TWI414168B - Mobile telephone including a basis-unti and an input-unit movable relative to the basis-unit - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a mobile telephone (10) comprising a base unit (12), which has a display unit (14) on its upper face and an input unit (20, 30), which can be displaced in relation to the base unit (12). The upper face of said input unit is equipped with input elements and the unit is connected or can be connected to the base unit (12) by means of a pivot joint (24, 34). In addition, the rotational axis of the pivot joint (24, 34) runs essentially perpendicular to the surface of the base unit (12).

Description

a mobile phone including a basic unit and an input unit movable relative to the basic unit

The invention relates to a mobile phone comprising a basic unit and an input unit movable relative to the basic unit, wherein the basic unit has a display unit on the upper side, the input unit having a plurality of input elements on the upper side and Connected to the base unit via a rotating joint.

The above-mentioned mobile phones are known in the prior art. A mobile telephone with a reversible keyboard has been disclosed, for example, in European Patent Application No. EP 0 933 908 A2. In the flipped state, the keyboard has an array of numeric keys to enter a phone number, and a full alphanumeric keyboard can be used to write a text in the unreversed state.

A disadvantage of the prior art described above is that the numeric keypad cannot be used meaningfully in the un-turned state, and the telephone must be rotated 90 degrees when switching from the numeric keypad to the alphanumeric keyboard, and the display must accordingly be rotated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a mobile telephone that includes a base unit and an input unit that is movable relative to the base unit, which allows the operator to achieve a comfortable operation.

The above object is achieved by a mobile phone comprising a basic unit and an input unit movable relative to the base unit, wherein the base unit has a display unit on the upper side, the input unit having a plurality of input elements on the upper side And being connectable to the base unit via a rotating joint, wherein the axis of rotation of the rotating joint is perpendicular to the surface of the base unit.

Since the rotational axis of the rotary joint is perpendicular to the surface of the base unit and thus perpendicular to the display unit, the input unit can be moved parallel to the display unit. This configuration allows the various input elements to be flipped in and/or flipped out so that the spatial position of the base unit and display unit does not have to change. Therefore, the operator can be more comfortable when using the input unit.

"The axis of rotation of the rotating joint is perpendicular to the surface of the base unit" can be achieved in that the maximum deviation angle of one of the rotating joints with respect to the perpendicular (the normal) of the surface of the base unit is 30 degrees. In addition, the maximum deviation angle can also be 20 degrees, 10 degrees or 5 degrees.

The basic unit may, for example, comprise a radio module, which may be formed, for example, in accordance with GSM-, UMTS-, CDMA2000-, WLAN- and/or Bluetooth-standards.

The display unit can be, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an OLED-display (OLED: Organic LED). In addition, the display unit can also be formed, for example, by a combined display-input-unit (for example, a so-called touch screen).

The input elements of the mobile input unit may, for example, comprise digital-and/or alpha-keys. In addition, each input element can include an array of alpha-, alpha- and/or alphanumeric keys. Also, each input element can include: one or more programmable keys (so-called soft keys) or cursor-control elements (eg, a so-called two- or four-way (Navigations-Key) Or a so-called "Joystick").

The rotating joint can be formed, for example, by a hinge or a spherical joint. Therefore, the hinge has a rotation axis, and the spherical joint can achieve a rotation about different rotation axes.

In an advantageous form, the basic unit additionally has a basic unit-input element. Each basic unit-input element may comprise, for example, numeric keys 0 to 9, a control key and/or a diamond key, one or more "soft keys" and/or a cursor-control key (for example, a so-called two- or four-way) (4 ways) - Navigations-Key) or a so-called rocker. The above input elements may be provided with other functions in addition to the above-described main functions, for example, inputting letters. In addition, each of the basic unit-input elements (which are located on the upper side of the base unit) may be defined on each of the input elements described above, for example, corresponding to the current general keyboard of a mobile phone, having a digital key array, control keys and/or Or diamond keys, and two "soft keys" and / or a so-called four- or five-way (Navigations-Key). The five way-guide-keys, for example, form a four-way beveled key and a central push-down key.

