Abstract:
A phone having an elongated housing with a top surface and a bottom surface. The phone includes a display screen affixed to the housing. The display screen forms a majority of the surface area of the top surface of the housing. The phone also includes a keypad having a plurality of keys corresponding with the digits 0-9. The plurality of keys are sequentially positioned along a side of the display on the top surface. The key for the digit 0 is adjacent to either the key for the digit 1 or the key for the digit 9. The phone further includes a first battery and a second battery that are coupled with the housing. In operation, the first and second batteries cooperatively provide power to operate the phone.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 120 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/980,592, filed Nov. 3, 2004 as a continuation-in-part application. The disclosure of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/980,592 is incorporated herein in its entirety. 

   BACKGROUND 
   1. Field 
   The present invention is directed to a phone and more particularly to a phone having a keypad that provides for ease of use for the visually impaired. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   The use of portable phones has increased greatly over the last several years. Most mobile phones that have been manufactured use a fairly common layout. They typically come in either a clamshell or “candy bar” chassis layout with a small rectangular screen at the top and an array of keypad buttons beneath the screen. The keypad buttons are typically arranged in a four by three grid. For example, the numbers 1, 2, and 3 across the top row, the numbers 4, 5, and 6 across the second row, beneath the first row, the numbers 7, 8, and 9 in the third row beneath the second row, and the *, 0, # across the fourth row beneath the third row. 
   Over the years, mobile phones have become increasingly smaller in size, with smaller keypads and smaller displays. As the phones have become smaller in size, the keypads and displays have also become smaller in size. Even for individuals having perfect vision, it is sometimes difficult to see and to manipulate the keypad, and to see the characters on the display. For individuals having impaired eyesight, or who are farsighted, or even legally blind, it is even more difficult to see and manipulate the keypad, and view the display. Accordingly, there is a need to provide a mobile phone that is more easy to use for individuals having impaired vision, farsightedness, or who are legally blind. 
     FIG. 1A  shows a top view of such a prior art mobile phone  10  having a “candy bar” chassis configuration and a conventional layout of the display screen  12  and keypad  14 .  FIG. 1B  shows a top view of another such prior art mobile phone  20  having a clamshell chassis and a conventional layout of the display screen  22  and keypad  24 . Mobile phones  10  and  20  each have a small rectangular display screen  12 ,  22  at the top and an array of keypad buttons  16 ,  26  beneath the screen. The keypad buttons  16 ,  26  are arranged in a four by three grid. Thus, the numbers 1, 2, and 3 are across the top row, the numbers 4, 5, and 6 are across the second row, beneath the first row, the numbers 7, 8, and 9 are in the third row beneath the second row, and the characters *, 0, # are across the fourth row beneath the third row. 
   SUMMARY 
   The present embodiments may include a phone having a specialized keypad that is adapted to allow for easier input by a user. For example, in one embodiment, the keypad has keys for the digits 0-9 that are placed sequentially along a lengthwise edge of the phone. This arrangement of the keys provides for greater ease in locating and manipulating the keys and also allows the keys to be of a larger size to provide easier viewing of the keys. With this arrangement, the keys may also be larger in size and contain greater spacing between keys than is possible with phones having a four by three grid layout. 
   The present embodiments may also include a display screen utilizing a “landscape” view (width greater than height) positioned above the keypad, as opposed to the typical “portrait” view (height greater than width) commonly found on most mobile phones. With a landscape view, a larger font can be used, making numbers entered into the phone easier to see. In addition, the display may also be enlarged in a lengthwise direction. When the numbers are keyed into the phone, the larger display allows for the entered numbers to appear in a larger size than usual. The user may view the entered numbers shown on the display to ensure that the proper numbers have been entered. Because such displays may consume more power than displays used in current phones, it is desirable to provide additional power resources with such phones to achieve longer battery life (the amount of time between charging the batteries). In one embodiment, a dual battery arrangement is implemented where the batteries are electrically coupled in parallel. Such an arrangement allows for “hot swapping” batteries without the need to power off the phone or to lose connection when replacing discharged batteries. Further, such an approach allows for the use of batteries in existing form factors and, therefore, reduces that need to design and manufacture a new larger capacity battery to meet the power consumption needs of such phones. 
   In one embodiment, the keys are raised from the phone chassis to allow for easier manipulation, and the keys may also include the Braille representation for each number in raised format on the keys themselves. 
