Wireless communication terminal having a video image capability

• US 6,751,473 B1
• Filed: 02/26/1999
• Issued: 06/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IDPA Holdings Incorporated (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Goyal, Suresh, Ray, Rajarshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOW, CHARLES CHIANG
• Application Number:
  US09/258,824
• Time in Patent Office: 1,936 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 455/575.1, 455/422.1, 455/517, 455/550.1, 455/557, 455/566, 455/90.3, 370/335, 370/342, 370/344, 370/320, 348/14, 348/20, 348/158, 348/151, 348/294, 348/333, 348/376, 348/373, 340/707, 379/433, 379/58, 379/434, 379/93, 379/90, 379/96-99, 379/110, 379/61, 379/63, 331/89, 345/156, 345/168, 345/169, 381/183, 381/187, 381/25, 381/81, 381/68, 381/69
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0208 characterized by the relative motions of the body parts
• 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 1/0237 Sliding mechanism with one degree of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0264 for a camera module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/20 including a rotatable camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN

Abstract

A portable wireless communication terminal includes electronics for receiving and transmitting both video and audio signals. The electronics are housed in rugged, drop-tolerant consoles, which are interconnected so that they may be extended and reconfigured relative to each other for convenient use and easy, compact storage. A camera lens is included in a camera console, a video display is included in a video display console, and alphanumerical keys are included in a base console. The camera console can be rotated relative to the video display console so that the user can transmit a video signal of the surroundings while watching the video display. Further, the video display console can be extended and tilted relative to the base console.

Claims

1. A portable wireless communication terminal comprising:

a camera console;

a camera mounted in said camera console;

a video display console;

a video display mounted in said video display console; and

a base console, wherein said camera console, video display console, and base console are interconnected and said camera console is movable relative to said video display console; and

a guide extendable between said camera console and said video display console, said guide being centered about a first axis and being extendable from a first position to a second position, said camera console being rotatable about said first axis;

wherein a surface of said camera console facing said video display console has projections formed thereon and wherein a surface of said video display console facing said camera console has recesses adapted to matingly engage with said projections when said camera console is in said first position to prevent said camera console from rotating about said first axis when in the first position.

2. The portable wireless communication terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

a microphone mounted in said video display console; and

a speaker and a keypad mounted in said base console.

3. The portable wireless communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein said camera console is selectively rotatable about said first axis by manual manipulation.

4. The portable wireless communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein the guide guides said camera console between the first position, adjacent to said video display console, and the second position, remote from said video display console.

5. The portable wireless communication terminal according to claim 4, wherein said camera console is selectively movable between said first position and said second position by manual manipulation.

6. The portable wireless communication terminal according to claim 4, wherein said guide is a threaded member fixedly mounted to one of said camera console and said video display console and threadedly engaged for rotation within the other of said camera console and said video display console.

7. The portable wireless communication terminal according to claim 4, wherein said guide is fixedly mounted to one of said camera console and said video display console and is slidably engaged within the other of said camera console and said video display console.

8. The portable wireless communication terminal according to claim 4, wherein said guide is centered about a first axis and wherein said camera console is rotatable about said first axis when said camera console is in said second position.

9. The portable wireless communication terminal according to claim 8, further comprising:

a spring interconnecting said camera console and said video display console and biasing said camera console toward said first position.

10. A portable wireless communication terminal comprising:

a camera console;

a camera mounted in said camera console;

a video display console;

a video display mounted in said video display console; and

a base console, said camera console, video display console, and base console are interconnected and said video display console being movable relative to said base console; and

at least one linkage connecting said video display console and said base console, said at least one linkage guiding said video display console between a first position, proximate to said base console, and a second position, remote from said base console;

said at least one linkage being a telescoping linkage including a plurality of links slidingly engaged with one another.

11. The portable wireless communication terminal according to claim 10, further comprising:

a microphone mounted in said video display console; and

a speaker and a keypad mounted in said base console.

12. The portable wireless communication terminal according to claim 10, wherein said video display console is selectively movable between said first position and said second position by manual manipulation.

13. The portable wireless communication terminal according to claim 10, wherein said plurality of links include tubes of progressively smaller diameters slidingly engaged within one another.

