Mobile computer with foldable keyboard

• US 6,798,649 B1
• Filed: 09/24/2002
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callahan Cellular LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Think Outside Incorporated (iGo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Olodort, Robert, Tang, John, Mead, Russell, Cazalet, Peter M.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEA EDMONDS, LISA S
• Application Number:
  US10/254,721
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 361/680-686, 455/566, 455/575.1, 455/575.2, 455/557, 455/90, 455/546, 455/575, 400/82, 400/489, 400/691-693, 400/488, 345/168, 345/905, 345/169, 312/223--22, 235/61.R, 235/462.01, 235/375
• US Class Current: 361/679.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1618 the display being foldable up to the back of the other housing with a single degree of freedom, e.g. by 360° rotation over the axis defined by the rear edge of the base enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• 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 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0221 Arrangements for reducing keyboard size for transport or storage, e.g. foldable keyboards, keyboards with collapsible keys G06F3/0216 takes precedence; for keyboards integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/1666
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/905 Display device with housing structure

Abstract

A digital processing device including a base, a display assembly, a hinge assembly, and a foldable keyboard is described. The hinge assembly enables the back of the display assembly to be rotated between a first configuration and a second configuration. In the first configuration, the user may interact with the device in a similar manner as a PDA. In the second configuration, the hinge assembly enables the unfolding of the keyboard assembly so that it is accessible to the user to enter information by typing and the display assembly is positioned for viewing of information. The keyboard assembly unfolds to form a full-size keyboard (e.g., conformance with an ISO 9241-4:1998(E) standard) that allows a user to comfortably, quickly, and accurately “touch-type” in a manner that the user may be accustomed to. The base may be rigid to enable use of the keyboard assembly on soft or uneven surfaces.

Claims

1. A digital processing device, comprising:

a rigid base;

a display assembly comprising a display screen;

a foldable keyboard assembly coupled with the base, said foldable keyboard assembly having keyboard sections substantially equal in size; and

a hinge assembly rotatably coupling the display assembly to the base, the hinge assembly enabling the display assembly to be rotated between a first configuration and a second configuration.

2. The digital processing device of claim 1, wherein the base has a front and a back and the display assembly has a side, a back and a front, and wherein the first configuration configures the display assembly to be in contact with the back of the base and wherein the second configuration configures the display assembly to form an angle of at least 180 degrees between the front of the display assembly and the keyboard assembly.

3. The digital processing device of claim 1, wherein the hinge assembly is configured to rotate through substantially 360 degrees.

4. The digital processing device of claim 1, wherein the hinge assembly comprises:

first and second hinge linkages cross-connected between the base and the display assembly relative to each other.

5. The digital processing device of claim 4, wherein the cross-connected linkages enables rotation of the base and display assembly without any substantial translation with respect to each other.

6. The digital processing device of claim 4, wherein at least one of the first and second hinge linkages contains a flex circuit disposed within a cavity.

7. The digital processing device of claim 1, wherein the hinge assembly rotatably couples the display assembly to the base at four pivot axes.

8. The digital processing device of claim 1, wherein the hinge assembly comprises:

a first hinge coupled to the base at a first base pivot axis and coupled to the display assembly a first display assembly pivot axis; and

a second hinge coupled to the base a second base pivot axis different than the first base pivot axis, the second hinge coupled to the display assembly at a second display assembly pivot axis different from the first display assembly pivot axis.

9. The digital processing device of claim 8, wherein a first distance between the first display assembly pivot axis and the second display assembly pivot axis is the same as a distance between a second distance between the first base pivot axis and the second base pivot axis.

10. The digital processing device of claim 9, the first and second hinges form a common axis of rotation between the base and the display assembly.

11. The digital processing device of claim 1, the hinge assembly forms a common axis of rotation between the base and the display assembly.

12. The digital processing device of claim 1, wherein the hinge assembly rotatably couples the keyboard assembly along a longest side of the display assembly.

13. The digital processing device of claim 1, wherein the first configuration enables information entry into the digital processing device through the display screen and wherein the second configuration enables information entry into the digital processing device using the keyboard assembly.

14. The digital processing device of claim 13, wherein the display screen is configured to display an image in first and second orientations corresponding to the first and second configurations, respectively.

15. The digital processing device of claim 14, wherein the first and second orientations are disposed 90 degrees relative to each other.

16. The digital processing device of claim 14, wherein the image on the display screen automatically orientates from the first and second orientations corresponding to the first and second configurations, respectively.

17. The digital processing device of claim 16, wherein the image on the display screen automatically orientates using a screen buffer transforms.

18. The digital processing device of claim 1, wherein the keyboard assembly unfolds to a plurality of keys having a kev displacement of about 2 mm to about 4 mm.

19. The digital processing device of claim 1, wherein the keyboard assembly comprises keys and wherein the keys are not exposed when in first configuration.

20. The digital processing device of claim 1, wherein at least one set of keys of the keyboard assembly slides from a second position in the second configuration to a first position for storage in the first configuration.

