Electronic devices

• US 9,363,913 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2012
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Shunpei, Watanabe, Yasuko
• Primary Examiner(s): Washington, Erika A
• Application Number:
  US13/687,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20130083463A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,287 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2217/048 adapted for operation by left- and right-handed
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/012 programmable
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/07 transparent
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/00 Constructional details common to different types of electric apparatus casings, cabinets, drawers H05K5/00

Abstract

An electronic device capable of transmitting and receiving a mail through an internet usually has from 12 to 20 operation keys inclusive of numerical keys and special keys. In order to input Japanese characters inclusive of “kanji” and special characters as data, complex operations must be executed by changing over the input mode. A portable data terminal as represented by a cellular phone or an electronic device such as a data terminal as represented by a personal computer or a desk top telephone, has such a shape that the first center line of the first housing and the second center line of the second housing come into agreement and in parallel with each other only in a state where the first housing and the second housing are folded by the hinge.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a first housing including a flexible sheet, a substrate, and a plurality of buttons; and

a second housing including a second display unit,

the plurality of buttons each includes;

a first display unit under the substrate;

first and second electrodes over the substrate;

a diaphragm secured to the flexible sheet and in contact with the first electrode; and

a light-transmitting button over and in contact with the flexible sheet,

wherein the diaphragm is in contact with the first and second electrodes by deforming the flexible sheet when the light-transmitting button is depressed,

wherein a first direction of a symbol or a picture is displayed on the first display unit and the first direction of a symbol or a picture is displayed on the second display unit when arranging the first housing and the second housing in a vertical direction,

wherein a second direction of a symbol or a picture is displayed on the first display unit and the second direction of a symbol or a picture is displayed on the second display unit when arranging the first housing and the second housing in a lateral direction, and

wherein the first direction and the second direction are substantially the same.

2. An electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein the second display unit comprises a plurality of pixels, and

wherein each of the plurality of pixels comprises a photoelectric conversion element.

3. An electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein the second display unit comprises a plurality of pixels, and

wherein each of the plurality of pixels comprises first to fifth transistors, a capacitor, and a light-emitting element.

4. An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is an information terminal.

5. An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a cellular phone.

6. An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a personal digital assistant.

7. An electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein a first center line of the first housing and a second center line of the second housing are in parallel with each other only in a state where the first housing and the second housing are folded via the hinge,

wherein the first center line and the second center line are inclined relative to each other in a state where the first housing and the second housing are opened via the hinge,

wherein the second housing includes a transmitting unit while the first housing includes a receiving unit, and

wherein the receiving unit is provided at a first end of the first housing opposite a second end of the first housing at which the hinge is located.

8. An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first display unit and the second display unit includes one selected from the group consisting of a liquid crystal display device and a light emitting device.