JP2003333139A - Foldable personal digital assistant - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a foldable mobile telephone set in which convenience for a user is improved. <P>SOLUTION: The foldable mobile telephone set is provided with: first and second casings 2 and 3 which are linked to be turned by a hinge part 4; a first display part 11 which is exposed when the first and second casings 2 and 3 are opened to display an image; and a second display part 12 on which the image is visible from the outer surface side in the state of closing the first and second casings 2 and 3, and the hinge part 4 is equipped with jog mechanism for performing screen operation on the first display part 11 in the state of opening the first and second casings 2 and 3 and for performing screen operation on the second display part 12 in the state of closing the casings. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a foldable portable information terminal in which first and second casings are rotatably connected to each other, and in particular, a foldable portable information terminal having a display portion which is visible in a folded state. Regarding

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional foldable mobile phone is shown in FIG. In the mobile phone 1, the first and second housings 2 and 3 are foldably connected by a hinge portion 4. The first housing 2 is provided with a first display unit 11 that displays an image. The first display unit 11 is exposed when the first and second housings 2 and 3 are opened so that an image can be viewed, and an operation menu, contents of an email, an image such as a photograph, and the like can be displayed. You can

On the back side of the first housing 2, a second display section 12 is provided.
(Not shown) is provided and is visible from the outer surface side with the first and second casings 2 and 3 closed. Second display unit 1
Reference numeral 2 indicates the arrival of a call or an electronic mail, the sender, and the like. As a result, the user can be informed of such information while the mobile phone 1 is closed.

Further, the second housing 3 is provided with operation keys 5 for performing communication operations and input operations, and a jog key 6 for performing screen operations such as cursor movement and screen scrolling, and a control section for controlling each section. (Not shown) is installed.

[0005]

However, according to the above-mentioned conventional foldable mobile phone 1, the first and second foldable mobile phones are provided.
No operation means such as a scroll key is provided on the outer surfaces of the housings 2 and 3. Therefore, screen operations such as scrolling of the screen displayed on the second display unit 12 and movement of the cursor in the folded state cannot be performed.

As a result, when the electronic mail is received, the contents cannot be confirmed on the second display section 12, and a complicated operation for opening the first and second casings 2 and 3 is required. In particular, when unnecessary e-mail such as junk e-mail is received, no reply is sent, so the first and second casings 2, 3
The operation of opening is useless. Therefore, there is a problem that the usability is poor for the user.

An object of the present invention is to provide a foldable portable information terminal which can improve the usability of the user.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is directed to a case in which first and second casings which are rotatably connected by a hinge portion and first and second casings are opened. A foldable portable information terminal including: a first display unit that is exposed to an image to display an image; and a second display unit that allows an image to be viewed from the outer surface side with the first and second casings closed. It is characterized in that a jog mechanism for operating the screen of the first display section with the second casing opened and for operating the screen of the second display section with the second casing closed is provided.

According to this structure, the contents displayed on the first display unit can be checked or input while the screen is scrolled or the cursor is moved by the jog mechanism while the portable information terminal is opened. Further, the contents displayed on the second display unit in the folded state of the portable information terminal are confirmed by the jog mechanism while scrolling the screen or moving the cursor.

Further, according to the present invention, in the folding portable information terminal having the above structure, the jog mechanism performs a screen operation by rotation so that the rotation axis of the jog mechanism coincides with the rotation axis of the hinge portion. It has a feature.

Further, according to the present invention, in the folding portable information terminal having the above structure, the hinge portions are provided at both ends of the jog mechanism in the axial direction.

Further, according to the present invention, in the folding portable information terminal having the above-mentioned structure, the jog mechanism is provided in a rotatable jog knob and a first housing or a second housing, and the jog mechanism responds to a rotation amount of the jog knob. And an encoder for outputting an electric signal. According to this configuration, when the jog knob is rotated, an electric signal is output by the encoder, and the screen scroll or cursor movement of the first and second display units is performed according to the rotation amount.

Further, according to the present invention, in the foldable portable information terminal having the above structure, the screen scrolling speed or the cursor moving speed of the first and second display portions is changed according to the rotation speed of the jog knob. There is.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. For convenience of explanation, the same parts as those in FIG. 6 of the conventional example are designated by the same reference numerals. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a foldable mobile phone according to an embodiment.
In the mobile phone 1, a first housing 2 and a second housing 3 are rotatably connected by a hinge portion 4. The first housing 2 is provided with a first display unit 11 that is exposed when opened and allows an image to be viewed. The first display unit 11 is composed of a liquid crystal display element,
An image is formed by applying a voltage to each pixel arranged in a matrix.