Further, the rotation axis of the above-described rotary joint may be perpendicular to the upper side of the input unit. Thus, the upper side of the input unit is parallel to the upper side of the base unit and also parallel to the upper side of the display unit, such "orientation" remaining unchanged as the input unit moves around the aforementioned axis of rotation. This allows the operator's comfort to be improved because the upper side of the input unit can be seen with the input elements and simultaneously with the display unit, and the "orientation" described above moves around the input unit as the axis of rotation Can remain fixed.

Furthermore, the rotary joint can be moved and positioned relative to the base unit and/or the input unit. This allows the movement gap to be increased as the input unit moves relative to the base unit. By the above-described movable positioning method of the rotary joint, the movement gap of the input unit can be increased and the input unit can be flexibly arranged.

In a preferred embodiment, the input unit is located in the outer shape of the outer side of the base unit in the locked state and in the outer state of the outer side of the base unit at least in a segment manner in the use state. . The meaning of the "input unit being positioned in the outer shape of the outer side of the base unit" means that the upper side of the input unit is located in the outer shape of the outer side of the base unit or at least flush with the outer side of the base unit. Further, it may be set such that some portions of the upper side of the input unit are located in the outer shape of the outer side of the base unit and the remaining portion of the upper side of the input unit is flush with the outer side of the base unit.

The above-mentioned blocking state may be a state of the input unit, wherein each input element of the input unit is at least inaccessible or inaccessible by the user, for example, because the input unit is located, for example, under the basic unit. Internal or upper. The state of use of the input unit can be a state in which the input elements of the input unit can be used by a user and/or by a user.

In addition, the display unit can also be configured to be used in at least a portion of the locked state and/or the use state. It is particularly advantageous if, in one configuration, the display unit can be used in at least part of the locked state or the use state. An advantage of this type of construction is that it is not necessary to use a different display unit in the locked state or in the use state or the display unit can only be interposed in one state. In addition, the display unit can also be designed to be visible in only one of the two states, and in the other state. However, it can also be designed such that the display unit of the basic unit can be completely seen in the locked state or the use state.

The construction of the invention is particularly comfortable for the user, wherein the spatial orientation of the display unit is the same in the locked state or in the use state. Therefore, the user can use the mobile phone in the same location when using the input unit or when the input unit is not in use. Furthermore, it is advantageous if the position of the mobile phone or the basic unit can remain unchanged when the input unit is brought into the use state by the latched state or vice versa.

For example, the input unit can be brought into the state of use from the locked state by a combination of rotary movement or movement-rotation-movement and/or brought into the locked state by the use state. The above-described configuration allows the mobile phone-modules to be preferably adapted to the respective forms of the base unit and/or the input unit and to an ergonomic point of view.

Furthermore, the affinity of the user can be improved when at least one of the basic unit-input elements can be used in the locked state and/or the use state. The user is particularly comfortable when at least one of the basic unit-input elements can be used in a locked state and/or in a use state. For example, the base unit can be designed to be a typical mobile phone-key configuration that consists of a numeric key (which can occupy multiple uses, for example, with letters), a control key, a diamond key (which can also occupy multiple uses), One or more soft keys and a pilot-input element are constructed, and such a mobile phone keypad can be used in a locked state or in a use state.

Therefore, the possibility of various equivalent inputs can also be prevented on the input unit, or in other cases the user can be prevented from using the input unit. For example, the above-described configuration may make each input element of the input unit larger and thus easier to use, or a plurality of input elements may be disposed on the input unit, or the input unit itself may be smaller in construction.

In another advantageous form of the invention, the mobile telephone comprises at least two input units, each of which is formed in accordance with the previous description. The advantage of this form is that each input unit can be provided with a different set of symbols (for example, Latin letters or Greek letters) or to avoid too many separate inputs when the number of input elements required is large. unit. In the second case, for example, it would result in a large mobile phone that was not needed. When two or more input units are used, each input element can be distributed over each input unit.

Thus, two or more input units can be brought to the locked state to which the respective input unit belongs and/or simultaneously brought to the use state to which the respective input unit belongs. In particular, when a group of input elements are distributed on two or more input units, two or more input units can be simultaneously brought to the locked state to which the input units belong and can be brought to each It is advantageous when the input unit belongs to the use state. Thus, the entire set of input elements of each input unit can be in a "passive" state at the same time and also in use. The meaning of "simultaneously" here does not necessarily mean that the input elements move at the same time but can also only indicate that the two keyboard elements can be flipped out and/or flipped in at the same time.

