Mobile Communications Device

Abstract

Mobile communications devices are described. In an implementation, a mobile communications device comprises a first housing that includes a display device and a second housing that is moveably attached to the first housing. The second housing includes a keyboard having an orientation that defines a top and bottom of the second housing. The second housing also includes a camera and a flash disposed adjacent to the top of an opposing side of the second housing from the keyboard. The camera and the flash are further disposed at opposing corners, one to another, at the top of the opposing side of the second housing.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119(e) to U.S. Patent Application No. 60/992,608, filed Dec. 5, 2007 and titled "Devices, Features and Systems for Mobile Communications", the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Mobile communications devices (e.g., wireless phones) have become an integral part of everyday life. For example, a user traditionally used mobile communications devices to place and receive telephone calls when the user was away from a fixed communication device, e.g., a house or office telephone. In some instances, the mobile communications device became the primary device via which the user communicated with other users as the user became accustomed to the convenience and functionality of the device.

[0003] Further, the communication techniques that may be employed using a mobile communications device have increased. For example, users were traditionally limited to telephone calls between mobile communications devices. Advances were then made to provide a variety of other communication techniques, e.g., text messaging and email. However, inclusion of these additional communication techniques on mobile communications devices having traditional form factors may cause these devices to become unwieldy and less suitable for mobile applications. For example, traditional input devices that were employed by these communication techniques may be less suitable when applied by traditional mobile communications devices.

SUMMARY

[0004] Mobile communications devices are described. In an implementation, a mobile communications device comprises a first housing that includes a display device and a second housing that is moveably attached to the first housing. The second housing includes a keyboard having an orientation that defines a top of the second housing. The second housing also includes a camera and a flash disposed adjacent to the top of an opposing side of the second housing from the keyboard. The camera and the flash are further disposed at opposing sides, one to another, at the top of the opposing side of the second housing.

[0005] In an implementation, an apparatus comprises a display device, one or more modules that are configured to output a user interface on the display device that is navigable by a user and a single button. The single button is selectable using a first technique to cause the one or more modules to navigate back through the user interface and is selectable using a second technique to cause the one or more modules to navigate to a particular screen of the user interface that is designated as home.

[0006] In an implementation, a mobile communications device comprises a display device, one or more modules and a button. The one or more modules are configured to provide telephonic functionality and to output a user interface on display device to form one or more messages for communication over a network. The button is selectable by a user to cause the one or more modules to indicate the status of the user to one or more other users that are to receive the one or more messages.

[0007] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The use of the same reference numbers in different instances in the description and the figures may indicate similar or identical items.

[0009] FIG. 1 is an illustration of an example implementation of an example mobile communications device in accordance with one or more embodiments of devices, features, and systems for mobile communications.

[0010] FIG. 2 is an illustration of an example embodiment in which a mobile communications device of FIG. 1 includes a keyboard in a QWERTY configuration having additional dedicated buttons to supply additional functionality.

[0011] FIG. 3 is an illustration of an example implementation showing the mobile communications device of FIGS. 1 and 2 in a side view.

[0012] FIG. 4 is an illustration of an exemplary implementation the mobile communications device of FIGS. 1-3 in which camera functionality is included.

[0013] FIG. 5 is an illustration of various modules of an example device that can be implemented in various embodiments as any type of a mobile communication device to implement embodiments of devices, features, and systems for mobile communications.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] Overview

[0015] Users continually desire increased functionality from mobile communications devices, e.g., wireless phones, mobile messaging devices, calendaring devices, and so on. For example, users may maintain a calendar, a list of contacts, send and receive text messages, access the Internet, send and receive email, take pictures and so on. However, interaction with this increased functionality in traditional mobile communications devices may be difficult due to traditional form factors that were employed to keep the device "portable".

[0016] Mobile communications device techniques are described. In an implementation, a back/home button is described that may aid a user in navigating through a user interface. For example, a user may quickly press the button to navigate back through to a previously displayed screen in a user interface e.g., such as to move back to a previously displayed webpage. The user may also hold down the button to navigate to a particular screen of the user interface that is designated as home, e.g., such as the user's home webpage, a route screen in a hierarchy of screens that formed the user interface and so on. In this way, the back/home button may conserve space on the mobile communications device and provide a user quick access to desired functionality, further discussion of which would be found in relation to FIG. 2.

