US20110317349A1 - Portable terminal - Google Patents
Portable terminal Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20110317349A1 US20110317349A1 US13/229,486 US201113229486A US2011317349A1 US 20110317349 A1 US20110317349 A1 US 20110317349A1 US 201113229486 A US201113229486 A US 201113229486A US 2011317349 A1 US2011317349 A1 US 2011317349A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- upper body
- portable terminal
- lower body
- unit
- moving unit
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Images
Classifications
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04B—TRANSMISSION
- H04B1/00—Details of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups H04B3/00 - H04B13/00; Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission
- H04B1/38—Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
- H04M1/02—Constructional features of telephone sets
- H04M1/0202—Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets
- H04M1/0206—Portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts, e.g. hinged housings
- H04M1/0208—Portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts, e.g. hinged housings characterized by the relative motions of the body parts
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- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
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- G06F1/16—Constructional details or arrangements
- G06F1/1613—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers
- G06F1/1615—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function
- G06F1/1616—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
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- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F1/00—Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00
- G06F1/16—Constructional details or arrangements
- G06F1/1613—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers
- G06F1/1615—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function
- G06F1/1624—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
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- G—PHYSICS
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- G06F1/16—Constructional details or arrangements
- G06F1/1613—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers
- G06F1/1633—Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626
- G06F1/1637—Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
- G06F1/1647—Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing including at least an additional display
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- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
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- G06F1/16—Constructional details or arrangements
- G06F1/1613—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers
- G06F1/1633—Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626
- G06F1/1684—Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
- G06F1/1686—Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
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- G—PHYSICS
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- G06F1/00—Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00
- G06F1/16—Constructional details or arrangements
- G06F1/1613—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers
- G06F1/1633—Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626
- G06F1/1684—Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
- G06F1/169—Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes
- G06F1/1692—Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes the I/O peripheral being a secondary touch screen used as control interface, e.g. virtual buttons or sliders
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- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
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- G06F1/16—Constructional details or arrangements
- G06F1/1613—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers
- G06F1/1633—Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626
- G06F1/1684—Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
- G06F1/1698—Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone
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- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
- E05D—HINGES OR SUSPENSION DEVICES FOR DOORS, WINDOWS OR WINGS
- E05D15/00—Suspension arrangements for wings
- E05D15/56—Suspension arrangements for wings with successive different movements
- E05D15/58—Suspension arrangements for wings with successive different movements with both swinging and sliding movements
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
- E05Y—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES E05D AND E05F, RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS, ELECTRIC CONTROL, POWER SUPPLY, POWER SIGNAL OR TRANSMISSION, USER INTERFACES, MOUNTING OR COUPLING, DETAILS, ACCESSORIES, AUXILIARY OPERATIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, APPLICATION THEREOF
- E05Y2999/00—Subject-matter not otherwise provided for in this subclass
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
- H04M1/02—Constructional features of telephone sets
- H04M1/0202—Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets
- H04M1/0206—Portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts, e.g. hinged housings
- H04M1/0208—Portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts, e.g. hinged housings characterized by the relative motions of the body parts
- H04M1/0235—Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M2250/00—Details of telephonic subscriber devices
- H04M2250/16—Details of telephonic subscriber devices including more than one display unit
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M2250/00—Details of telephonic subscriber devices
- H04M2250/22—Details of telephonic subscriber devices including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
Definitions
- a portable terminal serves as a portable device providing one or more functions such as voice and video calls, information input/output, and data storage. Because portable terminals now provide many additional services besides basic call services, a user can capture photos or moving images, reproduce music or video, play games, receive broadcasting programs, and the like. As such, portable terminals are becoming multimedia players.
- the portable terminal is currently regarded as expressing a person's personality or taste, various designs such as a bar type, a slide type, a folder type, and a swivel type are being developed.
- a portable terminal in accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, includes a lower body, an upper body connected to the lower body, the upper body being slidably moveable in a first direction with respect to the lower body between a closed position and an open position, a first moving unit connected between the upper body and the lower body to move the upper body in a second direction different from the first direction, the first moving unit being configured to move the upper body toward the lower body along the second direction when the upper body is moved from the closed position to the open position and to move the upper body away from the lower body along the second direction when the upper body is moved from the open position to the closed position, and a tilting unit connected between the first moving unit and the upper body, the tilting unit being configured to permit the upper body to tilt with respect to the lower body.
- FIGS. 1A and 1B are front perspective views of a portable terminal in a closed position and an open position, respectively according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the portable terminal of FIGS. 1A and 1B ;
- FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a slide module and a first moving unit of FIG. 3 ;
- FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a slide module and an first moving unit of FIG. 6 ;
- FIGS. 9A and 9B are plan views of the portable terminal, which shows an operation state.
- FIGS. 1A and 1B are front perspective views of a portable terminal 100 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
- the portable terminal 100 includes an upper body 110 and a lower body 120 coupled to the upper body 110 so as to be slidable in a horizontal direction.
- FIG. 1A when the portable terminal is in a closed position, the upper body 110 overlaps the lower body 120 .
- FIG. 1B when the upper body 110 is in an open position, the upper body 110 exposes at least one part of the lower body 120 .
- the portable terminal 100 may be operated in a standby mode when in a closed configuration. However, the standby mode may be released by a user's manipulation. Also, the portable terminal 100 may be operated in a call mode, or other modes, in an open configuration. However, the call mode may be converted to the standby mode by a user's manipulation or after a certain time has elapsed without active use of the portable terminal 100 . It is understood that the portable terminal 100 could be configured to provide different modes depending on the state of the portable terminal 100 , such as the portable terminal being able to operate in call mode when the portable terminal 100 is in the closed position.
- the upper body 110 includes a case having a front case 111 and a rear case 112 .
- Various electronic components of the portable terminal 100 are mounted in a space formed between the front case 111 and the rear case 112 .
- the cases 111 and 112 may be formed of injection-molding synthetic resins or a metallic material, such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti).
- the interface 125 provides a means through which the portable terminal of the present invention can exchange data with external devices.
- the interface 125 may include at least one of a connection terminal to be connected to an earphone by wire or by radio, a short-range communication port (e.g., IrDA port, BLUETOOTH port, wireless LAN port, and so on).
- the interface 125 may be configured as a card socket (e.g., for coupling to an external card such as a memory card to store information), a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, or a user identity module (UIM) card.
- the interface may be configured to cooperate with a power supply terminal for supplying power to the portable terminal 100 .
- a broadcasting signal receiving antenna 127 may be disposed at one side of the rear case 122 .
- the antenna 127 may be installed at the lower body 120 so as to be drawn out from the lower body 120 .
- FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the portable terminal of FIGS. 1A and 1B .
- a second image input unit 128 is mounted to a rear surface of the rear case 122 of the lower body 120 .
- the second image input unit 128 has a capturing direction opposite to that of the first image input unit 115 (refer to FIGS. 1A and 1B ), and may be a camera having different pixels from the first image input unit 115 .
