Mobile device

• US 7,880,686 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2004
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Toyama, Naoki, Yokodate, Shinya, Tomimori, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen; Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leiby; Christopher E
• Application Number:
  US10/574,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20080212269A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,429 Days
• Field of Search: 345/82, 345 30- 55, 345/59, 345204-207
• US Class Current: 345/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/021 using combined folding and rotation motions combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• 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 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A portable terminal capable of display of high luminance with low power consumption and configured to be provided with an LED display panel having a plurality of light-emitting diodes matrix-arranged in a display window formed on the surface of a casing accommodating electronic components and to control display of the light-emitting diodes of the LED display panel with a display control unit. The portable terminal performs display of high luminance with low power consumption with the matrix-arranged light-emitting diodes.

Claims

1. A portable apparatus comprising:

a hinge coupling an end of an operation-side casing having an operation part and an end of a display-side casing having a main display part with each other for pivotable movement thereof about a first axis;

an LED display panel arranged in a display window formed on a casing surface of said display-side casing other than a surface provided with the main display part and which has a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) matrix-arranged in a plane;

a display control unit to control display contents of said plurality of light-emitting diodes of said LED display panel on the basis of user-created graphic pattern input display data input through said operation part; and

a main control unit to control both said main display part and said LED display panel, to register said user-created graphic pattern input display data input through said operation part, and to output said user-created graphic pattern input display data displayed on said LED display panel to said display control unit, wherein

said operation part and said main display part are respectively provided on surfaces of said operation-side casing and said display-side casing which face each other in their closed positions;

said LED display panel is provided on a surface of said display side casing opposed to the surface provided with the main display part; and

said display-side casing is configured to be rotatable by at least approximately 180°

about a rotation axis perpendicular to the core of the first axis of the hinge.

2. The portable apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising.

a battery supplying power to said LED display panel, the display control unit and the main control unit.

3. The portable apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said main display part has a higher resolution than said LED display panel.

4. The portable apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the battery is provided in the operation-side casing.

5. The portable apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

a display pattern to be displayed on said LED display panel is graphic pattern, a design pattern or a letter pattern.

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

a memory, wherein said graphic pattern input display data is registered in the memory.

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

operation keys operable in a state that the operation-side casing and the display-side casing are in their closed position, wherein

said main control unit switches the LED display between a power on state and a power off state by operation of one of said operation keys, and

switches between graphic patterns of said registered user-created graphic pattern input data as the display contents of the LED display panel by operation of another one of said operation keys.

8. The portable apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said plurality of LEDs of said LED display panel are matrix-arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns at a pitch of approximately 3.2 mm.

9. A portable apparatus comprising:

a hinge coupling an end of an operation-side casing having an operation part and an end of a display-side casing having a main display part with each other for pivotable movement thereof;

an LED display panel which is arranged in a display window formed on a casing surface of said display-side casing other than a surface provided with the main display part and which has a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) matrix-arranged in a plane;

a display control unit to control display contents of said plurality of light-emitting diodes of said LED display panel on the basis of user-created graphic pattern input display data input through said operation part;

a main control unit to control both said main display part and said LED display panel, to register said user-created graphic pattern input display data input through said operation part as graphic pattern input data, and to output said user-created graphic patterns input display data displayed on said LED display panel to said display control unit; and

operation keys operable in a state that the operation-side casing and the display-side casing are in their closed position,

wherein the main control unit

switches the LED display between a power on state and a power off state by operation of one of said operation keys, and

switches between graphic patterns of said registered user-created graphic pattern input data as the display contents of the LED display panel by operation of another one of said operation keys.

10. The portable apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the main display part is provided on a surface of said display-side casing facing said operation-side casing when the operation-side casing and the display-side casing are in their closed position.

11. The portable apparatus according the claim 9, wherein

the LED display panel is provided on a surface of said display-side casing opposed to the surface provided with the main display part.

12. The portable apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

a display pattern to be displayed on said LED display panel is a graphic pattern, a design pattern or a letter pattern.

13. The portable apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a memory, wherein

said graphic pattern input display data is registered in the memory.