Touch sensitive display integrated with a handheld radiotelephone

• US 6,640,113 B1
• Filed: 09/08/2000
• Issued: 10/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pacific Mobile Intelligence, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mobigence Incorporated
• Inventors: Shim, Jae H., Park, Ilwhan
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRINH, TAN H
• Application Number:
  US09/657,951
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556, 455/566, 455/575, 345/903, 345/905, 345/1.1, 345/2.3, 345/173, 345/156
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• 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 integrated system including radiotelephone and a touch sensitive display, electronically communicating with the radiotelephone, that can be stored within a slot provided in radiotelephone housing. The display is removed from the slot for use and communicates with the radiotelephone through a cable or through a wireless connection. The display may be arranged with a selected orientation relative to the radiotelephone so that the display and the radiotelephone are supported in the same plane.

Claims

1. An integrated radiotelephone system comprising:

a radiotelephone, including a radiotelephone housing, a display screen, a keypad, a speaker, a microphone and an antenna, where the housing has a top surface, having at least one of the keypad and the display screen, a bottom surface spaced apart from the top surface, and at least one side surface positioned between the top surface and the bottom surface;

a touch pad or touch sensitive screen, collectively referred to as a “

touch sensitive display,”

for receiving information provided on at least one of the antenna and the touch sensitive display;

a communication mechanism allowing exchange of information between the touch sensitive display and the radiotelephone;

the at least one side surface of the radiotelephone housing having a slot therein for receiving and storing the touch sensitive display within the slot and within the housing and for allowing the touch sensitive display to be removed from the slot.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a lock and release mechanism, located within said slot and connected to said touch sensitive display, that receives and securely stores said touch sensitive display within said slot in and that releases said touch sensitive display and allows said touch sensitive display to be moved out of said slot.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising an alignment mechanism, associated with said touch sensitive display, that allows said touch sensitive display to be oriented in at least one selected angular orientation relative to said radiotelephone.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said alignment mechanism comprises at least one rotatable hinge connecting said touch sensitive display to said radiotelephone.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein said alignment mechanism comprises a first rotatable hinge connected to said radiotelephone, a second rotatable binge connected to said touch sensitive display, and a connecting segment that connects the first hinge and the second hinge.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said communication mechanism comprises a cable connecting said touch sensitive display to said radiotelephone.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said communication mechanism comprises:

an auxiliary antenna, connected to said radiotelephone, for receiving signals from and transmitting signals to said touch sensitive display; and

a touch sensitive display transceiver and touch sensitive display antenna for receiving said information provided on said touch sensitive display, for transmitting said provided information to the auxiliary antenna, and for receiving information from the auxiliary antenna, using electromagnetic signals in a selected frequency range.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said selected frequency range includes at least one frequency in at least one of an infrared signal range and a Bluetooth signal range.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said radiotelephone further comprises a signal processing module with recognition software for at least one of handwriting and character that receives and processes at least one character provided on said touch sensitive display and estimates one or more reference characters that are closest to one or more characters associated with the information entered on said touch sensitive display.

10. A method of communicating with a radiotelephone, the method comprising:

providing a touch pad or touch-sensitive screen, collectively referred to as a “

touch sensitive display,”

for receiving information provided on at least,one of the antenna and the touch sensitive display;

providing a radiotelephone, including a radiotelephone housing, a display screen, a keypad, a speaker, a microphone and an antenna, wherein at least one surface of the housing has a slot therein for receiving and storing the touch sensitive display within the slot and within the housing and for allowing the touch sensitive display to be removed from the slot, where the housing has a top surface, having at least one of the keypad and the display screen, a bottom surface spaced apart from the top surface, and at least one side surface positioned between the top surface and the bottom surface; and

providing a communication mechanism allowing exchange of information between the touch sensitive display and the radiotelephone.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing a lock and release mechanism, located within said slot and connected to said touch sensitive display, that receives and securely stores said touch sensitive display within said slot in and that releases said touch sensitive display and allows said touch sensitive display to be moved out of said slot.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing an alignment mechanism, associated with said touch sensitive display, that allows said touch sensitive display to be oriented in at least one selected angular orientation relative to said radiotelephone.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising choosing said alignment mechanism to comprise at least one rotatable hinge connecting said touch sensitive display to said radiotelephone.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising choosing said alignment mechanism to comprise a first rotatable hinge connected to said radiotelephone, a second rotatable hinge connected to said touch sensitive display, and a connecting segment that connects the first hinge and the second hinge.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising choosing said communication mechanism to comprise a cable connecting said touch sensitive display to said radiotelephone.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising choosing said communication means to comprise:

an auxiliary antenna, connected to said radiotelephone, for receiving signals from and transmitting signals to said touch sensitive display; and

a touch sensitive display transceiver and touch sensitive display antenna for receiving said information provided on said touch sensitive display, for transmitting said provided information to the auxiliary antenna, and for receiving information from the auxiliary antenna, using electromagnetic signals in a selected frequency range.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising choosing said selected frequency range to include at least one frequency in at least one of an infrared signal range and a Bluetooth signal range.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing said radiotelephone with a signal processing module recognition software for at least one of handwriting and character that receives and processes at least one character provided on said touch sensitive display and estimates one or more reference characters that are closest to one or more characters associated with the information entered on said touch sensitive display.