The second housing 3 is provided with a jog key 6 and a plurality of operation keys 5 on its surface. The operation keys 5 include a power key for turning on / off the power of the mobile phone 1, a call key for making a telephone call, an input key for inputting a telephone number, text of an e-mail, and the like. Jog key 6
Is tiltable vertically and horizontally, and the first display unit 1
The cursor can be moved in the tilt direction with respect to the first display screen.

Further, the open / close detection sections 9a, 9 are provided on the first and second housings 2, 3 at positions facing each other when closed.
b is provided. The open / close detection units 9a, 9b detect that the mobile phone 1 is closed, and the open / close detection units 9a, 9b are detected.
It is possible to detect the opening by separating b.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the mobile phone 1 in a closed state. A second display unit 12 is provided on the back side of the first display unit 11 so that an image can be viewed from the outer surface side in a closed state. The second display section 12 is composed of a liquid crystal display element like the first display section 11, and forms an image by applying a voltage to each pixel arranged in a matrix.

FIG. 3 shows an exploded perspective view of the mobile phone 1. The hinge portion 4 is formed by inserting the shaft portions 4a and 4f into the shaft hole portions 4a and 4b integrally provided in the first housing 2 and the shaft hole portions 4c and 4b integrally provided in the second housing 3, respectively. Is configured. That is, the first and second casings 2 and 3 are combined, the shaft portion 4e is fitted in the adjacent shaft hole portions 4a, 4c, and the shaft portion 4f is fitted in the adjacent shaft hole portions 4b, 4d. . As a result, the first and second casings 2 and 3 are rotatably connected.

A jog mechanism 7 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) is provided between the shaft hole portions 4b and 4c. The jog mechanism 7 has a cylindrical jog knob 7 on a shaft portion 7b fitted in the shaft hole portions 4b and 4c.
b is rotatably fitted. Therefore, the hinge portion 4 is arranged at both ends of the jog mechanism 7, and by supporting the two places apart from each other, the opening and closing of the mobile phone 1 is stabilized, and the jog mechanism 7, which is a movable portion, is protected when dropped. The damage can be suppressed.

Further, since the shaft portion 7b of the jog mechanism 7 is fitted in the shaft hole portions 4b and 4c, the rotation axis of the jog mechanism 7 and the rotation axis of the hinge portion 4 coincide with each other, and the mobile phone 1 is closed. The jog mechanism 7 can be operated in both the open state and the open state. Thereby, it is not necessary to provide a plurality of jog mechanisms, and it is possible to suppress an increase in cost.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the mobile phone 1, in which the second housing 3 is provided with an encoder 7c. The encoder 7c optically reads the rotation angle of the jog knob 7a in a non-contact manner and outputs an electric signal corresponding to the rotation amount and rotation speed of the jog knob 7a to the control unit 31 (see FIG. 5).

As a result, the vertical screen scroll of the first and second display portions 11 and 12 is performed according to the rotation direction of the jog knob 7a. Further, the speed of screen scroll is variable according to the rotation speed of the jog knob 7a. An encoder that contacts the jog knob 7a and detects the rotation angle may be used.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the mobile phone 1. A control unit 31 that controls each unit in the second housing 3
Is provided. The control unit 31 includes a wireless unit 32 and a storage unit 3.
3, the first and second display units 11 and 12, the operation key 5, the jog key 6, the jog mechanism 7, the open / close detection units 9a and 9b, etc. are connected.

The radio unit 32 communicates with the base station of the mobile phone via the antenna 30 and can be connected to the Internet via the base station. Storage unit 33 is R
It consists of OM and RAM, and stores control programs, destination information, contents of received e-mails, etc.
Performs temporary storage of various calculations.

Operation key 5, jog key 6, jog mechanism 7
The control unit 31 performs an operation according to the input signal of 1, the detection signals of the open / close detection units 9a and 9b, and the reception signal of the wireless unit 32. As a result, images are displayed on the first and second display units 11 and 12, and communication is performed via the wireless unit 32.

In the mobile phone 1 having the above-mentioned structure, when making a call, the first and second casings 2 and 3 are opened to perform a phone operation. When the first and second housings 2 and 3 are opened and a predetermined operation is performed, the open / close detection units 9a and 9b detect that the first and second housings 2 and 3 are open, and the first display unit The image is displayed at 11.

The user operates the display screen by the jog key 6 or the jog mechanism 7 while looking at the first display portion 11 to input or select the destination number by the operation key 5. When sending an electronic mail, the operation key 5 is further used to input the electronic mail.

