U.S. patent application number 11/725324 was filed with the patent office on 2007-10-25 for wrist wearable type portable terminal.
This patent application is currently assigned to SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Joon-Suh Kim, Chang-Soo Lee.
Application Number | 20070246494 11/725324 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38228004 |
Filed Date | 2007-10-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070246494 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kim; Joon-Suh ; et
al. |
October 25, 2007 |
Wrist wearable type portable terminal
Abstract
Provided is a wrist wearable type portable terminal. A portable
terminal that is wearable on a user's body includes a first main
body including a first user interfacing unit, a second main body
including a second user interfacing unit and being spaced apart
from the first main body, and at least one wristband for connecting
the first main body and the second main body with each other to
allow wearing on a user's wrist.
Inventors: |
Kim; Joon-Suh; (Anyang-si,
KR) ; Lee; Chang-Soo; (Incheon, KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
THE FARRELL LAW FIRM, P.C.
333 EARLE OVINGTON BOULEVARD
SUITE 701
UNIONDALE
NY
11553
US
|
Assignee: |
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO.,
LTD.
Suwon-si
KR
|
Family ID: |
38228004 |
Appl. No.: |
11/725324 |
Filed: |
March 19, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
224/219 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04M 2250/02 20130101;
H04M 1/0202 20130101; H04M 1/0256 20130101; H04B 1/385
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
224/219 |
International
Class: |
A44C 5/00 20060101
A44C005/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 17, 2006 |
KR |
24822-2006 |
Claims
1. A portable terminal that is wearable on a user's body,
comprising: a first main body including a first user interfacing
unit; a second main body including a second user interfacing unit
and being spaced apart from the first main body; and at least one
wrist band for connecting the first main body and the second main
body with each other to allow wearing on a user's wrist.
2. The portable terminal of claim 1, wherein the first user
interfacing unit serves as a display device and the second user
interfacing unit serves as a data input device.
3. The portable terminal of claim 2, wherein the first main body
has the first user interfacing unit disposed in its top
portion.
4. The portable terminal of claim 2, wherein the second main body
has the second user interfacing unit disposed in its top portion
and a power supply device disposed in its bottom portion.
5. The portable terminal of claim 2, wherein the second user
interfacing unit includes a keypad having a plurality of keys.
6. The portable terminal of claim 1, wherein a pair of wristbands
are provided, and the wristbands are paired with each other and
face each other between the first main body and the second main
body.
7. The portable terminal of claim 1, wherein a pair of wristbands
are provided, and the first main body and the second main body face
each other between the wristbands.
8. The portable terminal of claim 1, wherein the at least one
wristband is made of an elastic material capable of stretching in
the length-wise direction of the wristband.
9. The portable terminal of claim 1, wherein both ends of each of
the first main body and the second main body protrude along the
width-wise direction of the at least one wristband in a direction
away from each other.
10. A portable terminal that is wearable on a user's body,
comprising: a first main body including a first user interfacing
unit; a second main body including a second user interfacing unit
that is detachable from the first main body and facing the first
main body; and at least one wrist band for connecting the first
main body and the second main body with each other to allow wearing
on a user's wrist.
11. The portable terminal of claim 10, wherein the second user
interfacing unit serves as a data input device, and communicates
with the second main body using a wireless communication means when
being detached from the second main body by sliding.
12. The portable terminal of claim 10, wherein the second user
interfacing unit is detached from the second main body by sliding
while facing the second main body.
13. The portable terminal of claim 10, wherein the first user
interfacing unit serves as a display device and the second user
interfacing unit includes a plurality of keys.
14. The portable terminal of claim 10, wherein the second main body
includes a recess having a predetermined thickness and a
predetermined width to receive the second user interfacing unit.
Description
PRIORITY
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 119
to an application entitled "Wrist Wearable Type Portable Terminal"
filed in the Korean Intellectual property Office on Mar. 17, 2006
and assigned Serial No. 2006-24822, the contents of which are
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1.Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates generally to a portable
terminal such as a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) phone, a
game phone, a chatting phone, a camera phone, an MP3 phone, a
cellular phone, a Personal Communication Service (PCS) phone, a
Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), and a Hand Held Phone (HHP), and
in particular, to a slim wrist wearable type portable terminal.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] In general, a "portable terminal" refers to an electronic
apparatus carried with a user to perform wireless communication. In
terms of portability, designs of such portable terminals tend to be
compact, slim, and lightweight, and also include multimedia
availability for a wide variety of functions. Future portable
terminals are expected to incorporate greater multi-functionality
and multi-purpose utilization. Future portable terminals will also
be more compact and lightweight and will be so modified to be
suitable for various multimedia environments or Internet
environments.
