Two-part electronic device

• US 6,384,813 B1
• Filed: 06/23/1999
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Närvä, Juha
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US09/338,652
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 345/175, 345/156, 345/157, 345/169, 345/173, 345/901, 379/58, 379/110, 361/681, 361/679
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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

Abstract

An electronic device (10) comprising a first part (110) comprising at least a first key (111) for effecting at least one key function of the electronic device; a second part (120) comprising a second key (121) for effecting at least one key function of the electronic device; and a hinge (130) for fixing the first part (110) and the second part (120) turnably to each other, and in relation to which hinge said first and second part can be closed against each other and opened. The first key (111) and the second key (121) have been arranged to be simultaneously activated in order to indicate the closing against each other of the first part and the second part. The status indication is thus generated by reorganizing existing resources and no new components need to be added.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a first part comprising a first key for effecting at least one key function of the device;

a second part comprising a second key for effecting at least one key function of the device;

a hinge for fixing the first part and the second part turnably to each other, and in relation to which the first part and second part can be turned into a first position and into a second position;

wherein

the first key and second key are arranged to automatically activate simultaneously when the device is turned into the first position for indicating that the device is in the first position.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein

in the first position the first and second part of the device are closed against each other; and

said first key and second key are arranged to activate simultaneously when they are pushed together as a response to the closing of the first part and the second part against each other.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein

the first part of the device comprises a contact surface of the first part and an inner surface of the first part defined by said contact surface of the first part and the hinge;

the second part of the device comprises a contact surface of the second part and an inner surface of the second part defined by said contact surface of the second part and the hinge;

the height of the first key in relation to the inner surface of the first part added to height of the second key in relation to the inner surface of the second part is bigger than the height of the contact surface of the first part in relation to the inner surface of the first part added to the height of the contact surface of the second part in relation to the inner surface of the second part,

the first key and the second key have been matched together in the opposite parts in such a way that the keys are pushed against each other and activated simultaneously when the first and the second part are turning to the first position.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second keys comprises a part of a touch-sensitive display.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein part of the keypad mat of at least one of the first key and the second key, comprises designed metal foil.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein the device has a first operating mode and a second operating mode, and the device further comprises:

a user interface for generating a first status indication as a response to a key function effected by simultaneously activating the first and second keys, said first key and second key being arranged to activate simultaneously when the first part and the second part are turning into the first position; and

a control unit which switches the electronic device to said first operating mode as a response to receiving the first status indication.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein

said user interface has been arranged to give the control unit a second status indication as a response to the ending of the simultaneous activating of the first and second key, the activation of said first and second key being arranged to end immediately when the first part and the second part are turning into the second position;

and

said control unit has been adapted to switch the electronic device into the second operating mode as a response to receiving said second status indication.

8. A device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second keys has been arranged to be released when the first part and the second part are turning into the second position.

9. An electronic device comprising:

a first part comprising a first key for effecting at least one key function of the device;

a second part comprising a second key for effecting at least one key function of the device;

a hinge for fixing the first part and the second part turnably to each other, and in relation to which the first and second part can be turned into a first position and into a second position;

wherein

the first key and second key are arranged to automatically activate simultaneously when the first part and the second part are being turned into the first position; and

as a response to the first part and the second part being turned into the second position the activation of at least one of the first key and the second key is automatically released and as a response thereto the device has been arranged to indicate that the device is in the second position.