Information communication terminal device

• US 6,069,648 A
• Filed: 08/14/1998
• Issued: 05/30/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Urushihara, Atsuhiko, Suso, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US09/134,579
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.17, 379/93.23, 379/93.19, 345/156, 348/14, 348/15, 348/90
• US Class Current: 348/14.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0218 The hinge comprising input and/or output user interface means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/656 for recording conversations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

An upper case and a lower case are rotatably connected in a connection part. The connection part is constructed by a rotary shaft supporting part integrated in the lower case, a rotary shaft which is integrated in the upper case and a part of which is rotatably fit into the rotary shaft supporting part, and a housing member having a part rotatably fit into the rotary shaft supporting part. A video camera and a camera lens are housed in the housing member. A display/operation part is provided almost in the whole upper case and a display/operation part is provided almost in the whole lower case. In the display/operation parts and, in addition to camera images of the video camera, a reception image, and various data, touch-type operation buttons are displayed. The display/operation parts and have the functions as the operation part as well as the display part. "Recording" mode, "transmission/reception" mode, and "information acquisition" mode can be selectively set and the device can be used according to the mode.

Claims

1. An information communication terminal device comprising:

a first display/operation part and a second display/operation part mounted on an upper and a lower case respectively;

a housing member accommodating a video camera therein;

a support mechanism supporting rotatably said first display/operation part, said second display/operation part and said housing member on the same rotation axis each other;

said first and second display/operation parts mounted rotatably round said housing member being structured so as to be opposed each other when opened and to be overlapped when closed; and

wherein a mode selection button is displayed in said first display/operation part and a recording mode, a transmission/reception mode, and an information acquisition mode is selected by operating said mode selection button.

2. An information communication terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising image storing means, when the recording mode is set by operating said mode selection button, a video image obtained by said video camera is displayed in said first display/operation part and an image to be stored into said image storing means is displayed in said second display/operation part.

3. An information communication terminal device according to claim 1, wherein when the transmission/reception mode is set by operating said mode selection button, if the other side of transmission is a telephone of only voices, character information such as name and telephone number of the other side is displayed in said first display/operation part and operation means such as a dial having the function of a touch panel is displayed in said second display/operation part, and

if the other side of transmission is a television telephone, an image obtained by said video camera and an image of the other side are displayed in said first display/operation part and said second display/operation part is used as an input part of character and figure data.

4. An information communication terminal device according to claim 1, wherein when the information acquisition mode is set by operating said mode selection button, a menu of information service is displayed in said second display/operation part and information contents of service selected from said menu are displayed in said first display/operation part.