- the first moving unit 150 is configured to move one part of the upper body 110 with respect to the lower body 120 in an up and down direction when the upper body 110 is moved between a closed and an open position.
- the first moving unit 150 is connected to a lower part of the slide module 140 .
- the first moving unit 150 is configured to cause one part of the slide module 140 to be moved in an up and down direction.
- a second moving unit similar to the first moving unit may be provided at an end of the portable terminal opposite the first moving unit 150 . Because the second moving unit is similar to the first moving unit, the following description will be with reference to the first moving unit.
- the first moving unit 150 is provided with a tilting portion 160 (refer to FIG. 5A ) configured to erect the upper body 110 with respect to the lower body 120 at a predetermined angle.
- the upper body 110 is configured to be erected with respect to the lower body 120 at a predetermined angle as one side thereof is lowered about a point at a constant height, as will be described in detail below.
- the lower body 120 includes a recess portion 136 serving as a lowering space for the upper body 110 .
- the recess portion 136 may be formed as a depression with respect to an upper surface of the lower body 120 .
- a mounting recess 137 for partially mounting the first moving unit 150 is formed on the recess portion 136 .
- An inclination surface may be formed at the lower body 120 in correspondence with an erection angle of the upper body 110 . Details of the first moving unit will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3 , 4 , and 5 A to 5 D.
- the first operation member 153 is pivotally connected to the link member 151 , thereby allowing the link member 151 to rotate.
- the link member 151 is connected to the first operation member 153 by a second connecting point 162 .
- the first operation member 153 may be formed to have a bar shape having one curved region.
- the first and second connecting points 161 and 162 may be implemented as connection pins.
- the second operation member 154 is pivotally connected to the first operation member 153 , and is connected to the end of the first operation member 153 by a third connecting point 163 .
- An operation protrusion 156 is extends at one side of the second operation member 154 .
- a push protrusion 119 is provided at a lower surface of the upper body 110 to rotate the second operation member 154 by pushing the operation protrusion 156 when the upper body 110 performs a sliding motion.
- the first moving unit 150 also includes a tilting portion 160 configured to erect the upper body 110 with respect to the lower body 120 at a predetermined angle.
- the tilting portion 160 includes a fixed connecting point 160 aa configured to pivotally connect the wing portion 144 of the lower slide member 142 and the lower body 120 .
- the tilting portion 160 is configured to erect one end of the lower slide member 142 as the first connecting point 161 is lowered.
- a support member in the form of a supporting frame 180 is configured to support the link member 151 , the first operation member 153 , second operation member 154 , and the fixed connecting point 160 a .
- the supporting frame 180 may be provided on the mounting recess 137 of the lower body 120 .
- the supporting frame 180 is a separate member; however, the supporting frame 180 may be integrally formed at the lower.
- the fixed connecting point 160 a may be disposed on the supporting frame 180 , and pivotally connects the lower slide member 142 to the supporting frame 180 .
- the supporting frame 180 includes a first slot portion 181 configured to guide a vertical motion of the first connecting point 161 , and a second slot portion 182 extending from the first slot portion 181 toward one side.
- the second slot portion 182 serves to guide a motion of the second connecting point 162 .
- the second slot portion 182 serves to guide the second connecting point 162 to move toward an interior of the lower body 120 .
- the second slot portion 182 may have a length direction perpendicular to a length direction of the first slot portion 181 or otherwise extend in a lateral direction of the portable terminal.
- the second operation member 154 is located on the supporting frame 180 so as to be pivotable around a rotation shaft 164 and is configured so as to move the first operation member 153 when pivoted.
- a third slot portion 155 configured to guide a linear motion of the third connecting point 163 may be formed on the second operation member 154 .
- a spring 183 configured to supply a restoration force to lift up the upper body 110 may be installed between the supporting frame 180 and the first operation member 153 .
- the spring 183 is mounted between one end of the first operation member 153 and the supporting frame 180 .
- the spring 183 is configured so as to be tensed when the first operation member 153 moves toward the interior of the lower body 120 .
- the spring 183 has an elastic force that is smaller than that of the elastic force supply unit of the slide module 140 .
- the link member 151 , the first and second operation members 171 and 172 , and the tilting portion 160 may be provide in duplicate at opposite sides of the portable terminal 100 via the supporting frame 180 , and have the same configuration as described above.
- a cover 135 for covering the first moving unit 150 in a closed configuration may be installed at an outer periphery of the recess portion 136 .
- the cover 135 has a shape corresponding to an outer circumferential surface of the recess portion 136 , and is mounted to a rear surface of the lower slide member 142 to move with the lower slide member 142 .
- the cover 135 is configured to be inserted into the lower body 120 when the upper body 110 is lowered, and is configured to cover the first moving unit 150 by being exposed when the upper body 110 is lifted.
- the upper body 110 is slidably connected to the lower body 120 for movement between a closed position and an open position to expose a portion of the upper surface of the lower body, and the first moving unit 150 is connected between the upper body and the lower body to move at least a portion of the upper body 110 in a second direction different from the first direction.
- the first moving unit 150 is configured to move the portion of the upper body 110 toward the lower body 120 along the second direction when the upper body 110 is moved from the closed position to the open position and to move the portion of the upper body 110 away from the lower body 120 along the second direction when the upper body 120 is moved from the open position to the closed position.
- the first moving unit 150 includes a support member 180 , the upper body 110 being pivotally connected to the support member 180 , and the linkage operator 152 is connected to the upper body 110 to pivot the upper body 110 with respect to the lower body 120 when the upper body 120 moves between the closed position and the open position.
- the sequential operation of the first moving unit 150 will be described in greater detail below with reference to FIGS. 5A to 5D .
- FIG. 5A shows the portable terminal 100 in a closed configuration.
- the upper and lower bodies 110 and 120 move relative to each other.
- the upper slide member 141 performs a sliding motion on the lower slide member 142 .
- the upper body 110 automatically moves toward the open position by an elastic force of the elastic force supply unit.
- the push protrusion 119 of the upper body 110 reaches the recess portion 136 of the lower body 120 , the push protrusion 119 pushes the operation protrusion 156 of the second operation member 154 , thereby applying a pivoting force to the second operation member 154 .
- the first operation member 153 As shown in FIG. 5C , as the second operation member 154 is pivoted, the first operation member 153 is linearly moved toward the interior of the lower body 120 . Under this state, the first operation member 153 pivots the link member 160 , thereby causing the first to third connecting points 161 , 162 , and 163 to move linearly on the first to third slot portions 181 , 182 , and 155 , respectively.
- FIG. 5D shows a state that a part of the upper body 110 is completely lowered by pivoting about the link member 160 . Accordingly, the upper body 110 is erected with respect to the lower body 120 at a predetermined angle. In this exemplary embodiment, because the elastic force from the elastic force supply unit is greater than the elastic spring force of the spring 183 , the part of the upper body 110 that is lowered can be maintained in this position.
