Patent Publication Number: US-2010124944-A1

Title: Mobile communications device with slidable and pivotable screen

Description:
SCOPE OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a mobile communications device and more particularly to a mobile communications device with a QWERTY keypad. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In today&#39;s mobile society an increasingly large number of individuals carry mobile communication devices such as cell phones. Modem cell phones not only provide voice communication but are also useful for a variety of other tasks such as email, internet access, photography, video playback and computing. In most current cell phones the telephone keypad serves the dual purpose of dialing phone numbers and as the input for the other functions. As the electronics within mobile or cellular telephones become more capable and the tasks that can be undertaken on these phones become more complex, there is a need for a mobile communications device that can be configured for operation as a cellular phone and reconfigured for operation as a video player or computing device. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A mobile communications device is provided and includes a substantially planar base section having an upper side provided with a keypad and a substantially planar cover section having a top side and a bottom side provided with a screen. A connector assembly couples the cover section to the base section and includes a hinge for permitting the cover section to pivot from a closed position overlying the base section to an open position inclined relative to the base section to expose the keypad and the screen, a pin and socket assembly for permitting the screen to pivot 180 degrees from a first position in which the screen can oppose the keypad when the cover section is in the closed position to a second position in which the screen can be exposed when the cover section is in the closed position, and a guide and slot assembly for permitting the cover section to slide relative to the base section when the screen is in the second position from the compact position to an extended position to expose a portion of the keypad on the base section. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the mobile communications device of the present invention in a first closed configuration. 
         FIG. 2  is a front elevational view of the mobile communications device of  FIG. 1  taken along the line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a rear elevational view of the mobile communications device of  FIG. 1  taken along the line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a left side elevational view of the mobile communications device of  FIG. 1  taken along the line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a right side elevational view of the mobile communications device of  FIG. 1  taken along the line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a bottom plan view of the mobile communications device of  FIG. 1  taken along the line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the mobile communications device of  FIG. 1  in a first operational configuration with the cover open. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the mobile communications device of  FIG. 1  in a second operational configuration with the cover pivoted relative to the base to expose the screen and overlying the base. 
         FIG. 9  is a top plan view of the mobile communications device of  FIG. 1  taken along the line  9 - 9  of  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the mobile communications device of  FIG. 1  in a third operational configuration with the cover with exposed screen slid to an extended position relative to the base. 
         FIG. 11  is a rear elevational view of the mobile communications device of  FIG. 1  taken along the line  11 - 11  of  FIG. 10 . 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the mobile communications device of  FIG. 1  exploded from it second operational configuration of  FIG. 8 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In general, mobile communication device  21  of the present invention, illustrated in  FIGS. 1-12 , can be a mobile or cellular telephone with a variety of other features. Device  21  is preferably compact in size and can have the shape of a parallelepiped. The elongate device extends along a longitudinal axis  22  and includes a base section or base  23 , a cover section or cover  24  and a slideable element or slide  26  (see  FIG. 1 ). In one embodiment, device  21  has a length of approximately 95 millimeters, a width of approximately 56 millimeters and a height of 13 millimeters. 
     Base  23  is a substantially planar body having an upper side  31  and an opposite lower side  32  extending parallel to each other, as well as a first or rear side  33  and a second or front side  34  extending between and substantially perpendicular of the upper and lower sides  31  and  32 . Base  23  further includes a first or left end  36  and an opposite second or right end  37  extending between and substantially perpendicular of the upper and lower sides  31  and  32  and the rear and front sides  33  and  34 . The upper side  31  of the base  23  is provided with a keypad  41 , which in one embodiment is a QWERTY keypad (see  FIG. 7 ). A portion of the keypad  41 , for example the left side portion of the keypad, can be an alphanumerical keypad  42  that is aligned perpendicularly of the QWERTY keypad. 
     Cover  24  is a substantially planar body and includes a top side  46  and an opposite bottom side  47  extending parallel to each other. Cover  24  further includes a first or rear side  48  and an opposite second or front side  49  extending between and substantially perpendicular of the top and bottom sides  46  and  47 , as well as a first or left end  51  and an opposite second or right end  52  extending between and substantially perpendicular of the top and bottom sides  46  and  47  and the rear and front sides  48  and  49 . A conventional screen or display  53 , such as a liquid crystal display or touch screen, is provided on the bottom side  47  of cover  24  (see  FIG. 7 ). Screen  53  is preferably rectangular in shape and can be of any suitable size, preferable as large as possible, and in one embodiment occupies approximately two-thirds of the surface area of bottom side  47 . 
