Electronic device

• US 6,445,574 B1
• Filed: 10/30/2000
• Issued: 09/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lim, Seong Jin, Lim, Chin Chuan, Saw, Benson, Quah, Tee Hoh
• Primary Examiner(s): Schuberg, Darren
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANG, YEAN HSI
• Application Number:
  US09/698,548
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679, 361/681, 361/683, 361/686, 345/1, 345/901, 345/903, 345/905, 349/58, 349/73, 359/83
• US Class Current: 361/679.04
• 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 2250/16 including more than one display unit

Abstract

An electronic device such as a mobile telephone and including a main body (10) having a display panel (16); a cover (12) pivotally attached to the main body. The cover is moveable between a first position where the cover (12) overlies the display panel (16), and a second position to allow access to the display panel (16) by a user. An aperture (28) is created in the cover (12) in which is located a second display panel (30).

Claims

1. An electronic device including:

a main body with an associated first display panel;

a cover pivotally attached to the main body and moveable between a closed position wherein the cover overlies the main body, and an open position where the cover extends outwardly from the main body; and

a second display panel mounted in an aperture in the cover and viewable by the user when the cover is in the open position, wherein the second display panel is substantially transparent when the cover is in the closed position and the aperture is substantially aligned with the first display panel when the cover is in the closed position to enable a user to view the first display panel.

2. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second display panel is at least as large as the first display panel.

3. An electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second display panel is of substantially the same size and shape as the first display panel.

4. An electronic device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the cover has an inner surface and an outer surface, the aperture extending between and connecting the outer and inner surfaces.

5. An electronic device as claimed in claim 4, wherein there is a first transparent lens mounted generally parallel to and adjacent the second display panel and being substantially coplanar with the outer surface.

6. An electronic device as claimed in claim 5, wherein there is a second lens mounted generally parallel to and adjacent the second display panel, the second transparent lens being substantially coplanar with the inner surface.

7. An electronic device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the second display panel is between the first and second transparent lenses.

8. An electronic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the second display panel, and the first and second transparent lenses, form a window.

9. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the cover is in the open position, the second display panel displays indicia for a user to view.

10. An electronic device as claimed in claim 9, wherein when the cover is in the open position, the indicia displayed on the second display panel differs from at least some indicia displayed on the first display panel.

11. An electronic device as claimed in claim 9, wherein, the first and second display panels include liquid crystal displays.