Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F15/00—Digital computers in general; Data processing equipment in general
  • G06F15/02—Digital 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
  • G06F15/0216—Constructional details or arrangements
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F1/00—Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00
  • G06F1/16—Constructional details or arrangements
  • G06F1/1613—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers
  • G06F1/1615—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function
  • G06F1/1624—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F1/00—Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00
  • G06F1/16—Constructional details or arrangements
  • G06F1/1613—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers
  • G06F1/1633—Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626
  • G06F1/1662—Details related to the integrated keyboard
  • G06F1/1666—Arrangements for reducing the size of the integrated keyboard for transport, e.g. foldable keyboards, keyboards with collapsible keys
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F1/00—Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00
  • G06F1/16—Constructional details or arrangements
  • G06F1/1613—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers
  • G06F1/1633—Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626
  • G06F1/1675—Miscellaneous details related to the relative movement between the different enclosures or enclosure parts
  • G06F1/1677—Miscellaneous details related to the relative movement between the different enclosures or enclosure parts for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q30/00—Commerce
  • G06Q30/02—Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
  • H04M1/02—Constructional features of telephone sets
  • H04M1/0202—Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets
  • H04M1/0206—Portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts, e.g. hinged housings
  • H04M1/0208—Portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts, e.g. hinged housings characterized by the relative motions of the body parts
  • H04M1/0235—Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
  • H04M1/0237—Sliding mechanism with one degree of freedom
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
  • H04M1/02—Constructional features of telephone sets
  • H04M1/0202—Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets
  • H04M1/0206—Portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts, e.g. hinged housings
  • H04M1/0208—Portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts, e.g. hinged housings characterized by the relative motions of the body parts
  • H04M1/0235—Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
  • H04M1/02—Constructional features of telephone sets
  • H04M1/0202—Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets
  • H04M1/0206—Portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts, e.g. hinged housings
  • H04M1/0247—Portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts, e.g. hinged housings comprising more than two body parts
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M2250/00—Details of telephonic subscriber devices
  • H04M2250/16—Details of telephonic subscriber devices including more than one display unit

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing a multi-panel cover component for a multi-panel body component nested within the cover component.
• the cover component is moveable with respect to the body component of the apparatus, so as to at least partially cover or uncover the body component, and thereby provide an image or functional change in the component being revealed to a user of the apparatus.
• the apparatus performs multiple functions or has multiple purposes which are facilitated by a change in state, shape or relation of the components of the apparatus.
• Such apparatus may provide particular advantage when used, for example, in advertising or as promotional articles.
• the present invention provides a multi-state assembly which, through changes in the spatial relationship between relatively movable parts thereof, shifts so as to provide to a user of the assembly, a first state of the assembly or a second state of the assembly.
• the different states may serve different functions or have different purposes.
• One example of such an assembly is a construct formed of two multi-panel components which are nested one with the other, so as to be able to slide one with respect to the other between a first and a second relative spatial position. The first and second positions may correspond to providing to the user of the device the first and second different states or functions of the assembly.
• One multi- panel component is a cover component
• the other multi-panel component is a body component.
• the multi-panel components of at least one of the cover and body components are tiered so as to provide a plurality of multiple panels on correspondingly different spatial planes.
• the multiple panels of the cover and body components are sized so that in the first relative position, multiple panels of the cover component overlap multi-panels of the body component and thereby serve as a cover thereover, and in the second relative position, at least one panel of the body component overlaps at least one panel of the cover component.
• the first and second relative positions of the panels may result in a full or partial overlap of the panels.
• the cover component may present a relatively passive state or function, and comprise, for example, an image or portion of an image on a plurality of the multiple panels thereof, while the body component may present a relatively active state or function, and include, for example, a portion of a calculator on a plurality of the multiple panels thereof.
• the cover can include an active component on its panels, or can have a mix of active and passive components.
• the body component can include a passive component on its panels, or can also have a mix of active and passive components.
