Portable terminal apparatus

• US 20050231977A1
• Filed: 05/23/2003
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hayakawa, Haruo
• Application Number:
  US10/519,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20050231977A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/600
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133308 Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133342 for double-sided displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable terminal apparatus in which an adequate visibility can be assured even when a periphery is dark, and liquid crystal display surfaces provided on both surfaces are irradiated with one light source in a casing. Thus, thickness and weight can be easily reduced. The portable terminal apparatus according to the present invention is a portable terminal apparatus for displaying information on a plurality of display parts (display surfaces) (11) and (12) provided on both the surfaces of a front and back surfaces of an upper casing (4) by using a single liquid crystal display device (4). A light guide plate (42) is provided for guiding illuminating lights from a light emitting element (41) of the single liquid crystal display device (4) to opposite directions to each other to irradiate both the surfaces of a main body part (40) of the liquid crystal display device (4) with the lights.

Claims

1. A portable terminal apparatus for displaying information on a plurality of display surfaces provided on front and back surfaces of a casing by using a single liquid crystal display device, comprising:

a light guide plate, which guides illuminating lights from a light emitting element of the single liquid crystal display device to opposite directions to each other to irradiate both surfaces of a main body part of the liquid crystal display device with the lights.

2. The portable terminal apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein a single light guide plate is provided so as to extend until both the surfaces of the main body part of the liquid crystal display device to irradiate both the surfaces of the main body part of the single liquid crystal display device with the lights.

3. The portable terminal apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the light guide plate is formed in a winding shape on both the surfaces of the main body part of the liquid crystal display device to irradiate both the surfaces of the main body part of the single liquid crystal display device with the lights.

4. The portable terminal apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein an opening is formed on a part of the light guide plate facing the main body part of the liquid crystal display device;

and

wherein the opening allows to visually recognize display image information therethrough.

5. The portable terminal apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein transmitting areas corresponding to the display surfaces through which the illuminating lights can be transmitted in both the surfaces of the main body part of the liquid crystal display device are provided at positions shifted to each other to avoid an overlap;

and

wherein the opening of the light guide plate is provided at the position corresponding to the transmitting area of the main body part of the liquid display device.

6. The portable terminal apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a detecting unit, which detects opening and closing operations of the casing,

wherein an operating area of the liquid crystal display device is limited in accordance with the opening and closing states detected by the detecting unit to switch the display part for displaying the image information.