Folding mobile device

• US 8,797,268 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2010
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Altman, Steven R., Ervin, Daniel R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Leiby, Christopher E
• Application Number:
  US12/917,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20110115713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,372 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-178
• US Class Current: 345/169
• 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 1/162 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 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0237 Sliding mechanism with one degree of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/18 including more than one keyboard unit

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a folding wireless device is disclosed. The wireless device may have a first housing and a second housing. Each housing may have a keyboard and a display. The housings may be connected by a hinge assembly which is operable to position the wireless device in an open or a closed configuration. Each display may be connected to each respective housing by a display support assembly operable to position the displays in a retracted position or an extended position. The display support assemblies may be further operable to tilt the displays toward a longitudinal axis formed by the housings, which may be in the open configuration.

Claims

1. A wireless device, comprising:

a first housing, having a first keyboard and a first display, the first display being directly connected to the first housing by a first display support assembly, the first display support assembly being operable to slide the first display between a first retracted position obscuring the first keyboard and a first extended position wherein the first keyboard is in an open position ready to receive data input;

a second housing, having a second keyboard, a second display, and a third display, the second display being directly connected to the second housing by a second display support assembly, the second display support assembly being operable to slide the second display between a second retracted position obscuring the second keyboard and a second extended position wherein the second keyboard is in an open position ready to receive data input, the second display support assembly is operable to slide the second display independent from the first display support assembly, and the third display comprises a touchscreen disposed on a front surface of the second housing; and

a hinge assembly rotatably connecting the first housing and the second housing, the housings forming a longitudinal axis substantially orthogonal to the hinge assembly, wherein the hinge assembly is operable to configure the first housing and the second housing in a closed configuration or an open configuration along the longitudinal axis, the closed configuration exposing the third display on the front surface of the second housing while concealing the first and second displays and the open configuration exposing the first and second displays,

wherein, when the first and second housings are in the open configuration and the first keyboard is in the first extended position and the second keyboard is in the second extended position, the first keyboard functions as a first half of a standard keyboard and the second keyboard functions as a second half of the standard keyboard.

2. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is in the open configuration when the first housing and the second housing are substantially parallel along the longitudinal axis.

3. The wireless device of claim 2, wherein the open configuration further defines an angle between the first and second housings at or near 180 degrees.

4. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the first display is in the first retracted position when positioned substantially over the first housing and substantially parallel along the longitudinal axis.

5. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the first display is in the first extended position when positioned away from and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

6. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is in a split configuration when the first display is in the first extended position and the second display is in the second retracted position.

7. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the first display support assembly is further operable to:

allow the first display to substantially slide between the hinge assembly and a distal end of the first housing while sliding between the refracted position and the extended position.

8. The wireless device of claim 1, further comprising:

a module operable to interact with the first display and the second display substantially simultaneously as a single user interface.

9. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the first display support assembly is further operable to:

tilt the first display in the first extended position rotationally about the longitudinal axis to form an angle between a face of the first display and a face of the first keyboard.

10. The wireless device of claim 9, wherein when the first display is substantially tilted the first display is substantially fixed by a locking bias.

11. The wireless device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first user interface positioned on a face of the first housing opposing the first keyboard, wherein the first user interface provides user interaction with the first display.

12. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the first user interface is a touchscreen, a touchpad, a thumbstick, a trackball, a camera with motion detection, or combination thereof.

13. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the first display is operable to provide a limited user interface when the wireless device is in the open configuration and the first display is in the first retracted position.

14. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the first display is operable to provide an enhanced user interface when the first display is in the first extended position.

15. A wireless device, comprising:

a first housing means, having a first keyboard means and a first display means, the first display means being directly connected to the first housing means by a first display support means, the first display support means being operable to slide the first display means between a first retracted position obscuring the first keyboard means and a first extended position wherein the first keyboard means is in an open position ready to receive data input;

a second housing means, having a second keyboard means, a second display means, and a third display means, the second display means being directly connected to the second housing means by a second display support means, the second display support means being operable to slide the second display means between a second retracted position obscuring the second keyboard means and a second extended position wherein the second keyboard means is in an open position ready to receive data input, the second display support means is operable to slide the second display means independent from the first display support means, and the third display means comprises a touchscreen disposed on a front surface of the second housing means; and

a hinge means rotatably connecting the first housing means and the second housing means, the first and second housing means forming a longitudinal axis substantially orthogonal to the hinge means, wherein the hinge means is operable to configure the first housing means and the second housing means in a closed configuration or an open configuration along the longitudinal axis, the closed configuration exposing the third display means while concealing the first and second displays means and the open configuration exposing the first and second displays means,

wherein, when the first and second housing means are in the open configuration and the first keyboard means is in the first extended position and the second keyboard means is in the second extended position, the first keyboard means functions as a first half of a standard keyboard and the second keyboard means functions as a second half of the standard keyboard.

