Compound Computing Device with Dual Portion Keyboards Controlled by a Single Processing Element

• US 20080048986A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Soon Khoo
• Original Assignee: Soon Khoo
• Inventors: Khoo, Soon
• Application Number:
  US11/931,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20080048986A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1615 with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function constructional details of portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts H04M1/0206
• 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 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to 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 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224

Abstract

A compound portable computing device comprising two or more separate portable devices coupled over a hardwired or wireless link is described. The compound device includes a first portable device and a second portable device that controls the input from the keyboards of both devices for display on a common display. The first portable device contains a portion of a standard QWERTY keyboard or other type of keyboard for text entry, and the second portable computing device contains the remaining portion of the keyboard. A process within the first portable device controls input from both the first and second keyboard portions, and causes the display of characters on a display coupled to one of the portable devices. The process functionally links the keypads of both devices such that when used together, the two keyboard portions form a full QWERTY keyboard or other type of keyboard.

Claims

1. A compound computing device comprising:

a first computing device having a first keyboard portion comprising keys dedicated to use with a function of a portable device and configured to operate in a default configuration in a first mode and a partial keyboard configuration in a second mode;

a second computing device having a second keyboard portion comprising keys configured to provide complementary keys to the first keyboard portion when the first computing device is operated in the second mode such that the first and second keyboard portions function as a full QWERTY keyboard in the second mode;

an interface coupling the first computing device to the second computing device; and

a processor component within the first computing device operable to receive keyboard input from the first keyboard portion and the second keyboard portion and display the resulting generated characters on a display device coupled to either of the first computing device and second computing device when the first computing device is coupled to the second computing device.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the interface comprises one of a hardwired connection or a wireless connection.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor component comprises an application program executed on the first computing device.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the processor component includes a driver circuit executed in the first keyboard portion and configured to directly receive character data from the first keyboard portion.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the interface comprises a Bluetooth connection.