Patent Publication Number: US-2006003708-A1

Title: Slide able keypad

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to a telephone device having a keypad and a display that are configured in a sliding relation with respect to each other.  
     BACKGROUND  
      Communication devices have during the last decades evolved from being more or less primitive telephones, capable of conveying only narrow band analog signals such as voice conversations, into the multimedia mobile devices of today capable of conveying large amounts of data representing any kind of media. For example, a telephone in a GSM, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS or CDMA2000 type of system is capable of functioning, more or less, like a computer terminal having a high resolution color display and a keypad with a large number of input keys. These multi media mobile devices are used to access services via the mobile network, including communication services that allows a user of the device to, e.g., perform web browsing.  
      While there has been a strong demand for increased functionality in terms of, e.g., increased display size for improved image rendering capability, there has also been a strong demand for increased portability in terms of decreased size and weight. Needless to say, these demands are typically not compatible. Present day multi media mobile devices are all compromise constructions, typically with designs that include compact keypads with a plurality of very small keys cramped together on a small surface area of a device. Another compromise construction has been to avoid the use of mechanical keys and instead use a touch sensitive display on which a stylus is used to input commands and write text.  
      Other compromise constructions include the Nokia 6820 Messaging Device, which includes a first and a second keypad that in a first configuration is facing each other and in a second configuration the second keypad is folded away from the first keypad. Such a construction does, however, provide limited flexibility in terms of design, as the folding capability of the device requires, for example, an intricately configured hinge unit.  
      Yet another compromise construction is described in the European patent application published with number 1107101, in which is disclosed an electronic device with a touch sensitive housing element that slides or is folded with respect to a main body of the device. A drawback with this construction is that it is not robust and is hence sensitive to rough handling.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      An object of the present invention is hence to provide a mobile telephone that overcomes drawbacks of prior art devices while facilitating for a user to use the telephone as a multi media communication device.  
      The object is achieved by way of a telephone according to claim  1 .  
      A telephone according to the invention comprises a first housing part comprising a display device, a second housing part comprising a first set of input keys, and a third housing part comprising a second set of input keys.  
      The first housing part is arranged between said second and third housing parts and mechanically joined to said second and third housing parts. The second and third housing parts are arranged to slide between at least a respective first position and a second position relative to said first housing part, where the respective first relative position is such that said display is substantially uncovered by respective second and third housing part and where the respective second relative position is such that the display is substantially covered by said respective second and third housing part.  
      Such a telephone is both robust and allows the use of a large display, which is essential when using the telephone as a multi media communication device, when the housing parts are in the first relative position, while at the same time being compact when the housing parts are in the second relative position.  
      In a preferred embodiment, electric position detection means are arranged in the telephone for detecting the first and second relative positions and provide a position indication signal to electric circuitry in the telephone. These position indication signals can then be used by processing means in the telephone.  
      Preferably, at least one of said second and third housing part comprises a cut-out for providing an uncovered area of the display when said second and third housing parts are in the second position relative to the first housing part, thereby allowing a user to view part of the display even when the telephone is in the second mode of operation.  
      A preferred embodiment is that the second and third housing parts are substantially hollow and substantially encloses the first housing part when in respective second relative position relative to the first housing part. This has the advantage that the display, and other circuitry contained in the first housing part is protected from rough handling.  
      Also, in order to provide advantageous ease of use, the telephone the first, second and third housing parts, where the resilient means comprises activation means for enabling a user to slide the housing parts between the first and second relative position. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1   a  schematically illustrates a front view of a telephone according to the invention when in a first mode of operation.  
       FIG. 1   b  schematically illustrates a side view of a telephone according to the invention when in a first mode of operation.  
       FIG. 1   c  schematically illustrates a front view of a telephone according to the invention when in a second mode of operation.  
       FIG. 1   d  schematically illustrates a side view of a telephone according to the invention when in a second mode of operation.  
       FIG. 2  is a functional block diagram of a telephone according to the invention.  
    
