Telecommunications – Transmitter and receiver at same station – Radiotelephone equipment detail
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-11
2004-05-18
Vuong, Quochien B. (Department: 2685)
Telecommunications
Transmitter and receiver at same station
Radiotelephone equipment detail
C455S575100, C455S090100, C455S566000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06738642
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a communication device such as a cellular phone, and a method of operating a communication device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Data can be input into a communication device such as a cellular phone in several ways. A conventional cellular phone is generally designed to have keys in a front thereof Various functions of a cellular phone are assigned to the keys. A user can select a desired function of a cellular phone by pushing a key associated with the desired function.
Apart from the above-mentioned example, data can be input into a cellular phone as follows.
FIG. 1
illustrates a first example of a cellular phone. The illustrated cellular phone has number keys
81
on a front thereof Various functions are assigned to the number keys
81
. A user can select a desired function of the cellular phone by pushing two or more of the number keys
81
in combination.
FIG. 2
illustrates a second example of a cellular phone. The illustrated cellular phone has an operation key
91
on a front thereof By pushing the operation key
91
at an upwardly directed arrow, what is displayed in a display screen
92
is upwardly scrolled, and by pushing the operation key
91
at a downwardly directed arrow, what is displayed in the display screen
92
is downwardly scrolled.
FIG. 3
illustrates a third example of a cellular phone. The illustrated cellular phone has an operation dial
101
at a left side of the cellular phone. By rotating the operation dial
101
, what is displayed in a display screen
102
can be scrolled.
However, the above-mentioned conventional cellular phones are accompanied with the following problems.
In the first example illustrated in
FIG. 1
, it is assumed that combinations of the number keys
81
are known to a user, because various functions of the cellular phone are assigned to such combinations. Accordingly, a user has to memorize combinations of the number keys
81
, or refer to a function table indicative of correspondence between functions of the cellular phone and combinations of the number keys
81
, each time he/she makes a call.
In the first and second examples illustrated in
FIGS. 1 and 2
, respectively, the cellular phones are held by a user with fingers indicated with broken lines. Hence, when the number keys
81
or the operation key
91
is to be operated, a user has to take his/her thumb off the cellular phone, and operate the number key
81
or the operation key
91
with his/her thumb
93
in such a manner as illustrated in FIG.
2
. As an alternative, a user has to operate the number key
81
or the operation key
91
with the other hand (not illustrated). Thus, a user is laborious in either way.
In the third example illustrated in
FIG. 3
, the operation dial
101
is positioned so that the operation dial
101
can be operated with either a thumb
103
when a user holds the cellular phone with his/her left hand or a forefinger (not illustrated) when a user holds the cellular phone with his/her right hand.
However, the operation dial
101
is designed such that it can be readily operated with a thumb
103
of a user. Hence, when the operation dial
101
is arranged at a left side of the cellular phone as illustrated in
FIG. 3
, the operation dial
101
can be readily operated with a left hand of a user, which means that the operation dial
101
is operated with some difficulty when it is operated with a right hand of a user.
In addition, in the first to third examples illustrated in
FIGS. 1
to
3
, a user is required to push the keys
81
or
91
, or rotate the operation dial
101
many times until he/she can retrieve or select a desired function. This is somewhat laborious to a user.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-220552 has suggested a switch to be used for an electronic device, comprising a portion rotatable for switching connections, a second portion fixed on a supporter, and a switch knob mounted on the second portion by means of assembly means and fastener means.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-65786 has suggested a portable radio-signal communication device including a rotary dial formed at a side of a device body. The rotary dial is designed to be rotatable about a rotation shaft, and is supported such that the rotary dial together with the rotation shaft can be pushed into the device. When the rotary dial is pushed into the device, the communication device is put into a mode for inputting data thereinto. A desired alphabet is selected by rotating the rotary dial. Since the rotary dial is arranged at a side of a device body, a user can operate the rotary dial with slight movement of a finger or fingers. The rotary dial slightly extends beyond a side of the device body so as not to interfere with a user's face while he/she is making a call.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-28166 has suggested a method of inputting data into a cellular phone. In accordance with the method, data associated with telephone numbers can be displayed at a display screen at the first and second orders by operating an operator arranged at a side of a device body. Then, data displayed at the display screen is input into the cellular phone by further operating the operator. The operator includes a rotary member rotatable about a rotation axis. By rotating the rotary member in a first direction, data is displayed at the display screen at the first order, and by rotating the rotary member in a second direction which is opposite to the first direction, data is displayed at the display screen at the second order. By pushing the operator down, data displayed at the display screen is input into the cellular phone.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-8686 has suggested a telephone including a knob arranged in parallel with a display screen, a detector which detects a direction in which the knob rotates, and a controller which displays data about telephone numbers stored therein, at the display screen in accordance with results of the detection of the detector.
The international publication WO95/31863 has suggested a terminal communication device including a rectangular parallelopiped body having a radio-displacement detector and a radio-signal receiver, and an operator. The body has a straight portion defining a side of the body, and a projecting portion outwardly projecting beyond the straight portion and formed integral with the straight portion. The operator is formed at the projecting portion, and includes a single operation member movable in positive and negative directions. The operator inputs data into the radio-displacement detector and receiver, and switches operation between the radio-displacement detector and receiver. The projecting portion has an arcuate surface extending beyond the side of the body. The single operation member is comprised of a rotary member rotatable relative to the body.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above-mentioned problem of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a communication device which can be operated well with either a right or left hand of a user to thereby enhance operability thereof.
In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication device including (a) a device body, (b) an operator formed with the device body, (c) a displaceable section which is displaced by the operator, (d) a displacement detector which transmits a control signal in accordance with displacement of the displaceable section, and (e) a controller which operates the communication device in accordance with the control signal.
For instance, the controller may be designed to select one of functions of the communication device in accordance with the control signal.
It is preferable that the communication device further includes a display screen formed with the body, in which case, the controller may change what is displayed in the display screen, in accordance with the control signal.
It is preferable that the communication device includes two operators which are for
Le Lana
NEC Corporation
Scully Scott Murphy & Presser
Vuong Quochien B.
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