Mobile communication terminal with external display unit

• US 6,907,276 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2002
• Issued: 06/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Toba, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aminzay, Shaima Q.
• Application Number:
  US10/090,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20020137551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455/575.1, 455/575.4, 455/550.1, 455/90.3
• US Class Current: 455/566
• 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 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• 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

Abstract

A folded type mobile terminal apparatus is comprised of a receiving section, a main display unit, an external display unit, a driver section and a control circuit. The receiving section receives a call or an e-mail from a counter end. The main display unit is provided on an inner surface exposed when the mobile terminal is in an opened state, and the external display unit is provided on an outer surface exposed when the mobile terminal is in a closed state. The driver section drives the main display unit and the external display unit. The control circuit controls the driver section such that data relating to the reception of the call or the e-mail and data of the received call or e-mail are displayed on the main display unit displays in the opened state of the mobile terminal and on the external display unit in the closed state of the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A folded type mobile communication terminal apparatus comprising:

a receiving section which receives a call or an e-mail from a counter end;

a main display unit provided on an inner surface exposed when said mobile communication terminal is in an opened state;

an external display unit provided on an outer surface exposed when said mobile communication terminal is in a closed state;

a driver section which drives said main display unit and said external display unit;

a control circuit which controls said driver section such that data relating to the reception of said call or said e-mail and data of said received call or e-mail are displayed on said main display unit in said opened state of said mobile communication terminal and on said external display unit in said closed state of said mobile communication terminal,

wherein said control circuit controls said driver section such that a symbol indicative of the reception of said call is displayed on said main display unit in said opened state of said mobile communication terminal and on said external display unit in said closed state of said mobile communication terminal in place of said data relating to the reception of said call, when a predetermined time period passes away without a reply to said received call by a user after the display of said data relating to the reception of said call or said e-mail is started.

2. The folded type mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein said control circuit automatically controls said driver section such that said data relating to the reception of said call or said e-mail is displayed on said main display unit in said opened state of said mobile communication terminal and on said external display unit in said closed state of said mobile communication terminal, in response to the reception of said call or said e-mail.

3. The folded type mobile communication terminal according to claims 1, wherein said predetermined time period is variable and can be set by the user.

4. The folded type mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a memory, and

wherein said control circuit stores said data of said received call which is not replied by a user in said memory as non-replied call data.

5. The folded type mobile communication terminal according to claim 4, further comprising an outer key section provided on the outer surface of said mobile communication terminal in said closed state, and

wherein said control circuit reads out said non-reply call data from said memory in response to a non-replied call data display instruction inputted from said outer key section, and controls said driver section such that said read-out non-reply call data are displayed on said main display unit in said opened state of said mobile communication terminal and on said external display unit in said closed state of said mobile communication terminal.

6. The folded type mobile communication terminal according to claim 5, wherein said control circuit controls said driver section such that said read-out non-reply call data are scrolled and displayed on said main display unit in said opened state of said mobile communication terminal and on said external display unit in said dosed state of said mobile communication terminal, in response to a scroll instruction inputted from said outer key section.

7. The folded type mobile communication terminal according to claim 5, wherein said control circuit controls said driver section such that said read-out non-reply call data are displayed one by one on said main display unit in said opened state of said mobile communication terminal and on said external display unit in said closed state of said mobile communication terminal, in response to a display switch instruction inputted from said outer key section.

8. The folded type mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, further comprising an outer key section provided on the outer surface of said mobile communication terminal in said closed state, and

wherein said control circuit controls said driver section in response to an e-mail display instruction inputted from said outer key section, such that said data of said e-mail is displayed on said main display unit in said opened state of said mobile communication terminal and on said external display unit in said closed state of said mobile communication terminal.

9. The folded type mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein said data of said received call includes at least one of a phone number of said counter end, a name of said counter end, and a reception date and time of said received call.

10. The folded type mobile communication terminal according to claim 9, further comprising a memory which stores sets of a name and said counter end, and

wherein said control circuit extracts said name from said memory based on said phone number contained in said received call and drives said driver section such that said extracted name is displayed.

11. The folded type mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein said data of said received e-mail includes at least one of a mail address of a transmitter of said received e-mail, a name of said transmitter, a reception date and time of said received call, a title of said received e-mail, and main sentences of said received e-mail.

12. The folded type mobile communication terminal according to claim 11, further comprising a memory which stores sets of a name and mail address of said transmitter, and

wherein said control circuit extracts said name from said memory based on said mail address contained in said received e-mail and drives said driver section such that said extracted name is displayed.

13. The folded type mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

a state detecting unit which detects whether said mobile communication terminal is in said opened state or in said closed state, and generates an opened state detection signal when said mobile communication terminal is in said opened state and a closed state detection signal when said mobile communication terminal is in said closed state, and

wherein said control circuit drives said driver section such that a display operation is carried out by said main display unit based on said opened state detection signal, and by said external display unit based on said closed state detection signal.

