Bidirectional wireless number pad and keyboard

• US 7,253,750 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2003
• Issued: 08/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Original Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Inventors: Monney, Patrick, Tabasso, Alain, Richard, Alexis, Sheehan, Peter, Pavillard, Denis
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman; Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dang; Hung Q
• Application Number:
  US10/613,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20040246150A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,496 Days
• Field of Search: 341/22, 341/176, 341/173, 341/20, 345/168, 345/173, 455/226.1, 455/557, 400/472
• US Class Current: 341/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/021 Arrangements integrating additional peripherals in a keyboard, e.g. card or barcode reader, optical scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0213 Arrangements providing an integrated pointing device in a keyboard, e.g. trackball, mini-joystick for pointing devices integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/169; joysticks G05G9/047; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0231 Cordless keyboards

Abstract

The present invention uniquely separates the number pad from a keyboard providing a separate, wireless device. This separate wireless device with the number pad includes a display and has multiple modes of operation.

Claims

1. A computer interface system comprising:

a hub connected to said computer and configured to communicate wirelessly with at least three peripheral devices;

a wireless mouse for wirelessly communicating with said hub;

a wireless keyboard for wirelessly communicating with said hub, said wireless keyboard having an alphanumeric keyboard but no separate number pad; and

a wireless, mobile media device and numeric keyboard for wirelessly communicating with said hub, said wireless mobile media device and numeric keyboard including

a number pad,

a display, said mobile media device and numeric keyboard being configured to provide to said display for a music application, at least one of an artist'"'"'s name, song title and track number, and for a video application, at least one of a track number, a length of a video, a video title and an elapsed time, and

a back button,

a forward button,

a volume up button,

a volume down button,

a stop button, and

a pause button;

wherein said wireless keyboard and wireless mobile media device and numeric keyboard each include media buttons for performing the same functions.

2. A computer interface system comprising:

a hub connected to said computer and configured to communicate wirelessly with at least three peripheral devices;

a wireless mouse for wirelessly communicating with said hub;

a wireless keyboard for wirelessly communicating with said hub, said wireless keyboard having an alphanumeric keyboard but no separate number pad;

a wireless mobile media device and numeric keyboard for wirelessly communicating with said hub, said wireless mobile media device and numeric keyboard including a number pad and a display;

wherein said wireless keyboard and wireless mobile media device and numeric keyboard each include media buttons for performing the same functions; and

wherein said media buttons include a volume up button, a volume down button and a mute button.