Patent Publication Number: US-2012026649-A1

Title: Slide and offset pivot display for an electronic mobile device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     Not applicable. 
     STATEMENT OF FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure relates generally to electronic mobile devices, and more particularly to electronic mobile devices including slide and pivot mechanisms that facilitate motion of a display relative to a base housing. 
     Some types of electronic mobile devices, such as cellular phones and the like, include slidable displays for various reasons, such as revealing key assemblies that are manipulated to control device operation. These displays, in some cases, are also pivotable to provide a landscape viewing configuration that is more convenient for certain activities, such as viewing digital videos. 
     However, electronic mobile devices are not designed to move directly from the initial position to a landscape viewing configuration because, in some cases, such a motion can obscure part of the key assembly behind the display. Furthermore, in some cases, such a motion can also leave the display extending away from one side of the key assembly, and holding a device in such a configuration may be uncomfortable and awkward. As such, electronic mobile devices are typically first slid to an intermediate configuration before pivoting to a landscape configuration, which can be time-consuming for a device user. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an electronic mobile device incorporating a slide and offset pivot display; 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of the electronic mobile device of  FIG. 1  with the display in a compact operating configuration; 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of the electronic mobile device of  FIG. 1  with the display in a landscape operating configuration; 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of the electronic mobile device of  FIG. 1  with the display in a portrait operating configuration; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of the electronic mobile device of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIGS. 6A-6E  are front views of the electronic mobile device of  FIG. 1  illustrating steps for moving the display from the compact operating configuration to the landscape operating configuration; 
         FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of an electronic mobile device incorporating a slide and offset pivot display; 
         FIGS. 8A-8C  are front views of the electronic mobile device of  FIG. 7  with the display in a compact operating configuration, a landscape operating configuration, and a portrait operating configuration, respectively; and 
         FIG. 9  is a block diagram of communication elements and subsystems of the electronic mobile devices of  FIGS. 1 and 7 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     According to some embodiments, an electronic mobile device comprises a base housing and a movable housing movably supported by the base housing. The movable housing includes a user interface device, and the user interface device defines an interface plane, a longitudinal plane substantially perpendicular to the interface plane and bisecting the user interface device, and a transverse plane substantially perpendicular to the interface plane and the longitudinal plane and bisecting the user interface device. The movable housing is operable in a first operating configuration, and the movable housing is translatable relative to the base housing along the longitudinal plane to move to and from a second operating configuration. The movable housing is also pivotable relative to the base housing about a pivot axis to move to and from a third operating configuration. The pivot axis is offset from and substantially parallel to both the longitudinal plane and the transverse plane. 
     In some embodiments, the electronic mobile device further comprises a key assembly supported by the base housing, the user interface device is a display, and a portion of the display is disposed between the base housing and the key assembly and thereby obscured in the first operating configuration. 
     In some embodiments, the portion of the display is inoperable in the first operating configuration. 
     In some embodiments, the pivot axis is offset from the longitudinal plane by a transverse offset distance and from the transverse plane by a longitudinal offset distance, and the transverse offset distance and the longitudinal offset distance are substantially equal. 
     In some embodiments, the display has a width substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal plane, the key assembly has a proximal edge nearest the pivot axis, a distance between the proximal edge and the transverse plane is a key assembly offset distance, and the transverse offset distance and the longitudinal offset distance are given by the inequality: 
     
       
         
