Dual-mode mobile communication device

• US 9,134,759 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2010
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Griffin, Jason T., Lazaridis, Mihal
• Primary Examiner(s): Sim, Yong H
• Application Number:
  US12/723,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20100164872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,013 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• 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 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device

Abstract

A dual-mode mobile communication device is provided including a device housing having a front surface, a rear surface and a plurality of side surfaces coupling the front surface to the rear surface. The dual-mode device includes a transceiver for sending and receiving voice and data communications is integrated into the device housing, a display, mounted within the front surface of the device housing, for displaying information to a user of the device regarding voice and data communications, a QWERTY keyboard mounted below the display and within the front surface of the device housing, for generating data communications, and a microphone and a speaker for generating voice communications, wherein the microphone is mounted below the display within the front surface of the device housing and the speaker is mounted above the display within the front surface of the device housing.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a device housing having housing surfaces including a top surface and having a housing width;

a display located at the top surface of said device housing, wherein a keyboard is positioned beneath said display; and

said keyboard located at said top surface of said device housing and having a keyboard width less than the housing width, said keyboard comprising twenty-six alphabetic character keys each located on, or protruding through, said top surface and laid out in QWERTY style, said keyboard arranged in three rows including an upper row of alphabetic character keys disposed such that five alphabetic character keys of the upper row are disposed on each side of a straight vertical reference line, said keyboard including a lower row disposed such that four keys are disposed on the one side of the straight vertical reference line and three alphabetic character keys are disposed on the other side of the straight vertical reference line, each of the twenty-six alphabetic character keys includes a lower edge and an upper edge that is closer to the display than the lower edge, and keys left of the straight vertical reference line have upper edges tilted counterclockwise away from the vertical line, and keys right of the straight vertical reference line have upper edges tilted clockwise away from the vertical line.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the three rows of said keyboard comprises a middle row of alphabetic character keys disposed such that five alphabetic character keys are disposed on the one side of the straight vertical reference line and four alphabetic character keys are disposed on the other side of the straight vertical reference line.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the lower row is disposed such that four alphabetic character keys are disposed on the one side of the straight vertical reference line and three alphabetic character keys are disposed on the other side of the straight vertical reference line.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said housing has a first dimension and a second dimension, the first dimension defining a major axis and the second dimension defining a minor axis.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the major axis defined by the first dimension of said housing is at least parallel to the straight vertical reference line.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the straight vertical reference line comprises the major axis of said housing.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein a display is located at the top surface of said housing and configured to be symmetrical about the straight vertical reference line.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the keyboard further includes a key located below the lower row and larger in size than any other key of the keyboard.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the keyboard further includes a space bar located below the lower row, configured larger in size than any other key of the keyboard, and positioned such that substantially half is located on one side of the straight vertical reference line.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the positive and negative angles are complementary angles.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the keys of the keyboard are not all of a same shape.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a device housing having housing surfaces including a top surface and having a housing width;

a display located at the top surface of said device housing, wherein a keyboard is positioned beneath said display; and

said keyboard located at said top surface of said device housing and having a keyboard width less than the housing width, said keyboard comprising twenty-six alphabetic character keys each located on, or protruding through, said top surface and laid out in QWERTY style, said keyboard arranged in three rows including a lower row of alphabetic character keys disposed such that four alphabetic keys are disposed on one side of a straight vertical reference line and three alphabetic character keys are on an other side of the straight vertical reference line, said keyboard including an upper row disposed such that equal numbers of alphabetic character keys of the upper row are disposed on each side of the straight vertical reference line, each of the twenty-six alphabetic character keys includes a lower edge and an upper edge that is closer to the display than the lower edge, and keys left of the straight vertical reference line have upper edges tilted counterclockwise away from the vertical line, and keys right of the straight vertical reference line have upper edges tilted clockwise away from the vertical line.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said keyboard further comprises an upper row of alphabetic character keys disposed such that five alphabetic character keys of the upper row are disposed on each side of the straight vertical reference line.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said keyboard further comprises a middle row of alphabetic character keys disposed such that five alphabetic character keys are disposed on the one side of the straight vertical reference line and four alphabetic character keys are disposed on the other side of the straight vertical reference line.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the keyboard further includes a key located below the lower row and larger in size than any other key of the keyboard.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the keyboard further includes a space bar located below the lower row, configured larger in size than any other key of the keyboard, and positioned such that substantially half is located on one side of the straight vertical reference line.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the positive and negative angles are complementary angles.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the keys of the keyboard are not all of a same shape.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a device housing having housing surfaces including a top surface and having a housing width;

a display located at the top surface of said device housing, wherein a keyboard is positioned beneath said display; and

said keyboard located at said top surface of said device housing and having a keyboard width less than the housing width, said keyboard comprising twenty-six alphabetic character keys each located on, or protruding through, said top surface and laid out in QWERTY style and at least one function key, said keyboard arranged in three rows including a middle row of keys comprising alphabetic character keys disposed such that equal numbers of keys of the middle row are on each side of a straight vertical reference line, the keyboard including an upper row of alphabetic character keys disposed such that five alphabetic character keys of the upper row are disposed on each side of the straight vertical reference line, each of the twenty-six alphabetic character keys includes a lower edge and an upper edge that is closer to the display than the lower edge, and keys left of the straight vertical reference line have upper edges tilted counterclockwise away from the vertical line, and keys right of the straight vertical reference line have upper edges tilted clockwise away from the vertical line.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said keyboard includes a lower row of alphabetic character keys disposed such that four keys are disposed on one side of the straight vertical reference line and three alphabetic character keys are on another side of the straight vertical reference line.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the middle row includes both alphabetic character keys and a function key.

22. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the keys of said keyboard are symmetrically arranged about the straight vertical reference line.

23. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the keyboard further includes a key located below a lower row of the keyboard and larger in size than any other key of the keyboard.

24. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the keyboard further includes a space bar located below a lower row of the keyboard, configured larger in size than any other key of the keyboard, and positioned such that substantially half is located on one side of the straight vertical reference line.

25. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the positive and negative angles are complementary angles.

26. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the keys of the keyboard are not all of a same shape.