Mobile communication devices

• US 6,311,076 B1
• Filed: 02/13/1998
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Isotalo, Mika, Peuhu, Arto
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THANH C
• Application Number:
  US09/023,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20010034249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550, 455/566, 455/575, 455/90, 379/428, 379/430, 379/433, 379/434, 345/155, 345/156, 345/157
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/301 flexible foldable or roll-able electronic displays, e.g. thin LCD, OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0268 including a flexible display panel

Abstract

A mobile communication device has a housing 1 containing battery and electronic component compartments 7. Located along a central axis of the housing 1 is a spring mounted roller 4 to which is attached a flexible liquid crystal display 9. The housing 1 contains a compartment between the roller 4 and the outer wall of the housing 1 for storing the display 9 in a retracted position. An elongate slot 12 extends axially along the housing 1 such that the display 9 can be pulled through the slot 12 by a user to a withdrawn position in which the display 9 is visible to the user.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device comprising an electronic display that is itself bendable and a housing for said display, wherein said bendable display is movable between a retracted position within the housing, said display being bent during movement into said retracted position to fit within said housing, and an in-use position where said flexible display is visible to a user.

2. A device according to claim 1, said bendable electronic display comprising a bendable liquid crystal display.

3. A device according to claim 1 further comprising a spring mounting coupling said bendable display to the housing, wherein said bendable display can be withdrawn from the housing against the action of said housing under the action of said mounting.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein said mounting comprises locking means for locking said bendable display in the in-use position and associated release means.

5. A device according to claim 3, said mounting comprising switch means for electrically activating said bendable display when it is withdrawn from said housing.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein said bendable display is divided, in the direction of withdrawal, into a number of segments each of which is independently powered.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein said mounting for said bendable display is arranged so that said bendable display can be withdrawn segment by segment so that only those segments which the user requires to see are visible and powered.

8. A device according to claim 1, wherein said bendable display has one or more touch-sensitive electronic elements which are accessible to the user when said bendable display is withdrawn.

9. A device according to claim 8, wherein said bendable display comprises row driver lines extending along edge regions of said bendable display in the direction of withdrawal of said display, these edge regions comprising non-active display areas, touch-sensitive elements being provided at these edge regions together with associated permanent icons.

10. A device according to claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a first compartment for containing said retracted bendable display and a second compartment within said first compartment for containing electrical components, wherein said components are substantially surrounded by said retracted bendable display.

11. A device according to claim 10, wherein said housing is substantially cylindrical and said first compartment is a substantially annular space defined by the inner surface of said housing and said electrical components.

12. A device according to claim 1, wherein said housing has a transparent window provided therein through which an active portion of said bendable display may be viewed.

13. A device according to claim 1, said device being a mobile telephone, and comprising switch means arranged to be activated when said bendable display is withdrawn from said housing to act as on ‘

off-hook’

switch for said telephone.

14. A device according to claim 1, wherein said housing is cylindrical in shape and said bendable display is rolled into said cylindrical shape to fit within said housing.

15. A device according to claim 1, wherein said housing is u-shaped and said bendable display is folded into said u-shape to fit within said housing.

16. A mobile telephone comprising an electronic display that is bendable and a housing for containing said display, said bendable display being moveable between a retracted position, said display being bent during movement into said retracted position to fit within said housing, to an in use position where said bendable display is visible to a user, the telephone further comprising switch means actuatable by movement of said bendable display from the retracted position to the in-use position upon receipt of a telephone call to take the telephone off-hook.