   Thus, the present embodiments provide a mobile phone having improved keypad visibility and ease of use. The mobile phone may also have larger and more visible keys, and possibly having increased spacing between keys. The mobile phone may also include raised Braille representations for each number in raised format on the keys themselves. The phone may also utilize a landscape layout allowing for a larger display area and a larger font size showing the entered numbers to improve visibility and ease of use. 
   These and other aspects will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reading the following detailed description, with reference, where appropriate, to the accompanying drawings. Further, it should be understood that the embodiments noted in this summary are only examples and not intended to limit the scope of the invention as claimed. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Further advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art with the benefit of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and upon reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1A  shows a top view of a prior art mobile phone having a candy bar chassis and a conventional layout of the display screen and keypad; 
       FIG. 1B  shows a top view of a prior art mobile phone having a clamshell chassis and a conventional layout of the display screen and keypad; 
       FIG. 2  is a top view of a phone having an improved keypad layout and display with a landscape view; 
       FIG. 3  is another top view of the phone of  FIG. 2 , having alpha characters appearing as soft keys on the display screen in a landscape format; 
       FIG. 4  is a top view of keys having numeric characters shown and also including the Braille representation of the number; 
       FIG. 5  is a side view of keys of the keypad shown raised above the surface of the phone casing and including ridges between the respective keys; 
       FIG. 6  is a block diagram illustrating a phone with a dual battery arrangement; 
       FIG. 7  is bottom view of phone implementing the arrangement illustrated in  FIG. 6 ; 
       FIG. 8  is a bottom view of the phone of  FIG. 7  with the batteries removed; 
       FIG. 9  is a side view of the phone of  FIG. 7 ; 
       FIG. 10  is an exploded side view of the phone of  FIG. 7 ; 
       FIG. 11  is an end view of a battery of the phone of  FIG. 7 ; 
       FIG. 12  is a bottom view of an alternative phone implementing the arrangement illustrated in  FIG. 6 ; 
       FIG. 13  is a side view of a battery of the phone of  FIG. 12 ; and 
       FIG. 14  is a bottom view of another alternative phone implementing the arrangement illustrated in  FIG. 6 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 2  shows an embodiment of a mobile phone  30  having a display screen  32  that shows numeric characters displayed in a landscape format. The display screen  32  may be enlarged from a conventional display screen. An enlarged display screen and a display screen having a landscape view both allow the numeric characters of entered numbers to be displayed in an enlarged fashion, with a larger font, which provides for easier viewing of the displayed numeric characters  39 . In addition, people with lower visual acuity often have trouble distinguishing characters from their background, particularly when the characters are placed on a similarly colored background. A screen providing very high contrast may be used to improve character visibility. High contrast may be achieved by having an Organic Light Emitting Diode screen (OLED), which allows for extremely high contrast as well as a wide array of colors. OLED however is fairly costly and consumes a lot of power. Alternatively, an electroluminescent (EL) screen may be used. EL technology is less expensive and provides a high level of contrast, although it usually only allows for one color. 
     FIG. 2  also includes an improved keyboard  34  positioned beneath the display screen  32  positioned along a lengthwise side of the mobile phone  30 . The keypad  34  includes buttons or keys  36  positioned in a sequential fashion in a straight line. Numbers 1-9, 0, and the characters *, and # are included. The layout of the keypad provides for improved ease of use. The keys  36  can have a greater spacing allowing for easier key manipulation. The keys  36  may also be larger in size than conventional keys and with the number of each key prominently displayed allowing them to be more easily viewed. With this layout, even the visually impaired can select the correct key. Navigation controls  37  are shown having menu navigation in a rolodex fashion with up and down navigation arrows on the side and a simple select button in between the two arrows. 
     FIG. 3  shows mobile phone  40  having variable alphabetical character soft keys  43  positioned on the lower portion of the display screen  42 . The alphabetical character soft keys  43  can be accessed and varied by scrolling through the soft keys by using the navigation controls  47 . With this arrangement of alphabetical character soft keys, the numeric keys  46  do not need to include alphabetical characters as well as numeric characters, as is typically found on conventional keypads. 
     FIG. 4  shows numeric keys  52  having Braille representations  54 ,  56 , and  58  representing the number on the key. The Braille representations  54 ,  56 , and  58  provide for additional ease of use for those having visual impairment. The keys  52  may also be backlit to allow the numeric characters to be more easily seen. 