     Elongate slide  26  has an upper side  54  and an opposite lower side  56 , as well as a first or rear side  57  and second or front side  58  extending between and substantially perpendicular of the upper and lower sides  54  and  56 . The slide  26  has a length approximating the length of base  23  and cover  24 , a thickness approximating the thickness of cover  24  and a width approximating the difference between the width of base  23  and the width of cover  24  (see  FIGS. 1 ,  4  and  5 ) 
     A connector assembly  61  of any suitable type is included within the device  21  for coupling cover  24  to base  23  (see  FIG. 12 ). The elongate slide  26  is included within connector assembly  61 . A hinge  62  and a guide and slot assembly  63  are additionally included within connector assembly  61  for pivotably and slidably coupling the slide  26  to base  23 . The hinge  62  can be of any suitable type and in one embodiment is a partially cylindrical or hinge element  64  rotatably coupled to rear side  33  of base  23  for rotation about pivot axis  66  (see  FIGS. 7 and 12 ). The hinge element  64  and base  23  include a suitable cooperative mating pivot assembly, such as a pin and socket arrangement (not shown), for permitting the cylindrical element to rotate relative to base  23 . The hinge  62  is shown in  FIG. 12  in a home position and shown in  FIG. 7  in a rotated position. 
     The guide and slot assembly  63  permits slide  26  to slide longitudinally in a direction parallel to axis  22  relative to base  23 . The guide and slot assembly  63  can include a guide element or guide  67  carried by rear side  33  of base  23  and extending outwardly from hinge element  64 . In one embodiment, illustrated in  FIGS. 11 and 12 , the guide extends upwardly from the hinge element when the hinge  62  is in its home position. The lower side  56  of slide  26  is provided with an elongate slot  71  for slidable receiving guide  67  so as to permit the longitudinal movement of slide  26  relative to base  23 . Guide  67  and slot  71  are cooperatively and properly sized and shaped so that the guide  67  cannot be withdrawn from the slot  71 ; slide  26  is thereby precluded from separating from hinge  62  during operation of device  21 . 
     A pin and socket assembly  76  is included within connector assembly  61  for permitting cover  24  to pivot relative to slide  26  about a pivot axis  77  (see  FIGS. 7 and 12 ). In one embodiment, the pin and socket assembly includes a pin element or pin  78  extending perpendicularly outwardly from rear side  48  of cover  24 . A socket  79  is provided in front side  58  of slide  26  for pivotably receiving the pin  78 . The pin  78  and socket  79  are cooperatively and properly sized and shaped manner so that the pin  78  cannot be withdrawn from the socket  79 , and the pin  78  thereby precluded from removal from the socket  79  during operation of device  21 . 
     Control electronics  81 , shows schematically in  FIG. 6 , are included within device  21  for controlling the function and features of the device and can include one or more microprocessors and other integrated circuits. A battery  82 , accessible in a conventional manner for example through lower side  32  of base  23  by means of battery release  83 , is included for powering the device  21 . The battery release switch  83  can be provided on right end  37  of base  23  (see  FIG. 5 ). In a conventional manner, electrical traces and leads extend from control electronics  81  to the various audio, visual and tactile components of the device  21 . For example, electrical leads (not shown) can extend from the electronics  81  through hinge  62 , guide and slot assembly  83  and pin and slot assembly  76  to electrically couple screen  53  to the electronics  81 . 
