JP2005277775A - Foldable portable communication terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable the photograph in various situations by a portable communication terminal having two rotary shafts and a photographing means and realize both improvement of the operability at photographing and prevention of wrong operation. <P>SOLUTION: The terminal comprises a thin type operating frame 1 having a plurality of main operating keys on one main surface including a first shutter key 12 and a camera 52 on the other main surface, a thin type display frame 2 having a main display screen 20 usable as a finder on one main surface, and a movable joint 3 for joining both frames 1, 2 with a biaxial hinge to make them foldable and an operating surface turnable. The frame 1 has a second and third shutter keys 25, 28 on the opposite sides. Any one shutter key is disabled according to the terminal's state, and the main operating keys 10-16 are disabled during turning back of the display frame 2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a foldable portable communication terminal, and more particularly, to an improvement of a portable communication terminal configured to be rotatable about two axes including a folding rotation axis. In particular, the present invention relates to an improvement of a mobile phone provided with two rotating shafts and photographing means.

  Mobile phones are required to be smaller and lighter from the viewpoint of improving portability. However, there is a limit to downsizing the operation surface, and there is a demand for an increase in the screen size of the display screen. In order to satisfy such conflicting demands, in recent mobile phones, a display case provided with a display screen and an operation case provided with operation keys are connected by a hinge, and the display screen and the operation keys are connected. Those that can be folded in opposition have become mainstream.

  Furthermore, not only the first rotating shaft for folding but also a two-axis hinge having a second rotating shaft orthogonal to the first rotating shaft, the display housing is rotated around the second rotating shaft, and the operation key Various mobile phones that can reverse the orientation of the display screen with respect to the orientation of the display have been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1). In such a cellular phone, the display screen and the operation keys are directed in the same direction, the normal open state in which both housings are expanded, the display screen and the operation keys are opposed to each other, the normal close state is folded, the display screen and the operation It can be transformed into four terminal states consisting of a reverse open state in which both casings are expanded with the keys facing in the opposite direction and a reverse close state in which the display screen is folded outward.

On the other hand, most recent mobile phones are provided with an imaging means. Such a mobile phone is used as a digital camera by using a main display screen as a viewfinder and using a part of operation keys as a shutter key (release key). There is also a mobile phone equipped with a dedicated shutter key.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-30226

  In the mobile phone having the above-described biaxial hinge, the positional relationship between the display screen and the operation keys also changes when the terminal state is changed. That is, when used as a digital camera, the positional relationship between the viewfinder and the shutter key changes depending on the terminal state. For this reason, in the case of a mobile phone that can be used as a digital camera in each terminal state of the normal open state, reverse open state, and reverse close state, the viewfinder and shutter are provided so that good operability can be obtained in all these terminal states. It was not easy to arrange keys in advance.

  In general, a captured image is a rectangle, and when a vertically long image is captured, it is necessary to capture the image by tilting the mobile phone by 90 ° compared to when capturing a horizontally long image. For this reason, depending on whether a vertically long image or a horizontally long image is taken, the user holds the mobile phone differently, and the arrangement of the viewfinder and the shutter key for obtaining good operability is also different.

  In addition, the arrangement of the viewfinder and the shutter key for obtaining good operability differs depending on whether the mobile phone is held with the right hand or the left hand. For this reason, it is necessary to consider the influence of the user's dominant hand.

  Even if the operability of the shutter key at the time of shooting is good, there may be cases where the user touches the other operation keys when the mobile phone is rotated or when shooting and the operation input is performed unexpectedly. It is done.

  Furthermore, in the case of a mobile phone having a biaxial hinge, the display housing may come into contact with the operation key during transition between terminal states, and the operation key may be erroneously operated against the user's will. That is, when the display housing is rotated by the second rotation shaft, if the end of the display housing comes into contact with the operation key, there is a problem that an operation input is performed against the user's will. The problem is a problem in a mobile phone having a biaxial hinge, and is not limited to a mobile phone having a photographing unit.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and enables photographing with a mobile communication terminal having two rotating shafts and photographing means under various circumstances, or improves operability during photographing. With the goal. It is another object of the present invention to improve operability at the time of shooting and to suppress erroneous operations. Furthermore, it aims at preventing the erroneous operation at the time of rotation of the portable communication terminal which has two rotating shafts.

