Personal digital assistant/telephone combination device

A personal digital assistant (PDA)/telephone combination device comprising a base, a screen coupled to the base, and a keypad hingably mounted to the base. The keypad provides a partial view of the screen in a lowered position and a full view of the screen in a raised position. The keypad comprises a window that provides the partial view of the screen when the keypad is in a lowered position. A cover hingably mounts to the base wherein the keypad is located between the cover and the base. The cover rotates between an open position and a closed position. The screen displays telephone information when the keypad is in a lowered position. Control buttons coupled to the base are covered when the cover is in the closed position and uncovered when the cover is in an open position. In an additional embodiment, control buttons coupled to the base are uncovered when the cover is in both the closed position and the open position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a portable terminal, and in particular, to a personal digital assistant (PDA)/telephone combination device.

2. Description of the Related Art

In general, portable terminals are categorized into a bar type, a flip type, and a folder type according to their outer appearances and into a wrist type and a neck wearable type according to where they are carried. Furthermore, portable terminals are divided into terminals for voice communication, for picture transmission, and for Internet access according to their functions. Although a large number of individuals carry portable terminals that can be classified into the bar type, the flip type, and the folder type in today's mobile society, it is expected that they will increasingly use such portable terminals as can be carried in diverse ways.

For example, a known folder-type terminal includes a main housing, a folder connected to the main housing, and a hinge means by which the folder can be opened to a predetermined angle from the main housing. The main housing may have a data input means therein and the folder may have a data output means thereon and vice versa. Typically, a microphone is in the main housing and a speaker is on the folder.

A keypad having a plurality of keys is used as the data input means and an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) as the data output means. For the data input means a touch screen or a touch pad may also be used.

Along the developmental trend of portable terminals toward lightweight and miniaturization a main body, an LCD, and a keypad are being scaled down in size. However, as the LCD becomes smaller, it is more difficult to view displayed data and as the keypad becomes smaller, it is more difficult to enter data. These technological constraints set a limit on miniaturization of portable terminals. Satisfying miniaturization of a portable terminal while maintaining the size of an LCD and a keypad unchanged is a very challenging issue.

Furthermore in view of popular use of Internet communication and E-mail, the need for portable terminals to satisfy the above purpose is pressing. That is, what is needed is a PDA/telephone combination device that is easy to use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A general object of the present invention is to provide a portable digital terminal that incorporates cellular telephone capabilities and personal digital assistant capabilities.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable digital terminal having three housing portions connected by a single hinge in order to extend a data input function and increase user convenience.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a portable digital terminal having a key input unit housing between a main housing and a speaker housing.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a portable digital terminal where a wide screen LCD is covered in a main housing when the portable digital terminal functions as a cellular phone.

The foregoing and other objectives of the present invention are achieved by a personal digital assistant (PDA)/telephone combination device comprising a base, a screen coupled to the base, and a keypad hingably mounted to the base. The keypad provides a partial view of the screen in a lowered position and a full view of the screen in a raised position. The keypad comprises a window that provides the partial view of the screen when the keypad is in a lowered position. A cover hingably mounts to the base wherein the keypad is located between the cover and the base. The cover rotates between an open position and a closed position. The screen displays telephone information when the keypad is in a lowered position. Control buttons coupled to the base are covered when the cover is in the closed position and uncovered when the cover is in an open position. In an additional embodiment, control buttons coupled to the base are uncovered when the cover is in both the closed position and the open position.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a PDA/telephone combination device includes a main housing, a speaker housing raised from and lowered to the main housing, hinge means by which the main housing is connected to the speaker housing, and a key pad housing that is connected to the hinge means, is disposed between the main housing and the speaker housing to be raised from and lowered to the main housing, and has a plurality of keys.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the invention in unnecessary detail.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a personal digital assistant (PDA)/telephone device 10 . The device 10 includes a base 12 with a keypad 14 and a cover 16 hingably mounted to one end of the base 12 . The telephone keypad 14 hingably mounts between the base 12 and the cover 16 , covering a display 18 when lowered and exposing the display 18 when raised. The device 10 includes a stencil (not shown) for contacting the display 18 . The display 18 is preferably a touch-screen display, while the keypad 14 is of the type conventionally used in cellular phones.