    
     PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      A telephone  100  comprising three housing parts, a first housing part  102 , a second housing part  106  and a third housing part  110  is shown in  FIGS. 1   a - 1   d . The first housing part  102  comprises a display  104 , the second housing part  106  comprises a first keypad having a first set of input keys  108  and a loudspeaker  116 , the third housing part  110  comprises a second keypad having a second set of input keys  112  and a microphone  114 .  
      The second housing part  106  and the third housing part  110  are mechanically connected to the first housing part  102  via mechanical connection means (not shown) that allow sliding of the housing parts relative to each other. Each of the second  106  and third  110  housing parts are substantially hollow, thereby allowing the first housing part  102  to be enclosed by the second  106  and third  110  housing part, as shown in  FIGS. 1   c  and  1   d . Each of the second  106  and third  110  housing parts also comprises mechanical actuation means in the form of buttons  126  and  127 . These buttons  126 ,  127  allow a user to actuate resilient sliding means (not shown) that slides the housing parts  102 ,  106 ,  110  with respect to each other.  
      In  FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b , the housing parts  102 ,  106 ,  110  are in a first relative position with respect to each other where the display  104  is substantially uncovered. The telephone  100  can hence, in  FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b , be considered as being in a first mode of operation in which a user is capable of fully interacting with the telephone  100 , e.g. using the telephone  100  to view images and browse the web.  
      In  FIGS. 1   c  and  1   d , the housing parts  102 ,  106 ,  110  are in a second relative position with respect to each other where the display  104  is substantially covered. That is, except for a limited area  122  as defined by cut outs  118  and  120  of the second  106  and third  110  housing part, respectively, the display  104  is not visible. The telephone  100  can hence, in  FIGS. 1   c  and  1   d , be considered as being in a second mode of operation in which a user is capable of more limited interaction with the telephone  100 , as compared with the situation in the first mode of operation. For example, in the second mode of operation, the limited area  122  of the display  104  may show only a few lines of text or any other limited amount of graphic content.  
       FIG. 2  shows a block diagram of a telephone  200  according to the present invention. The telephone  200  comprises three housing parts, a first housing part  202 , a second housing part  206  and a third housing part  210 .  
      The first housing part  202  comprises a processing unit  201  connected to a memory unit  203  and a display  204 . The second housing part  206  comprises a number of electronic blocks: an antenna  222  connected to a transceiver  220 , a speaker  216 , a first keypad  208  and a speaker  216 , all of which are connected to the processing unit  201  of the first housing part  202 . The third housing part  210  comprises a microphone  214  and a second keypad  212 , both of which are connected to the processing unit  201  of the first housing part  202 .  
      No detailed description will be presented regarding the specific functions of the different blocks of the telephone  200 . In short, however, as the person skilled in the art will realize, the processing unit  201  controls the overall function of the functional blocks in that it is capable of receiving input from the keypads  208 ,  212 , audio information via the microphone  214  and receive suitably encoded and modulated data via the antenna  222  and transceiver  220 . The processing unit  201  is also capable of providing output in the form of sound via the speaker  216 , images via the display  204  and suitably encoded and modulated data via the transceiver  220  and antenna  222 .  
      The second housing part  206  and the third housing part  210  are mechanically connected to the first housing part  202  via mechanical connection means (not shown) that allow sliding of the housing parts relative to each other, as discussed above in connection with  FIGS. 1   a - 1   d . The second housing part  206  and the third housing part  210  also comprise, respectively, a resilience unit  224  and  225 , each having an actuation button  226  and  227  for actuating the resilience unit  224 ,  225  in order to slide the housing parts  202 ,  206  and  210  with respect to each other.  
      Two position sensing units  205 ,  207  are located in the first housing part  202  and configured such that they transmit electric signals to the processing unit  201  indicating the respective relative position between the first housing part  202  and the second  206  and third  210  housing part, respectively.  
      It is to be noted that the different blocks that have been described above are functional blocks and do not necessarily correspond to actual hardware units in a one-to-one relationship. As the skilled person will realize, functionality comprised in the blocks of  FIG. 2  may, wholly or in part, be comprised in one or more integrated circuits in the form of any mixture of programmable and non-programmable circuits. Moreover, as the skilled person will realize, the processing unit  201 , the memory unit  203 , the transceiver  220  and the antenna  222  may be located in any of the housing parts  202 ,  206 ,  210 .