The portable communication terminal according to claim 3, wherein said information input unit includes an operating unit for enabling a user to input instructions and said display determining unit determines whether or not the images based on said image data are to be displayed based on said instructions.

6. The portable communication terminal according to claim 3, wherein said information input unit includes an operation unit for receiving an input of instructions, said storing unit stores a plurality of position data for said images in said image display area, said display determining unit determines whether or not images are to be displayed at positions associated with any of said plurality of position data based on said instructions, and said generating unit generates said display data according to position data of positions different from said positions associated with any of said position data, when it is determined that said images are not to be displayed at said positions associated with any of said position data.

7. A portable communication terminal comprising:

a storing unit for storing image plane data for displaying image planes in association with a plurality of image data associated with a plurality of functions of said portable communication terminal;

a display unit for displaying images based on said image plane data and said image data;

a data generating unit for generating data for displaying images on said display unit based on data stored in said storing unit; and

a detecting unit for detecting switching instructions for image planes displayed on said display unit, wherein said data generating unit generates data for displaying said image planes based on said image plane data and generates display data for displaying images associated with said respective functions based on said image data in response to said switching instruction being detected.

8. The portable communication terminal according to claim 7, further comprising a processing unit for realizing said respective functions, wherein said detecting unit detects said switching instruction in response to functions having been realized by said processing unit.

9. The portable communication terminal according to claim 7, further comprising an input unit for receiving an input of information from the outside, wherein said detecting unit detects said switching instruction in response to the inputs of said information.

10. The portable communication terminal according to claim 7, further comprising:

an input unit for receiving an input of information from the outside;

a time-measuring unit for measuring the time until said information is input from the outside; and

a detecting unit for detecting said information being input, wherein said detecting unit detects said switching instruction when said information from outside is not input for a predetermined time.

11. The portable communication terminal according to claim 7, wherein said storing unit stores setting information input by a user in association with said image data, and said generating unit includes a display data generating unit for generating said display data, based on said image data and said setting information.

12. The portable communication terminal according to claim 11, wherein said setting information includes priority data for designating the positions at which said images are to be displayed, said storing unit stores said priority data in association with said image data, and said display data generating unit generates said display data in association with the positions based on said priority data.

13. The portable communication terminal according to claim 7, further comprising:

an operating unit for receiving an input of instructions;

a detecting unit for detecting said functions being selected based on said inputs of instructions;

a notification unit for giving notice that said functions are selected; and

a control unit for controlling the operation of said notification unit based on data stored in said storing unit.

14. The portable communication terminal according to claim 13, wherein said notification unit includes a light emitting unit for emitting light of at least a single color, said storing unit further stores identification data for identifying the color of light in association with said functions, and said control unit controls said light emitting unit such that light of a color according to said identification data is emitted in response to said functions being selected.

15. The portable communication terminal according to claim 13, wherein said storing unit further stores at least one sound data in association with said functions, said notification unit includes a sound output unit for outputting sound based on said sound data, and said control unit controls said sound output unit such that sound based on said sound data is output in response to said functions being selected.

16. The portable communication terminal according to claim 13, wherein said notification unit includes an oscillating unit for producing oscillation, said storing unit further stores conditions in which said oscillating unit operates in association with said functions, and said control unit controls said oscillating unit such that it produces oscillation according to said conditions in response to said functions being selected.

17. The portable communication terminal according to claim 7, further comprising:

an operation unit for receiving an input of instructions; and

a photographing unit for photographing an object and outputting image signals, wherein said plurality of functions include operations from photographing objects by said photographing unit to processing said output image signals, said storing unit further stores process procedure for performing said plurality of functions input through said operation unit, and said generating unit generates data for displaying images designating said plurality of functions based on said process procedure and outputting it.

18. The portable communication terminal according to claim 7, wherein said display unit includes a first display unit for displaying said image planes and the images based on said image data and a second display unit for displaying said image planes and the images based on said image data, said storing unit further stores first display area data relating to the display area of said first display unit and second display area data relating to the display area of said second display unit, and said generating unit generates said display data based on said first display area data and said image data and generates said display data based on said second display area data and said image data.

19. The portable communication terminal according to claim 7, further comprising a first cabinet and a second cabinet which is foldable with respect to said first cabinet, wherein said operation unit is placed on the outer side of one of said first cabinet and said second cabinet.

20. A portable communication terminal comprising:

a display unit having an image display area;

a storing unit for storing image plane data for displaying image planes to be displayed in said image display area, a plurality of image data associated with a plurality of functions of said portable communication terminal, a plurality of display positions at which images based on said image data are to be displayed along a predetermined direction in said image display area, the priorities of respective said display positions, and the priorities of respective said functions;

a detecting unit for detecting switching instructions for switching the display of said image planes;

a generating unit for generating, in response to said switching instruction being detected, display data for displaying respective said images by associating said image data with the priorities of respective said display positions based on the priorities of respective said functions; and

an input unit for receiving an input of instructions from a user, wherein said input unit receives an input of instructions for selecting images as selection candidates out of said images displayed on said image display area in said predetermined direction, and said input unit can be held in one hand of said user;

a changing unit for changing said images as selection candidates in said predetermined direction based on the input from said input unit; and

a processing unit for executing functions associated with said images based on the inputs from said input unit.

21. The portable communication terminal according to claim 20, wherein said storing unit includes criterion position data associated with predetermined positions in said image display area corresponding to respective said display positions,

said portable communication terminal further comprising a searching unit for searching image data associated with said criterion position data based on said respective priorities, wherein said generating unit generates said display data by associating said searched image data with said criterion position data.

22. The portable communication terminal according to claim 21, wherein said predetermined positions are display positions placed at the center in the row direction of said image display area, said criterion position data is data associated with said display area, and said input unit receives an input of instructions for said selection in said row direction.

23. The portable communication terminal according to claim 21, wherein said predetermined positions are display areas placed at the center in the column direction of said image display area, said criterion position data is data associated with said display area, and said input unit receives an input of instructions for said selection in said column direction.

24. The portable communication terminal according to claim 20, further comprising an acquiring unit for acquiring said priorities based on the history of the execution of functions by said processing unit, wherein said storing unit stores said acquired priorities.

25. The portable communication terminal according to claim 24, wherein said priorities are the frequencies of execution of said functions by said processing unit, said storing unit stores said frequencies in association with image data associated with said functions, and said generating unit generates said display data based on said image data and said frequencies.

26. The portable communication terminal according to claim 24, wherein said priorities are the times when said processing unit executed said functions, said storing unit stores said times in association with image data associated with said functions, and said generating unit generates said display data based on said image data and said times.

27. The portable communication terminal according to claim 20, wherein said display unit includes a first display unit for displaying said image planes and said images based on said generated display data and said image plane data and a second display unit for displaying said image planes and said images based on said generated display data and said image plane data, said storing unit further stores first information relating to the size of the image display area of said first display unit, the number of first images which can be displayed on said first display unit, second information relating to the size of the image display area of said second display unit, and the number of second images which can be displayed on said second display unit, and said generating unit generates said display data by associating said image data with said priorities, based on said first information and said number of first images and generates said display data by associating said image data with said priorities based on said second information and said number of second images.