JP2000184026A - Portable communication equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a portable communication equipment capable of constituting a large screen through the use of plural displays and more widely using a narrow installation space. SOLUTION: This portable communication equipment consists of an equipment body 4 having a transmission/reception part, a control part and a storage part, a front panel 6 connected to the equipment body 4 to be freely foldable, an input means, plural displays installed in the main body 4 and the front panel 6, and a connection means 8 for connecting the main body 4 to the front panel 6 to be freely foldable and installed in the relative rotation center of the equipment body 4 and the front panel 6. Each side of the plural displays is brought into contact with each other when the displays are opened.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a portable communication device capable of realizing a large screen using a plurality of flat panel displays.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Portable communication devices include portable telephones, pagers, and personal digital assistants (PDAs).
Digital assistant and palm computer are collectively referred to, and their use is rapidly increasing due to the change in the age of information and mobility, and personal communication which is indispensable recently It is a means.

[0003] A portable communication device is roughly divided into an input unit, a main unit, and a display unit. Here the display is LC
D, EL (electro luminescen)
t), TFT-LCD, FED (Field emis)
It can be configured as a flat panel display device such as a display device, a PDP or the like.

[0004] Such portable communication devices basically pursue miniaturization and weight reduction for convenience in carrying, but since this reduces the installation space of the display unit,
It is difficult to embody a large screen. On the other hand, recently, the number of information communications using portable devices has increased rapidly, and the amount of information has also increased, and the demand for larger screens has increased. And great efforts are being made to achieve this.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, the present invention relates to a portable communication device, in which a plurality of displays are made foldable, a narrow space is used more widely, and a large size is used. The purpose is to be able to realize the screen.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A portable communication device according to the present invention comprises a main body having a transmitting / receiving section, a control section, and a storage section, a front panel foldably connected to the main body, input means, A plurality of displays installed on the main body and the front panel; and a connecting means for foldably connecting the main body and the front panel and provided at a center of relative rotation between the main body and the front panel. The two sides come into contact with each other when the display is spread.

That is, the present invention is configured such that at least one flat panel display is installed on each of a main body and a front panel, and when the flat panel display is expanded, boundaries on one side of a screen are in contact with each other. It is characterized by doing.

The display includes an LCD, an EL, an FE
One of D and PDP is used, and a protective film can be attached to the screen and the boundary. The display includes a first display installed on an inner surface of the main body, and a second display installed on an inner surface of the front panel.

Further, the display may include a third display which is stored and opened in the main body in an openable / closable manner.

The connecting means includes a first cam fixed to the housing of the front panel, a can connected to the outside of the first cam and rotatably inserted into the housing of the main body, and an inside of the can. A spring inserted into the
A second cam is inserted into the can, urged by a spring, comes into contact with the first cam, and is fixed to the housing of the main body.

The input means includes a digitizer provided on the first display or a button provided on the front panel.

When the main body further includes a third display that is stored and opened in an openable manner, the main body may be provided with a locking portion (stopper) in order to limit the degree of expansion. The third display is guided by lifting means, and may be located on the same line as the first display.

In the present invention, the second display can be formed smaller than the first display.
The first display has a constant display portion that can show only the difference between the front panel and the main body when the main body is folded. A transparent plate that covers the display unit is always installed on the front panel.

[0014]

Preferred embodiments for realizing the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a state in which a portable communication device is expanded in the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a state in which the portable communication device is folded.

A portable communication device according to the present invention has a main body having a transmitting / receiving section, a control section, and a storage section, a front panel foldably connected to the main body, input means, and installed on the main body and the front panel. A plurality of displays, and a connecting means for connecting the main body and the front panel so as to be foldable, and provided at a center of relative rotation between the main body and the front panel. Are in contact with each other when they are spread. And, it includes three aspects, namely, the aspects shown in FIGS. 1, 6 and 7, respectively. For example, in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, one side of each of the plurality of displays constitutes a boundary between the main body and the front panel, and the main body and the front panel are expanded. They come into contact with each other.

As shown in FIGS. 1-2, the portable communication device of the present invention comprises at least two flat panel displays 1, 2;
Contains. The flat panel displays 1 and 2 are LC
D, EL, FED, PDP, or the like may be used, but not limited thereto, and any other flat panel display device may be used. The flat panel display can be divided into a first display 1 installed on a main body 4 of the portable communication device and a second display 2 installed on a front panel 6.

The main body 4 on which the flat panel displays 1 and 2 are installed and the front panel 6 are pivotally connected by connecting means 8, and are spread at 0 to 180 ° as shown in FIG. 1 or as shown in FIG. Completely folded.

In the portable communication device in the opened state, the first and second displays 1 and 2 are made to look like one flat panel display. The main body 4 and the front panel 6 are arranged so as to contact each other when the main body 4 and the front panel 6 are spread.