           
             
               d 
               s 
             
             ≥ 
             
               
                 w 
                 4 
               
               - 
               
                 
                   d 
                   k 
                 
                 2 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     where d s  is the transverse offset distance and the longitudinal offset distance, w is the width of the display, and d k  is the key assembly offset distance. 
     In some embodiments, the electronic mobile device further comprises a biasing mechanism biasing the movable housing toward the second operating configuration. 
     In some embodiments, the movable housing translates over a first range of motion and a second range of motion when moving between the first operating configuration and the second operating configuration. The biasing mechanism biases the movable housing toward the first operating configuration in the first range of motion and toward the second operating configuration in the second range of motion. 
     In some embodiments, the electronic mobile device further comprises a guide mechanism permitting the movable housing to translate relative to the base housing from the first operating configuration to the second operating configuration and vice versa and to pivot relative to the base housing from the first operating configuration to the third operating configuration and vice versa. The guide mechanism also prevents the movable housing from moving directly from the second operating configuration to the third operating configuration and vice versa. 
     In some embodiments, the guide mechanism includes a slot defined by the base housing and a post supported by the movable housing. The post moves within the slot as the movable housing translates and pivots relative to the base housing. 
     In some embodiments, the slot includes a linear portion in which the post moves as the movable housing translates relative to the base housing and an arcuate portion in which the post moves as the movable housing pivots relative to the base housing. 
     In some embodiments, the electronic mobile device further comprises a pivot mechanism facilitating pivoting of the movable housing about the pivot axis. The electronic mobile device further comprises a slide mechanism facilitating translation of the movable housing relative to the base housing along the longitudinal plane. The slide mechanism includes a slide recess defined by the base housing and a slider moving in the slide recess as the movable housing translates relative to the base housing. The slider includes a slider recess that houses the pivot mechanism. 
     In some embodiments, the movable housing is pivoted by 90 degrees in the third operating configuration relative to the first operating configuration and the second operating configuration. 
     In some embodiments, the electronic mobile device further comprises a key assembly supported by the base housing, the user interface device is a display, and a portion of the display is disposed between the base housing and the key assembly and thereby obscured in the first operating configuration. 
     According to some embodiments, an electronic mobile device comprises a base housing supporting a slide mechanism and a pivot mechanism. The electronic mobile device further comprises a movable housing connected to the slide mechanism and the pivot mechanism such that the movable housing is movably supported by the base housing. The movable housing includes a user interface device that defines an interface plane, a longitudinal plane that bisects the user interface device and is substantially perpendicular to the interface plane, and a transverse plane that bisects the user interface device and is substantially perpendicular to the interface plane and the longitudinal plane. The movable housing is operable in a first operating configuration, and the movable housing is translatable relative to the base housing along the longitudinal plane to move to and from a second operating configuration. The movable housing is also pivotable relative to the base housing about a pivot axis to move to and from a third operating configuration. The pivot axis is offset from and substantially parallel to both the longitudinal plane and the transverse plane. 
     In some embodiments, the user interface device is a display. 
     In some embodiments, the electronic mobile device further comprises a key assembly supported by the base housing, and at least a portion of the display is disposed between the base housing and the key assembly and thereby obscured in the first operating configuration. According to some embodiments, an electronic mobile device comprises a base housing supporting a slide mechanism and a pivot mechanism. The electronic mobile device further comprises a movable housing connected to the slide mechanism and the pivot mechanism such that the movable housing is movably supported by the base housing. The movable housing includes a display that defines a display plane, a longitudinal plane that bisects the display and is substantially perpendicular to the display plane, and a transverse plane that bisects the display and is substantially perpendicular to the display plane and the longitudinal plane. The movable housing is operable in a compact operating configuration, and the movable housing is translatable relative to the base housing along the longitudinal plane to move to and from a portrait operating configuration. The movable housing is also pivotable relative to the base housing about a pivot axis to move to and from a landscape operating configuration. The pivot axis is offset from and substantially parallel to both the longitudinal plane and the transverse plane. 