When a telephone call is received, the open / close detection unit 9
The fact that the first and second casings 2 and 3 are closed is detected by a and 9b, and the destination information such as the destination number and name is displayed on the second display unit 12. The user visually recognizes the second display unit 12, opens the first and second casings 2 and 3, and starts a call by operating the call key. Second, if you receive an email
The display unit 12 displays the contents of the electronic mail in addition to the destination information. The user can confirm the contents of the e-mail while scrolling the screen by the jog mechanism 7.

According to the present embodiment, the display unit 12 can be operated on the screen while the mobile phone 1 is folded by the jog mechanism 7, so that the contents can be checked while the mobile phone 1 is closed when an electronic mail is received. be able to. This eliminates the need for a complicated operation of opening the mobile phone 1.

In particular, unnecessary e-mail such as junk mail can be discriminated while the mobile phone is closed, so that useless operation can be omitted. Therefore, the usability for the user can be improved. Further, even when a lot of destination information such as a telephone number and name is displayed on the second display unit 12 when receiving a call, the destination information can be confirmed by operating the jog mechanism 7, and in the case of a nuisance call. Can refuse to accept calls.

In this embodiment, the jog mechanism 7 may be used to move the cursor within the display screen. At this time, when the jog key 6 is operated during the screen operation of the first display unit 11, the cursor moves at a low speed, and when the jog mechanism 7 is operated, the cursor moves at a high speed. It is possible to improve the sex. Moreover, the PDA is not limited to the mobile phone.
The same effect can be obtained by providing the folding type portable information terminal such as (Personal Digital Assistance) with the jog mechanism 7.

[0032]

According to the present invention, a jog mechanism is provided for operating the screen of the first display section with the first and second casings opened and operating the screen of the second display section with the closed state. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the cost increase and to confirm the destination information and the content of the e-mail while the mobile information terminal is closed. As a result, the complicated operation of opening the portable information terminal becomes unnecessary. In particular, unnecessary information such as unsolicited emails and unsolicited telephone calls can be discriminated while the portable information terminal is closed, so that unnecessary operations can be omitted. Therefore, the usability for the user can be improved.

Further, according to the present invention, since the rotary shaft of the jog mechanism and the rotary shaft of the hinge portion are aligned with each other, the jog mechanism which can be operated both in the closed state and the open state of the portable information terminal can be easily realized. can do.

Further, according to the present invention, since the hinge portions are provided at both ends in the axial direction of the jog mechanism, the first and second casings are supported at two separate positions, and the opening and closing of the portable information terminal is stabilized. In the event of a drop or the like, the jog mechanism, which is a movable part, is protected and damage can be suppressed.

Further, according to the present invention, since the jog mechanism is composed of the rotatable jog knob and the encoder for outputting the electric signal according to the rotation amount of the jog knob, the jog mechanism capable of operating the screen can be easily realized. You can

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an open state of a foldable mobile phone according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a closed state of the folding mobile phone according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the folding mobile phone according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the folding mobile phone according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a foldable mobile phone according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a conventional foldable mobile phone.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 mobile phone 2 First case 3 Second housing 4 Hinge part 4a-4d shaft hole 4e, 4f Shaft 5 operation keys 6 Jog Key 7 Jog mechanism 7a Jog knob 7b Shaft 7c encoder 9a, 9b Open / close detection unit 30 antenna 31 Control unit 32 radio section 33 storage

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A first and a second housing rotatably connected by a hinge portion, a first display portion which exposes an image when the first and second housings are opened, and displays an image, In a foldable portable information terminal having a first display unit and a second display unit capable of visually recognizing an image from an outer surface side in a state where the first and second casings are closed, the first display unit of the first display unit is opened. A foldable portable information terminal, comprising a jog mechanism for performing screen operation and screen operation of the second display unit in a closed state. 2. The foldable portable information according to claim 1, wherein the jog mechanism performs a screen operation by rotation so that a rotation axis of the jog mechanism and a rotation axis of the hinge portion are aligned with each other. Terminal. 3. The folding portable information terminal according to claim 2, wherein the hinge portions are provided at both ends of the jog mechanism in the axial direction. 4. The jog mechanism includes a rotatable jog knob, and an encoder that is installed in the first housing or the second housing and that outputs an electric signal according to the amount of rotation of the jog knob. The foldable portable information terminal according to claim 2 or 3. 5. The folding portable information terminal according to claim 4, wherein the speed of screen scrolling or the speed of cursor movement of the first and second display portions is varied according to the rotation speed of the jog knob.