JP2002252689A - Telephone set - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a telephone set easy to use and having satisfactory operability in the operation of selecting a variety of functions required for communication. SOLUTION: The telephone set is constituted of a display portion 2 for displaying address information sets, etc., an operation portion 4 having a variety of buttons for operating the telephone set, and a connection portion 3 having an l-shaped axis structure for connecting the display portion 2 with the operation portion 4. A selection portion 8 for selecting the address information of an opposite party for communication among the address information sets displayed on the display portion 2 is provided on the connection portion 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a telephone having excellent usability and operability.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional portable radio telephone (hereinafter simply referred to as a telephone), information is exchanged after transmission and reception, for example, after the radio telephone itself is taken out of a clothes pocket or the like and necessary operations are performed. (Specifically, voice communication, etc.) is performed, and after that, when information exchange with the other party is completed, it is stored again in a pocket or the like. By the way, conventional telephones are generally configured as multi-functional ones such as a radio telephone function and an electronic organizer function, and in order to make necessary functions actually function, complicated operations are performed in a predetermined order. It has to be done. For example, assuming that a call is made to the other party to make a wireless call, the telephone itself is taken out of a pocket or the like, and after a series of necessary ringing operations are performed, the telephone is switched as necessary to be in a call-enabled state. In addition, it has to be moved near the mouth and ears as if it were a handset or handset itself. At this time, in order to adjust the volume of the received voice as needed, the call must be temporarily interrupted, and the volume adjustment button must be operated in this interrupted state. When selecting any one of a plurality of functions, or when calling and displaying a desired destination telephone number stored in advance on a display screen, necessary button operations and visual display of the screen display are required. Various button operations, such as confirmation, selection of a desired one, or operation of a confirmation button when displayed, need to be performed in a predetermined order.

[0003] As a device relating to this type of device, a device (including a folding device) described in a magazine "DIME" (published by Shogakukan on October 17, 1991, pp. 82 and 83) is known. I have.

[0004]

By the way, in conventional telephones in general, even if one-handed operation has been considered to a certain extent, particularly when a radio call is made, the telephone itself is grasped with one hand and moreover, There are few things that can easily perform various operations required for making a wireless call with the finger of the hand, and in practice, one-handed operation is actually difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a telephone having excellent operability, which is easy to use and can easily perform operations such as selection of various functions required for making a call.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a telephone according to the present invention comprises a display unit for displaying various information and an operation unit having various buttons for operating the telephone in a uniaxial structure. The display unit and the operation unit are configured to be housed and foldable by a connection unit.

Further, the telephone according to the present invention is characterized in that the telephone includes a plurality of destination information as various information displayed on the display unit.

Further, the telephone according to the present invention is characterized in that the connection unit is provided with a selection means for selecting destination information of a communication destination from a plurality of destination information displayed on the display unit. .

Further, the telephone according to the present invention is characterized in that the selection means is provided at a position operable with a finger of a hand holding the telephone.

The telephone according to the present invention is characterized in that the connecting portion is provided with a push button and a rotating mechanism for rotating the display portion when the push button is pressed. .

The telephone according to the present invention is characterized in that the push button is provided at a position operable by a finger of a hand holding the telephone.

Further, in the telephone according to the present invention, when the push button is pressed when the telephone is in the stored and folded state, the rotating mechanism is operated, and the display unit is turned to the operating unit. It is characterized by being placed in a state of being bent in a letter shape.

Further, the telephone according to the present invention is characterized in that the selection means is configured to be rotatable in a vertical direction.

