WEARABLE COMMUNICATION DEVICE WITH CONTOURED BACK

• US 20080032638A1
• Filed: 12/11/2006
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L3 Technologies, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: ANDERSON, Robert C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,844,310 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/90.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3866 carried on the head

Abstract

An improved PDA-like portable electronic communication device includes a housing having a display screen on the front and a mounting surface that is contoured to generally conform to the shape of a user'"'"'s forearm. In this way, the communication device can be comfortably and securely worn on a user'"'"'s forearm so that it is constantly or immediately available for use. In example embodiments, the mounting surface is formed by the back side of the housing and is cylindrically concave or frustoconically concave. In other example embodiments, the device includes a mount to which the housing attaches in multiple positions, with the mount having a frustoconically concave back surface in one embodiment and with another embodiment additionally including mating cylindrically convex and concave surfaces of the mount and the housing.

Claims

1. A portable electronic communication device for wearing on a forearm of a user, comprising:

a housing having a front;

a display screen at the front of the housing; and

a mounting surface that is contoured to generally conform to the user'"'"'s forearm, wherein the device can be comfortably and securely worn on the user'"'"'s forearm so that the display screen is constantly or immediately accessible and viewable by the user.

2. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the housing has a back that defines the contoured mounting surface.

3. The communication device of claim 2, wherein the contoured mounting surface of the housing back has a cylindrically concave shape.

4. The communication device of claim 2, wherein the contoured mounting surface of the housing back has a frustoconically concave shape.

5. The communication device of claim 4, wherein the housing back has two flat portions and the contoured mounting surface is therebetween.

6. The communication device of claim 1, further comprising a mount coupled to the housing, wherein the mount has a back that defines the contoured mounting surface.

7. The communication device of claim 6, further comprising at least one coupling that removably attaches the housing to the mount in a first position for wearing the device on the left forearm and that removably attaches the housing to the mount in a second position for wearing the device on the right forearm.

8. The communication device of claim 6, wherein the contoured mounting surface of the mount back has a frustoconically concave shape.

9. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the mount has a front with a cylindrically convex shape and the housing has a back with a cylindrically concave shape that receives and generally conforms to the mount front.

10. The communication device of claim 9, wherein the housing back and the mount front have a length, and the housing back and the mount front are in continuous contact along the entire length when the device is positioned for wearing on either the left or the right forearm.

11. The communication device of claim 9, wherein the mount has opposing wrist and elbow sides, and opposing bottom and top sides with a larger thickness adjacent the wrist side than adjacent the elbow side.

12. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the contoured mounting surface is about 3 to 7 inches long.

13. The communication device of claim 12, wherein the contoured mounting surface is about 4½

to 5½

inches long.

14. The communication device of claim 1, further comprising at least one strap or band attached to the housing and adapted to secure the device to the user'"'"'s forearm.

15. A portable electronic PDA-like communication device for wearing on a forearm of a user, the communication device comprising:

a housing having a front and a back, the housing back having a length that is about 3 to 7 inches long and having a contour with a cylindrically concave shape along the entire length to generally conform to the user'"'"'s forearm; and

a display screen at the front of the housing,

wherein the device can be comfortably and securely worn on the user'"'"'s forearm so that the display screen is constantly or immediately accessible and viewable by the user.

16. The communication device of claim 15, wherein the housing is at least about 4½

inches long and at least about 2 inches across.

17. The communication device of claim 15, wherein the housing has sides between the housing front and the housing back, and further comprising a battery removably positioned along one of the sides, wherein the battery can be removed and replaced without removing the communication device from the user'"'"'s forearm.

18. A portable electronic PDA-like communication device for wearing on a forearm of a user, the communication device comprising:

a housing having a front and a back, the housing back having a length that is about 3 to 7 inches long and having a contour with a frustoconically concave shape along the entire length to generally conform to the user'"'"'s forearm; and

a display screen at the front of the housing,

wherein the device can be comfortably and securely worn on the user'"'"'s forearm so that the display screen is constantly or immediately accessible and viewable by the user.

19. The communication device of claim 18, wherein the housing is at least about 4½

inches long and at least about 2 inches across.

20. The communication device of claim 18, wherein the housing has sides between the housing front and the housing back, and further comprising a battery removably positioned along one of the sides, wherein the battery can be removed and replaced without removing the communication device from the user'"'"'s forearm.