  A foldable mobile communication terminal according to the present invention has a thin operation casing in which a plurality of main operation keys are arranged on one main surface and a photographing means is provided on the other main surface, and photographing means. The display screen used as a viewfinder is connected to a thin display housing with a display surface on one main surface, the operation housing and the display housing, allowing both housings to be folded and operated. A movable connecting portion that allows the orientation of the screen and the display surface to be changed independently. The main operation key includes a first shutter key, and a second shutter key and a third shutter key are disposed on opposite sides of the operation housing. Each is provided with a shutter key.

  With such a configuration, the user can select an easy-to-operate shutter key according to the shooting situation and perform shooting. For example, by using different shutter keys according to the terminal status at the time of shooting, the user's dominant hand, the longitudinal direction of the shot image, etc., camera shooting is possible under various circumstances, or operability at the time of shooting is improved. be able to.

  In addition to the above configuration, the foldable portable communication terminal according to the present invention further includes input control means for controlling an operation input by the main operation key, and the movable connecting portion is a first parallel to the main surface of the operation housing. Both the housings can be folded by one rotation axis, and the display housing can be rotated about the second rotation axis orthogonal to the first rotation axis to independently change the direction of the operation surface and the display surface. The input control means is configured to invalidate the operation input by the main operation key while the display housing is rotated by the second rotation axis. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent an unintended operation input from being performed due to the end of the display housing being in contact with the main operation key while the display housing is being rotated by the second rotation axis.

  In addition to the above configuration, the foldable mobile communication terminal according to the present invention includes a terminal state detection unit that detects a connection state of the operation housing and the display housing, and a detection result of the terminal state detection unit. Any one of the third shutter keys is provided with an input control means for invalidating the operation input. With such a configuration, unintentional shooting can be suppressed even when three shutter keys are provided to improve operability during shooting. That is, since the two shutter keys are validated according to the terminal state, it is possible to improve the operability at the time of shooting and to prevent an erroneous operation.

  Further, in the folding mobile communication terminal according to the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, the first and second shutter keys include operation keys for detecting a user operation having a single stroke amount, and the third shutter key Comprises an operation key for detecting a user operation in two stages with different stroke amounts, and the input control means is configured to invalidate an operation input by one of the first shutter key and the second shutter key. Is done. With such a configuration, a high-cost operation key capable of two-step operation input can always be used, thereby making it possible to achieve both improvement in operability and prevention of erroneous operation while suppressing an increase in cost. .

  In addition to the above-described configuration, the foldable mobile communication terminal according to the present invention includes a second shutter in a normally open state in which the input control unit expands both housings with the operation surface and the display surface directed in the same direction. The operation input by the key is configured to be invalidated. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent an operation input by the second shutter key from being performed unexpectedly in the normally open state.

  In addition to the above configuration, the foldable mobile communication terminal according to the present invention has a main operation key in a reverse open state in which the input control means expands both housings with the operation surface and the display surface facing in opposite directions. The operation input by is invalidated. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent an operation input by the first shutter key from being performed unexpectedly in the reverse open state.

  In addition to the above configuration, the foldable mobile communication terminal according to the present invention is configured such that the input control means performs an operation input by the first shutter key in a reverse closed state in which both housings are folded with the display surface facing outward. Configured to be invalid.

  In addition, the folding portable communication terminal according to the present invention forms a thin operation casing having an operation surface on which a plurality of operation keys are arranged on one main surface and a display surface on which a display screen is arranged on one main surface. The thin display case, the operation case, and the display case are connected, and the main surfaces of both cases are opposed to each other by a first rotation axis parallel to the main surface of the operation case. A movable connecting portion that allows the direction of the operation surface and the display surface to be independently changed by a second rotation axis that is orthogonal to the one rotation axis; and an input control means that controls an operation input by the operation key. The means is configured to invalidate the operation input by the operation key during the rotation by the second rotation shaft.

  According to the present invention, in a mobile communication terminal having two rotating shafts and photographing means, by providing the first shutter key on the operation surface and the second and third shutter keys on the opposite side surfaces of the operation housing, Shooting in various situations can be made possible. In addition, the operability at the time of shooting can be improved.