- the process is repeated in reverse order.
- a user applies a force to the upper body 110 in an upward direction, thereby causing the lowered part of the upper body 110 to be lifted.
- the spring 183 provides a restoration force to lift up the upper body 110 .
- the upper and lower bodies 110 and 120 perform a relative sliding motion into the closed configuration.
- FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a portable terminal according to a second embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a slide module and an first moving unit of FIG. 6
- FIGS. 8A to 8D are sectional views of the portable terminal of FIG. 6 . Similar reference numerals were given to configurations similar to those of the aforementioned preferred embodiment.
- the first moving unit 250 includes a base 250 a connected to the lower slide member 242 , a link member 251 connected to the base 250 a via the wing portion 244 , and a linkage operator 252 connected to the link member 251 .
- the first moving unit 250 is configured to vertically move a first connection point 261 between the base 250 a and the link member 251 in an up and down motion.
- the first moving unit 250 includes a tilting portion 260 configured to erect the upper body 210 with respect to the lower body 220 at a predetermined angle.
- the tilting portion 260 may include a tilting hinge 260 configured to rotatably connect the lower slide member 242 and the base 250 a to each other so that the lower slide member 242 can be erected with respect to the base 250 a.
- the link member 251 may include first and second link members 251 a and 251 b connected between the wing portion 244 and the base 250 a .
- the linkage operator 252 includes a first operation member 253 connected to the first and second link members 251 a and 251 b , and is configured to provide a pivoting force to the first and second link members 251 a and 251 b .
- the linkage operator 252 includes a second operation member 254 connected to the first operation member 253 and operates the first operation member 253 .
- the link member 251 , the first operation member 253 , and the second operation member 254 have the same configurations as those of the aforementioned first exemplary embodiment, and thus their detailed explanation will be omitted.
- a cover 235 for covering components of the first moving unit 250 in a closed configuration may be located at an outer periphery of a recess portion 236 .
- the cover 235 is formed to have a shape corresponding to an outer circumferential surface of the recess portion 236 , and is mounted to a rear surface of the base 250 a thus to integrally move with the base 250 a .
- the cover 235 is configured to be inserted into the lower body 220 when the upper body 210 is lowered, and is configured to cover the first moving unit 250 when the upper body 210 is lifted. The sequential operation of the first moving unit 250 will be described in greater detail below with reference to FIGS. 8A to 8D .
- the first operation member 253 As shown in FIG. 8B , as the second operation member 254 is pivoted, the first operation member 253 is linearly moved toward the interior of the lower body 222 , thereby causing the first and second link members 251 a and 251 b to be pivoted.
- the first connecting point 261 is vertically lowered. Accordingly, the base 250 a is vertically lowered, and the upper body 210 is lowered while maintaining a horizontal state.
- the link member 251 , the first operation member 253 , and the second operation member 254 have the same operation as that of the first exemplary embodiment, and thus their detailed explanation will be omitted.
- the lower slide member 242 When a user applies a force to one end of the upper body 210 in an upward direction, the lower slide member 242 is pivoted around the tilting hinge 260 . In this manner, the lower slide member 242 performs a relative rotation with respect to the base 250 a . As shown in FIG. 8D , the upper body 210 is erected with respect to the lower body 220 at a certain angle.
- FIGS. 9A and 9B are plan views of the portable terminal according to the first exemplary embodiment, which show various operation states of the portable terminal. It is understood that these operation states can be used by the portable terminal according to the second exemplary embodiment.
- the portable terminal In a closed configuration, the portable terminal may be used in a similar manner to a bar type portable terminal. For instance, when the first display 113 is implemented as a touch screen, telephone numbers, text messages, and so on may be inputted through the first display unit 113 , and a call, or transmission or reception of text messages, and so on may be performed.
- the portable terminal When the portable terminal is converted to an open configuration from a closed configuration, additional functions (e.g., multimedia functions) may be operated. To this end, the second display unit 123 is activated to assist with the use of the additional function. For example, as shown in FIG. 9A , the portable terminal can be used in the open position to assist in typing messages using the second display unit 123 .
- the second display unit 123 can be a touch screen that displays a QWERTY type of keyboard 123 a . When a user touches the keyboard 123 a , corresponding information is output to the first display unit 113 in the form of text.
- the first display unit 113 and the second display units 123 may be configured to display visual information that can be useable with each other by a user's touch.
- the first display unit 113 may display at least one of content of music, broadcasting, and moving images.
- icons to control reproduction of the music, broadcasting, and moving images may be displayed.
- the second display unit 123 may be implemented as a touch screen, and users can control reproduction of music, broadcasting, and moving images by touching the icons.
- the second display unit 123 may display various visual information, such as detailed information of a file reproduced from the first display unit 113 , and a list of files stored in the portable terminal.
- FIG. 10 is a block diagram of the portable terminal according to the present invention.
- the portable terminal 100 according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a wireless communication module 191 , a manipulation unit 124 , image input units 115 and 128 , an audio input unit 116 , display units 113 and 123 , audio output units 114 and 131 , a sensing unit 196 , an interface 125 , a broadcasting receiving module 195 , a memory 194 , a power supply unit 126 , and a controller 190 .
- the controller 190 controls the entire operation of the portable terminal. For instance, the controller 190 performs control and processing relating to a voice call, data communication, a video call, and so on.
- the wireless communication module 191 transmits or receives wireless signals to/from a base station through an antenna.
- the wireless communication module 191 includes a transmitting portion 193 configured to perform transmission of voice data, text data, image data, and control data under control of the controller 190 , and to transmit signals after a modulation process.
- the wireless communication module 191 also includes a receiving portion 192 configured to demodulate received signals.
- the manipulation unit 124 may have a configuration as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B , and provides key input data inputted to the controller 190 to control operation of the portable terminal.
- the manipulation unit 124 may be formed as a dome switch, a touch screen or touchpad (static pressure/static electricity), a jog wheel, a jog switch, a joystick and the like.
- the image input units 115 and 128 process image frames such as still images or moving images obtained by an image sensor in an image call mode or a capturing mode. Then, the processed image frames are converted to image data that can be displayed on the display units 113 and 123 to be output to the display units 113 and 123 .
- the image frames processed by the image input units 115 and 128 are stored in the memory 194 , or are outwardly transmitted through the wireless communication module 191 under control of the controller 190 .
- the audio input unit 116 receives external audio signals by a microphone in a call mode, or a record mode, a voice recognition mode, and the like, and processes the signals into electric audio data.
- the processed audio data is converted into data that can be transmitted to a base station through the wireless communication module 191 , and thus is output to the wireless communication module 191 .
- the processed audio data is output to be stored in the memory 194 .
- the audio input unit 116 may implement various algorithms to remove noise occurring when external audio signals are received.
- the audio output units 114 and 131 convert audio data received from the wireless communication module 191 in a call mode, a record mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcasting reception mode, and the like, or convert audio data stored in the memory 194 , under control of the controller 190 , thereby outputting the converted data external to the portable terminal 100 .