     In some embodiments, the electronic mobile device further comprises a key assembly supported by the base housing, and at least a portion of the display is disposed between the base housing and the key assembly and thereby obscured in the compact operating configuration. 
     In some embodiments, the pivot axis is offset from the longitudinal plane by a transverse offset distance and the transverse plane by a longitudinal offset distance, and the transverse offset distance and the longitudinal offset distance are substantially equal. 
     In some embodiments, the electronic mobile device further comprises a guide mechanism permitting the movable housing to translate relative to the base housing from the compact operating configuration to the portrait operating configuration and vice versa and to pivot relative to the base housing from the compact operating configuration to the landscape operating configuration and vice versa. The guide mechanism also prevents the movable housing from moving directly from the portrait operating configuration to the landscape operating configuration and vice versa. 
     The teachings of the present disclosure relate generally to electronic mobile devices, e.g., mobile communication devices such as pagers, cellular phones, global positioning system (GPS) navigation devices and other satellite navigation devices, smart phones, wireless organizers, wireless personal digital assistants (PDA), and tablet computers. The electronic mobile devices could be devices without wireless communication capabilities such as PDAs, electronic gaming devices, digital photograph albums or picture frames, digital cameras, or digital video recorders. It is also possible that the teachings of the present disclosure could be applied to electronic devices other than handheld electronic devices, e.g., notebook computers. In any case, these examples are intended to be non-limiting. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1-6 , an electronic mobile device  100  includes a base housing  102  that supports a movable housing  104 . The movable housing  104  includes a user interface device, e.g., a display  106 . Motion of the movable housing  104  is facilitated by a slide mechanism  208  ( FIG. 2 ) and an offset pivot mechanism  210  that permits the movable housing  104  to move directly from a compact operating configuration ( FIG. 2 ) to a landscape operating configuration ( FIG. 3 ). In the following paragraphs, the base housing  102  and the movable housing  104  are first generally described. Thereafter, additional details of the slide mechanism  208 , the offset pivot mechanism  210 , the motion of the movable housing  104 , and communication elements and subsystems of the device  100  are provided. 
     Referring specifically to  FIGS. 1 and 5 , the base housing  102  is a generally flat and rectangular component that houses communication elements and subsystems such as those described below in connection with  FIG. 9 . In some embodiments, the base housing  102  also supports user-operable components (not shown) on its rectangular periphery, such as volume control keys, shortcut keys, mute keys, data/power ports, earphone jacks, and the like, that may be manipulated by a user to control operation of the electronic mobile device  100 . A lower end of the rectangular body of the base housing  102  connects to a mounting platform  512  that extends above the movable housing  104  and supports a key assembly  114 . 
     The key assembly  114  includes a plurality of keys  116  that define a common keypad layout, such as a QWERTY layout, a QWERTZ layout, an AZERTY layout, a DVORAK layout, or the like. In some embodiments, the key assembly  114  also includes additional user-operable components, such as a track pad  118 , a track ball (not shown), a menu button (not shown), an escape button (not shown), and the like. In any case, the key assembly  114  may be manipulated by a user to control operation of the electronic mobile device  100 . 
     Still referring to  FIGS. 1 and 5 , the movable housing  104  is a generally flat component that includes a display  106 , such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), that interacts with the communication elements and subsystems described in connection with  FIG. 9  to provide visual information to a user. In some embodiments, the display  106  could be a touch-responsive LCD panel such that the movable housing  104  could also serve as an input device. In some embodiments, the movable housing  104  also supports a speaker  120  that interacts with the communication elements and subsystems described in connection with  FIG. 9  to provide audible information to a user. Furthermore, in some embodiments the movable housing  104  also supports user-operable components (not shown) on its rectangular periphery, such as volume control keys, short cut keys, mute keys, data/power ports, earphone jacks, and the like, that may be manipulated by a user to control operation of the electronic mobile device  100 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2-5 , the movable housing  104  is operable in a first or compact operating configuration ( FIG. 2 ) in which a portion of the display  106  is obscured by the key assembly  114 . In some embodiments, the portion of the display  106  obscured by the key assembly  114  is inoperable in the compact operating configuration to conserve power. In any case, the compact operating configuration may be useful for viewing relatively simple information, such as SMS messages or e-mail messages, and for storing the device  100 . The movable housing  104  is also operable in other configurations facilitated by the slide mechanism  208  and the pivot mechanism  210  as described below. 