  Further, by invalidating the operation input by any one of the three shutter keys based on the terminal state, it is possible to improve the operability and to suppress an erroneous operation in which the operation input is performed unexpectedly. .

  Further, by invalidating the operation input by the main operation key during the rotation of the display housing by the second rotation axis, it is possible to suppress an erroneous operation in which the operation input is unexpectedly performed during the rotation.

  1 to 3 are diagrams showing an example of a mobile communication terminal according to the present invention, and an appearance of a foldable mobile phone in a “normally open state” is shown. The normal open state is the most basic terminal state when the mobile phone is used, FIG. 1 is a front view of the mobile phone in the normal open state as viewed from the user side, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a right side view thereof.

  This mobile phone includes an operation housing 1, a display housing 2, and a movable connecting portion 3. Both the operation casing 1 and the display casing 2 are thin casings each having a substantially rectangular flat plate shape, and have two main surfaces and end surfaces facing each other. One short side of each of the operation casing 1 and the display casing 2 is connected by a movable connecting portion 3. By this movable connection part 3, both housing | casing 1 and 2 can be rotated relatively centering on 1st rotating shaft A1 and 2nd rotating shaft A2.

  The first rotation axis A1 is a rotation axis parallel to the main surface of the operation housing 1. If the display housing 2 is rotated around the first rotation axis A1, the main surfaces of both the housings 1 and 2 are moved. It can be folded against each other or can be unfolded. The second rotation axis A2 is a rotation axis orthogonal to the first rotation axis. If the display housing 2 is rotated by 180 ° about the second rotation axis A2, the display housing 2 is turned over, You can swap the faces.

  Main operation keys 10 to 16 are disposed on one main surface of the operation casing 1 together with the call microphone 17, and the main surface is used as an operation surface for a user to input an operation. Further, side keys 25 to 27 are arranged on the left side surface of the operation casing 1, and a camera photographing key 28 is arranged on the right side surface.

  A main display screen 20 including a liquid crystal display panel is disposed on one main surface of the display housing 2, and the main surface is used as a display surface for performing display output to the user. Call receivers 21 and 22 and sub guide keys 23 and 24 are also arranged in the display surface.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the main part of the internal structure of the mobile phone of FIG. 1, showing the main part of the movable connecting part 3 and the detection sensor of the terminal state. The movable connecting portion 3 includes bearing members 30 and 31 fixed to the operation casing 1, a rotating member 32 rotatably held by the bearing members 30 and 31, and a frame fixed to the display casing 2. The member 33 includes a rotation connecting member 34 that rotatably connects the rotating member 32 and the frame member 33.

  In other words, the movable connecting portion 3 includes a biaxial hinge that relatively rotates the operation housing 1 and the display housing 2 around the first rotation axis A1 and the second rotation axis A2. If the display housing 2 is rotated about the first rotation axis A1 by the bearing members 30, 31 and the rotation member 32, the mobile phone can be opened and closed. Further, the rotation connecting member 34 can rotate the display housing 2 by 180 ° around the second rotation axis A2, and the directions of the operation surface and the display surface can be reversed or the same.

  The magnets 40 and 42 and the magnetic sensors 41 and 43 in the figure are provided for detecting the terminal state, that is, the connection state of the two housings 1 and 2 by the movable connecting part 3, and details thereof will be described later. .

