Portable telephone

• US 6,249,672 B1
• Filed: 03/19/1999
• Issued: 06/19/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ESBH, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mobile Communications, Inc.
• Inventors: Castiel, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, CONGVAN
• Application Number:
  US09/272,849
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575, 455/90, 455/566, 455/550, 455/425, 455/412, 455/413, 379/428, 379/431, 379/433, 379/434, D14/137, D14/138
• US Class Current: 455/575.4
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set

Abstract

An elliptically shaped cellular phone is elliptical in both the front access, the bottom access and the side access. This elliptical shape enables the telephone to be more easily carried in pocket for example. The telephone includes two slidable modules which are string biased relative to one another. Opening the telephone enables answering and closing the telephone enables hanging up. Even when the telephone is closed, however, one part of the keyboard is still accessible. That part of the keyboard can be used to carry out various functions on an incoming call. One function is blocking the call from passing to voice mail.

Claims

1. A portable telephone, comprising:

a communication electronics, including a transceiver adapted for wireless communication;

a processor, operating to control at least some aspect of said communication;

a user interface, connected to control an operation of said microprocessor; and

a housing, holding at least a portion of said user interface, said housing having a substantially elliptical outer shape which has an elliptical symmetric shape in three orthogonal planes.

2. A telephone as in claim 1 wherein said housing includes a first housing part and a second housing part, and a slide mechanism which allows said first housing part to move relative to said second housing part.

3. A telephone as in claim 2 wherein said first housing part further includes a display screen thereon, and said second housing part includes at least one keyboard thereon.

4. A telephone as in claim 2 wherein said user interface includes a first keyboard part and a second keyboard part, said first keyboard part located in a position where sliding said first housing part relative to said second housing part can cover said first keyboard part, and said second keyboard part located in a position where it will always be accessible.

5. A telephone as in claim 2 further comprising a spring bias element, and a latch, biasing said first and second housing parts into an open position, said latch holding said first and second housing parts in said closed position when closed and further comprising a latch release which when actuated allows said first and second housing parts to spring into said open position.

6. A telephone as in claim 1 further comprising a biometric recognition element, located on said housing.

7. A telephone as in claim 4 wherein said second keyboard is operative to allow certain functions to be carried out even when said housing is compressed.

8. A telephone as in claim 7 further comprising a switch responsive to an open/closed position of said telephone, and wherein an opening of said telephone during a call ringing causes said call to be answered, and a closing operation during a call ringing causes a hang up.

15. A telephone as in claim 1 further comprising a cellular type antenna, connected to said communication element.

16. A telephone as in claim 1 further comprising a satellite type antenna connected to said communication element.

9. A portable telephone, comprising:

a communication electronics, including a transceiver adapted for wireless communication;

a processor, operating to control at least some aspect of said communication;

a user interface, connected to control an operation of said microprocessor; and

a housing, holding at least a portion of said user interface, said housing having a substantially elliptical outer shape;

wherein said housing includes a first housing part and a second housing part, and a slide mechanism which allows said first housing part to move relative to said second housing part;

wherein said user interface includes a first keyboard part and a second keyboard part, said first keyboard part located in a position where sliding said first housing part relative to said second housing part can cover said first keyboard part, and said second keyboard part located in a position where it will always be accessible;

wherein said second keyboard is operative to allow certain functions to be carried out even when said housing is compressed; and

wherein said processor is operative to display a menu upon call ringing while said phone is in said closed position.

10. A telephone as in claim 9 wherein said menu includes a voice mail blocking option.

11. A telephone as in claim 9 wherein said menu includes at least a silence option, a voice mail block option, and a fax option.

12. A telephone as in claim 9 wherein said housing has said elliptical outer shape in two orthogonal planes.

13. A telephone as in claim 9 wherein said housing has said elliptical outer shape in three orthogonal planes.

14. A portable telephone, comprising:

a communication electronics, including a transceiver adapted for wireless communication;

a processor, operating to control at least some aspect of said communication;

a user interface, connected to control an operation of said microprocessor; and

a housing, holding at least a portion of said user interface, said housing having a substantially elliptical outer shape; and

a display, and wherein said processor is programmed to display options on said display, one of said options including a voice mail blocking option during a time that a call is ringing.

17. A portable telephone, comprising:

a wireless communication element;

a processor;

a hoursing, holding said communication element and said processor said housing having a substantially elliptical outer shape which has an elliptical symmetric shape in three orthogonal planes; and

a user interface, connected to said housing, said housing including first and second moving parts, which in a first position are compressed and in a second position are uncompressed, said user interface including two keyboard parts, including a first keyboard part which is accessible both when said housing is compressed and when said housing is uncompressed, and a second keyboard part which is accessible only when said housing is uncompressed wherein said user interface includes an element which enables controlling whether a call can be answered by voice mail when a call is incoming.