Personal digital device with adjustable interface

• US 7,558,057 B1
• Filed: 06/06/2005
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alex Naksen, Dennis Naksen
• Original Assignee: Alex Naksen, Dennis Naksen
• Inventors: Naksen, Alex, Naksen, Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi; Jayprakash N
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAUGHTON, ANTHONY MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US11/145,793
• Time in Patent Office: 1,492 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575.1, 361/679.56, 361/679.4, 361/679.3
• US Class Current: 361/679.56
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• 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 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1679 for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA G06F1/1681 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1683 for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1688 the I/O peripheral being integrated loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/301 flexible foldable or roll-able electronic displays, e.g. thin LCD, OLED
• 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 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0268 including a flexible display panel
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection

Abstract

A personal digital device comprises a variable stiffness screen capable of varying its display size by managing its stiffness, and a body carrying means for wireless communication and for storing and processing information. The functional flexibility of the screen allows for creating an adjustable visual interface between the user and the device: with the screen inside the device for compact storage, and with the screen extended to display high-quality graphics and images. In some particular embodiments the device incorporates a detachable audio unit allowing configuration of the user audio interface depending on the specifics of usage.

Claims

1. A personal digital device comprising a variable stiffness screen capable of varying its display size by managing its stiffness, and a body carrying means for wireless communication and for processing information, wherein the body includes a respective holder and an audio unit with a microphone at one end and a speaker at the other end, that has a retractable earhook with a supporting mechanism allowing the user to operate said earhook automatically, while said audio unit moves in and out of said respective holder, wherein said earhook is a resilient semi-circular element with one end attached to a respective reel, and said earhook retracts by winding onto said reel, wherein said reel is driven by a tooth belt, moveably engaged with a corresponding internal stop belonging to said holder;

whereby the viewable area of said screen can be adjusted depending on the volume of visual information, and correspondingly on the needs of a user, wherein the screen is connected to the body electrically and mechanically by an embedded electrical circuitry and a pullback winding mechanism.

2. The device of claim 1, further including a flexible flat sleeve containing said screen and having a rectangular opening revealing a corresponding part of said screen, and wherein said sleeve incorporates said embedded electrical circuitry and said pullback winding mechanism to connect said screen to said body electrically and mechanically.

3. The device of claim 1, further including a rigid enclosure housing said screen and comprising a flat portion with a rectangular opening and an adjacent cylindrical portion containing a rolled-up portion of said screen;

and said enclosure including said embedded electrical circuitry and said winding mechanism.