Hand-held device

• US 7,725,127 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2005
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Skillman, Peter N, Colligan, Edward T, Yurochko, Michael A, Hawkins, Jeffrey C, Haitani, Robert Y, Rees, William B
• Primary Examiner(s): Jamal; Alexander
• Application Number:
  US11/129,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20050227635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,838 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• 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 1/1626 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 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1671 Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop G06F1/1666 takes precedence
• 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 1/32 Means for saving power
• 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 1/0241 using relative motion of the body parts to change the operational status of the telephone set, e.g. switching on/off, answering incoming call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/236 including keys on side or rear faces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/14 including a card reading device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 : including more than one display unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 : including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 : methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation methods for entering alphabetical characters per se G06F3/0237

Abstract

A hand-held device that provides communication services and symbol processing is described. The device includes a case having a front side comprising a display and a lid having a transparent portion through which the display can be seen in a lid-closed state. In one version, the hand-held device comprises a QWERTY keyboard including an arrangement of digits as in a touch-tone telephone keypad arrangement. In another version, the display includes a handwriting area for data entry using a stylus or other screen data entry device. In a closed position, the lid extends over the display and the keyboard, leaving another user input device physically accessible to touch for receiving input wherein the device performs processing responsive to receiving input from the physically accessible user input device in the lid closed state.

Claims

1. A computing device for providing communication services and character processing, the computing device comprising:

a first portion comprising;

a first input module for receiving characters;

a second input module including a switch for receiving user inputs;

a control logic for processing the characters received from the first input module and the user inputs received from the second input module; and

a display module coupled to the control logic for displaying views associated with the processing of the characters or the user inputs;

a second portion coupled with the first portion and movable relative to the first portion between at least a first state and a second state, the first input module exposed in the first state, the first input module concealed in the second state, the switch of the second input module exposed in the second state; and

a detector coupled to the first portion or the second portion to sense the relative movement of the second portion;

the control logic transitioning the computing device to a first power mode from a second power mode responsive to transitioning from the second state to the first state, the second power mode consuming less energy compared to the first power mode, the control logic transitioning the computing device to the first power mode from the second power mode responsive to receiving a user input from the second input module in the second state.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first input module further comprising three rows of keys and consecutive keys within a first row comprising the letters “

Q”

, “

W”

, “

E”

, “

R”

, “

T”

, “

Y”

.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the display module comprises a touch-sensitive display.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the display module comprises a color display.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein a speaker is located in the second portion.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the control logic includes a radio module for providing radio communications.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the radio module provides voice communication functionality.

8. The device of claim 2, wherein the first input module further includes a touch-tone telephone keypad arrangement of keys representing numbers “

0”

to “

9”

within the three rows of keys.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein one or more of the keys associated with a character in the first input module has a telephone keypad key indicator.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the second input module is a jog rocker.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the second input module comprises an application button located on the front of the device.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising a top part and a bottom part and a stylus holder, the holder having an upper portion in the top part of the first portion and extending within the first portion toward the bottom part, the upper portion of the stylus holder having a rim having a first downward slope for causing a lip of a stylus having a second downward slope to slide along the rim transforming rotary motion of the stylus into a linear motion of the stylus within the holder.

14. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a door in the first portion, said door having a holder for an identification card; and

a card detector unit within the first portion for detecting the presence of the identification card.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the display module further includes a handwriting area for data entry.

22. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the first portion further comprises a transparent portion through which the view of the display module is visible in the second state.

23. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the control logic is configured to transition from the first power mode to the second power mode responsive to detecting transition from the first state to the second state.

24. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the control logic is configured to:

generate an incoming call notification responsive to receiving a call;

detect transition from the first state to the second state after a notification time period passes after generating the incoming call notification; and

transition the device from the first power mode to the second power mode responsive to detecting the transition from the first state to the second state after the notification period.

25. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the control logic is further configured to:

process an active call in a hands-free attachment state;

transition the device from the first power mode to the second power mode responsive to detecting transition from the first state to the second state in the hands-free attachment state; and

maintain the active call after transitioning the device to the second power mode in the hands-free attachment state.

26. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the control logic is configured to:

process an active call in a no-hands-free attachment state; and

end the active call and transition the device from the first power mode to the second power mode responsive to detecting transition from the first state to the second state in the no-hands-free attachment state.

10. A computing device for providing communication services and character processing, the computing device comprising:

a first portion comprising;

a first input module for receiving characters;

a second input module including a switch for receiving user inputs;

a control logic for processing the characters received from the first input module and the user inputs received from the second input module; and

a display module coupled to the control logic for displaying views associated with the processing of the characters or the user inputs;

a second portion coupled with the first portion and movable relative to the second portion between at least a first state and a second state, the first input module exposed in the first state, the first input module concealed in the second state, the switch of the second input module exposed in the second state; and

a detector coupled to the first portion or the second portion to sense the relative movement of the second portion;

the control logic executing an application in response to receiving the user inputs from the second input module in the second state but not in the first state, the control logic transitioning the computing device to a first power mode from a second power mode responsive to transitioning from the second state to the first state, the second power mode consuming less energy compared to the first power mode;

the first input module disabled in the second state, a repeat functionality for the first input module disabled in the second state, the control logic setting a first timeout for receiving indication of further activation of the device in the first state, the control logic setting a second timeout in the second state, the second timeout shorter than the first timeout.

16. In a computing device for providing communication services and character processing, the device comprising a first portion and a second portion connected to the first portion the method comprising:

transitioning from a first power mode to a second power mode responsive to detecting movement of the second portion relative to the first portion from a first state to a second state, the second power mode consuming less energy compared to the first power mode, the first state exposing a first input module for receiving characters, the second state concealing the first input module;

receiving the characters from the first input module in the second state;

displaying a first view on a screen of the computing device, the first view associated with executing an application responsive to receiving the characters;

transitioning from the second power mode to the first power mode responsive to receiving a user input from the second input module in the second state;

receiving a user input from a second input module including a switch, the switch exposed in the second state;

executing an application responsive to receiving the user input from the second input module in the second state but not in the first state; and

displaying a second view on a screen of the computing device, the second view associated with executing of an application responsive to receiving the user input.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the application is a telephone application for receiving or placing a telephone call.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

transitioning the device from the first power mode to the second power mode responsive to detecting transition from the first state to the second state.

19. The method of claim 16, further:

generating an incoming call notification responsive to receiving a call;

detecting a transition from the first state to the second state after a notification time period passes after generating the incoming call notification; and

transitioning the device from the first power mode to the second power mode responsive to detecting the transition from the first state to the second state after the notification period.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

processing an active call in a hands-free attachment state;

transitioning the device from the first power mode to the second power mode responsive to detecting transition from the first state to the second state in the hands-free attachment state; and

maintaining the active call after transitioning the device to the second power mode in the hands-free attachment state.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

processing an active call in a no-hands-free attachment state; and

ending the active call and transitioning the device from the first power mode to the second power mode responsive to detecting transition from the first state to the second state in the no-hands-free attachment state.