Handheld electronics device having ergonomic features

• US 6,421,234 B1
• Filed: 10/10/2000
• Issued: 07/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Juniper Systems Inc.
• Original Assignee: Juniper Systems Inc.
• Inventors: Campbell, Ronald H., Ricks, Jeffery D., Spence, Gary D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schuberg, Darren
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANG, YEAN HSI
• Application Number:
  US09/686,337
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679-681, 361/683, 361/686, 361/729, 361/731, 364/708.1, 364/709.01, 235/462, 235/472, 710/12, 710/64, 710/67, 379/428, 379/433, 379/434
• US Class Current: 361/679.56
• 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 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• 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: G06F 1/1664 Arrangements for ergonomically adjusting the disposition of keys of the integrated keyboard

Abstract

Electronics devices having a housing with ergonomic features that enhance the ability of a user to hold the electronics devices for extended periods of time using different grips. The housing has a middle gripping region that is narrower than a top section and a bottom section positioned to either side of the gripping region. A keypad structure is positioned at the middle gripping section on a front surface of the housing. The back surface of the housing has a depression positioned generally at the midline of the housing. The depression engages the fingertips, the palm, or other portions of the hand when the user holds the electronics device. Rounded corners where the lateral surface of the housing meet the front surface and the back surface contribute to the user'"'"'s comfort when holding the electronics device. The ergonomic features of the housing enable the user to conveniently hold the electronics device in any of a variety of grips, using one or two hands, and in which the fingers or palm of the hand or hands engage the depression.

Claims

1. A handheld electronics device having ergonomic features that assist a user who holds the electronics device, the electronics device comprising:

a housing that is narrower at a middle gripping region than at a top section and a bottom section at either side of the gripping region, the housing having;

a front surface;

a back surface;

lateral surfaces;

rounded corners where the lateral surfaces meet the back surface; and

a longitudinal depression formed in the back surface, the depression having a peripheral edge distant from the lateral surfaces and is substantially at a midline of the back surface, the depression being adapted for engaging a portion of a hand of the user when the user holds the electronics device.

2. A handheld electronics device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a keypad structure positioned on the front surface at the middle gripping region.

3. A handheld electronics device as recited in claim 2, wherein the keypad structure is positioned on the front surface such that a force applied to depress a key of the keypad structure is directed generally toward the depression.

4. A handheld electronics device as recited in claim 2, further comprising a display device positioned in the top section of the housing.

5. A handheld electronics device as recited in claim 4, wherein a screen of the display device is angularly displaced such that the plane defined by the screen is not parallel to the plane defined by the keypad structure.

6. A handheld electronics device as recited in claim 1, wherein the gripping portion and the depression together enable the user to hold the handheld electronics device while alternating between:

a first grip using one hand, with an upper portion of the palm of the one hand being positioned on the depression, one or more fingers of the one hand being wrapped from the back surface to one adjacent lateral surface, and the thumb of the one hand being wrapped from the back surface to the other adjacent lateral surface;

a second grip using one hand, with one or more fingers of the one hand being positioned on the depression, a center portion of the palm being positioned at an adjacent lateral surface, and the thumb and associated portions of the palm being positioned at or near the front surface; and

a third grip using two hands positioned opposite one another, with fingers of each hand being positioned on the depression of the back surface, portions of the palms resting on the lateral surfaces, and both thumbs being available to access the front surface.

7. A handheld electronics device as recited in claim 1, wherein the housing houses a computer.

8. A handheld electronics device as recited in claim 1, wherein the housing further has rounded corners where the lateral surfaces meet the front surface.

9. A handheld electronics device having ergonomic features that assist a user who holds the electronics device, the electronics device comprising:

a housing that is narrower at a middle gripping region than at a top section and a bottom section at either side of the gripping region, the housing having;

a front surface;

a back surface;

lateral surfaces;

rounded corners where the lateral surfaces meet the back surface and where the lateral surfaces meet the front surface;

a longitudinal depression formed in the back surface, the depression having a peripheral edge distant from the lateral surfaces and is substantially at a midline of the back surface, the depression being adapted for engaging a portion of a hand of the user when the user holds the electronics device;

a keypad structure positioned on the front surface at the middle gripping region; and

a screen of a display device positioned at the top section.

10. A handheld electronics device as recited in claim 9, wherein:

the keypad structure defines a first line that is normal to the keypad structure and extends away from the keypad structure; and

the screen defines a second line that is normal to the screen and extends away from the screen, wherein the first line and the second line intersect.

11. A handheld electronics device as recited in claim 9, wherein the depression has a generally oblong shape having a major axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing.

12. A handheld electronics device as recited in claim 9, wherein the housing houses a computer.

13. A handheld electronics device as recited in claim 9, wherein the front surface comprises a removable bezel that can be removed to expose the keypad structure and enable the keypad structure to be cleaned.

14. A handheld electronics device as recited in claim 9, wherein:

the screen is a touch sensitive screen; and

the touch sensitivity of the screen can be selectively disabled without disabling the display device to enable the display device to be cleaned without causing the screen to react to pressure applied during cleaning.

15. A handheld computer having ergonomic features that assist a user who holds the computer, the computer comprising:

a housing that is narrower at a middle gripping region than at a top section and a bottom section at either side of the gripping region, the housing having;

a front surface;

a back surface;

lateral surfaces;

rounded corners where the lateral surfaces meet the back surface;

a longitudinal depression formed in the back surface, the depression having a peripheral edge distant from the lateral surfaces and is substantially at a midline of the back surface for engaging a portion of a hand of the user when the user holds the electronics device, the longitudinal depression having a generally oblong shape having a major axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing;

a keypad structure positioned on the front surface at the middle gripping region such that a force applied to depress a key of the keypad structure is directed generally toward the longitudinal depression, the keypad structure defining a first line that is normal to the keypad structure and extends away from the keypad structure; and

a screen of a display device positioned at the top section, the screen defining a second line that is normal to the screen and extends away from the screen, wherein the first line and the second line intersect.

16. A handheld computer as recited in claim 15, wherein the housing further has rounded corners where the lateral surfaces meet the front surface.

17. A handheld electronics device having ergonomic features that assist a user who holds the electronics device and that further has features that assist the user in cleaning the electronics device, the electronics device comprising:

a housing that is narrower at a middle gripping region than at a top section and a bottom section at either side of the gripping region, the housing having;

a front surface;

a back surface;

lateral surfaces;

rounded corners where the lateral surfaces meet the back surface;

a depression formed in the back surface substantially at a midline of the back surface for engaging a portion of a hand of the user when the user holds the electronics device;

a keypad structure positioned on the front surface at the middle gripping region, the keypad structure defining a first line that is normal to the keypad structure and extends away from the keypad structure;

a touch sensitive screen of a display device positioned at the top section, wherein the touch sensitivity of the screen can be selectively disabled without disabling the display device to enable the display device to be cleaned without causing the screen to react to pressure applied during cleaning, the touch sensitive screen defining a second line that is normal to the touch sensitive screen and extends away from the touch sensitive screen, wherein the first line and the second line intersect; and

a selectively removable bezel positioned over the keypad structure, the bezel having openings through which keys of the keypad structure extend when the bezel is positioned over the keypad structure, the bezel being removable to expose the keypad structure and enable the keypad structure to be cleaned.