Folding communication terminal apparatus

• US 20050157174A1
• Filed: 03/04/2002
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kitamura, Kazuo, Hoshino, Hirokazu, Oosawa, Nobuaki, Yabe, Toshiya, Nakae, Kazuaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,616,261 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.990
• 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 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

A communication terminal apparatus (1) includes a first casing (41) and a second casing (42) which are foldably connected to each other and have a photographic lens (31) and a display device (18) which is visible in a same field of view as the lens. A user can photograph himself/herself while verifying his/her photographed image by means of the display device, and thus is able to gain an anticipated image composition easily, and therefore reduce unsuccessful photographs. The photographed image is displayed as a mirror image, so that the user can verify the image as if looking in to an ordinary mirror, without experiencing any awkwardness.

Claims

1. A communication terminal apparatus that has a photography function, and is made up of a first casing and a second casing which are foldably connected to each other, the communication terminal apparatus comprising:

a detecting unit operable to detect whether or not the first and second casings are in a folded state;

a photographic lens provided on a first surface of the first casing, the first surface being exposed when the first and second casings are in a folded state;

a first display device that is for displaying a photographed image, and that is visible in a same field of view as the lens; and

a second display device that is for displaying the photographed image, and that is provided on a second surface of the first casing, the second surface being concealed when the first and second casings are in the folded state,

wherein the first display device displays a photographed image when the detecting means is detecting that the first and second casings are in the folded state,

and the second display device displays a photographed image when the detecting means is detecting that the first and second casings are not in the folded state.

2. The communication terminal apparatus of claim 1 wherein the lens is positioned on a line which divides a width of the first display device substantially in half.

3. The communication terminal apparatus of claim 2, wherein the lens and the first display device are both positioned substantially in a widthwise center of the first surface.

4. The communication terminal apparatus of claim 1, having a construction such that a battery is detachable from a third surface of the second casing, the third surface being exposed in the folded state.

5. (canceled)

6. A communication terminal apparatus that has a photography function, and is made up of a first casing and a second casing which are foldably connected to each other, the communication terminal apparatus comprising:

a photographic lens provided on a first surface of the first casing, the first surface being exposed when the first and second casings are in a folded state;

a first display device that is for displaying a photographed image, and that is visible in a same field of view as the lens;

a second display device that is for displaying the photographed image and that is provided on a second surface of the first casing, the second surface being concealed when the first and second casings are in the folded state;

a detecting unit operable to detect whether or not the first and second casings are in the folded state; and

a photograph start instruction receiving unit operable to receive a photograph start instruction,

wherein when the photograph start instruction receiving unit receives the photograph start instruction, periodic photography starts, and

the first display device displays a photographed image or mirror image thereof every time photography is performed, while the detecting unit detects that the first and second casings are in the folded state.

7. The communication terminal apparatus of claim 6, wherein

after the photograph start instruction is received, the second display device displays a photographed image every time photography is performed, while the detecting unit detects that the first and second casings are not in the folded state.

8. The communication terminal apparatus of claim 7, wherein

the first display device is an externally-illuminated display device or a self-illuminated display device, and is in an unilluminated state while the detecting unit detects, after the photograph start instruction is received, that the first and second casings are not in the folded state.

9. The communication terminal apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a buffer unit operable to be updated with a newest image every time a photograph is taken; and

a photograph end instruction receiving unit operable to receive a photograph end instruction,

wherein the periodic photography ends when the photograph end instruction receiving unit receives the photograph end instruction, and

the first display device displays an image stored in the buffer, or mirror image thereof, if the detecting unit is detecting that the fist and second casings are in the folded state when the photograph end instruction is received.

10. The communication terminal apparatus of claim 9, wherein

after the photograph end instruction is received, the second display device displays the image stored in the buffer unit, if the detecting unit detects that the first and second casings are not in the folded state.

11. The communication terminal apparatus of claim 10, wherein

if the detecting unit detects the folded state when the second display device has been displaying the image, the first display device displays the image.

12. The communication terminal apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a sound production unit operable to produce a sound at a first volume when the photograph end instruction is received while the detecting unit detects that the first and second casings are in the folded state, and to produce a sound at a second volume when the photograph end instruction is received while the detecting unit detects that the first and second casings are not in the folded state,

wherein the first volume is higher than the second volume.

13. A communication terminal apparatus that has a photography function, and is made up of a first casing and a second casing which are foldably connected to each other, the communication terminal apparatus comprising:

a photographic lens provided on a first surface of the first casing, the first surface being exposed when the first and second casings are in a folded state;

a first display device that is for displaying a photographed image, and that is visible in a same field of view as the lens;

a second display device that is for displaying the photographed image, and that is provided on a second surface of the first casing, the second surface being concealed when the first and second casings are in the folded state; and

an image storing unit operable to store one or more photographed images respectively in correspondence with one or more telephone numbers,

wherein, when a call is received, if a telephone number of a caller making the call is notified, one photographed image among the one or more photographed images that is in correspondence with the notified telephone number is displayed.

14. A communication terminal apparatus that has a photography function, and is made up of a first casing and a second casing which are foldably connected to each other, the communication terminal apparatus comprising:

a photographic lens provided on a first surface of the first casing, the first surface being exposed when the first and second casings are in a folded state;

a first display device that is for displaying a photographed image, and that is visible in a same field of view as the lens;

a second display device that is for displaying the photographed image, and that is provided on a second surface of the first casing, the second surface being concealed when the first and second casings are in the folded state; and

a timer photograph instruction receiving unit operable to receive a timer photograph instruction,

wherein after the timer photograph receiving unit receives the timer photograph instruction, photographs are taken periodically during a predetermined period, and the first display device displays a photographed image or mirror image thereof every time photography is performed.

15. The communication terminal apparatus of claim 14, wherein

the first display device displays information of time remaining until an end of the predetermined period, for the predetermined period, together with the photographed image or mirror image thereof.

16. The communication terminal apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a light emitting element that is provided on the first surface, and that emits flashing light for the predetermined period.

17. The communication terminal apparatus of claim 16 wherein

an interval between repetitions of the flashing light emission changes in response to the time remaining until the end of the predetermined period.

18. The communication terminal apparatus of claim 17 wherein

the interval between repetitions of the flashing light emission becomes shorter as the time remaining decreases.

19. A communication terminal apparatus that has a photography function, and is made up of a first casing and a second casing which are foldably connected to each other, the communication terminal apparatus comprising:

a photographic lens provided on a first surface of the first casing, the first surface being exposed when the first and second casings are in a folded state;

a first display device that is for displaying a photographed image, and that is visible in a same field of view as the lens,

a second display device that is for displaying the photographed image, and that is provided on a second surface of the first casing, the second surface being concealed when the first and second casings are in the folded state; and

a speaker provided within the second casing,

an opening being formed in a third surface of the second casing, in a vicinity of the speaker, the third surface being exposed in the folded state.