Abstract:
A wireless mobile phone comprising a body casing having a top portion and a bottom portion is disclosed. The top portion has a first centerline substantially parallel to two sides of said top portion of the body. The first centerline reflects a positive acute angle with respect to a horizontal reference axis. The bottom portion has a second centerline substantially parallel to two sides of said bottom portion. The bottom portion has a negative acute angle with respect to said horizontal reference axis. An input keypad is disposed on the top portion, the input keypad has a plurality of column of keys that are aligned in a substantially linear manner in parallel to said first centerline. A display screen is disposed on the bottom portion where the display screen has a plurality of columns of pixels that are aligned in a substantially linear manner in parallel to the second centerline.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This patent application is a continuation-in-part of non-provisional application Ser. No. 09/767,526 filed Jan. 22, 2001 and titled “A Wireless Mobile Phone With Inverted Placement Of Antenna And Input Keypad” and non-provisional application Ser. No. 09/932,154, filed Aug. 17, 2001, titled “Mobile Electronic Device And Covering For Similar Devices With Ornament Attachment Mechanism”, which claims priority to its provisional filing No. 60/292,123 filed on May 17, 2001. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates to the field of wireless mobile phones. More specifically, the present invention relates to the configuration of the casing of the mobile phone as well as the input keys and the display.  
           [0004]    2. Background Information  
           [0005]    Advances in computer and telecommunication technology have led to wide spread adoption of mobile client devices, in particular, wireless mobile phones. The term “wireless mobile phone” as used in herein (in the specification and in the claims) refers to the class of telephone devices equipped to enable a user to make and receive calls wirelessly, notwithstanding the user&#39;s movement, as long as the user is within the communication reach of a service or base station of a wireless service provider. The term “wireless mobile phone” is to include the analog subclass as well as the digital subclass (of all signaling protocols).  
           [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 illustrates a typical prior art wireless mobile phone. As illustrated, prior art wireless mobile phone  100  typically includes input keypad  102 , “talk” and “end talk” buttons  104 , cursor control buttons  106 , display screen  108 , antenna  110 , ear speaker  112  and microphone  114 , disposed relative to each other as shown. Wireless mobile phone  100  also includes palm-sized body casing  116  with top end  118   a  and bottom end  118   b . Input keypad  102 , disposed near bottom end  118   b , facilitates a user in providing numeric or alphanumeric inputs, whereas “talk” and “end talk” buttons  104 , disposed in the mid-section of phone  100 , are used to start and end a call. Display screen  108 , disposed near top end  118   a , is used to echo numeric or alphanumeric inputs entered by a user, as well as to display various menu options, control information, and so forth. Cursor control buttons  106 , disposed in the mid-section of phone  100 , are used to facilitate a user in making various menu and/or option selections. Microphone  114 , also disposed near bottom end  118   b , is used to facilitate the user in providing audio input, whereas ear speaker  112 , disposed near top end  118   a , is used to facilitate outputting for the user, received audio. Antenna  110 , disposed at and extruded from top end  118   a , is used to send and receive signals, including audio as well as control signals (in a modulated or digitized manner).  
           [0007]    Thus, by virtue of the configuration, with ear speaker  112  and antenna  110  disposed at top end  118   a , and microphone  114  disposed at bottom end  118   b , antenna  110  is inevitably close to the lower right/left brain of a user during operation, giving rise to user concerns with insubstantial amount of electromagnetic radiation to the lower right/left brain. On another issue of lesser controversy, but nevertheless of substantial interest is the fact that, by virtue of the configuration, it is not very convenient to manipulate the input keys of input keypad  102  with the user&#39;s thumb. To do so, phone  100  has to be held in a manner with only lower portion  124   b  resting on the user&#39;s palm, and the remaining upper portion  124   a  overhanging the user&#39;s palm unsupported (assuming that the length dimension of phone  100  is in the range of the size of an average human hand, also known as palm-sized).  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    The present invention will be described by way of exemplary embodiments, but not limitations, illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like references denote similar elements, and in which:  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 illustrates a typical prior art wireless mobile phone;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 illustrates a wireless mobile phone, incorporated with the downward extruded antenna and the thumb friendly keypad of the present invention, in accordance with one embodiment;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 illustrates a palm sized, wireless mobile phone, in accordance with one embodiment.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 illustrates a curved, palm sized, wireless mobile phone, in accordance with another embodiment  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 illustrates a non-straight wireless mobile device with offset top portion and bottom portion, with reference to a horizontal axis.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 6 illustrates a curved body mobile device including an internally disposed transceiver and antenna in bottom portion, in accordance with one embodiment.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 7 illustrates an internal component view of the wireless mobile phone of the present invention, in accordance with one embodiment.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]    In the following description, various aspects of the present invention will be described. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced with only some or all aspects of the present invention. For purposes of explanation, specific numbers, materials and configurations are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will also be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without the specific details. In other instances, well known features are omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the present invention. The phrase “in one embodiment” will be used repeatedly, however the phrase does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may.  
