Abstract:
A computer device comprises a casing in which are accommodated an electronic circuit and a touch screen, a protective cover movably arranged on the casing for selectively covering and uncovering at least the touch screen, and a stylus for operating said touch screen. The protective cover includes a compartment which substantially corresponds to the shape of at least part of the stylus and in which the stylus is removably stored, thereby reducing the size of the computer device for more convenient handling of the same by a user.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a computer device, especially a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), comprising a casing in which are accommodated an electronic circuit and a touch screen, a protective cover movably arranged on the casing for selectively covering and uncovering at least the touch screen, and a stylus for operating said touch screen. 
     The stylus is the primary tool used to perform data input tasks on most PDA devices. Therefore, it is very important to provide users with convenient access to the stylus when they need to use it in conjunction with operation of the PDA device. Of equal importance is that returning the stylus to its designated storage location after use should also be hassle-free. The actions of retrieving and replacing the stylus from/to the designated storage are generally repeated many times during any period of using the PDA device. 
     In all typical PDA devices, the space allocated for storing the stylus is often found within the case enclosure of the device. In such designs, scarce volumetric space is taken up to fit in the stylus which otherwise could be put to better use—such as fitting in electronic circuits that must reside within the enclosure of the PDA device. There are, however, abundant volumetric spaces immediately exterior of the device that are seldom put to good use. An example of such abundant spaces can be easily found in PDA devices that have a protective cover. Typically the protective covers are designed to be set back a substantial distance from the display screen which is delicate because it is made of glass material. In such a situation, there is a generous amount of empty volumetric space in between the surface of the display screen and the inner surface of the bulging protective cover. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a computer device in which the available volumetric space in between the surface of the display screen and the inner surface of the protective cover is better used in an appropriate way. 
     According to the present invention, this is achieved by including, in the protective cover, a compartment which substantially corresponds to the shape of at least part of the stylus and in which the stylus is removably stored. 
     By arranging the compartment on the protective cover for storing the stylus it is possible to reduce the width of the computer device including a touch screen and a stylus, resulting in better ergonomics (holding comfort) when the device is being held in the palm of a user. Additionally, it allows users a novel experience in terms of the way that the stylus is retrieved and stored in a computer device, especially in a PDA device. Further, the stylus stored within the compartment on the protective cover is not prone to accidental dislodging. The invention allows a user a convenient way of drawing the stylus out since the action of drawing the stylus out follows naturally from the action of flipping open the protective cover. 
     The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts or elements are denoted by like reference numbers. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the protective cover is opened; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a PDA according to another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the protective cover is opened; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a PDA according to yet another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the protective cover is opened; 
     FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section view of the PDA of FIG. 3, wherein the protective cover is closed; 
     FIG. 5 is a back view of the inlay of the protective cover of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 6 A-C is a view showing the operation of removing the stylus from the protective cover of the PDA of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 7 is a plan view of a PDA according to yet another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the protective cover is opened; 
     FIG. 8 is a side view of the PDA of FIG. 7, wherein the stylus is tilted away from the protective cover; and 
     FIG. 9 is a side view of the PDA of FIG. 7, wherein the protective cover is closed. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings. 
     FIG. 1 shows a PDA device according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprising a rectangular casing  1  and a protective cover  2  pivotally arranged on a longitudinal end of the casing  1 . A touch screen  3  and a switch panel  4  including switch buttons  5  which are connected to an electronic circuit (not shown) are provided on a front side of the casing  1  covered by pivoting the protective cover  2  thereto. All edges of the casing  1  are rounded to have a good design and to provide good handling for using the PDA by an operator. 
     The protective cover  2  has two opposite projections  6  including pins (not shown) and being formed on a longitudinal end of the protective cover  2  for pivotally engaging with openings (not shown) formed in the one longitudinal end of the casing  1 . An inner side of the protective cover  2  is concave so that a central longitudinal portion of the inner side of the protective cover  2  constitutes a concavity in which a compartment for removably storing a stylus  7  is formed. The stylus  7  has a small circular cross section and is used for touching the touch screen  3  to perform data input tasks on the PDA device. The compartment is formed as a retention sheath  8  and arranged on the one longitudinal end of the protective cover  2  which is pivotally connected to the casing  1 . The retention sheath  8  substantially corresponds to the shape of part of the stylus  7  and receives part of the stylus  7  therein. 
     The storing of the stylus  7  in the compartment provided in the inner side of the protective cover  2  has the advantage that the available volumetric space formed in-between the protective cover  2  and the front side of the casing  1  is used in a suitable manner so that the overall size of the casing  1  is reduced since the stylus  7  is not to be stored in the casing  1 . 
     Therefore, it is possible to chamfer the edges on all sides of the casing  1  to allow for comfortable holding when the PDA device is held in the palm of the operator. The arrangement and design of the retention sheath  8  allows a user friendly way of drawing the stylus  7  out since the action of drawing the stylus  7  follows naturally from the action of flipping open the protective cover  2 , and the stylus  7  can be easily inserted into the retention sheath  8  by the operator. The concavity in the inner side of the protective cover  2  allows arrangement of the compartment in such a way that a sufficient distance is provided between the compartment and the touch screen  3  of the casing  1  when the protective cover  2  is closed. Therefore, the touch screen  3  is prevented from being damaged by the compartment. 
