Multi-configuration portable electronic device and method for operating the same

• US 20050020325A1
• Filed: 07/24/2003
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Enger, Todd M., Vuong, Hung Q., Tracy, James L., Goldstein, Shimon
• Application Number:
  US10/626,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20050020325A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.300
• 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 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0222 Foldable in two directions, i.e. using a two degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0241 using relative motion of the body parts to change the operational status of the telephone set, e.g. switching on/off, answering incoming call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

A multi-configuration portable electronic device is provided. The device includes at least one processor, a first body element including at least one input, and a second body element including a display. The second body element is pivotally coupled to the first body element such that the device can be positioned into a plurality of physical configurations. In response to a change in the physical configuration of the device, there is a change in at least two of a mode of operation of the input device, a mode of operation of the display, and an active software application being executed by the processor. In a preferred embodiment, the physical configurations of the device include a portrait configuration in which the device functions as a wireless phone, and a landscape configuration in which the device functions as a text messaging pager, PDA, handheld computer, electronic organizer, or media player. Also provided is a method of operating a portable electronic device having a plurality of physical configurations.

Claims

1. A multi-configuration portable electronic device comprising:

at least one processor;

a first body element including at least one input device; and

a second body element including a display, the second body element being pivotally coupled to the first body element such that the portable electronic device can be positioned into a plurality of physical configurations,

wherein at least two of a mode of operation of the input device, a mode of operation of the display, and an active software application being executed by the processor are changed in response to a change in the physical configuration of the portable electronic device.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein in response to a change in the physical configuration of the portable electronic device, the mode of operation of the display changes between portrait view and landscape view.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 2,

wherein the at least one input device includes an adaptable keypad, and

in response to a change in the physical configuration of the portable electronic device, the mode of operation of the adaptable keypad changes between numeric layout and text layout.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 3, in response to a change in the physical configuration of the portable electronic device, the active software application being executed by the processor is changed between a phone application and a text application.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 2, in response to a change in the physical configuration of the portable electronic device, the active software application being executed by the processor is changed between a phone application and a text application.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1,

wherein the at least one input device includes an adaptable keypad, and

in response to a change in the physical configuration of the portable electronic device, the mode of operation of the adaptable keypad changes between numeric layout and text layout.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 6, in response to a change in the physical configuration of the portable electronic device, the active software application being executed by the processor is changed between a phone application and a text application.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 1,

wherein the at least one input device includes a directional input device selected from the group consisting of a mouse, a touchpad, a trackball, and a rotating dial, and

in response to a change in the physical configuration of the portable electronic device, the mode of operation of the directional input device is changed between a portrait orientation and a landscape orientation.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 1, in response to a change in the physical configuration of the portable electronic device, the active software application being executed by the processor is changed between a phone application and a text application.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein in response to a change in the physical configuration of the portable electronic device the active software application is changed on the fly without a need to load or reload an operating system, drivers, or software applications.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of physical configurations of the portable electronic device include a portrait configuration and a landscape configuration.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 11,

wherein in response to a change in the physical configuration of the portable electronic device from the portrait configuration to the landscape configuration, the active software application being executed by the processor is changed between a phone application and a text application,

the phone applications includes at least one of a phone dialer and an address book, and

the text application includes at least one of text messaging, a notepad, a spreadsheet, an organizer, and a media player.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 11,

wherein in the portrait configuration the portable electronic device functions as a wireless phone, and in the landscape configuration the portable electronic device functions as one or more of a text messaging pager, a PDA, a handheld computer, an electronic organizer, and a media player.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising sensing switches for detecting the physical configuration of the portable electronic device, the sensing switches being integrated into at least one of the first and send body elements.

15. The portable electronic device of claim 14, further comprising logic circuitry coupled between the sensing switches and the processor, the logic circuitry supplying an interrupt to the processor in response to a change in the physical configuration of the portable electronic device.

16. A method of operating a portable electronic device having a plurality of physical configurations, said method comprising the steps of:

generating an interrupt in response to a change in the physical configuration of the device; and

in response to the interrupt, changing at least two of a mode of operation of an input of the device, a mode of operation of a display of the device, and an active software application being executed on the device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the changing step includes the sub-steps of:

changing the mode of operation of the display between a portrait view and a landscape view; and

changing the mode of operation of the input by changing a keypad between a numeric layout and a text layout.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the changing step includes the sub-steps of:

changing the mode of operation of the display between a portrait view and a landscape view; and

changing the active software application between a phone application that causes the device to function as a wireless phone and a text application that causes the device to functions as one or more of a text messaging pager, a PDA, a handheld computer, an electronic organizer, and a media player.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the changing step includes the sub-steps of:

changing the mode of operation of the input by changing a keypad between a numeric layout and a text layout; and

changing the active software application between a phone application that causes the device to function as a wireless phone and a text application that causes the device to functions as one or more of a text messaging pager, a PDA, a handheld computer, an electronic organizer, and a media player.