         [0017]    Referring now to FIG. 2, wherein a front view of a wireless mobile phone  200 , incorporated with the teachings of the present invention, in accordance with one embodiment, is shown. As illustrated, similar to the earlier described typical conventional wireless mobile phone, wireless mobile phone  200  of the present invention includes input keypad  202  having a number of input keys, “talk” and “end talk” buttons  204 , cursor control buttons  206 , display screen  208 , antenna  210 , ear speaker  212  and microphone  214 . Wireless mobile phone  200  also includes palmsized body casing  216  with top end  218   a  and bottom end  218   b . Each of these elements is used to provide the same functionality as the functionality provided by the corresponding element of prior art phone  100  described earlier, that is, for the input of numeric or alphanumeric data, for starting and ending a call, and so forth. However, unlike prior art phone  100 , antenna  210  and a corresponding transceiver (not shown) are advantageously relocated to be disposed near bottom end  218   b , while ear speaker  212  remains disposed at top end  218   a . Antenna  210  is designed to extend outward in the downward direction away from bottom end  218   b . As a result, during operation, by virtue of the configuration, with ear speaker  212  disposed at upper end  218   a  and antenna  210  disposed and extruded from bottom end  218   b , antenna  210  is likely to be located away from a user&#39;s chin. More importantly, antenna  210  is likely to be located much further away from a user&#39;s brain, when compared to prior art mobile phone  100 , thereby possibly reducing a user&#39;s concern with the risk of electromagnetic radiation exposure to the user&#39;s brain.  
         [0018]    Note that top end  218   a  and bottom end  218   b  are objectively determined. A device such as wireless mobile phone  200  having display  208  necessarily has a display orientation. For example, textual data are either rendered from left to right and top to bottom, as denoted by arrows  220   a  and  220   b , as in the case of the English language, or right to left and top to bottom, as denoted by arrows  222   a  and  222   b , as in the case of the Hebrew language, or top to bottom and right to left, as denoted by arrows  222   b  and  222   a , as in the case of the Chinese language. Thus the manner in which textual data are rendered definitively defines which end is the top end, and which end is the bottom end of wireless mobile phone  200 . Accordingly, an element A of phone  200  is necessarily above element B of phone  200 , and element B is necessarily beneath element A, if element A is closer to the objectively determinable top end of phone  200  (or element B is closer to the objectively determinable bottom end of phone  200 ).  
         [0019]    In addition to the above described advantageous relocation of the antenna  210  to bottom end  218   b , for the illustrated embodiment, the disposition of input keypad  202  and display  208  of wireless mobile phone  200  are also advantageously transposed. That is, unlike prior art phone  100 , input keypad  202  is advantageously disposed near upper end  218   a , while display  208  is disposed near lower end  218   b , beneath input keypad  202 . The configuration advantageously provides improved accessibility for a user&#39;s thumb to manipulate the input keys of input keypad  202 . Assuming again phone  200  has a length dimension in the range of the size of an average human hand (i.e. palm-sized), the configuration allows more of phone  200 , approximately ⅔ of the body length of phone  200 , section  224   a , to be resting on the palm of the user, and only about ⅓ of the body length of phone  200 , section  224   b , overhanging the palm of the user, thereby allowing input keypad  202  to be manipulated by the user&#39;s thumb in a more steady manner.  
         [0020]    Thus, it can be seen from the above description, wireless mobile phone  200  of the present invention may reduce users concerns with electromagnetic radiation exposure to their brains, and provides improved thumb manipulability for the input keypad.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 3 illustrates a palm sized, wireless mobile phone, in accordance with one embodiment. In the embodiment, the wireless mobile phone contains a curved body  300 . The top portion  305  of the wireless mobile phone casing  300  contains a number of keys  307  forming a keypad device. In the embodiment shown, top portion  305  contains three substantially parallel columns  309  of keys. These columns of keys are substantially parallel to sides  312   314  of the top portion  305 . The top portion  305  thus, has a centerline  310  formed substantially parallel to the side  312   314  of the top portion  305  of the wireless mobile phone casing  300 .  
