Mobile terminal with hinge stylus and sub-inputting unit

• US 7,181,256 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2002
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Seung-Min, Im, Jung-Hyeok, Kim, Sung-Kwon, Hyun, Sang-Min, Lee, Ji-Young, Pak, In-Gon
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid; Lester G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sams; Matthew C.
• Application Number:
  US10/334,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20030125094A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,512 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575.3, 455/566, 162/62, 162/31, 162/29, 162/30, 379/433.13
• US Class Current: 455/575.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals

Abstract

Disclosed is a mobile terminal having a hinge stylus and an sub-inputting unit. The terminal comprises: (a) a first housing having a first rim portion disposed along an edge and a first receiving portion disposed for a predetermined length in the first rim portion; (b) a hinge stylus detachably attached to the first receiving portion of the first rim portion; (c) a second housing having a second rim portion disposed along an edge and a second receiving portion disposed in the second rim portion for detachably receiving the hinge stylus; and (d) a dual hinge having with one being received in the first receiving portion and the other one being coupled to the second housing for connecting the first and second housings in a rotatable manner to provide two axes.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

(a) a first housing having a first rim portion disposed along an edge, said first rim portion having a first receiving portion of a predetermined length;

(b) a hinge stylus detachably attached within said first receiving portion of the first rim portion;

(c) a second housing having a second rim portion disposed along an edge, said second rim portion having a second receiving portion for detachably receiving said hinge stylus; and

(d) a dual hinge having one hinge being received within said first receiving portion and the other hinge being coupled to said second housing for connecting said first and second housings in a rotatable manner along two parallel axes,

wherein the dual hinge connects said first and second housings when said hinge stylus is detached from said first receiving portion.

2. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein said stylus comprises:

a stylus body being tubular in shape;

an attaching unit disposed within one end of said stylus body; and

a conical portion fixedly disposed within the other end of said stylus body.

3. The mobile terminal according to claim 2, wherein said attaching unit comprises:

a hinge protrusion which is movably guided in a longitudinal direction in one portion of said stylus body for restraining one end of said stylus within said first or second receiving portion;

a spring received adjacent to the one end of said stylus body for forcing said hinge protrusion in a direction out of said stylus body; and

at least one fitting portion integrally disposed with said hinge protrusion, said fitting portion being positioned in and projected through at least one opening which is extended in a longitudinal direction in a predetermined shape for preventing release of said hinge protrusion from said stylus body and allowing movement of said hinge protrusion along said opening.

4. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein said dual hinge is extended in a longitudinal direction with dual cylinders, one cylinder being connected to said first housing and the other cylinder rotatably connected to said second housing, to provide two parallel hinge axes, said dual hinge further comprising:

two stylus bodies fixedly attached to each other each having at least one opening in one portion which are extended into a predetermined shape;

a first and a second attaching unit each disposed in one of said openings for restraining one end of said two stylus bodies respectively to said first and second housings; and

a first and a second hinge protrusion disposed in the other end of said stylus body for restraining the other end of said two stylus bodies respectively to said first and second housings.

5. The mobile terminal according to claim 4, wherein said attaching unit comprises:

a hinge protrusion movably guided in a longitudinal direction in one portion of said stylus body for restraining one end of said stylus within said first or second receiving portion;

a spring received in the one end of said stylus body for forcing the hinge protrusion in a direction out of said stylus body; and

a fitting portion disposed in and projected through at least one opening for preventing release of said hinge protrusion from said stylus body and allowing movement of said hinge protrusion along said opening.

6. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein said first and second receiving portions are cylindrically shaped.

7. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein said first and second rim portions, hinge stylus and dual hinge are made of metal.

8. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein said first housing comprises:

a wide touch screen allowing data input via said hinge stylus;

a rotatable camera lens housing disposed in an upper portion from said wide touch screen and having a rotatable camera lens; and

a number of speaker holes disposed in the entire region of an upper plane of said first housing except for regions where said touch screen and said camera lens housing are located.

9. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein said second housing functions as an auxiliary data input unit, and comprises:

a microphone unit; and

a plurality of keys disposed in an upper plane of said second housing except for where said microphone unit is located.

10. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, further comprising at least one key provided on said first and second rim portions.

11. A mobile terminal comprising:

(a) a first housing having a first rim portion disposed along an edge, said first rim portion having a first receiving portion of a predetermined length;

(b) a hinge stylus detachably attached within said first receiving portion of the first rim portion;

(c) a second housing having a second rim portion disposed along an edge, said second rim portion having a second receiving portion for detachably receiving said hinge stylus; and

(d) a dual hinge for receiving said hinge stylus in a longitudinal direction,

wherein said dual hinge is coupled to the first and second receiving portions via said hinge stylus received therein for connecting said first and second housings in a rotatable manner to provide two parallel hinge axes, and said dual hinge connects said first and second housings when said hinge stylus is detached from said first receiving portion.