Personal digital assistant/telephone combination device

• US 6,731,753 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2001
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Sung-Sun, Kim, Young S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiang, Jack
• Application Number:
  US09/808,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20010034229A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 379/433.13, 379/433.01, 379/433.07, 379/433.04, 379/368, 379/433.12, 455/475.8, 455/575.3
• US Class Current: 379/433.07
• 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: 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 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

A personal digital assistant (PDA)/telephone combination device comprising a base, a screen coupled to the base, and a keypad hingably mounted to the base. The keypad provides a partial view of the screen in a lowered position and a full view of the screen in a raised position. The keypad comprises a window that provides the partial view of the screen when the keypad is in a lowered position. A cover hingably mounts to the base wherein the keypad is located between the cover and the base. The cover rotates between an open position and a closed position. The screen displays telephone information when the keypad is in a lowered position. Control buttons coupled to the base are covered when the cover is in the closed position and uncovered when the cover is in an open position. In an additional embodiment, control buttons coupled to the base are uncovered when the cover is in both the closed position and the open position.

Claims

1. A personal digital assistant (PDA)/telephone combination device comprising:

a base;

a screen coupled to the base; and

a bi-directional keypad hingably mounted between a cover and the base, wherein the bi-directional keypad comprises a first keypad having a first plurality of keys on a first surface facing the base and a second keypad having a second plurality of keys on a second surface facing the cover, and the bi-directional keypad provides a partial view of the screen when in a lowered position adjacent to the base with the cover opened away from the base, and a full view is provided of the screen when the bi-directional keypad is in a raised position.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the partial view of the screen is provided through an opening in a housing in which the bi-directional keypad is mounted.

3. The device of claim 2, further comprising a transparent window which covers the opening in the bi-directional keypad housing.

4. The device of claim 2, further comprising an opening in the cover that corresponds to the opening in the bi-directional keypad housing.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the screen displays telephone information when the bi-directional keypad is in the lowered position and the screen displays PDA information when the bi-directional keypad is in the raised position.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising control buttons coupled to the base such that the control buttons are covered when the cover is closed and uncovered when the cover is opened.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising control buttons coupled to the base such that the control buttons are uncovered when the cover is closed or opened.

8. A PDA/telephone combination device comprising:

a main housing;

a speaker housing capable of being raised from and lowered to the main housing;

hinge means by which the main housing is connected to the speaker housing; and

a key pad housing connected to the hinge means, disposed between the main housing and the speaker housing and capable of being raised from and lowered to the main housing, and having a plurality of keys.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the main housing includes one of a touch screen and a wide LCD.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the keypad housing is a bi-directional keypad housing and further comprises a first key pad having a plurality of keys on a top surface of the key pad housing and a second key pad having a plurality of keys on a bottom surface of the key pad housing.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the keys of the first keypad are an array of digit keys with digits marked in a vertical direction.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the keys of the second keypad is an array of character keys or function keys.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the keys of the second keypad are an array of keys with marks made in a horizontal direction.

14. The device of claim 8, wherein the key pad housing is a single directional key pad housing and further comprises a keypad having the plurality of keys on one of a top surface and a bottom surface of the key pad housing.

15. The device of claim 8, wherein the keypad is on a top surface of the key pad housing.

16. The device of claim 8, wherein the key pad housing further comprises a first opening of a predetermined shape to provide a view of data on the main housing.

17. The device of claim 8, wherein the key pad housing further comprises a first transparent window of a predetermined shape to provide a view of data on the main housing.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the speaker housing comprises a second opening of a predetermined shape to provide a view of data.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the speaker housing comprises a second transparent window of a predetermined shape to provide a view of data.