Flat screen and mobile telephone with flat screen

• US 6,895,259 B1
• Filed: 09/02/1998
• Issued: 05/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Swisscom AG (Government of Switzerland), Swisscom Mobile AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Original Assignee: Swisscom Mobile AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Inventors: Blank nee Keller, Judith, Ritter, Rudolf
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US09/786,196
• Time in Patent Office: 2,449 Days
• Field of Search: 455/90.3, 455/344, 455/347, 455/556.1, 455/566, 359/630, 359/839, 349/33, 349/74, 349/110, 349/111, 349/113, 381/86, 381/365
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/02 Constructional features of telephone sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly

Abstract

A flat display for a mobile radio telephone or another autonomous electrical device, with a display surface on which information can be displayed. The display can be electrically controlled to make the entire display surface, or only a portion thereof, reflecting. Alphanumerical and/or advertising information can be displayed on the remaining, non-reflecting portion of the display surface. The mobile radio telephone can also be used as a practical pocket mirror. Advertisements and important information, for example service provider identifications, can be displayed particularly effectively on a reflecting background.

Claims

1. A flat display for an electrically autonomous device on which information is displayable and which is electrically controllable to become reflecting, comprising:

a background display layer assembly configured to be selectively changeable between a reflecting state and a colored, non-reflecting state based on electrical control signals, the background display layer assembly including,

a background display layer configured to be selectively changeable between a transparent state and a colored state based on the electrical control signals, and

a reflecting layer; and

a foreground display layer disposed over the background display layer and configured to be selectively changeable between a transparent state and a non-transparent state based on other electrical control signals, wherein,

the flat display is configured to receive at least one of the electrical control signals and the other electrical control signals from an identification card, and

a reflecting state of the flat display is remotely controllable.

2. The flat display according to claim 1, wherein the flat display is electrically controllable so that only a portion of said display becomes reflecting.

3. The flat display according to claim 2, wherein at least one of text information and picture information is displayable on a remaining, non-reflecting portion of the display.

4. The flat display according to claim 1, wherein the reflecting layer is concave or convex.

5. The flat display according to claim 1, wherein said foreground display layer includes a liquid crystal display.

6. The flat display according to claim 1, wherein said background display layer includes a liquid crystal display.

7. The flat display according to claim 1, wherein said reflecting layer includes a film made of aluminum.

8. A mobile radio telephone comprising:

a flat display including,

a background display layer configured to be selectively changeable between a reflecting state and a colored, non-reflecting state based on electrical control signals, the background display layer including,

a display layer configured to be selectively changeable between a transparent state and a colored state with the electrical control signals, and

a reflecting layer, and

a foreground display layer disposed over the background display and configured to be selectively changeable between a transparent state and a non-transparent state based on other electrical control signals; and

an identification card configured to control a reflecting state of the flat display, wherein the reflecting state of the flat display is remotely controllable.

9. The mobile radio telephone according to claim 8, wherein the identification card includes an integrated processor configured to control the reflecting state of the flat display.

10. The mobile radio telephone according to claim 8, wherein the reflecting state of the flat display is remotely controllable by data messages.

11. The mobile radio telephone according to claim 8, further comprising:

operating elements configured to control a reflecting state or a non-reflecting state of the display.

12. The mobile radio telephone according to claim 8, wherein the flat display is configured to be reflecting when the mobile radio telephone is switched off.