Patent ID: 8185169

Claim:
A handheld electronic communication device transitionable between compact and expanded configurations, said device comprising: an elongate display panel positioned adjacent to and in substantial parallel orientation with an elongate keyboard panel when the device is configured in the compact configuration, said display panel and keyboard panel being coupled together by a rotation and translation accommodating interconnection, said interconnection configured to maintain said panels in parallel orientation to one another through out transition between the compact and expanded configurations, and further comprising an elongate track associated with one of said display and keyboard panels and a key associated with the other of said display and keyboard panels, said key having an insert portion restrained within said track and which is permitted to translate longitudinally within said track; said device having an elongate front-facing profile in the compact configuration and a generally top-crossed T-shaped front-facing profile in the expanded configuration; and said elongate display panel comprising a display screen having a greater length than width and a lengthwise oriented centerline, said lengthwise oriented centerline being horizontally oriented when said device is configured in the expanded configuration whereby said elongate display panel forms a top-cross portion of said T-shaped front-facing profile in the expanded configuration.