- the audio output units 114 and 131 may also output audio signals relating to functions performed in the portable terminal (e.g., a call signal receiving sound, a message receiving sound, etc.).
- the audio output units 114 and 131 may include a speaker, a receiver, a buzzer, and the like.
- the sensing unit 196 senses the current state of the portable terminal such as an open/close state, a position of the portable terminal, or whether or not a user's is contacting the manipulation unit 124 , thereby generating sensing signals to control operation of the portable terminal. Furthermore, the sensing unit 196 senses whether power was supplied from the power supply unit 126 , whether the interface 125 was coupled to external devices, and the like.
- the broadcasting receiving module 195 receives broadcasting signals transmitted through satellite waves or terrestrial waves, and converts the broadcasting signals into broadcasting data that can be output to the audio output units 114 and 131 , and the display units 113 and 123 . Then, the broadcasting receiving module 195 outputs the converted data to the controller 190 .
- the broadcasting receiving module 195 may receive additional data relating to broadcasting (e.g., Electric Program Guide (EPG), channel list, and the like). Broadcasting data and additional data converted by the broadcasting receiving module 195 may be stored in the memory 194 .
- EPG Electric Program Guide
- the power supply unit 126 receives external power or internal power under control of the controller 190 , thereby supplying a necessary amount of power to each component.
- the upper body has a structure to be up-down movable with respect to the lower body, and to be erected with respect to the lower body in an open configuration.
- the upper body is configured to move up and down with respect to the lower body in a simple manner.
- the upper body is pivotable with respect to the lower body.
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Abstract
A portable terminal is provided where the portable terminal has an upper body including an upper surface and a lower surface, a lower body having an upper surface, the upper body being slidably connected to the lower body for movement between a closed position and an open position to expose a portion of the upper surface of the second body, and a first moving unit connected between the upper body and the lower body, the first moving unit being configured to permit tilting of the upper body with respect to the lower body such that a portion of the lower surface of the upper body is lower than the exposed portion of the upper surface of the second body.
Description
- This application is a Divisional of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/242,277 filed on Sep. 30, 2008, which claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2008-0044746, filed May 14, 2008, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates to a portable terminal having an upper body and a lower body slidably coupled to each other, and more particularly, to a portable terminal having a first moving unit configured to move an upper body of the portable terminal with respect to a lower body of the portable terminal.
- 2. Description of Related Art
- Generally, a portable terminal serves as a portable device providing one or more functions such as voice and video calls, information input/output, and data storage. Because portable terminals now provide many additional services besides basic call services, a user can capture photos or moving images, reproduce music or video, play games, receive broadcasting programs, and the like. As such, portable terminals are becoming multimedia players.
- In order to implement complicated functions of the multimedia player, various improvements are being provided in the hardware or software implementation of the portable terminal. For instance, a user interface is provided to allow a user to easily and conveniently search or select functions of the portable terminal.
- Furthermore, because the portable terminal is currently regarded as expressing a person's personality or taste, various designs such as a bar type, a slide type, a folder type, and a swivel type are being developed.
- Recently, various attempts to provide not only the above structure but also a more convenient to operate user interface are being pursued.
- Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a slide type portable terminal capable of moving an upper body with respect to a lower body in an up and down direction, and erecting the upper body with respect to the lower body in an open configuration.
- To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided a portable terminal having an upper body including an upper surface and a lower surface, a lower body having an upper surface, the upper body being slidably connected to the lower body for movement between a closed position and an open position to expose a portion of the upper surface of the second body, and a first moving unit connected between the upper body and the lower body, the first moving unit being configured to permit tilting of the upper body with respect to the lower body such that a portion of the lower surface of the upper body is lower than the exposed portion of the upper surface of the second body.
- In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a portable terminal is provided where the portable terminal includes an upper body having an upper surface and a lower surface, a lower body having an upper surface, the upper body being slidably connected to the lower body for movement between a closed position and an open position to expose a portion of the upper surface of the lower body, and a first moving unit connected between the upper body and the lower body to move at least a portion of the upper body in a second direction different from the first direction, the first moving unit being configured to move the portion of the upper body toward the lower body along the second direction when the upper body is moved from the closed position to the open position and to move the portion of the upper body away from the lower body along the second direction when the upper body is moved from the open position to the closed position. The first moving unit includes a support member, the upper body being pivotally connected to the support member, and a linkage operator connected to the upper body to pivot the upper body with respect to the lower body when the upper body moves between the closed position and the open position.
- In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, a portable terminal is provided where the portable terminal includes a lower body, an upper body connected to the lower body, the upper body being slidably moveable in a first direction with respect to the lower body between a closed position and an open position, a first moving unit connected between the upper body and the lower body to move the upper body in a second direction different from the first direction, the first moving unit being configured to move the upper body toward the lower body along the second direction when the upper body is moved from the closed position to the open position and to move the upper body away from the lower body along the second direction when the upper body is moved from the open position to the closed position, and a tilting unit connected between the first moving unit and the upper body, the tilting unit being configured to permit the upper body to tilt with respect to the lower body.
- The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
- The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
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FIGS. 1A and 1B are front perspective views of a portable terminal in a closed position and an open position, respectively according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the portable terminal ofFIGS. 1A and 1B ; -
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the portable terminal ofFIGS. 1A and 1B ; -
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a slide module and a first moving unit ofFIG. 3 ; -
FIGS. 5A to 5D are sectional views of the portable terminal, which show a structure and operation of the first moving unit; -
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a portable terminal according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a slide module and an first moving unit ofFIG. 6 ; -
FIGS. 8A to 8D are sectional views of the portable terminal ofFIG. 6 , which show a structure and operation of the first moving unit in accordance with the second exemplary embodiment; -
FIGS. 9A and 9B are plan views of the portable terminal, which shows an operation state; and -
FIG. 10 is a block diagram of the portable terminal according to a first embodiment of the present invention. - Reference will now be made in detail to portable terminals according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention and will be explained in more detail with reference to the attached drawings.
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FIGS. 1A and 1B are front perspective views of a portable terminal 100 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The portable terminal 100 includes anupper body 110 and alower body 120 coupled to theupper body 110 so as to be slidable in a horizontal direction. As shown inFIG. 1A , when the portable terminal is in a closed position, theupper body 110 overlaps thelower body 120. As shown inFIG. 1B , when theupper body 110 is in an open position, theupper body 110 exposes at least one part of thelower body 120. Theupper body 110 is coupled to thelower body 120 so as to be slidably movable in a width direction (lateral direction) of thelower body 120, and is configured so at least one part of theupper body 110 is configured to move up and down with respect to thelower body 120. Accordingly, when the portable terminal is in an open configuration, theupper body 110 is erected at a predetermined angle with respect to thelower body 120 such that a lower surface of theupper body 110 is lower than an exposed upper surface of thelower body 120. - The portable terminal 100 may be operated in a standby mode when in a closed configuration. However, the standby mode may be released by a user's manipulation. Also, the portable terminal 100 may be operated in a call mode, or other modes, in an open configuration. However, the call mode may be converted to the standby mode by a user's manipulation or after a certain time has elapsed without active use of the portable terminal 100. It is understood that the portable terminal 100 could be configured to provide different modes depending on the state of the portable terminal 100, such as the portable terminal being able to operate in call mode when the portable terminal 100 is in the closed position.