14. The portable wireless communication terminal according to claim 10, wherein said plurality of links include plate-like members slidingly engaged with one another.

15. The portable wireless communication terminal according to claim 10, wherein said at least one linkage has a first distal end connected to said base console and a second distal end connected to said video display console, and further comprising:

a hinge provided at said second distal end so that said video display console is pivotal relative to said at least one linkage.

16. The portable wireless communication terminal according to claim 10, wherein said at least one linkage has a first distal end connected to said base console and a second distal end connected to said video display console, and further comprising:

a first hinge provided at said first distal end so that said base console is pivotal relative to said at least one linkage.

17. The portable wireless communication terminal according to claim 16, further comprising:

a second hinge provided at said second distal end so that said video display console is pivotal relative to said at least one linkage.

18. The portable wireless communication terminal according to claim 10, wherein said first position corresponds to said video display console adjoining said base console.

19. The portable wireless communication terminal according to claim 18, wherein said at least one linkage has a first distal end connected to said base console and a second distal end connected to said video display console, and further comprising:

a first hinge provided at said first distal end so that said base console is pivotal relative to said at least one linkage; and

a second hinge provided at said second distal end so that said video display console is pivotal relative to said at least one linkage.

20. The portable wireless communication terminal according to claim 19, wherein said video display console can be pivoted relative to said base console so that said video display overlays and is protected by said base console.

21. The portable wireless communication terminal according to claim 19, wherein the connection between said first distal end of said at least one linkage and said base console is a captured, sliding engagement.

22. The portable wireless communication terminal according to claim 21, wherein the connection between said second distal end of said at least one linkage and said video display console is a captured, sliding engagement.

23. The portable wireless communication terminal according to claim 10, wherein said first position corresponds to said video display console residing within said base console.

24. The portable wireless communication terminal according to claim 23, wherein said video display console overlays said at least one linkage, when said video display console is in said first position.

25. The portable wireless communication terminal according to claim 23, wherein said at least one linkage has a first distal end connected to said base console and a second distal end connected to said video display console, and further comprising:

a hinge provided at said second distal end so that said video display console is pivotal relative to said at least one linkage.

26. The portable wireless communication terminal according to claim 25, wherein said hinge allows said video display console to overlay said at least one linkage before said display console is placed in said first position within said base console.

27. The portable wireless communication terminal according to claim 10, wherein said first position corresponds to said video display overlaying said base console.

28. The portable wireless communication terminal according to claim 27, wherein said video display console overlays said at least one linkage, when said video display console is in said first position.

29. The portable wireless communication terminal according to claim 27, wherein said video display console and said base console include alignment features for holding said video display console and said base console together, when said video display console is in said first position.

30. A portable wireless communication terminal comprising:

a camera console;

a camera mounted in said camera console;

a video display console;

a video display mounted in said video display console; and

a base console, the base console, camera console and video display console being interconnected and said video display console being movable relative to said base console; and

at least one linkage connecting said video display console and said base console, said at least one linkage guiding said video display console between a first position, proximate to said base console, and a second position, remote from said base console, wherein said at least one linkage has a first distal end connected to said base console and a second distal end connected to said video display console; and

a pivotal member provided at said second distal end so that said video display console is pivotal relative to said at least one linkage;

wherein a surface of said camera console facing said video display console has projections formed thereon and wherein a surface of said video display console facing said camera console has recesses adapted to matingly engage with said projections when said camera console is in said first position to prevent said camera console from rotating about said first axis when in the first position.

31. A portable wireless communication terminal comprising:

a camera console;

a camera mounted in said camera console;

a video display console;

a video display mounted in said video display console; and

a base console, camera console, and video display console being interconnected and said video display console being movable relative to said base console; and

at least one linkage connecting said video display console and said base console, said at least one linkage guiding said video display console between a first position, proximate to said base console, and a second position, remote from said base console, wherein said at least one linkage has a first distal end connected to said base console and a second distal end connected to said video display console; and

a first pivotal member provided at said first distal end so that said base console is pivotal relative to said at least one linkage;

wherein a surface of said camera console facing said video display console has projections formed thereon and wherein a surface of said video display console facing said camera console has recesses adapted to matingly engage with said projections when said camera console is in said first position to prevent said camera console from rotating about said first axis when in the first position.