Dual display portable telephone device and allocation means for display process thereof

Abstract

The present invention is a portable telephone device that is composed of two displays of substantially a same size, and can continuously perform two display processes in parallel by allocating different display processes to each of the displays.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A portable telephone device comprising:
 two displays of substantially a same size, positioned so that display content on each of the displays is visible in one field of vision; and   allocation means for allocating a different display process to each of the displays, each display process being a process for outputting different display data including at least one of image data and character data,   wherein the allocation means includes:
 a storage unit for storing a table showing a correspondence between each of the displays and the display process being allocated thereto; 
   a specification unit for specifying a display process to be allocated to one of the displays;   a selection unit for selecting, according to the correspondence shown in the table, one of the displays to allocate the specified display process to; and   an updating unit for updating the table so as to show the correspondence between the selected display and the specified display process;   the specification unit includes:
 a detection unit for detecting a call signal, 
   wherein the specification unit, on detecting the call signal, specifies a display process which outputs display data forming an image showing to a communication state and which is to be newly allocated to one of the displays; and   the selection unit includes:
 a judgement unit for judging, based on the table, whether a state of either of the displays is one of (a) having no display process allocated thereto, and (b) having a display process outputting the display data forming an image of stand-by display allocated thereto, 
 wherein the selection unit, when the judgement unit judges the state of one of the displays to be one of (a) and (b), selects the display as a display to which the specified display process is to be newly allocated, and 
 the allocation means allocates the specified display process to the selected display. 
   
     
     
       2. The portable telephone device of  claim 1  wherein the selection unit further includes:
 a saving unit for saving, when the state of the displays is not one of (a) and (b), data being displayed on one of the displays, 
 wherein the selection unit selects the display whose data has been saved as a display to which the specified display process is to be newly allocated. 
 
     
     
       3. The portable telephone device of  claim 2  wherein the selection unit further includes:
 a restoration unit for restoring, on completion of the specified display process, the saved data on the display on which the specified display process has ended. 
 
     
     
       4. The portable telephone device of  claim 3  wherein the communication state is one of an incoming-call being received, electronic mail having been received, and a call in progress. 
     
     
       5. The portable telephone device of  claim 1  wherein the communication state is one of an incoming-call being received, electronic mail having been received, and a call in progress. 
     
     
       6. The portable telephone device of  claim 2  wherein the communication state is one of an incoming-call being received, electronic mail having been received, and a call in progress. 
     
     
       7. A portable telephone device comprising:
 two displays provided next to each other;   an allocation control unit configured to control allocation of display processes to the displays based on an allocation state of a display process to each display, wherein the allocation control unit includes a judgment unit configured to judge whether a stand-by display process has been allocated to any one of the two displays provided next to each other; and   a detection unit configured to detect an incoming call, wherein   when the judgment unit judges that a stand-by display process has been allocated to one of the two displays provided next to each other at a time of detection of the incoming call, and the allocation control unit allocates, to the display to which the stand-by display process has been allocated, an incoming call display process for indicating that an incoming call is being received, wherein   when the stand-by display process has not been allocated to any of the two displays provided next to each other, the judgment unit further judges whether any one of the two displays has no display process allocated thereto, and when any one of the two displays provided next to each other has no display process allocated thereto, the allocation control unit allocates, to the display that has no display process allocated thereto, the incoming call display process for indicating that an incoming call is being received, and   when any display processes have been allocated to the two displays provided next to each other, the allocation control unit allocates, to any one of the two displays provided next to each other, the incoming call display process for indicating that an incoming call is being received.   
     
     
       8. The portable telephone device of claim 7, further comprising:
 an instruction receiving unit configured to receive a call start instruction from a user, wherein   when the stand-by display process has been allocated to any one of the two displays provided next to each other at a time of reception of the call start instruction, the allocation control unit allocates, to the display to which the stand-by display process has been allocated, a call display process for indicating that a call is in progress.   
     
     
       9. The portable telephone device of claim 7, further comprising:
 an instruction receiving unit configured to receive a call start instruction from a user, wherein   when any one of the two displays provided next to each other has no display process allocated thereto at a time of reception of the call start instruction, the allocation control unit allocates, to the display that has no display process allocated thereto, a call display process for indicating that a call is in progress.