WO2003044682A1 - A portable terminal case - Google Patents

A portable terminal case Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2003044682A1
WO2003044682A1 PCT/KR2002/000535 KR0200535W WO03044682A1 WO 2003044682 A1 WO2003044682 A1 WO 2003044682A1 KR 0200535 W KR0200535 W KR 0200535W WO 03044682 A1 WO03044682 A1 WO 03044682A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
portable terminal
main body
keyboard
cover
case
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/KR2002/000535
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Jeong-Hoon Park
Original Assignee
Jeong-Hoon Park
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Jeong-Hoon Park filed Critical Jeong-Hoon Park
Priority to AU2002249630A priority Critical patent/AU2002249630A1/en
Publication of WO2003044682A1 publication Critical patent/WO2003044682A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01HELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H13/00Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch
    • H01H13/70Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard
    • H01H13/86Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard characterised by the casing, e.g. sealed casings or casings reducible in size
    • GPHYSICS
    • G06COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06FELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F15/00Digital computers in general; Data processing equipment in general
    • G06F15/02Digital computers in general; Data processing equipment in general manually operated with input through keyboard and computation using a built-in program, e.g. pocket calculators
    • GPHYSICS
    • G06COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06FELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F1/00Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00
    • G06F1/16Constructional details or arrangements
    • G06F1/1613Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers
    • G06F1/1632External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
    • GPHYSICS
    • G06COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06FELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F3/00Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
    • G06F3/01Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
    • G06F3/02Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
    • G06F3/0202Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
    • G06F3/0221Arrangements for reducing keyboard size for transport or storage, e.g. foldable keyboards, keyboards with collapsible keys
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01HELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H2223/00Casings
    • H01H2223/046Casings convertible
    • H01H2223/05Casings convertible composed of hingedly connected sections