- The
upper body 110 includes a case having afront case 111 and arear case 112. Various electronic components of the portable terminal 100 are mounted in a space formed between thefront case 111 and therear case 112. Thecases - A
first display unit 113, a firstaudio output unit 114, a firstimage input unit 115, anaudio input unit 116, and so on may be disposed at theupper body 110 of the portable terminal 100, preferably, at thefront case 111. Thedisplay unit 113 may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) module, an organic light emitting diodes (OLED) module, or other suitable displays. The display unit 13 may also include a touch screen or touch pad to allow a user to input information in a touch manner. The firstaudio output unit 114 may be a receiver or a speaker, and the firstimage input unit 115 may be a camera module to capture still or moving images by a user. Theaudio input unit 116 may be a microphone so as to input a user's voice or other sounds. - Similar to the
upper body 110, thelower body 120 includes afront case 121 and arear case 122. Asecond display unit 123 is disposed at thelower body 120, preferably, at a front surface of thefront case 121. Similar to thefirst display unit 113, thesecond display unit 123 outputs visual information, and may be implemented as a touch screen for inputting information. Thesecond display 123 is exposed when the upper body moves from a closed position to the open position. - On at least one of the
front case 121 and therear case 122, amanipulation unit 124, aninterface 125, and other components may be disposed. Themanipulation unit 124 receives a command to control operation of the portable terminal by a user's manipulation, and any type of manipulation unit may be adopted so long as it is manipulable by a user in a tactile manner. For example, themanipulation unit 124 may include a dome switch, a touch screen, or a touchpad configured to receive information or command by a user in a push or touch manner. Also, themanipulation unit 124 may be a wheel, a jog switch, or a joy stick. - The
interface 125 provides a means through which the portable terminal of the present invention can exchange data with external devices. For instance, theinterface 125 may include at least one of a connection terminal to be connected to an earphone by wire or by radio, a short-range communication port (e.g., IrDA port, BLUETOOTH port, wireless LAN port, and so on). Theinterface 125 may be configured as a card socket (e.g., for coupling to an external card such as a memory card to store information), a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, or a user identity module (UIM) card. In addition, the interface may be configured to cooperate with a power supply terminal for supplying power to the portable terminal 100. - A
power supply unit 126 for supplying power to the portable terminal is located at therear case 122 of thelower body 120. Thepower supply unit 126 may be a chargeable battery, and may be detachably coupled to therear case 122 for charging. - A broadcasting
signal receiving antenna 127 may be disposed at one side of therear case 122. Theantenna 127 may be installed at thelower body 120 so as to be drawn out from thelower body 120. -
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the portable terminal ofFIGS. 1A and 1B . As shown inFIG. 2 , a secondimage input unit 128 is mounted to a rear surface of therear case 122 of thelower body 120. The secondimage input unit 128 has a capturing direction opposite to that of the first image input unit 115 (refer toFIGS. 1A and 1B ), and may be a camera having different pixels from the firstimage input unit 115. For instance, the firstimage input unit 115 preferably has a low number of pixels so that a user's face captured during a video call can be immediately transmitted to another party, while the secondimage input unit 128 preferably has a high number of pixels to capture still or moving images that are intended to be stored and shared at a later time. - A
flash 129 and amirror 130 are disposed adjacent to the secondimage input unit 128. When an object is captured by the secondimage input unit 128, theflash 129 emits light toward the object. When a user wants to capture himself or herself by using the secondimage input unit 128, themirror 130 serves to reflect the user's face. - A second
audio output unit 131 is located at therear case 122. The secondaudio output unit 131 may provide a stereo function in conjunction with the first audio output unit 114 (refer toFIG. 1 ), and may be used for calling in a speaker phone mode. - While various features of the portable terminal 100 have been described as being located on either the
upper body 110 orlower body 120, it is possible for one or more of these features to be located in a different position. For example, at least one of thecomponents 128 to 132 explained to be disposed at therear case 122 may be mounted to theupper body 110, in particular, to therear case 112. In this case, components disposed at therear case 112 can be protected by thelower body 120 in a closed configuration. Furthermore, even when the secondimage input unit 128 is not provided, the firstimage input unit 115 may be configured to be rotatable so that it can capture not only objects in its capturing direction, but also capturing objects in a direction that would otherwise be covered by the secondimage input unit 128. -
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the portable terminal ofFIGS. 1A and 1B , andFIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a slide module and a first moving unit ofFIG. 3 . As shown inFIG. 3 , the portable terminal 100 includes aslide module 140 configured to slidably couple theupper body 110 to thelower body 120, and a first movingunit 150 between theupper body 110 and thelower body 120. The first movingunit 150 is configured to move a part of theupper body 110 in an up and down direction when theupper body 110 is moved between the closed position and the open position. - The
slide module 140 includes anupper slide member 141, alower slide member 142 slidably coupled to theupper slide member 141, and aslide groove 143 connecting theupper slide member 141 to thelower slide member 142. As shown inFIG. 3 , theupper slide member 141 may have a plate shape and is fixed to theupper body 110. Theupper slide member 141 is inserted into theslide grooves 143, which are located at a side surface of thelower slide member 142. An elastic force supply unit (not shown) connected between theupper slide member 141 and thelower slide member 142 to provide an elastic force to the upper andlower slide members lower slide members lower slide members - The first moving
unit 150 is configured to move one part of theupper body 110 with respect to thelower body 120 in an up and down direction when theupper body 110 is moved between a closed and an open position. The first movingunit 150 is connected to a lower part of theslide module 140. The first movingunit 150 is configured to cause one part of theslide module 140 to be moved in an up and down direction. As the one part of theslide module 140 is moved in an up and down direction, one part of the upper body is also moved in an up and down direction. A second moving unit similar to the first moving unit may be provided at an end of the portable terminal opposite the first movingunit 150. Because the second moving unit is similar to the first moving unit, the following description will be with reference to the first moving unit. - The first moving
unit 150 is provided with a tilting portion 160 (refer toFIG. 5A ) configured to erect theupper body 110 with respect to thelower body 120 at a predetermined angle. Theupper body 110 is configured to be erected with respect to thelower body 120 at a predetermined angle as one side thereof is lowered about a point at a constant height, as will be described in detail below. - The
lower body 120 includes arecess portion 136 serving as a lowering space for theupper body 110. Therecess portion 136 may be formed as a depression with respect to an upper surface of thelower body 120. A mountingrecess 137 for partially mounting the first movingunit 150 is formed on therecess portion 136. An inclination surface may be formed at thelower body 120 in correspondence with an erection angle of theupper body 110. Details of the first moving unit will be described below with reference toFIGS. 3 , 4, and 5A to 5D. - The first moving
