Handheld electronic devices

• US 20070293316A1
• Filed: 05/30/2006
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Meyer, Axel E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,846,027 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• 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 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations

Abstract

A handheld electronic device, the device comprising a housing and a retractable handle, the device being arranged to allow the handle to be retracted into the housing along a sliding axis to provide a retracted handle position and extended out of the housing along the sliding axis to provide an extended handle position, and wherein the handle is arranged to be formable to be held by a user in the extended position such that the holding axis of the handle in the extended position is offset from the sliding axis.

Claims

1. A handheld electronic device, the device comprising a housing and a retractable handle, the device being arranged to allow the handle to be retracted into the housing along a sliding axis to provide a retracted handle position and extended out of the housing along the sliding axis to provide an extended handle position, and wherein the handle is arranged to be formable to be held by a user in the extended position such that a holding axis of the handle in the extended position is offset from the sliding axis.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the handle or a portion of the handle is arranged to be rotatable with respect to the sliding axis such that the holding axis of the handle or handle portion in the extended position is offset from the sliding axis.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein the handle or handle portion is arranged to be rotatable about a rotation axis which is offset from the sliding axis.

4. A device according to claim 1 wherein the handle comprises a first part and a second part, wherein the second part is rotatable with respect to the first part, the first part being substantially held within the housing in the extended handle position and the second part being holdable by the user during use of the electronic device, wherein the first and second parts are arranged such that the holding axis of the second part is offset from the sliding axis in the extended position and aligned with the sliding axis in the retracted position.

5. A device according to claim 4 wherein the first and second parts are arranged to be rotatable with respect to one another about a rotation axis which is offset from the sliding axis.

6. A device according to claim 1 wherein the handle or a portion of the handle is arranged to be repeatably bendable with respect to the sliding axis such that the holding axis of the handle or handle portion is offset from the sliding axis in the extended position.

7. A device according to claim 1 wherein the handle or a portion of the handle is arranged to be foldable with respect to the sliding axis such that the holding axis of the handle or handle portion is offset from the sliding axis in the extended position is offset from the sliding axis.

8. A device according to claim 1 wherein the handle is formable such that the holding axis in the extended position is in the same plane as the sliding axis.

9. A device according to claim 1 wherein the handle is formable such that the holding axis in the extended position is in a different plane from the sliding axis.

10. A device according to claim 1 wherein the holding axis in the extended position is perpendicular to the sliding axis.

11. A device according to claim 1 wherein an angle formed between the handle in the extended position and the housing is an obtuse angle.

12. A device according to claim 1 wherein an angle formed between the handle in the extended position and the housing is in the range of one or more of 95-175, 100-170, 105-165, 110-160, 115-155, 120-150, 125-145, and 130-140 degrees.

13. A device according to claim 1 wherein the handle is arrangeable to define a number of different angles between the handle in the extended position and the housing.

14. A device according to claim 1 wherein the handle is formable such that, in an in-use orientation of the electronic device, the sliding axis is parallel to the user and an extended end of the handle is closer to the user than the electronic device housing.

15. A device according to claim 1 wherein the device comprise handles along opposing sides of the electronic device allowing holding of extended handles separately by each hand of a user.

16. A device according to claim 1 wherein the housing comprises one or more electronic displays.

17. A device according to claim 1 wherein a display is located centrally to two opposing retractable handles.

18. A device according to claim 1 wherein the housing adjacent the retractable handle comprises one or more user input elements, one or more of the user input elements being arranged to allow a user to control functionality of the device.

19. A device according to claim 1 wherein the user input elements are selected from a list comprising one or more keys, joysticks, roller balls, and/or electronic displays.

20. A device according to claim 1 wherein the handle comprises one or more user input elements.

21. A device according to claim 20 wherein one or more of the user input elements are arranged to be operable by movement of a thumb of a user.

22. A device according to claim 1 wherein the device is rectanguloid and the sliding axis is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the rectanguloid electronic device.

23. A device according to claim 1 wherein the handle is arranged to be comfortably grippable in the extended position around an outwardly facing handle surface.

24. A device according to claim 1 wherein the handle is arranged to be grippable by curving fingers underneath the handle, leaving a thumb free to actuate one or more user input elements.

25. A device according to claim 1 wherein the handle is biased into the extended position.

26. A device according to claim 1 wherein the device comprises two or more handles.

27. A device according to claim 1 wherein the device is configured to be useable by more than one user at the same time.

28. A retractable electronic device handle, the handle being arranged to be housed within the housing of an electronic device, the handle being arranged to be retracted into the housing along a sliding axis to provide a retracted handle position and extended out of the housing along the sliding axis to provide an extended handle position, and wherein the handle is arranged to be formable to be held by a user in the extended position such that a holding axis of the handle in the extended position is offset from the sliding axis.

29. A handheld electronic apparatus, the apparatus comprising a housing and a retractable handle, the apparatus being arranged to allow the handle to be retracted into the housing along a sliding axis to provide a retracted handle position and extended out of the housing along the sliding axis to provide an extended handle position, and wherein the handle is arranged to be formable to be held by a user in the extended position such that a holding axis of the handle in the extended position is offset from the sliding axis.

30. A handheld electronic apparatus of claim 29, wherein the apparatus is a handheld electronic device module.

31. A handheld electronic apparatus, the apparatus comprising a means for housing and a means for holding, the apparatus being arranged to allow the means for holding to be retracted into the means for housing along a sliding axis to provide a retracted means for holding position and extended out of the means for housing along the sliding axis to provide an extended means for holding position, and wherein the means for holding is arranged to be formable to be held by a user in the extended position such that a holding axis of the means for holding in the extended position is offset from the sliding axis.

32. An electronic device means for holding, the means for holding being arranged to be housed within a means for housing of an electronic device, the means for holding being arranged to be retracted into the means for housing along a sliding axis to provide a retracted means for holding position and extended out of the means for housing along the sliding axis to provide an extended means for holding position, and wherein the means for holding is arranged to be formable to be held by a user in the extended position such that a holding axis of the means for holding in the extended position is offset from the sliding axis.