U.S. patent application number 10/855137 was filed with the patent office on 2005-03-31 for rotational mechanism for a wireless communication device.
Invention is credited to Janninck, Mark Daniel, Oliver, Mark William.
Application Number | 20050070343 10/855137 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25245911 |
Filed Date | 2005-03-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050070343 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Janninck, Mark Daniel ; et
al. |
March 31, 2005 |
Rotational mechanism for a wireless communication device
Abstract
This invention is a wireless communication device (100)
including a first housing (220) with a housing support (250) and a
second housing (120) positioned about the housing support, or a
portion thereof, so that the second housing may rotate around the
housing support. Also, the second housing (120) includes a circular
portion (122) positioned about the housing support (250) and an
extending portion (124) extending from the circular portion. When
the device (100) is in a closed position (110), the circular and
extending portions (122 & 124) of the second housing (120) are
adjacent to the first housing (220). When the device (100) is in an
opened position (210), the circular portion (122) is adjacent to
the first housing (220) and the extending portion (124) is away
from the first housing. In addition, the second housing (120) may
have multiple position relative to the first housing (220) in which
each position activates a particular function of the device
(100).
Inventors: |
Janninck, Mark Daniel; (Glen
Ellyn, IL) ; Oliver, Mark William; (Arlington
Heights, IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MOTOROLA INC
600 NORTH US HIGHWAY 45
ROOM AS437
LIBERTYVILLE
IL
60048-5343
US
|
Family ID: |
25245911 |
Appl. No.: |
10/855137 |
Filed: |
May 27, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10855137 |
May 27, 2004 |
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09826180 |
Apr 4, 2001 |
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6768899 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
455/575.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04M 1/0227 20130101;
H04M 1/7243 20210101; H04M 1/0243 20130101; H04M 1/7246 20210101;
H04M 1/72445 20210101; H04M 1/0229 20130101; H04M 1/0283
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
455/575.1 |
International
Class: |
H04M 001/00 |
Claims
1-25. (canceled)
26. A wireless communication device comprising: a first housing
having an elongated shape; and a second housing rotatably coupled
to the first housing and including a display, the second housing
being capable of rotating in a plane parallel to the display,
wherein the first housing is capable of rotating relative to one
end of the first housing, and the second housing is capable of
rotating relative to a central portion of the display.
27. The wireless communication device of claim 26, wherein the
first housing has a circular portion and an extending portion
extending away from the circular portion.
28. The wireless communication device of claim 26, wherein the
first housing includes at least one selection button.
29. The wireless communication device of claim 26, wherein the
first housing includes at least one audio aperture.
30. The wireless communication device of claim 29, wherein the at
least one audio aperture is located at a distal position from the
one end of the first housing.
31. The wireless communication device of claim 26, wherein the
first housing includes one of a microphone aperture and a speaker
aperture and the second housing includes the other of the
microphone aperture and the speaker aperture
32. The wireless communication device of claim 26, wherein the
first housing has a profile similar to a profile of the second
housing.
33. The wireless communication device of claim 26, wherein the
second housing includes a top support positioned in front of the
first housing relative to a viewing area of the display.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of
portable electronic devices and, more particularly, to a wireless
communication devices having a unique form factor to facilitate its
portability and maximize its functionality.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Portable electronic devices have many functions and come in
a variety of different form factors. To increase their appeal,
manufacturers of such devices focus on minimizing their form factor
and while maximizing their functions. The flip-type device has a
collapsible form factor that is particularly popular among
manufacturers of wireless communication devices, such as
radiotelephones, paging devices, personal digital assistant and the
combination of these devices. The flip-type device includes two
sections connected by a hinge that flip open for general operation
of the device and flip closed for convenient transport of the
device. Many wireless communication devices having the collapsible
form factor provide a display an inner surface of the device so
that it is exposed when the device is open and hidden when the
device is closed.