unit 150 includes alink member 151 connected to thelower slide member 142, and alinkage operator 152 configured to operate thelink member 151. Thelink member 151 is connected to theslide module 140, more particularly, to thelower slide member 142 via awing portion 144 configured formed at thelower slide member 142. Thewing portion 144 may extend from a side surface of thelower slide member 142 toward the first movingunit 150. One end of thelink member 151 is connected to thewing portion 144 at a firstconnecting point 161. - The
linkage operator 152 is provide to cause the first connectingpoint 161 to be moved in a direction perpendicular to a slide direction when theupper body 110 is moved between a closed position and an open position. That is, thelinkage operator 152 serves to move the first connectingpoint 161 up and down along a vertical path. Thelinkage operator 152 includes afirst operation member 153 connected to thelink member 151, and asecond operation member 154 configured to operate thefirst operation member 153 when theupper body 110 is slid with respect to thelower body 120. - The
first operation member 153 is pivotally connected to thelink member 151, thereby allowing thelink member 151 to rotate. In particular, thelink member 151 is connected to thefirst operation member 153 by a secondconnecting point 162. Thefirst operation member 153 may be formed to have a bar shape having one curved region. The first and second connectingpoints - The
second operation member 154 is pivotally connected to thefirst operation member 153, and is connected to the end of thefirst operation member 153 by a thirdconnecting point 163. Anoperation protrusion 156 is extends at one side of thesecond operation member 154. Apush protrusion 119 is provided at a lower surface of theupper body 110 to rotate thesecond operation member 154 by pushing theoperation protrusion 156 when theupper body 110 performs a sliding motion. - The first moving
unit 150 also includes a tiltingportion 160 configured to erect theupper body 110 with respect to thelower body 120 at a predetermined angle. In particular, the tiltingportion 160 includes a fixed connectingpoint 160 aa configured to pivotally connect thewing portion 144 of thelower slide member 142 and thelower body 120. Also, the tiltingportion 160 is configured to erect one end of thelower slide member 142 as the first connectingpoint 161 is lowered. - A support member in the form of a supporting
frame 180 is configured to support thelink member 151, thefirst operation member 153,second operation member 154, and the fixed connectingpoint 160 a. The supportingframe 180 may be provided on the mountingrecess 137 of thelower body 120. As shown in this exemplary embodiment, the supportingframe 180 is a separate member; however, the supportingframe 180 may be integrally formed at the lower. In this exemplary embodiment where the supportingframe 180 is installed as a separate member, the fixed connectingpoint 160 a may be disposed on the supportingframe 180, and pivotally connects thelower slide member 142 to the supportingframe 180. The supportingframe 180 includes afirst slot portion 181 configured to guide a vertical motion of the first connectingpoint 161, and asecond slot portion 182 extending from thefirst slot portion 181 toward one side. Thesecond slot portion 182 serves to guide a motion of the secondconnecting point 162. As the first connectingpoint 161 vertically moves along thefirst slot portion 181, the secondconnecting point 162 moves along thesecond slot portion 182. That is, thesecond slot portion 182 serves to guide the secondconnecting point 162 to move toward an interior of thelower body 120. Thesecond slot portion 182 may have a length direction perpendicular to a length direction of thefirst slot portion 181 or otherwise extend in a lateral direction of the portable terminal. - The
second operation member 154 is located on the supportingframe 180 so as to be pivotable around arotation shaft 164 and is configured so as to move thefirst operation member 153 when pivoted. Athird slot portion 155 configured to guide a linear motion of the thirdconnecting point 163 may be formed on thesecond operation member 154. - A
spring 183 configured to supply a restoration force to lift up theupper body 110 may be installed between the supportingframe 180 and thefirst operation member 153. Thespring 183 is mounted between one end of thefirst operation member 153 and the supportingframe 180. Thespring 183 is configured so as to be tensed when thefirst operation member 153 moves toward the interior of thelower body 120. In this exemplary embodiment, thespring 183 has an elastic force that is smaller than that of the elastic force supply unit of theslide module 140. - As shown in
FIG. 4 , thelink member 151, the first and second operation members 171 and 172, and the tiltingportion 160 may be provide in duplicate at opposite sides of the portable terminal 100 via the supportingframe 180, and have the same configuration as described above. - As seen in
FIGS. 1 to 3 , acover 135 for covering the first movingunit 150 in a closed configuration may be installed at an outer periphery of therecess portion 136. Thecover 135 has a shape corresponding to an outer circumferential surface of therecess portion 136, and is mounted to a rear surface of thelower slide member 142 to move with thelower slide member 142. Thecover 135 is configured to be inserted into thelower body 120 when theupper body 110 is lowered, and is configured to cover the first movingunit 150 by being exposed when theupper body 110 is lifted. - Because of the arrangement of the first moving
unit 150, theupper body 110 is slidably connected to thelower body 120 for movement between a closed position and an open position to expose a portion of the upper surface of the lower body, and the first movingunit 150 is connected between the upper body and the lower body to move at least a portion of theupper body 110 in a second direction different from the first direction. The first movingunit 150 is configured to move the portion of theupper body 110 toward thelower body 120 along the second direction when theupper body 110 is moved from the closed position to the open position and to move the portion of theupper body 110 away from thelower body 120 along the second direction when theupper body 120 is moved from the open position to the closed position. The first movingunit 150 includes asupport member 180, theupper body 110 being pivotally connected to thesupport member 180, and thelinkage operator 152 is connected to theupper body 110 to pivot theupper body 110 with respect to thelower body 120 when theupper body 120 moves between the closed position and the open position. The sequential operation of the first movingunit 150 will be described in greater detail below with reference toFIGS. 5A to 5D . -
FIG. 5A shows the portable terminal 100 in a closed configuration. In the state shown inFIG. 5A , when a user applies a force to theupper body 110 or thelower body 120, the upper andlower bodies upper slide member 141 performs a sliding motion on thelower slide member 142. Under this state, once the user moves theupper body 110 to a dead point of the elastic force supply unit, theupper body 110 automatically moves toward the open position by an elastic force of the elastic force supply unit. - As shown in
FIG. 5B , once thepush protrusion 119 of theupper body 110 reaches therecess portion 136 of thelower body 120, thepush protrusion 119 pushes theoperation protrusion 156 of thesecond operation member 154, thereby applying a pivoting force to thesecond operation member 154. - As shown in
FIG. 5C , as thesecond operation member 154 is pivoted, thefirst operation member 153 is linearly moved toward the interior of thelower body 120. Under this state, thefirst operation member 153 pivots thelink member 160, thereby causing the first to third connectingpoints third slot portions - As the first connecting
point 161 is lowered in a vertical direction, thelower slide member 142 pivots around the fixed connectingpoint 160 a. Here, the fixed connectingpoint 160 a is maintained at the original height, thereby inclining thelower slide member 142 and theupper body 110 in one direction.FIG. 5D shows a state that a part of theupper body 110 is completely lowered by pivoting about thelink member 160. Accordingly, theupper body 110 is erected with respect to thelower body 120 at a predetermined angle. In this exemplary embodiment, because the elastic force from the elastic force supply unit is greater than the elastic spring force of thespring 183, the part of theupper body 110 that is lowered can be maintained in this position. - To move the