16. The wireless device of claim 15, wherein the wireless device is in the open configuration when a first face of the first housing means and a second face of the second housing means are substantially opposing and substantially parallel along the longitudinal axis.

17. The wireless device of claim 16, wherein the open configuration further defines an angle between the first and second housing means at or near 180 degrees.

18. The wireless device of claim 15, wherein the first display means is in the first retracted position when positioned substantially over the first housing means and substantially parallel along the longitudinal axis.

19. The wireless device of claim 15, wherein the first display means is in the first extended position when positioned away from and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

20. The wireless device of claim 15, wherein the wireless device is in a split configuration when the first display means is in the first extended position and the second display means is in the second retracted position.

21. The wireless device of claim 15, wherein the first display support means is further operable to:

allow the first display means to substantially slide between the hinge means and a distal end of the first housing means while sliding between the retracted position and the extended position.

22. The wireless device of claim 15, further comprising:

a module means operable to interact with the first display means and the second display means substantially simultaneously as a single user interface means.

23. The wireless device of claim 15, wherein the first display support means is further operable to:

tilt the first display means in the first extended position rotationally about the longitudinal axis to form an angle between a face of the first display means and a face of the first keyboard means.

24. The wireless device of claim 23, wherein when the first display means is substantially tilted the first display means is substantially fixed by a locking bias.

25. The wireless device of claim 15, further comprising:

a first user interface means positioned on a face of the first housing means opposing the first keyboard means, wherein the first user interface means provides user interaction with the first display means.

26. The wireless device of claim 25, wherein the first user interface means is a touchscreen means, a touchpad means, a thumbstick means, a trackball means, a camera means with motion detection means, or combination thereof.

27. The wireless device of claim 15, wherein the first display means is operable to provide a limited user interface means when the wireless device is in the open configuration and the first display means is in the first retracted position.

28. The wireless device of claim 15, wherein the first display means is operable to provide an enhanced user interface means when the first display means is in the first extended position.

29. A method, comprising:

detecting a configuration of a wireless device having a first housing and a second housing rotatably connected by a hinge assembly, the hinge assembly operable to configure the wireless device in an open configuration or a closed configuration, the first housing comprising a first keyboard and a first display and the second housing comprising a second keyboard, a second display, and a third display comprising a touchscreen, wherein the closed configuration exposes the third display while concealing the first and second displays;

detecting a first position of the first display, the first display being directly connected to the first housing by a first display support assembly, the first display support assembly being operable to position the first display in a first retracted position obscuring the first keyboard connected to the first housing or a first extended position wherein the first keyboard is in an open position ready to receive data input; and

detecting a second position of the second display, the second display being directly connected to the second housing by a second display support assembly, the second display support assembly being operable to position the second display in a second retracted position obscuring the second keyboard connected to the second housing or a second extended position wherein the second keyboard is in an open position ready to receive data input, the second display support assembly being operable to position the second display independent from the first display support assembly;

wherein, when the first keyboard is in the first extended position and the second keyboard is in the second extended position, the first keyboard functions as a first half of a standard keyboard and the second keyboard functions as a second half of the standard keyboard.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

detecting the wireless device in the closed configuration when a first face of the first housing and a second face of the second housing are substantially physically touching.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

detecting the wireless device in the open configuration when a first face of the first housing and a second face of the second housing are substantially opposing and substantially parallel along a longitudinal axis formed by first and second housing substantially orthogonal to the hinge assembly.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

detecting the open configuration when an angle between the first face and the second face is at or near 180 degrees.

33. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

detecting the first retracted position when the first display is positioned substantially over the first housing and substantially parallel along the longitudinal axis.

34. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

detecting the first extended position when the first display is positioned away from and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

35. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

detecting a split configuration of the wireless device when the first display is detected in the first extended position and the second display is detected in the second retracted position.

36. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

detecting the first display substantially sliding between the hinge assembly and a distal end of the first housing while sliding between the retracted position and the extended position, the first display support assembly being operable to allow the sliding.

37. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

interacting with the first display and the second display substantially simultaneously as a single user interface.

38. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

detecting a tilting of the first display in the first extended position, the tilting being rotational about the longitudinal axis to form an angle between a face of the first display and a face of the first keyboard, the first display support assembly being operable to allow the tilting.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein when the first display is substantially tilted the first display is substantially fixed by a locking bias.

40. The method of claim 29, the wireless device further comprising:

a first user interface positioned on a face of the first housing opposing the first keyboard, wherein the first user interface provides user interaction with the first display.

41. The method of claim 29, wherein the first user interface is a touchscreen, a touchpad, a thumbstick, a trackball, a camera with motion detection, or combination thereof.

42. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

providing a limited user interface on the first display when the wireless device is detected in the open configuration and the first display is detected in the first retracted position.

43. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

providing an enhanced user interface on the first display when the first display is detected in the first extended position.

44. A non-transitory memory medium comprising instructions, which, when executed by a machine cause the machine to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

at least one instruction for detecting a configuration of a wireless device having a first housing and a second housing rotatably connected by a hinge assembly, the hinge assembly operable to configure the wireless device in an open configuration or a closed configuration, the first housing comprising a first keyboard and a first display and the second housing comprising a second keyboard, a second display, and a third display comprising a touchscreen, wherein the closed configuration exposes the third display while concealing the first and second displays;

at least one instruction for detecting a first position of the first display, the first display being directly connected to the first housing by a first display support assembly, the first display support assembly being operable to position the first display in a first retracted position obscuring the first keyboard connected to the first housing or a first extended position wherein the first keyboard is in an open position ready to receive data input;

at least one instruction for detecting a second position of the second display, the second display being directly connected to the second housing by a second display support assembly, the second display support assembly being operable to position the second display in a second retracted position obscuring the second keyboard connected to the second housing or a second extended position wherein the second keyboard is in an open position ready to receive data input, the second display support assembly being operable to position the second display independent from the first display support assembly;

wherein, when the first keyboard is in the first extended position and the second keyboard is in the second extended position, the first keyboard functions as a first half of a standard keyboard and the second keyboard functions as a second half of the standard keyboard.

45. The memory medium of claim 44 further comprising:

at least one instruction for detecting the wireless device in the closed configuration when a first face of the first housing and a second face of the second housing are substantially physically touching.

46. The memory medium of claim 44, further comprising:

at least one instruction for detecting the wireless device in the open configuration when a first face of the first housing and a second face of the second housing are substantially opposing and substantially parallel along a longitudinal axis formed by first and second housing substantially orthogonal to the hinge assembly.

47. The memory medium of claim 46, further comprising:

at least one instruction for detecting the open configuration when an angle between the first face and the second face is at or near 180 degrees.

48. The memory medium of claim 44, further comprising:

at least one instruction for detecting the first retracted position when the first display is positioned substantially over the first housing and substantially parallel along the longitudinal axis.

49. The memory medium of claim 44, further comprising:

at least one instruction for detecting the first extended position when the first display is positioned away from and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

50. The memory medium of claim 44, further comprising:

at least one instruction for detecting a split configuration of the wireless device when the first display is detected in the first extended position and the second display is detected in the second retracted position.

51. The memory medium of claim 44, further comprising:

at least one instruction for detecting the first display substantially sliding between the hinge assembly and a distal end of the first housing while sliding between the retracted position and the extended position, the first display support assembly being operable to allow the sliding.

52. The memory medium of claim 44, further comprising:

at least one instruction for interacting with the first display and the second display substantially simultaneously as a single user interface.

53. The memory medium of claim 44, further comprising:

at least one instruction for detecting a tilting of the first display in the first extended position, the tilting being rotational about the longitudinal axis to form an angle between a face of the first display and a face of the first keyboard, the first display support assembly being operable to allow the tilting.

54. The memory medium of claim 44, wherein when the first display is substantially tilted the first display is substantially fixed by a locking bias.

55. The memory medium of claim 44, the wireless device further comprising:

a first user interface positioned on a face of the first housing opposing the first keyboard, wherein the first user interface provides user interaction with the first display.

56. The memory medium of claim 55, wherein the first user interface is a touchscreen, a touchpad, a thumbstick, a trackball, a camera with motion detection, or combination thereof.

57. The memory medium of claim 44, further comprising:

at least one instruction for providing a limited user interface on the first display when the wireless device is detected in the open configuration and the first display is detected in the first retracted position.

58. The memory medium of claim 44, further comprising:

at least one instruction for providing an enhanced user interface on the first display when the first display is detected in the first extended position.