Portable communication terminal

• US 7,925,305 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2005
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2004
• 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: Honda, Masanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; My-Chau T
• Application Number:
  US11/032,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20050156879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,282 Days
• Field of Search: 345/1.1, 345/1.2, 345/156, 345/168, 345/169, 345/172, 715/790, 715/781, 715/788, 715/789, 715/794, 341/23, 455/566, 455/550.1
• US Class Current: 455/566
• 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 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72472 wherein the items are sorted according to specific criteria, e.g. frequency of use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit

Abstract

There is provided a portable communication terminal capable of switching between icon display and non-display. Processes executed by a control unit of a portable phone which is an aspect of the portable communication terminal comprises the steps of detecting, during the execution of an icon-bar displaying process, a press of an operation key, terminating outputting icon data if the operation key is associated with the icon-bar non-display function and if there is already no icon bar being displayed, detecting a press of the operation key, and executing the icon-bar displaying process if the operation key is associated with the icon-bar display function and if there is no icon bar being displayed.

Claims

1. A portable communication terminal comprising:

a storing unit storing image plane data for displaying image planes and a plurality of image data associated with a plurality of functions of said portable communication terminal;

a first display unit displaying images based on data stored in said storing unit;

a second display unit displaying images based on data stored in said storing unit;

a determining unit determining whether or not images based on said image data are to be displayed;

a generating unit generating display data for displaying said images based on the result of said determining unit, said generating unit includes a first generating unit generating said display data according to the image display area of said first display unit when said determining unit determines that images based on said image data are to be displayed on said first display unit, and said generating unit includes a second generating unit generating said display data according to the image display area of said second display unit when said determining unit determines that images based on said image data are to be displayed on said second display unit;

a control unit displaying, on either the first display unit or the second display unit, in a predetermined location of the first display unit or the second display unit, a first image associated with a function of a first priority based on the result of said determining unit, the control unit displaying adjacent to the first image, a second image associated with a function of a second priority, the second image is located on one side of the first image, and the control unit displaying adjacent to the first image, a third image associated with a function of the second priority, the third image is located on another side of the first image and the second priority is a lower priority than the first priority;

an input unit receiving an input of a selection instruction for said images;

the control unit executing the function associated with the image data of selected said image, and based on a detection of an interruption to the portable communication terminal, causing one of said first or second display unit to display an image associated with the interruption; and

the control unit displaying said image associated with the interruption in the predetermined location of the first display unit or the second display unit, and displaying the first image associated with the function of the first priority in a position adjacent to the predetermined location of the first display unit or the second display unit.

2. The portable communication terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first cabinet and a second cabinet which is foldable with respect to said first cabinet, wherein said input unit includes a first input unit for receiving an input of said selection instruction for images displayed on said first display unit; and

a second input unit for receiving an input of said selection instruction for images displayed on said second display unit, wherein said second display unit is placed on the outer side of said portable communication terminal when said first cabinet and said second cabinet are folded and said first display unit is placed on a different surface from the surface on which said second display unit is placed.

3. The portable communication terminal according to claim 1, further comprising an information input unit for receiving an input of information from the outside, wherein said determining unit includes a display determining unit for determining whether or not the images based on said image data are to be displayed based on said information from the outside.

4. The portable communication terminal according to claim 3, wherein said information input unit includes a receiving unit for receiving information through a communication line,

said portable communication terminal further comprises an identifying unit for identifying functions associated with said information based on said received information, wherein said storing unit further stores setting information designating whether or not the images based on the image data associated with said functions are to be displayed, and said display determining unit determines whether or not the images based on said image data are to be displayed based on the setting information associated with said identified functions.

5. The portable communication terminal according to claim 3, wherein said information input unit includes an operating unit for enabling a user to input instructions and said display determining unit determines whether or not the images based on said image data are to be displayed based on said instructions.

6. The portable communication terminal according to claim 3, wherein said information input unit includes an operation unit for receiving an input of instructions, said storing unit stores a plurality of position data for said images in said image display area, said display determining unit determines whether or not images are to be displayed at positions associated with any of said plurality of position data based on said instructions, and said generating unit generates said display data according to position data of positions different from said positions associated with any of said position data, when it is determined that said images are not to be displayed at said positions associated with any of said position data.