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an appearance of the mobile phone of FIG. 1 in the “normally closed state”. The normally closed state is the most basic terminal state when the mobile phone is stored. From the normally open state, the display housing 2 is rotated around the first rotation axis A1, and the display surface and the operation surface are both inside. It is the state folded so as to face each other. (A) in the figure is a front view of the mobile phone in a normally closed state as viewed from the user side, (b) is a left side view thereof, and (c) is a right side view thereof. A sub display screen 51 smaller than the main display screen 20 is provided on the main surface opposite to the display surface of the display housing 2.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an appearance of the mobile phone of FIG. 1 in the “reverse open state”. The reverse open state is mainly a terminal state when the user himself / herself is photographed with a camera. From the normal open state, the display housing 2 is rotated by 180 ° around the second rotation axis A2, and the display surface and the operation surface are in opposite directions. It is a state of deployment towards A camera 52 and a mobile light 53 are provided on the main surface of the operation casing 1 opposite to the operation surface.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the mobile phone of FIG. 1 is rotated about the second rotation axis A2. In the normally closed state or the normally open state, the display housing 2 cannot be rotated about the second rotation axis A2. For this reason, first, the display housing 2 is rotated around the first rotation axis A1 to shift to the intermediate state. Then, the display housing 2 is rotated by 180 ° around the second rotation axis A2. Thereafter, when both the housings 1 and 2 are deployed, the reverse open state shown in FIG. 5 is obtained, and when both the housings 1 and 2 are closed, the reverse closing state described later is obtained.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an appearance of the mobile phone of FIG. 1 in the “reverse closed state”. The reverse closed state is a state in which the display housing 2 is rotated around the first rotation axis A1 from the reverse open state and folded with the operation surface inward and the display surface outward. (A) in the figure is a front view of the mobile phone in the reverse closed state as viewed from the user side, (b) is a left side view thereof, and (c) is a right side view thereof.

  Next, each component of the mobile phone shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 will be described. In the operation surface of the operation casing 1, main operation keys 10 to 16 and a call microphone 17 are arranged. These main operation keys 10 to 16 are normally used in an open state, and in other states, the operation input is invalidated to prevent a key operation unintended by the user from being performed.

  The numeric keypad 10 is an operation key used for telephone number input, e-mail character input, and the like. The main guide keys 11 to 13 have different functions assigned according to the usage situation, and are assigned to the function keys on the screen, and are also called soft keys or function keys. In the camera shooting mode, a function as a shutter key is assigned to the main guide key 12, and a function for shooting adjustment such as on / off of the mobile light 53 is assigned to the main guide keys 11 and 13.

  The main multi-function key 14 is an independent operation key that can perform four types of operation inputs by pressing the upper, lower, left, and right pressing parts. Here, the main multi-function key 14 has a ring shape and has a separate operation key in the center. A certain main guide key 12 is arranged. In the camera photographing mode, a function for photographing adjustment such as zoom magnification and exposure adjustment is assigned to each of these pressed parts. The off-hook key 15 is an operation key operated at the start of a call, and the on-hook key 16 is an operation key operated at the end of the call.

  Side keys 25 to 27 and a camera photographing key 28 are arranged on the end face of the operation casing 1. Here, side keys 25 to 27 are arranged on the left side surface of the operation housing 1 on the movable connecting portion 3 side on the operation housing 1. These side keys 25 to 27 are used in the reverse open state and the reverse close state, and in the normal open state, the operation input is invalidated to prevent a key operation unintended by the user from being performed.

  The side key 25 is a side guide key associated with the main guide key 12, and can perform the same operation input as the main guide key 12. The side key 26 is a side multifunction key associated with the main multifunction key 14, and can perform the same operation input as that of the main multifunction key 14. That is, in the camera photographing mode, a function as a shutter key is assigned to the side guide key 25, and a function for photographing adjustment is assigned to each pressed portion of the side multifunction key.

  The camera shooting key 28 is arranged on the right side surface of the operation housing 1 on the opposite side of the movable connection portion 3 on the operation housing 1. That is, the camera photographing key 28 and the side keys 25 to 27 are arranged on the opposite end face of the operation casing 1 and on the same diagonal side on the main surface.

  The camera photographing key 28 is an operation key that can detect two-stage user operations with different stroke amounts. Specifically, when a shallow stroke operation (half press) is performed, a focus position and an exposure value that are automatically controlled are determined, and shooting is performed by a subsequent deep stroke operation (full press). On the other hand, the main guide key 12 and the side guide key 25 in which the function of the shutter key is assigned to a general-purpose operation key detects whether or not a user operation exceeding a predetermined single stroke amount is performed. Only. For this reason, when the main guide key 12 or the side guide key 25 is operated in the camera shooting mode, the focus position and the exposure value are subsequently determined, and the shooting is performed subsequently.