Further, the telephone according to the present invention is characterized in that the selecting means is configured to be slidable in the axial direction of the connecting portion.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

First, the appearance of the telephone according to the present invention in use will be described. FIG. 1 shows an external perspective view of one example. As shown in the figure, the phone main body is released from the housed and folded state and the folded state is released, and the entire appearance perspective state when the telephone body is put into a use state is shown. In this case, the receiver unit 1 and the display unit (display device) 2 are freely bent and engaged via the hinge 5, and they are also engaged with the operation unit 4 via the joint 3 for storing and folding rotation. It is configured to be as easy as possible. A receiver (speaker for receiving voice output) 6 is provided at the center of the receiver unit 1 and can be listened to by the ear during radio communication so that the voice from the other party can be heard. In that wireless call state,
As shown in the figure, the hinge 5 is bent in the shape of the letter "" to improve operability and usability. In addition, the joint section 3 maintains a state in which the telephone body is rotated and developed from the folded and stored state, that is, a use state, and includes a dial 8 for function selection operation, a rotation operation mechanism, and a push button 9. It is something that can be done. Further, the operation unit 4 includes a set button 11 for storing / retrieving information and input / output operations, and a call for starting a call.
A (re-call) button 12, a numeric keypad 13, an end button 14 for terminating a call, etc. are provided, and a microphone 10 is built in at the end. When the wireless communication function is selected by the dial 8 according to the above configuration, the receiver 6 is put on the ear and the microphone 10 is brought close to the other party in a state where the receiver 6 is brought close to the ear, like a handset in a general telephone. A wireless call can be made between the two. In addition, on the liquid crystal display screen 7 provided in the center of the display unit 2, necessary information from among the information input by keys and stored information is called and displayed.

FIG. 2 also shows a use state of the telephone in a state where the telephone is held with one hand (in this example, the left hand). When the telephone body is in the folded and stored state, the left and right ends of the joint 3 are sandwiched between the thumb a and the forefinger b, and the push button 9 is pressed with the thumb a. The receiver unit 1 is rotated to shift to a stable use state. Now, the phone body is basically a thumb ball c and the remaining three fingers d
Therefore, even if the thumb a or the index finger b is separated from the telephone main body, there is no inconvenience that the telephone main body falls from the hand. Therefore, in such a state that the telephone body is gripped, the user can operate the dial 8 and various operation buttons on the operation unit 4 with the thumb a while checking the display on the liquid crystal display screen 7.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the telephone body in a wireless communication state as viewed from the outside (rear) side. As shown in the figure, the telephone set with the ear placed on the receiver 6 and the microphone 10 with the mouth approached is shown as viewed from behind one hand holding the telephone set. As shown in the drawing, the forefinger b is separated from one end of the joint portion 3 and the dial 8 is operated by the forefinger b. This means that the dial 8 is operated by the thumb a from the inner side and from the outer side by the thumb a. Indicates that the operation can be performed by the index finger b. Therefore, when the dial 8 is in a non-wireless communication state, various functions (specifically, transmission / reception, telephone number, secret, input, output, storage, calculation, time, remote control, schedule, call (call), clear, calendar, Dictionaries, maps, letters, numbers, etc.), and in the wireless communication state, it functions to adjust the volume of the received voice, so that it can be rotated vertically and can be dialed from both inside and outside. When provided in the unit 3, the volume adjustment of the received voice in the wireless call state can be performed without interrupting the call.

FIG. 4 shows a one-handed operation method in a state where the telephone is held with one hand. As shown,
The left and right sides of the operation unit 4 are thumb balls c and 3
When the thumb a presses the push button 9 while being held between the two fingers d, the telephone body, which has been folded and stored, rotates the receiver 1 and the display 2 via the joint 3. As a result, the state is shifted to a stable use state. In this use state, for example, the operation will be described assuming that a wireless call is made. First, when the dial 8 is operated at the thumb position f, the name and the telephone number previously input and recorded on the liquid crystal display screen 7 are displayed. Is displayed by search. Then, after confirming the other party's telephone number, pressing the set button 11 at the thumb position g, and then operating the transmission (retransmission) button 12 at the thumb position h, the wireless communication is started by a known technique. Has become. Eventually, when the wireless call ends, the thumb position i
When the end button 14 is pressed, the series of operations required for wireless communication is completed. That is, viewing of the liquid crystal display screen 7 and dial 8 and transmission (retransmission)
The operation movement range of the thumb a with respect to the button 12 and the end button 14 is a range surrounded by broken lines A and B shown in the figure, and the thumb a can easily perform necessary operations within the range. The range is, of course, the range of the combined rotation, rotation, forward and backward bending movement at the joint e around the base of the living phalange of the thumb a. Therefore, when the dial 8 and various buttons required for making a wireless call are arranged in a range surrounded by broken lines A and B, the dial 8 and various buttons can be operated by one-handed operation. The one-handed operability can be improved.

