Mobile Communications Device

• US 20090149214A1
• Filed: 05/19/2008
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Friedman, Jonathan D., Riley, Raymond W.
• Application Number:
  US12/123,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20090149214A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/556.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Mobile communications devices are described. In an implementation, a mobile communications device comprises a first housing that includes a display device and a second housing that is moveably attached to the first housing. The second housing includes a keyboard having an orientation that defines a top and bottom of the second housing. The second housing also includes a camera and a flash disposed adjacent to the top of an opposing side of the second housing from the keyboard. The camera and the flash are further disposed at opposing corners, one to another, at the top of the opposing side of the second housing.

Claims

1. A mobile communications device comprising:

a first housing that includes a display device; and

a second housing that is moveably attached to the first housing and that includes;

a keyboard having an orientation that defines a top and a bottom of the second housing; and

a camera and a flash disposed;

adjacent to the top of an opposing side of the second housing from the keyboard; and

at opposing sides, one to another, at the top of the opposing side of the second housing.

2. A mobile communications device as described in claim 1, wherein the camera and the flash are disposed on the second housing such that the second housing may be grasped by a hand of a user without interfering with the camera or the flash.

3. A mobile communications device as described in claim 1, wherein the keyboard defines the top of the second housing through arrangement of a plurality of keys of the keyboard.

4. A mobile communications device as described in claim 3, wherein the keyboard defines the top of the second housing through arrangement of indications of corresponding functions of a plurality of keys of the keyboard such that a top of the indications corresponds to the top of the second housing.

5. A mobile communications device as described in claim 1, wherein the first and second housings are moveably attached, one to another, between:

a first configuration in which the first housing substantially covers the keyboard of the second housing; and

a second configuration in which the keyboard is exposed.

6. A mobile communications device as described in claim 5, wherein:

the first configuration results in a substantially square form factor of the mobile communications device along a plane that is parallel to an outer surface of the keyboard and an outer surface of the display device; and

the second configuration results in a substantially rectangular form factor of the mobile communications device.

7. A mobile communications device as described in claim 5, wherein the display device is viewable when in the first configuration and when in the second configuration.

8. A mobile communications device as described in claim 1, wherein:

the first housing is substantially square along a plane that is parallel to an outer surface of the display device; and

the second housing is substantially square along a plane that is parallel to an outer surface of the keyboard.

9. A mobile communications device as described in claim 1, wherein a plurality of keys of the keyboard is arranged accordingly to a QWERTY configuration.

10. A mobile communications device as described in claim 1, further comprising one or more modules that are configured to provide telephonic functionality.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a display device;

one or more modules that are configured to output a user interface on the display device that is navigable by a user; and

a single button that is selectable using;

a first technique to cause the one or more modules to navigate back through the user interface; and

a second technique to cause the one or more modules to navigate to a particular screen of the user interface that is designated as home.

12. An apparatus as described in claim 11, wherein the first technique and the second technique involve different respective amounts of time the single button is pressed.

13. An apparatus as described in claim 11, wherein the particular screen of the user interface that is designated as home is a particular webpage.

14. An apparatus as described in claim 11, wherein the particular screen of the user interface that is designated as home is an introductory screen.

15. An apparatus as described in claim 11, wherein the particular screen of the user interface that is designated as home is root screen of a hierarchy of a plurality of screens in the user interface that are navigable in a hierarchical arrangement.

16. An apparatus as described in claim 11, wherein the one or more modules are further configured to provide telephonic functionality.

17. An apparatus as described in claim 11, wherein the one or more modules are further configured to provide music functionality.

18. A mobile communications device comprising:

a display device;

one or more modules that are configured to provide telephonic functionality and to output a user interface on the display device to form one or more messages for communication over a network; and

a button that is selectable in an instant messaging context by a user to cause the one or more modules to indicate a status of the user to one or more other users that are to receive the one or more messages.

19. A mobile communications device as described in claim 18, wherein the button is also selectable in a text messaging context to supply an emoticon.

20. A mobile communications device as described in claim 18, wherein the button is implemented as a dedicated hardware button.