[0017] In an implementation, a button is included on a mobile communications device that is selectable by a user to indicate a status of the user to one or more other users that are to receive messages from the user. For example, the status of the user may be used in an instant messaging session to indicate a general mood of the user, e.g., such as happy, sad and so on. Accordingly, a user may interact with a particular button that is designed to indicate the status and/or change from one status to another directly through interaction with the button. The button may also be sensitive to a context in which the button is to be used. Continuing with the previous example, the button may be used to indicate a status of the user when used in relation to an instant messaging application. However, the button may be used to supply an emoticon (e.g., a happy face) when used in conjunction with the text messaging application. A variety of other examples are also contemplated, further discussion of which may also be found in relation to FIG. 2.

[0018] In an implementation, a mobile communications device includes first and second housings. The first housing includes a display device and the second housing is movably attached the first housing and includes a keyboard. The keyboard has an orientation that defines a top and bottom of the second housing. For example, keys and/or indications of functions on the keys (e.g., particular letters or numbers) may define which portion of the second housing is the top. The second housing may also include a camera and a flash that are disposed on the "back" of the second housing, e.g., on an opposing side of the second housing from the keyboard. Further, the camera and flash may be disposed at opposing sides (e.g., corners), one to another, at the top of the opposing side of the second housing. In this way, a user may grasp the mobile communications device without interfering with the operation of the camera and the flash. Further, positioning of the camera and flash at opposing corners may help to diminish interference of the flash with the camera. Further discussion of a mobile communications device having a camera and flash may be found in relation to FIG. 4.

[0019] In the following discussion, a variety of example implementations of a mobile communications device are shown. Additionally, a variety of different functionality that may be employed by the mobile communications device is described for each example, which may be implemented in that example as well as in other described examples. Accordingly, example implementations are illustrated of a few of a variety of contemplated implementations. Further, although a mobile communications device having one or more modules that are configured to provide telephonic functionality are described, a variety of other mobile communications devices are also contemplated, such as dedicated messaging devices, music players, portable game devices, and so on.

[0020] Example Implementations

[0021] FIG. 1 is an illustration of an example implementation 100 of a mobile communications device 102 in accordance with one or more embodiments of devices, features, and systems for mobile communications. The mobile communications device 102 is illustrated as assuming a plurality of configurations, examples of which include a first configuration 104 and a second configuration 106.

[0022] The mobile communications device 102 is further illustrated as including a first housing 108 and a second housing 110 that are connected via a slide 112 such that the first and second housing may move (e.g., slide) in relation to one another. The first housing 108 includes a display device 114 (e.g., a touchscreen) that may be used to output a variety of data, such as a caller identification (ID), information related to text messages as illustrated, email, multimedia messages, Internet browsing, game play, music, video and so on. The second housing 110 is illustrated as including a keyboard 116 that may be used to provide inputs to the mobile communications device 102. Although the keyboard 116 is illustrated as a QWERTY keyboard, a variety of other examples are also contemplated, such as a twelve key numeric pad.

[0023] In the example shown in FIG. 1, the first and second housings 104, 106 of the mobile communications device 102 are approximately square. For example, a plane defined by an outer surface of the display device 114 may be parallel to a plane of the first housing 104 that approximates a square, which may be the same as or different from the plane defined by the display device 114. In other words, the width and height of the plane taken from the first housing 108 that is parallel to the other surface of the display device 114 are approximately one-to-one (e.g., are equilateral rectilinear) as indicated by the brackets in FIG. 1. Likewise, the second housing 110 may be considered approximately square along a plane that is parallel to and/or is the same as an outer surface of the keyboard 116 disposed within the second housing 110 which is also indicated by brackets in the second configuration 106 of FIG. 1.

[0024] In the first configuration 104, the mobile communications device 102 is closed such that the first housing 108 covers the second housing 110. Consequently, the keyboard 116 disposed on the second housing 110 is covered and is not available to receive input from a user of the mobile communications device 102. In an implementation, telephonic functionality is still available when the mobile communications device 102 is in the first configuration 104, e.g., to receive a telephone call.