[0003] Several wireless communication devices provide a viewable
display when the devices are closed. As a result, a user may
receive useful information, such as caller ID and time/date
information, provided on the viewable display while the device is
closed. One common type of wireless communication device provides a
second display on the outer surface of the device. Another known
type of wireless communication device provides an opening through
one of the sections of the flip phone so that display on the inner
surface of the device is exposed through the opening when the
device is closed. Specifically, a first section of the device
includes a display, and a second section of the device has two arms
that attach to the first section with a large opening therebetween.
Unfortunately, the arms of the open section tend to be unstable and
fragile since the large opening between the two arms do not provide
much support. Also, for both types of devices, the display is not
conveniently viewable by the user when the device is transitioning
from the closed position to the opened position and vice-versa.
[0004] Another type of wireless communication device with a
collapsible form factor has two sections with inner surfaces that
slide past each other to rotate open and slide together to rotate
closed. For this configuration, the display is located on an outer
surface of one section and is viewable by the user in both the
opened and closed positions of the device. Unfortunately, if the
display is considered to be right side up when the device is
opened, the display is upside down when the device is closed due to
the rotation of its corresponding section. Therefore, existing
rotatable phones do not have conveniently viewable displays for
both opened and closed positions.
[0005] There is a need for a wireless communication device with a
collapsible form factor having a conveniently viewable display when
the device is opened as well as closed. Also, the display should be
conveniently viewable while the device is transitioning between the
opened and closed positions. In addition, the desired device should
not compromise the stability and rigidity of the device in the
opened and closed positions. The functionality of the desired
device should be maximized, and it is further desirable to have a
viewable display configuration that provides increased
functionality to the device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a radiotelephone in a closed
position;
[0007] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the radiotelephone of FIG. 1
in an opened position as well as two alternative positions;
[0008] FIG. 3 is an exploded, perspective view of the
radiotelephone of FIG. 1 viewed from the bottom down;
[0009] FIG. 4 is an exploded, perspective view of the
radiotelephone of FIG. 1 viewed from the top down; and
[0010] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the internal, electronic
components of the radiotelephone of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)
[0011] The present invention is a wireless communication device
including first and second housings. The first housing includes a
housing support capable of retaining a display. The second housing
includes a circular portion positioned about a portion of the
housing support, namely the support rim, and an extending portion
extending away from the circular portion. The second housing,
particularly the circular portion, is capable of rotating around
the portion of the support rim of the housing support. The first
and second housings have a closed position and one or more opened
positions. In the closed position, the circular and extending
portions of the second housing are adjacent to the first housing.
In one or more opened positions, the circular portion is adjacent
to the first housing and at least a portion of the extending
portion is positioned away from the first housing.
[0012] Referring to FIG. 1, there is provided a collapsible
radiotelephone 100 in a closed position 110. The radiotelephone 100
has wireless communication capabilities and, thus, may be used to
communicate with wireless infrastructure, such as cellular base
stations, regional and local wireless transponders, and wireless
local area networks. The radiotelephone 100 described herein is a
representation of the type of wireless communication device that
may benefit from the present invention. However, it is to be
understood that the present invention may be applied to any type of
portable electronic device and is not limited to the following
devices: radiotelephones, cordless phones, paging devices, personal
digital assistants, portable computers, pen-based or keyboard-based
handheld devices, remote control units, an audio player (such as an
MP3 player) and the like. Accordingly, any reference herein to the
radiotelephone 100 should also be considered to apply equally to
other portable electronic devices.
[0013] For the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the
radiotelephone 100 includes an upper housing 120 having a generally
elongated and planar shape. The upper housing 120 has an upper
circular portion 122 at one end and an upper extending portion 124
extending away from the upper circular portion. For this closed
position 110, the upper circular portion 122 and the upper
extending portion 124 are adjacent to a lower housing (shown in
FIG. 2). Also, an external antenna 180 may be provided to enhance
the wireless communication capabilities of the radiotelephone
100.
