Flip cover for a portable electronic device

• US 7,463,247 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2004
• Issued: 12/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Berry, Onni
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala; Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chowdhury; Afroza Y
• Application Number:
  US10/909,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20060022954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,590 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168, 345/173, 345/169
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• 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 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• 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 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/18 including more than one keyboard unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

A portable electronic device arrangeable between an open position and a closed position. The portable electronic device includes a display screen that is positioned such that it is at least partially viewable by a user when the portable electronic device is in both the closed position and in the open position. In one embodiment of the invention, the portable electronic device includes a substantially transparent viewing region that enables the user to both view and manipulate the display screen when the portable electronic device is in the closed position.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing having an upper portion and a lower portion and including an open position and a closed position; and

a display operatively connected to the housing for providing information to a user,

wherein the display is positioned on the lower portion of the housing, and wherein the upper portion of the housing includes a substantially transparent window that aligns with the display when the housing is in the closed position such that at least a portion of the display is viewable by the user when the housing is in the closed position,

wherein the housing includes an inner portion and an outer portion, and wherein the substantially transparent window serves as a user interface on the inner portion when the housing is in the open position.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the substantially transparent window is flexible such that, when the housing is in a closed position, an actuation of the substantially transparent window by the user results in a corresponding actuation of the display.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 2, further comprising a processor operatively connected to the display, and wherein the processor adjusts the portion of the display screen that is activated depending upon whether the housing is in the open position or the closed position.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 3, wherein only the portion of the display that is viewable by a user through the substantially transparent window is activated when the housing is in the closed position.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 2, wherein the substantially transparent window includes touch-sensitive capabilities.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the display is a touch-sensitive display.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the upper portion is removable and interchangeable with the lower portion.

8. A module for use in a portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing having an upper portion and a lower portion and including an open position and a closed position; and

a display operatively connected to the housing for providing information to a user,

wherein the display is positioned on the lower portion of the housing, and wherein the upper portion of the housing includes a substantially transparent window that aligns with the display when the housing is in the closed position such that at least a portion of the display is viewable by the user when the housing is in the closed position,

wherein the housing includes an inner portion and an outer portion, and wherein the substantially transparent window serves as a user interface on the inner portion of the housing when the housing is in the open position.

9. The module of claim 8, wherein the substantially transparent window is formed from a flexible material.

10. The module of claim 8, wherein the portion of the display that is activated is automatically adjusted depending upon whether the substantially transparent window is in the open position or the closed position.

11. The module of claim 10, wherein only the portion of the display that is viewable by a user through the substantially transparent window is activated when the substantially transparent window is in the closed position.

12. The module of claim 8, wherein the display is a touch-sensitive display.

17. The module of claim 8, wherein the substantially transparent window serves as touchpad on the inner portion of the housing when the housing is in the open position.

13. A computer software program, embodied in a computer readable medium, for enabling manipulation of a display on a portable electronic device including a substantially transparent window movably and operatively connected to the display and movable between an open position and a closed position, comprising:

computer code for displaying information generated on the display;

computer code for determining whether the substantially transparent window is in the open position or the closed position;

computer code for displaying information on the entire display if the substantially transparent window is in the open position;

computer code for displaying information on only a portion of the display if the substantially transparent window is in the closed position, and

computer code for processing information based upon manual actuation of the substantially transparent window on an inner portion of a housing when the substantially transparent window is in the open position.

14. The computer software program of claim 13, further comprising computer code for processing information based upon manual actuation of the display.

15. A method for enabling manipulation of a display on a portable electronic device, comprising:

providing a display and a substantially transparent window movably and operatively connected to the display, the substantially transparent window being movable between an open position and a closed position;

determining whether the substantially transparent window is in the open position or the closed position;

displaying information on the entire display if the substantially transparent window is in the open position;

displaying information on only a portion of the display if the substantially transparent window is in the closed position; and

processing information based upon manual actuation of the substantially transparent window on an inner portion of a housing when the substantially transparent window is in the open position.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising processing information based upon manual actuation of the display.