WO2002054713A2

WO2002054713A2 - A switch for an electronic device

Info

Publication number: WO2002054713A2
Application number: PCT/GB2001/005748
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mark Hutchison; Stephen Telford
Original assignee: Vertu Ltd
Priority date: 2000-12-29
Filing date: 2001-12-21
Publication date: 2002-07-11
Also published as: EP1356659A1; WO2002054733A1; WO2002054713A3; CN1493147A; JP4048118B2; GB2371022B; GB2371022A; WO2002054734A1; AU2002222303A1; JP2004517451A; GB0031809D0; CN100505789C

Abstract

A device comprising: an engine to provide electronic functionality of the device; housing elements defining a cavity 85 for receiving a battery 79 for powering the engine; a holder 80 for receiving an electronic card 81 for use with the device; connectors 93, 94 to connect the card to said battery and said engine; means 90 for releasing a housing element 97 to allow access to the battery cavity 85 and/or the card 81; and a switch 92, 94 to switch out the connection from the card to the engine when the housing element 97 is released.

Description

A switch for an electronic device

The invention relates to portable communication devices and in particular to casings for such devices.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a device comprising: an engine providing the electronic functionality of the device; housing elements defining a cavity for receiving a battery for powering the engine; a holder for receiving an electronic card for use with the device, connectors to connect the card to said battery and said engine; means for releasing a housing element to allow access to the battery cavity and/or the card; and a switch to switch out the connection from the card to the engine when the housing element is released.

The switch may be operative to switch out the power to the card when the housing element is released. Alternatively the switch may be operative to switch off the device entirely when the housing element is released.

The card may be removable from the device.

The invention has the advantage that the engine cannot be reading from or writing to the card once the housing element is removed. If these functions were still possible, as the card is removed from the device an interrupted signal to/from the processor may result in corrupted data.

The switch may comprise a magnet and a Hall effect switch, with one or the other being provided on the housing element.

The device may be a portable communication device and the card may be a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card for use with a portable communication device. Embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows front, rear, sides, top and bottom views of a communication device;

Figure 2 is a schematic representation of a communication device suitable for embodiments of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the rear of the device with the battery cover removed;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the device along the line A-A in Figure 1 ; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of selected elements of the device shown.

The casing 2 has a front face 3 providing a display region 4 and an input region 5 that includes a key array 6. The key array 6 includes a first group of alphanumeric keys 7, for entering telephone numbers, writing text messages (SMS), writing names (associated with phone numbers), etc.

Each of the twelve alphanumeric keys 7 is provided with a figure "0-9" or a sign "#" or "*", respectively. In an alpha mode each key is associated with a number of letters and special signs used in text editing. The key array 6 additionally comprises two soft keys 8, 9, two call handling keys 10, 11 , two scroll keys 12, and an on/off key 13.

The functionality of the soft keys 8, 9 may depend on the state of the communication device and position within the menu accessed using the scroll keys 12. The current functionality of the soft keys 8, 9 can be shown in separate fields in the display region 4 just above the respective keys 8, 9. The two call handling keys 10, 11 are used for establishing a call or a conference call, terminating a call or rejecting an incoming call.

The two direction keys or scroll keys 12, in the handset illustrated are placed centrally on the front surface of the communication device between the display region 4 and the group of alphanumeric keys 7 to perform a scrolling function.

The casing 2 is formed from the front face 3 surrounded by the bezel 19, a side frame 20 and a back cover 21. The interface between the side frame 20 and the bezel 19 and the side frame 20 and the rear cover 21 are shielded by rails 22, 23 in this embodiment. The rails 22, 23 hide raw edges from view and exposure to ensure that the device 1 is both long lasting and elegant. The construction of the casing 2 enables the casing 2 to be opened with ease to update the engine 24 inside when desired.

Other elements of the design will be discussed in greater detail with reference to the later drawings. By way of introduction, the device will be briefly discussed with reference to its functional elements.

The communication device 1 includes the key array 6, a display 25, an antenna 26, an ear piece speaker 18, a polyphonic speaker 27, and a microphone 28. The communication device 1 is adapted for communication via a wireless telecommunication network, e.g. a wireless network. However, the communication device could also have been designed for a cordless network. Fig. 3 shows schematically and functionally elements of the communication device 1. The microphone 28 records the user's speech, and the analogue signals formed thereby are A/D converted by an A/D converter before the speech is encoded in an audio part 29. The encoded speech signal is transferred to processor 30. The processor 30 may support software in the phone. The processor 30 also forms the interface to peripheral units of the apparatus. These may include a Random Access Memory (RAM) 31 and a Flash Read Only Memory (ROM) 32, a SIM card 33, the display 25, and the key array 6, and perhaps a browser application

34, and a location module 35.

The browser application 34 can be used to request and receive information from the Internet. The location module 35 enables the terminal 1 to determine its current position.

The processor 30 communicates with a transceiver 36, e.g. a circuit, which is adapted to send and receive messages in a telecommunication network. The telecommunications network may be a GSM or W-CDMA network, but the invention may also be applied in connection with any other network, including but not limited to other kinds of wireless networks and various forms of cordless phone systems or in dual band phones accessing sets of these systems or networks. The audio part 29 decodes the audio signal, which is then transferred from the processor 30 to the earpiece 18 via a D/A converter.

The display 25 may form a permanent part of the casing or, to increase the potential for upgrading the engine throughout the life of the casing it may be a module that can be replaced, for example, to account for the inevitable improvements in graphics that may occur.

The constructed casing 2 provides a housing for a battery 79 and a printed circuit board 50 holding the engine components. When the device 1 is a radio telephone, the casing 2 may also provide a SIM card holder 80 to accommodate a SIM card 81. For operation under some radio protocols this will clearly not be necessary.

