Electronic device and a control means

• US 6,526,296 B1
• Filed: 05/28/1999
• Issued: 02/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Nieminen, Timo T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thanh Cong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Pablo N
• Application Number:
  US09/322,789
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 455/89, 455/90, 455/575, 455/550, 455/33.1, 455/403, 455/556, 455/557, 455/553, 455/566, 455/572, 455/128, 455/552, 379/433, 379/434, 379/428, 379/438, 379/440, 379/447
• US Class Current: 455/575.3
• 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 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display 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

The invention relates to an electronic device, which device (1) comprises a first housing part (2, 3) provided with a first inner surface (2a, 3a) and a first outer surface (2b, 3b), a second housing part (2, 3) provided with a second inner surface (2a, 3a) and a second outer surface (2b, 3b), hinge means (4) for moving the housing parts (2, 3) to a closed position (S) and to an opened position (A), a first user interface (5a, 5b), which is at least partly located on the inner surface (2a, 3a) of one or more housing parts (2, 3), and a second user interface (6a, 6b), which is at least partly located on the outer surface (2b, 3b) of one or more housing parts (2, 3). The device (1) comprises at least one control means (7a, 7b, 7c) to be used in connection with the second user interface (6a, 6b), and arranged to be used also in connection with the first user interface (5a, 5b), and a control function of said control means (7a, 7b, 7c) is arranged to be determined on the basis of the user interface (5a, 5b, 6a, 6b) set active at a time.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a first housing part provided with a first inner surface and a first outer surface,

a second housing part provided with a second inner surface and a second outer surface,

hinge means for moving the housing parts to a closed position and to an opened position,

a first user interface for activating functions, the first user interface at least partly located on the inner surface of one or more housing parts, and

a second user interface for activating functions, the second user interface at least partly located on the outer surface of one or more housing parts,

wherein;

the device comprises at least one control means to be used in connection with the second user interface, and arranged to be used also in connection with the first user interface, and

wherein a control function of said control means is arranged to be determined on the basis of the user interface set active at a time.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein:

the first user interface and a first control function of the control means is arranged to be activated in the opened position of the device, and

wherein the second user interface and a second control function of the control means are arranged to be activated in the closed position of the device.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the control means located on the outer surface of a housing part is at least partly designed button-like, spherical, cylindrical, discoidal, or stick-like.

4. An electronic device according to claim 3 wherein the control means comprises means for generating a control signal and transmitting the control signal to the electronic device, to control the device by means of the control means.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control means comprises means for generating a control signal and transmitting the same to the electronic device, to control said device by means of the control means.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1 wherein the electronic device is a wireless communication device.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said control means belongs to a control device which comprises a rotatable control means and at least one pressable control means to be used in connection with said rotatable control means.

8. An electronic device according to claim 1 wherein the at least one control means is located on the outer surface.

9. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first user interface comprises a first display section and the second user interface comprises a second display section, the second display section being separate from the first display section.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the first display section is located on the inner surface of a housing part and the second display section is located on the outer surface of a housing part.

11. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the first user interface comprises a first keypad section and the second user interface comprises a second, separate keypad section.

12. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first user interface is a personal digital assistant user interface and the second user interface is a mobile telephone interface.

13. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first user interface is located on a surface of the housing part different from a surface of the housing part on which the second user interface is located.

14. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first user interface is active in a first position of the phone and wherein the second user interface is active in a second position of the phone, during which the first user interface is not active.

15. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first user interface is adapted to be used separately from the second user interface.

16. A control means for an electronic device, the electronic device comprising:

a first housing part provided with a first inner surface and a first outer surface,

a second housing part provided with a second inner surface and a second outer surface,

hinge means for moving the housing parts to a closed position and to an opened position,

a first user interface for activating functions, the first user interface at least partly located on the inner surface of one or more housing parts, and

a second user interface for activating functions, the second user interface at least partly located on the outer surface of one or more housing parts,

wherein;

the control means arranged to be used in connection with the second user interface, is also arranged to be used in connection with the first user interface, and

wherein a control function of said control means is arranged to be determined on the basis of the user interface set active at a time.

17. The control means according to claim 16, wherein:

the first user interface and a first control function of the control means is arranged to be activated in the opened position of the device, and

wherein the second user interface and a second control function of the control means are arranged to be activated in the closed position of the device.

18. The control means according to claim 16, wherein the control means is at least partly designed button-like, spherical, cylindrical, discoidal or stick-like.

19. The control means according to claim 16, wherein the control means comprises means for generating a control signal and transmitting the same to the electronic device to control the device by means of the control means.

20. The control means according to claim 16, wherein the electronic device is a wireless communication device.

21. The control means according to claim 16, wherein said control means belongs to a control device which comprises a rotatable control means and at least one pressable control means to be used in connection with said rotatable control means.

22. A control means according to claim 21 wherein the rotatable control means and the pressable control means are from a moose device.

23. A control means according to claim 16 wherein the control means further comprises a pressable control means.

24. A control means according to claim 23 wherein the pressable control means comprises a button.

25. A control device for an electronic device, the electronic device comprising:

a first housing part provided with a first inner surface and a first outer surface,

a second housing part provided with a second inner surface and a second outer surface,

hinge means for moving the housing parts to a closed position and to an opened position,

a first user interface at least partly located on the inner surface of one or more housing parts,

a second user interface at least partly located on the outer surface of one or more housing parts,

wherein;

the control device comprises a first control means located on the first user interface, and a second control means located on the second user interface, and

the second control means is arranged to be used in connection with the second user interface and also arranged to be used in connection with the first user interface, and a control function of said second control means is arranged to be determined on the basis of the user interface set active at a time.

26. The control device according to claim 25, wherein the first control means is arranged to be used in connection with the second control means.

27. The control device according to claim 25, wherein the first control means comprises a rotatable control means and the second control means comprises preferably two pressable control means to be used in connection with the rotatable control means.

28. The control device according to claim 27, wherein the rotatable control means and the pressable control means define a mouse device.