Electronic apparatus

• US 7,046,239 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2001
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Asai, Katsuhiko, Matsuura, Masahiko, Komatsu, Mikihiro, Masazumi, Naoki, Okumura, Kazuaki, Nanba, Katsuyuki, Tsuji, Sadafusa, Ishibe, Hiroshi, Mandai, Makiko
• Primary Examiner(s): LAO, LUNYI
• Application Number:
  US09/770,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20020000984A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,937 Days
• Field of Search: 345 11- 13, 345211-213, 345/204, 345/87, 345/97, 705 26- 27, 235/375, 713300-340, 715/867
• US Class Current: 345/211
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 27/00 Combined visual and audible advertising or displaying, e.g. for public address
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/023 Display panel composed of stacked panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0486 Cholesteric liquid crystals, including chiral-nematic liquid crystals, with transitions between focal conic, planar, and homeotropic states
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3629 using liquid crystals having memory effects, e.g. ferroelectric liquid crystals
• 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

Abstract

An electronic device includes a display having a memory function and a communications capability. Display functions are controlled based on a state of the operation of the device and/or based on a state of received data. Also disclosed is a method of selectively displaying advertising information based on a state of the device where the advertising can be maintained on the display without requiring any power consumption.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a rewritable display panel having memory capability, said display panel having a first display area and a second display area;

a reception device for receiving display information;

an operational element operable by an operator; and

a controller, responsive to said reception device, for controlling said display panel, said controller being configured to control the display panel so that first display information associated with an operation of said operational element is displayed on said display panel on said first display area when said operational element is operated, and advertising information, which is received by said reception device, is changed from being displayed only on the second display area of said display panel to being displayed on both the first and second display areas of said display panel at least when said operational element has not been operated for a predetermined amount of time and the display is maintained with no power supplied to said display panel.

2. An electronic apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to display the advertising information at all times in at least said second display area of said display panel.

3. An electronic apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to display the advertising information at all times in at least said second display area of said display panel, and said controller is configured to inhibit an operation by a user to turn off the display of the advertising information.

4. An electronic apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to update the advertising information when power necessary for operating said apparatus can be supplied even if the second display information is up to date.

5. An electronic apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a memory for storing the advertising information, said memory being detachable from said apparatus, and wherein said reception device receives the advertising information from said memory.

6. An electronic apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a detector for detecting information indicative of the presence or absence of reception of at least one of a discount service regarding a price of the electronic apparatus and a discount service related to a usage charge of the electronic apparatus.

7. An electronic apparatus in accordance with claim 6,

wherein said controller is responsive to said detector, and said controller is configured to select the display mode based on a result of detection by said detection means.

8. An electronic apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said reception device is a radio reception device.

9. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a reception device for receiving display information;

an operational element operable by an operator;

a first display portion for displaying first display information associated with an operation of said operational element;

a second display portion for displaying advertising information, which is received by said reception device, at least when said operational element is not operated; and

a controller for controlling said first display portion and said second display portion to both display the advertising information when said apparatus is not operated for a predetermined amount of time,

wherein at least said second display portion has memory capability.

10. An electronic apparatus in accordance with claim 9, wherein each of said first and second display portions is a part of a common display panel having memory capability.

11. An electronic apparatus in accordance with claim 9, wherein said controller controls said first and second display portions in at least a display mode in which the first display information is displayed on said first display portion when said apparatus is operated, and the advertising information is displayed on said second display portion at least when said apparatus is not operated and the display is maintained with no power supplied to said second display portion.

12. An electronic apparatus in accordance with claim 11, wherein each of said first and second display portions is a part of a common display panel having memory capability.

13. An electronic apparatus in accordance with claim 11, wherein said reception device is a connector for connection to a communication line.

14. An electronic apparatus in accordance with claim 11, wherein said reception device includes a reception circuit for radio communication.

15. An electronic apparatus in accordance with claim 14, further comprising:

a control means for inhibiting simultaneous performing of communication via said reception circuit for radio communication and updating of at least one of said first display portion and said second display portion.

16. An electronic apparatus in accordance with claim 9, further comprising a memory, and wherein said advertising information is stored in said memory, said memory is detachably attachable to said apparatus, and said reception device receives the advertising information from said memory.

17. An electronic apparatus in accordance with claim 9, further comprising a detection device for detecting information indicative of the presence or absence of reception of a discount service for at least one of a purchase price and a usage charge of the electronic apparatus.

18. An electronic apparatus in accordance with claim 17, wherein said controller is responsive to said detection device and said controller is configured to select the display mode based on a result of detection by said detection means.

19. An electronic apparatus in accordance with claim 9, wherein at least one of said first display information and said advertising information is received from an external apparatus through said reception device.

20. An electronic apparatus in accordance with claim 9, wherein said reception device is a radio reception device.

21. A method of placing an advertisement on an electronic apparatus having a display panel having memory capability and a controller for controlling said display panel, comprising the steps of:

determining whether at least one predetermined service condition has been received;

based on a result of said determining step, if at least one predetermined service condition has been received, actuating said controller to display an advertisement on said display panel so that the advertisement occupies a smaller fraction of the display panel when said electronic device is being operated and a larger fraction of the display panel when said electronic apparatus is not being operated; and

maintaining said advertisement on said display panel with no power supplied thereto;

wherein said predetermined service condition is selected from the group consisting of a purchase price discount service of said electronic apparatus, a usage charge discount service of said electronic apparatus, and a predetermined payment contract of said electronic apparatus.

22. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a display for displaying information, said display having a memory capability;

a display controller for controlling information displayed on said display; and

an operational element operable by an operator;

wherein said controller is configured to display first display information associated with an operation of said operational element in a first portion of said display and to display advertising information in a second portion of said display when said operational element has been operated, and to display said advertising information in both the first portion and a second portion of said display at least when said operational element has not been operated for a predetermined amount of time.

23. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a display for displaying information, said display having a memory capability, and said display having a first display area and a second display area;

a display controller for controlling information displayed on said display; and

an operational element operable by an operator;

wherein said controller is configured to display in said first display area first display information associated with an operation of said operational element when said operational element is operated, and said controller is configured to update the display so that advertising information is displayed in both said first and said second display areas when said operational element has not been operated for a predetermined amount of time; and

wherein said display is adapted to maintain said second display information with no power supplied to said display.

24. An electronic apparatus in accordance with claim 23, wherein said controller is configured to display the second display information in at least said second display area of said display when said apparatus is operated and when said apparatus is not operated.

25. A communication terminal comprising:

a first display portion;

a second display portion, at least said second display portion having a memory capability; and

a controller for selecting either said first display portion or said second display portion as a display portion on which received image data is displayed, said controller selecting said display portion on which received image data is displayed based on an identifier attached to received communication data,

wherein said controller is configured to control said first display portion and said second display portion so that first display information associated with an operation is displayed on at least one of said first display portion and said second display portion when said terminal is operated, and advertising information is displayed on both of said first and said second display portions at least when said terminal is not operated for a predetermined amount of time, said advertising information being maintained with no power supplied to said first and second display portions.

26. A communication terminal as claimed in claim 25, further comprising a reception notification sound generator, wherein said controller is configured so that when said second display portion is selected as the display portion on which received image data is displayed, said controller displays the image data on said second display portion while inhibiting generation of a reception notification sound.

27. A communication terminal as claimed in claim 25, wherein said second display portion includes a reflective liquid crystal display device.

28. A communication terminal as claimed in claim 25, further comprising:

a receiver for receiving communication data, and

wherein said communication data has the identifier attached thereto.

29. A communication terminal as claimed in claim 28, further comprising:

a control means for inhibiting simultaneous performing of communication via said receiver and updating of at least one of said first display portion and said second display portion.

30. A communication terminal as claimed in claim 28, wherein said receiver is a radio receiver.