Slide-type portable communication apparatus

• US 7,860,540 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2008
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Nagai, Michio, Mizuta, Masatomo, Fujii, Mika, Shimamura, Masaki, Kohayakawa, Kiyoshi, Ohtsuta, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Pablo N
• Application Number:
  US12/076,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20080167098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575.4, 455/90.3, 455/550.1, 455/575.1, 455/575.3, 455/566
• US Class Current: 455/575.4
• 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 1/0237 Sliding mechanism with one degree of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

A portable communication apparatus includes a first unit having at least a display section and a second unit having at least a main operation section, which are coupled by a slide coupling and are freely slidable in a longitudinal direction between a retracted state and an extended state. The first unit and the second unit are urged by an urging member in an extension direction and are releasably locked by a releasable lock mechanism in the retracted state. The locking is released by a predetermined operation. An optical aperture for optical function is provided in one of surfaces of the first and second units that face one another in the retracted state. The optical function section is made operable when the first and second units are positioned in the extended state.

Claims

1. A portable communication apparatus comprising:

a first unit having at least a display section;

a second unit having at least a main operation section;

a slide coupling for coupling said first unit with said second unit to be freely slidable in a longitudinal direction between a retracted state and an extended state; and

at least one optical function section, each of which includes an optical aperture provided in one of surfaces of said first unit and said second unit that face one another in the retracted state, wherein said at least one optical function section is made operable when said first unit and said second unit are positioned in the extended state.

2. The portable communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one optical function section comprises at least one of a fingerprint authentication device and an electronic image pickup device.

3. The portable communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first unit includes an inner space into which said second unit is allowed to slide.

4. The portable communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an optical aperture of an electronic image pickup device is provided on an inner surface of said first unit facing an opposite inner surface thereof, wherein a portion of said opposite inner surface corresponding to said optical aperture of said electronic image pickup device comprises transparent material to allow image pickup operation of said electronic image pickup device.

5. The portable communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an urging member for urging said first unit and said second unit in an extension direction; and

a releasable lock mechanism for releasably locking said first unit and said second unit in the retracted state, wherein the locking is released by a predetermined operation.