[0025] In the second configuration 106, the first housing 108 is moved (e.g., slid) "away" from the second housing 110 using the slide 112. In this example configuration, at least a majority of the keys of the keyboard 116 is exposed such that the exposed keys are available to receive inputs from a user. Accordingly, the second configuration 106 may be considered an "open" configuration. Further, the second configuration 106 results in a substantially rectangular form factor of the mobile communications device 102 as contrasted with a substantially square form factor of the mobile communications device 102 in the first configuration 104. In an implementation, the planes of the first and second housings 110, 112 that are used to define the square form factor are parallel to each other, although other implementations are also contemplated.

[0026] In the illustrated implementation 100, the display device 114 remains viewable by a user in each configuration, examples of which are shown in the first and second configurations 104, 106. In the first configuration 104, example text "Text Message from Sara" is illustrated as being displayed on the display device 114. Additionally, the example text is illustrated as being orientated with respect to the second housing 110, which in the illustrated implementation 100 the example text and indications of functions of the keyboard 116 (e.g., numbers and/or letters) are aligned, generally.

[0027] In the second configuration 106, the example text is again illustrated as orientated with respect to the second housing 110 as was previously shown and described in relation to the first configuration 104. For instance, example text "Text Message from Sara" displayed on the display device 114 is approximately aligned with the keyboard 116, e.g., communications of text for respective keys of the keyboard 116. Thus, in this manner a user of the mobile communications device 102 is provided with a consistent and intuitive approach to interaction with the mobile communications device in a plurality of configurations, e.g., the first and second configurations 104, 106.

[0028] The square form factor employed by the mobile communications device may be suitable to support a wide variety of features. For example, the keyboard 116 is illustrated as supporting a QWERTY configuration. This form factor may be particularly convenient to a user to utilize the previously described functionality of the mobile communications device 102, such as to compose texts, play games, check email, "surf" the Internet and so on. Further, this form factor may also provide space to add additional buttons to support a variety of additional functionality, further discussion of which may be found in relation to the following figure.

[0029] FIG. 2 illustrates an example embodiment 200 in which the mobile communications device 102 of FIG. 1 includes a keyboard 116 in a QWERTY configuration having additional dedicated buttons to supply additional functionality. The keyboard 116 includes a button 202 that is selectable using a variety of techniques to initiate a variety of different corresponding functionality. For example, a user may press the button 202 to initiate a "back" function, e.g., to navigate back through a user interface when surfing the Internet, selecting songs, moving through navigation screens and so on. The button 202 may also be configured such that when the user holds the button 202 (e.g., presses the button for a predetermined amount of time that is greater than the previous example), a user interface is navigated back to a particular screen that is designated as "home". Therefore, in this example the different techniques involve different respective amounts of time a button 202 is pressed by a user.

[0030] A variety of different home screens may be associated with a button 202. For instance, a particular webpage may be designated as home by a user in the user interface that is configured to browse the Internet. In another instance, the particular screen of the user interface that is designated as home may be an introductory screen of the user interface. In yet another instance, a particular screen of the user interface that is designated as home is a root screen (e.g., such as an introductory menu) of a hierarchy of a plurality of screens in the user interface that are navigable in a hierarchical arrangement. Thus, in this instance the user is automatically returned to the root of the hierarchy after holding the button 202 and may navigate sequentially through the hierarchy, one at a time, through successive presses of the button 202. In this way, available space on the mobile communications device (or more particularly the keyboard 116) may be conserved and efficiently utilized.

[0031] The keyboard 116 is also illustrated as including another button 204 that is selectable to indicate a status of a user of the mobile communications device 102 to one or other users that are to receive messages from the user of the mobile communications device 102. For example, in an instant messaging session a status indicator may be supplied to indicate a general mood of the user, e.g., happy, sad and so on. Thus, when the user is in an instant messaging context, the button 204 may be used to indicate the status of the user of the mobile communications device 102 without navigating through one or more menus.

[0032] The button 204 may also be utilized in a variety of other contexts. For example, when the mobile communications device 102 is engaged in text messaging (e.g., composing a text message), the button 204 may be utilized to input an emoticon to the text message. This input may be provided in a variety of ways, such as to use different techniques (e.g., pressing or holding the button 204) to provide different emoticons, to cause output of a menu having a plurality of emoticons that are selectable for input into the text message, and so on. Thus, button 204 may also be leveraged to provide a wide range of functionality.

