Multiple mode wireless telephone

• US 6,332,084 B1
• Filed: 10/09/1999
• Issued: 12/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Shaanan, Gad, Brousseau, Ivan, Duval, Francois
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Application Number:
  US09/415,610
• Time in Patent Office: 801 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556, 455/66, 455/74, 455/344, 455/347, 455/90, 455/566, 348/14.01, 348/14.03, 348/14.07, 348/552, 379/428.01
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• 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 1/0237 Sliding mechanism with one degree of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0281 for providing single handed use or left/right hand conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A wireless telephone (100) has a video monitor (106) which is thin enough for a touch-screen (112) to slide partially beneath it, with enough room for a touch-screen-cover (110) to slide between them. The touch-screen-cover, when not slid between the touch-screen and the monitor, covers the part of the touch-screen which the monitor does not cover. When the touch-screen-cover is slid between the touch-screen and the monitor, it exposes the parts of the touch-screen which are not covered by the monitor, and it allows the touch-screen to be slid completely out from underneath the monitor, thereby exposing all of the touch-screen. Thus, the touch-screen may be completely covered, partially covered, or completely uncovered. Each covering configuration is suited for a different set of wireless telephone capabilities.

Claims

1. A wireless telephone (100) which:

a) includes;

i) a transceiver (118);

ii) a microphone (116), a monitor (106), and a speaker (104), all connected to the transceiver (118); and

iii) a navigation key (108) which;

(1) is connected to the transceiver (118); and

(2) lies substantially coplanar with a face of the monitor (106); and

b) is characterized in that;

i) the wireless telephone (100) further includes;

(1) a touch-screen (112) which is connected to the transceiver (118);

(2) a touch-screen-cover (110) which;

(a) lies between, and substantially parallel to, a face of the monitor (106) and a face of the touch screen; and

(b) is constructed to slide between;

 

(i) a closed position, in which it covers the face of the touch-screen; and

 

(ii) an open position, in which it exposes the face of the touch-screen (112) and lies substantially behind the face of the monitor (106); and

(3) a touch-screen-cover (110) position detector (126) connected to the transceiver (118); and

ii) the wireless telephone (100) is constructed such that the transceiver (118) enters different modes of operation of the microphone (116), monitor (106), speaker (104), and touch-screen (112) in response to signals from;

(1) the touch-screen;

(2) the touch-screen-cover (110) position detector (126); and

(3) the navigation key (108).

2. The wireless telephone (100) of claim 1, further characterized in that:

a) the touch-screen;

i) has a face which lies behind, and substantially parallel to, a face of the monitor (106); and

ii) is constructed to slide between;

(1) a closed position, in which its face is partially covered by the monitor (106); and

(2) an open position, in which its face is uncovered by the monitor (106);

b) the telephone (100) further includes a touch-screen (112) position detector connected to the transceiver (118); and

c) the wireless telephone (100) is constructed such that the transceiver (118) enters different modes of operation of the microphone (116), monitor (106), speaker (104), and touch-screen (112) in response to signals from the touch-screen (112) position detector as well as of the touch-screen, the touch-screen-cover (110) position detector (126), and the navigation key (108).

3. The wireless telephone (100) of claim 1, further characterized in that:

a) the wireless telephone (100) further includes a camera (102) attached to the transceiver (118); and

b) the wireless telephone (100) is constructed such that the transceiver (118) enters different modes of operation of the camera (102) as well as of the microphone (116), monitor (106), speaker (104), and touch-screen in response to signals from the touch-screen (112) position detector.

4. The wireless telephone (100) of claim 1, further characterized in that, when the touch-screen (112) position detector sends an open-position signal to the transceiver (118), the wireless telephone (100) enters Internet mode.

5. The wireless telephone (100) of claim 1, further characterized in that it is constructed such that, when the touch-screen (112) position detector sends an open-position signal to the transceiver (118), the wireless telephone (100) enters keyboard mode.

6. The wireless telephone (100) of claim 1, further characterized in that it is constructed such that, when the touch-screen (112) position detector sends an open-position signal to the transceiver (118), the wireless telephone (100) enters Personal Digital Assistant mode.

7. The wireless telephone (100) of claim 1, further characterized in that it is constructed such that, when the touch-screen (112) position detector sends an open-position signal to the transceiver (118), the touch-screen (112) enters either a left-side-becomes-top mode or a right-side-becomes-top mode, as configured by a user of the wireless telephone (100).

