Dual-use portable display device

• US 8,224,406 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Geoffrey Champion
• Original Assignee: Geoffrey Champion
• Inventors: Champion, Geoffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Gonzales, April G
• Application Number:
  US12/972,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20110188191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/575.1, 455/575.3, 455/90.3, 361/679.27, 361/679.28, 361/679.16, 361/679.09, 361/679.15
• US Class Current: 455/575.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1615 with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function constructional details of portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts H04M1/0206

Abstract

A portable display device that, in a first configuration, may function as a first type of device, such as a cellular phone and, in a second configuration, as a second type of device, such as a personal computer a split, full size keyboard spanning a display panel. Each keyboard panel may be substantially equal in size to the display panel, and may constitute the left and right hand halves of a standard keyboard. The keyboard panels may be hingably connected to the opposite short sides of the rectangular display panel. The device may further include a numeric keypad, hingably connected to a short edge of either keyboard panel.

Claims

1. A portable display device, comprising:

a substantially rectangular display panel housing, housing a first display panel and having a first short side and a second short side, and wherein said first display panel covers an area of 80% or more of said display panel housing;

a first keyboard housing panel, substantially equal in size to said substantially rectangular display housing and less than 25% larger than said first display panel, and being hingably connected to said first short side of said substantially rectangular display panel housing;

a second keyboard housing panel, substantially equal in size to said substantially rectangular display panel housing and hingable connected to said second short side of said substantially rectangular display panel housing, and said second keyboard housing having a substantially constant, rectangular cross-section, such that in a first configuration, said portable display device functions as a first type of compact display device and in a second configuration said portable display device functions as a second type of display device comprising a split, full size keyboard input, and functional user access to said display panel in its entirety, and wherein in said first configuration, said substantially rectangular in cross-section, second keyboard is sandwiched between said display panel housing and said first keyboard housing and said substantially rectangular in cross-section, second keyboard separates all parts of said display panel housing from said first keyboard housing by at least the thickness of said substantially rectangular in cross-section second keyboard.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising a numeric keypad housing panel hingably connected to a short side of either said first keyboard housing panel or said second keyboard housing panel.

3. The device of claim 2 further comprising functional user access to said numeric keypad housing panel in either said first configuration or said second configuration.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said display panel is a liquid crystal display.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said display panel is a color light emitting diode (LED) display and further comprises a substantially transparent touch sensitive cover layer.

6. The device of claim 2 wherein said second keyboard housing panel further comprises a second display panel disposed such that in said first configuration, said portable display device comprises functional user access to said second display panel.

7. The device of claim 3 wherein said first configuration further comprises functional user access to at least a portion of said first display panel.

8. The device of claim 3 further comprising at least one connection component.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein said connection component is selected from the group comprising a USB port, a power plug, an earphone and microphone plug or some combination thereof.

10. The device of claim 3 further comprising one of a digital camera lens a battery cover, a memory card slot, a primary tab, a secondary tab, a camera control, a pointer control a loud speaker or some combination thereof.

11. The device of claim 3 further comprising at least one locking flange situated so as to limit rotation of one of said panels to another of said panels to substantially 180 degrees.

12. The device of claim 3 wherein at least one of said hingable connections comprises a hinge having a cable feed-through.

13. The device of claim 3 wherein at least one of said hingable connections comprises a hinge having both confronting surfaces of the hinge substantially at the center of rotation of the hinge.

14. A method of transforming a portable display device from a first, folded configuration to a second, unfolded configuration, said method comprising the steps of:

providing portable display device having;

a substantially rectangular display panel housing, housing a first display panel and having a first short side and a second short side, and wherein said first display panel covers an area of 80% or more of said display panel housing;

a first keyboard housing panel, substantially equal in size to said substantially rectangular display panel housing and hingably connected to said first short side of said substantially rectangular display panel housing;

a second keyboard housing panel, substantially equal in size to said substantially rectangular display panel housing and less than 25% larger than said first display panel, and said second keyboard housing having a substantially constant, rectangular cross-section and being hingably connected to said second short side of said substantially rectangular display panel housing; and

wherein in said first configuration, said substantially rectangular in cross-section second keyboard is sandwiched between said display panel housing and said first keyboard housing and said substantially rectangular in cross-section second keyboard separates all parts of said display panel housing from said first keyboard housing by at least the thickness of said substantially rectangular in cross-section second keyboard

rotating a numeric keypad housing panel about a first hinge such that said numeric keypad housing panel moves away from said second keyboard housing panel comprising a right hand section of a keyboard;

rotating said second keyboard housing panel around a second hinge such that said second keyboard housing panel moves away from said substantially rectangular display panel housing; and

rotating said first keyboard housing panel comprising a left hand section of a keyboard around a third hinge such that said first keyboard housing panel moves away from said substantially rectangular display panel housing.