Abstract:
The present invention relates generally to an improved handle grip for a mobile terminal such as a personal digital assistant. More specifically, this invention relates to an improved handle grip for a mobile terminal that can be easily secured to and removed from a mobile terminal and provides improved access to the mobile terminal.

Description:
FIELD OF USE  
         [0001]    The present invention relates generally to an improved handle grip for a mobile terminal such as a personal digital assistant. More specifically, this invention relates to an improved handle grip for a mobile terminal that can be easily secured to and removed from a mobile terminal and provides improved access to the mobile terminal.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Mobile terminals or personal digital assistants (“PDA”) are often configured to enable a user to hold it with the palm of the user&#39;s hand facing the user. For some applications, it is preferable to configure the mobile terminal to have a gun shaped handle so that the user&#39;s hand is extended as if he or she were shaking someone&#39;s hand. Instead of designing two different mobile terminal housings to satisfy these two different configurations, it is desirable to develop a removable handle for a mobile terminal. The removable handle can be secured to the mobile terminal to allow a user to grasp the assembly in a first orientation and removed from the mobile terminal to allow a user to grasp the mobile terminal in a second orientation.  
           [0003]    Removable handles are also utilized to add certain functionality to the mobile terminal. For instance, the mobile terminal may house an auxiliary battery, a wireless radio, a bar code reading module, RFID tag reader, a modem, global positioning system module, and/or a telephone module. The functionality provided within the handle are used in conjunction with the mobile terminal.  
           [0004]    Applicants&#39; co-pending patent application Ser. No. 09/999,004 filed Oct. 24, 2001 discloses various embodiments of a removable handle grip for a mobile terminal device. That application is hereby incorporated by reference into the present case.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The present invention provides an improved removable handle grip for a mobile terminal, such as a PDA. According to one aspect of the invention, a handle grip can be easily secured to a mobile terminal and easily removed from the mobile terminal.  
           [0006]    According to another aspect of the present invention, a handle grip is provided that can be secured to a mobile terminal in a manner that the handle grip contacts only a portion of one surface of the mobile terminal.  
           [0007]    According to another aspect of the present invention, a handle grip is provided that can be used in multiple mobile terminals that have different form factor configurations.  
           [0008]    According to another aspect of the present invention, a handle grip/mobile terminal assembly is provided that allows signals to pass between the two devices despite relative movement of the devices.  
           [0009]    According to another aspect of the present invention, a handle grip is provided that can be secured to a mobile terminal in a manner that the handle grip/mobile terminal assembly is able to withstand impact without disconnecting or breaking. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a top view of a handle grip of the present invention;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the handle grip of the present invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the handle grip of the present invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a back view of the handle grip of the present invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a back view of a mobile terminal of the present invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 is a side view of a handle grip and mobile terminal assembly of the present invention including an optional hand strap; and  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the assembly shown in FIG. 6 without the optional hand strap. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0017]    [0017]FIGS. 1-4 show a preferred embodiment of a handle grip  50  of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a top view of handle grip  50 . A top surface  55  of handle grip  50  is configured for engagement with a mobile terminal (as described herein). FIG. 2 shows a bottom view of handle grip  50 . FIG. 3 shows an isometric view of handle grip  50 . FIG. 4 shows a back view of handle grip  50 . The portion of handle grip  50  having hook members  80  and  82  will be described herein as the front section of handle grip  50 . The side opposite the front section, as viewed in FIG. 1, will be described as the back section of handle grip  50 .  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 shows a back surface  12  of a mobile terminal  10  according to the present invention. FIGS. 6 and 7 show handle grip  50  engaged in mobile terminal  10 . Opposite back surface  12  of mobile terminal  10  is a front surface  6 . Mobile terminal  10  also comprises two side sections  4  and  8 , a top section  5  and a bottom section  7 .  
         [0019]    Handle grip  50  includes a handle portion  58  and a trigger button  62 . On the bottom of handle portion  58  is a boot  60 . Boot  60  provides a surface to rest the bottom of the user&#39;s hand. Boot  60  also provides a stable surface area so that mobile terminal  10  and handle grip  50  assembly can rest in a manner that allows a user to easily grasp the assembly. In alternative embodiments, boot  60  may include a communications port to allow communication between external devices and handle grip  50  and/or mobile terminal  10 .  
         [0020]    Handle grip  50  may include a battery, a wide area network (WAN) radio, a local area network (LAN) radio, a personal area network (PAN) radio, a barcode reading module, RFID tag reader, a modem, global positioning system module, and/or a telephone module.  