     The slide mechanism  208  includes a slide recess  522  ( FIG. 5 ) defined by the front surface of the base housing  102 . The front surface of the base housing  102  also defines two guide rails  524  that engage a slider  526  disposed within the slide recess  522 . The guide rails  524  constrain the slider  526  to move back and forth along a linear path within the slide recess  522 . The slider  526  supports the movable housing  104  (indirectly through the pivot mechanism  210 ), and as such, the movable housing  104  is translatable along the linear path defined by the guide rails  524 . This permits the movable housing  104  to be moved from the compact operating configuration ( FIG. 2 ) to a second or portrait operating configuration ( FIG. 4 ) and vice versa. In the portrait operating configuration, the entire display  106  is positioned above an uppermost or proximal edge  229  ( FIG. 2 ) of the key assembly  114 , and as such the entire display  106  is visible. For the above reasons, the portrait operating configuration may be useful for viewing a relatively large amount of information or relatively large images, such as portrait-oriented digital photographs or the like. 
     In some embodiments, the slide mechanism  208  also includes a biasing mechanism (e.g., an over-center spring  228 ) that biases the movable housing  104  (through the slider  526 ) toward the compact operating configuration over a first range of motion and toward the portrait operating configuration over a second range of motion. In the embodiments shown in the figures, the over-center spring  228  includes a first leg  230  that pivotally connects to the base housing  102  and a second leg  232  that pivotally connects to the slider  526 . When the movable housing  104  is in the compact operating configuration, the spring  228  tends to uncoil in a manner that forces the first and second legs  230  and  232  apart, thereby biasing the movable housing  104  toward the compact operating configuration. The spring  228  continues to bias the movable housing  104  toward the compact operating configuration as the movable housing  104  moves toward the portrait operating configuration. However, once the ends of the legs  230  and  232  pass each other, the tendency of the first and second legs  230  and  232  to move apart biases the movable housing  104  toward the portrait operating configuration. 
     Still referring to  FIGS. 2-5 , the pivot mechanism  210  generally has a structure that is common to such components. That is, the pivot mechanism  210  includes a frame  234  that is fixedly housed within a slider recess  536  ( FIG. 5 ) defined by the front surface of the slider  526 . In some embodiments, the frame  234  is secured to the slider  526  via threaded fasteners (not shown), although other means may alternatively be used. In any case, the frame  234  rotatably supports a disk or rotator  238  that fixedly connects to the movable housing  104  via, e.g., posts  540  ( FIG. 5 ) extending from the rear surface of the movable housing  104  into holes  541  defined by the surface of the rotator  238 . In some embodiments, the movable housing  104  and the rotator  238  are connected using other means, such as threaded fasteners (not shown). Regardless of the type of connection that is used, the rotator  238  permits the movable housing  104  to pivot relative to the base housing  102  about a pivot axis  242  that extends through the center of the rotator  238 . As such, the movable housing  104  is pivotable from the compact operating configuration ( FIG. 2 ) to a third or landscape operating configuration ( FIG. 3 ) and vice versa. The movable housing  104  is pivoted by 90 degrees in the landscape operating configuration relative to the compact operating configuration, and therefore the landscape operating configuration may be useful for viewing relatively large amounts of information or relatively large images, such as digital videos or the like. 
     In addition to the components described above, in some embodiments the pivot mechanism  210  further includes a biasing mechanism (not shown) that biases the movable housing  104  (through the rotator  238 ) toward the compact operating configuration over a first range of angular motion and toward the landscape operating configuration over a second range of angular motion. Such biasing mechanisms are commonly associated with pivot mechanisms and, in some embodiments, include compression springs supported by the frame  234  that engage cam surfaces on the rotator  238 . 
     As shown mostly clearly in  FIG. 2 , the pivot mechanism  210  is positioned so that the pivot axis  242  is offset from the center of the display  106 . As used herein, the “center” of the display  106  refers to the intersection of a longitudinal plane  244  and a transverse plane  246  that both bisect the display  106 . The longitudinal plane  244  extends in the direction of the longer dimension of the display  106  (i.e., the height dimension), and the transverse plane  246  extends in the direction of the shorter dimension of the display  106  (i.e., the width dimension). In addition, the longitudinal plane  244  and the transverse plane  246  are substantially perpendicular to each other and an interface or display plane  248  extending along the surface of the display  106 . 
     The pivot mechanism  210  is positioned so that the pivot axis  242  is offset from the planes described above for several related reasons. In particular, the pivot axis  242  is offset so that the movable housing  104  can pivot from the compact operating configuration directly to the landscape operating configuration in a manner in which the entire display  106  is visible above the key assembly  114  (i.e., no portions of the display  106  are obscured by the key assembly  114 ). To this end, the distance between the pivot axis  242  and the longitudinal plane  244 , or simply the transverse offset distance  250 , is given by the inequality: 
     