[0014] Components of the radiotelephone 100 are positioned near the
upper circular portion 122 including an interchangeable cover 130,
a locking piece 140, and a display 150. The interchangeable cover
130 has a ring-like shape that may be attached to, and detached
from, the radiotelephone 100. Since the interchangeable cover 130
may be easily attached and detached by a user without the need of
tools, the user may select among interchangeable covers of
different colors to decorate the radiotelephone 100. In addition,
the interchangeable cover 130 may include cover selection buttons
132 and/or indicator lights (not shown) to provide additional
functionality to the radiotelephone 100. For example, the preferred
embodiment provides three cover selection keys 132: a left
selection key, and right selection key and a menu key therebetween.
The display 150 may be any type of output device that provides a
convenient display of text and/or graphics to the user. Preferably,
the display 150 is a liquid crystal display having a backlighting
system to illuminate the display when lighting conditions are
insufficient for proper viewing by the user. The locking piece 140
locks certain components of the radiotelephone 100 together, which
is explained below. The locking piece 140 also functions as a
display lens to protect the display 150 from undesirable, foreign
matter.
[0015] The extended portion 124 of the upper housing 120 may
include upper housing selection buttons 160 and speaker apertures
170. Although many different selection buttons may be provided on
the upper housing 120, only one upper housing selection button 160
is shown in FIG. 1 by way of example. Thus, the upper housing 120
of the present invention may include one or more selection buttons
(such as selection buttons 132 and 160) for various types of
features including, but not limited to, volume control, menu
control, call answering, call termination, caller identification,
phone book control, voicemail control, e-mail/messaging control,
network browsing, power on/off, and the like. The speaker apertures
170 direct sounds generated by an audio output device (shown in
FIG. 5) to the user.
[0016] Referring to FIG. 2, the preferred embodiment of the
radiotelephone 100 is shown in an opened position 210. The portions
the radiotelephone 100 that become visible in the opened position
210 include a lower housing 220, a keypad 230 and a microphone
aperture 240. When viewed from above, the lower housing of the
preferred embodiment has a substantially similar profile to the
upper housing 120. Similar to the upper housing 120, the lower
housing includes a lower circular portion 222 and a lower extending
portion 224. For this opened position 210, the upper circular
portion 122 of the upper housing 120 is adjacent to, and positioned
above, the lower circular portion of the lower housing 220. On the
other hand, the upper extending portion 124 is positioned away from
the lower housing. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the upper
extending portion 124 is positioned the opposite the lower
extending portion 124 on opposite sides of the upper and lower
circular portions 122 & 222. The keypad 230 may include any
layout of keys that provide convenient operation of the
radiotelephone 100 by the user. The microphone aperture 240 directs
sounds received from the user or other local sounds to an audio
input device (shown in FIG. 5).
[0017] The preferred embodiment includes a standard layout of
alphanumeric and menu control for operation of the radiotelephone
100. As shown in FIG. 2, the keypad 230 includes twelve standard
keys 232 (namely, 0 through 9, # and *) as well as three lower
housing selection buttons 234. However, the radiotelephone 100 may
include a larger grouping of keys, such as a QWERTY keyboard, if a
device having a larger form factor or smaller individual keys is
desired. Although not shown in FIG. 2, the keypad 230 may also
include a cursor or graphical pointing device such as a joystick,
touch pad or track ball. Also, similar to selection buttons 132 and
160 described, above, the lower housing selection buttons 234 may
be used for various features including, but not limited to, volume
control, menu control, call answering, call termination, caller
identification, phone book control, voicemail control,
e-mail/messaging control, network browsing, power on/off, and the
like.
[0018] The position of the upper housing 120 is not restricted the
opened position 210 and the closed position 110 described above.
The upper extending portion 124 of the upper housing 120 has at
least three functional positions about a housing support or bottom
support (described below) of the lower housing 220. The preferred
embodiment shown in FIG. 2 includes four functional positions,
namely opened position 210, closed position 110, and auxiliary
positions 260 & 270. Generally, the opened position 210 and the
closed position 110 may activate functions of the radiotelephone
100 such as answering an incoming call and terminating an existing
call. Each of the auxiliary positions 260 & 270 may also be set
to activate a particular function of the radiotelephone 100. For
example, auxiliary position 260 may operate to illuminate the
display 150 (without answering an incoming call, if one exists),
and auxiliary position 270 may operate to provide caller
identification information about an incoming call that is not
provided in the closed position 110.
