Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US6349040?dq=7,433,694
Timestamp: 2015-04-18 04:29:41
Document Index: 502118137

Matched Legal Cases: ['art. 19', 'arts 4', 'art 5', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'arts 4', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'art 5', 'art 4']

Patent US6349040 - Electronic device with a variable keyboard - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsAn electronic device includes a display and a keyboard having a fixed part and a movable part. The movable part moves between an open position and a closed position. The size of the electronic device remains unchanged when the movable part is in the open and closed positions. The movable part covers...http://www.google.com/patents/US6349040?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US6349040 - Electronic device with a variable keyboardAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS6349040 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 09/259,956Publication dateFeb 19, 2002Filing dateMar 1, 1999Priority dateMar 3, 1998Fee statusPaidAlso published asCN1153492C, CN1233127A, DE69932965D1, DE69932965T2, EP0940962A1, EP0940962B1, US6469910, US7019985, US20010012195, US20020041490, US20030031005Publication number09259956, 259956, US 6349040 B2, US 6349040B2, US-B2-6349040, US6349040 B2, US6349040B2InventorsLo�c LefortOriginal AssigneeU.S. Philips CorporationExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (7), Non-Patent Citations (1), Referenced by (7), Classifications (31), Legal Events (6) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetElectronic device with a variable keyboard
US 6349040 B2Abstract
An electronic device includes a display and a keyboard having a fixed part and a movable part. The movable part moves between an open position and a closed position. The size of the electronic device remains unchanged when the movable part is in the open and closed positions. The movable part covers a portion of the display in the open position, and has back keys which cover the display portion and are inaccessible by the user. In the closed position, the entire display is exposed, and front keys of the movable part are inaccessible and cover keys of the fixed part.
a display; and a keyboard having a fixed part and a movable part; wherein said movable part moves between a first position and a second position; a viewable part of said display changing while a width of said electronic device remaining unchanged when said movable part is in said first position and said second position, said width being shorter than a length of said electronic device. 2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said movable part has a first face with a first set of keys and a second face with a second set of keys, said second set of keys covering keys of said fixed part in said second position, and said first set of keys covering a portion of said display in said first position.
3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said movable part has a first face with a first set of keys and a second face with a second set of keys, said first set of keys covering a portion of said display and exposing keys of said fixed part in said first position.
4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said movable part has a first face with a first set of keys and a second face with a second set of keys, said second set of keys covering keys of said fixed part in said second position without covering a portion of said display in said second position.
5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein a first face of said movable part includes a first set of keys which are accessible by a user in said first position and not accessible in said second position, and wherein a second face of said movable part includes a second set of keys which are accessible in said second position and not accessible in said first position.
6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein a first set of keys of said fixed part and said movable part are accessible by a user in said first position and not accessible in said second position, and wherein a second set of keys of said movable part is accessible in said second position and not accessible in said first position.
7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said movable part is connected to said fixed part by a hinge.
8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said movable part and said fixed part are connected by a cable.
9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said movable part is connected to said fixed part by hinges and wherein said movable part and said fixed part are connected by a cable passing though a slot located between said hinges.
10. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising holding means for holding said movable part in said first position and said second position.
11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein said holding means includes a magnet on said movable part and magnetic pieces on said fixed part and a frame of said display.
12. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said electronic device includes at least one of a mobile telephone, a calculator and an organizer.
13. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said electronic device is a mobile telephone when said movable part is in said first position and an organizer when said movable part is in said second position.
14. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said movable part partially covers said display in said first position.
15. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said display is fully exposed when said movable part is in said second position, said display being a touch display which provides data access by touching said display.
16. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said movable part has a contour that prevents keys of said movable part from touching keys of said fixed part in said second position.
17. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said movable part has a contour that prevents keys of said movable part from touching said display in said first position.
a display; and a keyboard having a fixed part and a movable part; wherein said movable part moves between a first position and a second position; a width of said electronic device remaining unchanged when said movable part is in said first position and said second position, said width being shorter than a length of said electronic device, wherein said electronic device includes at least two functions which are automatically switched in response to detection of a location of said movable part. 19. An electronic device comprising:
a display; and a keyboard having a fixed part and a movable part; wherein said movable part moves between a first position and a second position; a width of said electronic device remaining unchanged when said movable part is in said first position and said second position, said width being shorter than a length of said electronic device, wherein said electronic device includes at least two functions which are switched by a key of said keyboard. 20. An electronic device comprising:
a display; and a keyboard having a fixed part and a movable part; wherein said movable part moves between a first position and a second position; a width and a length of said electronic device remaining unchanged when said movable part is in said first position and said second position. Description
The present invention relates to an electronic device with a main side having user connection means such as a keyboard with keys and a display.
From European patent EP-A-0 472 361 is notably known a portable workstation comprising a personal computer and a mobile telephone in one and the same construction. This device comprises a pivoting keyboard part that enables to change from a mobile telephone keyboard to a keyboard of a personal computer, which change is accompanied with the change from a small display to a large display. During this movement, however, the size of the device is notably increased and the keys of the mobile telephone keyboard remain accessible, not protected, and may be operated inadvertently.
According to the invention, the drawbacks of the prior art are diminished or suppressed thanks to the fact that the electronic device indicated in the first paragraph is characterized in that a first part of the keyboard is fixed and that a second part, permanently firmly attached to said device, comprises positioning means so that it is movable between two operational positions for which said device retains an invariable size, a first position in which said keyboard is called reduced and a second position in which said keyboard is called extended, and such that the change from one position to the other renders the keys of the keyboard accessible to said user for the end position and keys of the keyboard inaccessible for the starting position.