[0033] Although the buttons 202, 204 were described as dedicated hardware buttons in relation to FIG. 2, it should be readily apparent that a variety of other buttons may also be utilized, e.g., software buttons in conjunction with the display device 114 when configured as a touch screen.

[0034] FIG. 3 illustrates an example implementation 300 showing the mobile communications device 102 of FIGS. 1 and 2 in a side view. As illustrated, the first housing 108 substantially covers the second housing 110 such that the keyboard 116 of FIGS. 1 and 2 is covered and therefore protected from inadvertent input, contamination, and so on. Further, edges of the first and second housings 108, 110 are illustrated as rounded such that the mobile communications device 102 may be comfortably grasped by a user. A variety of other implementations are also contemplated.

[0035] FIG. 4 depicts an exemplary implementation 400 of the mobile communications device 102 of FIGS. 1-3 in which camera functionality is included. A "back view" of the second housing 110 of the mobile communications device 102 is shown that includes a camera 402 and a flash 404. In other words, a side of the second housing 110 that is opposite to a side of the second housing 110 that includes the keyboard 116 of FIGS. 1 and 2 is depicted.

[0036] Returning briefly now to FIG. 2, the keyboard 116 is orientated within the second housing 110 such that a top and a bottom of the housing 110 is defined. For instance, the top of the keyboard 116 may be determined from an arrangement of the keys of the keyboard as well as indications of respective functions of each of the keys, e.g., a particular letter, number and so on. Accordingly, the keyboard 116 may also define a top and bottom of the second housing 110.

[0037] Reference will now be made again to FIG. 4, the top 406 of the second housing 110 is depicted to follow the general orientation of FIG. 4. As illustrated, the lens 402 and the flash 404 are disposed proximally to the top 406 of the second housing 110. In this way, the second housing 110 may be grasped by a user without interfering with the lens 402 or the flash 404 in an intuitive manner.

[0038] Additionally, the lens 402 and the flash 404 are disposed at opposing sides of the top 406 of the second housing. For instance, the lens 402 and the flash 404 are disposed at respective corners located at the top 406 of the second housing 110 of the mobile communications device 102. Therefore, the likelihood that operation of the flash 404 will interfere with the lens 402 is reduced. A variety of other features may also be realized through placement of the lens 402 and a flash 404 at opposing sides of the second housing 110, such as to provide an expanded reflective area 408 that may be used by a user to preview a picture that may be taken of themselves, to reduce a form factor (e.g., thickness) of the second housing 110 through compact placement of these components with other components that provide the functionality of the mobile communications device 102 and so forth.

[0039] FIG. 5 illustrates various components of an example device 500 that can be implemented in various embodiments as any type of a mobile communication device to implement embodiments of devices, features, and systems for mobile communications. For example, device 500 can be implemented as any of the mobile communications devices 102 described with reference to respective FIGS. 1-4. Device 500 can also be implemented to access a network-based service, such as a content service.

[0040] Device 500 includes input(s) 502 that may include Internet Protocol (IP) inputs. Device 500 further includes communication interface(s) 504 that can be implemented as any one or more of a wireless interface, any type of network interface, and as any other type of communication interface. A network interface provides a connection between device 500 and a communication network by which other electronic and computing devices can communicate data with device 500. A wireless interface enables device 500 to operate as a mobile communication device for wireless communications.

[0041] Device 500 also includes one or more processors 506 (e.g., any of microprocessors, controllers, and the like) which process various computer-executable instructions to control the operation of device 500 and to communicate with other electronic devices. Device 500 can be implemented with computer-readable media 508, such as one or more memory components, examples of which include random access memory (RAM) and non-volatile memory (e.g., any one or more of a read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, EPROM, EEPROM, etc.).

[0042] Computer-readable media 508 provides data storage to store content and data 510, as well as device applications and any other types of information and/or data related to operational aspects of device 500. For example, an operating system 512 can be maintained as a computer application with the computer-readable media 508 and executed on processor(s) 506. Device applications can also include a communication manager module 514 (which may be used to provide telephonic functionality) and a media manager 516.

[0043] Device 500 also includes an audio and/or video output 518 that provides audio and/or video data to an audio rendering and/or display system 520. The audio rendering and/or display system 520 can be implemented as integrated component(s) of the example device 500, and can include any components that process, display, and/or otherwise render audio, video, and image data. Device 500 can also be implemented to provide a user tactile feedback, such as vibrate and haptics.

