Physical configuration of a hand-held electronic communication device

• US 20040174666A1
• Filed: 09/05/2003
• Published: 09/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wireless Agents LLC
• Original Assignee: Stick Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Brandenberg, Carl Brock, Kay, Robert L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,016,182 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/680
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1622 with enclosures rotating around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define or with ball-joint coupling, e.g. PDA with display enclosure orientation changeable between portrait and landscape by rotation with respect to a coplanar body enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• 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 1/1664 Arrangements for ergonomically adjusting the disposition of keys of the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• 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 1/0225 Rotatable telephones, i.e. the body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis perpendicular 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 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 : Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/905 : Display device with housing structure

Abstract

A hand-held, electronic, bi-directional, wireless electronic communication device having a physical configuration which includes a relatively large, constantly visible display and an alphanumeric keyboard that can be concealed until needed.

Claims

1. A hand-held, electronic computing device capable of wireless communication having a physical configuration comprising:

a body portion;

a display portion slidingly coupled to the body portion;

a constantly visible display carried by the display portion;

an alphanumeric keyboard carried by the body portion;

wherein the alphanumeric keyboard is at least partially concealed by the display portion when not in use.

2. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 1, wherein the display portion completely conceals the alphanumeric keyboard.

3. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 1, wherein the display portion slides relative to the body portion in a plane that is generally parallel with the alphanumeric keyboard.

4. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a means for supporting the display portion when the display portion is slid to reveal the alphanumeric keyboard.

5. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 1, wherein the display portion slides relative to the body portion along non-planar path.

6. A hand-held, electronic computing device having a physical configuration comprising:

a body portion;

a display portion pivotally coupled to the body portion;

a constantly visible display carried by the display portion;

an alphanumeric keyboard carried by the body portion;

wherein the alphanumeric keyboard is at least partially concealed by the display portion when not in use.

7. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 6, wherein the display portion completely conceals the alphanumeric keyboard.

8. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 6, wherein the display portion pivots relative to the body portion in a plane that is generally parallel with the alphanumeric keyboard.

9. A hand-held, electronic computing device having a physical configuration comprising:

a body portion;

a display portion coupled to the body portion;

a constantly visible display carried by the display portion;

an alphanumeric keyboard slidingly coupled to the body portion;

wherein the alphanumeric keyboard is at least partially concealed within the body portion when not in use.

10. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 9, wherein the body portion completely conceals the alphanumeric keyboard when not in use.

11. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 9, wherein the alphanumeric keyboard translates relative to the body portion in a plane that is generally parallel with the constantly visible display.

12. A hand-held, electronic computing device having a physical configuration comprising:

a body portion;

a constantly visible display carried by the body portion;

an alphanumeric keyboard pivotally coupled to the body portion;

wherein the alphanumeric keyboard is at least partially concealed within the body portion when not in use.

13. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 12, wherein the body portion completely conceals the alphanumeric keyboard when not in use.

14. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 12, wherein the alphanumeric keyboard pivots relative to the body portion in a plane that is generally parallel with the constantly visible display.

15. A hand-held, electronic computing device having a physical configuration comprising:

a body portion;

an alphanumeric keyboard coupled to the body portion;

a display portion hingedly coupled to the body portion in a reverse clamshell fashion; and

a constantly visible display carried by the display portion.