The present invention relates to a radio paging 'receiver with a message diaplay function. More particularly, the proaont invention relates to a radio paging receiver with a message diaplay function that Allows a user to choose any one o£ plurality of maaaagea with one or more characters of a predstarmined language or languages including, for example, kanji. katakana, hiragana. and alphanumeric letters of the same or different sizes.
An example of a conventional radio paging receiver with a message display function is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Opon No. 8-190Z2. One feature of the radio paging receiver lies in eaay-to-read displaying of a reception message on a smaller diaplay panel. When the characters are too small for a user to read, the radio paging receiver magnifies each character of the reception message in response to simultaneous depression of s light switch and a scroll switch. The user may just depress the switches when he or she wants to magnify the difficult-to-read characters. However, only the some first characters are displayed on due to the dimensional limitation of the d iaplay panel. The romaining in ing portion of the recept ion message may be displayed on when the user depresses the scroll switch. The scroll switch should be depressed

continuously until th« end of the reception message appears to display the entire meaaaDB. Tho magnified characters are turned to their original size in response to the re-dspreaaion of the liaht switch and the scroll switch at the same time. In the above-mentioned radio paging r»c»iver with the message display function, the characters of the only one reception message at a time ci be magnified for the clear appearance.
Typical radio paging receivers with a message displ function of this type can display a reception measage wit a combination of kanji, katakana, hiraHAna, alphanumeric letters or those of other languages of different sizes. The radio paging receiver may comprise a memory unit for storing two or more reaeption message. However, the small dimension of the display panel is a limitation to a display capacity, i.e., the number of mossagea that can bi displayed on the panel at the same time. To display more naasagea than the capacity, the reception mdasages to be displayed should be selected and retrieved from the memori unit one by one, which is relatively bothersome or troublesome.
Summary of the Invention
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a radio paging receiver with a measage display function that allows aimultaneous displaying of two or mote reception measagea, a deaired one of which can be selected and magnified with a simple operation.

It Is another obj eot of the present invent ion to provide a radio paging receiver with a meaaage display function that provides rapid selection of a reception message with a combination of. for example, kanjj, katakana, hiragana, alphanumeric letters or those of other languages of the different sizes, or with a combination of characters of one language, and providea displaying of the characters of the selected reception message in a different font from the remaining est' of the reception messages.
A radio paging receiver with a message display 'function according to the present invention can display and memorize two or more reception meaaagea. The radio
paging receiver with a meaaage display function compriaes
I B|message control unit. The massage control unit includes
first and second character tables and a message memory for memorizing massagsa. The first and second character tables are for displaying the messages with first and second character typea, respectively. The fflesaagss stored in the message memory are displayed on the display window in either one of a multiple message dlaplay mode or a sLngl* message diaplay mode, The message control unit displays the messages with the characters of either the first or second character type when the multiple measage display mode is selected. When the single message display mode is selected, then only one of the mesBagea is displayed on the d.:Bplay window with the characters of the other of the first or second character type.

Brief peecriptJon of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a view showing examples of reception messages on a conventional radio paging receiver with a message display function:
Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a radio paging receiver with a nssaage display function according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 3 is a view showing compar is on of two character tables used in the radio paging receiver with a message display function of the present invention;
Fig. 4 is a view showing examples of reception messages on the radio pag ing rece iver with a message display function of the present invention:
Fig. 5 Is a flow chart for use in describing operation of the radio paging receiver with a message display function of the present invention:
Fig. 6 is a front view of the radio paging receiver with a message display function of the present invention;
Figs. 7A through 7D illustrate a process for choosing one reception message to be magnified; i Fig.'B is a front view of a radio paging receiver with a massage display function according to another embodiment of the present invention; and
Figs. 9A through 9C a reception message displayed in different modes on the radio paging receiver with a iqeesage display function of the present invention.

Deacription of the Preferred Embodimanta Referring to Fig. 1, a conventional radio paging receiver with a neasage display function is described in conjunction with how to display a reception message thereon. The radio paging receiver in question is diaoloaed in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 6-19022. One feature of the radio paging receiver Hes in easy-to-read displaying of a reception message, though on a smaller display panel. When the characters are too snail for a user to read Catatua SI), the radio paging receiver magnifies each character of the reception message (status S27 in reeponse to simultaneous depresBion of a light switch and s scroll switch. The user may iust depress the switches when he or aha wants to magnify the difficult-to-read characters. However, only the some first characters are diiplayed on due to the dimensional limitation of the display panel. The remaining portion of the reception message may be displayed on when the user depresses the scroll switch (status 53). The scroll switch should be depressed continuously until the end of the reception message appears to display tha entire message (status S4-S6). The magnified characters are turned to their original size in response to the re-depression of the light switch and the scroll switch at the same time. In the above-mentioned radio paging receiver with the raeaaage display function, the characters of the only one tecept i on masaage at a t ime can be magnifled for the clear appearance.

