Patent Publication Number: US-2005124394-A1

Title: Sliding/folding-type portable digital communication apparatus

Description:
PRIORITY  
      This application claims priority to an application entitled “A Sliding/Folding-Type Portable Digital Communication Apparatus” filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Nov. 26, 2003 and assigned Serial No. 2003-84431, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to portable communication apparatuses, such as cellular phones, PDAs (personal digital assistants), HHPs (hand held phones), and PCS (personal communication service) phones, and more particularly to a sliding/folding-type portable digital communication apparatus.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      In general, a “portable communication apparatus” refers to an electronic apparatus which a user can carry with him/her to perform wireless communication with a desired partner. In consideration of portability, such portable communication apparatuses have been designed to be compact, slim, and light, and also to provide multimedia availability, having a wider variety of functions. In particular, future portable communication apparatuses are being developed to incorporate greater multi-functionality and multi-purpose utilization, as well as to be more compact and lighter, and will also be designed to be suitable for various multimedia environments or Internet environments. Additionally, such portable communication apparatuses are now recognized by some people as a nearly indispensable commodity which must always be carried.  
      Conventional portable communication apparatuses may be classified into various types according to their appearance, such as bar-type portable communication apparatuses, flip-type portable communication apparatuses, and folder-type portable communication apparatuses. The bar-type portable communication apparatus has a single housing shaped like a bar. The flip-type portable communication apparatus has a flip which is pivotably mounted to a bar-shaped housing by a hinge unit. The folder-type portable communication apparatus has a folder coupled to a single bar-shaped housing by a hinge unit in such a manner that the folder can be rotated in order to be folded to or unfolded from the housing.  
      Further, portable communication apparatuses may be classified into neck wearable type communication apparatuses and wrist wearable type communication apparatuses according to the position at or the way in which a user puts on the communication apparatus. The neck wearable type communication apparatus is one which a user wears around the neck using a string or lanyard, while the wrist wearable type communication apparatus is one which a user wears on the wrist.  
      Additionally, portable communication apparatuses may be classified into rotation-type communication apparatuses and sliding-type communication apparatuses according to of the manner in which the user opens and closes the communication apparatuses. In the rotation-type portable communication apparatus, two housings are coupled to each other in such a manner that one housing rotates to be opened or closed relative to the other while the housings remain facing each other. In the sliding-type portable communication apparatus, two housings are coupled to each other in a manner that one housing slides to be opened or closed relative to the other. These variously classified portable communication apparatuses can be easily understood by those skilled in the art.  
      Meanwhile, conventional portable communication apparatuses may now include a function of transmitting data at a high speed in addition to the basic function of performing voice communication. In other words, according to increased demand by consumers, portable communication apparatuses may now provide a service using a wireless communication technology capable of transmitting data at a high speed.  
      Recent portable communication apparatuses have also been equipped with a camera lens which enables the communication apparatuses to transmit an image signal. That is, current conventional portable communication apparatuses may have an imbedded or external camera lens or a photographing means which enables a user to make an image communication with a desired partner or to take a photograph of a desired subject.  
      However, conventional portable communication apparatuses, in particular folder-type communication apparatuses, have a problem in that, although they are convenient to carry with one hand, they have limited space to mount display devices or many keys. As such, there is a need for folder-type communication apparatuses which can accommodate wider display devices and mount more keys.  
      Furthermore, conventional sliding-type portable communication apparatuses, such as those disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 2002-71991 (the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference), can be inconvenient when a user attempts to perform more complicated data input, since they have limited space to mount more keys, and their housings, on which many electronic components are mounted, have limited space availability.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a portable digital communication apparatus which combines the advantages of sliding-type and folding-type apparatuses and is convenient to use.  
      In order to accomplish this object and other objects, there is provided a portable digital communication apparatus including a first housing; a sliding/hinge housing which is positioned on a bottom surface of the first housing and is adapted to perform a sliding movement along a longitudinal direction of the first housing; and a rotational housing rotatably coupled to the sliding/hinge housing in such a manner that its top surface or bottom surface can selectively face the bottom surface of the first housing according to whether or not it has been rotated.  
