GB2267013A - Key arrangement for portable telephones - Google Patents

Key arrangement for portable telephones Download PDF

Info

Publication number
GB2267013A
GB2267013A GB9309264A GB9309264A GB2267013A GB 2267013 A GB2267013 A GB 2267013A GB 9309264 A GB9309264 A GB 9309264A GB 9309264 A GB9309264 A GB 9309264A GB 2267013 A GB2267013 A GB 2267013A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
keys
main body
portable telephone
movable portion
key
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB9309264A
Other versions
GB2267013B (en
GB9309264D0 (en
Inventor
Masahide Tamura
Daisuke Koga
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Toyo Communication Equipment Co Ltd
Original Assignee
Toyo Communication Equipment Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Toyo Communication Equipment Co Ltd filed Critical Toyo Communication Equipment Co Ltd
Publication of GB9309264D0 publication Critical patent/GB9309264D0/en
Publication of GB2267013A publication Critical patent/GB2267013A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2267013B publication Critical patent/GB2267013B/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
    • H04M1/02—Constructional features of telephone sets
    • H04M1/0202—Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets
    • H04M1/0206—Portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts, e.g. hinged housings
    • H04M1/0208—Portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts, e.g. hinged housings characterized by the relative motions of the body parts
    • H04M1/0214—Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
    • H04M1/72—Mobile telephones; Cordless telephones, i.e. devices for establishing wireless links to base stations without route selection
    • H04M1/724—User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
    • H04M1/72469—User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
    • H04M1/72472—User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons wherein the items are sorted according to specific criteria, e.g. frequency of use

Abstract

A portable telephone comprises a main body 10 with a speaker 14 and a movable portion 13 having a microphone 12 pivotally secured to the main body. Keys of high frequency in use are disposed on one of the main body and the movable portion and keys of low frequency in use are disposed on the other to avoid miniaturization of key sizes which results from the downsizing of the portable telephone and an increase in the number of keys of the portable telephone according to the present invention can easily be recognized and manipulated. <IMAGE>

Description

PORTABLE TELEPHONE The present invention relates to a portable telephone with an improved key arrangement.
A small-sized, light-weight portable telephone, which is suitable for hand carry, has such a construction as shown in Figs.
2(a) and 2(b). The portable telephone of this kind is usually comprised of a main body 1 held by a user's hand and a movable portion 4 pivotally provided on the main body 1 by a hinge 2.
The main body 1 has a speaker 5, a keypad 6, a display 7, an antenna 8, and a battery 9. The speaker 5 is provided on the upper portion of the main body 1, and the keypad 6 and display 7 is arranged below the speaker 5, respectively. The battery 9 is provided on the back surface of the main body 1, and the antenna is protruded from the top surface of the main body 1. A microphone 3 is provided on the movable portion 4.
When the telephone is used, the movable portion 4 is turned about the hinge 2 to its open position as shown in Fig.
2(a), and when the telephone is not used, the movable portion 4 is folded into the main body 1 so as to be easy to carry as shown in Fig. 2(b).
Another type of telephone in which a display portion is arranged on the front of a main body, and a keypad is provided on a movable portion is also used in the past.
In either types of the portable telephone, the keypad 6 is composed of a plurality of key switches, and an area occupied by the keypad decreases according as the size of a portable telephone becomes smaller.
Therefore, area of the individual keys and spaces around thereof also diminish, and making it difficult not only to distinguish the individual keys but also to correctly press desired keys with a finger tip.
Furthermore, in case that the number of keys increases so as to obtain various functions for operation of the portable telephone, the keys will become more and more difficult to distinguish and press.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement of keys of a keypad for portable telephones which permits easy visual recognition of keys and simplification of their actuation regardless of the miniaturization of the keys resulting from the downsizing of the portable telephones and an increase in the number of keys caused by an increase in the number of the telephone functions.
In order to achieve the object described above, a portable telephone of the present invention is composed of a main body having a speaker and a movable portion pivotally secured to the main body along its lower marginal edge and having a microphone, keys of high frequency of use are disposed on either one of the main body and a movable portion and keys of low frequency of use are disposed on the other.
In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a perspective view which illustrates the construction of the portable telephone of the present invention; and Figs 2(a) and 2(b) are schematic diagrams for explaining a conventional portable telephone.
Fig. 1 illustrates an embodiment of the portable telephone according to the present invention. The portable telephone is composed of a main body 10 held by a user with one hand while in use and a movable portion 13 pivotally secured by hinges 11 to the body 10 along a lower marginal edge thereof and provided with a microphone 12. The portable telephone can be folded in two or unfolded by turning the movable portion 13 about the hinges 1 as indicated by the arrow.
When the telephone is used, the movable portion 13 is turned about the hinges 11 to its open position and when the telephone is not used, the movable portion 13 is turned about the hinges 11 onto the telephone set body 10.
On the main body 10, a speaker 14, a display portion 15, an antenna 16, a battery 17 and a keypad 18 having a key group are provided.
On the movable portion 13, a control panel 19 is mounted and is electrically connected to a control panel in the main body 10 by a flexible printed circuit board or the like.
The keys are allocated on the main body 10 and the movable portion 13 according to function. More particularly, keys of high frequency in use, such as 10-keys, a number "#" key, an asterisk key, key, a send SEND" key, an end "END" key, and a clear "CLR" key are disposed on the main body 10 and keys of relatively low frequency in use, such as a mute "MUTE" key, a recall "RCL" key, and a function "FCN" key are mounted on the transmitter portion 13.
Thus a wide area can be secured for the keypad 18, and consequently, relatively large keys can be arranged at a relatively large pitch.
Other keys, such as a power "POW" switch and a volume "VOL" key may be allocated on either control panel, however; in view of providing a large area for the group of keys of high frequency in use and permitting easy actuation of them, it is preferable that the other keys are disposed on the control panel 19, together with keys of lower frequency of use.
As described above, according to the present invention, since keys are mounted on both of the main body 10 and the movable portion 13, a wide area can be secured for keys, and as a result, there is no need of miniaturization of individual keys and reduction of key pitch.
Therefore, the keys can be manipulated and recognized with so much ease that the possibility of erroneous operation of the portable telephone can be avoided. Even if the number of keys increases with enhancement of the performance of the portable telephone, such additional keys of relatively low frequency of use are mounted on the transmitter portion side; hence, miniaturization of respective keys and reduction of the key pitch are not required.
It is also possible to provide keys of low frequency in use on the main body 10 and keys of high frequency in use on the transmitter portion 13, in which case the same results as obtainable with the above embodiment can also be obtained.
As a described above, the present invention avoid necessity of reduction of the key size and the key pitch which results from the downsizing of the portable telephone and an increase in the number of keys by enhancement of the performance of the telephone.
Hence, the invention allows ease in the visual recognition of the individual keys and their actuation or pressing.