Typical radio paging reoeivera with a masaage display function of this type can display a reception maaaaga with a Gonbination of k»nii. katakana. hira^ana^ alphanumeric lattar» or those of other languages of different aizas. Th« radio'paging receiver ttiay compcisa a memory unit for dtorfng tifo or mora reception meaaage. However, the small
i ' .
xjiitienaion of the diaplay panel is a limitation to a display capacity, i.e., the number of meaaagee that can be displayed on tha panel «t the same time. To display more maaaages than the capacity, tha rsception measagee to be
r
idiaplayed ahould ba aalacted and retrieved from the memory unit one by one, which la relatively bothersome or troublesome.
A radio paging receiver with a masaage display function (heratnaftar. raferrad to as a radio paging receiver) of the present invention ia daacribed. Fig. 2 ia a block diagram showing a configuration of the radio paging receiver according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a view providing compariaon between characters of a character set CA In a character tabia A and those of a character sat CB in a character table 0. Fig. 4 is a view showing examples of reception mesaagea on the radio paging receiver according to the preaent Invention. Now, a configuration and operation of the radio paging raceivar according to a first embodiment of the present invention ia described with reference to Figs. Z through 4.

In Fig, 2, an antenna 1 receives a radio signal from a base station for a pacing syetem. The radio signal includes a call number for use in designating a particular radio paging receiver. The call number is hereinafter referred to a designated call number. A radio unit 2 amplifies the radio signal received at the antenna 1. The radio unit 2 then demodulatea the amplified radio signal into a baseband signal. The demodulated baseband signal la supplied to a waveform shaping circuit 3 where the waveform thereof i* shaped into a format acceptable and readabl* by a control unit 4. The control unit 4 compares a local call number previously stored in a programmable read-only memory CPROM) 5 with the designated call number contained in the signal from the waveform ehaping circuit 3. The control unit 4 activates amplifying circuits 6 and 8 when the local call number coincides with the designated call number. In reaponse to this, the radio paging receiver beeps a speaker 7 and illuminate a light-emitting .diode (LED) 9 to inform a user of the reception of a call. The control unit 4 activatoa a display control unit .
If no call is made in Step 3 (NO at Step 3). then the radio paging receiver returns to the ready state (from NO at Step 4 to Step 2). The user may read out a previously received message , then the message selection control unit 16 translates the selected reception message. More Specifically, the mesBage with the characters of the

type B is changed into the one with the double-sized two-byte code characters of the type A by means of the character translation unit 15 (Step 9}. The message select ion control unit 16 drives the display control unit 10 to display the selected one message'with the double-sized two-byte code chatactars in a single line on the window (Step 10). The control then returns to the Step 2. Fig. 6 ia a front view of the radio paging receiver shown in Fig. 2. Figa. 7A through 7D i1lustrate a pcocees for ehooa ing one reaeption message to be magnifled.
As shown in Fig. 6, the dieplay unit 11 is airanged on the front surface of a body 100 of the radio paging receiver. A aignificant portion of the display unit 11 is the display window. A switch 101 is provided on the side of the body 100. The switch 101 ia a pueh awiteh. A «ei of awitchea 102 is provided on the body away from the display unit 11. The set oC awitchea 102 comprises four switches 111, 112, 113, and 114 that are alidable upward and downward. A triangle projection ia attached to each surface of the switchea 111 throuflh 114. The triangle projections indicate movable directions of the scrolling. For oxample, the switch 111 may be for }-upward acrolling"". the switch 112 for hriflhtward Bcrolling~, the switch 113 for hdownward scrolling", and the switch 114 for Heftward scrolling~. The switch 101 and the switch set 102 are in tVie Bwitch unit 14 in Fig. 2.
Refetrino to Fig. 7, usage of the switch 101 and the switch set 102 in Fig. 6 ia described. The display window

haa a five-line capacity. The first line is allocated for managemant of the rad io pag ing receiver and contains, fat example, icon symbols. Tha second through fifth lines are for reception meaaages.
In Fiss. 7A through 7D, all the four lines have the reception messages with the characters of the type CB according to the inatruetion from the message selection control unit 16. A reception message 115 in the saoond line provides h29: call me. Michael. A reception message 116 in the third line provides h[30]: back to office immediately(~ A reception message 117 in the fourth lino provides hCOl] : call at 0537-22-8237". A reception message 118 in the fifth line provides hOZ: meat at 06 hKaraoka'^ at station". Moving a cursor reaulta in high-1ightenad appearance of the characters of the message selected. For example, the selected reception message 116 is high-lightened in Pig. 7A. This high-light marking is used like a line high-light on a computer display.
When the switch 101 is depressed with the rsception message 116 high-lightened, the reception message 116 is determined as the one to be displayed with the characters of the type CA. The massage selection control unit 16 then translates the reception message 116 Into the one with the characters of the typo CA by means of the character translation unit 15. As shown in Fig. 7D, the message gelection control unit 16 displays the reception meBsage 116 with the double-sized two-byte code characters, as hSUZIJKl CONSTRUCTION CO.HS CEO VISfTTNG YOtT, on the

