MULTI-DISPLAY MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20120127061A1
• Filed: 11/22/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Pegg, Albert Murray
• Granted Patent: US 8,606,340 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/1.1
• 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 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 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 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit

Abstract

A mobile device comprising a first portion and a second portion is provided. In at least one embodiment, the first portion comprises a first part providing at least a first display screen, and a second part providing at least a second display screen. The first part may be foldably coupled to the second part to allow the first part to fold with respect to the second part about a first folding axis. The second portion comprises a third part providing at least a third display screen. The first portion is slidably coupled to the second portion, and at least one of the first portion and the second portion comprises one or more coupling elements configured so that the second part of the first portion is foldable with respect to the third part of the second portion about a second folding axis. In one embodiment, the first, second and third parts are folded to resemble a picture frame comprising multiple digital displays.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a first portion comprising a first part providing at least a first display screen, and a second part providing at least a second display screen, wherein the first part is foldably coupled to the second part to allow the first part to fold with respect to the second part about a first folding axis; and

a second portion comprising a third part providing at least a third display screen;

wherein the first portion is slidably coupled to the second portion; and

wherein at least one of the first portion and the second portion comprises one or more coupling elements configured so that the second part of the first portion is foldable with respect to the third part of the second portion about a second folding axis.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein at least two of an edge of the first part, an edge of the second part, and an edge of the third part lie in a same plane;

and wherein at least one of the first folding axis and the second folding axis is normal to the same plane.

3. The mobile device of claim 2, wherein the edge of the first part, the edge of the second part, and the edge of the third part lie in the same plane.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the first portion further comprises a hinge that foldably couples the first part to the second part.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the one or more coupling elements comprises a hinge that foldably couples the second part of the first portion to the third part of the second portion.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the second part provides a contact surface configured to abut the third part and to stop the second part from folding about the second folding axis with respect to the third part, after a predetermined fold angle between the second part and the third part is obtained.

7. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the second part provides a beveled edge;

and wherein the beveled edge comprises the contact surface.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the second part provides a contact surface configured to mate with an indent in the second portion and to stop the second part from folding about the second folding axis with respect to the third part, after a predetermined fold angle between the second part and the third part is obtained.

9. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the first portion is configured to slide relative to the second portion between at least a first position and a second position;

wherein in the first position, the third display screen is covered by the first portion; and

wherein in the second position, the third display screen is at least partially exposed by the first portion.

10. The mobile device of claim 9:

wherein each of the first part, the second part, and the third part comprises a respective front surface;

wherein the first display screen is on the front surface of the first part, the second display screen is on the front surface of the second part, and the third display screen is on the front surface of the third part;

wherein the first part is configured to fold with respect to the second part about the first folding axis such that the front surface of the first part moves towards the front surface of the second part; and

wherein the second part is configured to fold with respect to the third part about a second folding axis in the second position such that the front surface of the second part moves towards the front surface of the third part.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein in the second position, the respective front surfaces of the first, second and third parts form a concave “

U”

-like shape, with the respective front surfaces of the first, second and third parts on the interior of the concave “

U”

-like shape.

12. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the first portion is configured to slide with respect to the second portion in a slide direction;

and wherein the slide direction is perpendicular to at least one of the first folding axis and the second folding axis.

13. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the second portion further comprises a fourth part;

and wherein the fourth part provides at least a fourth display screen.

14. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the first portion is configured to slide relative to the second portion between at least a first position and a second position;

wherein in the first position, the third and fourth display screens are covered by the first portion; and

wherein in the second position, at least one of the third and fourth display screens is at least partially exposed by the first portion.

15. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the third part of the second portion is foldably coupled to the fourth part of the second portion to allow the third part to fold with respect to the fourth part about a third folding axis.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the second portion further comprises a hinge that foldably couples the third part to the fourth part.

17. The mobile device of claim 14:

wherein each of the first part, the second part, the third part and the fourth part comprises a respective front surface;

wherein the first display screen is on the front surface of the first part, the second display screen is on the front surface of the second part, the third display screen is on the front surface of the third part, and the fourth display screen is on the front surface of the fourth part;

wherein the first part is configured to fold with respect to the second part about the first folding axis such that the front surface of the first part moves towards the front surface of the second part;

wherein in the second position, the second part is configured to fold with respect to the fourth part about a second folding axis; and

wherein the third part is configured to fold with respect to the fourth part about the third folding axis such that the front surface of the third part moves towards the front surface of the fourth part.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the second part is configured to fold with respect to the fourth part about the second folding axis in the second position such that the front surface of the second part moves away from the front surface of the fourth part, and such that the respective front surfaces of the first, second, third, and fourth parts form a “

W”

-like shape, with the respective front surfaces of the first, second, third and fourth parts on the interior of the “

W”

-like shape.

19. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the third display screen provides a display area that is larger than a display area of each of the first display screen and the second display screen.

20. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first, second and third display screens comprises a touch screen.

21. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first, second and third display screens comprises a touch screen;

and wherein at least one of the first, second and third display screens is configured to accept touch screen input when the first portion is in one of the first and second positions, but to not accept touch screen input when the first portion is in one other of the first and second positions.

22. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein each of the first portion and the second portion comprises a respective front surface;

and wherein the front surface of the first portion and the front surface of the second portion are substantially equal in area.