Portable information terminal equipment

• US 8,442,599 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2011
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Fujii, Mika, Shiosaka, Sumiyo
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US13/235,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20120028689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575.3, 455/575.4, 455/556.1, 455/550.1
• US Class Current: 455/575.3
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• 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 1/0225 Rotatable telephones, i.e. the body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0243 using the relative angle between housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

Portable information terminal equipment having a function to perform the informing process at the time of reception in cooperation with a connecting section driving mechanism as well as a function to enable the open/close movement of the upper and lower units through one-touch operation making use of the connecting section driving mechanism. Depending on informing modes, a motor drive circuit drives a motor under the control of a controller on receipt of a call or a message to apply a driving force to the open/close mechanism of a hinge unit. Thereby, the portable information terminal equipment is folded/unfolded, that is, the posture of the portable information terminal equipment is changed, and a user is informed of the receipt of the call or the message.

Claims

1. Portable information terminal equipment comprising:

two units;

a connecting section for connecting the two units with each other for relative movement;

a connecting section driving mechanism for changing the relative positions of the two units to open/close the units; and

a controller for controlling the connecting section driving mechanism to move either or both the units from a first relative position to a relative position at a prescribed relative angle to each other when receiving a call or a message based on information about the sender of the call or the message and/or the received message to thereby inform a user of the receipt of the call or the message;

wherein;

the connecting section rotatably supports the two units on a rotation axis substantially perpendicular to a display surface; and

the connecting section driving mechanism changes the relative positions of the two units by rotating either or both the units on the rotation axis.