[0006] Conventional portable terminals may be classified into
various types according to their appearance. For example,
conventional portable terminals may be classified as bar-type
portable terminals, flip-type portable terminals, and folder-type
portable terminals. The bar-type portable terminal has a single
housing shaped like a bar. The flip-type portable terminal has a
flip which is pivotably mounted to a bar-shaped housing by a hinge
device. The folder-type portable terminal has a folder coupled to a
single bar-shaped housing by a hinge device to allow the folder to
be rotated in order to be folded towards or unfolded away from the
housing.
[0007] Further, portable terminals may be classified into neck
wearable type portable terminals and wrist wearable type portable
terminals according to the position in which a user puts on the
portable terminal. The neck wearable type portable terminal is worn
by a user around the neck using a string, while the wrist wearable
type portable terminal is worn by a user around the wrist.
[0008] Additionally, portable terminals may be further classified
as rotation-type portable terminals and sliding-type portable
terminals based upon the manner in which the portable terminals are
opened or closed. In the rotation-type portable terminal, two
housings are coupled to each other to allow one housing to rotate
open or closed relative to the other while facing each other. In
the sliding-type portable terminal, two housings are coupled to
each other to allow one housing to slide along a longitudinal
direction to open or close the sliding-type portable terminal.
These variously classified portable terminals can be easily
understood by those skilled in the art.
[0009] The conventional portable terminal is generally carried by
being held in a user's hand or being put into pockets of tops or
bottoms or bags. For convenience in carrying, the portable terminal
is worn in a specific position of a user's body, e.g., around a
neck, on an ear, on a back head, or around a wrist. It is expected
that wearing of the portable terminal on a specific position of a
body will become common in use in the near future.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 6,459,890 filed by the present assignee
discloses a watch type portable terminal that is worn around a
wrist.
[0011] However, in the conventional wrist wearable portable
terminal, essential parts such as a data input device, a data
output device, a microphone, a speaker, an antenna, and a battery
pack have to be mounted in a limited space of a single main body,
increasing the thickness or the entire size of the main body.
[0012] In other words, a wrist wearable portable terminal having a
thick main body is inconvenient for the user to wear on his/her
wrist. Moreover, when the main body is thick or large, its exterior
design is not attractive and a plurality of parts have to be
mounted in a limited space on the main body. Even if the main body
has a small size, inconvenience is caused in data input/output
operations.
[0013] Furthermore, the foregoing problems eventually hinder an
optimal interface environment from being provided to the user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to
provide a wrist wearable type portable terminal, in which a first
main body and a second main body that are spaced apart from each
other are connected to a wristband, thereby reducing main body
thickness when compared to a conventional portable terminal having
a single main body.
[0015] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
wrist wearable type portable terminal that is easy to wear around a
wrist by providing a wristband made of an elastic material.
[0016] It is still another object of the present invention to
provide a wrist wearable type portable terminal that can be
conveniently used through a structure in which an interfacing unit
using a wireless communication means can be detached from a main
body and can be replaced with another, and that is easy to use,
especially in various modes.
[0017] It is still further another object of the present invention
to provide a wrist wearable type portable terminal, in which a data
input device is detachable for one of convenient dialing and
message transmission.
[0018] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
wrist wearable type portable terminal, in which a data input device
can be easily detached.
[0019] In order to achieve an aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a portable terminal that is wearable on a user's
body. The portable terminal includes a first main body including a
first user interfacing unit, a second main body including a second
user interfacing unit and being spaced apart from the first main
body, and at least one wrist band for connecting the first main
body and the second main body with each other to allow wearing on a
user's wrist.
[0020] According to another aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a portable terminal that is wearable on a user's body.
The portable terminal includes a first main body including a first
user interfacing unit, a second main body including a second user
interfacing unit that is detachable from the first main body and
facing the first main body, and at least one wrist band for
connecting the first main body and the second main body with each
other to allow wearing on a user's wrist.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the
present invention will become more apparent from the following
detailed description when taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings in which:
[0022] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a top portion of a
wrist wearable type portable terminal according to the present
invention;
[0023] FIG. 2 is a front view of FIG. 1;
[0024] FIG. 3 is a side view of FIG. 1;
[0025] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a bottom portion
of a wrist wearable type portable terminal according to the present
invention;
[0026] FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a
second user interfacing unit according to the present invention is
being detached;
[0027] FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a
second user interfacing unit according to the present invention has
been detached; and
[0028] FIG. 7 illustrates a wrist wearable type portable terminal
according to the present invention that is being used.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0029] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be
described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In
the following description, a detailed description of known
functions and configurations incorporated herein has been omitted
for conciseness.
