Personal digital assistant having a foldable keyboard component
First Claim
1. A foldable keyboard which comprises:
- a) a first substantially planar keyboard half having a plurality of depressable keys arranged on a surface;
b) a second substantially planar keyboard half having a plurality of depressable keys arranged on a surface;
c) the first and second keyboard halves having complementary curved outer peripheral edges, the halves being attached to one another by an intermediate hinge such that when in the open position, the first keyboard half is substantially coplanar with the second keyboard half, and the peripheral edges of the first and second keyboard halves form a substantially continuous curvilinear path; and
when in the closed position, the first keyboard half is folded over, substantially congruent in shape with, and in a plane parallel to the plane of the second keyboard half, andd) means for electrically connecting the first and second keyboard halves to a hand held computer.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A computing assembly which comprises a hand held computer or PDA that contains a housing, a processor in said housing and an input/output arrangement in said housing coupled to said processor for inputting data to, and outputting data from the processor and a foldable keyboard electrically connected to the PDA. The foldable keyboard has first and second planar keyboard halves having a plurality of depressable keys arranged on a surface. The keyboard halves have complementary curved outer peripheral edges and are attached to one another by an intermediate hinge. When in the open position, the first keyboard half is substantially coplanar with the second keyboard half, and the peripheral edges of the first and second keyboard halves form a substantially continuous curvilinear path. When in the closed position, the first keyboard half is folded over, substantially congruent in shape with, and in a plane parallel to the plane of the second keyboard half. Means are provided for electrically connecting the first and second keyboard halves to the hand held computer.
165 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A foldable keyboard which comprises:
-
a) a first substantially planar keyboard half having a plurality of depressable keys arranged on a surface; b) a second substantially planar keyboard half having a plurality of depressable keys arranged on a surface; c) the first and second keyboard halves having complementary curved outer peripheral edges, the halves being attached to one another by an intermediate hinge such that when in the open position, the first keyboard half is substantially coplanar with the second keyboard half, and the peripheral edges of the first and second keyboard halves form a substantially continuous curvilinear path; and
when in the closed position, the first keyboard half is folded over, substantially congruent in shape with, and in a plane parallel to the plane of the second keyboard half, andd) means for electrically connecting the first and second keyboard halves to a hand held computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A computing assembly which comprises a hand held computer that contains a housing, a processor in said housing and an input/output arrangement in said housing coupled to said processor for inputting data to, and outputting data from, said processor;
- a foldable keyboard electrically connected to said hand held computer, which foldable keyboard comprises;
a) a first substantially planar keyboard half having a plurality of depressable keys arranged on a surface; b) a second substantially planar keyboard half having a plurality of depressable keys arranged on a surface; c) the first and second keyboard halves having complementary curved outer peripheral edges, the halves being attached to one another by an intermediate hinge such that when in the open position, the first keyboard half is substantially coplanar with the second keyboard half, and the peripheral edges of the first and second keyboard halves form a substantially continuous curvilinear path; and
when in the closed position, the first keyboard half is folded over, substantially congruent in shape with, and in a plane parallel to the plane of the second keyboard half; andd) means for electrically connecting the first and second keyboard halves to the hand held computer. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
- a foldable keyboard electrically connected to said hand held computer, which foldable keyboard comprises;
-
14. A computing assembly which comprises a hand held computer which comprises a substantially flat housing having front and rear surfaces, a top edge, a bottom edge and left and right side edges;
- a microprocessor in said housing and an input/output arrangement in said housing coupled to said microprocessor for inputting data to, and outputting data from said microprocessor;
the front surface comprising a touch sensitive screen;
a lid for covering said touch sensitive screen, said lid being attached to an edge of said housing by a pair of intermediate hinges wherein said hinges are contiguous to one another, one hinge is attached to the lid and the other hinge is attached to the housing edge such that the lid is capable of alternatively covering the touch sensitive screen or being folded behind the rear surface, and further comprising a foldable keyboard attached to the hand held computers, which keyboard comprises;a) a first substantially planar keyboard half having a plurality of depressable keys arranged on a surface; b) a second substantially planar keyboard half having a plurality of depressable keys arranged on a surface; c) the first and second keyboard halves having complementary curved outer peripheral edges, the halves being attached to one another by an intermediate hinge such that when in the open position, the first keyboard half is substantially coplanar with the second keyboard half, and the peripheral edges of the first and second keyboard halves form a substantially continuous curvilinear path; and
when in the closed position, the first keyboard half is folded over, substantially congruent in shape with, and in a plane parallel to the plane of the second keyboard half; andd) means for electrically connecting the first and second keyboard halves to the hand and held computer. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
- a microprocessor in said housing and an input/output arrangement in said housing coupled to said microprocessor for inputting data to, and outputting data from said microprocessor;
Specification