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a case for a portable terminal such as a personal digital assistant ( PDA) or a portable computer.
  • a portable terminal such as a personal digital assistant ( PDA) or a portable computer.
  • PDA personal digital assistant
  • a portable computer relates to a case that is internally equipped with a keyboard and an extension package, consists of two extended memories and an auxiliary battery, so that users do not need to carry extra external devices.
  • a portable terminal such as a PDA or a portable computer
  • some limited functions such as a simple memorandum function and/or an address book function.
  • the notebook computer is smaller than the desktop computer but still not so convenient to be carried with, and on the other hand, the portable terminal is easy to be carried with but unable to provide the functions of notebook computer.
  • inputting words is generally operated by touch-screen method on portable terminals, however, in case of an inexperienced user and/or a user having a large amount of data to be inputted, it is very inconvenient to input words by touch-screen method on a small screen.
  • keyboards such as a thumb-input type keyboard, a mini-keyboard, and a roll-type keyboard have been developed, however, they are not convenient enough to satisfy inexperienced users .
  • a portable terminal has a lot of difficulties that the memory is insufficient and the using duration is short for the case of using a multimedia and/or numbers of application programs .
  • the storage capacity of the memory is only about ⁇ 7 songs and the possible continuous using duration of the battery is only about
  • the present invention is proposed to solve the problems of the prior art mentioned above. It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a portable terminal case that is internally equipped with an extended memory, a remote communication device, and other various auxiliary devices to provide an portability and usability for users .
  • the invention presents a portable terminal case comprising: a main body of which a placing room for portable terminals being placed therein is formed on the front upper side; a keyboard, equipped with numbers of keys, that can be divided into several sectors by at least one or more inside-empty hinges; a horizontal hinge rotationably connecting the keyboard to the main body to locate the keyboard at a room formed at the lower deck of the back side of the main body; and a cover holder that is rotationably fixed at the back of the main body around a rotation shaft to support the main body.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of the portable terminal case in accordance with the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating an occasion of using a portable terminal placed in the case described in FIG. 1 on the hand.
  • FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating an occasion of using a portable terminal placed in the case described in FIG. 1 on the floor.
  • FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating an occasion of using the keyboard with a portable terminal being placed in the case described in FIG. 1 on the floor.
  • FIGs. 5a ⁇ 5c are a top view, a bottom view, and a side view of the portable terminal case in accordance with the present invention respectively.
  • FIG. 6 is a view illustrating the state of circuit connection around an inside-empty hinge of the keyboard described in FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 7 is a front view of a case with the keyboard cover being open.
  • FIG. 8 is a conceptual view illustrating the overall circuit of the portable terminal case in accordance with the present invention.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of the portable terminal case in accordance with the invention.
  • a placing room(2) is formed at the front side of the main body(B) of the case (A) for a portable terminal such as a personal digital assistant ( PDA) , a portable computer, or a personal communications services ( PCS ) being placed therein.
  • PDA personal digital assistant
  • PCS personal communications services
  • the connection slot (8) formed on the main body(B) under the placing room(2) and the slot of the portable terminal are connected to each other, and thereby data can be transferred between the portable terminal and an extension package (3) of the case (A) .
  • the extension package (3) such as an extended memory, a communication card, or a slot for other auxiliary device installed at the upper deck of the back side of the main body(B), and an auxiliary battery(3a) is installed, next to the extension package (3), at the back side of the main body(B) to support the extension, package (3) and provide an auxiliary power to the terminal .
  • a foldable keyboard (4) equipped with numbers of keys is electrically connected to the main body(B). While the keyboard(4) is not being in use, it is pulled back, with being folded, to be placed in a room formed at the lower deck of the back side of the main body(B) and protected by a keyboard cover (5) .
  • the keyboard(4) has the same size as that of the standard keyboard used in the conventional computer .
  • the keyboard cover (5) rotates around the vertical hinge (5a), and it is locked or released by a keyboard cover lock( ⁇ ) formed at the opposite side of the back of the main body(B) to the side where the vertical hinge(5a) is installed.
  • the cover (1) which protects the liquid crystal screen of the portable terminal, can be pulled over at the cover holder (lc), and the cover holder (lc), which supports the main body(B), can be also pulled over at the back of the main body(B) .
  • a stylus pen for user's data inputting is inserted in a pen holder (10) formed at front side of the main body(B) under the placing room(2).
  • a USB port (9) is formed at the side of the main body(B) under the placing room(2) to perform battery charging of the portable terminal and data transfer.
  • External devices such as a computer, a digital camera, or an external hard-disk can also be connected to the terminal through the USB port (9).
  • FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating an occasion of using a portable terminal, which is placed in the case according to the present invention, on the hand.
