Electronic device with display viewable from two opposite ends

• US 5,896,575 A
• Filed: 02/28/1997
• Issued: 04/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lagen, Nickolaos Pete, Becker, David Richard, Higginbotham, Sandra Gonzalez
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US08/808,332
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 455/344, 455/566, 455/556, 455/557, 455/550, 455/553, 455/572, 455/574, 455/575, 455/347, 455/351, 455/158.4, 364/707, 364/708, 345/126, 345/431, 345/437, 345/121, 345/49, 345/52, 345/56
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133342 for double-sided displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• 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 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1612 Flat panel monitor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• 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 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

An electronic device (100) includes a processor (808) for processing a message (110), and a display (114) electrically coupled to the processor for displaying an image including the message. The display is constructed and arranged such that the image is viewable from first and second sides (116, 118) of the display, the first and second sides facing opposite one another.

Claims

1. A wireless messaging device, comprising:

a receiver for receiving a message;

a processor coupled to the receiver for processing the message; and

a display electrically coupled to the processor for displaying an image including the message,

wherein the display is constructed and arranged such that the image is viewable from first and second sides of the display, the first and second sides facing opposite one another, and such that the display is transparent except for an active portion which forms the image, allowing a single image to be seen from either side of the display, and

wherein the display is further constructed and arranged such that it can be positioned in a first position in which the first side is visible to a user and in a second position in which the second side is visible to the user, and

wherein the wireless messaging device further comprises a display position detector coupled to the display and coupled to the processor for cooperating with the processor to flip the image in order to maintain a correct orientation of the image, in response to the display being moved from the first position to the second position.

2. The wireless messaging device of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a touchscreen on at least one of the first and second sides, the touchscreen coupled to the processor for providing user control of the wireless messaging device.

3. The wireless messaging device of claim 1, wherein the processor and the display are arranged such that after an image is displayed on the display, power is removed from the display without erasing the image.

4. The wireless messaging device of claim 1, wherein the processor and the display are arranged such that custom text colors and logos are programmed within the processor and displayed on the display.

5. The wireless messaging device of claim 1, wherein the display is an electrochromic display.

6. The wireless messaging device of claim 1, wherein the display is an electrochromatic display.

7. The wireless messaging device of claim 1, further comprising a keypad for local message entry by a user, wherein the processor and the display position detector further cooperate to place the wireless messaging device into a local message entry mode in response to the display being moved to the second position.

8. An electronic device, comprising:

a processor for processing a message; and

a display electrically coupled to the processor for displaying an image including the message,

wherein the display is constructed and arranged such that the image is viewable from first and second sides of the display, the first and second sides facing opposite one another, and such that the display is transparent except for an active portion which forms the image, allowing a single image to be seen from either side of the display, and

wherein the display is further constructed and arranged such that it can be positioned in a first position in which the first side is visible to a user and in a second position in which the second side is visible to the user, and

wherein the electronic device further comprises a display position detector coupled to the display and coupled to the processor for cooperating with the processor to flip the image in order to maintain a correct orientation of the image, in response to the display being moved from the first position to the second position.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the display comprises a touchscreen on at least one of the first and second sides, the touchscreen coupled to the processor for providing user control of the electronic device.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the processor and the display are arranged such that after an image is displayed on the display, power is removed from the display without erasing the image.

11. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the processor and the display are arranged such that custom text colors and logos are programmed within the processor and displayed on the display.

12. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the display is an electrochromic display.

13. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the display is an electrochromatic display.

14. The electronic device of claim 8, further comprising a keypad for local message entry by a user, wherein the processor and the display position detector further cooperate to place the electronic device into a local message entry mode in response to the display being moved to the second position.