     FIG. 5  shows a side view of the keys  52  that are raised from a surface of the phone casing  62 . The keys may preferably be raised from the surface of the phone casing  62  by 2-3 mm to allow for better distinction between keys. Individuals with lower visual acuity rely heavily on tactile input. Therefore, the raised keys  52  provide for improved operation and accuracy. For similar reasons, the keys  52  are preferably made from a material that is noticeably different from the phone casing itself. Therefore, rubberized keys are preferably used. In addition, because raised keys  52  may create a problem of pressing the keys while in a pants pocket, small ridges  60 , approximately the same height of the keys, should be positioned between the keys  52 . 
   The enlarged display screen of the phone  30  shown in  FIG. 2  and the phone  40  shown in  FIG. 3  will typically consume power at a faster rate than phones having smaller displays, such as the phones shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B . Therefore, it is desirable to provide additional power resources for operating such phones in order for such phones have acceptable battery lifetime between electrical charges (e.g., coupling the phone with household outlet power to recharge the power source for the phone). 
   Referring to  FIG. 6 , a block diagram of a phone  70  that includes a dual battery arrangement is shown. Such a dual battery setup provides additional power resources for phones that have increased power consumption as compared to previous phones. The phone  70  includes a phone handset  71 , which may be a handset that includes an enlarged display screen, such as the phones  30  and  40  of  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The phone handset  71  is coupled with a first battery  72  and a second battery  74  in an electrically parallel arrangement. With such a dual battery setup, because the batteries  72  and  74  are electrically coupled with the phone handset  71  in parallel, it is possible for a user of the phone  70  to “hot swap” one battery at a time during a phone call without dropping the connection. This is possible because the battery not being swapped will temporarily provide all of the power to operate the phone during the process of “swapping” the other battery (e.g., replacing a partially discharged battery with a fully charged battery). Another advantage of such an arrangement is that it allows for the use of existing form factor batteries for providing additional power resources. This approach reduces the need for designing and manufacturing a new, larger capacity battery to provide the additional power resources consumed by, for example, enlarged display phones. 
     FIG. 7  is a bottom view of a specific implementation of the phone  70  of  FIG. 6 . The phone  70  in  FIG. 7 , for this discussion, will be assumed to include an enlarged display screen, such as have been previously described. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the phone  70  includes a phone handset  71 , a first battery  72  and a second battery  74 . The batteries  72  and  74  are electrically coupled in parallel with the phone handset  71 . The battery  72  includes a first button  76  and a second button  78 . Likewise, the battery  72  includes a first button  80  and a second button  82 . The buttons  76  and  78  are used to release the battery  72  from the phone handset  71  in order to decouple (both mechanically and electrically) the battery  72  from the handset  71 , such as during a “hot swapping” operation. Similarly, the battery  74  includes buttons  80  and  82 , which are used to release the battery  74  from the phone handset  71 . 
     FIG. 8  is a bottom view of the phone handset  71  with the batteries  72  and  74  removed.  FIG. 9  is a side view of the phone  70  of  FIG. 7 . The handset  71  includes contacts  84  and  86 . The contacts  84 , when the battery  72  is coupled with the handset  71 , receive electrical power from the battery  72  for powering in the phone  70 . Likewise, the contacts  86  receive electrical power from the battery  74  for powering the phone  70 . As was discussed above, the use of two batteries in this arrangement will allow for longer battery life (time between charges) without the need to design and manufacture a larger single battery because such an approach may be implemented using batteries of existing form factors, such as batteries that are used with the phone illustrated in  FIGS. 1A and 1B . 
   As shown in  FIG. 8 , the handset  71  includes a number of receiver holes  88 ,  90 ,  92  and  94 . These holes are used in conjunction with retention structures included in the batteries  72  and  74  to couple the batteries with the handset  71 . The retention structures are released using the buttons  76 ,  78 ,  80  and  82  to allow for the removal of the batteries, e.g. for hot swapping or charging in a separate battery charger (not shown).  FIG. 9  shows the placement of the buttons  76  and  80  respectively on the battery  72  and the battery  74 . The retention structure used depends on the particular embodiment. One example retention structure is illustrated in  FIGS. 10 and 11 . 