  • the cover (1) is bendably connected to a cover holder (lc) by the first rotation shaft (la), and the cover holder (lc) is bendably connected to the back of the main body(B) by the second rotation shaft (lb) .
  • the second rotation shaft (lb) fixes the cover holder(lc) to the back of the main body(B) to be able to rotate around the shaft
  • the first rotation shaft(la) fixes the cover (1) to the cover holder (lc) to be able to rotate around the shaft.
  • the cover(l) is pulled over around the first rotation shaft (la) so that the liquid crystal screen of the terminal, which used to be protected by the cover, is exposed.
  • the keyboard(4) is pulled back, with being folded, around the horizontal hinge (4a) to be placed in a room formed at the lower deck of the back side of the main body(B) and protected by the keyboard cover (5) therein, and the keyboard cover (5) is maintained to be locked by the keyboard cover lock(6) .
  • the horizontal hinge (4a) connects the keyboard(4) to the main body(B) to place the keyboard (4) in a room formed at the lower deck of the back side of the main body (B) .
  • FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating an occasion of using a portable terminal, which is placed in the case according to the present invention, on the floor.
  • the cover (1) is pulled over around the first rotation shaft(la) and then the cover holder(lc) is pulled back around the second rotation shaft (lb) so that the main body(B) can be supported by the cover (1) and the cover holder ( lc) .
  • the keyboard(4) is pulled back, with being folded, around the horizontal hinge (4a) to be placed in a room formed at the lower deck of the back side of the case (A) and protected by the keyboard cover (5) therein.
  • FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating an occasion of using a portable terminal, which is placed in the case according to the present invention, on the floor with using the keyboard.
  • the cover (1) and the cover holder (lc) are pulled back to support the case (A) in the same shape as described in FIG. 3, on the other hand, the keyboard(4), which is placed in a room formed at the lower deck of the back side of the main body(B) in FIG. 3, is pulled up front around the horizontal hinge (4a) to be placed on the floor by the keyboard cover lock( ⁇ ) releasing the lock of the keyboard cover (5) .
  • FIG. 5a is a top view of a case in accordance with the present invention for showing the state in which the keyboard is placed, with being folded, at the back of the main body.
  • the keyboard(4) is pulled back around the horizontal hinge (4a) to be placed at the back of the main body(B) with being folded by an inside-empty hinge (11) as an axis.
  • the keyboard cover (5) rotates around a vertical hinge (5a) formed at a side of the main body(B), and it is locked or released by the keyboard cover lock(6) formed at the opposite side of the case (A) .
  • the keyboard(4) is protected by the keyboard cover (5) with being folded at the lower deck of the back side of the main body(B) and the keyboard cover (5) is maintained to be locked by the keyboard cover lock( ⁇ ).
  • Grooves (7) are formed longitudinally at the back of the main body(B) at the locations of being contacted by the cover holder (lc) so that the cover holder (lc) is located therein to support the case (A) .
  • the keyboard(4) is electrically connected to be foldable and divided into several sectors by inside-empty hinges (11).
  • Each sectors of the keyboard(4) uses the same flexible circuit board (15), which is connected through the inside-empty hinges (11), for mutual connection of the keys on the divided sectors.
  • the inside-empty hinges (11) longitudinally divide the keyboard(4) into 4 pieces.
  • the keyboard (4) adopts the same type of key array as that of the general standard keyboard to eliminate the inconvenience of using a mini-keyboard having been conventionally used for a portable terminal.
  • the thickness can be reduced by using a laminated circuit board (15) .
  • FIG. 5b and 5c are a bottom view and a side view of the case in accordance with the present invention respectively. They show the state in which an extension package and the auxiliary battery are installed.
  • the extension packages (3) installed at both sides of the main body(B) are to supplement the functions of the conventional terminal by comprising an extended memory, a communication card, and slots for other auxiliary devices.
  • the auxiliary battery(3a) which provides an auxiliary power to the terminal, is installed next to the extension package at the back of the main board(B) to support the extension package (3) .
  • a currently selling CF-type memory or a recently developed micro-drive of more than 1 GB can be installed so that the data storage and/or upgrade are possible to satisfy the user' s demand.
  • the communication card can be installed to obtain the necessary information regardless of time and location.
  • FIG. 7 is a front view of the case in accordance with the present invention with the keyboard cover being open . As described in the figure, the keyboard cover (5) is pulled over around the vertical hinge (5a) to the side of the main body(B) when the lock is released.
  • the cover (1) is still covering the spacing room(2) at the front of the case (A) so that the liquid crystal screen of a terminal is protected in case of a portable terminal being placed in the placing room(2) .
  • FIG. 8 is a conceptual view illustrating the overall circuit of the portable terminal case in accordance with the present invention.
  • the circuit connected to the connection slot (8) at the bottom of the placing room(2) described in FIG. 1 is connected to the keyboard(4) to be connected to a keyboard controller ( 12 ) controlling the keyboard(4) and connected to a circuit (13) for the extension package and the auxiliary battery through a circuit connection section (14) formed at a side of the placing room ( 2 ) .
  • USB port (9) formed at the bottom of the main body(B) for carrying out the data transfer.
  • the battery of the terminal can be also charged through the USB port (9) .
  • a portable terminal in accordance with the present invention provides an easy connection between a portable terminal and a keyboard and protects the liquid crystal screen of a portable terminal from the possible damage caused by ' an external impact.