In one embodiment, the keypad 14 has a lock that secures it to the base 12 . In another embodiment, the keypad 14 freely rotates. The keypad 14 has buttons 20 for operating the device 10 as a telephone. The cover 16 includes a speaker 22 , which a user may place against his ear in order to hear a conversation. An antenna 24 provides wireless radio transmission and reception for the device 10 . Operational buttons 26 mount to the base 12 and are used for phone and PDA functions. Wings 32 along either side of the cover 16 assist in raising and lowering the cover 16 . Function buttons 28 are on either side of the device 10 . A battery (not shown) is carried by either the cover 16 or the base 12 .

FIG. 2 shows the device 10 with the cover 16 in a closed position. In the closed position, the cover 16 protects the operational buttons 26 . In one embodiment, the cover 16 has a latch that keeps it closed, while in another embodiment the hinge 30 biases the cover 16 in an open or closed position. A microphone 31 is disposed along the bottom of the base 12 .

FIG. 3 shows the cover 16 and the keypad 14 in a raised position. This position is desirable for the device 10 to operate as a PDA, with the screen 18 fully exposed in an alternate embodiment, the device 10 functions as a phone with the keypad 14 in the raised position by transmitting information from a memory (not shown) stored in the device 10 to a recipient device using wireless communication. Speaker 22 remains uncovered.

FIG. 4 shows the cover 16 in a raised position while the keypad 14 is in a lowered position. An electrical connection through, for example, the hinge 30 supports communication and power between the keypad 14 and the base 12 . The device 10 functions primarily as a phone when the keypad 14 is in a lowered position. Information relevant to a phone call is displayed on the viewable portion 34 of the display 18 when the keypad 14 is in a lowered position. Thus, in this position, the device 10 is operated as a conventional cellular telephone, including the display of information, etc.

FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. A PDA/telephone combination device 36 includes a base 18 with a keypad 40 and a cover 42 hingably mounted to one end of the base 38 . The keypad 40 hingably mounts between the base 38 and the cover 42 , covering a display 44 when lowered and exposing the display 44 when raised. The display 44 is preferably touch-sensitive.

The base 44 has a clasp 46 that secures the keypad 40 to the base 38 . A clasp 47 also secures the cover 42 to the base 38 . The keypad 40 has buttons 48 for operating the device 36 as a telephone. The cover 42 includes a speaker 44 , which a user may place against his ear in order to hear a conversation. Operational buttons 50 mount to the base 38 and are used for phone and PDA functions. Wings 52 along either side of the cover 42 assist in raising and lowering the cover 42 . Function buttons 54 are on either side of the device 36 . A battery (not shown) is in either the cover 42 or the base 38 .

FIG. 6 shows the device 36 with the cover 42 in a closed position. One aspect of the present invention is accessibility to operational buttons 50 and 50 a while the cover 42 is in a closed position. Button 50 a is utilized to release clasp 46 . Preferably, a hinge 56 biases the cover 42 in an open or closed position. An antenna 58 provides wireless radio transmission and reception for the device 36 . A microphone 59 is disposed along the bottom of the base 38 .

FIG. 7 shows the cover 42 and the keypad 40 in a raised position. This position is desirable for the device 36 to operate as a PDA, with the screen 44 fully exposed. The device 36 functions as a phone with the keypad 40 in a raised position by transmitting information from a memory (not shown) stored in the device 36 to a recipient device using wireless communication.

FIG. 8 shows the cover in a raised position while the keypad 48 is in a lowered position. An electrical connection through, for example, the hinge 56 supports communication and power between the keypad 40 and the base 38 . The device 36 functions primarily as a phone when the keypad 40 is in a lowered position. Information relevant to a phone call is displayed through a window 60 on the viewable portion of the display 44 when the keypad 40 is in a lowered position. Thus, in this position, the device 36 is operated as a conventional cellular telephone, including the display of information, etc.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the PDA/telephone combination device with a speaker housing in a closed position. Referring to FIG. 9 , the device includes three housings 12 , 14 , and 16 connected to a hinge 30 . Specifically, the three housings 12 , 14 , and 16 are a main housing, a bi-directional key pad housing, and a speaker housing, where the keypad 14 is positioned between the main housing 12 and the speaker housing 16 , respectively. The three housings 12 , 14 , and 16 can be raised to a predetermined angle for a conversation on a hinge axis A. The communication angle is an angle at which the speaker housing 16 or the bi-directional key pad housing 14 is rotatable with respect to the main housing 12 . As shown in FIG. 9 , when the device is inoperative, the speaker housing 16 and the bi-directional key pad housing 14 are lowered to the main housing 12 . Thus, the device has the main housing 12 , the bi-directional key pad housing 14 hingably mounted to the main housing 12 , and the speaker housing 16 hingably mounted to the key pad housing 14 . When the bi-directional key top housing 14 is raised, the speaker housing 16 is also raised.