[0019] Another function that may be activated by the functional
positions of the upper extending portion 124 includes changing
between different modes of operation for a multimode device. For
example, the position of the upper extending portion 124 may
determine whether the wireless communication device operates as a
radiotelephone, a pager, a network browser, an e-mail device, a
personal digital assistant, or an audio player.
[0020] Still another function that may be activated by the
functional positions of the upper extending portion 124 includes
scrolling through a predetermined selection of data shown on the
display 150. For example, the upper extending portion 124 may be
rotated to conveniently move up and down a list of contacts and/or
phone numbers, or a listing of alphanumeric characters (i.e. "A"
through "Z", "a" through "z", "0" through "9", and any special
characters). This feature may also be used to operate functions
that are not necessarily shown on the display 150, such as volume
control.
[0021] Regardless of the position of the upper housing 120 relative
to the lower housing 220, the cover selection buttons 132, upper
housing selection button 160, and lower housing selection buttons
234 may operate independently or in cooperation. For example, the
each of these selection buttons 132, 160 & 234 may activate a
different function of the radiotelephone 100. Regarding the upper
housing selection button 160, its function may change depending
upon the position of the upper housing 120 relative to the lower
housing 220. For the preferred embodiment, the upper housing
selection button 160 and the middle button 236 of the lower housing
selection buttons 234 operate cooperatively. In the closed position
110 shown in FIG. 1, the upper housing selection button 160 is a
mechanical lever that physically contacts the surface of the middle
button 236 when a user adjusts the upper housing selection button.
In the opened position 210 (and the alternative positions 260 &
270), the upper housing selection button 160 does not have any
function.
[0022] Referring to FIG. 3, the radiotelephone 100 of the preferred
embodiment includes a top support 310 in addition to the lower
housing 220, the upper housing 120, the locking piece 140 and the
interchangeable cover 130 described above in reference to FIGS. 1
and 2. In contrast to FIGS. 1 & 2, certain sections of the
radiotelephone 100, such as an inner surface of the upper housing
120, an outer surface of the lower housing 220, the display 150 and
other components within the upper and lower housings, are not shown
in FIG. 3 to more easily view the relationship among the top
support 310, the lower housing, the upper housing, the locking
piece 140 and the interchangeable cover 130. The lower housing 220
includes the lower circular portion 222 and the lower extending
portion 224 (shown in FIG. 2). The lower circular portion 222
includes the housing support or bottom support 250 and the display
150 (shown in FIGS. 1 & 2).
[0023] The bottom support 250 includes a bottom support rim 324
having a circular shape and a bottom support base 326 to receive
and support the display 150 (shown in FIGS. 1 & 2) such as a
backlit liquid crystal display. The bottom support rim 324 defines
a bottom support opening 328 to provide a viewing area of the
display 150 to the user. The housing support or bottom support 250
may be an integrated component that is part of the lower housing
220 or a separable component that is positioned within the lower
housing. As shown in FIG. 3, the bottom support 250 of the
preferred embodiment is an integrated component that is part of an
inside wall 320 of the lower housing 220. The bottom support 250 is
integrated with one part of the lower housing 220 to retain the
display 150 in that area of the lower housing. The other part of
the lower housing 220 includes keypad apertures 322 to reveal
user-accessible portions of the keypad 230.
