Hand-held device

• US 8,208,620 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2010
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Hawkins, Jeffrey C., Skillman, Peter N., Rees, William B., Haitani, Robert Y., Yurochko, Michael Alexander, Colligan, Edward Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Jamal, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US12/755,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20100190516A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 379/368
• US Class Current: 379/368
• 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 and a second input module including a switch for receiving 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;

a detector configured to detect the relative movement of the second portion; and

a control logic for processing the characters and user inputs received from the first input module and the second input module, the control logic (i) transitioning the computing device to a power-on mode from a power-save mode in response to receiving a signal from the detector, the power-save mode consuming less energy compared to the power-on mode and the power-on mode corresponding to a mode in which the computing device is fully operational, and (ii) transitioning the computing device to the power-on mode from the power-save mode in response 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 comprises a physical keypad.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the second input module comprises a jog rocker.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the second input module comprises an application button.

5. A computing device comprising:

a first portion comprising a first input module for receiving characters and a second input module for receiving other user inputs;

a second portion coupled with the first portion and movable relative to the first portion between at least a first state exposing the input module and a second state concealing the input module;

a detector configured to generate a detection signal responsive to detecting movement of the second portion from the second state to the first state; and

a control logic coupled to the detector, the control logic being configured to;

(i) launch an application on the computing device in response to receiving the detection signal, and (ii) launch the application in response to receiving a user input from the second input module in the second state but not in the first state.

6. The computing device of claim 5, wherein the application comprises a telephone application, the control logic retrieving previous call attempts to the computing device and presenting the previous call attempts to a user responsive to receiving the detection signal.

7. The computing device of claim 5, wherein the application comprises a Short Message Service (SMS) application, the control logic retrieving received SMS messages and presenting the received SMS messages to a user responsive to receiving the detection signal.

8. The computing device of claim 5, wherein the launched application comprises an application that was active during previous transition from the first state to the second state.

9. The computing device of claim 5, wherein the control logic configured to launch the application based on stored user configuration.

10. The computing device of claim 5, wherein the application is one of memo pad application, a task list application, an application providing time in other locations and a calculator.

11. The computing device of claim 5, wherein the control logic is further configured to transition the computing device to a first power mode from a second power mode responsive to receiving the detector signal, the second power mode consuming less energy compared to the first power mode.

12. The computing device of claim 5, wherein the second portion comprises a lid covering at least a part of the first portion.

13. A method for operating a computing device, the method being performed by one or more processors of the computing device and comprising:

detecting relative movement between a first portion and a second portion of the computing device, the first portion comprising a first input module for receiving characters and a second input module for receiving other user inputs, the second portion being coupled with the first portion and movable relative to the first portion between at least a first state exposing the first input module and a second state concealing the first input module;

in response to detecting a transition from the second state to the first state, launching an application on the computing device; and

in response to detecting no transition from the second state to the first state and receiving a user input from the second input module in the second state but not the first state, launching the application on the computing device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the application comprises a telephone application, the control logic retrieving previous call attempts to the computing device and presenting the previous call attempts to a user responsive to detecting the transition from the second state to the first state.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the application comprises a Short Message Service (SMS) application, the control logic retrieving received SMS messages and presenting the received SMS messages to a user responsive to receiving the detection signal.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the launched application comprises an application that was active during previous transition from the first state to the second state.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the control logic configured to launch the application based on stored user configuration.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the application is one of memo pad application, a task list application, an application providing time in other locations and a calculator.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising transitioning the computing device to a first power mode from a second power mode responsive to detecting the transition from the second state to the first state, the second power mode consuming less energy compared to the first power mode.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the second portion comprises a lid covering at least a part of the first portion.