Patent ID: 7266397

Claim:
A portable terminal apparatus comprising: a housing; a surface lighting portion provided on the outer surface of said housing and including a light source and a light guiding plate for guiding light emitted from said light source and scattering said light from one surface, wherein the light guiding plate, which is a flat plate like member having substantially the same shape as that of the surface lighting portion, is disposed on a sheet like reflecting member to reflect upwardly the vertically downward light scattered from the light guiding plate; a panel member detachably mounted on said housing so as to cover said surface lighting portion, at least a part of said panel member being transparent or semitransparent; and a control portion for controlling lighting patterns of said surface lightning portion; wherein said control portion controls said lightning patterns of said surface lightning portion according to an event occurring in said apparatus such that the light emitted from said surface lighting portion is transmitted through said panel member.