• the panels of the cover component not only serve to conceal and/or protect access to the panels of the body component when the body component is not in use, but also provide an interesting space for positioning an advertising message or other graphic or image to the user/owner of the device.
• Such cover panels also allow for the possibility of the user to personalize one or more of the cover panels.
• a particular advantage of forming such a cover by using sliding panels is that the visible outside surface of these panels can include any type of graphic image thereon, such as advertising logos or designs, familiar characters or other design elements.
• images can be created in accordance with many various techniques, including direct printing of images and text or can be affixed with printed stickers, photographs, etc.
• the images or designs could be formed in the material of the cover panels themselves.
• the user of the device may be able to customize it by affixing an image of his own choosing to one or more of the panels, such as to a cover panel having means for allowing the user to attach a photograph or portion of a photograph to the panel.
• a sliding panel cover provides a particular advantage in this invention, since the visible surface it provides for the graphic image actively changes during the opening and closing of the cover, thereby creating a visually unique and interesting graphic area which can be used as advertising space directed to users of the device, or for providing a pleasing graphic image, with or without a subtle message.
• the body component of the device is electronic, non-electronic body components could also benefit just as well from the invention.
• Figures .1A, IB, arid IC illustrate a calculator embodiment of the present invention, having a cover shown In the fully closed, partially open and fully open positions, respectively.
• Figures 2A and 2B illustrate the cover and calculator portions, respectively, of the Figure 1 embodiment, separated from each other [00141]
• Figures 3A and 311 illustrate a top view of the figure 1 embodiment in the fully closed and fully open positions, respectively.
• Figures 4A, 4B and 4C illustrate assembly steps for one technique of manufacturing the calculator body component of the apparatus.
• Figure 5 illustrates the nested assembly of the body component with cover component of the finished apparatus.
• FIGS 6A and oB illustrate perspective views of closed and opened positions, respectively, of another alternative embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with, the invention, where the cover component comprises panels * of passive components, such ds images, and the body component comprise; * panels of active components, such as keyboards and displays.
• FIGs 7A and 7B illustrate perspective views of closed and opened positions, respectively, of another alternative embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the invention, where both of the cover and body components comprise panels of active
• FIGs 8A and 8B iliusuate perspective views of closed and opened positions, respectively, of another alternative embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the invention, where the cover component comprises panels of active components, such as keyboards and displays, and the body component comprij.es panels of passive components, buch as images.
• the cover component comprises panels of active components, such as keyboards and displays, and the body component comprij.es panels of passive components, buch as images.
• Figures 9A and 9B illustrate perspective views of closed and opened positions, respectively, of another alternative embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the invention, where the multiple panels of the body component arc not all uniformly sized.
• Figures 10A and 10B illustrate perspective views of closed and opened positions, respectively, of another alternative embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the invention, where movement from the closed position to the open position of the apparatus, causes one of the plurality of panels of the body component to reveal a storage compartment as a passive component of said cover component.
• Figures 1 1 A, 1 1B, and 1 1 C, 12A, 12B, and 12C, and 13A, 13B, and 13C all illustrate a calculator embodiment of fhc present invention, having a cover shown in fhe fully closed, partially open and fully open positions, respectively, where the overall shape of each of the calculator embodiments is different,
• Figures 14 A, 14B, and 14C illustrate a generic embodiment of the present invention having a circular shape, where the cover is shown in the fully closed, partially open and fully open positions, respectively.
• Figures 1 A, 1B, and 1C illustrate an apparatus 8 of ihe present invention, having a multi-panel cover component 10 in combination with, a multi-panel body or device component 32, where the cover component is shown in the fully closed , partially opened and fully ⁇ pe ⁇ od positions, respectively, over the device component 12.
• the device component 12 comprises a handheld or desk calculator, but can comprise any type of device which may benefit from a protective cover that moves in order to gain access to the device or a sub-component thereof.
• the sub-components thereof may comprise an LCD display, a solar panel, or keypad, which sub-components may be part of a calculator, PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a cell phone, a camera, a media player, etc.
