Handheld computing device with external notification system

• US 7,058,733 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2001
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Vong, William, Schwitters, Chad
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin, Christopher B.
• Application Number:
  US09/767,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20020135472A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,961 Days
• Field of Search: 708100-140, 710 48- 51, 710260-261, 710/6, 710/8, 710 15- 19, 710 62- 63, 710/72, 713300-324, 340379-571, 340300-3094, 340/815.58, 712/1, 345/835, 362157-288, 437/317, 37914201-14208
• US Class Current: 710/18
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 11/00 Producing optical signals at preselected times
• 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: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications

Abstract

A portable handheld computing device has a notification system that alerts a user of an event regardless of whether the device is on or off. The notification system has a notification mechanism that is activated upon occurrence of the event and remains active until the user acknowledges the activated mechanism. In one implementation, the notification mechanism is a light emitting diode (LED) mounted externally on the handheld computing device. The LED is visible to the user when the lid is closed onto the base (i.e., the device is off) or when the lid is open (i.e., the device is on). The notification mechanism also has a deactivation button mounted externally of the handheld computing device. The user depresses the deactivation button to deactivate the LED. The LED and deactivation button may be integrated as a single component.

Claims

1. A portable handheld computing device comprising:

a casing having a base and a lid that opens and closes relative to the base, the lid having an upper surface, opposing side surfaces, and opposing end surfaces; and

a light emitting device mounted externally on the casing, the light emitting device being activated upon occurrence of an event to notify a user, positioned on the upper surface of the lid, and wrapping around to one of the end surfaces so that the light emitting device is visible from both opposing side surfaces and both opposing end surfaces when the lid is opened or closed.