Abstract

The present invention relates to a case for a portable terminal such as a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a portable computer. In more detail, it relates to a case that is internally equipped with a keyboard and an extension package such as an extended memory and an auxiliary battery so that users do not need to carry extra external devices. Inputting words is generally operated by touch-screen method on a portable terminal, however, in case of an inexperienced user and/or a user having a large amount of data to be inputted, it is very inconvenient to input characters by touch-screen method on a small screen.

Description

A PORTABLE TERMINAL CASE
[Technical Field of the Invention]
The present invention relates to a case for a portable terminal such as a personal digital assistant ( PDA) or a portable computer. In more detail, it relates to a case that is internally equipped with a keyboard and an extension package, consists of two extended memories and an auxiliary battery, so that users do not need to carry extra external devices.
[Description of the Prior Art]
Most people, using a portable terminal such as a PDA or a portable computer, generally use some limited functions such as a simple memorandum function and/or an address book function.
However, as the computer technology is being developed, it is expected that an easy-portable terminal capable of performing the same functions as a desktop computer will replace a notebook computer.
At present, the notebook computer is smaller than the desktop computer but still not so convenient to be carried with, and on the other hand, the portable terminal is easy to be carried with but unable to provide the functions of notebook computer.
For example, inputting words is generally operated by touch-screen method on portable terminals, however, in case of an inexperienced user and/or a user having a large amount of data to be inputted, it is very inconvenient to input words by touch-screen method on a small screen.
In order to solve the problem with maintaining easy portability, various types of keyboards such as a thumb-input type keyboard, a mini-keyboard, and a roll-type keyboard have been developed, however, they are not convenient enough to satisfy inexperienced users . In addition, a portable terminal has a lot of difficulties that the memory is insufficient and the using duration is short for the case of using a multimedia and/or numbers of application programs .
In other words, in case of using a multimedia program on a portable terminal, the storage capacity of the memory is only about β~7 songs and the possible continuous using duration of the battery is only about
• 2-3 hours. Thus, most users must purchase an extension package of an extended memory, an auxiliary battery, and/or a communication card so that it is very inconvenient as well as economically ineffective. In addition, most users also purchase an extra keyboard and carry it with the terminal.
There is another problem that the front liquid crystal screen, a display device of a portable terminal, is exposed to the exterior with no cover so that it can be easily damaged by an external impact.
[Description of the Invention]
The present invention is proposed to solve the problems of the prior art mentioned above. It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a portable terminal case that is internally equipped with an extended memory, a remote communication device, and other various auxiliary devices to provide an portability and usability for users .
It is another object of the invention to provide the portable terminal case by which a portable terminal can be easily connected to a keyboard and the front liquid crystal screen of the terminal can be protected from the external impact.
To achieve the object mentioned above, the invention presents a portable terminal case comprising: a main body of which a placing room for portable terminals being placed therein is formed on the front upper side; a keyboard, equipped with numbers of keys, that can be divided into several sectors by at least one or more inside-empty hinges; a horizontal hinge rotationably connecting the keyboard to the main body to locate the keyboard at a room formed at the lower deck of the back side of the main body; and a cover holder that is rotationably fixed at the back of the main body around a rotation shaft to support the main body.
[Brief Description of the Drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of the portable terminal case in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating an occasion of using a portable terminal placed in the case described in FIG. 1 on the hand.
FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating an occasion of using a portable terminal placed in the case described in FIG. 1 on the floor. FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating an occasion of using the keyboard with a portable terminal being placed in the case described in FIG. 1 on the floor.