8. The wireless telephone (100) of claim 1, further characterized in that the wireless telephone (100) is constructed such that, if it is off, it turns on in response to receiving an open-position signal from the touch-screen-cover (110) position detector (126).

9. The wireless telephone (100) of claim 1, further characterized in that it is constructed such that, if it is engaged in a call, it hangs up in response to receiving a closed-position signal from the touch-screen-cover (110) position detector (126).

10. The wireless telephone (100) of claim 1, further characterized in that the touch-screen-cover (110) position detector (126) includes:

a) a first set of contacts when the touch-screen-cover (110) is in the closed position; and

b) a second set of contacts when the touch-screen-cover (110) is in the open position.

11. The wireless telephone (100) of claim 1, further characterized in that the touch-screen (112) position detector includes:

a) a first set of contacts (128) when the touch-screen (112) is in the closed position; and

b) a second set of contacts (130) when the touch-screen (112) is in the open position.

12. A method for using a wireless telephone (100), wherein the wireless telephone (100) includes:

a) a transceiver (118);

b) a microphone (116), a monitor (106), and a speaker (104), all connected to the transceiver (118); and

c) a navigation key (108) which;

i) is connected to the transceiver (118); and

ii) lies substantially coplanar with a face of the monitor (106);

and wherein the method is characterized in that the method includes;

d) sliding a touch-screen-cover (110), which lies between and substantially parallel to a face of the monitor (106) and a face of a touch screen, between

i) a closed position, in which it covers the face of the touch-screen; and

ii) an open position, in which it exposes the face of the touch-screen (112) and lies substantially behind the face of the monitor (106);

e) detecting;

i) a touch-screen-cover (110) position;

ii) touches on a touch-screen; and

iii) depressions of the navigation key (108); and

f) entering different modes of operation of the microphone (116), monitor (106), speaker (104), and touch-screen (112) in response to such detection.

13. The method of claim 12, further characterized in that:

a) the touch-screen (112) has a face which lies behind, and substantially parallel to, a face of the monitor (106); and

b) the method further includes;

i) sliding the touch-screen (112) between;

(1) a closed position, in which its face is partially covered by the monitor (106); and

(2) an open position, in which its face is uncovered by the monitor (106);

ii) detecting a touch-screen (112) position; and

iii) entering different modes of operation of the microphone (116), monitor (106), speaker (104), and touch-screen (112) in response to such touch-screen (112) position detection as well as of the touch-screen-cover (110) position detection, the touch-screen (112) touching, and the navigation key (108) depression.

14. The method of claim 12, further characterized in that:

a) the wireless telephone (100) further includes a camera (102) attached to the transceiver (118); and

b) the method further includes entering different modes of operation of the camera (102) as well as of the microphone (116), monitor (106), speaker (104), and touch-screen in response to such detection.

15. The method of claim 12, further characterized in that, when the touch-screen (112) position is detected as open, the wireless telephone (100) enters Internet mode.

16. The method of claim 12, further characterized in that, when the touch-screen (112) position is detected as open, the wireless telephone (100) enters keyboard mode.

17. The method of claim 12, further characterized in that, when the touch-screen (112) position is detected as open, the wireless telephone (100) enters Personal Digital Assistant mode.

18. The method of claim 12, further characterized in that, when the touch-screen (112) position detector sends an open-position signal to the transceiver (118), the touch-screen (112) enters either a left-side-becomes-top mode or a right-side-becomes-top mode, as configured by a user of the wireless telephone (100).

19. The method of claim 12, further characterized in that, if the wireless telephone (100) is off, it turns on in response to detecting that the touch-screen-cover (110) is open.

20. The method of claim 12, further characterized in that, if the wireless telephone (100) is engaged in a call, it hangs up in response to detecting that the touch-screen-cover (110) is closed.

21. The method of claim 12, further characterized in that the touch-screen-cover (110) position detection includes:

a) contacting a first set of contacts when the touch-screen-cover (110) is in the closed position; and

b) contacting a second set of contacts when the touch-screen-cover (110) is in the open position.

22. The method of claim 12, further characterized in that the touch-screen (112) position detection includes:

a) contacting a first set of contacts (128) when the touch-screen (112) is in the closed position; and

b) contacting a second set of contacts (130) when the touch-screen (112) is in the open position.