[0024] The top support 310 mates with the bottom support 250 and
maintains the upper housing 120 between the top and bottom
supports. The top and bottom supports 310 & 250 are made of a
rigid material, preferably a metallic material, to form a strong,
inflexible coupling between the top and bottom supports. The top
support 310 includes a top support base 312 and a top support rim
314 having a circular shape. The top support 310 is positioned over
the upper housing 120 so that a lower surface of the top support
base 312 is adjacent to an upper surface of the upper circular
portion 122. Similarly, the bottom support 250 is positioned under
the upper housing 120 so that an upper surface of the bottom
support base 326 is adjacent to a lower surface of the upper
circular portion 122. Also, the top support rim 314 is positioned
around the bottom support rim 324 so that an inner surface of the
top support rim is adjacent to an outer surface of the bottom
support rim. The upper housing 120 is situated between the top
support 310 and the bottom support 250 so that the inner surface of
the upper circular portion 122 is adjacent to the outer surface of
the top support rim 314. Accordingly, the upper circular portion
122 is capable of rotating about the top support rim 314 and the
bottom support rim 324.
[0025] The top support rim 314 of the top support 310 defines a top
support opening 316 to permit the user to see a viewing area of the
display 150. The shape of the top support 310 may vary, but the top
support rim 314 is preferably circular to provide a rotatable
surface for the upper housing 120. Also, the top support opening
316 of the top support 310 preferably has a shape that does not
obstruct the user's view of the display 150. Similarly, the upper
housing 120 includes an upper housing opening 340 to permit the
user to see a viewing area of the display 150 and, preferably, does
not obstruct the user's view of the display.
[0026] As shown in FIG. 3, the locking piece 140 is positioned
through the top support 310 and coupled to the bottom support 250
to prevent the top support from detaching from the bottom support.
A more detailed explanation is provided below in reference to FIG.
4. Of course, as stated above, the locking piece 140 of the
preferred embodiment also serves as the display lens to protect the
display 150 from undesirable, foreign matter
[0027] The upper housing 120 may also include a detent assembly 330
to position the upper housing at various positions about the top
and bottom supports 310 & 250. More specifically, the detent
assembly 330 permits the upper extending portion 124 of the upper
housing 120 to be positioned at various positions about the top
support rim 314 and the bottom support rim 324. For the preferred
embodiment, the detent assembly 330 includes a spring 332 and a
follower 334 that are supported by the upper circular portion 122.
The follower 334 is positioned in an aperture 336 through a
sidewall of the upper circular portion 122 so that it protrudes
passed the inner surface of the upper circular portion. The spring
332 flexibly supports the follower 334 at this position, so that
the follower may mate with a slot 318 provided on the outer surface
of the top support rim 314. In the alternative, the detent assembly
330 may include a one-piece spring having a projecting form that
provides the functions of the spring 332 and the follower 334 of
the preferred embodiment.
[0028] As shown in FIG. 3, the top support 310 may have a plurality
of slots 318 and, likewise, the upper housing 120 may have a
plurality of detent assemblies 330. This structure permits the
radiotelephone 100, particularly, the upper extending portion 124
of the upper housing 120, to have at least three positions about
the bottom support rim 324 of the lower housing 220, as explained
above in reference to FIG. 2.
[0029] Referring to FIG. 4, the interlocking connection among the
locking piece 140, the top support 310, and the bottom support 250
are represented. To assemble these components, the top support 310
is dropped onto the bottom support 250. The top support 310
includes one or more top support inner and outer anchors 410 &
412 (also shown in FIG. 3), and the bottom support 320 includes
corresponding bottom support inner and outer grooves 420 & 422.
Top support inner anchors 410 of the top support 310 are aligned
with corresponding bottom support inner grooves 420 of the bottom
support 250 and, similarly, top support outer anchors 412 of the
top support are aligned with corresponding bottom support outer
grooves 422 of the bottom support. Then, the top support 310 is
rotated, as shown by direction 430, to lock the top support inner
and outer anchors 410 & 412 into the bottom support inner &
outer grooves 420 & 422. Finally, the locking piece 140 is
dropped down to prevent the top support 310 from rotating back in a
direction opposite the original direction 430. The locking piece
140 includes one or more locking piece feet 450 (also shown in FIG.
3) for mating with corresponding bottom support retaining areas 460
of the bottom support 250.
