Mobile Communication Terminal

• US 20070298850A1
• Filed: 05/30/2005
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2004
• 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: Miyata, Yusuke, Amano, Yonosuke
• Granted Patent: US 8,606,339 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/021 using combined folding and rotation motions combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/236 including keys on side or rear faces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• 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

Abstract

[Summary]

[Object] An object of the present invention is to enhance operability of a mobile communication terminal to be foldable by directing a display panel outward.

[Means for Settlement] A folding-type mobile communication terminal including a thin operation case 1 with an operation panel being formed, a thin display case 2 with a display panel being formed, and a movable connector 3 to connect the operation case 1 and the display case 2, in which transition can be made between a normal open state of expanding the both cases 1 and 2 by directing the operation panel and the display panel to the same direction, and a reverse close state of being folded by directing the display panel outward and opposing the main surfaces of the both cases, and having a main multifunction key 14 to be provided in the operation panel and capable of performing two or more different operation inputs corresponding to pressing portions, and a side multifunction key 26 to be provided in the end surface of the operation case 1 and capable of performing the same operations with the main multifunction key 14 to achieve the same operation inputs therewith.

Claims

1. A mobile communication terminal having a display case with a display panel, an operation case with an operation panel, and a movable connector to connect the display case and the operation case to be foldable, and

being capable of making transition between a normal open state of expanding said both cases by directing said display panel and said operation panel to the same direction, and a reverse close state of folding said both cases by directing said display panel outward and said operation panel inward, and comprising

a first multifunction key to be provided on said operation panel and capable of performing two or more different operation inputs corresponding to pressing portions,

a second multifunction key to be operable in said reverse close state and capable of performing two or more different operation inputs corresponding to pressing portions, and

an input control means to control activation and inactivation of said operation inputs by the second multifunction key in accordance with said normal operation state and said reverse close state.

2. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein said second multifunction key is provided in the side surface of said operation case.

3. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein said second multifunction key is provided on said display panel.

4. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, comprising a terminal state detection means to detect the connection state of said both cases made by said movable connector, wherein

said input control means controls activation and inactivation of the operation inputs by said first and second multifunction keys on the basis of the detected result by said terminal state detection means.

5. A mobile communication terminal having a thin display case with a display panel formed on one main surface thereof, a thin operation case with an operation panel formed on one main surface thereof, and a movable connector to connect said display case and said operation case, and

being capable of making transition between a normal open state of expanding said both cases by directing said operation panel and said display panel to the same direction, and a reverse close state of folding said both cases with mutually opposing main surfaces by directing said operation panel inward and said display panel outward, and comprising

a main multifunction key to be provided on said operation panel and capable of performing two or more different operation inputs corresponding to pressing portions, and

a side multifunction key to be provided in the end surface of said operation case and capable of performing the same operations with the main multifunction key to achieve the same operation inputs therewith.

6. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 5, wherein said side multifunction key is capable of performing the same operations with said main multifunction key to achieve the same operation inputs therewith in both a short keypress and a long keypress.

7. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 5 comprising a terminal state detection means to detect the connection state of said both cases made by said movable connector, and

an input control means to inactivate the operation inputs by said side multifunction key on the basis of the detected result by said terminal state detection means, wherein

said side multifunction key is provided in the movable connector side of said operation case, and

said input control means inactivates the operation inputs by said side multifunction key in the normal open state.

8. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 7, wherein said input control means inactivates the operation inputs by said side multifunction key during a telephone call in the normal open state.

9. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 7, wherein said movable connector is comprised of a first rotating axis to fold said both cases and a second rotating axis which is orthogonal to said first rotating axis and relatively rotates said both cases, and capable of making transition to a reverse open state of expanding said both cases by directing said operation panel and said display panel to the opposite directions, and

said input control means activates the operation inputs by said side multifunction key in said reverse close state and said reverse open state.

10. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 5, comprising two or more main guide keys to be provided on said operation panel and have function assignment displayed in a display screen on said display panel,

a side guide key to be provided in the end surface of said operation case and made to correspond to a part of said main guide keys, and

a sub guide key to be provided on said display panel and made to correspond to the remaining part of said main guide keys.

11. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 10, wherein said main guide keys includes a center guide key arranged in a center of said main multifunction key, and

said side guide key corresponding to said center guide key is arranged in the vicinity of the side multifunction key.

12. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 10, comprising a terminal state detection means to detect the connection state of said both cases made by said movable connector, and

an input control means to inactivate an operation input by the side guide key in said normal open state on the basis of the detected result by said terminal state detection means.

13. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 10, wherein an on-hook function is assigned to said sub guide key during the telephone call in said reverse close state.

14. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 10, wherein an off-hook function is assigned to said sub guide key during an incoming telephone call in said reverse close state.

15. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 10, wherein an off-hook function is assigned to said sub guide key in the case of making transition to said reverse close state after inputting a number in said normal open state.

16. A mobile communication terminal having a display case with a display panel including a display screen, an operation case with an operation panel comprised of operation keys, and a connector to connect said display case and said operation case to be foldable, in which transition can be made between a normal open state of expanding said both cases by directing said display panel and said operation panel to the same direction, and a reverse close state of folding said both cases by directing said operation panel inward and said display panel outward, and comprising,

a first multifunction key to be provided on said operation panel and capable of performing two or more different operation inputs corresponding to pressing portions, and

a second multifunction key to be provided on said display panel and capable of performing two or more different operation inputs corresponding to pressing portions.

17. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 16, wherein said second multifunction key is capable of performing the same operations with said first multifunction key to achieve the same operation inputs therewith.

18. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 16, comprising a terminal state identification means to identify said normal open state and said reverse close state, and

an input control means to control activation and inactivation of the operation inputs by said first or second multifunction keys on the basis of the identified result by said terminal state identification means.

19. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 18, comprising a receiver for outputting voice during the telephone call on said display panel, wherein

said input control means activates the operation inputs by said first multifunction key and inactivate the operation inputs by said second multifunction key in said normal open state.

20. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 19, wherein said input control means inactivates the operation inputs by said second multifunction key during the telephone call in said normal open state.

21. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 18, wherein said second multifunction key is provided in the external side of said display screen and in the opposite side of said connector.

22. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 18, comprising two or more first guide keys to be provided on said operation panel and have function assignment displayed on said display screen, and

a second guide key to be provided on said display panel and made to correspond to said first guide key, wherein

said input control means controls activation and inactivation of said operation inputs by said first and second guide keys on the basis of the identified result by said terminal state identification means.

23. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 18, comprising two back lights to illuminate said first and second multifunction keys from the rear surface sides respectively, and

a key lighting control means to turn on said back lights on the basis of the identified result by said terminal state identification means.

24. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 23, wherein said key lighting control means turns on the back light corresponding to said multifunction key made to activate the operation inputs, and turns off the back light corresponding to the multifunction key made to inactivate the operation inputs.

25. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 18, comprising a back light to illuminate said second multifunction key from the rear surface side, and

a key lighting control means to switch illumination colors and turn on said back light on the basis of the identified result of the terminal state.

26. An imaging device with a first thin case and a second thin case to be mutually connected by a hinge portion, wherein

the first thin case has an imaging means and an operation panel with a first operation key to control said imaging means,

the second thin case has a display panel with a display screen to display image data taken by said imaging means, and a second operation key to control said imaging means, and

said hinge portion rotatably connects said first and said second thin cases so as to enable transition between a folded state of opposing a main surface of said first thin case against a main surface of said second thin case, and an expanded state.

27. The imaging device according to claim 26, wherein said second operation key is provided on said display panel.

28. The imaging device according to claim 26, wherein said operation panel is either of main surfaces of said first thin case.

29. The imaging device according to claim 26, wherein said operation panel is formed in the end surface of said first thin case.

30. The imaging device according to claim 26, wherein said display panel is either of main surfaces of said second thin case, and

said hinge portion has two orthogonal rotating axes and is capable of making transition between a folded state with said display panel directed inward and a folded state with said display panel directed outward.

31. The imaging device according to claim 26, wherein said imaging means is formed on either of main surfaces of said first thin case,

said display panel is either of main surfaces of said second thin case, and

said hinge portion is capable of folding said both thin cases by turning both said imaging means and said display panel toward the outside.

32. The imaging device according to claim 27, wherein end portions of said first and second thin cases in the opposite side of said movable connector are mutually piled in the folded state, and

said second operation key is formed in said end portion side rather than said display screen.

33. The imaging device according to claim 31, wherein said first operation key is formed in an end surface of said first thin case.

34. A mobile communication terminal with said imaging device according to claim 26 comprising the telephone communication receiver to output received voice, a telephone communication microphone which transmission voice is inputted into, and a third operation key to input a telephone number, wherein the telephone communication can be made via a cellular wireless base station.