These and other aspects of the invention are apparent from and will be elucidated with reference to the embodiment(s) described hereinafter, which constitute a non-limitative example.
FIG. 3 represents in A a side view and in B a front view of the detail of the immobilizing means of the second movable part of the keyboard and of means establishing electrical contact,
The device 10 represented in FIGS. 1A and 1B has the appearance and functionalities of a conventional mobile telephone. On a main side, FIG. 1A, it comprises an antenna 1 and means for connection to a user such as an earphone 2, a microphone 3, a keyboard with keys formed in two parts 4 and 5 and a display 6 which is preferably a liquid crystal display called LCD. In known manner, a first part 5 of the keyboard, which is in this case the lower part, is fixed and preferably comprises in the form of keys 5A the part reserved for dialing, that is, the ten digits and the asterisk and square buttons. The second part 4 of the keyboard is movable according to the invention. In the embodiment of FIG. 1 and as represented in the FIGS. 1A and 1B, the part 4 has been handled by pivoting it around a hinge 7 so as to have it occupy a high position called second position, in which it features keys 4A and which enables to obtain a large keyboard called extended keyboard. The parts 4 and 5 of the keyboard are substantially square and of equal size. This is necessary and is linked with the fact that in its first position represented in FIGS. 1C and 1D, the keys 4A and 5A are situated opposite one another and nearly in contact with one another, thus being rendered inaccessible and protected.
When the movable part 4 of the keyboard is put in place in its first or second position, one should see to it that the keys 4A or 4C do not come into contact with parts of the main side of the device 10 or 20, that is to say, with the screen 6 or with the keys 5A. For this purpose, an advantageous embodiment of the invention comprises giving each face of the part 4 a slightly reflex curve as represented in FIG. 4, and the same measure may be taken as regards part 5 of the fixed keyboard or display screen 6. Thus, although projecting, the keys remain slightly retracted relative to the area of the parts of the keyboard supporting them and the contacts of the main side with the part 4 are positioned at the level of these areas, which provides both a good support for the useful keys and a good protection for the hidden, inaccessible keys.
Patent CitationsCited PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS5363089Sep 24, 1992Nov 8, 1994Motorola, Inc.Electronic device having multi-position hinged mechanismUS5657370 *May 4, 1995Aug 12, 1997Nec CorporationCellular portable radiotelephoneUS5661641May 30, 1996Aug 26, 1997Sony CorporationPortable telephone having a reversible and sliding card casingUS5936583 *Mar 24, 1997Aug 10, 1999Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaPortable radio communication device with wide bandwidth and improved antenna radiation efficiencyUS6009338 *Apr 17, 1997Dec 28, 1999Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaMobile information terminal equipment and portable electronic apparatusEP0472361A2Aug 14, 1991Feb 26, 1992Nokia Mobile Phones Ltd.Portable personal workstationEP0661824A1Dec 15, 1994Jul 5, 1995Nec CorporationFoldable portable telephone with improved antenna gain* Cited by examinerNon-Patent CitationsReference1By IBM Techical Disclosure Bulletin "Personal Communicator Configurations", Jun. 1, 1994, vol. 37, No. 6A PP. 450, Line 23, p. 451, Line 8, Figures 3A, 3B.Referenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS6640113 *Sep 8, 2000Oct 28, 2003Mobigence, Inc.Touch sensitive display integrated with a handheld radiotelephoneUS6708021 *Aug 21, 2000Mar 16, 2004Mobigence, Inc.Radiotelephone formatUS7251511 *Mar 11, 2003Jul 31, 2007Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Portable communication apparatus with data-inputting expansionUS7257430 *May 11, 2002Aug 14, 2007Motorola, Inc.Self configuring multiple element portable electronic deviceUS8345429 *Feb 12, 2010Jan 1, 2013Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Mobile terminal having detachable sub-moduleUS20100208434 *Feb 12, 2010Aug 19, 2010Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Mobile terminal having detachable sub-moduleWO2007005506A1 *Jun 28, 2006Jan 11, 2007Hai-Lin HuangMovable user interface for an electronic device* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification361/814, 455/90.1, 361/679.3, 361/679.09, D14/138International ClassificationG06F1/16, G06F3/02, H04M1/23, H04M1/02Cooperative ClassificationG06F1/1671, G06F1/1683, H04M1/23, H04M2250/18, H04M2250/22, G06F1/1666, H04M1/0245, H04M1/0214, G06F1/1626, G06F1/1679, G06F1/1616, G06F1/1662European ClassificationG06F1/16P9K, G06F1/16P1F, G06F1/16P9M4, G06F1/16P9K10, G06F1/16P9K4, G06F1/16P9M8, H04M1/02A2F2, H04M1/02A2B4, H04M1/23, G06F1/16P3Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionMar 13, 2013FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 12Jul 20, 2012ASAssignmentFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:IPG ELECTRONICS 503 LIMITED;REEL/FRAME:028594/0224Effective date: 20120410Owner name: PENDRAGON WIRELESS LLC, WASHINGTONAug 14, 2009FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 8Jul 25, 2005FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 4May 11, 2005ASAssignmentOwner name: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V., NETHERLANDSFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:U.S. PHILIPS CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:016546/0995Effective date: 20050502May 13, 1999ASAssignmentOwner name: U.S. PHILIPS CORPORATION, NEW YORKFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:LEFORT, LOIC;REEL/FRAME:009949/0582Effective date: 19990402RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services