The first and second displays 1, 2
Is desirably configured so that the actual distance between the display areas 1b and 2b is 3.5 mm or less. This can be realized by precisely printing and etching the boundary sealant and electrodes in the manufacture of the first and second displays 1, 2. At this time, the width of the sealant is 1 mm to 70 μm, and the distance between the sealant and the electrode is 0.5.
mm or less. Further, the sealant may be made of a transparent material.

In the present invention, the first display 1
And a connecting means 8 as a method for minimizing the distance between the first display 2 and the second display 2. The connecting means 8 has a center of rotation on a center line where the main body 4 and the front panel 6 are folded.
When spreading in the state of °, the boundaries of the first and second displays 1 and 2 are configured to be in contact with each other and to be located on one plane.

For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 3, the connecting means 8 inserts and fixes the first cam 10 in the housing 6a of the front panel 6, and the can 12 is connected to the outside of the first cam 10. Fixed. At this time, the can 12
Hook 10 with hole 12a protruding outside first cam 10
a and fixed in the housing 4a of the main body 4 and rotatably installed. Inside the can 12, a second cam 16 which is urged through a spring 14 and receives a pressure toward the first cam 10 is provided. The second
The cam 16 can rotate while being in contact with the first cam 10,
A fixing bar 16a extended to the opposite side passes through a hole 12b in the center of the can 12, and the groove 4 of the housing 4a of the main body 4 is formed.
It is fixed by being inserted into b.

The flat displays 1 and 2 of the main body 4 and the front panel 6 connected in this manner are connected to the front panel 6.
The first cam 10 fixed to the housing 6a of the main body 4 and the second cam 16 fixed to the housing 4a of the main body 4 rotate and are folded or unfolded. In addition, it is maintained and fixed by the elastic force of the spring 14.

The first and second displays 1 and 2 thus folded can have a protective film attached to the screen and the borders 1a and 2a in order to prevent damage when the first and second displays 1 and 2 are folded or unfolded. The protective film is made of resin or metal material and has a thickness of 0.5 mm or less.

The portable communication device of the present invention can be used as a PDA by using two flat displays 1 and 2 and forming a large screen in an expanded state as shown in FIG. Further, it can be used as a mobile phone in a folded state as shown in FIG.

In order to use the present invention as a portable communication device, input means is required. In the present invention, a key input type button 18, a digitizer 20, and a touch panel (not shown) are provided as input means.

In the case of the button 18 by the key input method, it can be installed on the front panel 6 as shown in FIG. 2, and in the case of the digitizer 20 of FIG.

The digitizer 20 installed above the first display 2 forms resistors and electrodes on a substrate 22 as shown in FIG. That is, the power supply voltage (Vcc)
Transparent electrodes such as a waffle resistor 24 and an etch (H) resistor 26 are formed to grasp the position by the voltage difference between the ground and the ground. Here, the area of the waffle resistor 24 is defined as an inputtable area 28. The digitizer 20 minimizes the distance between the inputtable area 28 and the boundary 20a to 2 mm or less in order to reduce the distance between the first and second displays 1 and 2. For this purpose, the wiring line 30 is precisely printed and etched. Further, it is preferable that the wiring line 30 is formed of a transparent electrode.

Information input through the button 18, the digitizer 20, or the touch panel configured as described above is transmitted to the first and second displays through the control unit 51 built in the main body 4 as shown in the block diagram of FIG. 1,
2 is transmitted through the transmission unit 53 and the antenna 4c. Information input through the antenna 4c and the receiving unit 54 is displayed on the first and second displays 1 and 2 through the control unit 51 and the D / A converter 52. In FIG. 5, 55 is an input unit, 56 is a power supply unit, 57 is a storage unit, and 58 is an A / D converter.

FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment of the present invention.

The portable communication device of this embodiment includes a main body 40, a front panel 6, first and second displays 1, 2, input means and connecting means 8, and is housed inside the main body 40 in an openable and closable manner. Third to be spread again
The configuration includes the display 3.

For this purpose, a slide space is provided inside the main body 40 so that the third display 3 can be easily stored. In addition, the third display 3 can be extended to the state shown in FIG. 7 to form a large screen together with the first and second displays 1 and 2.

In order to open and close the third display 3, a guide rail 42 is formed inside the main body 40,
Sliding grooves 3a are formed on the upper and lower side walls of the third display 3. A handle 3b is provided on the right wall surface.

With such a configuration, the third display 3 can be easily stored and expanded as shown in FIG. 7, and in the expanded state, the third display 3 is portable together with the first and second displays 1 and 2. Used as a flat panel display for communication devices. At this time, the third display 3
Is provided with a locking portion 3c as shown in FIG. 8 to prevent it from being excessively spread and separated from the main body 40. This is applied to the housing 40a of the main body 40 to prevent detachment.

In the portable communication device of this embodiment, the second display is removed from the front panel 7 as shown in FIG.
It can also be displayed using only.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9, the portable communication device is provided with the first and third displays 1 and 3 except for the space between the layers to eliminate the feeling of separation when driven as one screen. The first and third displays 1, 3 can also be located on the same line.