       
         
           
             
               d 
               
                 s 
                  
                 
                     
                 
                  
                 1 
               
             
             ≥ 
             
               
                 w 
                 2 
               
               - 
               
                 d 
                 
                   s 
                    
                   
                       
                   
                    
                   2 
                 
               
               - 
               
                 d 
                 k 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     where d s1  is the transverse offset distance, w is the shorter dimension of the display  106  (i.e., the width dimension), d s2  is a longitudinal offset distance  252  (i.e., the distance of the pivot axis  242  above the transverse plane  246 ), and d k  is a key assembly offset distance  253  (i.e., the distance of the proximal edge  229  of the key assembly  114  below the transverse plane  246 ). 
     Furthermore, in some embodiments the display  106  is positioned symmetrically relative to the key assembly  114  and the base housing  102  in the landscape operating configuration to provide a “balanced” appearance for the device  100 . To this end, the transverse plane  246  of the display  106  aligns with a mid-plane  354  ( FIG. 3 ) of the base housing  102  in the landscape operating configuration. If the mid-plane  354  of the base housing  102  coincides with the longitudinal plane  244  of the display  106  in the compact operating configuration, then: 
       d s1 =d s2    
     and the above inequality simplifies to the form: 
     
       
         
           
             
               d 
               
                 s 
                  
                 
                     
                 
                  
