Physical configuration of a hand-held electronic communication device

• US 6,665,173 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2000
• Issued: 12/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wireless Agents LLC
• Original Assignee: Wireless Agents LLC
• Inventors: Brandenberg, Carl Brock, Kay, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEA EDMONDS, LISA S
• Application Number:
  US09/745,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20010048589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679-686, 361/724-727, 345/905, 345/156, 345/169, 349/58, 312/223--22, 400/88, 400/682
• US Class Current: 361/679.09
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• 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 1/1622 with enclosures rotating around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define or with ball-joint coupling, e.g. PDA with display enclosure orientation changeable between portrait and landscape by rotation with respect to a coplanar body enclosure
• 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: G06F 1/1664 Arrangements for ergonomically adjusting the disposition of keys of the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• 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 1/0225 Rotatable telephones, i.e. the body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 : Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/905 : Display device with housing structure

Abstract

A hand-held, electronic, bi-directional, wireless electronic communication device having a physical configuration which includes a relatively large, constantly visible display and an alphanumeric keyboard that can be concealed until needed.

Claims

1. A hand-held, electronic computing device having a physical configuration comprising:

a body portion;

a display portion pivotally coupled to the body portion;

a constantly visible display carried by the display portion;

an alphanumeric keyboard carried by the body portion;

wherein the alphanumeric keyboard is at least partially concealed by the display portion when not in use; and

wherein the display portion pivots relative to the body portion in a plane that is generally parallel with the alphanumeric keyboard.

2. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 1, wherein the display portion completely conceals the alphanumeric keyboard.

3. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 1, wherein the display portion pivots 180°

relative to the body portion to define an open position.

4. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 1, wherein the display portion pivots from a point located above the alphanumeric keyboard.

5. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 1, wherein the display portion pivots from a point located below the alphanumeric keyboard.

6. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 1, wherein the display is a high-resolution color display.

7. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one push pad disposed on the body portion to aid in pivoting the display portion relative to the body portion.

8. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one push pad disposed on the display portion to aid in pivoting the display portion relative to the body portion.

9. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one protective bumper disposed on the body portion.

10. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one protective bumper disposed on the display portion.

11. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 1, wherein the body portion is formed from a partially transparent material.

12. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 1, wherein the display portion is formed from a partially transparent material.

13. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 1, wherein the body portion is of modular construction to allow the interchangeability of external components.

14. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 1, wherein the display portion is of modular construction to allow the interchangeability of external components.

15. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one input/output component from the following group;

a. a light;

b. an LED;

c. a button;

d. a joystick;

e. a touch pad;

f. a jog wheel;

g. a scroll wheel;

h. a speaker;

i. a headphone jack;

j. a microphone;

k. an infrared port;

l. a DC adapter port;

m. an antenna;

n. an on/off switch;

o. an analog responder; and

p. a conductive power terminal.

16. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 15, wherein the input/output components are carried by the body portion.

17. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 15, wherein the input/output components are carried by the display portion.

18. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 16, wherein the input/output components are carried by both the body portion and the display portion.

19. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 15, wherein the input/output components are located to facilitate interaction with the device while the display portion is positioned to partially conceal the alphanumeric keyboard.

20. The hand-held, electronic computing device according to claim 15, wherein the LED is a full-spectrum color LED.