Portable electronic computer

• US 6,760,074 B1
• Filed: 02/25/2000
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Minemoto, Takeshi, Kashima, Taisuke, Hoshino, Takeshi, Maruyama, Yukinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ye, Lin
• Application Number:
  US09/513,335
• Time in Patent Office: 1,593 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.1, 348/333-1-3, 348/373, 348/375, 348/231.1, 348/376, 455/556, 455/551, D16/200, D16/202
• US Class Current: 348/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00387 Multiple functions per key
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00392 Other manual input means, e.g. digitisers or writing tablets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00397 Switches, knobs or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0063 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0096 Portable devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters

Abstract

A portable electronic computer has a cabinet having a top case forming an upper surface of the cabinet, a bottom case forming a lower surface of the cabinet and a middle case interposed between the top case and the bottom case to form a side surface of the cabinet, a display unit provided on the upper surface of the cabinet so as to be visible from outside, at least one circuit board mounted to the lower surface of the cabinet and adapted to implement the function of a camera unit and the function of a portable information terminal, and a camera lens provided on the lower surface of the cabinet so as to be directed to the outside of the cabinet. The portable information terminal operates to display image information photographed by the camera unit or image information from an external apparatus on the display unit, the display unit has a displaying region for display of the image information and an operating region for operation of the camera unit and portable information terminal, the top case has a first opening corresponding to the displaying region of the display unit and a second opening corresponding to the operating region, and the middle case is mounted with a mode switching lever for switching the operation mode of the portable electronic computer between the camera unit and the portable information terminal and a scroll unit for scrolling image information displayed on the displaying region.

Claims

1. A portable electronic computer having a camera unit and a portable information terminal, comprising:

a cabinet having a top case forming a front of said cabinet, a bottom case forming a rear of said cabinet and a middle case disposed between said top casing and bottom casing and forming a upper surface, a lower surface and side surfaces of said cabinet;

wherein said cabinet has arranged therein a display unit so as to be viewable from the front of said cabinet, a camera lens of said camera unit is arranged at the rear of said cabinet, a communication unit which communicates outside of said cabinet, and an electronic circuit which executes different processings;

wherein said cabinet has a scroll unit which scrolls image information being displayed on said display unit, said displayed image information being image information taken by said camera unit or external image information obtained from outside via said communication unit; and

wherein said scroll unit includes a first scroll lever provided on one side surface of said cabinet and a second scroll lever provided on another side surface of said cabinet adjacent said one side surface, wherein said first scroll lever scrolls said image information being displayed on said display unit in an up/down direction and said second scroll lever scrolls said image information being displayed on said display unit in a right/left direction.

2. A portable electronic computer according to claim 1, further comprising a mode switching switch which switches an operation mode of said portable electronic computer between a mode in which the computer operates as a camera unit and a mode in which the computer operates as a portable information terminal,

wherein said mode switching switch includes a slidable lever arranged to operate said portable electronic computer as the camera unit when said slidable lever is moved in one direction and operate said portable electronic computer as the electronic computer when said slidable lever is moved in the other direction.

3. A portable electronic computer according to claim 2, further comprising a recording button of said camera unit which is exposed so as to be operable when said slidable lever is moved in the one direction.

4. A portable electronic computer according to claim 3, wherein said display unit includes a liquid crystal display panel and said liquid crystal display panel includes at least one touch key, said touch key being assigned with different functions in accordance with the position of said slidable lever.

5. A portable electronic computer having a camera unit and a portable information terminal, comprising:

a cabinet having a top casing, a bottom casing and at least one middle casing;

wherein said top casing has therein a flat display unit arranged to be visible from outside;

wherein said bottom casing has therein said camera unit, a communication unit for communication with outside of said cabinet, and a circuit board provided with an electronic circuit for execution of different processings;

wherein said at least one middle casing has outside thereof a scroll unit which scrolls an image being displayed on said display unit, and inside thereof a function extension unit disposed between said display unit and said circuit board for extending the functions of said camera unit and portable information terminal;

wherein said scroll unit includes a first scroll lever provided on one surface of said at least one middle casing and a second scroll lever provided on another surface of said at least one middle casing adjacent the one surface, said first scroll lever scrolling information displayed on said display unit in an up/down direction and said second lever scrolling the information displayed on said display unit in a right/left direction.

6. A portable electronic computer according to claim 5, wherein said function extension unit includes a memory medium for increasing memory capacities of said camera unit and said portable information terminal.

7. A portable electronic computer according to claim 5, wherein said function extension unit includes an external apparatus connection medium for enabling said camera unit and said portable information terminal to perform information transmission to an external apparatus.

8. A portable electronic computer according to claim 5, wherein said function extension unit includes an assistant medium for improving the fundamental performances of said camera unit and said portable information terminal.

9. A portable electronic computer according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of said middle casings are provided between said top casing and said bottom casing, and said plurality of middle casings each have therein said function extension unit.

10. A portable electronic computer having a camera unit and a portable information terminal, comprising:

a cabinet having a top casing forming a front of said cabinet, a bottom casing forming a rear of said cabinet and a middle casing disposed between said top casing and bottom casing and forming a upper surface, a lower surface and side surfaces of said cabinet;

wherein said cabinet has therein a display unit arranged to be viewable from the front of said cabinet, a camera lens of said camera unit being arranged at the rear of said cabinet, a communication unit which communicates with outside of a cabinet and an electronic circuit which executes different processings;

wherein said display unit includes a liquid crystal display panel, said liquid crystal display panel having a display region for display of image information taken by said camera unit or image information obtained from outside via said communication unit and an operation region for operating said camera unit and portable information terminal;

wherein said top casing has a first opening corresponding to the display region of said liquid crystal display panel and a second opening corresponding to said operation region;

wherein said middle casing has at a surface thereof a mode switching switch and a scroll unit, said mode switching switch switching an operation mode of said portable electronic computer between a mode in which the computer operates as a camera unit and a mode in which the computer operates as a portable information terminal, and said scroll unit scrolling image information which is being displayed on said display unit; and

wherein said scroll unit includes a first scroll lever provided on one surface of said middle casing and a second scroll lever provided on another surface of said middle casing adjacent the one surface, said first scroll lever scrolling the image information displayed on said display unit in an up/down direction and said second lever scrolling the image information displayed on said display unit in a right/left direction.

11. A portable electronic computer according to claim 10, wherein said operation region includes a key for stopping the function of said scroll unit when said scroll unit reaches a limit position of a movable range thereof.