Mobile communication terminal having two keypads

• US 7,636,592 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2006
• Issued: 12/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Hee-Sung, Park, Jae-Wan
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US11/475,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20070155449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575.1, 455/575.4, 455/575.3, 455/90.3, 455/566, 455347-349, 379/433.01, 379/433.04, 379/433.07, 379/433.1, 379/433.11, 379/433.12, 379/433.13
• US Class Current: 455/575.4
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0237 Sliding mechanism with one degree of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/18 including more than one keyboard unit

Abstract

A mobile communication terminal having two keypads is provided. A mobile communication terminal comprises a first body having a left keypad installed at the left side of a front surface, and a second body having a display window installed at its left side and a right key installed at its right side, that is movably assembled with the front surface of the first body in the left or right direction. The mobile communication terminal may be used as a bar type communication terminal when the second body is not moved by sliding. If the left keypad of the first body is exposed by sliding down the second body, the two keypads are located at different sides of the display window, and thereby characters may be easily input with both hands. The two keypads arranged at different sides can each be or can both, be provided with a size large enough for individual character input.

Claims

1. A mobile communication terminal comprising:

a first body comprising a front surface, the front surface comprising an upper surface and a lower surface on the left and right sides respectively of a stepped surface, and a rear surface opposite to the front surface;

a left keypad configured on the upper surface;

a second body comprising a rear surface, the rear surface comprising a lower surface and an upper surface on left and right sides respectively of a stepped surface and a front surface formed opposite to the rear surface;

a display window configured on a left side of the front surface; and

a right keypad configured on a right side of the front surface;

wherein the front surface of the first body faces the rear surface of the second body,

the second body is movably coupled with the first body,

whereby when the left key pad is exposed outwardly by moving the second body rightward with respect to the first body, the left keypad and the right keypad are located on left and right sides respectively of the display window.

2. The mobile communication terminal of claim 1, further comprising a guiding assembly between the first and second bodies whereby the left keypad is covered and uncovered by moving the second body along the front surface of the first body.

3. The mobile communication terminal of claim 2, wherein the stepped surface of the first body comprises a slope.

4. The mobile communication terminal of claim 3, wherein at least two of the left keypad, the display window, and the right keypad are located substantially on the same surface by moving the second body rightward against the first body and locating the lower surface of the second body to the lower surface of the first body.

5. The mobile communication terminal of claim 4, wherein the thicknesses of the upper portions of the first and second bodies are substantially equal to the sum of the thicknesses of the lower parts of the first and second bodies.

6. The mobile communication terminal of claim 5, wherein the display window of the second body displays an image in a lengthwise direction when the left keypad is uncovered, and displays the image in at least one of a widthwise direction and the lengthwise direction when the left keypad is covered.

7. The mobile communication terminal of claim 6, wherein an end surface extended from the lower surface of the second body comprises substantially the same slope as the stepped surface of the first body whereby the end surface extended from the lower surface of the second body is located on the stepped surface of the first body when the left keypad is uncovered.

8. The mobile communication terminal of claim 7, wherein the end surface extended from the lower surface of the first body comprises substantially the same slope as that of the stepped surface of the second body whereby the stepped surface of the second body is located on the end surface extended from the lower surface of the first body when the left keypad is uncovered.

9. The mobile communication terminal of claim 8, wherein the guiding assembly comprises:

a pair of rails installed on both edges of the front surface of the first body; and

guides installed on the rear surface of the second body and movably assembled with the rails individually.

10. The mobile communication terminal of claim 9, wherein the rails are installed outside the area comprising the left keypad of the first body.

11. The mobile communication terminal of claim 10, wherein the guides comprise:

first guides installed on corners of the rear surface of the second body, the first guides being movable along the rails installed on the upper surface and the stepped surface of the first body; and

second guides installed on corners of the stepped surface of the rear surface of the second body, the second guides being movable along the rails installed under the stepped surface of the first body.

12. The mobile communication terminal of claim 8, wherein the guiding assembly comprises:

a pair of rails installed along both sides of the first body; and

guides extended downwards from both sides of the second body and movably assembled with the rails individually.

13. The mobile communication terminal of claim 12, wherein the guides comprise:

first guides formed on both edges of an end of the second body, the first guides being movable along the rails installed on the surfaces of the first body corresponding to the upper surface and stepped surface of the first body; and

second guides formed on both sides of the stepped surface of the second body, the second guides being movable along the rails installed on the side surfaces of the first body corresponding to the lower surface of the first body.

14. The mobile communication terminal of claim 1, wherein at least one of the right and left key pads comprises a QWERTY key arrangement in the lengthwise direction.

15. The mobile communication terminal of claim 14, further comprising a navigation pad configured between the display window and the right keypad of the second body.

16. A mobile communication terminal comprising:

a first body comprising a left keypad installed on the left side of a front surface;

a second body assembled with the front surface of the first body, the second body being movable in at least one of a left direction and a right direction with respect to the first body;

a display window configured on the left side of the front surface of the second body;

a right keypad configured on the right side of the display window, wherein both the left keypad and the right keypad have a QWERTY key arrangement in the lengthwise direction; and

a guiding assembly interposed between the first body and the second body;

whereby the left keypad of the first body is uncovered by moving the second body rightward with respect to the first body.

17. The mobile communication terminal of claim 16, wherein the display window of the second body displays an image in a lengthwise direction when the left keypad is uncovered, and displays an image in at least one of a widthwise direction and the lengthwise direction when the left keypad is covered.

18. The mobile communication terminal of claim 16, wherein the guiding assembly is installed on at least one of the front surface of the first body and the rear surface of the second body facing each other, and the side surfaces of the first body and the second body.