• the sub-component may be, for example, a panel with an image or a portion of an image shown thereon.
• a sub-component of the device can even comprise a compartment which may be selectively opened by movement of a portion of the cover component.
• Figures 2A and 2B illustrate a sliding multi-panel cover component 10 for the calculator embodiment of apparatus 8.
• the calculator device component 12 has user operated sub-components supported on a carrier 14 of the device component 12, such well known user operated sub-components including pushbuttons or switches (or even a functional equivalent, such as a function which would be operated by voice recognition), as well as one or more displays, etc.
• the cover component 10 includes a housing 16 for supporting as sub-components thereof, multiple panels 18, 20, 22 and 24 adjacently positioned in different spatial levels in juxtaposition next to each other, and the device component 12 includes a carrier 14 for supporting as sub-components thereof, multiple panels of 26, 28, 30 and 32 adjacently positioned in different spatial levels in juxtaposition next to each other.
• FIG. 3 A illustrates a top view of the apparatus 8 in which the cover panels are more clearly shown.
• each of the panels 18, 20 and 22 of the cover component 10 comprise a passive display of a partial image which when viewed as a whole, displays a complete image
• panel 24 also comprises a passive display, for example, of an advertising graphic.
• FIG. 3B illustrates a top view of the apparatus 8 in which the panels of the device component 12 are more clearly shown.
• panels 26, 28 and 30 of the device component 12 comprise active sub-components, such as multi-level keyboard panels
• panel 32 comprises an active display sub-component, such as an LCD display.
• the housing 16 of the cover component 10 is slidably joined or connected, or otherwise movably engaged with the carrier 14 of the device component 12, so that as a group, the panels 18-24 of the cover component 10 can be selectively positioned so as to progressively slide over or otherwise change position in relation to the sub-components 26-32 of the device component 12, and thereby serve to protect them or otherwise overlie, conceal or present a different visual or sensory impression when the cover is in the closed position, and be retracted so as to expose or reveal the sub-components 26-32 of the device component 12 when a user wishes to use, view or otherwise interact with or experience the device component 12.
• such covering and uncovering provides two different states or functions of the assembly 8 to the user, one state providing an image, and the other state providing a calculator.
• device carrier 14 includes on an outwardly facing surface thereof a plurality of grooves 33A, 33B and 33C, and the inside facing surface of cover housing 16 includes a corresponding arrangement of ridges (not shown), so as to complete a mechanical connection between the two components which provides the forenoted sliding relationship.
• the device carrier 14 is dimensioned so as to be positionable interiorly of the cover housing 16, in a manner so that that grooves and tracks engage one another so as to provide the above-noted sliding movement for the respective components. It is noted that it is a matter of design choice to decide which of the components to provide the grooves or the tracks.
• the sub-components of the calculator device 12 can then be accessed by manually pulling the lowest end panel away from the cover housing 10.
• the opening action could also be accomplished utilizing an automatic device.
• the closing operation of the device could be done by the user manually applying force with his/her finger, which during the closing process compresses springs (not shown) located between the device carrier and housing cover. Thereafter, the energy of the compressed springs could be used to assist or
• the sliding panels can be arranged so as to be in ascending or descending order as the cover is opened, but in either case, the result of going from fully open to fully closed, or vice versa, is that the graphic image area formed by panels 18-22 can change with much less space needed for movement of the panels of the cover than if the cover and the device components were not arranged in an interleaved multi-panel manner.
• FIGS 4A, 4B and 4C illustrate one technique for manufacturing the device component 12 of the apparatus 8.
• a carrier base 42 which may be formed of a plastic material, includes a front portion 44 positioned at its front end, which not only provides structural rigidity to the assembly 8, but also provides, via slots 45A and 45B formed at its opposed ends, an attachment point for receiving a front facing edge of sidewalls 14 of subcomponent 12.
• Wall portions 46 are positioned on a top surface of base 42 for having, for example, the panel 26 mounted thereon, in raised manner.