21. The digital processing device of claim 1, wherein the keyboard assembly comprises first and second key panels and wherein each of the first and second key panels has a length that is no greater than approximately the length of the base.

22. The digital processing device of claim 21, wherein the keyboard assembly comprises a linkage mechanism to substantially center adjoining edges of the first and second panels over the base when the keyboard assembly is completely unfolded.

23. The digital processing device of claim 21, wherein a linkage mechanism operates to slide the first panel in response to rotation of the second panel.

24. The digital processing device of claim 21, wherein a linkage mechanism comprises a moving pivot point of the second panel.

25. The digital processing device of claim 21, further comprising a third panel disposed over a section of the first panel exposed by the second panel when folded over the first panel.

26. The digital processing device of claim 1, wherein the keyboard assembly comprises keys having centers and wherein at least two keys have a distance between the centers of at least approximately 18 mm.

27. The digital processing device of claim 1, wherein the keyboard assembly comprises:

a first keyboard section and a second keyboard section; and

at least one linkage assembly coupled to the first keyboard section and the second keyboard section, the at least one linkage assembly to enable the keyboard sections to alternate between a folded configuration and an unfolded configuration, the at least one linkage assembly comprising;

a first bar coupled to the first keyboard section along a length of the first keyboard section near a region where the first keyboard section meets the second keyboard section in the unfolded configuration;

a second bar coupled to the second keyboard section along a length of the second keyboard section near a region where the second keyboard section meets the first keyboard section in the unfolded configuration;

a third bar coupled to the first bar and the second bar;

the third bar having a first pivot coupled to the first bar and a second pivot coupled to the second bar, the second pivot to move along a rotating arc of the first pivot; and

a fourth bar coupled to the first bar and the second bar, the fourth bar having a third pivot coupled to the first bar and a fourth pivot coupled to the second bar.

28. The digital processing device of claim 1, wherein the foldable keyboard assembly comprises two keyboard sections.

29. A digital processing device, comprising:

a keyboard assembly having a collapsed form relative to an open form, the open form exposing a plurality of keys having a center-to-center spacing of about 19 mm; and

a display assembly coupled with the keyboard, the display assembly configured to display data in a landscape mode when the keyboard assembly is in the open form and to display data in a portrait mode when the keyboard assembly is in the collapsed form.

30. The digital processing device of claim 29, wherein the keyboard assembly comprises:

a first keyboard section having first keys of said plurality of keys; and

a second keyboard section having second keys of said plurality of keys, wherein the first keys face the second keys and are compressed when the keyboard assembly is in the collapsed form.

31. The digital processing device of claim 30, wherein the keyboard assembly is foldable and said digital processing device is a mobile computer.

32. The digital processing device of claim 31, wherein the display assembly is rotatably coupled to the keyboard assembly.

33. The digital processing device of claim 29, wherein said plurality of keys have a key displacement between about 2 mm to about 4 mm and a force near the character generation point between about 0.25 N to about 1.5 N.

34. The digital processing device of claim 29, wherein said keyboard assembly further comprises at least one key which does not substantially comply with said key sizes.

35. The digital processing device of claim 29, further comprising:

a cellular communication transceiver for voice communications and for network data communications, said cellular communication transceiver coupled to a keyboard controller which is coupled to said keyboard assembly.

36. A digital processing device, comprising:

a rigid base;

a display assembly comprising a display screen;

a foldable keyboard assembly coupled with the base, said foldable keyboard assembly having keyboard sections substantially equal in size; and

means for rotatably coupling the display assembly to the base enabling the display assembly to be rotated between a first configuration and a second configuration.

37. The digital processing device of claim 36, further comprising means for rotating the base and display assembly without any substantial translation with respect to each other.

38. The digital processing device of claim 36, further comprising means for entering information into the digital processing device through the display assembly in the first configuration and means for entering information using the foldable keyboard assembly in the second configuration.

39. The digital processing device of claim 36, further comprising means for automatically orientating an image on the display assembly from a first and a second orientation corresponding to the first and second configurations, respectively.

40. The digital processing device of claim 36, wherein the foldable keyboard assembly comprises two keyboard sections.

41. A digital processing device, comprising:

means for collapsing a keyboard assembly having a collapsed form relative to an open form, the open form exposing a plurality of keys having a center-to-center spacing of about 19 mm; and

means for coupling a display assembly with the keyboard, the display assembly configured to display data in a landscape mode when the keyboard assembly is in the open form and to display data in a portrait mode when the keyboard assembly is in the collapsed form.

42. The digital processing device of claim 41, further comprising means for folding the keyboard from the collapsed form to the open form.

43. The digital processing device of claim 41, further comprising means for entering information into the digital processing device through the display screen in a first configuration and means for entering information using the keyboard assembly in a second configuration.

44. The digital processing device of claim 41, further comprising means for automatically orientating data on the display assembly from the portrait mode and the landscape mode.