User interface

• US 20010003450A1
• Filed: 12/05/2000
• Published: 06/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 2011 Intellectual Property Asset Trust (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Murtoniemi, Mirka J.M., Hietamaki, Jouni J., Merilahti, Miikka A., Nousiainen, Juha A., Hemia, Teppo J.M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,873,315 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1615 with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function constructional details of portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts H04M1/0206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1666 Arrangements for reducing the size of the integrated keyboard for transport, e.g. foldable keyboards, keyboards with collapsible keys G06F1/1664 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1679 for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA G06F1/1681 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/30 in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell controlling light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. electro-optical or magneto-optical cell, G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/301 flexible foldable or roll-able electronic displays, e.g. thin LCD, OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0268 including a flexible display panel
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22

Abstract

An electronic input device (MS) has a flexible keyboard (14) for receiving user input and a housing (10) defining a space for accommodating the keyboard. The input device has a compacted state and an extended state. The keyboard adopts a compacted spatial configuration in the compacted state and adopts an extended spatial configuration in the second state. In the compacted state the keyboard is wound on a roll. The input device additionally has a retractable, flexible display having corresponding compacted and extended states so that both the keyboard and the display can be rolled in and out together.

Claims

1. An electronic input device comprising:

a flexible input means for receiving user input; and

a housing defining a space for accommodating said input means;

wherein

said input device has a first state and a second state; and

the input means adopts a compacted spatial configuration in the first state and adopts an extended spatial configuration in the second state.

2. An electronic input device according to

claim 1

, wherein the input means has an input surface having touch sensitive areas.

3. An electronic input device according to

claim 1

, wherein the extended spatial configuration is planar.

4. An electronic input device according to

claim 1

, wherein the compacted spatial configuration is non-planar.

5. An electronic input device according to

claim 1

, wherein in the compacted spatial configuration the input means is wound into a roll.

6. An electronic input device according to

claim 1

further comprising means for moving said input means between said first and second configurations.

7. An electronic input device according to

claim 1

, wherein said input means is a keyboard.

8. An electronic input device according to

claim 1

, wherein said input means is also a display.

9. An electronic input device according to

claim 1

further comprising:

a flexible output means for outputting information; and

a housing defining a space for accommodating said output means;

wherein

said input device has a first state and a second state; and

the output means adopts a compacted spatial configuration in the first state and adopts an extended spatial configuration in the second state.

10. An electronic input device according to

claim 9

, wherein said output means is a display.

11. An electronic input device according to

claim 9

, wherein said output means is arranged parallel with said input means so that the input device has two states corresponding to the first and second states of both input means and output means.

12. An electronic input device according to

claim 9

further comprising a hinge for foldingly connecting the housing defining the space for accommodating said output means to the housing defining a space for accommodating input means.

13. An electronic input device according to

claim 1

, wherein the electronic input device is a telecommunications device.

14. An electronic input device according to

claim 13

further comprising:

two elements, which are foldable about a hinge between an open configuration and a closed configuration;

a speaker located in one element, and

a microphone in another element so that the electronic input device can be unfolded to separate the microphone and the speaker.

15. An electronic input device according to

claim 14

further comprising:

a stop to resist opening the two elements of the input device over a certain maximum opening angle; and

means for changing the maximum opening angle when the configuration of the device is changed between the compacted spatial configuration and the extended spatial configuration.

16. A method for manufacturing of an electronic input device comprising the steps of:

forming to the electronic input device a housing to define a space for accommodating a flexible input means; and

inserting a flexible input means in a compacted spatial configuration at least partially into said space.

17. A method for manufacturing of an electronic input device comprising the steps of:

forming to the electronic input device a housing to define a space for accommodating a flexible input means;

shaping the flexible input means into a compacted spatial configuration; and

inserting the flexible input means at least partially into said space.

18. A method of an electronic input device presenting a user interface, comprising the steps of:

storing a flexible input means in a compacted spatial configuration within a housing of the electronic input device;

extending the flexible input means out of the housing into an extended spatial configuration for receiving user input; and

retrieving the flexible input means again into the compacted spatial configuration within the housing.