Portable radio telephone set

• US 5,742,912 A
• Filed: 01/18/1995
• Issued: 04/21/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: FIPA Frohwitter Intellectual Property AG
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nishiyama, Takanori, Itakura, Sakae, Yanagisawa, Kazunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): TROST IV, WILLIAM GEORGE
• Application Number:
  US08/375,409
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/61, 379/428, 379/433, 379/434, 455/89, 455/90, 455/550, 455/566, 455/575
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2019/146 Roller type actuators
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2223/05 composed of hingedly connected sections
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/008 Operating part movable both angularly and rectilinearly, the rectilinear movement being perpendicular to the axis of angular movement
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/162 associated with a hinge of the closing member
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0218 The hinge comprising input and/or output user interface means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts
• 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 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• 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

A portable radio telephone set provided with a display section includes a rotary selector which turns to select various functions. A menu displayed on the display section is selected by the rotary selector during a non-conversation time, and the sound volume can be adjusted during the conversation time. The adjusting operation can be performed from both the front and the rear sides of the telephone set. The rotary selector and button keys are arranged within the operation range of the thumb, and ordinary dial functions performed by operating these rotary selector and button keys are provided.

Claims

1. A portable radio telephone set comprising:

an operation member having a plurality of button keys thereon and a microphone therein;

a display and receiver member having a display section for displaying a menu of telephone functions and having an output section for outputting received voice messages;

a hinge member hingedly joining said operation member and said display and receiver member to form a telephone case having a front side with said button keys, said display section, and said output section thereon, and having a rear side, said hinge member permitting hinged movement of said operation member and said display and receiver member between a folded and housed position and an open operating position;

a rotary selector member having a longitudinal axis, and mounted on said telephone case for longitudinal movement along said longitudinal axis between a first position, in which a first menu of functions is displayed on said display section, and a second position, in which a second menu of functions is displayed on said display section, and protruding both to the front side and to the rear side of said telephone case for operation from either said front side or said rear side to select telephone functions from the menu displayed on said display and receiver member and to adjust sound volume of said telephone set;

said button keys and said rotary selector being positioned to permit operation thereof by a user'"'"'s thumb.

2. In a portable radio telephone set including a casing member for housing said telephone set, a display member for displaying a menu of a plurality of telephone functions, a selector member for selecting functions for said portable radio telephone set from the menu displayed on said display member, and a hinge member permitting said casing to be folded to enclose said telephone set, the improvement wherein said selector member is a rotary selector member incorporated into said hinge member and operable independently of said hinge member to select functions from the menu.

3. In a portable radio telephone set adapted to assume alternatively a conversation mode and a non-conversation mode and capable of performing a plurality of telephone functions, said telephone set having a display section for displaying a menu of the telephone functions and a selector for permitting selection of a function to be performed by the telephone set from the menu of functions displayed on said display section, the improvement wherein said display section is responsive to said telephone set being in the conversation mode for displaying a first set of telephone functions on the menu to permit said selector to select a function from said first set, and is responsive to said telephone set being in the non-conversation mode for displaying a second set of telephone functions on the menu to permit said selector to select a function from said second set, and wherein said selector has a longitudinal axis and is slidable along said longitudinal axis between a first position, in which said telephone set is in the conversation mode, and a second position, in which said telephone set is in the non-conversation mode.

4. A portable radio telephone set comprising:

a key panel member having a plurality of button keys for controlling operation of said telephone set;

a display member for displaying a menu of a plurality of telephone functions;

a hinge member hingedly joining said key panel member and said display member to form a telephone case; and

a rotary selector member mounted in said hinge member and operable independently of said hinge member for selecting telephone functions from the menu displayed on said display member.

5. A portable radio telephone set comprising:

a key panel member having a plurality of button keys for controlling operation of said telephone set;

a display member having a display section for displaying a menu of telephone functions;

a hinge member hingedly joining said key panel member and said display member to form a telephone case having a front side with said button keys and said display section thereon and having a rear side; and

a selector member having a longitudinal axis, and mounted on said telephone case for longitudinal movement along said longitudinal axis between a first position, in which a first menu of functions is displayed on said display section, and a second position, in which a second menu of functions is displayed on said display section, and protruding both to said front side and to said rear side of said telephone case for operation from either said front side or said rear side to select telephone functions from the menu displayed on said display section.

6. A portable radio telephone set comprising:

a key panel member having a plurality of button keys for controlling operation of said telephone set;

a display member responsive to said telephone set being in the conversation mode for displaying a first menu of telephone functions for said telephone set, and responsive to said telephone set being in the non-conversation mode for displaying a second set of telephone functions for said telephone set;

a hinge member hingedly joining said key panel member and said display member to form a telephone case; and

a selector member having a longitudinal axis and mounted on said telephone case for longitudinal movement along said longitudinal axis between a first position, in which said telephone set is in the conversation mode, and a second position, in which said telephone set is in the non-conversation mode, for selecting telephone functions from the menu displayed on said display and receiver section member.

7. In a portable radio telephone set including an operation member having a plurality of button keys thereon, a display and receiver member having a display section for displaying a menu of telephone functions and a receiver section for receiving and outputting received voice messages, and a selector member for selecting functions for said portable radio telephone set from the menu displayed on said display section, the improvement wherein said selector member is a rotary selector member having a longitudinal axis, said rotary selector member being rotatable about said axis, for selection of a function from the menu, and being slidable longitudinally along said axis between a first position, in which a first menu of functions is displayed, and a second position, in which a second menu of functions is displayed, whereby the menu of functions can be changed by sliding said rotary selector member between said first and second positions.