• a cutout 47 is formed in base 42 between front portion 44 and wall portions 46, so that a user can insert a finger tip into the cutout 47 in order to manually effectuate the sliding relative movement between the subcomponents of the assembly 8.
• the panels 26, 28 and 30, in the depicted example forming subcomponents of a calculator are positioned on carrier base 42 so as to be in multiple elevated levels, and are held in place, for example, by attachment at their outer edges to the inside facing portions 49 A and 49B of the left and right sidewalls 14.
• a battery compartment 48 is provided at a rear end of base 42 for holding a battery 51 therein, for providing power to the device component 12.
• a ribbon cable 50 provides an electrical connection between the electrical sub-components 26-32 of the calculator device.
• any type of electrical coupling could be used, such as discrete wires, direct physical electrical connections between the battery and the active components of the adjacent panels, or even wireless connections.
• Figure 5 illustrates the nested assembly of the body component with cover component of the finished apparatus, in the "closed” (or a first) position.
• the body component of the device 8 is electronic, non-electronic devices could also benefit just as well from the invention.
• Figures 6A and 6B illustrate perspective views of closed and opened (first and second) positions, respectively, of another embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the invention, where the cover component comprises panels 618-024 of passive components, such as images, and the body component comprises panels 026-632 of active components, such as keyboards and displays.
• FIGs 7A and 7B illustrate perspective views of closed and opened (first and second) positions, respectively, of another alternative embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the invention, where both of the cover component panels 718-724 and the body component panels 726-732 comprise active components, such as keyboards and displays.
• FIGs 8 A and 8B illustrate perspective views of closed and opened (first and second) positions, respectively, of another alternative embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the invention, where the cover component comprises panels 818-824 of active components, such as keyboards and displays, and the body component comprises panels 826-832 of passive components, such as images.
• the cover component comprises panels 818-824 of active components, such as keyboards and displays
• the body component comprises panels 826-832 of passive components, such as images.
• the user operated sub-components of the device component 12 were positioned in a segmented multi-level manner on the carrier 14 of the device component 12, where the size and shape of the sub- components 26-32 are dimensioned so as to substantially correspond to the size and shape of the multiple sub-components 18-24 of the cover, so that when the cover moves to the closed position, the individual sub-components 18-24 of the cover slide over, and therefore completely cover or hide from view, the sub-components 26-32 of the device.
• the panels of the device component 12 may not substantially correspond to the size and shape of the multiple sub-components 18-24 of the cover, so as to not completely cover or hide from view an image on the multiple sub- components 18-24 of the cover component.
• Figures 9A and 9B illustrate perspective views of closed and opened (first and second) positions, respectively, of another alternative embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the invention, where multiple panels ⁇ 2o dXi ⁇ 932 of the body component are not all uniformly sized. More specifically, the forward-most sub-component panel 926 of the body component is shown as having the same dimension into the depth of the device 8 as the three (3) body component panels 26, 28 and 30 of the Figure 1 embodiments.
• the panels of the calculator component may be narrower than the full width of the panels of the cover component, so that even in the opened position, a portion of the images presented by the cover component are still visible to the user.
• FIGS 1OA and 1OB illustrate perspective views of clot.ee! and opened ffir ⁇ >t and second) positions, respectively, of another alternative embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the invention, wherein movement from the closed position to the opened position of the apparatus, causes a panel 1032 of the plurality of panels 1026 - 1032 of the body component to reveal a storage compartment 1027 as a passive component.
• the topmost panel of cover component 10 includes a frame portion 1024, which cooperates with the topmost panel 1032 of the body component 12, so that panel 1032 provides a cover over the storage compartment 1027 when the device is closed, and moves so as to provide a user of the device 8 access to the storage compartment 1027 when the device is in the opersed position.
• the device could comprise a multi-part container having a plurality of separate storage volumes, whereby one storage volume could be for holding one or more doses of a medication, while other ones of the storage volumes could be for holding dosage or other user information. By sliding the cover open, the user gains access to the medication as well as the dosage information.