7. The portable communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein the function of the first priority is a function that has been most recently used.

8. The portable communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit displaying adjacent to the second image or the third image, a fourth image associated with a function of a third priority;

and

the control unit displaying adjacent to the second image or the third image, a fifth image associated with a function of the third priority and the third priority is a lower priority than the second priority.

9. A portable communication terminal comprising:

a storing unit storing image plane data for displaying image planes and a plurality of image data associated with a plurality of functions of said portable communication terminal;

a display unit displaying images based on data stored in said storing unit;

a determining unit determining whether or not images based on said image data are to be displayed;

a generating unit generating display data for displaying said images based on the result of said determining unit, wherein said generating unit generating said display data according to the image display area of said display unit when said determining unit determines that images based on said image data are to be displayed on said display unit;

a control unit displaying in a predetermined location of the display unit, an image associated with a function of a first priority, the control unit displaying adjacent to the predetermined location, a second image associated with a function of a second priority, the second image is located on one side of the first image, and the control unit displaying adjacent to the predetermined location, a third image associated with a function of the second priority, the third image is located on another side of the first image and the second priority is a lower priority than the first priority;

an input unit receiving an input of a selection instruction for said images;

the control unit executing the function associated with the image data of selected said image, and based on a detection of an interruption to the portable communication terminal, causing said display unit to display an image associated with the interruption; and

the control unit displaying said image associated with the interruption in the predetermined location of the display unit, and displaying the image associated with the function of the first priority in a position adjacent to the predetermined location of the display unit.

10. The portable communication terminal according to claim 9, wherein

the control unit displaying adjacent to the second image or the third image, a fourth image associated with a function of a third priority;

and

the control unit displaying adjacent to the second image or the third image, a fifth image associated with a function of the third priority and the third priority is a lower priority than the second priority.

11. A displaying method comprising:

storing image plane data for displaying image planes and a plurality of image data associated with a plurality of functions;

displaying images based on data stored;

determining whether or not images based on said image data are to be displayed;

generating display data for displaying said images based on the result of said determining, wherein generating said display data according to the image display area when said determining determines that images based on said image data are to be displayed;

displaying in a predetermined location, an image associated with a function of a first priority;

displaying adjacent to the predetermined location, a second image associated with a function of a second priority, the second image is located on one side of the first image;

displaying adjacent to the predetermined location, a third image associated with a function of the second priority, the third image is located on another side of the first image and the second priority is a lower priority than the first priority;

receiving an input of a selection instruction for said images;

executing the function associated with the image data of selected said image;

detecting an interruption to a portable communication terminal;

displaying an image associated with the interruption in the predetermined location; and

displaying the image associated with the function of the first priority in a position adjacent to the predetermined location.

12. The displaying method according to claim 11, further comprising:

displaying adjacent to the second image or the third image, a fourth image associated with a function of a third priority; and

displaying adjacent to the second image or the third image, a fifth image associated with a function of the third priority and the third priority is a lower priority than the second priority.

13. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, such that when the instructions are read and executed by a processor, the processor is configured to perform the steps of:

storing image plane data for displaying image planes and a plurality of image data associated with a plurality of functions;

displaying images based on data stored;

determining whether or not images based on said image data are to be displayed;

generating display data for displaying said images based on the result of said determining, wherein generating said display data according to the image display area when said determining determines that images based on said image data are to be displayed;

displaying in a predetermined location, a first image associated with a function of a first priority;

displaying adjacent to the predetermined location, a second image associated with a function of a second priority, the second image is located on one side of the first image;

displaying adjacent to the predetermined location, a third image associated with a function of the second priority, the third image is located on another side of the first image and the second priority is a lower priority than the first priority;

receiving an input of a selection instruction for said images;

executing the function associated with the image data of selected said image;

detecting an interruption to a portable communication terminal;

displaying an image associated with the interruption in the predetermined location; and

displaying the first image associated with the function of the first priority in a position adjacent to the predetermined location.