14. The folded type mobile communication terminal according to claim 13, wherein said drive section comprises:

a first driver for said main display unit; and

a second driver for said external display unit, and wherein

said control circuit drives said first driver based on said opened state detection signal and said second driver based on said closed state detection signal.

15. The folded type mobile communication terminal according to claim 13, wherein said drive section comprises:

a driver for said main display unit and said external display unit;

a first switch provided between said driver and said main display unit to connect said driver to said main display unit based on said opened state detection signal; and

a second switch provided between said driver and said external display unit to connect said driver to said external display unit based on said closed state detection signal, and

said control circuit carries out the display control to said driver.

16. The folded type mobile communication terminal according to claim 15, wherein the number of digits displayed on said main display unit is same as the number of digits displayed on said external display unit.

17. The folded type mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, further comprising an outer key section provided on the outer surface of said mobile communication terminal in said closed state, and

wherein said control circuit controls said driver section such that a symbol indicative of the reception of said call is displayed on said main display unit in said opened state of said mobile communication terminal and on said external display unit in said closed state of said mobile communication terminal in place of said data relating to the reception of said call, when a predetermined time period passes away without an input by a user via the outer key section in said closed state of said mobile communication terminal after the display of said data relating to the reception of said call or said e-mail is started.

18. A method of using a folded type mobile communication terminal apparatus, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a call or an e-mail from a counter end;

(b) detecting whether said mobile communication terminal is in an opened state or in a closed state; and

(c) carrying out a display control such that data relating to the reception of said call or said e-mail and data of said received call or e-mail are displayed on a main display unit based on said opened state detection signal and on a external display unit based on said closed state detection signal, and

wherein said main display unit is provided on an inner surface exposed when said mobile communication terminal is in said opened state, and said external display unit is provided on an outer surface exposed when said mobile communication terminal is in said closed state,

wherein said (c) carrying out step comprises the step of;

carrying out the display control such that a symbol indicative of the reception of said call or said e-mail is displayed on said main display unit displays in said opened state of said mobile communication terminal and on said external display unit in said closed state of said mobile communication terminal in place of said data relating to the reception of said call, when a predetermined time period passes away without a reply to said received call by a user after the display of said data relating to the reception of said call or said e-mail is started.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said (c) carrying out step comprises the steps of:

determining whether said mobile communication terminal is in said closed state or in said opened state, based on the detecting result of said (b) detecting step;

driving a first driver for said main display unit when said mobile communication terminal is in said opened state; and

driving a second driver for said external display unit when said mobile communication terminal is in said closed state.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein said (c) carrying out step comprises the steps of:

driving a driver for said main display unit and said external display unit for the display control;

connecting said driver to said main display unit when said mobile communication terminal is in said opened state; and

connecting said driver to said external display unit when said mobile communication terminal is in said closed state.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein said (C) carrying out step comprises the steps of:

storing said data of said received call which is not replied by a user in a memory as non-replied call data;

reading out said non-reply call data from said memory in response to a non-replied call data display instruction inputted from an outer key section provided said outer surface of said mobile communication terminal in said closed state; and

carrying out the display control such that said read-out non-reply call data are displayed on said main display unit in said opened state of said mobile communication terminal and on said external display unit in said closed state of said mobile communication terminal.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein said (c) carrying out step comprises the step of:

carrying out the display control such that said read-out non-reply call data are scrolled and displayed on said main display unit in said opened state of said mobile communication terminal and on said external display unit in said closed state of said mobile communication terminal, in response to a scroll instruction inputted from said outer key section.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein said (c) carrying out step comprises the step of:

carrying out the display control such that said read-out non-reply call data are displayed one by one on said main display unit in said opened state of said mobile communication terminal and on said external display unit in said closed state of said mobile communication terminal, in response to a display switch instruction inputted from said outer key section.

24. The method according to claim 18, wherein said (c) carrying out step comprises the step of:

carrying out the display control in response to an e-mail display instruction such that said data of said e-mail is displayed on said main display unit in said opened state of said mobile communication terminal and on said external display unit in said closed state of said mobile communication terminal.

25. The method according to claim 18, wherein said data of said received call includes at least one of a phone number of said counter end, a name of said counter end, and a reception date and time of said received call.

26. The method according to claim 18, wherein said data of said received e-mail includes at least one of a mail address of a transmitter of said received e-mail, a name of said transmitter, a reception date and time of said received call, a title of said received e-mail, and main sentences of said received e-mail.

27. The method according to claim 18, wherein said mobile communication terminal apparatus comprises an outer key section provided on the outer surface of said mobile communication terminal in said closed state, and wherein said c) carrying out step performs control such that a symbol indicative of the reception of said call is displayed on said main display unit in said opened state of said mobile communication terminal and on said external display unit in said closed state of said mobile communication terminal in place of said data relating to the reception of said call, when a predetermined time period passes away without an input by a user via the outer key section in said closed state of said mobile communication terminal after the display of said data relating to the reception of said call or said e-mail is started.