FIGs. 5a ~ 5c are a top view, a bottom view, and a side view of the portable terminal case in accordance with the present invention respectively.
FIG. 6 is a view illustrating the state of circuit connection around an inside-empty hinge of the keyboard described in FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is a front view of a case with the keyboard cover being open.
FIG. 8 is a conceptual view illustrating the overall circuit of the portable terminal case in accordance with the present invention.
[Detailed Description of the Embodiments]
Hereinafter, referring to appended drawings, the structures and the operation procedures of the embodiments of the present invention are described in detail .
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of the portable terminal case in accordance with the invention. As described in FIG. 1, a placing room(2) is formed at the front side of the main body(B) of the case (A) for a portable terminal such as a personal digital assistant ( PDA) , a portable computer, or a personal communications services ( PCS ) being placed therein. Here, the connection slot (8) formed on the main body(B) under the placing room(2) and the slot of the portable terminal are connected to each other, and thereby data can be transferred between the portable terminal and an extension package (3) of the case (A) . The extension package (3) such as an extended memory, a communication card, or a slot for other auxiliary device installed at the upper deck of the back side of the main body(B), and an auxiliary battery(3a) is installed, next to the extension package (3), at the back side of the main body(B) to support the extension, package (3) and provide an auxiliary power to the terminal .
Here, if manufacturing a case of which two extension packages (3) can be installed simultaneously at both sides, a more convenient terminal case can be obtained. A foldable keyboard (4) equipped with numbers of keys is electrically connected to the main body(B). While the keyboard(4) is not being in use, it is pulled back, with being folded, to be placed in a room formed at the lower deck of the back side of the main body(B) and protected by a keyboard cover (5) .
Here, the keyboard(4) has the same size as that of the standard keyboard used in the conventional computer . The keyboard cover (5) rotates around the vertical hinge (5a), and it is locked or released by a keyboard cover lock(β) formed at the opposite side of the back of the main body(B) to the side where the vertical hinge(5a) is installed. In case of placing a portable terminal in the case (A) , the cover (1) , which protects the liquid crystal screen of the portable terminal, can be pulled over at the cover holder (lc), and the cover holder (lc), which supports the main body(B), can be also pulled over at the back of the main body(B) .
Therefore, only the cover (1) is pulled over in the case of using the portable terminal on the hand as described in FIG. 2, and the cover holder (lc) is also pulled over with the cover (1) being pulled over in the case of using it on the floor as described in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4.
A stylus pen for user's data inputting is inserted in a pen holder (10) formed at front side of the main body(B) under the placing room(2). In addition, as described in FIG. 7, a USB port (9) is formed at the side of the main body(B) under the placing room(2) to perform battery charging of the portable terminal and data transfer. External devices such as a computer, a digital camera, or an external hard-disk can also be connected to the terminal through the USB port (9).
FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating an occasion of using a portable terminal, which is placed in the case according to the present invention, on the hand. The cover (1) is bendably connected to a cover holder (lc) by the first rotation shaft (la), and the cover holder (lc) is bendably connected to the back of the main body(B) by the second rotation shaft (lb) .
In other words, the second rotation shaft (lb) fixes the cover holder(lc) to the back of the main body(B) to be able to rotate around the shaft, and the first rotation shaft(la) fixes the cover (1) to the cover holder (lc) to be able to rotate around the shaft.
In case of using the terminal on the hand as described in FIG. 2, the cover(l) is pulled over around the first rotation shaft (la) so that the liquid crystal screen of the terminal, which used to be protected by the cover, is exposed. The keyboard(4) is pulled back, with being folded, around the horizontal hinge (4a) to be placed in a room formed at the lower deck of the back side of the main body(B) and protected by the keyboard cover (5) therein, and the keyboard cover (5) is maintained to be locked by the keyboard cover lock(6) . The horizontal hinge (4a) connects the keyboard(4) to the main body(B) to place the keyboard (4) in a room formed at the lower deck of the back side of the main body (B) .
FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating an occasion of using a portable terminal, which is placed in the case according to the present invention, on the floor.
The cover (1) is pulled over around the first rotation shaft(la) and then the cover holder(lc) is pulled back around the second rotation shaft (lb) so that the main body(B) can be supported by the cover (1) and the cover holder ( lc) .
The keyboard(4) is pulled back, with being folded, around the horizontal hinge (4a) to be placed in a room formed at the lower deck of the back side of the case (A) and protected by the keyboard cover (5) therein.
FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating an occasion of using a portable terminal, which is placed in the case according to the present invention, on the floor with using the keyboard. In this occasion, the cover (1) and the cover holder (lc) are pulled back to support the case (A) in the same shape as described in FIG. 3, on the other hand, the keyboard(4), which is placed in a room formed at the lower deck of the back side of the main body(B) in FIG. 3, is pulled up front around the horizontal hinge (4a) to be placed on the floor by the keyboard cover lock(β) releasing the lock of the keyboard cover (5) .
FIG. 5a is a top view of a case in accordance with the present invention for showing the state in which the keyboard is placed, with being folded, at the back of the main body.
As described in the figure, the keyboard(4) is pulled back around the horizontal hinge (4a) to be placed at the back of the main body(B) with being folded by an inside-empty hinge (11) as an axis.
The keyboard cover (5) rotates around a vertical hinge (5a) formed at a side of the main body(B), and it is locked or released by the keyboard cover lock(6) formed at the opposite side of the case (A) .
By this structure, the keyboard(4) is protected by the keyboard cover (5) with being folded at the lower deck of the back side of the main body(B) and the keyboard cover (5) is maintained to be locked by the keyboard cover lock(β). Grooves (7) are formed longitudinally at the back of the main body(B) at the locations of being contacted by the cover holder (lc) so that the cover holder (lc) is located therein to support the case (A) . Referring to FIG. 6, the keyboard(4) is electrically connected to be foldable and divided into several sectors by inside-empty hinges (11).
Each sectors of the keyboard(4) uses the same flexible circuit board (15), which is connected through the inside-empty hinges (11), for mutual connection of the keys on the divided sectors.
In this embodiment of the present invention, the inside-empty hinges (11) longitudinally divide the keyboard(4) into 4 pieces. The keyboard (4) adopts the same type of key array as that of the general standard keyboard to eliminate the inconvenience of using a mini-keyboard having been conventionally used for a portable terminal. In addition, the thickness can be reduced by using a laminated circuit board (15) .
In arranging the keys on the keyboard(4), by reducing the size of number keys and placing the function keys, which are frequently used in a terminal, to the left, it provides a better usability as well as an easy portability. FIG. 5b and 5c are a bottom view and a side view of the case in accordance with the present invention respectively. They show the state in which an extension package and the auxiliary battery are installed.
The extension packages (3) installed at both sides of the main body(B) are to supplement the functions of the conventional terminal by comprising an extended memory, a communication card, and slots for other auxiliary devices. And the auxiliary battery(3a), which provides an auxiliary power to the terminal, is installed next to the extension package at the back of the main board(B) to support the extension package (3) .
In case of the extended memory, a currently selling CF-type memory or a recently developed micro-drive of more than 1 GB can be installed so that the data storage and/or upgrade are possible to satisfy the user' s demand.
In addition, the communication card can be installed to obtain the necessary information regardless of time and location.
FIG. 7 is a front view of the case in accordance with the present invention with the keyboard cover being open . As described in the figure, the keyboard cover (5) is pulled over around the vertical hinge (5a) to the side of the main body(B) when the lock is released.
On the other hand, the cover (1) is still covering the spacing room(2) at the front of the case (A) so that the liquid crystal screen of a terminal is protected in case of a portable terminal being placed in the placing room(2) .
FIG. 8 is a conceptual view illustrating the overall circuit of the portable terminal case in accordance with the present invention.
