DUAL-MODE MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20100164872A1
• Filed: 03/12/2010
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: GRIFFIN, JASON T., LAZARIDIS, MIHAL
• Granted Patent: US 9,134,759 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/169
• 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 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1664 Arrangements for ergonomically adjusting the disposition of keys of the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device

Abstract

A dual-mode mobile communication device is provided including a device housing having a front surface, a rear surface and a plurality of side surfaces coupling the front surface to the rear surface. The dual-mode device includes a transceiver for sending and receiving voice and data communications is integrated into the device housing, a display, mounted within the front surface of the device housing, for displaying information to a user of the device regarding voice and data communications, a QWERTY keyboard mounted below the display and within the front surface of the device housing, for generating data communications, and a microphone and a speaker for generating voice communications, wherein the microphone is mounted below the display within the front surface of the device housing and the speaker is mounted above the display within the front surface of the device housing.

Claims

1. Apparatus for a mobile communication device, said apparatus comprising:

a device housing having housing surfaces including a top surface;

a display located at the top surfaces of said device housing; and

a keyboard located at said top surface, said keyboard having twenty-six alphabetic character keys laid out in QWERTY style, said keyboard arranged in three rows including an upper row of alphabetic character keys disposed such that five alphabetic character keys of the upper row are disposed on each side of a vertical reference line.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the three rows of said keyboard comprises a middle row of alphabetic character keys disposed such that five alphabetic character keys are disposed on one side of the vertical reference line and four alphabetic character keys are disposed on the other side of the vertical reference line.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the three rows of said keyboard comprises a lower row disposed such that four alphabetic character keys are disposed on the one side of the vertical reference line and three letter keys are disposed on the other side of the vertical reference line.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said keyboard is positioned beneath said display.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a microphone located at the top surface of said housing.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said microphone is positioned below said display.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a speaker located at the top surface of said housing.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said speaker is positioned below said display.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said housing has a first dimension and a second dimension, the first dimension defining a major axis and the second dimension defining a minor axis.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the major axis defined by the first dimension of said housing is at least parallel to the vertical reference line.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the vertical reference line comprises the major axis of said housing.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said display is located at the top surface of said housing and configured to be symmetrical about the vertical reference line.

13. Apparatus for a mobile communication device, said apparatus comprising:

a device housing having housing surfaces including a top surface;

a display located at the top source of said device housing; and

a keyboard located at said top surface, said keyboard having twenty-six alphabetic character keys laid out in QWERTY style, said keyboard arranged in three rows including a lower row of alphabetic character keys disposed such that four keys are disposed on one side of a vertical reference line and three alphabetic character keys are on the other side of the vertical reference line.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said keyboard further comprises an upper row of alphabetic character keys disposed such that five alphabetic character keys of the upper row are disposed on each side of the vertical reference line.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said keyboard further comprises a middle row of alphabetic character keys disposed such that five alphabetic character keys are disposed on one side of the vertical reference line and four alphabetic character keys are disposed on the other side of the vertical reference line.

16. Apparatus for a mobile communication device, said apparatus comprising:

a device housing having housing surface including a top surface;

a display located at the top surface of said device housing;

a keyboard located at the top surface of said device housing, said keyboard including twenty-six alphabetic character keys laid out in QWERTY style and at least one function key, said keyboard arranged in three rows including a middle row of keys disposed such that equal numbers of the keys of the middle row are on each side of a vertical reference line.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said keyboard includes an upper row of alphabetic character keys disposed such that five alphabetic character keys of the upper row are disposed on each side of the vertical reference line.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said keyboard includes a lower row of alphabetic character keys disposed such that four keys are disposed such that four keys are disposed on one side of the vertical reference line and three alphabetic character keys are on the other side of the vertical reference line.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the middle row includes both alphabetic character keys and a function key.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the keys of said keyboard are symmetrically arranged about the vertical reference line.