Foldable cellular telephone having image pick up unit and external display operable in folded state

• US 7,155,253 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2003
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Mizuno, Satoshi, Nakamura, Tamaki, Sawayama, Kohji, Amano, Yonosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US10/465,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20040014488A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 455/90.1, 455/90.2, 455/90.3, 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 455/575.1, 455/575.3, 455/575.4, 455/344, 439/13, 348/14.01, 348/14.02, 348/211.2
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/165 the additional display being small, e.g. for presenting status information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1671 Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop G06F1/1666 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1683 for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1688 the I/O peripheral being integrated loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• 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 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/18 including more than one keyboard unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/141 between two video terminals, e.g. videophone telephonic communication systems combined with television receiver for reception of entertainment or information matter H04M11/085

Abstract

A cellular phone includes a first case and a second case, which are connected in a foldable manner through a hinge. When the cellular phone is in a folded state, a second display unit displays an image with the side (upper side) closer to the hinge as the upper side. Accordingly, the user can hold the second case of the cellular phone in his/her hand regardless of whether the cellular phone is in a folded state or in an open state. The user can easily switch between a folded state and an open state with respect to the first case and the second case.

Claims

1. A cellular phone comprising:

a first case,

a second case, and

a coupling unit coupling said first and second cases in a foldable manner,

wherein said cellular phone attains a folded state and an open state by said first and second cases pivoting about said coupling unit, and

said first case includes

a first display unit located at an inner side when said cellular phone is in said folded state, and

a second display unit and an image pick-up unit located at an outer side when said cellular phone is in said folded state,

said cellular phone including a display control unit switching between causing said second display unit to display an image picked up through said image pick-up unit such that a top of the picked up image in an upright orientation is located at an upper side of said second display unit adjacent to said coupling unit in a state where said cellular phone is in said folded state and suppressing said display of said picked up image by said second display unit when said cellular phone is moved into an open state.

2. A cellular phone comprising:

a first case,

a second case, and

a coupling unit coupling said first case and said second case in a foldable manner,

wherein said cellular phone attains a folded state and an open state by said first and second cases pivoting about said coupling unit, and

said first case includes

a first display unit located at an inner side when said cellular phone is in said folded state, and

a second display unit located at an outer side when said cellular phone is in said folded state,

said cellular phone including an image pick-up unit located at a position also allowing visual confirmation of said second display unit when said cellular phone is in said folded state, and

a display control unit switching between causing said second display unit to display an image picked up through said image pick-up unit such that a top of the picked up image in an upright orientation is located at an upper side of said second display unit adjacent to said coupling unit when said cellular phone is in said folded state and causing said first display unit to display said image picked up through said image pick-up unit when said cellular phone is moved to an open state and suppressing display of said picked up image by said second display unit when said cellular phone is moved into an open state.

3. The cellular phone according to claim 2, wherein said display control unit causes said second display unit to display an image picked up through said image pick-up unit such that a top of the picked up image in an upright orientation is located at a lower side of said second display unit set away from said coupling unit when said cellular phone is moved to an open state after an image has been captured with said cellular phone in said closed state.

4. A cellular phone comprising:

a first case,

a second case, and

a coupling unit coupling said first case and said second case in a foldable manner,

wherein said cellular phone attains a folded state and an open state by said first and second cases pivoting about said coupling unit, and

said first case includes

a first display unit located at an inner side when said cellular phone is in said folded state, and

a second display unit and an image pick-up unit located at an outer side when said cellular phone is in said folded state,

wherein said second case includes an antenna,

said cellular phone including a display control unit switching between causing said second display unit to display an image picked up through said image pick-up unit when said cellular phone is in a folded state, and suppressing said display of said picked up image by said second display unit when said cellular phone is moved into an open state.

5. A cellular phone comprising:

a first case,

a second case, and

a coupling unit coupling said first case and said second case in a foldable manner,

wherein said cellular phone attains a folded state and an open state by said first and second cases pivoting about said coupling unit, and

said first case includes

a first display unit located at an inner side when said cellular phone is in said folded state, and

a second display unit located at an outer side when said cellular phone is in said folded state,

wherein said second case includes an antenna,

said cellular phone including;

an image pick-up unit located at a position also allowing visual confirmation of said second display unit when said cellular phone is in said folded state, and

a display control unit causing said second display unit to display an image picked up through said image pick-up unit, wherein said display control unit switching between causing said second display unit to display an image picked up through said image pick-up unit such that a top of the picked up image in an upright orientation is located at an upper side of said second display unit adjacent to said coupling unit in said state where said cellular phone attains said folded state, to causing said second display unit to display an image captured in said image pick-up unit such that a top of the captured image in an upright orientation is located at a lower side of said second display unit set away from said coupling unit in said state where said cellular phone is moved into said open state.

6. A cellular phone comprising:

a first case,

a second case, and

a coupling unit coupling said first case and said second case in a foldable manner,

wherein said cellular phone attains a folded state and an open state by said first and second cases pivoting about said coupling unit, and

said first case includes a first display unit located at an inner side when said cellular phone is in said folded state, and

a second display unit located at an outer side when said cellular phone is in said folded state,

said cellular phone including;

an image pick-up unit disposed between said coupling unit and said second display unit, and

a display control unit causing said second display unit to display an image picked up through said image pick-up unit when said cellular phone is in a folded state and suppressing said display of said picked up image by said second display unit when said cellular phone is moved into said open state.

7. A cellular phone comprising:

a first case,

a second case, and

a coupling unit coupling said first case and said second case in a foldable manner,

wherein said cellular phone attains an folded state and an open state by said first and second cases pivoting about said coupling unit, and

said first case includes

a first display unit located at an inner side when said cellular phone is in said folded state, and

a second display unit located at an outer side when said cellular phone is in said folded state,

said cellular phone including;

an image pick-up unit disposed between said coupling unit and said second display unit, and

a display control unit causing said second display unit to display an image such that a top of the picked up image in an upright orientation is located at an upper side adjacent to said coupling unit in said state where said cellular phone attains said folded state and suppressing said display of said picked up image by said second display unit when said cellular phone is moved into said open state.

8. A cellular phone comprising:

a first case,

a second case, and

a coupling unit coupling said first case and said second case in a foldable manner,

wherein said cellular phone attains a folded state and an open state by said first and second cases pivoting about said coupling unit, and

said first case includes

a first display unit located at an inner side when said cellular phone is in said folded state, and

a second display unit and an image pick-up unit located at an outer side when said cellular phone is in said folded state,

wherein said second case includes

a shutter button to store an image picked up by said image pick-up unit, located at an inner side when said cellular phone is in said folded state, and

an antenna,

wherein said image pick-up unit is arranged between said coupling unit and said second display unit,

said cellular phone including a display control unit suppressing a display of said picked up image by said second display unit when said cellular phone is moved from said folded state into said open state.

9. The cellular phone according to claim 8, wherein said second case includes a shutter button to store an image picked up by said image pick-up unit, located at an outer side when said cellular phone is in said folded state.

10. The cellular phone according to claim 8, wherein said second case includes an operation unit to operate for display at said second display unit, located at an outer side when said cellular phone is in said folded state.

11. The cellular phone according to claim 8, further comprising an operation control unit to rotate 180°

an image picked up by said image pick-up unit when said cellular phone is in said folded state for storage.