The circuit connected to the connection slot (8) at the bottom of the placing room(2) described in FIG. 1 is connected to the keyboard(4) to be connected to a keyboard controller ( 12 ) controlling the keyboard(4) and connected to a circuit (13) for the extension package and the auxiliary battery through a circuit connection section (14) formed at a side of the placing room ( 2 ) .
Furthermore, it can be connected to external devices such as a computer, a digital camera, or an external hard-disk through a USB port (9) formed at the bottom of the main body(B) for carrying out the data transfer. And additionally, the battery of the terminal can be also charged through the USB port (9) . [Industrial Applicability]
As mentioned thereinbefore, a portable terminal in accordance with the present invention provides an easy connection between a portable terminal and a keyboard and protects the liquid crystal screen of a portable terminal from the possible damage caused by ' an external impact.
In addition, it provides easier portability and a better usability by eliminating the problems of inputting inconvenience, insufficient memory, and short using duration.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A portable terminal case comprising: a main body of which a placing room for a portable terminal ' being inserted up-to-down to be placed therein is formed on the front upper side; a keyboard, as an input means of said portable terminal, equipped with numbers of keys, that can be divided into several foldable sectors by at least one or more inside-empty hinges; a horizontal hinge, installed at the bottom of said main body, rotationably connecting said keyboard to the bottom of said main body to locate said keyboard at a room formed at the lower deck of the back side of said main body to be protected therein; and a cover holder that is rotationably fixed at the back of said main body around a rotation shaft to support the back of said main body to be inclined to the floor.
2. A portable terminal case as claimed in claim 1, wherein said inside-empty hinges are longitudinally formed for said keyboard to be folded by 4 pieces.
3. A portable terminal case as claimed in claim 1, wherein a cover is rotationably connected to said cover holder by another rotation shaft to protect said portable terminal placed in said placing room at front by being rotated to the front side.
4. A portable terminal case as claimed in claim 1, wherein grooves for cover holder, into which said cover holder is inserted, are formed vertically along with said cover holder at the back of said main body at the locations of being contacted by said cover holder.
5. A portable terminal case as claimed in claim 1, wherein a stylus pen holder, into which a stylus pen for user' s data inputting is placed by being partially inserted, is formed at the front side of said main body.
6. A portable terminal case as claimed in claim 1, wherein an extension package is installed at the upper deck of the back side of said main body and an auxiliary battery, that protects said extension package and supplies an auxiliary power to said portable terminal, is installed next to said extension package at the back of said main body, and data is being transferred between said extension package and said portable terminal through a connection slot, connected to the slot of said portable terminal, formed on the front side of said main body.
7. A portable terminal case as claimed in claim 6, wherein a USB port, which is connected to external devices such as a computer, a digital camera, or an external hard-disk, is formed at a side of said main body, and data is being transferred between said external devices and said portable terminal as well as the battery that supplies electric power to said portable terminal is being charged through said USB port.
8. A portable terminal case as claimed in claim 6, wherein a circuit connected to said connection slot is connected to said keyboard to be connected to a keyboard controller controlling said keyboard and connected to a circuit for said extension package and said auxiliary battery through a circuit connection section formed at a side of said placing room.
9. A portable terminal case as claimed in claim 6, wherein two extension packages are installed at both sides of the back of said main body.
10. A portable terminal case as claimed in claim 1, wherein said keyboard is protected by said keyboard cover being rotated around a vertical hinge formed at a side of said main body while being placed in said placing room with being folded, and said keyboard cover is locked or released by a keyboard cover lock formed at the opposite side of said main body .
PCT/KR2002/000535 2001-11-23 2002-03-27 A portable terminal case WO2003044682A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU2002249630A AU2002249630A1 (en) 2001-11-23 2002-03-27 A portable terminal case

