Electronic device with a variable keyboard

• US 6,469,910 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2001
• Issued: 10/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Uniloc 2017 LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Lefort, Loic
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi, Jayprakash N.
• Application Number:
  US10/012,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20020041490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 320 Days
• Field of Search: 361/752, 361/814, 361/679-680, 455/90, 379/433, D14/137, D14/138
• US Class Current: 361/814
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• 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 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1666 Arrangements for reducing the size of the integrated keyboard for transport, e.g. foldable keyboards, keyboards with collapsible keys G06F1/1664 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1671 Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop G06F1/1666 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1679 for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA G06F1/1681 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1683 for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/18 including more than one keyboard unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

An electronic device includes a display and a keyboard having a fixed part and a movable part. The movable part moves between an open position and a closed position. The size of the electronic device remains unchanged when the movable part is in the open and closed positions. The movable part covers a portion of the display in the open position, and has back keys which cover the display portion and are inaccessible by the user. In the closed position, the entire display is exposed, and front keys of the movable part are inaccessible and cover keys of the fixed part.

Claims

1. An electronic device having a size with a main side having a keyboard with keys on a fixed part and on a movable part of the keyboard, and a display, wherein said movable part of the keyboard attached to said device comprises positioning means so that said movable part is movable between a first operational position and a second operational position for which said device retains said size.

2. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a number of accessible ones of said keys in said first operational position is greater than a number of accessible ones of said keys in said second operational position.

3. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said movable part has a front surface and a back surface, said keys being includes on said front surface and said back surface.

4. An electronic device having a size with a main side having a keyboard with keys and a display, wherein a first part of the keyboard is fixed, and wherein a second part attached to said device comprises positioning means so that said second part is movable between a first position and a second position for which said device retains said size, wherein in said second position said movable part of the keyboard masks part of said display.

5. An electronic device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said movable part of the keyboard comprises pivoting means for pivoting between said first position and said second position around a hinge located on said main side, between an edge of the display and an edge of the first fixed part of the keyboard, and wherein said movable part of the keyboard comprises a key configuration on each of its main sides, and connection means for connecting to electronic elements located inside the housing of the device.

6. An electronic device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said connection means are formed by a cable of conducting wires which cross the main side of the device through a recess made at said hinge.

7. An electronic device as claimed in claim 5, further comprising stop means to stop said movable part of the keyboard in said first position or said second position.

8. An electronic device as claimed in claims 7, wherein said stop means comprise at least one of a magnet and a magnetic piece fixed to said movable part and at least one of two magnetic pieces and two magnets fixed to said main side.

9. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the device is a mobile telephone.

10. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the device is a mobile telephone when said keyboard is extended, in said second position, and an organizer when said keyboard is reduced, in said first position.

11. A device as claimed in claim 10, further comprising means for setting up an electrical contact when the movable part is stopped in the first position or the second position.

12. An electronic device comprising:

a display; and

a keyboard having a fixed part and a movable part;

wherein said movable part moves between a first position and a second position so that said movable part does not completely covering said display in one of said first position and said second position;

a width of said electronic device remaining unchanged when said movable part is in said first position and said second position;

said width being shorter than a length of said electronic device.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein said movable part has a first face with a first set of keys and a second face with a second set of keys, said second set of keys covering keys of said fixed part in said second position, and said first set of keys covering a portion of said display in said first position.

14. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein said movable part has a first face with a first set of keys and a second face with a second set of keys, said first set of keys covering a portion of said display and exposing keys of said fixed part in said first position.

15. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein said movable part has a first face with a first set of keys and a second face with a second set of keys, said second set of keys covering keys of said fixed part in said second position without covering a portion of said display in said second position.

16. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein a first face of said movable part includes a first set of keys which are accessible by a user in said first position and not accessible in said second position, and wherein a second face of said movable part includes a second set of keys which are accessible in said second position and not accessible in said first position.

17. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein a first set of keys of said fixed part and said movable part are accessible by a user in said first position and not accessible in said second position, and wherein a second set of keys of said movable part is accessible in said second position and not accessible in said first position.

18. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein said movable part is connected to said fixed part by a hinge.

19. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein said movable part and said fixed part are connected by a cable.

20. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein said movable part is connected to said fixed part by hinges and wherein said movable part and said fixed part are connected by a cable passing though a slot located between said hinges.

21. The electronic device of claim 12, further comprising holding means for holding said movable part in said first position and said second position.

22. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein said holding means includes a magnet on said movable part and magnetic pieces on said fixed part and a frame of said display.

23. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein said electronic device includes at least one of a mobile telephone, a calculator and an organizer.

24. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein said electronic device is a mobile telephone when said movable part is in said first position and an organizer when said movable part is in said second position.

25. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein said movable part partially covers said display in said first position.

26. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein said display is fully exposed when said movable part is in said second position, said display being a touch display which provides data access by touching said display.

27. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein said electronic device includes at least two functions which are automatically switched in response to detection of a location of said movable part.

28. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein said electronic device includes at least two functions which are switched by a key of said keyboard.

29. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein said movable part has a contour that prevents keys of said movable part from touching keys of said fixed part in said second position.

30. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein said movable part has a contour that prevents keys of said movable part from touching said display in said first position.

31. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein a viewable part of said display changes when said movable part is in said first position and said second position.

32. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein a length of said electronic device remains unchanged when said movable part is in said first position and said second position.

33. An electronic device comprising:

a display; and

a keyboard having a fixed part and a movable part;

wherein said movable part partially covers said display in a first position and exposes said display in a second position;

a width of said electronic device remaining unchanged when said movable part is in said first position and said second position;

said width being shorter than a length of said electronic device.