Folding Rotary Portable Terminal

• US 20080268923A1
• Filed: 08/02/2005
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yanagibashi, Hidehiro, Hasegawa, Akira, Mochizuki, Kenichi, Satou, Kazunori
• Application Number:
  US11/572,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20080268923A1
• 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 1/0229 The hinge comprising input and/or output user interface means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0264 for a camera module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/236 including keys on side or rear faces

Abstract

In a folding rotary portable terminal, a first case having a display section for at least displaying information and side face keys and are coupled to a second case having at least a camera section and side face keys and through a hinge part having at least two degrees of freedom in rotation, namely open/close and orthogonal directions. When the first case is rotated by 180° about the rotary shaft of the hinge part from an opened state of the first case and the second case to a folding state where the first case is superposed on the second case with the display section directed outward, the side face keys on the different side faces of the first case and the second case come to the same side. Thus, even in the folding state, various functions can be operated easily.

Claims

1. A folding rotary portable terminal comprising:

a first case having a display section for at least displaying information;

a second case having at least a camera section; and

a hinge part having at least two degrees of freedom in rotation, namely an open/close direction and an orthogonal direction,

wherein

the first case is coupled to the second case through the hinge part, and

at least one side face key is disposed on different side faces of the first case and the second case.

4. The folding rotary portable terminal of one of claim 1 through claim 3,

wherein, when the first case is rotated by 180°

about a rotary shaft of the hinge part from an opened state to a folding state, the side face keys arranged on the first case and the side face keys arranged on the second case come to alternate positions,

wherein, in the opened state, the first case and the second case are opened, and, in the folding state, the first case is superposed on the second case with the display section of the first case directed outward.

5. The folding rotary portable terminal of one of claim 1 through claim 3,

wherein when the first case is rotated by 180°

about a rotary shaft of the hinge part from an opened state to a folding state, the side face keys arranged on the first case and the side face keys arranged on the second case overlap each other,

wherein, in the opened state, the first case and the second case are opened, and, in the folding state, the first case is superposed on the second case with the display section of the first case directed outward.

6. The folding rotary portable terminal of one of claim 1 through claim 3,

wherein a side face key of one of the two cases is an operation mode selection key and is used to select an operation mode to be operated from at least two operation modes.

7. The folding rotary portable terminal of one of claim 1 through claim 3,

wherein a side face key of one of the two cases is a shutter key.

8. The folding rotary portable terminal of one of claim 1 through claim 3,

wherein a side face key of one of the two cases is a zoom key.

9. The folding rotary portable terminal of one of claim 1 through claim 3,

wherein a side face key of one of the two cases is a photo light key.

10. The folding rotary portable terminal of one of claim 1 through claim 3,

wherein a side face key of one of the two cases is a macro switch key.

11. The folding rotary portable terminal of one of claim 1 through claim 3,

wherein a side face key of one of the two cases is a night mode switch key.

12. The folding rotary portable terminal of one of claim 1 through claim 3,

wherein a side face key of one of the two cases is a TV channel switch key.

13. The folding rotary portable terminal of one of claim 1 through claim 3,

wherein a side face key of one of the two cases is a key for scrolling up and down a screen of the display section, and a side face key of the other is a key for scrolling the screen of the display section left and right.

14. The folding rotary portable terminal of one of claim 1 through claim 3,

wherein a side face key of one of the two cases is a memo/manner mode switch key.

15. The folding rotary portable terminal of one of claim 1 through claim 3,

wherein a side face key of one of the two cases is a clear key.

2. A folding rotary portable terminal comprising:

a first case having a display section for at least displaying information;

a second case having at least a camera section; and

a hinge part having at least two degrees of freedom in rotation, namely an open/close direction and an orthogonal direction,

wherein

the first case is coupled to the second case through the hinge part, and

when the first case is rotated by 180°

about a rotary shaft of the hinge part from an opened state to a folding state, side face keys arranged on the different side faces of the first case and the second case come to an identical side,

wherein, in the opened state, the first case and the second case are opened, and, in the folding state, the first case is superposed on the second case with the display section of the first case directed outward.

3. A folding rotary portable terminal comprising:

a first case having a display section for at least displaying information;

a second case having at least a camera section; and

a hinge part having at least two degrees of freedom in rotation, namely an open/close direction and an orthogonal direction,

wherein

the first case is coupled to the second case through the hinge part, and

when the first case is rotated by 180°

about a rotary shaft of the hinge part from an opened state to a folding state, side face keys arranged on different side faces of the first case and the second case come to a top face, which has a shutter key,

wherein, in the opened state, the first case and the second case are opened, and, in the folding state, the first case is superposed on the second case with the display section of the first case directed outward.