diapyay windotf of the display unit 11 in two J inea. The space [«quirad to display each character is four times as large, so that the recept ion meaeaga is diaplayed in two lines. The reception measagea 115, 117, and 118 which are not selected ace not displayed on the window.
NsKt. description ia made in conjunction with the case where the recept ion measaae other than the cecept i on msfisage 116 is displayed with the characters of the type CA. To select the recept ion tnesaage 115 in the second 1 ine in Fig. 7A, it ie high-lightened first. Depreaaion of the switch HI moves the high-light to the upper line. When the reception meesage ia high-lightened, the reception 'message 115 is selected for being displayed with the characters of the typo CA (a«a Pig. 7B>. Depression of the switch 101 decides to display the reception message 115
with the characters in the table A. Likewise, depression of the switTlh 113 high-lights the reception message 117 and subsequent depression of the switch 101 selects and determines the reception message 117 to be displayed with the charactera CA (see Fig. 7C).
A radio paging raceiver according to a second embodiment of the present invention is dasaribed. Fis. 8 is a front view of a radio paging receiver with a message d iaplay function according to another embodiment of the
present invention. The radio paging receiver ia similar to the one described in coniunction with the first embodiment except for the switches. Description of such similar componnnts Will bo omitted.

As shown in Fig. 8, a rotary switch (309 switch) 200 ia provided at a corner on the aide of a body llOA of the :adi o pag ing raceiver for uae in seleot ing and deteriain ing 3110 of the reception nieaaagea (with the enlarged display af the charactera CA). The rotary switch 200 is aimilar ii function to the switch aet 102 (Fig. 6) and moves the iigh-1ightened box for the measaga UP and down to select bhe masaage. The rotary switch 200 comprisas a push awitch ?02. Depression of the push awitch 202 indicates that the receptioTi message selected at that tine is to be enlarged for display. Such a rotary switch impcovea awitehing sperativity.
Figs. 9A through 9C a reception message displayed In iifferent modes on the radio paging receiver with a neasage display function of the present invention. Figa. ?A through 9C illuatrate different examples of the meaaage iiaplay.
In the above-mentioned first embodiment, the meaaagea sonsiat of alphanumeric characters. However, the message Tiay bo a combination with other characters or aymbola. Of course, the reception inesaage may consist of characters Eor other language or languages. In auch a case, the characters should be determined with two aizes, a larger »ize for a aingle-line display and a amaller size for a multiple-line display. The message may consiat of different type charactera of different languagaa.
Figs. 9A through 9C illuatrate measages formed of a combination of alphanumeric characters and Japanese

eharactere. Fig. 9A la in a multiple message display moda. Figs, 9B and 9C are in a single message display mode for the recaption message 02 and 29, respectively, in Fig, 9A. It is noted thftt the number of the tables should be increased that are to be translated by the character translation unit 15 when the present invention is applied to a reception message with the mixed types of characters.
As described above, according to the present invsntion, the reception messages are displayed on the window simultaneously. Thia allows quick selection of one of the messages from the two or more messages.
In addition, according to the present invention, the character type is changed for the selected display of one of the message*. This provides easier-to-read appearance of the message.
Furthermore, the present invention provides easy and simple operation for the selection and determination of the message. Selection of the message to be magnified can be made only by means of high-lightening that message.

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1, A radio paging receiver with a messagse display function to display and memorize two or mora reception messagse, compr is ing:
mesaage control means including £ irat and second character tables and a message memory for memorizing the meaaaqes, the first and second charaater tables being for displaying the messages with first and second character types, raapectively, the meaaagea stored in the message memory being displayed on a display window in either one of a multiple message display mode or a single message display mode, said message control means be ing adapted to display the messages with characters of either the first or the second eharactsr type on the display window whan the multiple message display mode is selected, and adapted to display only one of the messages with the characters of the other of the first or the second character type on the display window when the single message display mode is selected.
2. A radio paging receiver as claimed in Claim 1 furlhex comprising;
a read only memory having a character translating unit operat ive in casponse to a selection command from said meflaago control means to change the type of the characters between the first and the second character types, said message control means having a message selection control unit adapted to select either one of the

