DUAL-USE PORTABLE DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20110188191A1
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Geoffrey Champion
• Original Assignee: Geoffrey Champion
• Inventors: CHAMPION, GEOFFREY
• Granted Patent: US 8,224,406 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.16
• 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

Abstract

A portable display device that, in a first configuration, may function as a first type of device, such as a cellular phone and, in a second configuration, as a second type of device, such as a personal computer a split, full size keyboard spanning a display panel. Each keyboard panel may be substantially equal in size to the display panel, and may constitute the left and right hand halves of a standard keyboard. The keyboard panels may be hingably connected to the opposite short sides of the rectangular display panel. The device may further include a numeric keypad, hingably connected to a short edge of either keyboard panel.

Claims

1. A portable display device, comprising:

a substantially rectangular display panel housing, housing a first display panel and having a first short side and a second short side;

a first keyboard housing panel, substantially equal in size to said substantially rectangular display panel housing and hingably connected to said first short side of said substantially rectangular display panel housing; and

a second keyboard housing panel, substantially equal in size to said substantially rectangular display panel housing and hingably connected to said second short side of said substantially rectangular display panel housing, such that in a first configuration, said portable display device functions as a first type of compact display device and in a second configuration said portable display device functions as a second type of display device comprising a split, full size keyboard input, and functional user access to said display panel in its entirety.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising a numeric keypad housing panel hingably connected to a short side of either said first keyboard housing panel or said second keyboard housing panel.

3. The device of claim 2 further comprising functional user access to said numeric keypad housing panel in either said first configuration or said second configuration.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said display panel is a liquid crystal display.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said display panel is a color light emitting diode (LED) display and further comprises a substantially transparent touch sensitive cover layer.

6. The device of claim 2 wherein said second keyboard housing panel further comprises a second display panel disposed such that in said first configuration, said portable display device comprises functional user access to said second display panel.

7. The device of claim 3 wherein said first configuration further comprises functional user access to at least a portion of said first display panel.

8. The device of claim 3 further comprising at least one connection component.

9. The device of claim 7 wherein said connection component is selected from the group comprising a USB port, a power plug, an earphone and microphone plug or some combination thereof.

10. The device of claim 3 further comprising one of a digital camera lens a battery cover 252, a memory card slot, a primary tab, a secondary tab, a camera control, a pointer control a loud speaker or some combination thereof.

11. The device of claim 3 further comprising at least one locking flange situated so as to limit rotation of one of said panels to another of said panels to substantially 180 degrees.

12. The device of claim 3 wherein at least one of said hingable connections comprises a hinge having a cable feed-through.

13. The device of claim 3 wherein at least one of said hingable connections comprises a hinge having both confronting surfaces of the hinge substantially at the center of rotation 410 of the hinge.

14. A method of transforming a portable display device from a first, folded configuration to a second, unfolded configuration, said method comprising the steps of:

rotating a numeric keypad housing panel about a first hinge such that said numeric keypad housing panel moves away from a second keyboard housing panel comprising a right hand section of a keyboard;

rotating said second keyboard housing panel around a second hinge such that said second keyboard housing panel moves away from a substantially rectangular display panel housing; and

rotating a first keyboard housing panel comprising a left hand section of a keyboard around a third hinge such that said first keyboard housing panel moves away from said substantially rectangular display panel housing.

15. A method of transforming a tablet device from a first, folded configuration to a second, unfolded configuration, said method comprising the steps of:

rotating a number pad around a first, two panel wide hinge such that said number pad moves away from a main panel;

rotating a right half-alpha keyboard around a second, one panel wide hinge such that said right half-alpha keyboard moves away from a left half-alpha keyboard; and

rotating said left half-alpha keyboard around a third, flush hinge such that said left half-alpha keyboard moves away from said main panel.