Handheld Device with Multiple Displays

• US 20100060587A1
• Filed: 01/31/2007
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Freund, Joseph Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,438,706 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/169
• 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 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1671 Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop G06F1/1666 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0231 Including a rotatable keypad body part
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0233 Including a rotatable display body part
• 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 2250/16 including more than one display unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/18 including more than one keyboard unit

Abstract

A handheld device includes a plurality of display units and at least one processor coupled to the plurality of display units. The processor is configured to generate output at least a portion of which is displayed on at least one of the display units. At least two of the display units are configured to present data associated with different applications running on the processor, the applications operating simultaneously and independently of one another.

Claims

1. A handheld device, comprising:

a plurality of display units; and

at least one processor coupled to the plurality of display units and configured to generate output at least a portion of which is displayed on at least one of the display units;

wherein at least first and second display units of the plurality of display units are configured to present data associated with different applications running on the at least one processor, the applications operating simultaneously and independently of one another.

2. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the first display unit is configured to display one or more images associated with a first application running on the at least one processor, and the second display unit is configured to display one or more images associated with a second application running substantially simultaneously with the first application on the at least one processor, the first and second applications being distinct from one another.

3. The handheld device of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one input device coupled to the at least one processor;

wherein the at least one input device is configured to provide data to the at least one processor which determines, at least in part, the generated output of the at least one processor.

4. The handheld device of claim 3, wherein the at least one input device and plurality of display units are physically distinct from one another.

5. The handheld device of claim 3, wherein the at least one input device comprises at least one keypad.

6. The handheld device of claim 3, wherein the at least one input device is configured to provide input which determines, at least in part, the output displayed on at least one display unit of the plurality of display units operating independently of at least one other display unit of the plurality of display units.

7. A handheld device, comprising:

a plurality of display units; and

at least one processor coupled to the plurality of display units, the at least one processor being configured to generate output at least a portion of which is displayed on at least one of the plurality of display units;

wherein the device is operative in at least a first configuration and a second configuration, at least one display unit having a display screen that is concealed in the first configuration and at least two of the plurality of display units having respective display screens that are at least partially visible from a same external viewing location in the second configuration.

8. The handheld device of claim 7 wherein the device occupies a substantially smaller two-dimensional footprint, in plan view, in the first configuration relative to the second configuration.

9. The handheld device of claim 7, wherein the display units are configured such that at least one display unit of the plurality of display units may be positioned so as to occupy a two-dimensional footprint, in plan view, that is substantially equal to a two-dimensional footprint, in plan view, of a single display unit.

10. The handheld device of claim 7, wherein the display units are arranged such that the device can be configured to occupy an area substantially equivalent to that of one display unit.

11. The handheld device of claim 7, wherein at least a first display unit of the plurality of display units is connected to at least a second display unit of the plurality of display units by at least one of a hinge and a sliding mechanism.

12. The handheld device of claim 7, wherein the at least one processor is operative to partition the output into a plurality of segments, each of the segments being substantially simultaneously displayed on a corresponding one of the display units, whereby the segments, when viewed collectively, form at least a portion of a larger image.

13. The handheld device of claim 7, wherein at least a subset of the plurality of display units comprises:

a first display unit;

a second display unit connected to a first side of the first display unit proximate the second display unit; and

a third display unit connected to a second side of the first display unit proximate the third display unit.

14. The handheld device of claim 7, further comprising:

at least one input device connected to the at least one processor;

wherein the at least one input device is configured to provide data to the at least one processor which determines, at least in part, the output generated by the processor.

15. The handheld device of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of input devices, wherein data provided by each of the input devices determines, at least in part, the output displayed on a corresponding one of the display units.

16. The handheld device of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of input devices, wherein the input devices and display units are distinct from one another.

17. The handheld device of claim 14, wherein the at least one input device comprises at least one of a keypad, trackball, pointing stick, stylus, graphics tablet, touchpad, pointing device, freespace controller, and microphone.

18. The handheld device of claim 14, wherein the at least one input device is functional to control, at least in part, the respective outputs displayed on the display units.

19. The handheld device of claim 14, wherein the at least one input device is divided into a plurality of components, each component being coupled to a corresponding one of the display units.

20. The handheld device of claim 19, wherein each component of the at least one input device is coupled to a different display unit.

21. The handheld device of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of input devices, wherein the handheld device is operative in at least a third configuration and a fourth configuration, at least one input device being at least partially concealed in the third configuration and fully visible in the fourth configuration.

22. The handheld device of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of input devices, wherein the input devices are configured such that at least one input device of the plurality of input devices may be positioned so as to occupy a two-dimensional footprint, in plan view, which is substantially equal to a two-dimensional footprint, in plan view, of a single input device.

23. A handheld device, comprising:

a plurality of display units; and

at least one processor coupled to the plurality of display units, the at least one processor being configured to generate output at least a portion of which is displayed on at least one of the plurality of display units so that for at least a subset of the displays units, each display unit in the subset shows a different portion of a larger image, thereby increasing an effective display size of the handheld device;

wherein the device is operative in at least a first configuration and a second configuration, at least one display unit having a display screen that is concealed in the first configuration and at least two of the plurality of, display units having respective display screens that are at least partially visible in the second configuration.

24. A processor for use in a handheld device comprising a plurality of display units, wherein the processor is configured to generate output at least a portion of which is displayed on at least one of the plurality of display units such that at least one display unit of the plurality of display units operates in a simultaneous and independent manner from at least one other display unit of the plurality of display units.

25. An article of manufacture comprising a machine-readable storage medium storing one or more software programs that, when executed on a handheld device comprising a processor and a plurality of display units coupled thereto, generates output at least a portion of which is displayed on at least one of the plurality of display units such that at least one display unit of the plurality of display units operates in a simultaneous and independent manner from at least one other display unit of the plurality of display units.