      In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable digital communication apparatus including a first housing extending in a longitudinal direction; a sliding/hinge housing which is positioned on a bottom surface of the first housing, surrounded by edges of the bottom surface, and adapted to perform a sliding movement along the longitudinal direction; and a rotational housing provided with, on its top surface, a number of keys which are exposed or hidden according to whether or not the sliding/hinge housing has been moved, the rotational housing being coupled to the sliding/hinge housing in such a manner that it can be rotated about a hinge axis, which extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction and penetrates a side surface of the sliding/hinge housing, so that its top surface or bottom surface can selectively face the bottom surface of the first housing, according to whether or not it has been rotated, and adapted to expose the sliding/hinge housing regardless of whether or not it has been rotated.  
      In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable digital communication apparatus including a first housing; a sliding/hinge housing which is provided with a first speaker unit, positioned on a bottom surface of the first housing, surrounded by edges of the bottom surface, and adapted to perform a sliding movement along a longitudinal direction of the first housing; and a rotational housing adapted to perform a sliding movement along the longitudinal direction relative to the first housing and face the bottom surface of the first housing, as well as a part of a side surface of the sliding/hinge housing, the rotational housing being rotatably coupled to the sliding/hinge housing in such a manner that its top surface or bottom surface can selectively face the bottom surface of the first housing according to whether or not it has been rotated. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a front perspective view showing a portable digital communication apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view showing a portable digital communication apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 3  is a front view showing a portable digital communication apparatus according to a preferred embodiment invention, wherein its speaker housing is fully slid;  
       FIG. 4  is a side view of the portable digital communication apparatus shown in  FIG. 3 ;  
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the portable digital communication apparatus shown in  FIG. 2 ;  
       FIG. 6  is a front view showing a portable digital communication apparatus according to a preferred embodiment invention, wherein its rotational housing has been rotated about 180°;  
       FIG. 7  is a bottom view of the portable digital communication apparatus shown in  FIG. 6 ; and  
       FIG. 8  is a side view of the portable digital communication apparatus shown in  FIG. 6 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description of the present invention, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention unclear.  
      The present invention is directed to a sliding/folding-type portable digital communication apparatus combining the advantages of sliding-type and folding-type apparatuses.  
      There are presently conventional sliding-type portable apparatuses have two housings, which are adapted to move linearly along their longitudinal direction while continuously facing each other. They are advantageous in that they can provide a wide display screen and their housings easily slide to be opened/closed with one hand. Meanwhile, other conventional folding-type portable apparatuses have two housings, which are adapted to be rotated, by means of a hinge unit, within a predetermined angle with respect to each other to be opened/closed. They are advantageous in that they are convenient to carry with one hand and speech operations are easily performed with one hand.  
      As shown in FIGS.  1  to  8 , a portable digital communication apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a first housing  100 ; a sliding/hinge housing  200  positioned on a bottom surface  100   b  of the first housing  100  and adapted to slide in a longitudinal direction of the first housing  100 ; and a rotational housing  300  rotatably coupled to the sliding/hinge housing  200  in such a manner that its top surface  300   a  or bottom surface  300   b  can face the bottom surface  100   b  of the first housing  100 .  
      Specifically, the rotational housing  300  is coupled to the sliding/hinge housing  200  in such a manner that, prior to rotation, its top surface  300   a  faces the bottom surface  100   b  of the first housing and, when it is rotated 180°, its bottom surface  300   b  faces the bottom surface  100   b  of the first housing. The former case is shown in  FIGS. 3-5 , while the latter case is shown in  FIGS. 6-8 .  
      The sliding/hinge housing  200  and/or the rotational housing  300  may be operated by a user manually. Alternatively, a semi-automatic or automatic power source may be provided for that operation.  
      The sliding/hinge housing  200  is surrounded by edges of the bottom surface  100   b  of the first housing and is adapted to slide a predetermined distance on the bottom surface  100   b , as shown in  FIG. 5 .  
      Referring to FIG,  1 , the first housing  100  is provided with, on its top surface  100   a , a speaker unit  110 ; a display unit  112  disposed adjacent to the speaker unit  110 ; and a first key array  114  composed of a number of keys disposed adjacent to the display unit  112 . The display unit  112  may be composed of an LCD, a touch screen, or a hologram screen. The first key array  114  may be composed of a number of keys, including direction keys, navigation keys, speech keys, and the like.  
