Patent ID: 8364214

Claim:
A hand-held portable electronic device housing latch and release system comprising: a permanent magnet adapted to be connected to a first housing member of a hand-held portable electronic device; a magnet latch plate adapted to be connected to a second housing member of the hand-held portable electronic device, wherein a magnetic field of the permanent magnet is adapted to exert a magnetic holding force on the magnet latch plate when the first and second housing members are in a first position relative to each other; a spring adapted to bias the first and second housing members away from the first position; and an electromagnetic coil at least partially surrounding the permanent magnet, the coil being adapted to be energized by a battery of the hand-held portable electronic device and adapted to at least partially reduce the magnetic holding force by the permanent magnet on the magnet latch plate when the coil is energized to allow the spring to move the housing members towards a second different position relative to each other.