Hand held computer with dual display screen orientation capability controlled by toggle switches having first and second non-momentary positions
First Claim
1. A handheld computer comprising:
- a housing having a side wall and being selectively graspable by a user in a first use orientation in which said side wall faces the user, and a second use orientation in which said side wall faces the user and said housing is rotated through a predetermined angle relative to its first use orientation;
a display screen operatively mounted on said side wall of said housing;
circuit means disposed within said housing for generating selectively variable data on said display screen, said circuit means having a screen rotation portion operable to selectively rotate the orientation of said data relative to said housing, through said predetermined angle, between a first data orientation in which the data is viewable by the user in an upright orientation when said housing is in said first use orientation, and a second data orientation in which the data is viewable by the user in an upright orientation when said housing is in said second use orientation; and
manually operable control means carried externally on said housing and useable to input control signals to said circuit means to control the generation of the data on said display screen, and to display the data in a selectively variable one of said first and second data orientations thereof to thereby visually accommodate the repositioning of said housing from one of said first and second use orientations thereof to the other of said first and second use orientations thereof, said manually operable control means including a plurality of manually depressible switch members carried on said side wall of said housing and having first and second non-momentary positions, said manually depressible switch members being non-momentary to preserve said selectively variable one of said first and second data orientations while said handheld computer is turned off.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A handheld computer has a generally rectangular housing on a front side wall of which a display screen is operatively mounted. A row of toggle switches is also mounted on the front housing side wall, adjacent the display screen, the toggle switches being operatively connected to the computer circuitry within the housing. The toggle switches are manually depressible switch members having first and second non-momentary positions. The housing may be manually grasped in two perpendicular use orientations in each of which the user may reach and operate the toggle switches to control the operation of the computer. One of the toggle switches is operative, via the internal computer circuitry, to selectively rotate, through an angle of 90 degrees, the orientation of data generated on the screen so that in either of the first and second housing use orientations the screen data is in an upright viewing orientation relative to the user of the computer. Because the toggle switches are non-momentary, the orientation of the data generated on the screen is preserved while the handheld computer is turned off.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A handheld computer comprising:
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a housing having a side wall and being selectively graspable by a user in a first use orientation in which said side wall faces the user, and a second use orientation in which said side wall faces the user and said housing is rotated through a predetermined angle relative to its first use orientation; a display screen operatively mounted on said side wall of said housing; circuit means disposed within said housing for generating selectively variable data on said display screen, said circuit means having a screen rotation portion operable to selectively rotate the orientation of said data relative to said housing, through said predetermined angle, between a first data orientation in which the data is viewable by the user in an upright orientation when said housing is in said first use orientation, and a second data orientation in which the data is viewable by the user in an upright orientation when said housing is in said second use orientation; and manually operable control means carried externally on said housing and useable to input control signals to said circuit means to control the generation of the data on said display screen, and to display the data in a selectively variable one of said first and second data orientations thereof to thereby visually accommodate the repositioning of said housing from one of said first and second use orientations thereof to the other of said first and second use orientations thereof, said manually operable control means including a plurality of manually depressible switch members carried on said side wall of said housing and having first and second non-momentary positions, said manually depressible switch members being non-momentary to preserve said selectively variable one of said first and second data orientations while said handheld computer is turned off. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A handheld computer comprising:
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a housing having a side wall with a display screen operatively mounted thereon, said housing being selectively graspable by a user in a first use orientation in which said display screen faces the user, and a second use orientation in which said display screen faces the user with said housing being rotated through a predetermined angle relative to said first use orientation; and control means, including selector means externally disposed on said housing and manually operable by the user while grasping said housing in either of its first and second use orientations, said control means creating a selectively variable image on said display screen, said selector means including a plurality of manually depressible switch members carried on said side wall of said housing and having first and second non-momentary positions selectively rotating the orientation of the image relative to said housing, through said predetermined angle, in a manner disposing the image in an upright viewing orientation when said housing is in either of said first and second use orientations thereof, said manually depressible switch members being non-momentary to preserve said viewing orientation while said handheld computer is turned off.
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6. A method of using a handheld computer having a housing with a front side on which a display screen is operatively disposed, circuit means operable to create an image on the display screen, and control means externally disposed on said housing, said control means including a plurality of manually depressible switch members carried on said side wall of said housing and having first and second non-momentary positions, said control means operatively linked to said circuit means, and manually operable to selectively vary the image, said method comprising the steps of:
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manually grasping said housing in a first use orientation thereof and manually operating said control means to create an image on the display screen; manually operating said control means to rotate the image, about an axis perpendicular to the display screen, through a predetermined angle relative to said housing; and manually grasping said housing in a second use orientation thereof in which, relative to said first use orientation, said housing is rotated about said axis through said predetermined angle, said manually depressible switch members being non-momentary to preserve a selectively variable one of said first and second data orientations while said handheld computer is turned off. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. A handheld computer comprising:
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a housing having a side wall and being selectively graspable by a user in a first use orientation in which said side wall faces the user, and a second use orientation in which said side wall faces the user and said housing is rotated through a predetermined angle relative to its first use orientation; a display screen operatively mounted on said side wall of said housing; first means for generating a selectively variable image on said display screen; and second means including a plurality of manually depressible switch members carried on said side wall of said housing and having first and second non-momentary positions, said second means for selectively rotating the generated image on said display screen through said predetermined angle relative to said housing between first and second viewing orientations to visually accommodate the rotation of said housing between said first and second use orientations, said manually depressible switch members being non-momentary to preserve a selected one of said first and second non-momentary positions while said handheld computer is turned off.
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Specification