[0030] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3, a portable terminal
according to the present invention is worn in a specific position
on a user's body, particularly on a user's wrist like a wrist
watch. The portable terminal includes a first main body 100, a
second main body 200, and wrist bands 150 and 160 for connecting
the first main body 100 and the second main body 200 with each
other to allow wearing around the user's wrist.
[0031] The first main body 100 includes a first user interfacing
unit 110. The first user interfacing unit 110 is fixed onto a top
portion 102 of the first main body 100. The first user interfacing
unit 110 is disposed on the top portion 102 of the first main body
100 and is implemented with a display device, specifically a Liquid
Crystal Display (LCD) or a device having an optical system using
hologram. The first user interfacing unit 110 may also be
implemented with a touch screen used as a data input/output
device.
[0032] The second main body 200 includes a second user interfacing
unit 210. The second user interfacing unit 210 serves as a data
input device including a plurality of keys 212. The keys 212
include number keys, a send key, and an end key. The keys 212 are
in a 3.times.4 matrix.
[0033] The second user interfacing unit 210 is disposed on a top
portion 202 of the second main body 200 and a power supply device
220 is disposed in a bottom portion 203 of the second main body
200. The power supply device 220 may be implemented with a battery
pack including a plurality of battery cells (not shown) or with a
coin-type battery protected inside the second main body 200.
[0034] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the wristbands 150 and 160
are paired with each other and face each other between the first
main body 100 and the second main body 200. Moreover, the first
main body 100 and the second main body 200 face each other between
the wristbands 150 and 160. It is preferable that the first main
body 100 and the second main body 200 are symmetrical to each
other. The wristbands 150 and 160 are made of an elastic material
for convenience in wearing. Furthermore, one wristband 160 of the
wristbands 150 and 160 is made as one piece and the other 150 is
made separable. In addition, a single wristband may be
provided.
[0035] Both ends of each of the first main body 100 and the second
main body 200, which are oriented in perpendicular relation to the
length-wise direction of the first main body 100 and the second
main body 200, protrude along the width-wise direction of the
wristbands 150 and 160 in a direction away from each other. The
length-wise direction of the first main body 100 and the second
main body 200 are oriented perpendicularly or almost
perpendicularly to the length-wise direction of the wristbands 150
and 160.
[0036] As illustrated in FIGS. 4 through 6, the second user
interfacing unit 210 is detachable from the second main body 200,
specifically the top portion 202 of the second main body 200. The
second user interfacing unit 210 is detached by sliding while
facing the second main body 200. In other words, the second user
interfacing unit 210 is detached while being maintained parallel
with the second main body 200. The detachable structure is not
shown in the figures. While being detached from the second main
body 200, the second user interfacing unit 210 communicates with
the first main body 100 and the second main body 200 using a data
communication means (not shown), specifically a short range
communication means like a Bluetooth.RTM. module or an InfraRed
Data (IRDA) module. The second main body 200 includes a recess 206
having a predetermined width and a predetermined thickness on its
top portion 202 to receive the second user interfacing unit 210. In
the present invention, the second user interfacing unit 210 is not
limited to a keypad including the plurality of keys 212. The
detachable second user interfacing unit 210 can be replaced with
another. For example, the data input device can be replaced with
another keypad that is suitable for a phone mode, a chatting mode,
or a game mode in a corresponding mode, thereby providing user with
an interfacing environment that is optimal for various multimedia
environments.
[0037] Additionally, by including a keypad composed of a plurality
of keys as well as a microphone and a speaker, the second user
interfacing unit 210 can allow the user to communicate with his/her
partner as well as to perform a data input operation when being
detached from the first main body 100, as illustrated in FIG. 7.
The microphone or the speaker (not shown) is included in the first
main body 100, through which the user can communicate with his/her
partner by bringing the portable terminal closely to the user's
ear.
[0038] As described above, according to the present invention, two
main bodies are connected by wristbands, thereby achieving slimness
of the main bodies. The wristbands are made of an elastic material
for convenience in wearing around a wrist. Moreover, with an
interfacing unit that is detachable from a main body, the user can
input data using a wireless communication means while viewing a
display device around the wrist and can perform communication with
his/her partner, such as dialing or message transmission, in a
phone mode. Furthermore, since the second interfacing unit can be
detached by sliding, the user can easily separate the second
interfacing unit from the portable terminal while wearing the
portable terminal on his/her wrist. Additionally, since the second
user interfacing unit can be detached and replaced with another, it
is possible to provide various interfacing environments and various
uses in various multimedia environments.
[0039] While the invention has been shown and described with
reference to an exemplary embodiment thereof, it will be understood
by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and
details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
* * * * *