FIG. 5 shows a partial cross section of an example of the joint part 3 according to the present invention. In this case, the case 15 and the button shaft 19 forming the joint 3 are formed.
Is fixed to the operation unit 4, and a hollow flange 18 is rotatably engaged with a boss shaft 16 formed on the center end surface of the case 15. The sleeve flange 20 is also rotatably engaged with the sleeve shaft 22 formed on the button shaft 19. The rotatable hollow flange 18 and the sleeve flange 20 are connected to the chassis 1
7, the chassis 17 is stably fixed inside the display unit 2. Therefore, the operation unit 4
And the display unit 2 are freely foldable and mutually engaged via a joint unit 3.

The push button 9 is inserted from the end face of the button shaft 19 so as to be able to advance and retreat.
The shank 23 is slidably fitted inside the sleeve shaft 22. The shank 23 is also provided with a stopper piece 24 and is adapted to be engaged with notches 25 and 26 formed on the end faces of the sleeve shaft 22 and the sleeve flange 20, respectively. Thereby, the rotation of the sleeve flange 20 is stopped, and therefore, the rotation of the display unit 2 can also be stably stopped and stabilized. Notch 2 of sleeve shaft 22
6 is such that the stopper piece 24 does not release the engagement even with respect to the maximum stroke of the push button 9 in the axial direction. On the other hand, the notch 25 of the sleeve flange 20 is disengaged and can freely rotate. The notch 25 of the sleeve flange 20 is formed at an open position when the telephone is in use and a storage position (not shown) when the telephone is folded.

Further, a torsion coil spring 21 is provided inside the case 15, one end of which is fixedly connected to the case 15, and the other end of which projects from the case 15 and engages with a spring hole formed in the hollow flange 18. Have been. Thus, when the push button 9 is pressed, the stopper piece 24 releases the stop at the storage notch 25 (not shown), and the elastic force of the torsion coil spring 21 is released. The receiver unit 1 and the display unit 2 are rotated, and are brought into a use state. Even in the assembled connection in the used state, since the torsion coil spring 21 still has the residual elastic force, the turning power is continuously applied in the opening direction. This suggests that unnecessary rattling when the telephone is in use is prevented by the turning force.

Further, when the dial shaft 28 with which the dial 8 is engaged can be moved in the axial direction upon reading its mechanical position, the end face of the shank 23 becomes the stroke stop position as a stopper. The press-fit connection between the shank 23 and the shaft 27 cannot be released by an operating force acting on the dial shaft 28. The dial shaft 28 and the shaft 27 are axially slidable on the same axis and rotatable around the axis. However, the shaft 27 is supported inside the dial shaft 28 so as to be slidable and rotatable. The other end is adapted to be brought to the joystick 29. The joystick 2
A power switch (not shown) interlocked with the shaft 27 is provided in the inside of the telephone 9, and when the push button 9 is operated from the outside, the telephone can be shifted from the storage folded state to the use state, and the telephone can be used. Can be turned on. Also, joystick 2
9 is provided with a volume (for adjusting a received voice volume) and a sensor (for selecting a function), and is responsive to the movement of the dial shaft 28.
The dial shaft 28 is extended to the vicinity of the center of the joint portion 3 and the dial 8 is press-fitted and fixed to the end portion. The dial 8 slides smoothly in the axial direction without contacting other parts. The rotation about the axis is enabled. The sensor inside the joystick 29 can also be operated by operating various function buttons of the operation unit 4.
Necessary functions are selected by switching. The function selected in this way is passed to a display processing circuit (not shown) via the code E, and various displays required for executing the function are performed. Although the dial 8 in this embodiment also functions as a cursor position control, a dial dedicated to cursor position control may be provided near the dial 8 in addition to the dial 8.