A particularly simple operation of two or more input units can be achieved in that two or more input units are coupled to one another such that when the first input unit is moved, at least one of the second input units can also be automatically Move together.

Therefore, the movement of another input unit can be achieved by each input unit.

Other advantageous forms are described in the respective dependents of the scope of the patent application.

The invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

The mobile telephone 10 of FIG. 1 has a basic unit 12 including a display unit 14 and a key array 16. The key array 16 includes ten ten-squares, two soft keys, one navigation key, and one star key ( ^* ) and one diamond key (#). In addition, the mobile phone 10 has a first keyboard flank 20 and a second keyboard flank 30. The first keyboard flank 20 is disposed on the left in FIG. 1 and the second keyboard flank 30 is located on the right side of the base unit in FIG. Keyboard flaps 20 and 30 contain a letter key that can be used to input text into a mobile phone. The keyboard flaps 20 and 30 are shown in use in Figure 1 in which the keys disposed thereon are available to the user. The keyboard flaps 20, 30 can also be represented as keyboard elements 20, 30 and can be used as an example of an input unit in the previously described sense.

Figure 2 shows a rear view of the mobile telephone 10 with only the second keyboard flank 30 shown for clarity. The second keyboard flank 30 is in a locked state in FIG. 2, wherein the second keyboard flank 30 is disposed at the quasi "rear" of the base unit 12. The second keyboard flank 30 has a fixed portion 32 that connects the keyboard flank to a rotating shaft 34, wherein the second keyboard flank 30 is coupled to the base unit 12 by the rotating shaft 34. When the second keyboard flank 30 is rotated by the fixing portion 32 around the rotating shaft 34, the second keyboard flank 30 can be brought into the locked state shown in FIG. 2 by the use state shown in FIG. 1 and vice versa. Also. The movement of the second keyboard flank 30 and the movement of the first keyboard flank 20 not shown in FIG. 2 are coupled via a gear 40 such that when one of the keyboard flank is moved from the use state to the locked state or vice versa When the direction is moved, the other keyboard flank can also be correspondingly brought into the use state or in the locked state. Thus, the two keyboard flaps 20, 30 can be adjacently disposed on the back of the base unit in each of the latched states. In addition, the mobile phone 10 can, for example, also be provided with a backing plate and can position the two side flaps 20, 30 between the upper portion of the device and the backing plate.

Figure 3 also shows a rear view of the mobile phone 10. In the example shown in FIG. 3, both the first keyboard flap 20 and the second keyboard flap 30 are in separate use states and the respective configured keys thereon are accessible by the user.

Similar to the second keyboard flank 30, the first keyboard flank 20 can also be coupled to the base unit 12 of the mobile phone via a fixed portion 22 and a rotating shaft 24. The coupling between the first keyboard flank 20 and the second keyboard flank 30 is achieved in that the gears 49 are engaged in the sides of the fixed gears 22, 32 of the keyboard flank 20, 30, which are provided with corresponding gears.

Figure 4 shows a mobile phone 10 having a base unit 12 and keyboard flaps 20,30. Thus, in particular, the configuration of the position of each of the rotary shafts 24, 34 is shown, which allows the two keyboard flaps 20, 30 of the present example to be simultaneously brought to the rear of the base unit 12 and simultaneously flipped out. Each of the rotating shafts 24, 34 is located on a connecting line 50 between the corner points 52, 54 wherein each of the rotating shafts 34, 24 is spaced from the respective corner points 52, 54 by a quarter of the length of the diagonal 50. .

Figure 5 shows a side view of the mobile phone 10 with only the second keyboard flank 30 shown for clarity. It can be seen in this side view how the connecting element 32 of the second keyboard flank 30 and the rotating shaft 34 and the gear 40 are in another spatial plane (e.g., the keyboard flank 30). By the corresponding configuration of the first keyboard flaps 20 not shown in Fig. 5, the two keyboard flaps 20, 30 can be brought to the rear of the base unit 12 in both the use state and the latched state. Moreover, such a configuration can couple the movement of the two keyboard flank 20, 30 by the gear 40 such that when one of the keyboard flank 20, 30 is brought into the locked state or vice versa from the state of use, The other of the keyboard flaps 20, 30 can automatically move together correspondingly.