multiple measage display mode and thd single message display mode to display the message on the display window with the characters of the type corresponding to the selected display mode.
3. A radio paging receiver as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the message selection control unit selects, when the radio paging receiver ia operated in the multiple message display mode and a user wants to display only particular one of the displayed measagea. the particular one of the messages and displays the selected message on the display window with the characters of the type corresponding to the single massage display mode.
4. A radio paging receiver as claimed in Claim 2. wherein the message selection control unit displays one message in each line, and wherein a predetermined length of portion from the head of each meseage ia displayed in each line on the display window.
5. A radio paging receiver as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the first and ths second character types have first and second character sizes, respectively, and tha measagea in ths first and the second character tables are displayed on the display window with the characters of the first and ths second sizes, respectively.
6. A radio paging receiver as claimed in Claim 5. wherein the first character size ia larger than the second character size.
7. A radio paging receiver as claimed in Claini 2, wherein the first charactec type is composed of a »«t of

hica^ans face characters in combination with kanji £ace charactara of the first character size, and the second character type ia composed o£ a set of katakana face characters a£ the second character size.
6. A radio paging receiver as claimed in Claim 2. wherein the first character typo ia composed of a set of hiragana face charactera in combination with katakaiia and kani i face ahsractera of ths first chfttacter size, and the second character type ia composed of a a&t of katakana face characters o£ the second character a iz«.
9. A radio paging receiver as claimed In Claim 2. wherein the first character type ia composed of a set of hicagana face characters in combination with katakana. kanji, and alphanumeric face characters of the first charactflr size, and the second character type is compoaed of a aet of katakana face charactera of the second character size.
10. A radio paging receiver aa claimed in Claim 2, wherein the firet character type is composed of a set of alphanumeric charactecs of the ficat character size, and the second character type ia composed of a set of alphanumeric characters of the second character size.
11. A radio paging receiver as claimed in Claim 2,
wherein the firat character type is composed of a set of
biragana face characters or katakana fac« characters in
combination with at least one of kanji and katakana face
characters and alphanumer ic characters of ths firat
character size, and the second character type is compossd

of a set of hiraffana face characters or katakana face chsracterB in combination with at leaat one of kanji and katakuna fac« charactera and alphanumeric characters of the aecond charactor size.
12. A radio paging receiver as claimed in Claim 2. wherein the first character type ia composed of a set of charactera of a pcedetermined language In combination with numerical character* of the first character aize, and the second character type la composed of k set of oharaoters of a predetermined language in combination with numerical characters of the second character aiza.
13. A radio paging receiver as claimed in Claim 11. wherein the first character size ia larger than the second character size.
14. A radio paging receiver as claimed in Claim 3, wheiein the selection of the particular one of the messages is made by means of high-lightening the raesaage in question among the plurality of messages.
15. A radio paoino receiver as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the message selection control unit replaces, when the message of the second character type is translated into the message of the first character type and when there is no first character type correspond to the second chHractac type, the second character type with a particular character type and displays the message with th» replaced character type on the display window.
16. A rad io paging raceivar as claimed in Claim 3, further comprIsing a switch unit foe use in reading the

meaaages out and for BBlectina/detarmin ins the mesaage display modes.
17. A radio paging receiver as claimed in Claim 16,
wherein aaid switch unit la a set of push switches, the
set of push Switches having four cursor Movement switches
•for moving a cursor up and down as well as right and left and having a message selection and determination switch for selecting and determining a message.
18. A radio paging receiver as claimed in Claim 16,
where in said switch unit is a rotary swi tch having a
rotary section and a push switch section, the rotary
section being for moving a cursor to select the jnassage
and each push switch being depressed to determine the
selected message.
19. A radio paging receiver as claimed in Claim 16,
wherein said message control means stores, in response to
recaption of a call with a message, the reception mea&age
in the message memory, said message control means
indicating the message selection control unit to display
only the reception message with the characters of the
first character type, the message selection control unit
displaying the reception message with the characters of
the first character type in a single line, and wherein
said message control means reads the messages out of the
message memory, when the message is indicated during no
reception of a call, the message control means indicating
the message selection control unit to display the messages
with the characters of the second character type, wherein

the charaeter translating unit successively changes the size of the characters from the second to the first character size in response to the indication, the switch unit acralling the masaages, and where in the message selection control unit trantlatee, in response to selection and determination of a desired message, the selected message into the message with the character of the first character type, the message selection control unit driving a display control unit to display the selected meeaage with the characters of the first character type in a single line on the display window.
20. A radio paging receiver with a nessage display function to display and nenorize two or more reception nesBages, substantially as herein described with reference to the acoonpanying drawings.