Personal digital assistant with keyboard

• US 20040023696A1
• Filed: 04/23/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Young S.
• Granted Patent: US 6,914,776 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• 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: G06F 1/1679 for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA G06F1/1681 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1632 Pen holder integrated in the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1634 Integrated protective display lid, e.g. for touch-sensitive display in handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection

Abstract

A personal digital assistant comprises a housing having the top and a bottom. A display screen at the top of the housing. A keyboard hinged to one side of the housing and adapted to rotate from a first position where it is stored on the bottom of the housing with the keys facing the housing and a second position where it overlies a portion of the display screen with the keys exposed for manipulation by the user and the remaining portion of the screen displays information.

Claims

1. A personal digital assistant comprising:

a housing;

a display screen on the front of said housing, said screen adapted to function both in a portrait or landscape format; and

a keyboard hinged to one side of the housing and adapted to rotate to a first position to the back of the housing with the keys facing the housing for storage of the keyboard and to a second position on the top of the housing over a portion of the display screen with the keys exposed for manipulation by the user.

2. A personal digital assistant as in claim 1 including switching means for switching the display screen from the portrait format to the landscape format when the keyboard is rotated from the first position to the second position.

3. A personal digital assistant as in claim 1 including a latch for latching the keyboard in the first position.

4. A personal digital assistant as in claim 1 including a pen removably carried by the housing.

5. A personal digital assistant comprising:

a housing;

a battery supported on the back of said housing;

a display screen on the front of said housing, said screen adapted to function both in a portrait or landscape format; and

a keyboard hinged to one side of the housing and adapted to rotate to a first position on the back of the housing with the keys facing the housing for storage of the keyboard and to a second position on the top of the housing over a portion of the display screen with the keys exposed for manipulation by the user and the exposed portion of the screen displaying information.

6. A personal digital assistant as in claim 5 including switching means for switching the display screen from the portrait format to the landscape format when the keyboard is rotated from the first position to the second position.

7. A personal digital assistant as in claim 5 including a latch for latching the keyboard in the first position.

8. A personal digital assistant as in claim 5 including a pen removably carried by the housing.

9. A personal digital assistant as in claim 5 in which the battery and keyboard are at substantially the same level when the keyboard is in the first position.