     In operation and use, hinge  62  permits slide  26  and cover  24  carried by the slide to pivot about axis  66  from a closed position overlying base  23 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , to an open position in which the cover  24  is inclined relative to base  23  so as to expose keypad  41  of the base  23  and screen  53  of the cover  24 , as illustrated in  FIG. 7 . Although when in the open position cover  24  can be inclined or perpendicular to base  23 , in one embodiment the cover  24  is inclined at an obtuse angle to the base  23  as shown in  FIG. 7 . In such an open position, QWERTY keypad  41  and screen  53  can be used so as to operate mobile communications device  21  for a variety of functions, including emailing, texting, personal computing, viewing video or other content stored on the device or accessible by the device through the internet or otherwise, listening to audio and performing other functions typically accomplished on a wireless personal computer, mobile communications device or personal digital assistant. At least one speaker  86  and at least one microphone  87  are included in device  21  for facilitating such operations. In one embodiment, speaker  86  and microphone  87  are provided on bottom side  47  of cover  24 , speaker  86  being located between screen  53  and left end  51  and microphone  87  being located between screen  53  and right end  52 . A communications jack  88  is provided on device  21  for optionally connecting the device to external speakers such as headphones or earbuds. In one embodiment, the communications jack is located on left end  36  of base  23  (see  FIG. 1 ). To facilitate the receipt of audio communications over device  21 , up and down volume control  89  can be provided on device  21  and in one embodiment are provided on rear side  57  of cover  24 . 
     Pin and socket assembly  76  permits cover  24 , and screen  53  carried by the cover, to pivot about axis  77  through an angle of approximately 180 degrees from a first position, illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 7 , to a second position in which the screen is visible and exposed on the upper surface of the device  21  when cover  24  is moved to its closed position, as illustrated in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . More specifically, screen  53  opposes upper side  31  of base  23 , and keypads  41  and  42  thereon, when the cover  24  is in its closed position and the screen is in its first position, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . When screen  53  is in its second position and the cover  24  is in its closed position, as illustrated in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , device  21  can be utilized for a variety of functions, including to receive cellular telephone calls, to play back or view video stored on device  21  or accessible with the device through the internet or otherwise and to act as a camera. At least one and as shown a plurality of touch keys  91  are provided on bottom side  47  of cover  24  for operating device  21  as a cellular telephone when the device  21  is configured so that screen  53  is exposed on the upper surface of the device. In one embodiment, two touch keys  91  are provided adjacent microphone  87  for respectively receiving and terminating wireless communications such as telephone calls. At least one and preferably a plurality of touch keys  92  can be included on device  21  and accessible when cover  24  is closed and screen  53  in its second position for permitting operation of the device  21  as a video player. In one embodiment, a plurality of touch keys  92  are provided along upper side  54  of slide  26  and can include a playback key, a fast forward key, a reverse key and a stop key (see  FIGS. 8 and 9 ). For permitting operations of device  21  as a camera, a conventional lens and underlying photo and video sensor  93  can be provided on lower side  32  of base  23  and a camera shutter button  94  provided on front side  34  of the base  23  for activating the sensor. 
     Guide and slot assembly  63  permits slide  26  and cover  24  carried by the slide to move longitudinally along axis  22  relative to base from a home or compact position shown in  FIG. 1  to an extended position shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11  for facilitating operation of device  21  as a cellular telephone or other mobile communications device. In one embodiment, the slide  26  is so operable when cover  24  is in its second position and in its closed position so that screen  53  is exposed on the upper surface of the device  21 . In this regard, slot  71  is longitudinally sized as to permit slide  26  and cover  24  to slide longitudinally along base  23  a sufficient distance so as to expose a portion of keypad  41  and more specifically alphanumeric keypad  42 . When device  21  is in such an extended position, the user can utilize the plurality of numbered and lettered keys in alphanumeric key pad  42  in a conventional manner, for example to instigate telephone calls and to send text messages. 
     It is appreciated that a second display or screen can be provided in device  21 . For example, a display or screen (not shown) can be provided on top side  46  of cover  24 , for example for visualizing information relating to incoming telephone calls, for permitting operation of device  21  as a camera when cover  24  is in its closed position and for a variety of other functions. 
     As can be seen from the foregoing, there has been provided a mobile communications device which in its closed position is relatively compact for travel. The cover of the device can be pivoted to an open position to reveal a screen and a QWERTY keypad for permitting use of the device as a fully functional computer or similar electronic device. When in its open position, the cover can be pivoted and then closed so that the screen is visible when the device is in its compact position. When so configured, the device can be utilized as a video player. When the screen is a touchpad, the screen can further serve as a alphanumeric keypad, a QWERTY keypad and any other conventional touchpad interface of a mobile communications device or personal digital assistance. The slidable screen in the device further enhances the functionality of the device by exposing a keypad, such as a alphanumeric keypad, so as to enhance the operation of the device. 
     Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, persons skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.