upper body 110 from the open position, as shown inFIG. 5D , the process is repeated in reverse order. In particular, a user applies a force to theupper body 110 in an upward direction, thereby causing the lowered part of theupper body 110 to be lifted. In this manner, thespring 183 provides a restoration force to lift up theupper body 110. When the user applies a force to theupper body 110 toward a closed position after theupper body 110 is completely lifted, the upper andlower bodies -
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a portable terminal according to a second embodiment of the present invention,FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a slide module and an first moving unit ofFIG. 6 , andFIGS. 8A to 8D are sectional views of the portable terminal ofFIG. 6 . Similar reference numerals were given to configurations similar to those of the aforementioned preferred embodiment. - Referring to
FIGS. 6 and 7 , the first movingunit 250 according to a second exemplary embodiment includes a base 250 a connected to thelower slide member 242, alink member 251 connected to the base 250 a via thewing portion 244, and alinkage operator 252 connected to thelink member 251. The first movingunit 250 is configured to vertically move afirst connection point 261 between the base 250 a and thelink member 251 in an up and down motion. - The first moving
unit 250 includes a tiltingportion 260 configured to erect theupper body 210 with respect to thelower body 220 at a predetermined angle. The tiltingportion 260 may include a tiltinghinge 260 configured to rotatably connect thelower slide member 242 and the base 250 a to each other so that thelower slide member 242 can be erected with respect to the base 250 a. - The
link member 251 may include first andsecond link members wing portion 244 and the base 250 a. Thelinkage operator 252 includes afirst operation member 253 connected to the first andsecond link members second link members linkage operator 252 includes asecond operation member 254 connected to thefirst operation member 253 and operates thefirst operation member 253. - The
link member 251, thefirst operation member 253, and thesecond operation member 254 have the same configurations as those of the aforementioned first exemplary embodiment, and thus their detailed explanation will be omitted. - A
cover 235 for covering components of the first movingunit 250 in a closed configuration may be located at an outer periphery of arecess portion 236. Thecover 235 is formed to have a shape corresponding to an outer circumferential surface of therecess portion 236, and is mounted to a rear surface of the base 250 a thus to integrally move with the base 250 a. Thecover 235 is configured to be inserted into thelower body 220 when theupper body 210 is lowered, and is configured to cover the first movingunit 250 when theupper body 210 is lifted. The sequential operation of the first movingunit 250 will be described in greater detail below with reference toFIGS. 8A to 8D . - As shown in
FIG. 8A , thepush protrusion 219 of theupper body 210 pushes anoperation protrusion 256 of thesecond operation member 254 as theupper slide member 241 performs a sliding motion. This process is similar to that described with reference to the firs exemplary embodiment. - As shown in
FIG. 8B , as thesecond operation member 254 is pivoted, thefirst operation member 253 is linearly moved toward the interior of the lower body 222, thereby causing the first andsecond link members connecting point 261 is vertically lowered. Accordingly, the base 250 a is vertically lowered, and theupper body 210 is lowered while maintaining a horizontal state. In this exemplary embodiment, thelink member 251, thefirst operation member 253, and thesecond operation member 254 have the same operation as that of the first exemplary embodiment, and thus their detailed explanation will be omitted. - When a user applies a force to one end of the
upper body 210 in an upward direction, thelower slide member 242 is pivoted around the tiltinghinge 260. In this manner, thelower slide member 242 performs a relative rotation with respect to the base 250 a. As shown inFIG. 8D , theupper body 210 is erected with respect to thelower body 220 at a certain angle. - To move the
upper body 210 back to the closed position, the process is reversed. -
FIGS. 9A and 9B are plan views of the portable terminal according to the first exemplary embodiment, which show various operation states of the portable terminal. It is understood that these operation states can be used by the portable terminal according to the second exemplary embodiment. In a closed configuration, the portable terminal may be used in a similar manner to a bar type portable terminal. For instance, when thefirst display 113 is implemented as a touch screen, telephone numbers, text messages, and so on may be inputted through thefirst display unit 113, and a call, or transmission or reception of text messages, and so on may be performed. - When the portable terminal is converted to an open configuration from a closed configuration, additional functions (e.g., multimedia functions) may be operated. To this end, the
second display unit 123 is activated to assist with the use of the additional function. For example, as shown inFIG. 9A , the portable terminal can be used in the open position to assist in typing messages using thesecond display unit 123. Thesecond display unit 123 can be a touch screen that displays a QWERTY type ofkeyboard 123 a. When a user touches thekeyboard 123 a, corresponding information is output to thefirst display unit 113 in the form of text. - As shown in 9B, the
first display unit 113 and thesecond display units 123 may be configured to display visual information that can be useable with each other by a user's touch. For example, thefirst display unit 113 may display at least one of content of music, broadcasting, and moving images. On thesecond display unit 123, icons to control reproduction of the music, broadcasting, and moving images may be displayed. In this exemplary embodiment, thesecond display unit 123 may be implemented as a touch screen, and users can control reproduction of music, broadcasting, and moving images by touching the icons. In addition, thesecond display unit 123 may display various visual information, such as detailed information of a file reproduced from thefirst display unit 113, and a list of files stored in the portable terminal. -
FIG. 10 is a block diagram of the portable terminal according to the present invention. As seen inFIG. 10 , the portable terminal 100 according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes awireless communication module 191, amanipulation unit 124,image input units audio input unit 116,display units audio output units sensing unit 196, aninterface 125, abroadcasting receiving module 195, amemory 194, apower supply unit 126, and acontroller 190. Thecontroller 190 controls the entire operation of the portable terminal. For instance, thecontroller 190 performs control and processing relating to a voice call, data communication, a video call, and so on. - The
wireless communication module 191 transmits or receives wireless signals to/from a base station through an antenna. For instance, thewireless communication module 191 includes a transmittingportion 193 configured to perform transmission of voice data, text data, image data, and control data under control of thecontroller 190, and to transmit signals after a modulation process. Thewireless communication module 191 also includes a receivingportion 192 configured to demodulate received signals. - The
manipulation unit 124 may have a configuration as shown inFIGS. 1A and 1B , and provides key input data inputted to thecontroller 190 to control operation of the portable terminal. Themanipulation unit 124 may be formed as a dome switch, a touch screen or touchpad (static pressure/static electricity), a jog wheel, a jog switch, a joystick and the like. - The
image input units display units display units image input units memory 194, or are outwardly transmitted through thewireless communication module 191 under control of thecontroller 190. - The
audio input unit 116 receives external audio signals by a microphone in a call mode, or a record mode, a voice recognition mode, and the like, and processes the signals into electric audio data. In the case of a call mode, the processed audio data is converted into data that can be transmitted to a base station through thewireless communication module 191, and thus is output to thewireless communication module 191. In the case of a record mode, the processed audio data is output to be stored in thememory 194. Theaudio input unit 116 may implement various algorithms to remove noise occurring when external audio signals are received. - The