         [0022]    The bottom portion  315  of the wireless mobile phone casing  300  contains a display device  317 . Bottom portion  315  also has a centerline  320 . This bottom centerline  320  is defined as substantively parallel to sides  322   324  of the bottom portion  315  of the wireless mobile phone casing  300 .  
         [0023]    The top centerline  310  and bottom centerline  320  meet to form an obtuse angle  330 . In this embodiment, this obtuse centerline relationship is used to define the curvature of a wireless mobile phone, and in turn, the relative disposition of the keypad formed with keys  307 , and display device  317 , to improve ease of use of the wireless mobile phone.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 4 also illustrates a curved, palm sized, wireless mobile phone  400 , in accordance with one embodiment. In this embodiment, curvature of a top portion  405  and a bottom portion  415  are defined with respect to a horizontal axis  440 . Top portion  405  contains three substantively parallel columns of keys  409 . These columns of keys are substantially parallel to sides  412   414  of the top portion  405 . A centerline  410  is defined as parallel to the side  412 - 414 . This top centerline  410  forms an obtuse angle  450  with respect to the horizontal axis  440 .  
         [0025]    The bottom portion  415  of the wireless mobile phone casing  400  contains a display device  417 . Bottom portion  415  also has a centerline  420 . The display device  417  contains columns of pixels that are aligned in a substantially linear manner in parallel to the bottom centerline  420 . This bottom centerline  420  is defined as substantively parallel to sides  422   424  of the bottom portion  415  of the wireless mobile phone casing  400 . This bottom centerline  420  forms a negative obtuse angle  460  with respect to the horizontal axis  440 . These obtuse angles  450   460  of the top  405  and bottom  415  portion define the curvature of wireless mobile phone casing  400 .  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 5 illustrates a non-straight wireless mobile device with offset top portion  505  and bottom portion  515  with reference to horizontal axis  540 . Top portion  505  of wireless mobile device  500  contains two parallel sides. One side  506  is used to define a top reference line  510 . This top reference line  510  forms a first angle  550  with respect to horizontal axis  540 . Similarly bottom portion  515  of wireless mobile device  500  contains two parallel sides, one of which  516  is used to define a bottom reference line  520  parallel to one side. Bottom reference line  520  forms a second angle  560  with respect to a horizontal axis  540 .  
         [0027]    Similar to the embodiment of FIG. 4, the two reference lines  510  and  520  form an obtuse angle with respect to a horizontal axis  540  thus providing an angled casing. Further, reference lines  510  and  520 , in turn, are employed to define the relative disposition of the keypad disposed on the top portion  505 , and the display  515 , to improve ease of use of the wireless mobile device.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 6 illustrates a curved body mobile device  600  including an internally disposed transceiver and antenna  677  in bottom portion  615 , in accordance with one embodiment. Bottom portion  615  contains a transceiver (not shown) with an antenna  677  that protrudes downward from the bottom portion  615  of the mobile device. In addition, a microphone  672  is disposed in bottom portion  615  of mobile device  600 . In contrast, speaker  662  is disposed in top portion  605  of mobile device  600 .  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 7 illustrates an architecture view of a wireless mobile phone  700 , in accordance with one embodiment. As illustrated, wireless mobile phone  700  includes elements found in conventional mobile client devices, such as microcontroller/processor  702 , digital signal processor (DSP)  704 , non-volatile memory  706 , general purpose input/output (GPIO) interface  708 , and transmit/receive (TX/RX)  712  (also known as a transceiver), coupled to each other via bus  714 , and disposed on a circuit board  720 . Except for the placement to support the earlier described relative disposition of the ear speaker and the antenna, and the relative disposition of the input keypad and the display, each of these elements performs its conventional function known in the art, and is intended to represent a broad range of such element. In particular, TX/RX  712  may support one or more of any of the known signaling protocols, including but are not limited to CDMA, TDMA, GSM, and so forth. Accordingly, the elements will not be further described.  
         [0030]    Thus, a wireless mobile phone having novel non-linear body including relative disposition of the ear speaker and the antenna to reduce a user&#39;s concern with the risk of electromagnetic radiation exposure to the user&#39;s brain, and a novel relatively disposition of the input keypad and the display to improve thumb manipulability of the keypad has been described. While the present invention has been described in terms of the above illustrated embodiments, in particular, in term of wireless mobile phones, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described. The present invention can be practiced with modification and alteration within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, or on other wireless communication devices. Thus, the description is to be regarded as illustrative instead of restrictive on the present invention.