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Mobile Phone Patent Abstract
A mobile phone with a hidden input device. The mobile phone comprises
a main body, and an input device coupled to the main body to input
data and rotatably connected to the main body between a first position
and a second position by a rotating device, wherein the input device
has a visible portion with a plurality of first input elements covered
by the main body when the input device is fixed in the first position,
and a hidden portion with a plurality of second input elements appearing
when the input device is fixed in the second position.
Mobile Phone Patent Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A mobile phone with a hidden input device, comprising: a main
body, and an input device, coupled to the main body to input data
and rotatably connected to the main body between a first position
and a second position by a rotating device, wherein the input device
has a visible portion with a plurality of first input elements and
a hidden portion with a plurality of second input elements covered
by the main body when the input device is fixed in the first position
and appearing when the input device is fixed in the second position,
wherein both the first input elements and the second input elements
are accessible at the same time when said input device is fixed
in the second position.
2. The mobile phone as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first input
elements comprise a plurality of keys.
3. The mobile phone as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second input
elements comprise a plurality of keys.
4. The mobile phone as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second input
elements comprise a touch pad.
5. The mobile phone as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first input
elements input numbers when the input device is fixed in the first
position, and the first elements and the second elements input alphabetical
characters and a plurality of specific functional options.
6. The mobile phone as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotating
device is a shaft.
7. The mobile phone as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input device
comprises a flexible printed circuit board to transmit the signal
from the input device to the body.
8. The mobile phone as claimed in claim 7, wherein the the main
body comprises a first node and a second node, wherein the first
node conducts the flexible printed circuit board of the input device
in the first position to receive the signal from the input device
in the first position, and the second node conducts the flexible
printed circuit board of the input device in the second position
to receive the signal from the input device in the second position.
Mobile Phone Patent Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile phone with a hidden input
device, more particularly, to a mobile phone with a rotatably hidden
alphabetical keyboard.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 (Prior Art) is a schematic structural diagram of a mobile
phone. Generally, the mobile phone (100) comprises a main body (110)
with a keyboard (120). The keyboard (120) represents a standard
telephone keyboard. In FIG. 1, the keyboard (120) includes ten number
keys and two function keys such as "1", "2",
"3", "4", "5", "6", "7",
"8", "9", "0", "*", and
"#".
Moreover, the mobile phone (100) in prior art also has functions
to enter alphabetical characters, Chinese characters, or specific
functional options through dedicated software. In FIG. 1, a user
can enter alphabetical characters by the twelve keys of the keyboard
(120). For example, pressing "3" once generates an alphabetical
character, "D", and pressing "3" twice, generates
an alphabetical character, "E". Thus, users can enter
different characters or functional options by the standard telephone
keyboard while maintaining space and weight considerations for the
mobile phone (100).
When entering a long alphabetical string by the keyboard (120)
of the conventional mobile phone (100), however, it is inconvenient
and confusing when pressing the same key several times to choose
different characters.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a
mobile phone with small size and a dedicated keyboard, designed
to easily input different alphabetical characters.
The present invention provides a mobile phone with a hidden input
device, comprising a main body and an input device. The input device
is coupled to the main body to input data and rotatably connected
to the main body between a first position and a second position
by a rotating device, wherein the input device has a visible portion
with a plurality of first input elements covered by the main body
when the input device is fixed in the first position, and a hidden
portion with a plurality of second input elements appearing when
the input device is fixed in the second position.
The first input elements of the mobile phone of the invention comprise
a plurality of keys, and the second input elements comprise a plurality
of keys or a touch pad. Moreover, the first input elements are used
to enter numbers when the input device is fixed in the first position,
and the first elements and the second elements input alphabetical
characters and a plurality of specific functional options.
The input device of the mobile phone mentioned above also comprises
a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) to transmit the signal from
the input device to the main body. The main body also comprises
a first node and a second node, wherein the first node conducts
the flexible printed circuit board of the input device in the first
position to receive the signal from the input device in the first
position, and the second node conducts the flexible printed circuit
board of the input device in the second position to receive the
signal from the input device in the second position.
A user generally dials a phone number only by the number keys on
the mobile phone of present invention when the input device is fixed
in the first position, and can enter alphabetical characters or
functional options when the input device is rotated and fixed in
the second position. Therefore, the mobile phone of the present
invention is easily carried when the input device is fixed in the
first position, and is more convenient to enter alphabetical characters
than the mobile phone of the prior art when the input device is
expanded and fixed in the second position like a standard keyboard.