     Further, in this embodiment of the present invention, the retention sheath  8  for receiving part of the stylus  7  is integrally formed with the protective cover  2 . Such an integral form requires the stylus  7  to be short so that it can be easily inserted into and removed from the retention sheath  8  of the protective cover  2 . Additionally, the integrally formed protective cover  2  can be produced simply at low cost. 
     As shown in FIG. 2, a PDA device according to another embodiment of the present invention is provided with a protective cover  2  comprising an inlay  9  mounted on the inner side of the protective cover  2  and integrally formed with the retention sheath  8 . The inlay  9  can be made of a plastic material which is formed by either injection moulding or press forming from the back side of the inlay  9 , and the protective cover  2  can be made of aluminium. The inlay  9  and the protective cover  2  can be attached together by adhesive. This allows the protective cover  2  to have a sufficient strength and rigidity since the protective cover  2  is reinforced by the inlay  9 . If the stylus  7  and the boundary wall of the retention sheath  8  are of adequate sizes, they can provide some amount of reinforcement. This is independent of the PDA device whose thickness is governed largely by what is packaged inside its own enclosure. 
     FIG. 3 shows a PDA device according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the protective cover  2  comprises an inlay  10  including a compartment which has a longitudinal slot  11  and a retention sheath  12 . The slot  11  has opposite longitudinal sides and opposite longitudinal ends and is surrounded by a boundary wall  13  which has a flat shape. The slot  11  is designed so that a flat stylus  14  can be stored therein. For better locating and fitting the stylus  14  relative to the slot  11 , the slot  11  has a central portion  15  including a reduced width, and the stylus  14  has a narrowed portion  16  which corresponds to the width of the central portion  15  of the slot  11 . 
     Further, the retention sheath  12  is formed on the one longitudinal end of the slot  11  directed to the longitudinal end of the protective cover  2  pivotally connected to the casing  1 , wherein the retention sheath  12  has an opened portion directed toward the other longitudinal end of the slot  11 . Additionally, the retention sheath  12  has a curved cut-out  17  which extends on the one longitudinal side of the slot  11  toward the other longitudinal end of the slot  11 . This allows the flat stylus  14  to be easily pivoted around the region of its pointed end within the retention sheath  12 , so that the stylus  14  can be better inserted into and removed from the compartment. Also, the curved cut-out  17  of the retention sheath  12  allows a longer stylus  14  as opposed to that of the previously described embodiment, and insertion of the stylus  14  into the compartment does not need point accuracy as is the case in the previously described embodiment. 
     The boundary wall  13  of the slot  11  at the one longitudinal side of the slot  11  on which extends the curved cut-out  17  of the retention sheath  12  is lower than the boundary wall  13  at the other longitudinal side of the slot  11 . Therefore, the longitudinal edges of the flat stylus  14  can better slide along the lower boundary wall  13  at the one longitudinal side of the slot  11  when the stylus  14  is to be removed from the compartment by pivoting and drawing the stylus  14  therefrom. By such differences in the height of the boundary wall, the slot  11  is designed to reliably guide and locate the flat stylus  14 . 
     The other longitudinal side of the slot  11  having the higher boundary wall  13  includes an indentation  18  for facilitating engagement of the stylus  14  to pivotally retrieve the same out of the slot  11 . The indentation  18  allows easy engagement by a finger of an operator to draw the stylus  14  out of its stored position. 
     As shown in FIG. 4, a locking projection  19  is formed on the inner side of the retention sheath  12 , which locking projection  19  engages a locking recess  20  (shown in FIG. 6) formed in the stylus  14 . Therefore, the stylus  14  is reliably secured within the compartment and is not prone to accidental dislodgement from the compartment. 
     FIG. 5 shows a back view of the inlay  10  of the protective cover  2 . As described above, the inlay  10  is produced by press forming. For this reason, tensions can occur in the plastic material. To avoid this problem, the boundary wall of the compartment has a plurality of supporting ribs  21  on the back side of the inlay  10  to avoid tensions and additionally reinforce the boundary wall of the compartment. The supporting ribs  21  can also be formed in other sections of the inlay  10 . 
     FIG. 6 shows the operation of removing the stylus  14  from the compartment of the protective cover  2  of the PDA according to the embodiment described above with respect to FIGS. 3 to  5 . As seen in FIG. 6, the stylus  14  is first pivoted around the region of its pointed end from the compartment in direction of the arrow A by engaging a finger of the operator into the indentation  18  to push the stylus  14  from the slot  11  of the compartment, whereby the locking projection  19  of the retention sheath  12  and the locking recess  20  of the stylus  14  are disengaged. Then, the stylus  14  is drawn from the retention sheath  12  along the curved cut-out  17  and lifted away from the protective cover  2  in the direction of the arrow B. Therefore, the stylus  14  can be easily removed from the compartment of the protective cover  2 . 
     FIGS. 7 to  9  show a PDA device according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the protective cover  2  is provided with an inlay  22  including a compartment which comprises a swivel catch  23  for tilting a stylus  24  away from the protective cover  2  to allow the stylus  24  to be removed. The swivel catch  23  is pivotally arranged on the inlay  22 , wherein the pivot axis of the swivel catch  23  extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the protective cover  2  in a plane thereof. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, the stylus  24  can be tilted away from the protective cover  2  so that the stylus  24  can be easily drawn from and inserted into the compartment. 
     While the preferred embodiments of the invention has been described, they are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Other embodiments and configurations may be devised without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.