Mobile communication terminal

• US 20070159453A1
• Filed: 12/16/2004
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Vodafone Group PLC
• Original Assignee: Vodafone Group PLC
• Inventors: Inoue, Mikio
• Application Number:
  US10/586,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20070159453A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1639 the display being based on projection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1673 Arrangements for projecting a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0423 using sweeping light beams, e.g. using rotating or vibrating mirror
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0426 tracking fingers with respect to a virtual keyboard projected or printed on the surface virtual keyboards on touch screens G06F3/04886
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/043 using propagating acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0272 for a projector or beamer module assembly constructional features of projectors per se G03B21/00; constructional details of projectors using electronic spatial light modulators per se H04N9/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation methods for entering alphabetical characters per se G06F3/0237

Abstract

The present invention provides a mobile communication terminal that enables advanced operability and flexibility in user operation while maintaining portability.

This mobile communication terminal includes an image projection unit 130, a key selection detection unit (an operation detection means) 180, and a main control unit (a data processing means) 111. The image projection unit 130 projects an operation-plane image that virtually displays the operation-plane of an operation device operated by users. The key selection detection unit 180 detects operation on the operation-plane image (key layout image) projected by the image projection unit 130. The main control unit 111 executes a predetermined data process, based on the detection results of operation detected by the key selection detection unit 180.

Claims

1-3. -3. (canceled)

4. A mobile communication terminal, comprising:

image projection means for protecting an operation-plane image that displays virtually an operation-plane of an operation device operated by users;

operation detection means for detecting operation on the operation-plane image projected by the image projection means;

data processing means for performing a predetermined data process based on the detection result of operation detected by the operation detection means; and

application execution management means for managing application program execution environment of an application program selected from a plurality of application programs that is downloaded via a mobile communication network;

wherein

the image projection means projects an operation-plane image corresponding to recognition function designated by designation information received from the application execution management means, among a plurality of kinds of mutually different operation-plane images; and

the operation detection means has a plurality of kinds of mutually different recognition functions to recognize operation content by at least one of position direction and movement of an operation object on the plurality of kinds of operation-plane images, and detects operation on the operation-plane image by using the recognition function designated by designation information received from the application execution management means.

12. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 4, 6, 7 or 8, wherein

the mobile communication terminal is configured by using a light source, a spatial light modulation unit for modulating light output from the light source, and an optical system for projection imaging that projects by imaging a light image output from the spatial light modulation unit on an external projection screen,

the mobile communication terminal comprises an optical system for diffused illumination for homogenously illuminating by diffusing light output from the light source to an external illumination plane, and

the light source and the spatial light modulation unit are both shared to generate a light image subject to projection and generate a light subject to diffused illumination. cm 13. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 12, the mobile communication terminal comprising:

a camera unit that generates image data by transforming the light-image to electric signals; and

an optical system for camera imaging for imaging the light image subject to shooting on the camera unit;

wherein

the operation detection means is configured by using operation object detection means for detecting at least one of position, direction, and movement of an operation object operating on the operation-plane image and operation detection data generation means for generating operation detection data corresponding to position, direction or movement of the operation object based on the detection results of the operation object detection means; and

the camera unit and the optical system for camera imaging are both shared as the operation object detection means.

5. (canceled)

6. A mobile communication terminal, comprising:

image projection means for projecting an operation-plane image that displays virtually an operation-plane of an operation device operated by users;

operation detection means for detecting operation on the operation-plane image projected by the image projection means;

data processing means for performing a predetermined data process based on the detection result of operation detected by the operation detection means; and

application execution management means for managing execution environment of an application program selected from a plurality of application programs that is downloaded via a mobile communication network;

wherein

the image projection means projects an operation-plane image corresponding to recognition function designated by designation information received from the application execution management means, among a plurality of kinds of mutually different operation-plane images; and

the operation detection means has a plurality of kinds of mutually different recognition functions to recognize operation content by at least one of position, direction and movement of an operation object on the plurality of kinds of operation-plane images, and detects operation on the operation-plane image by using the recognition function corresponding to the operation-plane image designated by designation information received from the application execution management means.

7. A mobile communication terminal, comprising:

image projection means for projecting an operation-plane image that displays virtually an operation-plane of an operation device operated by users;

operation detection means for detecting operation on the operation-plane image projected by the image projection means;

data processing means for performing a predetermined data process based on the detection result of operation detected by the operation detection means;

memory means for memorizing a plurality of image data corresponding to each of a plurality of kinds of operation-plane images;

application execution management means for executing an application program selected from a plurality of kinds of application programs that is downloaded via a mobile communication network; and

instruction generation means for generating an operation-plane image selection instruction in accordance with content of the selected application program;

wherein

the image projection means selects an image data from the plurality of image data memorized in the memory based on the operation-plane image selection instruction generated by the instruction generation means, and projects the operation-plane image of the selected image data; and

the application execution management means performs a data process corresponding to operation detected by the operation detection means in accordance with the content of the application program during execution of the selected application program.

8. A mobile communication terminal, comprising:

image projection means for protecting an operation-plane image that displays virtually an operation-plane of an operation device operated by users;

operation detection means for detecting operation on the operation-plane image projected by the image projection means;

application execution management means for executing an application program selected from a plurality of application programs that is downloaded via a mobile communication network, and performs a data process corresponding to operation detected by the operation detection means in accordance with the content of the application program; and

data readout means for reading out image data of an operation-plane image included in the content of the application program;

wherein

the image projection means projects an operation plane-image based on the image data read out by the data readout means when executing the selected application program.

9-11. -11. (canceled)

14. (canceled)