FIG. 6 shows a partial cross section including the joint section 3, the receiver section 1 and the display section 2.
As shown in the figure, the display unit 2 is rotatable along a slide ring 30 as a part of the joint unit 3 fixed to the operation unit 4, and a thin slide is provided inside the display unit 2. One end of the pin 31 is assembled so as to be constantly pressed against the sliding ring 30. The other end of the slide pin 31 also has a hinge piece 32 interlocking with a hinge 5 that allows the display unit 2 and the receiver unit 1 to bend.
It is configured to be rotatable. An extendable spring 33 is fixed to the hinge piece 32, and the other end is fixed to a spring seat 34 formed inside the receiver 1. In the use state of the telephone, as shown in the drawing, the receiver 1 is stabilized at the bending position indicated by the solid line due to the action of the spring 33, but when an unnecessary force acts on the receiver 1, Is rotated as shown by the broken line, which not only protects the phone itself,
In the wireless communication state, the receiver unit 1 is brought into contact with the ear with elasticity, so that the receiving state can be heard and the received voice can be heard. When the telephone is stored and folded, the receiver unit 1 and the display unit 2 are folded through the joint unit 3 as indicated by a broken line, and at this time, the slide pin 31 is moved to the telephone storage position of the slide ring 30. The receiver 1 and the display 2 are folded in a stable state because they are engaged with the formed notches 35. At the time of the folding, the hinge piece 32 interlocked with the slide pin 31 is drawn into the inside of the display unit 2, and therefore, the receiver unit 1 which has been bent with respect to the display unit 2 until then.
Are folded in a state where they are linearly extended along the display unit 2.

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a partial cross-section when the telephone is stored and folded. As shown in the drawing, in a stored and folded state, a slide pin 31 incorporated in the display unit 2 is provided in a notch 35 formed in a part of the outer periphery of the joint unit (equivalent to the slide ring 30). By being engaged, the stored and folded state is stabilized. When the push button 9 is operated in the folded state, the receiver unit 1 and the display unit 2 are rotated to shift to the use state, and the slide pin 3 is moved.
1 is slid away from the notch 35 so that the receiver unit 1 is bent with respect to the display unit 2.

Finally, the cursor position control by the dial 8 will be described. FIG. 8 shows a dial operation method at that time. As shown in the figure, the dial 8 provided in the joint part 3 is used to update the display position of interest on the liquid crystal display 7 screen, that is, the position of the cursor 37. The thumb a is arbitrarily operated in the left-right direction as viewed in the direction of arrow A or in the up-down direction as viewed in the direction of arrow B while a is brought into contact with an arbitrary position j on the dial 8. That is, when the dial 8 is in the free state, the dial 8 is stable while maintaining the clearances 36b and 36a of the same size in the left and right directions, but the operation by the thumb a in the direction of arrow A is The size of the clearances 36a and 36b is changed.
This change is sensed by a sensor in the joystick 29. For example, when the dial 8 is operated rightward, the cursor 37 is moved to the rightward position on the liquid crystal display screen 7. When the thumb a is released from the dial 8, the dial 8 is automatically restored to the center position. Further, the vertical operation of the dial 8 by the thumb a rotates the dial 8 in the vertical direction. The rotation direction and the rotation amount at this time are detected by the volume in the joystick 29 or the sensor, and the cursor 37 is moved. It can be moved up and down on the liquid crystal display screen 7. When a dedicated cursor position control dial is provided in the vicinity of the dial 8 in addition to the dial 8, the position of the cursor 37 can be controlled by operating the cursor position control dedicated dial in the same manner.

