Reversible keypad and display for a telephone handset

• US 6,052,606 A
• Filed: 12/12/1997
• Issued: 04/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Retro Reflective Optics
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Bowen, Ronald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, SHEILA B
• Application Number:
  US08/989,463
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575, 455/90, 455/550, 455/566, 345/173, 345/172, 708/140, 708/142, 708/145
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

In cellular telephone handset having an upper casing and a lower casing, liquid crystal display screens with touch sensitive overlays are provided on each casing. In one mode of operation, the screen on the lower casing will display a telephone keypad and the telephone handset will respond to the touching of the keys from the telephone keypad to dial telephone numbers and will display information on the screen on the upper casing. In a second mode of operation, the screen on the upper casing will display function keys and the telephone handset will respond to the touching of the function keys and will display information on the screen on the lower casing.

Claims

1. A telephone handset comprising a first display screen, a second display screen, a first touch sensitive overlay on said first screen, a second touch sensitive overlay on said second display screen, data processing means operating in the first mode to display a keypad including a telephone keypad comprising a plurality of keys on said first display screen, to display information on said second screen, and to make a telephone call in response to the touching of the displayed keys of said telephone keypad, and operating in a second mode to display a keypad including a set of keys on said second screen, to display information on said first screen and responsive to the touching of the keys of said second set to control the display of information on said first screen, said data processing means including means to switch the mode of said data processing means to said first mode or to said second mode.

2. A telephone handset as recited in claim 1, wherein said first set of keys includes a mode switching key and said second set of keys includes a mode switching key, said data processing means being responsive in said first mode to the touching of the mode switching key of said first set to switch said data processing means to said second mode and being responsive in said second mode to the touching of the mode switching key of said second set to switch said data processing means to said first mode.

3. A telephone handset as recited in claim 1, wherein said handset comprises a first case and a second case hinged to said first case to permit said cases to fold together, said first screen being on said first case and said second screen being on said second case.

4. A telephone handset as recited in claim 3, wherein said handset comprises a cellular telephone handset.

5. A telephone handset as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said screens includes a liquid crystal display to display said keypads and to display information, and means to backlight said display screens.

6. A telephone handset as recited in claim 5 wherein said means to backlight said screens operates to backlight only the target areas of displayed keys on the one of said screens on which keys are displayed and backlight the entire other one space.

7. A telephone handset as recited in claim 6, wherein said means to backlight said screens comprises a first and second electroluminescent panel for said first screen and a first and second electroluminescent panel for said second screen, said first electroluminescent panels backlighting the areas of said keys and said second electroluminescent panels backlighting the areas outside of said keys and means to energize only said first electroluminescent panel for each screen when keys are displayed on such screen and to energize both said panels for a screen when keys are displayed on the other one of said screens.

8. A telephone handset as recited in claim 1, wherein said handset comprises a cellular telephone handset.