Mobile electronic device with tactile keyboard

• US 20040229663A1
• Filed: 05/16/2003
• Published: 11/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sierra Wireless Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sierra Wireless Incorporated
• Inventors: Lee, Eric, Tosey, Joseph P. R.
• Application Number:
  US10/439,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20040229663A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.1
• 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 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1664 Arrangements for ergonomically adjusting the disposition of keys of the integrated keyboard
• 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 1/1671 Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop G06F1/1666 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0221 Arrangements for reducing keyboard size for transport or storage, e.g. foldable keyboards, keyboards with collapsible keys G06F3/0216 takes precedence; for keyboards integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/1666
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2009/189 with a tactile symbol or indication, e.g. for blind people
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2217/024 Profile on actuator
• 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 1/0245 using open/close detection
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/18 including more than one keyboard unit

Abstract

An electronic device that has a lower portion that unfolds to reveal an extendable keyboard. When the keyboard is folded closed, a number pad is visible and the device looks similar to a traditional portable or cellular telephone. The device can be used as a personal digital assistant, a cellular telephone, a cordless telephone or as the handset of a traditional wire line telephone. The fold-out keyboard of the electronic device can be used for easy entry of text data while a communication channel is active. The keys comprising the keyboard include tactile indicia to facilitate typing.

Claims

1. A mobile electronic communication device comprising:

a housing;

a display coupled to said housing; and

,

a keyboard coupled to said housing, said keyboard comprising a plurality of keys,

wherein said plurality of keys comprise a plurality of tactile indicator keys and a plurality of standard keys, and at least one tactile indicator key is located adjacent each standard key.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein at least four standard keys are surrounded by six keys and at least two of said six keys are tactile indicator keys.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of keys are arranged in at least three rows, and at least one key in each row is a tactile indicator key.

4. A device according to claim 3 wherein at least three keys in each row are tactile indicator keys.

5. A device according to claim 3 wherein said keys are arranged in at least six columns and at least two tactile indicator keys are located in at least one column.

6. A device according to claim 1 wherein each said tactile indicator key includes a bump on the face of said key.

7. A keyboard for use with a mobile electronic communication device, said keyboard comprising:

a plurality of tactile indicator keys; and

,

a plurality of standard keys;

wherein said keys are arranged so that when a user has the user'"'"'s thumb placed on a tactile indicator key the user can move the thumb to a standard key without moving the thumb a distance greater than the width of two standard keys.

8. A keyboard for typing the letters of the alphabet, said keyboard comprising at least a plurality of keys of a first configuration and a plurality of keys of a second configuration, at least one key of said first configuration being located adjacent each key of said second configuration.