  A camera 52 and a mobile light 53 are provided on a main surface different from the operation surface of the operation housing 1. The camera 52 is an image pickup unit composed of a CCD or a COMS image sensor, and a subject is displayed on the main display screen 20 as a finder at the time of shooting. Therefore, based on the positional relationship between the camera 52 and the main display screen, it is normally used in the open state or reverse closed state when shooting other people or landscapes, and is used in the reverse open state when shooting the user himself. The The mobile light 53 is a flashlight composed of LEDs that are turned on when exposure is insufficient.

  The camera 52 and the mobile light 53 are arranged on the movable connecting portion 3 side on the main surface. The operation housing 1 has a generally thin plate shape, but the movable connecting portion 3 side is formed to be slightly thicker than the opposite side. For this reason, in order to make the operation casing 1 thinner, the camera 52 and the mobile light 53 are arranged closer to the movable connecting portion 3 than the center of the operation casing 1.

  The sub guide keys 23 and 24 provided in the display surface of the display housing 2 are operation keys corresponding to the main guide keys 11 and 13, and the same operation input as the main guide keys 11 and 13 can be performed. it can. That is, in the camera shooting mode, a function for shooting adjustment is assigned. These sub-guide keys 23 and 24 are used in the reverse open state and the reverse close state, and in the normal open state, the operation input is invalid and prevents a key operation not intended by the user from being performed.

  The call receiver 21 provided in the display screen is a receiver that is normally used in a call in an open state, and is located on the opposite side of the display screen from the movable connecting portion 3 (with respect to the main display screen 20). It is arranged on the body tip side. On the other hand, the call receiver 22 is a receiver used in a call in the reverse closed state, and is disposed on the movable connecting portion 3 side with respect to the main display screen 20 within the display surface.

  One of the magnet 40 and the magnetic sensor 41 is provided in the operation housing 1 and the other is provided in the display housing 2, and is disposed at positions facing each other in the normal closed state. For this reason, if the magnetic sensor 41 detects the line of magnetic force of the magnet 40, it can be determined that it is in the normally closed state.

  One of the magnet 42 and the magnetic sensor 43 is provided on the rotating member 32 in the movable connecting portion 3, and the other is provided on the frame member 33 in the display housing 2, and the operation surface and the display surface face the same direction. Are disposed at positions facing each other. For this reason, if the magnetic sensor 43 detects the line of magnetic force of the magnet 42, it can be determined that it is in the normally open state or the normally closed state, and if it cannot be detected, it is determined that it is in the reverse open state or the reverse closed state. be able to. The magnetic sensors 41 and 43 can be Hall elements, MR elements, or the like.

  FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram showing one configuration example in the mobile phone of FIG. The main control unit 60 includes a processor that performs main control of the mobile phone. The radio unit 61 is a radio unit that performs radio communication with a cellular radio base station (not shown) via an antenna. The communication control unit 62 controls the wireless communication based on an instruction from the main control unit 60.

  The terminal state detection unit 63 determines the terminal state based on detection signals from the magnetic sensors 41 and 43. If the detection results of the magnetic sensors 41 and 43 are used, it is possible to distinguish between the normally closed state, the normally open state, and other states (reverse open state or reverse close state). However, the reverse open state and the reverse close state are not determined. The main control unit 60 varies the operations in the input control unit 64, the audio control unit 65, and the display control unit 66 based on the determination result. In this specification, the operation in the camera photographing mode in the normal open state, the reverse open state, and the reverse close state will be mainly described.

  The input control unit 64 monitors operation inputs from the main operation keys 10 to 16 in the operation surface, the sub guide keys 23 and 24 and the side keys 25 to 27 in the display surface, and outputs a key operation signal to the main control unit. ing. At that time, the operation input by a predetermined operation key is invalidated according to the terminal state detected by the terminal state detection unit 63.

  The voice control unit 65 outputs the received sound to the call receiver 21 or 22, and the transmission sound is input from the call microphone 17 to perform input / output control of the voice signal. When a call is being made in the normally open state, the call receiver 21 is used, and when a call is being made in the reverse closed state, the call receiver 22 is used. The call microphone 17 is used in common in both terminal states.

  The display control unit 66 performs display control of the main display screen 20 and the sub display screen 51. Further, the display image on the main display screen 20 is rotated by 180 ° based on the terminal state. Further, the display control unit 66 displays the function assignment to each guide key at the lower end of the main display screen 20.