                 1 
               
             
             ≥ 
             
               
                 w 
                 4 
               
               - 
               
                 
                   d 
                   k 
                 
                 2 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     to provide an electronic mobile device  100  with a balanced appearance in which the entire display  106  is visible in the landscape operating configuration. 
     As described above, the movable housing  104  may be moved directly from the compact operating configuration to either the portrait operating configuration or the landscape operating configuration. However and referring to  FIGS. 6A-6E , in some embodiments the movable housing  104  may also be moved directly from the portrait operating configuration to the landscape operating configuration and vice versa. Specifically, the movable housing  104  may move from the compact operating configuration ( FIG. 6A ) to the portrait operating configuration ( FIG. 6B ). While in the portrait operating configuration, the movable housing  104  may pivot clockwise by 90 degrees about the pivot axis  242  ( FIG. 6C ). The slider  526  may then move toward the key assembly  114  ( FIG. 6D ) such that the movable housing  104  moves toward the landscape operating configuration ( FIG. 6E ). The movable housing  104  may then be returned to the compact operating configuration by reversing the previous series of steps or by simply pivoting the movable housing  104  counter-clockwise by 90 degrees about the pivot axis  242 . 
     The motion described in the previous paragraph exposes the slide mechanism  208  when the display moves between the portrait operating configuration and the landscape operating configuration ( FIGS. 6C and 6D ). This exposure can be reduced by employing a guide mechanism  760  (FIGS.  7  and  8 A- 8 C) that prevents the movable housing  104  from moving directly from the portrait operating configuration to the landscape operating configuration and vice versa. Instead, the guide mechanism  760  permits the movable housing  104  to move directly from the compact operating configuration to either the portrait operating configuration or the landscape operating configuration and vice versa. In the embodiments shown in the figures, the guide mechanism  760  includes a slot  762  defined by the front surface of the base housing  102 . The rear surface of the movable housing  104  supports a post  764  that moves within the slot  762  as the movable housing  104  translates and pivots to move to and from the different operating configurations. The post  764  moves through a linear portion  766  of the slot  762  as the movable housing  104  moves to and from the portrait operating configuration, and the post  764  moves through an arcuate portion  768  of the slot  762  as the movable housing  104  pivots to and from the landscape operating configuration. The post  764  is positioned at a transition portion  770  between the linear portion  766  and the arcuate portion  768  when the display is in the compact operating configuration. 
     The device  100  described above may be modified without departing from the scope of the disclosure. For example, instead of including an over-center spring  228 , the biasing mechanism may include a spring-biased cam (not shown) supported by the base housing  102  that engages sloped cam surfaces (not shown) of the slider  526 . By engaging one sloped cam surface, the cam biases the slider  526  toward the compact operating configuration, and by engaging the other sloped cam surface, the roller biases the slider  526  toward the portrait operating configuration. Various other modifications and alternatives may also be employed. 
     From the above description, it should be appreciated that the movable housing  104  is pivotable to a landscape operating configuration directly from a compact operating configuration. Furthermore, the entire display  106  is visible and is symmetrically positioned relative to the base housing  102  in the landscape operating configuration, thereby providing a comfortable holding configuration for a device user. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 9 , a block diagram showing the operative connections of the communication elements and subsystems of the electronic mobile device  100  is illustrated. The electronic mobile device  100  includes a processing device  960 , a communications subsystem  962 , a short-range communications subsystem  964 , input/output devices  106 ,  968 ,  970 ,  116 ,  120 ,  976 , memory devices  978 ,  980 , and various other device subsystems  982 . The electronic mobile device  100  is preferably a two-way communication device having voice and data communication capabilities. In addition, the device  100  preferably has the capability to communicate with other computer systems via the internet. 
     The processing device  960  controls the overall operation of the electronic mobile device  100 . Operating system software executed by the processing device  960  is preferably stored in a persistent store, such as the flash memory  978 , but may also be stored in other types of memory devices, such as a read only memory (ROM) or similar storage elements. In addition, system software, specific device applications, or parts thereof, may be temporarily loaded into a volatile store, such as the random access memory (RAM)  980 . Communication signals received by the electronic mobile device  100  may also be stored to RAM  980 . 