         [0021]    In a preferred embodiment of the invention, handle grip  50  is composed of a resilient material such as plastic. Handle grip  50  is constructed according to manufacturing processes that are known to those of skill in the art. Handle grip  50  includes relief members  70   a ,  70   b  and  70   c  that facilitate the manufacturing of plastic molded material. Handle grip  50  also includes speaker vents  72   a  and  72   b . Speaker vents  72   a  and  72   b  are holes that pass through handle grip  50 . Speaker vents  72   a  and  72   b  help prevent the handle grip from blocking sound emanating from a speaker within mobile terminal  10 . Screws  74  secure two sections of handle grip  50 : a top plate  76  and a handle housing  78 . Handle grip  50  includes hooks  80  and  82  that protrude in front portion of the handle grip. As shown in FIG. 3, hooks  80  and  82  have a rounded top surface.  
         [0022]    Four pogo pins  88   a ,  88   b ,  88   c  and  88   d  protrude from top plate  76  of handle grip  50 . Pogo pins  88   a - 88   d  are comprised of a conductive material and provide an electrical contact between circuitry within handle grip  50  and mobile terminal  10 . Pogo pins  88   a - 88   d  protrude about ⅛ to {fraction (1/4)} inch from top plate  76 . A flexible member, such as a spring, secures pogo pins  88   a - 88   d  within handle grip  50  such that they can be pushed down flush with top plate  76 . Pogo pins  88   a - 88   d  may be used to send a signal from handle grip  50  to mobile terminal  10  or from mobile terminal  10  to handle grip  50 . For instance, handle grip  50  may send a signal to mobile terminal to activate a barcode reading module on mobile terminal  10 , to initiate a data exchange between mobile terminal  10  and another device, or to activate a speaker on mobile terminal  10 . In one embodiment of the invention, a battery is housed within handle grip  50  and two or more of the pogo pins are used to supply power to mobile terminal  10 . In another embodiment, the pogo pins allow the transfer of power from a battery within mobile terminal  10  to components within handle grip  50 .  
         [0023]    Also protruding from top plate  76  of handle grip  50  is a release lever  84 . As will be described more fully below, release lever  84  is used to secure mobile terminal  10  to handle grip  50 . Release lever  84  protrudes about {fraction (1/4)} inch from top plate  76 . Within release lever  84  is a slot  84   a . Release lever  84  is secured to the handle grip  50  in a manner that allows longitudinal movement (that is, movement between an axis formed by the front and back of handle grip  50 ) of release lever  84 . As shown in FIG. 4, handle grip  50  includes a release button  85 . Release button  85  is coupled to release lever  84  and allows a user to actuate the movement of release lever  84 . Handle grip  50  includes a spring mechanism that restores release lever  84  to an initial position after it is displaced by engaging release button  85 .  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 5 shows back surface  12  of mobile terminal  10 . Mobile terminal  10  includes recesses  20  and  22 . A bar member  18  traverses recesses  20  and  22 . A portion of bar member  18  protrudes over recesses  20  and  22  to form a lip over recess  20  and recess  22 . Those skilled in the art would recognize that the recesses and lip configuration described herein could be formed by a number of other techniques without departing from the nature of the present invention. For instance, an alternative embodiment of the present invention comprises an elongated single recess formed in the mobile terminal housing.  
         [0025]    Bar member  18  can also be used to affix accessories such as a belt clip or a hand strap. As is known in the art a front end of a hand strap can be looped around bar member  18 . The looped hand strap can then be secured to itself via a fastener such as snaps or Velcro.  
         [0026]    Mobile terminal also includes speaker vents  26  that prevent the housing of mobile terminal  10  from blocking sound emanating from the speaker within mobile terminal  10 . Pogo pin contacts  33   a ,  33   b ,  33   c  and  33   d  are configured to receive pogo pins  88   a - 88   d  of handle grip  50 . A latch block  24  is formed within a recess of back surface  12  of mobile terminal  10 . Latch block  24  is preferably comprised of a metallic material. Latch block  24  is configured to include a lip member  24   a  that protrudes into the recess of back surface  12 . Mobile terminal  10  also includes a battery door  28  for accessing the battery that provides the power to mobile terminal  10 . Battery door  28  is locked onto housing of mobile terminal  10  via latches  27   a  and  27   b . Battery door  28  includes a hand strap latch  29 . When handle grip  50  is not secured to mobile terminal  10 , a front end of the hand strap can be secured to bar member  18  and a back end of the hand strap can be secured to hand strap latch  29 .  