[0044] Generally, the blocks may be representative of modules that are configured to provide represented functionality. Further, any of the functions described herein can be implemented using software, firmware (e.g., fixed logic circuitry), manual processing, or a combination of these implementations. The terms "module," "functionality," and "logic" as used herein generally represent software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. In the case of a software implementation, the module, functionality, or logic represents program code that performs specified tasks when executed on a processor (e.g., CPU or CPUs). The program code can be stored in one or more computer readable memory devices. The features of the techniques described above are platform-independent, meaning that the techniques may be implemented on a variety of commercial computing platforms having a variety of processors.

[0045] Although the invention has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather, the specific features and acts are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claimed invention.

Claims

1. A mobile communications device comprising: a first housing that includes a display device; and a second housing that is moveably attached to the first housing and that includes: a keyboard having an orientation that defines a top and a bottom of the second housing; and a camera and a flash disposed: adjacent to the top of an opposing side of the second housing from the keyboard; and at opposing sides, one to another, at the top of the opposing side of the second housing.

2. A mobile communications device as described in claim 1, wherein the camera and the flash are disposed on the second housing such that the second housing may be grasped by a hand of a user without interfering with the camera or the flash.

3. A mobile communications device as described in claim 1, wherein the keyboard defines the top of the second housing through arrangement of a plurality of keys of the keyboard.

4. A mobile communications device as described in claim 3, wherein the keyboard defines the top of the second housing through arrangement of indications of corresponding functions of a plurality of keys of the keyboard such that a top of the indications corresponds to the top of the second housing.

5. A mobile communications device as described in claim 1, wherein the first and second housings are moveably attached, one to another, between: a first configuration in which the first housing substantially covers the keyboard of the second housing; and a second configuration in which the keyboard is exposed.

6. A mobile communications device as described in claim 5, wherein: the first configuration results in a substantially square form factor of the mobile communications device along a plane that is parallel to an outer surface of the keyboard and an outer surface of the display device; and the second configuration results in a substantially rectangular form factor of the mobile communications device.

7. A mobile communications device as described in claim 5, wherein the display device is viewable when in the first configuration and when in the second configuration.

8. A mobile communications device as described in claim 1, wherein: the first housing is substantially square along a plane that is parallel to an outer surface of the display device; and the second housing is substantially square along a plane that is parallel to an outer surface of the keyboard.

9. A mobile communications device as described in claim 1, wherein a plurality of keys of the keyboard is arranged accordingly to a QWERTY configuration.

10. A mobile communications device as described in claim 1, further comprising one or more modules that are configured to provide telephonic functionality.

11. An apparatus comprising: a display device; one or more modules that are configured to output a user interface on the display device that is navigable by a user; and a single button that is selectable using: a first technique to cause the one or more modules to navigate back through the user interface; and a second technique to cause the one or more modules to navigate to a particular screen of the user interface that is designated as home.

12. An apparatus as described in claim 11, wherein the first technique and the second technique involve different respective amounts of time the single button is pressed.

13. An apparatus as described in claim 11, wherein the particular screen of the user interface that is designated as home is a particular webpage.

14. An apparatus as described in claim 11, wherein the particular screen of the user interface that is designated as home is an introductory screen.

15. An apparatus as described in claim 11, wherein the particular screen of the user interface that is designated as home is root screen of a hierarchy of a plurality of screens in the user interface that are navigable in a hierarchical arrangement.

16. An apparatus as described in claim 11, wherein the one or more modules are further configured to provide telephonic functionality.

17. An apparatus as described in claim 11, wherein the one or more modules are further configured to provide music functionality.

18. A mobile communications device comprising: a display device; one or more modules that are configured to provide telephonic functionality and to output a user interface on the display device to form one or more messages for communication over a network; and a button that is selectable in an instant messaging context by a user to cause the one or more modules to indicate a status of the user to one or more other users that are to receive the one or more messages.

19. A mobile communications device as described in claim 18, wherein the button is also selectable in a text messaging context to supply an emoticon.

20. A mobile communications device as described in claim 18, wherein the button is implemented as a dedicated hardware button.