  In the camera shooting mode, the camera 52 performs monitor shooting at a predetermined cycle based on the shooting conditions from the main control unit 60 and outputs a monitor image. The display control unit 66 displays this monitor image on the main display screen 20. In this state, if the user operates the shutter key, a shooting instruction is output from the main control unit 60, and shooting is performed by the camera 52. The captured image obtained in this way is stored in the image memory 67 by the main control unit 60.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram showing main operation keys used in the camera photographing mode, and is shown for each terminal state. Note that the normally closed state in which camera shooting is not performed is omitted.

  The main operation keys 10 to 16 in the operation surface cannot be used in the normal close state and the reverse close state in which the operation surface is folded inward. Further, in the reverse open state in which the display surface and the operation surface are directed in the opposite directions, the operation keys 10 to 16 cannot be operated while browsing the main display screen 20, and the operability is extremely poor. For this reason, the input control unit 64 disables the operation input by the main operation keys 10 to 16 in the normal close state, the reverse close state, and the reverse open state.

  On the other hand, since the sub guide keys 23 and 24 and the side keys 25 to 27 may be operated unintentionally by the user in the normal open state, these key operations in the normal open state are performed by the input control unit. 64 is invalidated.

  Accordingly, the operation keys that can be used as the shutter key in the camera shooting mode are the main guide key 12 and the camera shooting key 28 in the normal open state, and the side guide key 25 and the camera shooting key 28 in the reverse open state and the reverse close state. It is. That is, the camera photographing key 28 that can be half-pressed is always enabled, and one of the main guide key 12 and the side guide key 25 is disabled, so that two shutter keys can always be used.

  The operation keys that can be used for shooting adjustment in the camera shooting mode are the main guide keys 11 and 13 and the main multifunction key 14 in the normal open state, and the sub guide key 23 in the reverse open state and the reverse close state. , 24 and side multifunction key 26. That is, either the main operation key or the side key is always usable.

  An operation key that can be half-pressed is more suitable as a shutter key than a normal operation key, but is also expensive. Therefore, one half-pressable operation key and two normal operation keys are provided as shutter keys, and various shooting operations can be performed by allowing the user to select an arbitrary key from a plurality of shutter keys. Can be possible. In particular, the shutter operation can be performed without difficulty in various terminal states by disposing shutter keys on both opposing side surfaces and the operation surface of the operation casing. However, if the number of shutter keys increases, shooting may occur unintentionally, so it is possible to suppress such erroneous operations by disabling one of the normal operation keys. The operation keys that can be half-pressed can be used effectively.

  Next, usage examples of the mobile phone according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIGS. 11 to 13 are diagrams showing a state at the time of camera photographing in a normally open state.
FIG. 11 shows the shooting of a vertically long image, FIG. 12 shows the shooting of a horizontally long image with the left hand, and FIG. 13 shows the shooting of a horizontally long image with the right hand.

  11 and 12, the main guide key 12 is used as a shutter key, and the main multifunction key 14 is used for shooting adjustment. FIG. 11 shows an example of shooting with the left hand, but in the case of a vertically long image, the same is true for shooting with the right hand. In FIG. 13, a camera photographing key 28 is used as a shutter key. When shooting a horizontally long image with the right hand, the main guide key 12 can be operated with the right hand, but the half-pressing operation is possible, and the camera shooting key 28 arranged at an easy-to-operate position is used as a shutter key. The operability is better.

  FIGS. 14 to 17 are diagrams showing the state of camera shooting in the reverse open state. FIG. 14 shows the shooting of a vertically long image with the left hand, FIG. 15 shows the shooting of a vertically long image with the right hand, FIG. 16 shows the shooting of a horizontally long image with the left hand, and FIG. 17 shows the shooting of a horizontally long image with the right hand.

  In the case of FIGS. 14 and 16, the camera photographing key 28 is used as a shutter key. In the case of FIGS. 15 and 17, the side guide key 25 is used as a shutter key. In any case, since the main operation keys 10 to 16 are invalid, they are not operated by mistake. In this way, by providing the shutter keys on both side surfaces of the operation casing, it is possible to perform natural shutter operations during various shootings in the reverse open state. In any case of FIGS. 14 to 17, the sub guide keys 23 and 24 and the side multifunction key 26 are used for photographing adjustment.

