Adjustable display for a data processing apparatus

• US 7,817,173 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2007
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lewis, Todd, Duarte, Matias, Palmer, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Kevin M
• Application Number:
  US11/891,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20070279386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 345/905, 455/575.3
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/162 changing, e.g. reversing, the face orientation of the screen with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, e.g. for folding into tablet PC like position or orienting towards the direction opposite to the user to show to a second user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1622 with enclosures rotating around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define or with ball-joint coupling, e.g. PDA with display enclosure orientation changeable between portrait and landscape by rotation with respect to a coplanar body enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1671 Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop G06F1/1666 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0212 with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, i.e. folding around a first axis and rotating around a second axis perpendicular to the first
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0233 Including a rotatable display body part
• 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 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/905 Display device with housing structure

Abstract

A data processing apparatus is described comprising: a body having a surface defining a first plane, the body comprising a first group of control elements and a second group of control elements for entering data and performing control operations; a display having a display area defining a second plane, the display coupled to the data processing apparatus at a pivot point and rotatable around the pivot point from a first position to a second position, wherein the display is viewable in both the first position and the second position and wherein both the first and second groups of control elements are exposed when the display is in the second position, and wherein only the second group of control elements are exposed when the display is in the first position, wherein the first plane and the second plane are substantially parallel when the display is in the first position, and wherein the first plane and the second plane are not parallel when the display is in the second position.

Claims

1. A data processing apparatus comprising:

a body having a memory for storing program code and data, a processor for processing the program code and data, and an alphanumeric keyboard for entering text;

a numeric telephony keypad moveably coupled to the body, the numeric keypad moveable from a first keypad position to a second keypad position in a first direction in relation to the body, wherein the alphanumeric keyboard is exposed when the numeric keypad is in the second position and covered by the numeric telephony keypad when the numeric telephony keypad is in the second position;

a display moveably coupled to the numeric keypad, the display moveable from a first display position to a second display position in a second direction in relation to the numeric keypad, wherein the numeric telephony keypad is not exposed when the display is in the first position and wherein the numeric keypad is exposed when the display is in the second position;

wherein the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction; and

a speaker for rendering telephony audio configured on the display.

2. The data processing apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the body comprises one or more tracks and wherein the numeric telephony keypad comprises one or more pins for engaging with the tracks and guiding the numeric keypad from the first keypad position to the second keypad position in relation to the body.

3. The data processing apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the numeric keypad comprises one or more tracks and wherein the display comprises one or more pins for engaging with the tracks and guiding the display from the first display position to the second display position in relation to the numeric keypad.

4. The data processing apparatus as in claim 1 wherein images and/or text displayed on the display are in a first orientation when the numeric telephony keypad is in the second keypad position and wherein images and/or text displayed on the display are in a second orientation when the display is in the second position.

5. The data processing apparatus as in claim 1 wherein moving the display to the second position causes the data processing apparatus to enter into a telephony mode of operation and wherein moving the telephony keypad to the second position causes the data processing apparatus to enter into a data entry mode of operation.

6. The apparatus as in claim 5 further comprising:

a graphical user interface (GUI) viewable on the display, the GUI displaying a first set of graphical functions when in the telephony mode of operation and displaying a second set of graphical functions when in the data entry mode of operation.

7. A data processing apparatus comprising:

a body having a memory for storing program code and data, a processor for processing the program code and data, and an alphanumeric keyboard for entering text;

a numeric telephony keypad moveably coupled to the body, the numeric keypad moveable from a first keypad position to a second keypad position in a first direction in relation to the body, wherein the alphanumeric keyboard is exposed when the numeric keypad is in the second position and covered by the numeric telephony keypad when the numeric telephony keypad is in the second position;

a display moveably coupled to the numeric keypad, the display moveable from a first display position to a second display position in a second direction in relation to the numeric keypad, wherein the numeric telephony keypad is not exposed when the display is in the first position and wherein the numeric keypad is exposed when the display is in the second position;

wherein the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction; and

wherein images and/or text displayed on the display are in a first orientation when the numeric telephony keypad is in the second keypad position and wherein images and/or text displayed on the display are in a second orientation when the display is in the second position.

8. The data processing apparatus as in claim 7 wherein the body comprises one or more tracks and wherein the numeric telephony keypad comprises one or more pins for engaging with the tracks and guiding the numeric keypad from the first keypad position to the second keypad position in relation to the body.

9. The data processing apparatus as in claim 8 wherein the numeric keypad comprises one or more tracks and wherein the display comprises one or more pins for engaging with the tracks and guiding the display from the first display position to the second display position in relation to the numeric keypad.

10. The data processing apparatus as in claim 7 wherein moving the display to the second position causes the data processing apparatus to enter into a telephony mode of operation and wherein moving the telephony keypad to the second position causes the data processing apparatus to enter into a data entry mode of operation.

11. The apparatus as in claim 10 further comprising:

a graphical user interface (GUI) viewable on the display, the GUI displaying a first set of graphical functions when in the telephony mode of operation and displaying a second set of graphical functions when in the data entry mode of operation.

12. An apparatus comprising:

data processing means including a body having a memory for storing program code and data, a processor for processing the program code and data, and an alphanumeric keyboard for entering text;

numeric telephony keypad means moveably coupled to the body, the numeric keypad means moveable from a first keypad position to a second keypad position in a first direction in relation to the body, wherein the alphanumeric keyboard means is exposed when the numeric keypad is in the second position and covered by the numeric telephony keypad means when the numeric telephony keypad means is in the second position;

display means moveably coupled to the numeric keypad means, the display moveable from a first display position to a second display position in a second direction in relation to the numeric keypad means, wherein the numeric telephony keypad means is not exposed when the display means is in the first position and wherein the numeric keypad means is exposed when the display means is in the second position;

wherein the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction; and

wherein images and/or text displayed on the display means are in a first orientation when the numeric telephony keypad means is in the second keypad position and wherein images and/or text displayed on the display means are in a second orientation when the display means is in the second position.

13. The data processing apparatus as in claim 12 wherein the body means comprises one or more track means and wherein the numeric telephony keypad means comprises one or more pin means for engaging with the track means and guiding the numeric keypad means from the first keypad position to the second keypad position in relation to the body.

14. The data processing apparatus as in claim 13 wherein the numeric keypad means comprises one or more track means and wherein the display comprises one or more pin means for engaging with the track means and guiding the display from the first display position to the second display position in relation to the numeric keypad means.

15. The data processing apparatus as in claim 12 wherein moving the display to the second position causes the data processing means to enter into a telephony mode of operation and wherein moving the telephony keypad to the second position causes the data processing means to enter into a data entry mode of operation.

16. The apparatus as in claim 15 further comprising:

graphical user interface (GUI) means viewable on the display, the GUI means displaying a first set of graphical functions when in the telephony mode of operation and displaying a second set of graphical functions when in the data entry mode of operation.