Multi-language display keypad

• US 5,914,676 A
• Filed: 01/22/1998
• Issued: 06/22/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Akpa, Marcellin
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, ALBERT KANG
• Application Number:
  US09/010,941
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 341/22, 341/23, 345/170, 379/368
• US Class Current: 341/23
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• 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 2250/58 including a multilanguage function

Abstract

A mobile phone keypad having a plurality of special function keys each of which is provided with an LCD screen for displaying the function of the key in one of a plurality of languages. The display data for the LCD screens is stored in a PROM and a microprocessor reads out the display data in a selected language for all of the function keys at the same time.

Claims

1. A mobile phone keypad comprising:

a plurality of keys, some having fixed labels thereon for describing a function of the key and others having changeable labels thereon for describing a function of the key, each changeable label including a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen;

storage means for storing display information in a plurality of different languages for the LCD screens;

LCD driver means for simultaneously supplying display signals to the LCD screens to cause the LCD screens to display different displays in the same language; and

control means connected to each of the plurality of keys for sensing when one of such keys is depressed and controlling a corresponding function of the mobile phone in response thereto, the control means further controlling the storage means and the LCD driver means to read out display information in a given language from the storage means and supply the read out display information to the LCD driver means.

2. A mobile phone keypad according to claim 1, wherein the control means can be programmed by a user of the mobile phone by depressing one or more of the plurality of keys and further wherein the control means can be thereby controlled by the user to read out the display information in a language selected by the user from the storage means and supply the read out display information to the LCD driver means.

3. A mobile phone keypad according to claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of keys having a keypad with a changeable label is a "CLEAR" function key for causing the mobile phone to erase a number or a series of numbers entered by means of the keys.

4. A mobile phone keypad according to claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of keys having a keypad with a changeable label is a "STORE" function key for causing the mobile phone to store in a memory a number or a series of numbers entered by means of the keys.

5. A mobile phone keypad according to claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of keys having a keypad with a changeable label is a "RECALL" function key for causing the mobile phone to read out from memory a number or a series of numbers previously stored in the memory.

6. A mobile phone keypad according to claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of keys having a keypad with a changeable label is a "SEND" function key for causing the mobile phone to dial a number.

7. A mobile phone keypad according to claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of keys having a keypad with a changeable label is an "END" function key for causing the mobile phone to disconnect voice communication with another phone via a base station.

8. A mobile phone comprising:

general display screen for displaying various control functions of the mobile phone;

a phone keypad having a plurality of keys, some having fixed labels thereon for describing a function of the key and others having changeable labels thereon for describing a function of the key, each changeable label including a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen;

storage means for storing display information in a plurality of different languages for the LCD screens;

LCD driver means for simultaneously supplying display signals to the LCD screens to cause the LCD screens to display different displays in the same language;

control means connected to the general display screen, for controlling displays thereon, and each of the plurality of keys, for sensing when one of such keys is depressed and controlling a corresponding function of the mobile phone in response thereto, the control means further controlling the storage means and the LCD driver means to read out display information in a given language from the storage means and supply the read out display information to the LCD driver means;

wherein the control means can be programmed by a user of the mobile phone by depressing one or more of the plurality of keys to display on the general display screen language choices for the LCD screens and, in response to a selection of a particular language as indicated by the user depressing one or more of the plurality of keys, to read out the display information in the language selected by the user from the storage means and supply the read out display information to the LCD driver means.

9. A mobile phone comprising:

a phone keypad having a plurality of keys having changeable labels thereon for displaying words describing a function of the key, each changeable label including a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen;

storage means for storing display words in a plurality of different languages for the LCD screens;

LCD driver means for simultaneously supplying display signals to the LCD screens to cause the LCD screens to display different words in the same language;

selected from one of the plurality of languages and

control means connected to the general display screen, for controlling displays thereon, and each of the plurality of keys, for sensing when one of such keys is depressed and controlling a corresponding function of the mobile phone in response thereto, the control means further controlling the storage means and the LCD driver means to read out display words in a given language from the storage means and supply the read out display words to the LCD driver means.

10. A mobile phone according to claim 9, wherein the control means can be programmed by a user of the mobile phone by depressing one or more of the plurality of keys to display language choices for the LCD screens and, in response to a selection of a particular language as indicated by the user depressing one or more of the plurality of keys, to read out the display words in the language selected by the user from the storage means and supply the read out display words to the LCD driver means.