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Telephone-terminal combination with plural keyboards

  • US 5,577,118 A
  • Filed: 12/18/1995
  • Issued: 11/19/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1994
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A microprocessor-based telephone apparatus comprising:

  • a housing, a display screen mounted in said housing, a lower key panel carried in a fixed position within a top portion of said housing separated from said display screen, and an upper key panel overlying said lower key panel while in a first position thereof and being hingedly mounted to said housing in a manner so as to swing away from said first position to a second position thereof and thereby to provide access to said lower key panel without obscuring said display screen;

    said lower key panel carrying an alphanumeric keyboard on a top surface thereof to enable a user to perform alphanumeric data entry after swinging away said upper key panel to said second position thereof; and

    said upper key panel carrying a telephone keypad to enable a user to dial telephone numbers when said upper key panel is in said first position overlying said lower key panel,whereby only said telephone keypad carried on said upper key panel is accessible for operation by a user when said upper key panel is in said first position thereof and only said alphanumeric keyboard is accessible for operation by a user when said upper key panel is in said second position thereof.

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