To complete the structure, the casing 2 has a rear cover 21 and internal compartments suitable for retaining the engine, the battery 79 and SIM card 81. The device illustrated, in common with many other radio telephones, advantageously allows access to the battery compartment 85 as the battery 79 may periodically need replacement. In order for the engine 24 to be protected during this activity, the battery 79 is retained in a compartment providing connectors 93, 94 to the engine. Along side the battery compartment 85 in this embodiment is the SIM card holder 80. Under protocols where a SIM card 81 is used to hold subscription information, the user may wish to remove the SIM card 81. For this reason it is convenient for the back cover 21 to be removable to expose both the battery 79 and the SIM card 81. The battery compartment 85 and SIM card holder 80 are provided by an internal casing element 87 that is secured to the side frame 20. This may be formed from plastic or one of many other suitable materials. In one embodiment the compartments are formed from stamped metal sheet. Titanium and aluminium are two from the numerous suitable materials.

The battery contacts 90 protrude into the battery cavity 85 to provide a simple way of connecting the battery to the engine. The battery connection will typically have a power connector 91 , a ground 92 and two signal connectors 93, 94.

The casing 2 is completed by assembling the back cover 21 to the side frame 20. In the illustrated embodiment, the back cover 21 is formed from three pieces 96, 97, 98. A first piece 96 overlays the antenna location. As the first piece 96 also covers the antenna its dielectric constant is relevant. The rear casing element 96 covering the antenna is hooked or clipped to the side frame element 20 and in the process captures the second rail 23 similar in construction to the first rail 22 between the side frame 20 and the back cover 21. The rail 23 is provided with apertures that are positioned over corresponding projections on the side frame 20 to more securely hold the rail 23 in position when the back cover 21 is attached.

A second rear casing element 97 covers the battery compartment 85 and the SIM card holder 80. This element is releasably secured to the other casing elements using screws 99 to allow relatively easy access to the SIM card 81 and battery 79. In a preferred embodiment a quarter turn of a screw 100 releases the cover element 97 to allow it to be removed. The same action can disconnect the battery 79 to allow the SIM card 81 to be removed.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the means for releasing the housing element 97 to allow access to the battery cavity comprises a hook 90 which clips under a an edge of a member under the third rear casing element 98. A magnet 92 is provided in the battery cover 97 and a Hall effect switch 94 is provided in the main body of the device. A spring 96 is provided to provide a spring action to the housing element 97 when it is released, so opening the battery compartment 85 to a user in a smooth manner. As the battery cover 97 is released, the magnet 92 moves away from the Hall effect switch 94 which triggers the switch 94 which then switches out the connection from the SIM card 81 to the engine. This means that the SIM cannot be read from or written to when the battery cover is removed and when the user removes the battery 79 and/or the SIM card. The switch 94 may also be effective to switch off the device entirely when the battery cover is removed.

The second rear casing element 97 is attached to the side frame 20 in a similar manner to that described in relation to the first rear casing element.

Although the battery cover has been described as covering both the battery and the SIM card, it is also envisaged that separate elements may be provided to access these items. For instance a separate element may cover the SIM holder only and so allow access only to the card 81. In accordance with the invention, a switch is then provided to detect the release of the housing element covering the SIM card.

The invention has the advantage that the engine cannot be cannot be reading from or writing to the card when the housing element is removed. If these functions were still possible, as the card is removed from the device an interrupted signal to/from the processor may result in corrupted data. This is avoided if the connection between the SIM and the engine is broken before any attempt is made to move the card relative to the contacts from the card to the engine. The third element of the rear casing 98 covers a polyphonic speaker. This element 98 may be only relatively thin and formed from a precious material such as gold. It will be provided with a suitable aperture 102 to channel sound from the polyphonic speaker that may be used in hands free mode and for providing an audible ring tone. In this embodiment the phone has an aperture in which the polyphonic speaker is located to provide for polyphonic sound. This additional speaker has not been optimised for use in close proximity to the ear as has the speaker located beneath the pillow 16. This allows it to be more effective as a handsfree speaker and enables a greater range of ring tones to be utilised.

In the embodiment described the front 3 and rear casing elements 96, 97, 98 are secured to the side frame 20.

The skilled man will realise that the number of parts and the manner in which they are connected can be changed without departing from the several inventive concepts described. For example, in other embodiments the casing may be held together using other techniques and in other ways.

Aspects of the invention have been discussed with reference to a radio telephone function. It will be clear to the skilled man that these aspects apply equally to other portable communications devices supporting in addition or as an alternative other functions, such as, amongst others electronic diaries, and electronic notepads.

The present invention includes any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein either explicitly or any generalisation thereof irrespective of whether or not it relates to the claimed invention or mitigates any or all of the problems addressed.

In view of the foregoing description it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A device comprising: an engine providing the electronic functionality of the device; housing elements defining a cavity for receiving a battery for powering the engine; a holder for receiving an electronic card for use with the device, connectors to connect the card to said battery and said engine; means for releasing a housing element to allow access to the battery cavity and/or the card; and a switch to switch out the connection from the card to the engine when the housing element is released. *

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the switch is operative to switch out the power to the card when the housing element is released to allow access to the battery and/or card.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein the switch is also operative to switch off the device entirely when the housing element is released.

4. A device according to any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the switch comprises a magnet and a Hall effect switch.

5. A device according to any of claims 1 to 4 wherein the card is removable from the device.

6. A device according to any of claims 1 to 5 wherein the device is a portable communication device.

7. A device according to claim 6 wherein the card is a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card for use with a portable communication device.

9. A casing substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A portable communication device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.