Referring to FIGS. 10 , 11 , and 12 , the speaker housing 16 includes a top surface 201 and a bottom surface 202 . A speaker 210 is mounted at a predetermined position of the bottom surface 202 . The bi-directional key pad housing 14 has a first keypad 321 being an array of first keys 320 on its top surface 301 and a second keypad 351 being an array of second keys 350 on its bottom surface 302 . A first opening 310 is formed through the top surface 301 and the bottom surface 302 of the bi-directional key pad housing 14 . The first keypad 321 preferably includes a plurality of digit keys and keys such as a send key and a power key for the device as a cellular phone for voice communication. The second keypad 351 preferably includes character keys, scroll keys, and function keys in consideration of user friendliness for Internet communication and e-mail. However, since this is a mere exemplary application, the keys can be arranged on the first keypad 321 and the second keypad 351 in different ways. For example, the first keypad 321 may have primarily character keys, while the second keypad 351 may have digit keys.

The first opening 310 is used to view data displayed on a wide LCD 110 of the main housing 12 without raising the bi-directional key pad housing 14 . The data may include date, time, antenna reception sensitivity, battery state, etc., which are usually represented as icon images in an upper portion of the LCD 110 . Therefore, the first opening 310 is disposed at a position corresponding to the upper portion of the LCD 110 .

The main housing 12 has the wide LCD 110 across a large area on its top surface 101 . A touch screen can be used instead of the wide LCD 110 . In this case, a known touch-sensitive panel is provided. A user can input/output data through the wide LCD 110 .

When the speaker housing 16 is in a closed position, the main housing 12 , the bi-directional key pad housing 14 , and the speaker housing 16 are stacked sequentially.

To make a call, a user raises the speaker housing 16 from the bi-directional key pad housing 14 , as shown in FIG. 12 . For Internet access or e-mail, the user raises the bi-directional key pad housing 14 from the main housing 12 , as shown in FIG. 11 .

Referring to FIG. 12 , the wide LCD 110 is covered in the main housing, thus being protected against the external environment.

Referring to FIGS. 13 , 14 , and 15 , a PDA/telephone combination device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention includes a first transparent window 710 in a speaker housing 70 and a second transparent window 810 in a key pad housing 80 in order to view data displayed on a wide LCD without raising the speaker housing 70 . The first and second transparent windows 710 and 810 preferably are identical in shape. The fourth embodiment is the same as the third embodiment except for the first and second transparent windows 710 and 810 .

Referring to FIGS. 16 , 17 , and 18 , a PDA/telephone combination device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention includes an opening 910 formed into a predetermined shape in a speaker housing 90 and another opening 951 in a key pad housing 95 in order to view data displayed on a wide LCD without raising the speaker housing 90 . The fifth embodiment is the same as the third embodiment except for the openings 910 and 951 .

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a sixth embodiment of the PDA/telephone combination device with the bi-directional key pad housing 80 in an open position according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 19 , in view of frequent use of character keys for Internet communication and e-mail, characters or symbols are marked on keys 961 of the bottom surface of a bi-directional key pad housing 96 in a horizontal direction when the device is unfolded right and left like a book in order to facilitate user data entry. Data input through a keypad 960 is also displayed in the same direction on a wide LCD.

As described above, a PDA/telephone combination device of the present invention is less bulky and has an extended data input/output function since three housings including a key pad housing are connected to one another by a single hinge. Particularly during voice communication, a wide LCD is protected from the external environment and Internet communication and e-mail are easy to do.

While the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, more than three housings may be connected to one another by a single hinge and as more housings are added, more functions can be provided to a user. Therefore, the scope and spirit of the invention are defined by the appended claims.