Therefore, for example, if the cursor 37 is sequentially moved to a desired position in a state where all necessary characters, numbers, symbols, etc. are displayed on the liquid crystal display screen 7, the characters at the moving position are displayed. They are sequentially selected as input targets and can be subjected to input processing. Further, for example, with the cursor 37 moved to the desired character position,
When the set button 11 is operated above, for example, a partial list of names and telephone numbers can be displayed in the upper part of the liquid crystal display screen 7. Until now, key processing that is complicated, complicated, and frequently performed has been required, for example, a desired character string or the like can be assembled only by the necessary ten-key operation. When display processing is performed as described above, such a problem can be reduced.

[0028]

As described above, the telephone according to the present invention can easily perform various operations required for making a telephone call, and is excellent in operability and usability. I have.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exemplary perspective view showing the appearance of an example of a telephone according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a use state of the telephone in a state where the telephone is held by one hand;

FIG. 3 is an exemplary perspective view of the telephone in a wireless communication state as viewed from an outer surface (rear surface) side;

FIG. 4 is an exemplary view for explaining a one-handed operation method in a state where the telephone is held by one hand;

FIG. 5 is a view showing a partial cross section of a joint section according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a view showing a partial cross section including the joint part, the receiver part, and the display part.

FIG. 7 is an exemplary perspective view showing a partial cross section when the telephone is in a housed and folded state;

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a cursor position control method by dial operation according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Receiver part, 2 ... Display part (display apparatus), 3 ... Joint part, 4 ... Operation part, 5 ... Hinge, 6 ... Receiver, 7 ...
LCD display screen, 8 ... dial, 9 ... push button, 1
0 ... Microphone, 11 ... Set button, 12 ... Call
(Re-call) button, 13 ... numeric keypad, 14 ... end button.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04M 1/23 H04M 1/23 S 1/274 1/274 (72) Inventor Sakae Itakura Totsuka, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa 216 Totsuka-cho, Tokyo F-term in Hitachi, Ltd. Information and Communications Division 5K023 AA07 BB11 DD08 EE02 GG05 HH02 KK10 MM24 PP16 5K036 AA07 BB01 DD01 DD16 FF02 JJ03 JJ13 JJ18

Claims (11)

[Claims] A display unit for displaying various information and an operation unit having various buttons for operating a telephone are connected by a connection unit having a single-axis structure, and the display unit and the operation unit are connected by the connection unit. A telephone characterized in that it can be stored and folded. 2. The telephone according to claim 1, wherein the various information displayed on the display unit includes a plurality of pieces of destination information. 3. The telephone according to claim 2, wherein the connecting unit is provided with a selection unit for selecting destination information of a communication partner from the plurality of destination information displayed on the display unit. . 4. The telephone according to claim 3, wherein said selection means is provided at a position operable by fingers of a hand holding the telephone. 5. The telephone according to claim 1, wherein, when the telephone is used, the display unit is bent in a “<” shape with respect to the operation unit. 6. The telephone according to claim 1, wherein the connection unit includes a push button and a rotating mechanism that rotates the display unit when the push button is pressed. 7. The telephone according to claim 6, wherein the push button is provided at a position operable by a finger of a hand holding the telephone. 8. When the push button is depressed while the telephone is in the housed and folded state, the rotating mechanism is operated, and the display unit is formed into a “<” shape with respect to the operation unit. The telephone according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the telephone is in a bent state. 9. The telephone according to claim 3, wherein said selection means is configured to be rotatable in a vertical direction. 10. The telephone according to claim 3, wherein said selection means is configured to be slidable in the axial direction of said connecting portion. 11. The telephone according to claim 3, wherein said selection means is configured to be movable in first and second directions.