The mobile phone with a hidden input device of the present invention
can exchange the positions of keys with specific functions on the
visible portion or the hidden portion through dedicated software
according to the utility rate.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present
invention will become better understood with reference to the following
description, appended claims and accompanying diagrams where:
FIG. 1 (Prior Art) is a schematic structural diagram of a mobile
phone;
FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional diagram of the mobile phone of the
first embodiment;
FIG. 3a is a front view of the input keyboard in the first position
of the first embodiment;
FIG. 3b is a lateral view of the input keyboard in the first position
of the first embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a front view of the input keyboard in the second position
of the first embodiment;
FIG. 5 is a three-dimensional diagram of the mobile phone of the
second embodiment;
FIG. 6 is a lateral view of the mobile phone of the second embodiment;
FIG. 7 is a partial section view of the input keyboard in the first
position of the third embodiment; and
FIG. 8 is a partial section view of the input keyboard in the second
position of the third embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In FIG. 2 to FIG. 4, the first embodiment of the present invention
is a mobile phone (1) with a hidden input device (20). The mobile
phone (1) comprises a main body (10) and an input device (20), which
is similar to the keyboard in the prior art. A rotating device such
as a shaft (50) in FIG. 2 fixes the input device (20) to the main
body (10) so that the input device (20) rotates relative to the
main body (10).
The input device (20) has a visible portion (30) and a hidden portion
(40). FIG. 2 only shows the visible portion (30) when the input
device (20) is fixed in the first position. According to the front
view in FIG. 3a and the lateral view in FIG. 3b, the main body (10)
totally covers the hidden portion (40) so that a user only uses
the visible portion (30), which is similar to the keyboard in the
prior art, of the input device (20) to input data.
In FIG. 2 and FIG. 3a, the visible portion (30) has a plurality
of first input elements, or a plurality of keys (32). The keys (32)
are designed similarly to the keyboard (120) of the usual mobile
phone (100) in FIG. 1 and include ten number keys and two function
keys such as "1", "2", "3", "4",
"5", "6", "7", "8", "9",
"0", "*", and "#" to input data. Thus,
the functions of the input device (20) in the first position are
the same as the mobile phone (100) in FIG. 2.
To enter symbols such as alphabetical characters or other functional
options such as switching case, users rotate the input device (20)
relative to the main body (10) to the second position. For example,
users rotate the input device (20) 90 degrees clockwise to the second
position. The second position of the input device (20) is accordingly
perpendicular to the first position of the input device (20). In
FIG. 4, the main body (10) does not cover the hidden portion (40)
so that the whole input device (20) can be used.
In FIG. 4, when the input device (20) is fixed in the second position,
the visible portion (30) and the hidden portion (40) form a complete
alphabetical keyboard. The hidden portion (40) has a plurality of
second input elements such as a plurality of keys (42) and a touch
pad (44) to input alphabetical characters. The keys (32) of the
first input elements set on the visible portion (30) are also used
to input alphabetical characters. In FIG. 4, the key, which is used
to input "1" when the input device is fixed in the first
position, enters "R" when the input device is fixed in
the second position. Moreover, Some of the keys (32) are used to
input functional options such that the key (32), originally used
to input "#", acts as a function key "Fn".
FIG. 5 is a three-dimensional diagram of the mobile phone of the
second embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a lateral view of the mobile phone
of the second embodiment. In FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the front view of
the mobile phone of the second embodiment is the same as the mobile
phone of the first embodiment. When the input device (20) of the
first embodiment is fixed in the first position, the main body (1)
completely covers the front side and back side of the hidden portion
(40). In FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, however, when the input device (20)
of the second embodiment is fixed in the first position, the main
body (10) does not cover the backside of the hidden portion (40),
but only covers the second input elements, which comprises a plurality
of keys (42) and a touch pad (44). Therefore, the structure of the
present invention is not limited to the structure mentioned above.
The feature of present invention is that the main body (10) covers
the second input elements of the hidden portion (40) when the input
device (20) is fixed in the first position, and the hidden portion
(40) is exposed when the input device (20) is fixed in the second
position.
FIG. 7 is a partial section view of the input keyboard in the first
position of the third embodiment, and FIG. 8 is a partial section
view of the input keyboard in the second position of the third embodiment.
In FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the structure of the third embodiment is similar
to the structure of the first embodiment. In the third embodiment,
the input device (20) of the mobile phone (1) comprises a flexible
printed circuit board (FPC) (60), and the main body (10) comprises
a first node (70) and a second node (80). The flexible printed circuit
board (60) is used to transmit the signal from the input device
(20) through the first node (70) or the second node (80) to the
main body (10).
In FIG. 7, the flexible printed circuit board (60) conducts to
the first node (70) when the input device (20) is fixed in the first
position so that the first node (70) of the main body (10) receives
only the signals including "1", "2", "3",
"4", "5", "6", "7", "8",
"9", "0", "*", and "#".
In FIG. 8, the flexible printed circuit board (60) conducts to
the second node (80) when the input device (20) is fixed in the
second position so that the second node (80) of the main body (10)
receives the signal from the complete alphabetical keyboard made
up by the visible portion (30) and a hidden portion (40) such as
alphabetical characters, "A" to "Z", or specific
function keys, "Fn" or "CAP".
While the invention has been described by way of example and in
terms of the preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the
invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary,
it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements
as would be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the
scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation
so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.
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