• sub-components 18-24 of the cover may all be co-planar, in that they are formed as a single layer, but have a gap between adjacent ones of the subcomponents 18-24 so as to allow respective ones of the multiple level device sub-components 26-32 to pass therethrough. This would require some flexibility or similar technique in order to allow the cover sub-components 18-24 to enter the gaps between, and spatially conform to, the multiple-level sub-components 26-32 of the device, so as to provide an effective cover thereover.
• the cover component may provide the multi-level structure for assembly 8, while the device 12 may be formed on a single plane.
• Figures I iA, HB. HC , 12A. 12B, 12C. 13A, 13B and 13C 5 all illustrate examples of a calculator embodiment of the present invention, having a cover shewn in the fully closed, partially opened and fully opened potations, respectively, whereby the overall shape of each of the calculator embodiments ib different.
• Figures HA, MS and 14C illmsrrate a generic embodiment of the present invention having a circular shape, wherein the cover is shown m the fully closed, partially opened and folly opened positions, respectively, as a result of rotational relative motion between the cover and body components.
• multiple electronic devices can form the movable components to provide a multi-function device, such as for example a cell phone (or PDA, a computer, a remote control device, such as for a television, a storage area, etc) in one position and a calculator or media player (such as an mp3 player, or video or game player, or a camera, etc.) in a second position.
• a multi-function device such as for example a cell phone (or PDA, a computer, a remote control device, such as for a television, a storage area, etc) in one position and a calculator or media player (such as an mp3 player, or video or game player, or a camera, etc.) in a second position.
• Such an embodiment permits two devices with two separate user interfaces to be readily constructed in a form factor that is size and shape efficient while reducing or eliminating the need for a single device to perform different functions through a single form factor and/or device interface, such as a combination cell phone/media player that require a complicated or visually crowded user interface to carry out even the most basic and necessary functions of the multiple devices.
• the panels of the cover component may serve to conceal and/or protect access to the panels of the body component when the body component is not in use.
• the panels of the cover and body components may provide an interesting space for positioning an advertising message or other graphics or images to the user of the device. Such panels also allow for the possibility of the user to personalize one or more of the panels.
• the arrangement provides a "two-for-one" provision of functionality in that the space needed to provide two functionalities is provided in only slightly more than the space needed to provide a single one of the functionalities.
• embodiments of the disclosure described above make multi-purpose use of a structure or device facilitated by a user's movement of a portion of the structure or device from a first position to a second or third or further position or positions, the movement revealing or exposing or making available alternate aspects of the device or structure so as to provide differing visual images, experiences or functions to the user as a result thereof.
• cover panels were porous, in the covering position they may not serve to protect multiple panels of the device component from, for example, a spill of liquid.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Accounting & Taxation (AREA)
• Development Economics (AREA)
• Strategic Management (AREA)
• Finance (AREA)
• Game Theory and Decision Science (AREA)
• Entrepreneurship & Innovation (AREA)
• Economics (AREA)
• Marketing (AREA)
• General Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Computing Systems (AREA)
• Mathematical Physics (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Casings For Electric Apparatus (AREA)
• Devices For Indicating Variable Information By Combining Individual Elements (AREA)
• Displays For Variable Information Using Movable Means (AREA)
• Telephone Set Structure (AREA)

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• 2006
  • 2006-12-11 EP EP06846542.6A patent/EP1963982B1/en not_active Not-in-force
  • 2006-12-11 CN CN200680046332.7A patent/CN101326507B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2006-12-11 US US11/608,844 patent/US8289687B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2006-12-11 WO PCT/US2006/061829 patent/WO2007067996A2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2006-12-11 JP JP2008544672A patent/JP2009518695A/ja active Pending
  • 2006-12-11 CA CA002630496A patent/CA2630496A1/en not_active Abandoned
• 2008
  • 2008-06-05 IL IL191986A patent/IL191986A0/en unknown

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