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
KR2001/36250U 2001-11-23
KR2020010036250U KR200264641Y1 (en) 2001-11-23 2001-11-23 Input device & Extension-pack installed mobile terminal case

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2003044682A1 true WO2003044682A1 (en) 2003-05-30

Family

ID=19711301

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/KR2002/000535 WO2003044682A1 (en) 2001-11-23 2002-03-27 A portable terminal case

Country Status (3)

Country Link
KR (1) KR200264641Y1 (en)
AU (1) AU2002249630A1 (en)
WO (1) WO2003044682A1 (en)

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6108200A (en) * 1998-10-13 2000-08-22 Fullerton; Robert L. Handheld computer keyboard system
KR200211461Y1 (en) * 2000-08-08 2001-01-15 김무전 Partable keyboard for mobile communication
KR200214787Y1 (en) * 2000-10-04 2001-02-15 김상수 Folding type keyboard for handphone
KR200240641Y1 (en) * 2001-04-19 2001-10-11 신동훈 keyboard for a personal digital assistant

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6108200A (en) * 1998-10-13 2000-08-22 Fullerton; Robert L. Handheld computer keyboard system
KR200211461Y1 (en) * 2000-08-08 2001-01-15 김무전 Partable keyboard for mobile communication
KR200214787Y1 (en) * 2000-10-04 2001-02-15 김상수 Folding type keyboard for handphone
KR200240641Y1 (en) * 2001-04-19 2001-10-11 신동훈 keyboard for a personal digital assistant

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
KR200264641Y1 (en) 2002-02-16
AU2002249630A1 (en) 2003-06-10

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US6825832B2 (en) Hand held internet browser with folding keyboard
US8477493B2 (en) Storage device for tablet personal computer
US5712760A (en) Compact foldable keyboard
JP3857724B2 (en) Mobile phone with computer module
US6798649B1 (en) Mobile computer with foldable keyboard
US7158634B2 (en) Portable electronic devices
US8102646B2 (en) Information processing apparatus having switch for inputting key data
US7184263B1 (en) Portable computer
US7499282B1 (en) Successively layered modular construction for a portable computer system
US20050002158A1 (en) Mobile computer with foldable keyboard
KR20050026989A (en) Portable computing device with foldable keyboard
JP2002358150A (en) Electronic equipment supporting device to be used with input device
US8295037B1 (en) Hinged electronic device having multiple panels
EP0793163A2 (en) Portable computer
US20040066611A1 (en) Computer keyboard with backup battery
KR200253035Y1 (en) Input device & Extension-pack installed mobile terminal case
US20030197745A1 (en) Portable computing device keyboard
US20060126286A1 (en) Mouse and portable computer with the same
WO2003044682A1 (en) A portable terminal case
CN202598044U (en) Rotational support structure of tablet phone
KR20020086371A (en) Input device & Extension-pack installed mobile terminal case
JP2003186572A (en) Mounting stand
KR200252949Y1 (en) Personal Digital Assistants
TWM579821U (en) Portable electronic device
JP2001216274A (en) Portable information terminal equipment

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AK Designated states

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): AE AG AL AM AT AU AZ BA BB BG BR BY BZ CA CH CN CO CR CU CZ DE DK DM DZ EE ES FI GB GD GE GH GM HR HU ID IL IN IS JP KE KG KP KZ LC LK LR LS LT LU LV MA MD MG MK MN MW MX MZ NO NZ PL PT RO RU SD SE SG SI SK SL TJ TM TR TT TZ UA UG US UZ VN YU ZA ZW

AL Designated countries for regional patents

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): GH GM KE LS MW MZ SD SL SZ TZ UG ZM ZW AM AZ BY KG KZ MD RU TJ TM AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LU MC NL PT SE TR BF BJ CF CG CI CM GA GN GQ GW ML MR NE SN TD TG

121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application
122 Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase
NENP Non-entry into the national phase

Ref country code: JP

WWW Wipo information: withdrawn in national office

Country of ref document: JP