Systems and methods for achieving true full screen display in handheld terminals

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a mobile communications device such as a smart phone with an increased display area covering the entire full face of the device includes providing a device case of hand-holdable size, said case comprising a front face and a back face, and embedding in the front face of said case a touch screen display panel entirely occupying said front face, except for rims surrounding said display; and embedding in the back face of said case an inwardly facing back panel containing other components of the mobile communications device, including a camera.

1 - 2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . A mobile communication device, comprising:
 a device case comprising a front face and a back face;   a touch screen display panel on the front face;   a flip module coupled to the device case, wherein the flip module is flippable relative to the touch screen display panel, wherein the flip module is concealable behind the touch screen display panel such that the flip module is at least partially hidden from a user when the user holds the device case to view the touch screen display panel, the flip module comprising a camera panel having one or more cameras, wherein the flip module is, by way of an electrical device, flippable relative to the touch screen display panel to selectively present the one or more cameras of the flip module to a user on the front of the mobile communication device, and   an electronic processor configured to:
 control one or more electrical components to at least partially flip the flip module to present the camera panel to the user; 
 when the flip module is flipped relative to the front face of the device case such that the camera is presented to the user, enter an active camera mode in which the camera is active and a camera display screen is displayed on the touch screen display panel. 
   
     
     
         4 . The mobile communication device of  claim 3 , wherein the touch screen display panel occupies substantially the entire front face of the device case. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile communication device of  claim 3 , wherein the touch screen display panel occupies the entire front face of the device case except for rims surrounding the touch screen display panel. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile communication device of  claim 3 , wherein the user has the option to activate the active camera mode either manually by moving the flip module relative to the front face of the device case or automatically by pressing a button on the touch display screen panel. 
     
     
         7 . The mobile communication device of  claim 3 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive a signal when the flip module is flipped such that the camera is presented to the user viewing the touch display screen panel. 
     
     
         8 . The mobile communication device of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more electrical components comprise an actuator configured to move the movable module in response to signals from the processor. 
     
     
         9 . The mobile communication device of  claim 3 , wherein the movable module comprises a flip mechanism configured to flip the direction of the camera relative to the touch display screen panel. 
     
     
         10 . The mobile communication device of  claim 3 , wherein the flip module is configured to switch the camera from a back-facing direction to a front facing direction. 
     
     
         11 . The mobile communication device of  claim 3 , wherein the flip module is configured to flip out above the touch screen display panel. 
     
     
         12 . The mobile communication device of  claim 3 , wherein the movable module is configured to flip out to one side relative to the touch screen display panel. 
     
     
         13 . The mobile communication device of  claim 3 , wherein the flip module is configured to flip 180 degrees such that the one or more cameras move from a back-facing direction to a front-facing direction. 
     
     
         14 . A mobile communications device, comprising:
 a device case comprising a front face and a back face;   a touch screen display panel on the front face;   a movable module, wherein the movable module is movable relative to the touch screen display panel, wherein the movable module is concealable behind the display panel such that the movable module is at least partially hidden from a user when the user holds the device case to view the touch screen display panel,
 the movable module comprising a camera panel having one or more cameras, wherein the movable module is, by way of an electrical device, [automatically] movable relative to the touch screen display panel to selectively present the one or more cameras of the movable module to a user on the front of the mobile communication device, 
   at least one of a flash or a sensor configurable to operate with at least one of the one or more cameras of the movable module; and   an electronic processor configured to:
 control one or more electrical components to move the movable module to present the camera panel to the user; 
 when the movable module is moved relative to the front face of the device case such that the camera is presented to the user, enter an active camera mode in which the camera is active and a camera display screen is displayed on the touch screen display panel; 
 receive a signal when the movable module is moved relative to the front face of the device case such that the camera is concealed behind the display panel and hidden from the user; and 
 when the movable module is moved relative to the front face of the device case such that the camera is concealed behind the display panel hidden from the user, enter a sleep camera mode in which the camera is not active and the camera display screen is not displayed on the touch screen display panel. 
   
     
     
         15 . The mobile communication device of  claim 14 , wherein the user has the option to activate the active camera mode either manually by moving the movable module relative to the front face of the device case or automatically by pressing a button on the touch display screen panel. 
     
     
         16 . The mobile communication device of  claim 14 , wherein the electronic processor is further configured to receive a signal when the movable module is moved relative to the front face of the device case such that the camera is presented to the user. 
     
     
         17 . The mobile communication device of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more electrical components comprise an actuator configured to move the movable module in response to signals from the electronic processor. 
     
     
         18 . The mobile communication device of  claim 14 , wherein the movable module comprising a sliding mechanism configured to translate the camera relative to the touch display screen panel. 
     
     
         19 . The mobile communication device of  claim 14 , wherein the movable module comprises a flip mechanism configured to flip the direction of the camera relative to the touch display screen panel. 
     
     
         20 . The mobile communication device of  claim 14 , wherein the movable module is configured to pop-up relative to the touch screen display panel. 
     
     
         21 . A mobile communications device, comprising:
 a device case comprising a front face and a back face;   a touch screen display panel on the front face;   a camera system configured to conceal one or more cameras between the front face and the back face such that the one or more cameras are at least partially hidden from a user when the user holds the device case to view the touch screen display panel,
 the camera module operable to selectively present the one or more cameras of the camera system to a user on the front of the mobile communication device, and 
   an electronic processor configured to:
 control one or more electrical components of the camera module to selectively present the one or more cameras to the user; 
 when the camera module is operated such that the one or more cameras is presented to the user, enter an active camera mode in which the one or more cameras is active and a camera display screen is displayed on the touch screen display panel. 
   
     
     
         22 . The mobile communication device of  claim 21 , wherein the camera system comprises a flip module configured to switch the camera from a back-facing direction to a front facing direction.