Sony Ericsson patents PSP phone design

Check out this cool patent by Sony Ericsson. The screen rotates and the whole phone design resembles a PSP. Now this is something I would love!!! Here is a summary of the invention:

- In the mobile phone disclosed in the Patent Publication 1, the shape of the apparatus when used for playing a game becomes much different from the case where it is normally used. Therefore, when the key operation is made while the phone is used for playing a game with only the lower case held by both hands, the holding stability may be lessened. Further, even if the key operating portion is rotated 90.degree., the distance between both hands is not large enough. Thus, there still remains a necessity for improvement in the operability of the key on the mobile phone when it is used for playing a game.
- The present invention has been made with the foregoing background in mind and therefore it is desired to provide a mobile information terminal apparatus capable of improving the key operation thereby enhancing the operability of the apparatus especially in performing the entertainment functions, as represented by the game function, and also to provide a control method of the apparatus.
- According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a mobile information terminal apparatus including a first case including a display portion, a second case, and a rotary support mechanism configured to support the first case and second case such that the first case is horizontally rotatable with respect to the second case and the first case takes at least a first position and a second position different from the first position, in which the shapes of the mobile information terminal apparatus at the first position and the second position are substantially identical.
- The first case has a portion of the operating keys of the mobile information terminal apparatus disposed thereon and, when the first case takes the second position, the above referred portion of the operating keys and the rest of the operating keys come to be located at both left and right end portions, respectively, in the longitudinal direction of the mobile information terminal apparatus, so that the mobile information terminal apparatus becomes operable by both hands.
- The mobile information terminal apparatus further includes a position detector for detecting the position of the first case and a controller responsive to the result of detection made by the position detector for controlling the function of the mobile information terminal apparatus, in which the controller may change the function of the mobile information terminal apparatus depending on whether the first case is at the first position or at the second position.
- Further, the rotary support mechanism may allow the first case to take a third position between the first and second positions and the controller may change the function of the mobile information terminal apparatus depending on whether the first case is at the first, second, or third position.
- The controller provides phone and/or electronic mail function when the first case is at the first position, while the controller provides game and/or camera function when the first case is at the second position.
- Further, the controller provides TV or video function when the first case is at the third position.
- Numeric keys including 0 to 9, at least, are disposed on the second case and arrow keys and a decision key, at least, are disposed on the first case. The controller may change the roles of the numeric keys, the arrow keys, and the decision key depending on the position of the first case.
- The numeric keys are made up of ordinary numeric keys and special numeric keys. The special numeric keys are formed to be larger and higher than the ordinary numeric keys. [0018] In particular, the special numeric keys are arranged to surround at least one ordinary numeric key and have their keytops provided with a down slope portion toward the surrounded ordinary numeric key.
- When the first case is placed at the second position and both the game and camera functions are rendered operable, the controller switches between the game mode and the camera mode depending on whether or not a long time depression has been made on a predetermined key.
- A zoom key used in the camera mode may be used as an L key in the game mode, while a shutter key used in the camera mode may be used as an R key in the game mode.
- A control method according to an embodiment of the present invention employs a mobile information terminal apparatus including a first case having a display portion, a second case, and a rotary support mechanism for supporting the first case and the second case such that the first case is horizontally rotatable with respect to the second case and the first case takes at least a first position and a second position different from the first position, in which the shapes of the mobile information terminal apparatus at the first position and at the second position are substantially identical; the control method includes the steps of: detecting the position of the first case; and controlling functioning of the mobile information terminal apparatus depending on results of detection in the step of detecting the position, in which, at the controlling step, functioning of the mobile information terminal apparatus is controlled to be different depending on whether the first case is at the first position or at the second position.
- Other features of embodiments of the present invention will become more apparent from consideration of the following detailed description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

This looks very interesting...but it's SE Japan specifically who filed for the patent, so there is more chance that this design will appear in Japan than anywhere else. I am hoping for the best =)

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