  FIGS. 18 to 20 are views showing a state at the time of camera photographing in the reverse closed state. FIG. 18 shows the shooting of a vertically long image with the left hand, FIG. 19 shows the shooting of a vertically long image with the right hand, and FIG. 20 shows the shooting of a horizontally long image.

  In the case of FIG. 18, the side guide key 25 is used as a shutter key, and in the case of FIGS. 19 and 20, the camera photographing key 28 is used as a shutter key. In this way, by providing the shutter keys on both side surfaces of the operation casing, a natural shutter operation can be performed even during various shootings in the reverse close state. In any case of FIGS. 18 to 20, the sub-guide keys 23 and 24 and the side multifunction key 26 are used for photographing adjustment.

  FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a mobile phone is held with both hands to perform shooting adjustment and shutter operation when shooting a horizontally long image in the reverse open state. When shooting with both hands, the camera shooting key 28 with better operability is used with the user's right index finger. Further, photographing adjustment can be performed by operating the sub guide keys 23 and 24 with the thumb of the right hand or by operating the side multifunction key 26 with the thumb of the left hand. Note that the camera 52 and the mobile light 53 are arranged on the movable connecting portion 3 side of the operation casing 1 and cannot be photographed when the mobile phone is deeply grasped with the left hand. For this reason, if the mobile phone is deeply grasped with the right hand and is sufficiently fixed, and the left hand is shallowly grasped, the side multifunction key 26 can be operated with the thumb.

  FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example in the case where the entire mobile phone is used while being rotated 180 ° from the state of FIG. Since the main surface of the operation casing has a substantially rectangular shape, when the user tries to take a horizontally long image while holding the mobile phone in the reverse closed state, the orientation of the mobile phone held by the user is as shown in FIG. Or it is in any state of FIG.

  The side guide key 25 and the camera photographing key 28 that can be used as shutter keys in the reverse closed state are arranged on opposite side surfaces of the operation casing 1 and close to the same diagonal line on the main surface of the operation casing 1. Has been. For this reason, the shutter key is arranged on the upper right in both states of FIGS. 21 and 22 in which the entire mobile phone is rotated by 180 °, and the user can take a picture without missing a photo opportunity.

  FIG. 23 is a diagram showing a state where an end of the rotating display housing 2 comes into contact with the operation key and an erroneous operation occurs. When the central angle of the operation casing 1 and the display casing 2 with respect to the first rotation axis A1 is smaller than a predetermined angle, the end of the display casing 2 rotating by the second rotation axis A2 is The user touches the display surface, and an operation input by any of the main operation keys 10 to 16 is performed against the user's will. For example, in the camera shooting mode, if the main guide key 12 is touched, unintended shooting is performed.

  For this reason, the input control unit 64 is based on the detection result of the terminal state detection unit 63 in a state other than the normal open state, the normal close state, the reverse open state, and the reverse close state, that is, in the intermediate state between them. The operation keys 10 to 16 are invalidated. Here, since the main operation keys 10 to 16 are disabled in the normal close state, the reverse open state, and the reverse close state, the main operation keys 10 to 16 are enabled only in the normal open state.