     The processing device  960 , in addition to its operating system functions, enables execution of software applications  978   a - 978   n  on the device  100 . A predetermined set of applications that control basic device operations, such as data and voice communications  978   a,    978   b  may be installed on the device  100  during manufacture. In addition, a personal information manager (PIM) application (not shown) may be installed during manufacture. The PIM is preferably capable of organizing and managing data items, such as e-mail, calendar events, voicemails, appointments, and task items. The PIM application is also preferably capable of sending and receiving data items via a wireless network  984 . Preferably, the PIM data items are seamlessly integrated, synchronized and updated via the wireless network  984  with the device user&#39;s corresponding data items stored or associated with a host computer system. An example system and method for accomplishing these steps is disclosed in “System and Method for Pushing Information from a Host System to a Mobile Data Communication Device Having A Shared Electronic Address”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,694, which is owned by the assignee of the present application, and which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     Communication functions, including data and voice communications, are performed through the communication subsystem  962 , and possibly through the short-range communications subsystem  964 . The communication subsystem  962  includes a receiver  986 , a transmitter  988  and one or more antennas  990 ,  992 . In addition, the communication subsystem  962  also includes a processing module, such as a digital signal processor (DSP)  994 , and local oscillators (LOs)  996 . The specific design and implementation of the communication subsystem  962  is dependent upon the communication network in which the electronic mobile device  100  is intended to operate. For example, an electronic mobile device  100  may include a communication subsystem  962  designed to operate with the Mobitex™ DataTAC™ or General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) mobile data communication networks and also designed to operate with any of a variety of voice communication networks, such as AMPS, TDMA, CDMA, PCS, GSM, etc. Other types of data and voice networks, both separate and integrated, may also be utilized with the electronic mobile device  100 . 
     Network access requirements vary depending upon the type of communication system. For example, in the Mobitex and DataTAC networks, electronic mobile devices are registered on the network using a unique personal identification number or PIN associated with each device. In GPRS networks, however, network access is associated with a subscriber or user of a device. A GPRS device therefore requires a subscriber identity module, commonly referred to as a SIM card, in order to operate on a GPRS network. 
     When required network registration or activation procedures have been completed, the electronic mobile device  100  may send and receive communication signals over the communication network  984 . Signals received by the antenna  990  from the communication network  984  are routed to the receiver  986 , which provides for signal amplification, frequency down conversion, filtering, channel selection, etc., and may also provide analog-to-digital conversion. Analog-to-digital conversion of the received signal allows the DSP to perform more complex communication functions, such as demodulation and decoding. In a similar manner, signals to be transmitted to the network  984  are processed (e.g., modulated and encoded) by the DSP  994  and are then provided to the transmitter  988  for digital-to-analog conversion, frequency up conversion, filtering, amplification and transmission to the communication network  984  (or networks) via the antenna  992 . 
     In addition to processing communication signals, the DSP  994  provides for receiver  986  and transmitter  988  control. For example, gains applied to communication signals in the receiver  986  and transmitter  988  may be adaptively controlled through automatic gain control algorithms implemented in the DSP  994 . 
     In a data communication mode, a received signal, such as a text message or web page download, is processed by the communication subsystem  962  and input to the processing device  960 . The received signal is then further processed by the processing device  960  for output to the display  106 , or alternatively to some other auxiliary I/O device  968 . A device user may also compose data items, such as e-mail messages, using the key assembly  114  and/or some other auxiliary I/O device  968 , such as the track pad  118 , a rocker switch, a thumb-wheel, or the like. The composed data items may then be transmitted over the communication network  984  via the communication subsystem  962 . 
     In a voice communication mode, overall operation of the device is substantially similar to the data communication mode, except that received signals are output to the speaker  120 , and signals for transmission are generated by a microphone  976 . Alternative voice or audio I/O subsystems, such as a voice message recording subsystem, may also be implemented on the device  100 . In addition, the display  106  may also be utilized in voice communication mode, for example to display the identity of a calling party, the duration of a voice call, or other voice call related information. 
     The short-range communications subsystem  964  enables communication between the electronic mobile device  100  and other proximate systems or devices, which need not necessarily be similar devices. For example, the short-range communications subsystem  964  may include an infrared device and associated circuits and components, or a Bluetooth™ communication module to provide for communication with similarly-enabled systems and devices. 
     The various embodiments presented above are merely examples and are in no way meant to limit the scope of this disclosure. Variations of the embodiments described herein will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art, such variations being within the intended scope of the present application. In particular, features from one or more of the above-described embodiments may be selected to create alternative embodiments comprised of a sub-combination of features which may not be explicitly described above. In addition, features from one or more of the above-described embodiments may be selected and combined to create alternative embodiments comprised of a combination of features which may not be explicitly described above. Features suitable for such combinations and sub-combinations would be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art upon review of the present application as a whole. The subject matter described herein and in the recited claims intends to cover and embrace all suitable changes in technology.