display units display units controller 190. In the case of a video call mode or a capturing mode, thedisplay units controller 190. When thedisplay unit 113 includes a touch screen, thedisplay unit 113 may be used as an input device as well as an output device. - The
audio output units wireless communication module 191 in a call mode, a record mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcasting reception mode, and the like, or convert audio data stored in thememory 194, under control of thecontroller 190, thereby outputting the converted data external to the portable terminal 100. Theaudio output units audio output units - The
sensing unit 196 senses the current state of the portable terminal such as an open/close state, a position of the portable terminal, or whether or not a user's is contacting themanipulation unit 124, thereby generating sensing signals to control operation of the portable terminal. Furthermore, thesensing unit 196 senses whether power was supplied from thepower supply unit 126, whether theinterface 125 was coupled to external devices, and the like. - The
interface 125 allows interfacing with external devices connected to the portable terminal, such as a wire/wireless headset, an external charger, a wire/wireless data port, and a card socket (e.g., memory card, SIM/UIM, etc.). Theinterface 125 receives data or power from external devices thus to transmit to each component inside the portable terminal, or transmits data inside the portable terminal to the connected external devices. - The
memory 194 may store programs for processing thecontroller 190, or may temporarily store input/output data (e.g., phonebook, messages, still images, moving images, and the like). Thememory 194 may store programs for controlling operation of thecontroller 190 according to the present invention. Thememory 194 may include a general hard disc, a card type memory (e.g., SD memory, or XD memory, etc.), a flash memory, RAM, ROM, and the like. - The
broadcasting receiving module 195 receives broadcasting signals transmitted through satellite waves or terrestrial waves, and converts the broadcasting signals into broadcasting data that can be output to theaudio output units display units broadcasting receiving module 195 outputs the converted data to thecontroller 190. Thebroadcasting receiving module 195 may receive additional data relating to broadcasting (e.g., Electric Program Guide (EPG), channel list, and the like). Broadcasting data and additional data converted by thebroadcasting receiving module 195 may be stored in thememory 194. - The
power supply unit 126 receives external power or internal power under control of thecontroller 190, thereby supplying a necessary amount of power to each component. - In the slide type portable terminal according to the present invention, the upper body has a structure to be up-down movable with respect to the lower body, and to be erected with respect to the lower body in an open configuration.
- According to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the upper body is configured to move up and down with respect to the lower body in a simple manner. In addition, the upper body is pivotable with respect to the lower body. As a result, a more convenient user interface can be provided.
- The foregoing embodiments and advantages are merely exemplary and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention. The present teachings can be readily applied to other types of apparatuses. This description is intended to be illustrative, and not to limit the scope of the claims. Many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The features, structures, methods, and other characteristics of the exemplary embodiments described herein may be combined in various ways to obtain additional and/or alternative exemplary embodiments.
- As the present features may be embodied in several forms without departing from the characteristics thereof, it should also be understood that the above-described embodiments are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description, unless otherwise specified, but rather should be construed broadly within its scope as defined in the appended claims, and therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims, or equivalents of such metes and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims.
Claims (6)
1. A portable terminal comprising:
an upper body;
lower body for movement between a closed position and an open position to expose a portion of the upper surface of the lower body;
a recess portion formed at the lower body, and configured to receive at least a portion of the upper body in the open position; and
a cover connected to the lower body, the cover being configured to be movable when the upper body is tilted and configured to cover at least a side portion of the lower body,
wherein the upper body is movable with respect to the cover.
2. The portable terminal of claim 1 , wherein the cover is pivotally connected to the lower body.
3. The portable terminal of claim 1 , wherein the cover is configured to cover an exposed portion between the recess portion and the upper body in the closed position.
4. The portable terminal of claim 1 , wherein the cover is located at the lower body so as to be overlapped by the upper body.
5. The portable terminal of claim 1 , wherein the upper body includes a first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge, and
wherein the cover is adjacent the first edge of the upper body when the upper body is in the closed position and the cover is adjacent the second edge of the upper body when the upper body is in the open position.
6. The portable terminal of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the cover is tilted downward when the upper body is moved into the open position.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US13/229,486 US20110317349A1 (en) | 2008-05-14 | 2011-09-09 | Portable terminal |
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
KR10-2008-0044746 | 2008-05-14 | ||
KR1020080044746A KR101463819B1 (en) | 2008-05-14 | 2008-05-14 | Portable terminal |
US12/242,277 US8108017B2 (en) | 2008-05-14 | 2008-09-30 | Portable terminal |
US13/229,486 US20110317349A1 (en) | 2008-05-14 | 2011-09-09 | Portable terminal |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US12/242,277 Division US8108017B2 (en) | 2008-05-14 | 2008-09-30 | Portable terminal |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20110317349A1 true US20110317349A1 (en) | 2011-12-29 |
Family
ID=40462790
Family Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US12/242,277 Expired - Fee Related US8108017B2 (en) | 2008-05-14 | 2008-09-30 | Portable terminal |
US13/229,486 Abandoned US20110317349A1 (en) | 2008-05-14 | 2011-09-09 | Portable terminal |
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Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US12/242,277 Expired - Fee Related US8108017B2 (en) | 2008-05-14 | 2008-09-30 | Portable terminal |
Country Status (4)
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US (2) | US8108017B2 (en) |
EP (1) | EP2120425B1 (en) |
KR (1) | KR101463819B1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN101582932B (en) |
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US20130286600A1 (en) * | 2012-04-25 | 2013-10-31 | Wistron Corporation | Slide-cover electronic device |
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- 2008-09-30 US US12/242,277 patent/US8108017B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2008-10-07 EP EP08165974.0A patent/EP2120425B1/en not_active Not-in-force
- 2008-12-26 CN CN2008101902303A patent/CN101582932B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2011
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US20130286600A1 (en) * | 2012-04-25 | 2013-10-31 | Wistron Corporation | Slide-cover electronic device |
US8891239B2 (en) * | 2012-04-25 | 2014-11-18 | Wistron Corporation | Slide-cover electronic device |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US20090286573A1 (en) | 2009-11-19 |
US8108017B2 (en) | 2012-01-31 |
EP2120425A1 (en) | 2009-11-18 |
EP2120425B1 (en) | 2015-03-04 |
CN101582932B (en) | 2013-02-13 |
KR101463819B1 (en) | 2014-12-04 |
KR20090118766A (en) | 2009-11-18 |
CN101582932A (en) | 2009-11-18 |
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Legal Events
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STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |