Abstract:
The present invention uniquely separates the number pad from a keyboard providing a separate, wireless device. This separate wireless device with the number pad includes a display and has multiple modes of operation.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application is a continuation-in-part of design patent application Ser. No. 29/183,333, filed Jun. 9, 2003, entitled, “Wireless Number Pad”, and design patent application Ser. No. 29/183,332, filed Jun. 9, 2003, entitled, “Wireless Keyboard.” This application is related to co-pending application Ser. No. 60/484,629, filed even date herewith, entitled “Wireless Input Devices for Computer System”, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to wireless computer input devices, and in particular to keyboards using Bluetooth™ wireless technology. 
   Microsoft has recently released a combination wireless keyboard and mouse using Bluetooth™ technology, which communicates with a wireless hub. The hub connects to the computer via a cable to the USB port of the computer. 
   Logitech, the assignee of the present application, makes a cordless keyboard and mouse using 27 mHz radio transmissions to a wireless hub connected to a USB receiver, connected to the computer. 
   A number of keyboards incorporate a small LCD display, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,029. A keyboard with a flat panel display is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,396,483. 
   A number of patents disclose providing indicators on a keyboard for notification of an e-mail message, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,085,232 and 6,088,516. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,114,977 discloses a calculator integrated with a keyboard with a send key for sending the data on the calculator to an application on the computer. 
   Separately from keyboard, numerous remote control devices exist which have a display and keys. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,412,377 illustrates a hand-held remote with an LCD display. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention uniquely separates the number pad from a keyboard providing a separate, wireless device. This separate wireless device with the number pad includes a display and has multiple modes of operation. 
   In a first mode of operation, the device acts as a classic number pad. In a second mode of operation, the device acts as a calculator. The calculated result can be automatically uploaded to the clipboard of application software on a computer through a wireless hub. In a third mode, the device provides a navigating function, allowing navigation through options in application software either on a PC display or on a small display on the device, which has been described as a MediaPad™ device. 
   In one embodiment, the MediaPad™ device includes a media button for launching a media application for playing music or displaying video or pictures. This media button is duplicated on the keyboard. 
   For a further understanding of the nature and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating the components of a system according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the keyboard of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the MediaPad™ device of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 4  shows a portion of the MediaPad™ device of  FIG. 3 , illustrating the LCD display. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1  illustrates a wireless keyboard  10 , wireless mouse  12  and wireless MediaPad™ device  14 . All three of these communicate with a wireless hub  16 , which is connected via a USB cable  18  to the USB port of a computer  20 . The computer can be loaded with software from a compact disk  22 , and includes a display  24 . 
   Keyboard  10 , mouse  12  and MediaPad™ device  14  all communicate using Bluetooth™ technology with hub  16 . Hub  16  also acts as a battery charger for charging the batteries of mouse  12 , which is preferably an optical mouse. 
     FIG. 2  illustrates keyboard  10  in more detail. The keyboard includes a standard alpha-numeric key array  26 , and function keys  28 . In addition, it includes a media button  30  for launching a media application which can play music, videos, and display pictures. Media button  30  is visually linked to a four-way button  32  for selecting among media options, such as stop, forward, reverse and play/pause. Buttons  30  and  32  are visually linked by a plate  34 . The keyboard also includes a volume up button  36 , volume down button  38  and mute button  40 . 
   MediaPad™ device  14  is illustrated in more detail in  FIG. 3 . The MediaPad™ device includes a liquid crystal display (LCD)  42 . A number pad  44  is included, and a number pad button  46  selects the number pad function for the number pad buttons. A navigate button  48  selects the alternate functions for these number pads. In one embodiment, button  1  is “open”, button  3  is “closed”, button  7  is “back”, button  9  is “forward”, button  5  is a Windows Start launching button, and buttons  4 ,  8 ,  6 , and  2  are directional arrows for left, up, right, and down, respectively. 
   Also included is a clear button  50 , an enter button  52 , a subtraction button  54 , an addition button  56 , and backslash (/) and asterisk (*) buttons as indicated. A calculate button  58  activates a calculator application. 
   The MediaPad™ device also includes buttons which duplicate buttons on the keyboard. These are the volume up button  36 , mute button  40 , and volume down button  38 , as well as media button  30 , four-way button  32  and plate  34 . 
   In one embodiment, the MediaPad™ device also includes a scrolling wheel  60  which allows scrolling up or down in any application. In addition, a rocker switch  62  or a wheel could be used to allow zooming in and out of any type of document. 
   The number pad and calculator can be used with the computer display, or with the small display on the MediaPad™ device itself. The LCD can also display a variety of other information, which is either a subset of what is on the computer display or separate from what is on the computer display. For example: 
   (1) Music related information, such as the artist&#39;s name, song title or track number. 
   (2) Video-related information, such as the track name and length of video. 
   (3) Digital pictures related information, such as the name of the picture, and preview of the next image while running a slide show on the monitor. 
   (4) E-mail notification, a notification one has received a new e-mail in the mailbox. 
   (5) Instant messaging—the buddy list, instant messages, text messages relayed from a cell phone, etc. 
   (6) News notifications, such as news headlines, sports scores, and stock prices. The MediaPad™ device can then be used to get more detailed information from the PC monitor. The navigation button allows selection of what should be displayed on the LCD. 
   By putting the number pad on the MediaPad™ device of the present invention, the keyboard can be made smaller, and more flexibility is provided for the arrangement of the keyboard, mouse and MediaPad™ device on a desktop. For example, the mouse can be placed closer to the keyboard, with the MediaPad™ device being placed on the outside where a mouse would normally be. This allows the user to easily reach the mouse from the keyboard. The low profile and zero degree slope surface of the keyboard and MediaPad™ device shifts the wrist of the user to a more neutral posture. Alternately, the MediaPad™ device can be placed on the left for left-handed users. 
     FIG. 4  illustrates the display of the MediaPad™ device in more detail, showing the example of a song being played, with the top line showing the artist (the group U2), the track number, and the title of the track. The second line shows the status (playing) and the current elapsed time. 
   Hub  16  of  FIG. 1  allows other devices to be connected as well via the Bluetooth™ technology. For example, a connection to a printer can be established, so that print jobs can be initiated from the keyboard, mouse or MediaPad™ device by instructions to application software on the computer, which will then send the print job over the USB cable  18  to the hub  16 , which includes a transmitter for sending, using Bluetooth™, the print job to a Bluetooth™-equipped printer. 
   A mobile phone or PDA can also be in communication with Bluetooth™ hub  16 . Both can synchronize with the software on the computer through the Bluetooth™ hub. Data, photos, etc. can be shared between the mobile phone, PDA, PC and MediaPad™ device. The shared photos or other data could be sent by e-mail or other applications. SMS or text messages received by a cell phone can also be shared via the Bluetooth™ hub when the cell phone is within Bluetooth™ distance of the hub. For example, an SMS text message can be sent from the cell phone, through hub  16  to MediaPad™ device  14  for display on the MediaPad™ device&#39;s display. A dialog box can be created on the computer display, and the user, once notified, can go to a keyboard  10  to reply to the text message. This allows a user to use the desktop keyboard, instead of the phone, to do a text message reply. 
   In another embodiment, a Bluetooth™ headset is used to communicate with hub  16 . This can be used for listening to music, or for using a headset and microphone after launching instant message or chat, with the communication over the Bluetooth™ link to hub  16 , and from there over the IM application running on the computer  20 . 
   The present invention with its MediaPad™ device thus allows the personal computer to be used as a real media center, controllable from anywhere within Bluetooth™ range. The MediaPad™ device can be used either with the computer display in a desk usage mode, or using its own LCD display in a mobile usage mode. Information can be exchanged in both directions between the computer and the MediaPad™ device. The LCD display allows the user to have visibility and understanding of the computer application status. The two displays can be used together, with the user using control information on the MediaPad™ device display, for example, but actually viewing a video or photo on the computer display. 
   As will be understood by those of skill in the art, the present invention could be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essence of the invention. For example, the display could be LEDs instead of an LCD, a wireless technology other than Bluetooth™ could be used, and the hub could be integrated into a laptop or other computer. Accordingly, the foregoing description is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention which is set forth in the following claims.