     FIG. 10  is an exploded side view of the phone  70  of  FIG. 7  that illustrates a side view of retention structures  96  and  98  of the battery  72  and the battery  74 , respectively. The retention structure  96  of the battery  72  corresponds with the receiver hole  88  of the handset  71 , while the retention structure  98  corresponds with the receiver hole  92  of the handset  71 . For example, as the battery  72  is moved in the direction of the arrows indicated in  FIG. 10 , the retention structure  96  will enter the receiver hole  88  and engage with the receiver hole  88  to fixedly couple the battery  72  with the handset  71 . The battery  72  may then be removed by pressing the buttons  76  and  78 , which will disengage the retention structure  96  from the receiver hole  88 , allowing the battery to be removed from the handset  71 . The battery  74  may be coupled with (and decoupled from) the handset  71  in the same manner as described for the battery  72 . 
     FIG. 11  is an end view of the battery  72 , which shows the retention structure  96  and a second retention structure  100  in further detail. The second retention structure  100  corresponds with the receiver hole  90  in the handset  71 . The retention structures  96  and  100  may be termed ramped hook structures. The retention structures  96  and  100 , in this embodiment, are each held in their “engaged” position by a spring (not shown). In the context, the engaged position is a position that fixedly couples the battery  72  with the handset  71 . The ramped top surfaces of the retention structures  96  and  100  allow those structures to be radially displaced (as is indicted by the arrows in  FIG. 11 ) as they enter the receiver holes  88  and  90 . After the ramped portions of the retention structures  96  and  100  have fully entered the receiver holes  88  and  90 , the spring force on each structure will cause the retention structures  96  and  100  to engage with the receiver holes  88  and  90  and fixedly coupled the battery  72  with the handset  71 . 
   In order to remove the battery  72  from the handset, the buttons  76  and  78  are depressed. This action opposes the spring force and causes the retention structures  96  and  100  to disengage from the receiver holes  88  and  90 . Once the retention structures  96  and  100  are disengaged from the receiver holes  88  and  90 , the battery  72  can be removed from the handset  71 . The battery  74  is coupled with and decoupled from the handset  71  in substantially the same fashion as the battery  72 , e.g., by engaging and disengaging the retention structure  98  and a second retention structure of the battery  74  (not shown) with the receiver holes  92  and  94  of the handset  71 . 
   As is shown in  FIGS. 7-11 , the batteries  72  and  74  are of the same form factor and are, thus, interchangeable with one another. Further, the symmetric arrangement of the batteries  72  and  74  on the phone  70  also allows for interchangeability of the batteries  72  and  74 . 
     FIG. 12  is a bottom view of an alternative phone  110  with a dual battery arrangement. The phone  110  includes a first battery  112  and a second battery  114 . The batteries  112  and  114  are located adjacent to one another at a single end of the phone  110 . The battery  112  includes a button  118  which is used to disengage a retention structure so as to allow the battery  112  to be removed from the phone  110 . Likewise, the battery  114  includes a button  118  for releasing a retention structure. The batteries  112  and  114  may further include guide structures (not shown) that slide in grooves (not shown) in the housing of the phone  110 .  FIG. 13  is a side view of the battery  114  of the phone  110  shown in  FIG. 12 . The battery  114  includes a retention structure  120  that operates in a similar fashion as the retention structures  96  and  100  described above. For the sake of brevity, the operation of the retention structure  120  (and the button  118 ) will not be described in detail here. However, it is noted that corresponding receiver holes for the battery  112  and the battery  114  would be included in the housing of the phone  110 . 
     FIG. 14  is a bottom view of another alternative phone  140  with a dual battery arrangement. The phone  140  includes a handset  141 , a first battery  142  and a second battery  144 . The battery  142  includes a button  146  and the battery  144  includes a button  148  for disengaging respective retention structures to allow the batteries  142  and  144  to be removed from the phone  140 . The batteries  142  and  144  extend along the length of opposite sides of the phone  140  and are symmetrically arranged. As with the batteries  72  and  74  of the phone  70  shown in  FIGS. 7-11 , the batteries  142  and  144  are interchangeable. Due to the length of the batteries  142  and  144  in addition to a retention structure such as those described above, the batteries  142  and  144  may include a plurality of half-round structures (disposed on the interior edge of the batteries) that act as hinges to engage the inner edge of the batteries  142  and  144  with the housing of the phone  140 . Of course, any appropriate structure may be used for this purpose. 
   CONCLUSION 
   Various arrangements and embodiments in accordance with the present invention have been described herein. It will be appreciated, however, that those skilled in the art will understand that changes and modifications may be made to these arrangements and embodiments, as well as combinations of the various embodiments without departing from the true scope and spirit of the present invention, which is defined by the following claims.