         [0027]    The attachment of handle grip  50  to mobile terminal  10  will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 5. To attach handle grip  50 , a user inserts hooks  80  and  82  into recesses  20  and  22 , respectively. Hooks  80  and  82  and recesses  20  and  22  are configured such that when engaged, they act as pivot points. The rounded surfaces of hooks  80  and  82  and recesses  20  and  22  allow a snug fit between the surfaces while allowing rotational movement there between. The user then rotates handle grip  50  and mobile terminal  10  toward one another. As release lever  84  of handle grip  50  comes in contact with lip member  24   a  of mobile terminal  10 , lip member  24   a  displaces release lever  84  toward the front of handle grip  50 . In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the upper portion of release lever  84  is slightly angled to facilitate the displacement of release lever  84  as it comes in contact with lip member  24   a . After slot  84   a  of release lever  84  passes lip member  24   a , release lever  84  locks into position by moving back toward the back of handle grip  50 . In the locked position, lip member  24   a  occupies a substantial amount of the area created by slot  84   a . It is recognized that other latching mechanisms could be employed to lock the mobile terminal to the handle grip without departing from the nature of the present invention.  
         [0028]    In the locked position pogo pins  88   a - 88   d  engage with pogo contacts  33   a - 33   b , respectively. Thus, signals can pass between handle grip  50  and mobile terminal  10 . The pogo pin contact configuration of the present invention allows signals to pass between the two devices even in environments wherein there is vibration or movement of handle grip  50  and mobile terminal  10 .  
         [0029]    [0029]FIGS. 6 and 7 show handle grip  50  engaged with mobile terminal  10 . As shown, the handle grip  50 /mobile terminal  10  assembly is preferably configured such that handle grip  50  only engages one side of mobile terminal  10 . Thus a user has complete access to the front, sides, top and bottom of mobile terminal  10  and limited access to back portion  12  of mobile terminal. In addition, this configuration enables accessories to be easily added to mobile terminal  10 . Such accessories could include a magnetic strip reading module, a wireless radio module, an extra duty battery or an imaging module. These accessories are typically secured to one or more sides of mobile terminal  10 . For instance, a module for reading a magnetic stripe could be secured to five sides of the lower section of mobile terminal  10  without any interference from handle grip  50 . Likewise, an extra thick that protrudes from the back of the bottom portion of mobile terminal  10  can be attached to the terminal without any interference from handle grip  50 . Similarly, different barcode scanning modules that have different thickness can be installed on the top portion of the terminal without interfering with handle grip  50 .  
         [0030]    In addition, handle grip  50  can be secured to many different types of mobile terminals. Only the back of the terminal needs to be configured for engagement with handle grip  50 . Thus, handle grip  50  can be secured to a terminal regardless of the terminal&#39;s length, width or thickness.  
         [0031]    In order to detach mobile terminal  10  and handle grip  50  a user engages release button  85 . This causes release lever  84  to move toward the front of handle grip  50  allowing release lever  84  to pass lip member  24   a  of mobile terminal  10 . After the user rotates the back of handle grip  50  away from the back of mobile terminal  10 , the user can then disengage hooks  80  and  82  from recesses  20  and  22 .  
         [0032]    The present invention provides a rugged handle grip/mobile terminal assembly that is able to withstand significant impact. Once handle grip  50  is secured to mobile terminal  10 , the two devices are not easily separated without engaging release button  85 .  
         [0033]    As described above, when handle grip  50  is not secured to mobile terminal  10 , a front end of the hand strap can be secured to bar member  18  and a back end of the hand strap can be secured to hand strap latch  29 . However, when handle grip  50  is engaged with mobile terminal  10 , the hand strap cannot be secured in this manner.  
         [0034]    As shown in FIG. 6, the present invention enables a hand strap  90  to be employed when handle grip  50  is engaged with mobile terminal  10 . Hand strap  90  includes a back end portion  90   b  that is secured to hand strap latch  29 . As shown in FIG. 2, boot  60  includes a boot hand strap latch  62 . Boot hand strap  62  is configured to receive a front end  90   a  of hand strap  90 . Front end  90   a  loops around boot hand strap  62 . A fastener secures the looped around portion to a portion of the hand strap. The fastener can be any of various types known to those of skill in the art, i.e., snaps or Velcro. When hand strap  90  is secured to the handle grip  50 /mobile terminal  10  assembly, hand strap  90  can be used to secure the assembly to a belt clip or other retaining devices. As described above, when handle grip  50  is not in use, front end  90   a  can be looped around bar member  18 . Thus, hand strap  90  can be used when handle grip is in use or not in use.