Claims (2)

CLAIMS:
1. A portable telephone which comprises a main body with a speaker and a movable portion having a microphone pivotally secured to said main body, characterized in that keys of high frequency in use are disposed on said main body and that keys of low frequency in use are disposed on said movable portion.
2. A portable telephone which comprises a main body with a speaker and a movable portion having a microphone pivotally secured to said main body, characterized in that keys of low frequency in use are disposed on said main body and that keys of high frequency in use are disposed on said movable portion.
GB9309264A 1992-05-13 1993-05-05 Portable telephone Expired - Fee Related GB2267013B (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP4146432A JPH05316183A (en) 1992-05-13 1992-05-13 Portable telephone set

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB9309264D0 GB9309264D0 (en) 1993-06-16
GB2267013A true GB2267013A (en) 1993-11-17
GB2267013B GB2267013B (en) 1996-01-17

Family

ID=15407540

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB9309264A Expired - Fee Related GB2267013B (en) 1992-05-13 1993-05-05 Portable telephone

Country Status (2)

Country Link
JP (1) JPH05316183A (en)
GB (1) GB2267013B (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2297662A (en) * 1995-02-06 1996-08-07 Motorola Inc Radio communication device having a moveable housing and keypad disposed therein

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5027394A (en) * 1987-09-30 1991-06-25 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Folding type telephone containing a wound electrical connection
WO1991014332A1 (en) * 1990-03-05 1991-09-19 Motorola, Inc. Radio telephone with secondary charging capability
GB2254519A (en) * 1991-03-11 1992-10-07 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Opening of telephone cover operates "receive" switch
EP0534478A2 (en) * 1991-09-26 1993-03-31 Casio Computer Co., Ltd. Portable telephone apparatus including electronic notebook function

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5027394A (en) * 1987-09-30 1991-06-25 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Folding type telephone containing a wound electrical connection
WO1991014332A1 (en) * 1990-03-05 1991-09-19 Motorola, Inc. Radio telephone with secondary charging capability
GB2254519A (en) * 1991-03-11 1992-10-07 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Opening of telephone cover operates "receive" switch
EP0534478A2 (en) * 1991-09-26 1993-03-31 Casio Computer Co., Ltd. Portable telephone apparatus including electronic notebook function

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2297662A (en) * 1995-02-06 1996-08-07 Motorola Inc Radio communication device having a moveable housing and keypad disposed therein
DE19604052A1 (en) * 1995-02-06 1996-08-22 Motorola Inc Radio communication device with a movable housing element and interposed keypad
DE19604052C2 (en) * 1995-02-06 1998-09-17 Motorola Inc Radio communication device
GB2297662B (en) * 1995-02-06 1999-09-01 Motorola Inc Radio communication device having a moveable housing element and keypad disposed therein

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPH05316183A (en) 1993-11-26
GB2267013B (en) 1996-01-17
GB9309264D0 (en) 1993-06-16

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US7076058B2 (en) Portable telephone set
EP0932861B1 (en) Hand-held computer and communications apparatus
EP1507273B1 (en) Keypad assembly
US5841374A (en) Micro word-pad with tactile multifunctional keys
US20040185923A1 (en) Key input device for portable communication terminal
US5991644A (en) Folding portable communications device
KR100652750B1 (en) Portable terminal having protection window combined with input button
JP2002055737A (en) Electronic equipment having housing type screen
JP2000182474A (en) Keypad assembly mechanism
US7031758B2 (en) Mobile phone with two input modes
WO2003030497A2 (en) Portable communication terminal a slidable keypad
JP2000253114A (en) Electronic equipment combined with variable display
GB2267013A (en) Key arrangement for portable telephones
JP2003510715A (en) Keyboard for electronic devices
KR970031414A (en) Membrane Shield
JPS6225218B2 (en)
JP2002044217A (en) Communication terminal device
US20040259606A1 (en) Key button device for portable communication terminal
GB2347577A (en) Telephone handset with pivotable portion
JP2001333165A (en) Mobile phone
KR100594104B1 (en) Sliding key pad apparatus for mobile phone
KR100664163B1 (en) Monolithic key pad and portable terminal having the same
KR100652765B1 (en) Slant key button apparatus of mobile phone
KR200225629Y1 (en) The folder type portable telephone
JP2000251583A (en) Portable terminal

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 19990505