Portable terminal

• US 8,200,289 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2007
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Joo, Won Seok, Ahn, Kwang Hyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US11/764,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20080227501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,821 Days
• Field of Search: 379/433, 379/434, 379/444, 379/433.01, 379/433.02, 379/430, 381/67, 381/396, 381/400, 340/407, 340/7, 455/344, 455/575, 455/351, 455/348, 455/566, 382/67, 382/396, 382/400
• US Class Current: 455/566
• 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 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• 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: H04M 1/03 Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets

Abstract

A portable terminal in provided. The portable terminal includes a body having a front surface, the front surface having an upper portion and a lower portion, a display unit located in the body and visible at the front surface thereof, the display unit having a first end and a second end, and at least one of the first end being adjacent the upper portion and the second end being adjacent the lower portion, and a speaker unit located in the body, the speaker unit including a bone conduction speaker.

Claims

1. A portable terminal comprising:

a body having a front surface, the front surface having an upper portion and a lower portion;

a display unit located in the body and visible at the front surface thereof, the display unit having a first end and a second end, and the first end being adjacent the front surface upper portion and the second end being adjacent the front surface lower portion;

a speaker unit located in the body behind the display unit, and below the first end of the display unit;

a circuitry supporting substrate having an upper portion and a lower portion, and the speaker unit being located at the upper portion of the circuitry supporting substrate; and

a built-in antenna located at the lower portion of the circuitry supporting substrate,

wherein an upper end of the front surface upper portion forms an edge of the body, and the first end of the display unit is adjacent the edge of the body,

wherein a portion of the front surface between the first end of the display unit and the front surface upper portion is uninterrupted,

wherein the body includes an upper rear portion opposite the upper portion of the front surface, the speaker unit includes a transducer, and the speaker unit is located in the upper rear portion such that the transducer of the speaker unit contacts the upper rear portion,

wherein the speaker unit is located at a position in the body that is the closest to the part that will be contacted with a user'"'"'s face when the body is contacted with the user'"'"'s face, and

wherein the transducer is configured to generate vibrations conducted to a user'"'"'s facial bones through the body so as to transmit a sound to the user.

2. The portable terminal according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the front surface between the second end of the display unit and the front surface lower portion is uninterrupted.

3. The portable terminal according to claim 1, wherein the front surface is uninterrupted.

4. The portable terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a touch screen located at a front surface of the display unit to generate input when touched.

5. The portable terminal according to claim 1, wherein the display unit includes a rear surface, and the speaker unit contacts the rear surface of the display unit.

6. The portable terminal according to claim 1, wherein the speaker unit includes a transducer that vibrates the body when the portable terminal is set in a silent mode.

7. The portable terminal according to claim 1, wherein the speaker unit is configured to function as an air conduction speaker.

8. The portable terminal of claim 7, wherein the body includes:

a rear surface; and

a sound emission hole located in the rear surface to emit a sound to the exterior of the portable terminal when the speaker unit is used as the air conduction speaker.

9. A portable terminal comprising:

a first body having a front surface, the front surface having an upper portion and a lower portion;

a display unit located in the first body and visible at the front surface thereof, the display unit having an first end and a second end, and the first end being adjacent the upper portion and the second end being adjacent the lower portion;

a second body having a key pad, the second body being connected to the first body such that the second body is moveable with respect to the first body; and

a speaker unit located in the first body, the speaker unit including a bone conduction speaker,

wherein the speaker unit is behind the display unit, below the first end of the display unit and above the second end of the unit,

wherein an upper end of the front surface upper portion forms an edge of the body, and the first end of the display unit is adjacent the edge of the body,

wherein a portion of the front surface between the first end of the display unit and the front surface upper portion is uninterrupted,

wherein the body includes an upper rear portion opposite the upper portion of the front surface, the speaker unit includes a transducer, and the speaker unit is located in the upper rear portion such that the transducer of the speaker unit contacts the upper rear portion,

wherein the speaker unit is located at a position in the body that is the closest to the part that will be contacted with a user'"'"'s face when the body is contacted with the user'"'"'s face, and

wherein the transducer is configured to generate vibrations conducted to a user'"'"'s facial bones through the body so as to transmit a sound to the user.

10. The portable terminal according to claim 9, wherein the second body includes an upper rear portion and a lower rear portion, and the bone conduction speaker includes a transducer located at the upper rear portion of the second body to be contacted with the upper rear portion of the second body.

11. The portable terminal according to 10, further comprising a slide module connecting the first body to the second body.

12. The portable terminal according to claim 9, further comprising a hinge portion, the first body and the second body being pivotally connected by the hinge portion, and the bone conduction speaker including a transducer disposed to contact the hinge portion.

13. A portable terminal comprising:

a body having a front surface, the front surface having an upper end portion and a lower end portion;

a display unit located in the body and visible at the front surface thereof, the display unit having a first end and a second end, and the first end being adjacent the upper end portion; and

a bone conduction speaker disposed at a rear side of the display unit and within the body,

wherein the bone conduction speaker is behind the display unit, below the first end of the display unit and above the second end of the unit,

wherein an upper end of the front surface upper portion forms an edge of the body, and the first end of the display unit is adjacent the edge of the body,

wherein a portion of the front surface between the first end of the display unit and the front surface upper portion is uninterrupted,

wherein the body includes an upper rear portion opposite the upper portion of the front surface, the speaker unit includes a transducer, and the speaker unit is located in the upper rear portion such that the transducer of the speaker unit contacts the upper rear portion,

wherein the speaker unit is located at a position in the body that is the closest to the part that will be contacted with a user'"'"'s face when the body is contacted with the user'"'"'s face, and

wherein the transducer is configured to generate vibrations conducted to a user'"'"'s facial bones through the body so as to transmit a sound to the user.

14. The portable terminal according to claim 13, wherein the portion of the front surface between the first end of the display unit and the upper portion is uninterrupted.

15. The portable terminal according to claim 14, wherein the portion of the front surface between the second end of the display unit and the lower portion is uninterrupted.

16. The portable terminal according to claim 13, wherein the front surface is uninterrupted.

17. The portable terminal according to claim 13, further comprising a touch screen located at a front surface of the display unit to generate input when touched.