US 7,502,636 B2
Portable communication terminal device for communication and image data
Jun Sakuta, Kanagawa (Japan); Ryosuke Takeuchi, Saitama (Japan); and Takeshi Matsuzawa, Kanagawa (Japan)
Assigned to Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Japan, Inc., Tokyo (Japan)
Filed on Apr. 06, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/817,818.
Claims priority of application No. 2003-103319 (JP), filed on Apr. 07, 2003.
Prior Publication US 2004/0198460 A1, Oct. 07, 2004
Int. Cl. H04M 1/00 (2006.01); H04B 1/38 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 455—575.1  [455/575.3; 455/575.4; 455/566; 455/556.1; 455/556.2; 455/550.1; 455/66.1; 455/90.3; 455/425; 345/156] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A portable communication terminal having an imaging function, comprising:
a lower case having, on its main surface, an operating portion equipped with various keys;
an upper case having, on its main surface, a display portion equipped with a graphics display screen and not including a second graphics display screen, said upper case being connected, at its lower end position, to said lower case so as to be slidable and rotatable about a shaft substantially perpendicular to the graphics display screen;
an imaging portion including a lens disposed on a back side of the operating portion of said lower case so as to face outward;
an imaging button, disposed on an outer side face of either said upper case or said lower case, to allow instruction for imaging;
imaging control means which controls an imaging operation of said imaging portion while allowing a user to utilize the graphics display screen of the display portion as a finder; and
an opening/closing detecting means for detecting opening or closing of said upper case relative to said lower case,
wherein when said imaging control means detects that said upper case is an open state upon receipt of an instruction for a shift to the imaging mode, the imaging control means inhibits the shift to the imaging mode or the imaging operation of said imaging portion.