[0030] Referring again to FIG. 1 in conjunction with FIG. 4, the
interchangeable cover 130 may be attached to, and detached from,
the radiotelephone 100 by a user without the need for tools. The
interchangeable cover 130 would have a ring-like shape that may
enhance but, preferably, does not obstruct the user's view of the
display 150. The interchangeable cover 130 includes cover anchors
490 that mate with corresponding top support grooves 470 of the top
support 310. The top support 310 also includes projections 480 to
provide tension against the inner surface of the interchangeable
cover 130 in order to retain the cover anchors 490 in the top
support grooves 470.
[0031] Although not shown in FIG. 4, the cover selection buttons
132 of the preferred embodiment has electrical contacts that couple
to corresponding electrical contacts of the top support 310. These
corresponding electrical contacts of the top support 310 are
coupled to electronic components, discussed below in reference to
FIG. 5, supported in the lower housing 250 by a flex cable.
[0032] Referring to FIG. 5, the electronic components 500 of the
radiotelephone 100 are housed within the upper and lower housings
120 & 220. The electronic components 500 include a processor
510, a transceiver 520 and an antenna 530. For the preferred
embodiment, the antenna 530 transmits radio frequency ("RF")
signals received from the transceiver 520 and provides RF signals
to the transceiver that it receives. Likewise, the transceiver 520
converts controls signals received from the processor 510 for
transmission by the antenna 530, and converts RF signal received by
the antenna for processing by the processor. The processor 510 acts
as a central processing unit for the radiotelephone 100 and
coordinates the operations of the electronic components 500. The
processor 510 also includes a memory portion 512 to store and
retrieve data as well as perform various operations of the
radiotelephone 100. However, it is to be understood that various
functions described herein for the electronic components 500 may be
integrated or segregated and, thus, the present invention is not
limited to particular discrete components shown in FIG. 5. For
example, the processor 510 and the transceiver 520 may be combined
in a single integrated circuit, or the processor and the memory
portion 512 may be separated to different components.
[0033] The electronic components 500 may also include an audio
input 540, an audio output 550, a display 560 and input keys 570.
For the preferred embodiment, the audio input 540 is a microphone
that receives sounds through the microphone aperture 240 (shown in
FIG. 2) and the audio output 550 is an earpiece that emits sounds
through the speaker apertures 170 (shown in FIGS. 1 & 2). Also,
for the preferred embodiment, the display 560 is a backlit, liquid
crystal display that is shown in FIGS. 1 & 2 as display 150.
The input keys 570 include internal keys 572 such as the keypad 230
(shown in FIG. 2) and external keys 574 such as the upper housing
selection button 160 and the cover selection buttons 132 (shown in
FIGS. 1 & 2). The display 560 and the input keys 570 may also
include connections to any indicator lights or selection buttons
provided on the interchangeable cover 140, as described above.
[0034] The electronic components 500 of the present invention
further include at least one position sensor 580. For example, the
position sensor 580 of the preferred embodiment is a Hall effect
detector that includes a magnet mounted on the upper circular
portion 122 of the upper housing 120 and a Hall effect switch
mounted to the lower circular portion 222 of the lower housing 220.
A single position sensor 580 is capable of detecting a particular
position of the upper housing 120 relative to the lower housing
220. Therefore, a plurality of position sensors 580 may be
positioned throughout the circular portions 122 & 222 of the
upper and lower housings 120 & 220 to detect various positions
of the upper housing relative to the lower housing, such as the
closed position 110, an opened position 210, and additional
positions (such as 260 & 270) about the housing support 250.
The position sensor 580 is capable of determining a particular
position of the upper housing 120 relative to the lower housing 220
and generating a response signal corresponding to the particular
position. The processor 510 is then effective to activate a
particular function of the radiotelephone 100 in response to the
response signal when the upper housing 120 is positioned at one of
the additional positions.
[0035] While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been
illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the
invention is not so limited. Numerous modifications, changes,
variations, substitutions and equivalents will occur to those
skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of
the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
* * * * *