The mobile phone disclosed in the present invention comprises: a basic unit having a display unit on an upper side thereof; and an input unit movable relative to the basic unit, wherein the input unit is coupled to the basic unit by a rotary joint One of the rotating and rotating joints is perpendicular to the surface of the base unit. Such a mobile phone allows the input unit to achieve a flexible configuration that the user feels intimate, such that, for example, a variety of different sets of keys can be utilized to simplify the use of the mobile phone.

10. . . mobile phone

12. . . Basic unit

14. . . Display/display unit

16. . . Key array

20. . . First keyboard unit (left)

twenty two. . . Fixed part of the first keyboard unit

twenty four. . . Rotating joint of the first keyboard unit

30. . . Second keyboard unit (right)

32. . . Fixed part of the second keyboard unit

34. . . Rotating joint of the second keyboard unit

40. . . gear

50. . . diagonal

52. . . First corner

54. . . Second corner

Figure 1 Front view of a mobile phone with two input elements that have been flipped out.

Figure 2 Rear view of a mobile phone with a keyboard component that has been flipped in.

Figure 3 Rear view of a mobile phone with two flipped keyboard elements.

Figure 4 is a sketch of a mobile phone with two flipped keyboard elements and a rotating axis.

Figure 5 is a side view of a mobile phone with a keyboard component that has been flipped in.

10. . . mobile phone

12. . . Basic unit

14. . . Display/display unit

16. . . Key array

20. . . First keyboard unit (left)

30. . . Second keyboard unit (right)

Claims (17)

A mobile phone (10) comprising: - a basic unit (12) having a display unit (14) on an upper side, - at least one input unit (20, 30) movable relative to the base unit (12) a plurality of input elements on an upper side and connectable to the base unit (12) via a rotating joint (24, 34), characterized by: a rotational axis of the rotating joint (24, 34) Vertical to the surface of the base unit (12), the rotary joint (24, 34) is movable relative to the base unit (12) and/or the input unit (20, 30) and positioned. A mobile telephone as claimed in claim 1, wherein the basic unit (12) comprises at least one basic unit-input element. A mobile telephone according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rotational axis of the rotary joint (24, 34) is perpendicular to the upper side of the input unit (20, 30). For example, in the mobile phone of claim 1 or 2, the display unit is shaped as a touch screen. The mobile phone of claim 1 or 2, wherein in the locked state, each of the input units (20, 30) is located in an outer shape of the outer side of the base unit (12) and each of the input units in the use state (20, 30) is located at least in the outer form of the outer shape of the upper side of the base unit (12). The mobile phone of claim 5, wherein at least a portion of the display unit (14) in the locked state and/or the use state is usable. The mobile phone of claim 5, wherein the space "orientation" of the display unit (14) is the same in the locked state and the use state. The mobile telephone of claim 5, wherein each of the input units (20, 30) is brought into the use state by the locked state by the rotary movement and/or is brought into the locked state by the use state. . The mobile telephone of claim 5, wherein each of the input units (20, 30) is brought into a use state by a lock state by movement-rotation-movement and/or is brought to the lock by the use state. In the state. The mobile telephone of claim 2, wherein the at least one basic unit-input element is usable in a locked state and/or in a use state. For example, in the mobile phone of claim 5, at least two of the input units (20, 30) can be brought to the respective locked state and/or the respective use state. A mobile phone according to claim 5, wherein at least two of the input units (20, 30) are coupled to each other such that when moving at least two of the input units (20, 30), the second It also moves automatically. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the mobile phone includes at least two of the input units. For example, in the mobile phone of claim 13, at least two of the input units (20, 30) can be brought to the respective locked state and/or the respective use state. A mobile phone according to claim 13 or 14, wherein at least two of the input units (20, 30) are coupled to each other such that when moving at least two of the input units (20, 30), The two also move automatically. For example, in the mobile phone of claim 15, wherein at least two of the input units (20, 30) are coupled to each other such that the first input unit is When (20, 30) is moved from its locked state to its use state, the second input unit (20, 30) is also automatically moved from its locked state to its use state. A mobile phone according to claim 15 wherein at least two of the input units (20, 30) are coupled to each other such that the first input unit (20, 30) is brought to its use state by its latched state. In the middle, the second input unit (20, 30) is also automatically brought into its use state by its latched state.