Personal communication device having a built in projection display

• US 7,184,796 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2001
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Karidis, John Peter, Kamijo, Noboru, Moffatt, Susan Sommers
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aminzay; Shaima Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/912,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20020068614A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,043 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455/550.1, 455/575.3, 455/575.8, 455/575.1, 455/90.3, 455/158.4, 455/158.5, 345/7, 345/168, 345/205
• US Class Current: 455/566
• 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 1/0235 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 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0272 for a projector or beamer module assembly constructional features of projectors per se G03B21/00; constructional details of projectors using electronic spatial light modulators per se H04N9/31

Abstract

A personal communication device comprising a dual mode display for a user'"'"'s viewing in both a direct-view mode, wherein sufficiently-sized characters are displayed in a manner visible to the user without further magnification, and in “projection-view” mode, wherein more content can be displayed over that of the direct-view mode.

Claims

1. A communications device having first and second modes of operation, where in the first mode of operation a display built into the device displays information for direct viewing by a user, and where in the second mode of operation the display built into the device projects information onto a reflective surface for viewing by the user, wherein the first mode of operation the display displays the information at such a size that the information is legible when viewed directly by the user, and wherein the second mode of operation the display projects the information onto the reflective surface at a size larger than when the information is displayed for direct viewing by the user.

2. The communications device as recited in claim 1, wherein the information projected onto the reflective surface appears as if it were being displayed by a display device larger than the display.

3. The communications device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first mode of operation the display is viewable by the user through a window in a cover while in a closed position, and wherein the second mode of operation the cover is in an open position.

4. The communications device as recited in claim 3, wherein the information is also viewable directly by the user with the cover in the open position.

5. The communications device as recited in claim 1, further comprising an input device that permits input by the user when in either the first or second modes of operation.

6. The communications device as recited in claim 1, wherein the device is a telephone that permits the user to conduct a conversation while also viewing the display.

7. A personal communications device comprising:

a main body having a built in display;

a cover hingably attached to the main body, wherein the display is viewable by a user through an opening in the cover when the cover is in a closed position with respect to the main body;

a reflective surface attached to the main body for reflecting images projected by the display when the cover is in an open position with respect to the main body; and

wireless telephone circuitry for permitting the user to conduct a telephone conversation, including a speaker in the cover and a microphone, wherein the user can view the images projected onto the reflective surface while holding the device to a side of the user'"'"'s face to conduct the telephone conversation.

8. The device as recited in claim 7, wherein the reflective surface and the display are both hingably attached to the main body and are hinged to open positions for projection of the images from the display to the reflective surface.

9. The device as recited in claim 8, wherein the images are rotated 90 degrees when projected onto the reflective surface from an orientation when displayed by the display when it is in a closed position.

10. The device as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

an input device for moving and selecting items displayed on the display by the user.

11. A personal communication device comprising

a dual mode display for a user'"'"'s viewing in both a direct view mode, wherein sufficiently sized characters are displayed in a manner visible to the user without further magnification, and in “

projection view”

mode, wherein more content can be displayed over that of the direct view mode; and

a tri mode display for a user'"'"'s viewing in both an open direct view mode, wherein sufficiently sized characters are displayed in a manner visible to the user without further magnification when a lid is in an open position, a closed direct view mode, wherein sufficiently sized characters are displayed in a manner visible to the user without further magnification when the lid is in a closed position, and in “

projection view”

mode, wherein more content can be displayed over that of direct view mode.