PORTABLE TERMINAL

• US 20090143107A1
• Filed: 09/13/2006
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hotta, Mihoko
• Application Number:
  US12/067,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20090143107A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72475 specially adapted for disabled users

Abstract

While an attitude of a housing and an attitude change thereof are employed so as to operate an application, an input unit capable of giving a top priority to the application is provided at a predetermined position of the housing so as to provide a portable terminal having a superior operability.

The portable terminal 10 includes: an attitude detecting section 16 which detects one of an attitude and an attitude change of the housing 11; a control unit 17 which displays an image of an application on a display unit 13 based upon information acquired from a communication unit 14; and an output unit 18 capable of externally outputting image data and sound data of the application. In the portable terminal 10, the control unit 17 controls the application based upon the detection value obtained from the attitude detecting section 16. This portable terminal 10 includes input units 19 capable of operating at least a part of the application; and the input units 19 are provided on a top face 11E and a bottom face 11F, which are located adjacent to a front face 11A.

Claims

1. A portable terminal, comprising:

a housing in which an operation unit and a display unit are provided on a front face of the housing;

a communication unit contained in the housing, and communicating with an external apparatus;

an attitude detecting section which is contained in the housing and detects one of an attitude and an attitude change of the housing;

a control unit which runs an application and displays an image of the application on the display unit based upon information acquired from the communication unit; and

an output unit capable of externally outputting image data and sound data of the application;

wherein;

the control unit controls the application based upon the detection value obtained from the attitude detecting section;

the portable terminal includes an input unit capable of operating at least a part of the application; and

the input unit is provided on a side face of the housing located adjacent to the front face.

2. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the image data and the sound data of the application are externally outputted from the output unit, at least a backlight of the display unit is turned OFF.

3. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

the communication unit can perform both a voice communication and a data communication in a parallel mode;

when the voice communication is received while the application is running, a notification display for notifying the reception of the voice communication displayed on an external display apparatus which displays thereon the image of the application via the output unit;

in case that a user does not answer the voice communication, the own station message is transmitted to a communication counter party, and thereafter, message recording process for recording a message of the communication counter party is performed; and

in case that the user answers the voice communication, the control unit performs a call reception process operation for controlling a sound volume of the external display apparatus.