It is the figure which showed an example of the portable communication terminal by this invention, and is the front view which showed the external appearance in the "normally open state" of the foldable mobile telephone. It is a left view about the mobile telephone of FIG. It is a right view about the mobile phone of FIG. It is the figure which showed the principal part about the internal structure of the mobile telephone of FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an appearance of the mobile phone of FIG. 1 in a “normally closed state”. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an appearance of the mobile phone of FIG. 1 in a “reverse open state”. It is the figure which showed the mode in the case of rotating the mobile telephone of FIG. 1 centering on 2nd rotating shaft A2. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an appearance of the mobile phone of FIG. 1 in “reverse closed state”. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating a configuration example in the mobile phone of FIG. 1. It is the figure which showed the main operation keys used in camera imaging | photography mode for every terminal state. It is the figure which showed the mode in the case of image | photographing a vertically long image in a normal open state. It is the figure which showed the mode in the case of image | photographing a landscape image with a left hand in a normal open state. It is the figure which showed the mode in the case of image | photographing a landscape image with a right hand in a normal open state. It is the figure which showed the mode in the case of image | photographing a vertically long image with a left hand in a reverse open state. It is the figure which showed the mode in the case of image | photographing a vertically long image with a right hand in a reverse open state. It is the figure which showed the mode in the case of image | photographing a landscape image with a left hand in a reverse open state. It is the figure which showed the mode in the case of image | photographing a landscape image with a right hand in a reverse open state. It is the figure which showed the mode in the case of image | photographing a vertically long image with a left hand in a reverse close state. It is the figure which showed the mode in the case of image | photographing a vertically long image with a right hand in a reverse close state. It is the figure which showed the mode in the case of image | photographing a landscape image in a reverse close state. It is the figure which showed the mode in the case of image | photographing holding | maintaining a landscape image with both hands in a reverse open state. It is the figure which showed the mode in the case of image | photographing in the state which rotated the mobile telephone main body of FIG. 21 180 degrees. It is the figure which showed a mode that the edge part of the display housing | casing 2 in rotation contact | abuts to an operation key, and erroneous operation arises.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Operation housing | casing 2 Display housing | casing 3 Movable connection part 11 and 13 Main guide key 12 Main guide key (shutter key)
14 Main multi-function keys 20 Main display screen (finder)
23, 24 Sub guide key 25 Side guide key (shutter key)
26 Side multifunction key 28 Camera shooting key (shutter key)
52 Camera 53 Mobile Light 63 Terminal State Detection Unit 64 Input Control Units A1, A2 Rotating Axis

Claims (8)

A thin operation casing in which a plurality of main operation keys are arranged on one main surface and an imaging unit is provided on the other main surface;
A thin display housing in which a display surface on which a display screen used as a viewfinder of a photographing means is arranged is formed on one main surface;
The operation casing and the display casing are connected, and both the casings can be folded, and a movable connecting portion that can independently change the directions of the operation surface and the display surface,
A foldable portable communication terminal, wherein the main operation key includes a first shutter key, and a second shutter key and a third shutter key are provided on opposite sides of the operation casing. Comprising an input control means for controlling an operation input by the main operation key;
The movable connecting portion enables both housings to be folded by a first rotating shaft parallel to the main surface of the operation housing, and rotates the display housing about a second rotating shaft orthogonal to the first rotating shaft. The direction of the operation surface and display surface can be changed independently,
The foldable portable communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein the input control means invalidates an operation input by the main operation key while the display casing is rotated by the second rotation axis. Terminal state detection means for detecting the connection state of the operation housing and the display housing;
The input control means for invalidating the operation input of any one of the first to third shutter keys based on the detection result of the terminal state detection means. Foldable mobile communication terminal. The first and second shutter keys include operation keys for detecting a user operation having a single stroke amount,
The third shutter key comprises an operation key for detecting a user operation in two stages with different stroke amounts,
4. The foldable portable communication terminal according to claim 3, wherein the input control means invalidates an operation input by one of the first shutter key and the second shutter key.   4. The input control unit according to claim 3, wherein the input control means invalidates the operation input by the second shutter key in a normally open state in which both housings are deployed with the operation surface and the display surface directed in the same direction. Foldable mobile communication terminal.   The said input control means invalidates the operation input by a main operation key in the reverse open state which expanded both housing | casings with the operation surface and the display surface facing the opposite direction, Foldable mobile communication terminal.   The foldable mobile communication according to claim 3, wherein the input control means invalidates an operation input by the first shutter key in a reverse closed state in which both housings are folded with the display surface facing outward. Terminal. A thin operation housing having an operation surface on which a plurality of operation keys are arranged on one main surface;
A thin display housing having a display surface on which a display screen is arranged on one main surface;
The operation housing and the display housing are connected, and the first rotation shaft parallel to the main surface of the operation housing can be folded with the main surfaces of the two housings facing each other, and the second rotation orthogonal to the first rotation shaft. A movable connecting portion that allows the direction of the operation surface and the display surface to be independently changed by a rotation axis;
Input control means for controlling the operation input by the operation keys,
The foldable portable communication terminal, wherein the input control means invalidates an operation input by the operation key during rotation by the second rotation shaft.

Images