      Referring to  FIG. 2 , the sliding/hinge housing  200  is provided with a speaker unit  210  on its surface  200   a  and a sliding module (not shown), which enables it to slide relative to the first housing  100 . Since the sliding/hinge housing  200  may be provided with a speaker unit  210  and related components therein, in this regard it may be referred to as a “sliding/hinge speaker housing”. The speaker unit  210  is preferably composed of a stereo speaker unit to provide stereo sound. Although not shown in the drawing, the sliding/hinge housing may be provided with two speaker units  210  therein.  
      Preferably, the speaker unit  210  of the sliding/hinge housing  200  is always exposed regardless of whether or not the rotational housing  300  has been rotated. As will be described below, the rotational housing  300  has a pair of connecting arms  312  and defines an opening  310  having a predetermined shape, which is located between the connecting arms  312 , so that the speaker unit  210  is always visually exposed to outside.  
      The rotational housing  300  is coupled to the sliding/hinge housing  200  in such a manner that it can be rotated approximately 180° about a hinge axis A. Each end  312   a  of the connecting arms  312  of rotational housing  300  is coupled a side surface  200   c  of the sliding/hinge housing  200 , so that the sliding/hinge housing  200  is positioned in the opening  310 . The pair of connecting arms  312  face the side surface  200   c  of the sliding/housing and enclose an area of the sliding/hinge housing  200 .  
      Referring to  FIG. 3  and  7 , the rotational housing  300  is provided with, on its top surface  300   a , a mirror plate, specifically a mirror  306 ; a camera lens  308  disposed adjacent to the mirror  306 ; a lighting unit  309  disposed adjacent to the camera lens; a second key array  302  composed of a number of keys disposed adjacenty to the lighting unit; and a microphone unit  304  disposed adjacent to the second key array  302 . The rotational housing  300  is provided with, on its bottom surface  300   b , a battery pack  320  and a locking knob  322 , which is adapted to fasten/release the battery pack  320  for charging, as shown in  FIG. 2 . The lighting unit is composed of a conventional LCD. The second key array  302  is composed of a number of keys, including numeric keys, character keys, function keys, and the like.  
      As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the first key array  114 , which is positioned on the top surface  100   a  of the first housing, is always visually exposed to a user, while the second key array  302 , which is positioned on the top surface  300   a  of the rotational housing, is exposed or hidden according to whether or not the first housing  100  is moved. In other words, if the first housing  100  is moved upward or the sliding/hinge housing  200  is moved downward, the second key array  302  is visually exposed to a user and can be used. If the first housing  100  and the sliding/hinge housing  200  are positioned as shown in  FIG. 3 , the first and second key arrays  114  and  302  are disposed adjacent to each other.  
      Reference numeral  116 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , denotes a guide rail, which is preferably made of a metallic material and is provided with two guide openings.  
      If the sliding/hinge housing  200  is first moved to the position shown in  FIG. 5 , and then rotated approximatly 180°, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the battery pack  320  and the speaker unit  110  are disposed adjacent to each other. The range of rotation of the rotational housing  300  is limited to 180° or less, so that it cannot be rotated further.  
      If the sliding/hinge housing  200  is rotated approximately 180°, as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the mirror  306  and the camera lens  308 , which are positioned on the top surface  300   a  of the rotational housing  300 , are exposed to the outside. In other words, the mirror  306  and the camera lens  308  are visually exposed to a user only when the rotational housing  300  has undergone a rotational movement. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the speaker unit  210  is disposed adjacent to the mirror  306  and the camera lens  308 , and the mirror  306  and the camera lens  308  are disposed adjacent to the second key array  302 .  
      The sliding/hinge housing  200  has a linear sliding direction which is perpendicular to a hinge axis A of the rotational housing  300 . The hinge axis A is oriented in such a manner that it penetrates the side surface  200   c  of the sliding/hinge housing.  
      A sliding/folding-type portable digital communication apparatus according to the present invention may be used as follows: in the position shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a user can perform voice communication with a partner. As the position shown in  FIG. 3  corresponds to a mode wherein a user performs a more complicated data input operation, such as text message input. In the position shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , a user can perform video communication with a partner or take pictures of a desired object using a lighting unit.  
      As mentioned above, the present invention provides a portable digital communication apparatus which combines the advantages of sliding-type and folding-type apparatuses, so that a user can operate keys and take pictures of a desired object in a more convenient way.  
      While the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.