Terminal apparatus

• US 9,282,657 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2012
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Miyaoka, Hidekazu, Hayashi, Nobuaki, Imai, Ken, Kawamura, Shingo, Masuda, Takefumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Adrian S
• Application Number:
  US13/707,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20130162124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.55, 361/679.56, 4555751-5754, 455/575.8, 345/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 15/01 Housings, e.g. material or assembling of housing parts F21V15/02 takes precedence housings forming signs or letters G09F13/04
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0277 for a printed circuit board assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0283 for providing a decorative aspect, e.g. customization of casings, exchangeable faceplate
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0004 comprising several parts forming a closed casing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0217 Mechanical details of casings covers, lids, hoods or members for covering apertures H05K5/03

Abstract

A terminal device is provided that includes a first case; a second case disposed in the terminal device with a gap with respect to the first case; and a transparent member that includes a transparent front-surface-side member bonded to a transparent rear-surface-side member and is disposed in the gap to connect the first case and the second case.

Claims

1. A terminal device comprising:

a first case;

a second case disposed in the terminal device with a gap with respect to the first case;

a transparent member that includes a transparent front-surface-side member bonded to a transparent rear-surface-side member and is disposed in the gap to connect the first case and the second case, wherein an outer surface of the transparent member is flush with an outer surface of the first case and the second case;

a light-emitting element disposed inside the first case or the second case, at a position proximal to the transparent member but not within the transparent member, and the transparent member receives light emitted by the light-emitting element; and

a touch panel that is disposed on a surface of the first case and separate from the transparent member and that detects contact from an external object, wherein the light-emitting element emits light in accordance with the touch panel detecting contact on a portion of the terminal device proximal to the transparent member.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein a pattern is printed on a bonding surface of the front-surface-side member, the printed pattern being visible inside the transparent member when illuminated by the light emitting element.

3. The terminal device according to claim 2, wherein the printed pattern represents an operation key selected by a user when the touch panel detecting contact on the portion of the terminal device proximal to the transparent member.

4. The terminal device according to claim 3, wherein the operation key is one of a back key, a home key, and a menu key.

5. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein a transparent substrate having a substantially transparent electrode is sandwiched between the front-surface-side member and the rear-surface-side member, wherein the substantially transparent electrode electrically connects the inside of the first case and the inside of the second case.

6. The terminal device according to claim 5, wherein the transparent substrate includes an electrode pattern including a plurality of electrodes separated from each other by pattern dividing portions.

7. The terminal device according to claim 6, wherein the second case houses a vibrator and at least one other device, and the electrodes configured to provide current to the vibrator are wider than the electrodes configured to provide current to the other device.

8. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the first case houses at least one of a speaker and a camera, and the second case houses at least one of an antenna, a microphone, and a vibrator.

9. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the transparent member is disposed over an entire width of the first case and the second case.

10. A transparent-member holding mechanism comprising:

a first case; and

a second case disposed with a gap with respect to the first case;

wherein the first case and second case hold a transparent member that includes a transparent front-surface-side member bonded to a transparent rear-surface-side member and the transparent member being disposed in the gap to connect the first case and the second case, wherein an outer surface of the transparent member is flush with an outer surface of the first case and the second case, and

a light-emitting element is disposed inside the first case or the second case, at a position proximal to the transparent member but not within the transparent member, and the transparent member receives light emitted by the light-emitting element,

wherein a surface of the first case is configured to receive a touch panel that is separate from the transparent member and that detects contact from an external object, wherein the light-emitting element emits light in accordance with the touch panel detecting contact on a portion of the transparent member holding mechanism proximal to the transparent member.