Communication terminal device and rotary operation key

• US 6,546,231 B1
• Filed: 08/11/1999
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Someya, Takahisa, Kurokawa, Susumu
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Quach, Henry M.
• Application Number:
  US09/367,359
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455/90, 455/575, 455/419, 455/550, 455/403, 379/433.06, 379/419, 345/157, 345/184, 345/169, 200/5.R, 200/4, 200/11, 200/14, 200/18, 200/564, 200/566
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2019/146 Roller type actuators
• 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: H04M 1/236 including keys on side or rear faces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display

Abstract

This invention relates to a communication terminal device. In order to realize a communication terminal device which improves the operational efficiency and the usability remarkably comparing to a conventional one, an operation key is designed to be rotated, pushed, and slid, and the movement direction or the movement amount of the cursor can be changed when the operation key is slid, so that the cursor can reach at a desired item quickly. As a result, the rotating amount to reach at a desired item can be reduced comparing to a conventional one. Therefore, a communication terminal device which improves the operational efficiency and the usability remarkably comparing to the conventional one can be realized.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a body case;

an operation key having an operation part projecting out from said body case, so as to perform a rotary operation along an outer side of said body case, a first pressing operation almost at a right angle to a rotary axis of the rotary operation, and a second pressing operation along the rotary axis of the rotary operation;

operation detecting means for detecting each of the rotary operation, the first pressing operation, and the second pressing operation of said operation key;

storage means for storing plural items;

display means for displaying the plural items read out from said storage means; and

control means for receiving a detection output from said operation detecting means, for controlling scrolling through the plural items at a first scrolling speed with the rotary operation of said operation key on said display means, for determining a selected item with the first pressing operation of said operation key, and for changing the first scrolling speed to a second, faster scrolling speed for the plural items with the second pressing operation of said operation key.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein:

said body case is capable of being held with one hand; and

said operation key is provided at one side of said body case.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

said operation key is disc-shaped.

5. The communication terminal device according to claim 1, wherein:

said plural items are the telephone numbers of communication partners; and

said control means selects a desired partner with said rotary operation and calls said desired partner selected by said first pressing operation of said operation key.

6. The communication terminal device according to claim 1, wherein:

said body case is capable of being held with one hand; and

said operation key is provided at one side of said body case.

7. The communication terminal device according to claim 3, wherein

said operation key is disc-shaped.

10. The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein:

said body case is capable of being held with one hand; and

said operation key is provided at one side of said body case.

11. The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein

said operation key is disc-shaped.

4. A communication terminal device comprising:

a body case;

an operation key having an operation part projecting out from said body case, so as to perform a rotary operation along an outer side of said body case, a first pressing operation almost at a right angle to a rotary axis of the rotary operation, and a second pressing operation along the rotary axis of the rotary operation;

operation detecting means for detecting each of the rotary operation, the first pressing operation, and the second pressing operation of said operation key;

storage means for storing plural items;

display means for displaying the plural items read out from said storage means; and

control means for receiving a detection output from said operation detecting means, for controlling scrolling through the plural items at a first scrolling speed with the rotary operation of said operation key on said display means, for determining a selected item with the first pressing operation of said operation key, and for changing the first scrolling speed to a second, faster scrolling speed for the plural items with the second pressing operation of said operation key.

8. An electronic device comprising:

a body case;

an operation key having an operation part projecting out from said body case, so as to perform a rotary operation along the outer side of said body case, a first pressing operation almost at right angle to the rotary axis of said rotary operation, and a second pressing operation along said rotary axis of said rotary operation;

operation detecting means for detecting said rotary operation, first pressing operation, and second pressing operation of said operation key;

storage means for storing plural items;

display means for arranging the plural items, which are read out from said storage means, in first and second directions to display them and for displaying a cursor; and

a control means for receiving a detection output from said operation detecting means, for moving said cursor for said plural items in said first direction with said rotary operation of said operation key on said display means to select a desired item, for determining said item selected by said first pressing operation of said operation key, and for changing a moving direction with said second pressing operation of said operation key so as to move said cursor in said second direction for said plural items on said display means.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the plural items are letters of an alphabet.

12. An electronic device comprising:

a body case;

an operation key having an operation part projecting out from said body base, so as to perform a rotary operation along an outer side of said body case, a first pressing operation almost at a right angle to a rotary axis of the rotary operation, and a second pressing operation along the rotary axis of the rotary operation;

operation detecting means for detecting each of the rotary operation, the first pressing operation, and the second pressing operation of said operation key;

storage means for storing hierarchically plural items;

display means for displaying the hierarchically plural items read out from said storage means and a cursor; and

control means for receiving a detection output from said operation detecting means, for by moving the cursor to a desired high-ranked item with the rotary operation of said operation key while high-ranked plural items are displayed on said display means, for determining a selection of the desired high-ranked item with the first pressing operation so as to display low-ranked plural items associated with the selected high-ranked item, for moving the cursor to a desired low-ranked item with the first pressing operation of said operation key on said display means, and for determining a selection of the low-ranked item with the second pressing operation of said operation key.

13. A rotary device, comprising:

a disc-shaped part;

a holding part for holding said disc-shaped part so that said disc-shaped part is able to rotate, that a pressing operation is able to be performed almost at a right angle to a rotary axis of rotation of said disc-shaped part, and that a pressing operation is able to be performed toward a first direction along the rotary axis of rotation of said disc-shaped part and including an arm member for limiting movement in a second direction opposite to said first direction of a portion of said disc-shaped part, so that an opposite portion of said disc-shaped part moves in said first direction;

rotation detecting means for detecting how much said disc-shaped part is rotated;

a first switch for detecting the pressing operation almost at a right angle to the rotary axis of the rotation of said disc-shaped part; and

a second switch for detecting the pressing operation in the first direction along the rotary axis of rotation by being contacted by said opposite portion of said disc-shaped part.