To this end, the third display 3 is provided with getting on / off means. The getting on / off means includes a guide groove 1c formed in the first display 1 and a hook 3d formed in the third display 3 and sliding along the guide groove 1c.

At this time, the third display 3 is
In order to prevent this, the sliding of the sliding groove 3a for accommodating the inside of the first display unit 0 and the guide rail 43 may hinder the getting on / off operation. It must be cut at a point and formed short.

FIG. 10 shows the portable communication apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention in an expanded state, and FIG. 11 shows a portable communication apparatus in a folded state.

In this embodiment, the portable communication device comprises a main body 4, a front panel 60, first and second displays 200 and 201, input means and connection means 8, as in the first embodiment.

However, this portable communication device is designed to be able to display through a part of the first display 200 even when the main body 4 and the front panel 60 are folded. To this end, the second display 201 installed on the front panel 60 is formed smaller than the first display 200 installed on the main body 4, and has a constant display unit 202 which is a part of the first display 200 through the remaining portion.
Is visible. At this time, a transparent plate 60a can be provided on the remaining portion of the front panel 60 to constantly protect the display unit 202.

The first display 200 can be divided into a constant display section 202 shown through the transparent plate 60a and a remaining area 204 shown with the front panel 60 expanded. Each of the areas 202 and 204 is built in the main body. It can be driven simultaneously or separately through the control unit. For this purpose, another drive terminal 202a, 204a is connected to the constant display section 202 and the remaining area 204. In addition, the constant display unit 2
02 can be constituted by another fourth display.

With such a configuration, the user can fold the portable communication device without expanding the antenna 4
c and information through the receiving unit, and the control unit and the D / A
The information transmitted through the converter and constantly displayed on the display unit 202 can be confirmed.

[0044]

As can be seen from the above description, the portable communication device of the present invention is configured such that a plurality of flat panel displays can be opened or closed in a foldable or stowable manner, thereby efficiently occupying a narrow installation space. It can be used to realize a large screen. Further, the size and weight of the portable device can be further improved.

Furthermore, the portable communication device of the present invention is easy to use, can efficiently utilize various designs and installation spaces, and can realize a portable communication device that also serves as a PDA and a portable telephone.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an expanded state of a portable communication device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a folded state of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the connecting means of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing input means of the portable communication device of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a driving circuit of the portable communication device according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a portable communication device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state where a third display of FIG. 6 is expanded.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing another configuration of the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an expanded state of a portable communication device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the folded state of FIG. 10;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1,200 First display 2,201 Second display 3 Third display 4,40 Main body 6,60 Front panel 8 Connecting means 20 Digitizer 60a Transparent plate 202 Constant display unit

Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification FI FI Theme Court II (Reference) H04Q 7/38 H04B 7/26 109T (72) Inventor Jeong Xinhong Korea 1186 No. 1 Boksan-dong, Suwon-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea. Jungsan Senri Primary Apartment 107-39 (72) Inventor Liu Seone 815-2403 Seorak Apartment, Yamamoto-dong, Gunpo-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A main body, a front panel foldably connected to the main body, input means, a plurality of displays installed on the main body and the front panel, and a foldable connection between the main body and the front panel. ,
A portable communication device comprising a connecting means provided at a center of relative rotation between the main body and the front panel, wherein one side of each of the plurality of displays contacts each other when the displays are spread. 2. The display according to claim 1, wherein said display is an LCD, an EL, an F,
The portable communication device according to claim 1, which is one of an ED and a PDP. 3. The portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein the display includes a first display installed on the main body, and a second display installed on the front panel. 4. The portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein the display includes a third display housed and opened in the main body in an openable / closable manner. 5. The portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein a protective film is attached to a screen and a boundary of the display. 6. A first cam fixed to the housing of the front panel, a can connected to the outside of the first cam and rotatably inserted into the housing of the main body, and 2. A spring according to claim 1, further comprising a spring inserted into the can and a second cam inserted into the can, urged by the spring to contact the first cam and fixed to the housing of the main body. Portable communication device. 7. The portable communication device according to claim 3, wherein the input unit is a digitizer installed on the first display or a button installed on the front panel. 8. The display according to claim 1, wherein the second display is formed smaller than the first display.
4. The portable communication device according to claim 3, further comprising a constant display unit that can show only a difference between the two displays when the front panel and the main body are folded. 9. The portable communication device according to claim 8, wherein the front panel includes a transparent plate that covers a display unit at all times. 10. The portable communication device according to claim 4, wherein a locking portion is provided on the third display. 11. The portable communication device according to claim 4, wherein the third display is guided by elevating means and is located on the same line as the first display. 12. The portable communication device according to claim 11, wherein the elevating means includes a guide groove formed in the first display, and a hook formed in the third display and sliding along the guide groove. .