Portable information terminal
AssigneeMitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsYuji Iwata, Jiro Nakasu, Makoto Takemoto
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a unit body of a portable information terminal is assembled a display and a pressure-sensitive input device overlying the display. An opening and closing cover is attached to the unit body for covering the pressure-sensitive input device. An operating button device provided in the cover exposes, when the cover is closed, its operating surface from the surface of the cover. The operating button device exerts a pressing force applied to the operating surface onto the surface of the pressure-sensitive input device. Thus, with the cover closed, major function entry or data entry can be carried out.
Claims12
A portable information terminal comprising:
- a unit body including a display and a pressure-sensitive input device overlying said display, said display and said pressure-sensitive input device being assembled in said unit body;
- said pressure-sensitive input device having a pressure-sensitive surface;
- a cover pivotally attached to said unit body for covering said pressure-sensitive device;
- an operating button device provided in the cover, an operating surface of the operating button device being exposed from a surface of the cover when the cover is in a closed position, the operating button device exerting a pressing force applied to said operating surface onto the pressure-sensitive surface;
- a detection switch provided between said unit body and said cover for detecting a closed state of said cover;
- and
- a CPU provided in the terminal for changing entry modes of said pressure-sensitive input device when the detection switch detects the closed state, wherein
- closing operation of said cover causes a change-over of operations for the terminal, wherein:
- the cover has a pen receptacle formed therein;
- the terminal further includes an input pen having a protrusion thereon, and
- said input pen being received in said pen receptacle, whereby when said cover is in the closed position, the protrusion is brought into contact with the pressure-sensitive surface.
A portable information terminal, comprising:
- a unit body including a display and a pressure-sensitive input device overlying said display, said display and said pressure-sensitive input device being assembled in said unit body;
- said pressure-sensitive input device having a pressure-sensitive surface;
- a cover, pivotally attached to said unit body for covering said pressure-sensitive input device;
- and
- a protrusion for exerting, when said cover is in a closed position, a pressing force onto the pressure-sensitive surface, wherein:
- the cover has a pen receptacle formed therein;
- and
- the terminal further includes an input pen having said protrusion thereon,
- said input pen being received in said pen receptacle, whereby when said cover is in the closed position, the protrusion is brought into contact with the pressure-sensitive surface to exert the pressing force onto the surface of said pressure-sensitive input device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.