Detachable mobile terminal for image communication and operating method thereof

• US 7,555,312 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2004
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Cho, Yoo-Seok, Yun, Jung-Pil, Kim, Eun-Mi, Kim, Dong-Eun
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen; Junpeng
• Application Number:
  US11/009,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20050124381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,664 Days
• Field of Search: 455/90.3, 455/90.2, 455/550.1, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/556, 455/575.1, 455/575.3, 455/575.4, 455/575.8, 455/566, 455/575, 379/433.12, 379/433.13, 379/433.07, 379/433.04, 348/14.04, 348/207.99, 348/14.02, 439/1
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0237 Sliding mechanism with one degree of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0241 using relative motion of the body parts to change the operational status of the telephone set, e.g. switching on/off, answering incoming call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0256 wherein the modules are operable in the detached state, e.g. one module for the user interface and one module for the transceiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0264 for a camera module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264

Abstract

A mobile terminal comprising a first body comprising an image receiving unit, an image output unit, a first sound output unit, a first information input unit and a wireless communication module, a second body comprising a second information input unit, a second sound input unit, a second sound output unit and a wireless communication module, wherein the second body is capable of being slidingly mounted to the first body and separated from the first body, and a locking unit for preventing separation of the second body from the first body, wherein the wireless communication modules of the first body and the second body are capable of wirelessly communicating with each other when the first body and the second body are detached from each other.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a first body comprising a rotatably installed image receiving unit, an image output unit, a first sound input unit, a first sound output unit, a first information input unit and a first wireless communication module;

a second body comprising a second information input unit, a second sound input unit, a second sound output unit and a second wireless communication module, wherein the second body is capable of being slidingly mounted to the first body and separated from the first body and at least the image output unit, the first sound input unit, and the first sound output unit of the first body are exposed when the second body is slidingly mounted to the first body; and

a locking unit for preventing separation of the second body from the first body,

wherein the first and the second wireless communication modules of the first body and the second body are capable of wirelessly communicating with each other when the first body and the second body are detached from each other,

wherein the locking unit comprises;

a first locking hole formed at a side wall of a mounting receptacle; and

a stopper protruded from a side wall of the second body,

wherein the stopper is capable of being depressed into the side wall of the second body when the second body is slid along a guiding rail and insertable in the first locking hole for locking the second body by the first body with a portion of the second body exposed outside of an outer circumferential surface of the first body.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a first radio signal exchange terminal connected to the first wireless communication module of the first body and formed at a side of the first body; and

a second radio signal exchange terminal connected to the second wireless communication module of the second body and formed at a side of the second body,

wherein when the second body is detached from the first body, the first body and the second body wirelessly communicate with each other through the first and the second radio signal exchange terminals.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein wireless communication through the first and the second wireless communication modules employs one of a bluetooth method, an IrDA method and a radio frequency (RF) method.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the mounting receptacle is formed at a surface of the first body for mounting the second body.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the mounting receptacle is recessed from the surface of the first body at a predetermined depth and corresponds to a size and a shape of the second body.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein guiding rails are formed at side walls of the mounting receptacle at a predetermined length for slidingly mounting the second body onto the mounting receptacle and guiding grooves are formed at side surfaces of the second body for operating with the guiding rails.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising a first release button formed on the first body at the first locking hole, the first release button having a portion exposed outside of the first body for applying a vertical contact force to the stopper for releasing the stopper from the first locking hole.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the locking unit further comprises a second locking hole formed at the side wall of the mounting receptacle and the stopper is insertable in the second locking hole for fully mounting the second body at the mounting receptacle.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, further comprising a second release button formed on the first body at the second locking hole, the second release button having a portion exposed outside of the first body for applying a vertical contact force to the stopper for releasing the stopper from the second locking hole.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 8, further comprising:

a lattice type terminal connected to a circuit unit of the first body and formed at a surface of the first release button; and

a lattice type terminal connected to a circuit unit of the second body and formed at a surface of the stopper,

wherein the lattice type terminal of the first release button and the lattice type terminal of the stopper can exchange a signal when the stopper is inserted in the first locking hole and contacts the first release button.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the second body is locked by the first body with the second information input unit and the second sound input unit exposed.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the second body is capable of being separated from the first body when the stopper is separated from the first locking hole.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein an end of a protruded cover of the stopper is curved.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the image receiving unit comprises a camera module and a flash.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the image output unit outputs a plurality of images displayed on a main region and an auxiliary region of the image output unit.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 15, wherein the image output unit outputs images of a receiving side and a transmitting side.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the locking unit is configured to lock the second body at more than one sliding position of the first body.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the image receiving unit, the image output unit, the first sound input unit, the first sound output unit, and the first information input unit are formed on a same side of the first body.

19. A mobile terminal comprising:

a first body comprising a rotatably installed image receiving unit, an image output unit, a first sound input unit, a first sound output unit, a first information input unit and a first wireless communication module;

a second body comprising a second information input unit, a second sound input unit, a second sound output unit and a second wireless communication module, wherein the second body is capable of being slidingly mounted to the first body and separated from the first body and at least the image output unit, the first sound input unit, and the first sound output unit of the first body are exposed when the second body is slidingly mounted to the first body; and

a locking unit for preventing separation of the second body from the first body,

wherein the first and the second wireless communication modules of the first body and the second body are capable of wirelessly communicating with each other when the first body and the second body are detached from each other,

wherein the locking unit comprises;

a first hooking groove recessed from a side surface of the second body where a guiding groove is formed;

a second hooking groove recessed from the side surface of the second body where the guiding groove is formed, wherein the second hooking groove is positioned above the first hooking groove in a direction that the second body is slidingly mounted to the first body; and

a hooking member formed at a side surface of a mounting receptacle and hooked at one of the first and the second hooking grooves when the second body is slid along a guiding rail in a direction of being separated from the first body.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 19, wherein the hooking member comprises:

a button portion having a portion exposed outside of the first body for allowing an external force to be applied to the button portion;

a hook portion inserted in one of the first and the second hooking grooves for hooking the second body to the first body;

a connecting portion formed integrally between the button portion and the hook portion and rotated on a rotary shaft protruded from a central portion of the connecting portion for releasing the hook portion from one of the first and the second hooking grooves when the force is applied to the button portion; and

a coil spring mounted at the rotary shaft for applying an elastic force to the connecting portion for restoring the hooking member to an original position.

21. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein a surface of the hook portion and surfaces of the first and the second hooking grooves which contact the surface of the hook portion when the second body is slid in a direction of being mounted at the first body are formed with a curved profile.

22. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein when the hook portion is hooked at the first hooking groove, a portion of the second body is exposed outside of an outer circumferential surface of the first body.

23. The mobile terminal of claim 22, wherein the second information input unit and the second sound input unit of the second body are exposed outside when the hook portion is hooked at the first hooking groove.

24. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein when the hook portion is hooked at the second hooking groove, the second body is fully mounted at the first body.