Mobile telephone with articulated flap above the keypad

Details Mobile telephone with articulated flap above the keypad Mobile telephone with articulated flap above the keypad

2000-03-06

2002-08-13

Trost, William (Department: 2683)

Telecommunications

Transmitter and receiver at same station

Having particular housing or support of a transceiver

C455S566000, C455S569200, C455S575100, C455S550100, C379S433010, C379S433060, C379S433100, C379S433040

Reexamination Certificate

active

06434370

ABSTRACT:

The present invention relates to a mobile telephone, of the type comprising, on the one hand, an elongate body fitted with a keypad for information input and with a display screen, and, on the other hand, a rigid flap mounted displaceably with respect to the body between a covering position, in which it lies along the body above the keypad, and an unfurled position away from the keypad.
A telephone of this type is for example marketed in France under the reference MT30 by the company MITSUBISHI.
The flap forms an articulated cover which covers over the keypad when it is in its folded-down position. It thus ensures protection of the keypad. In particular, it prevents the unintentional depressing of the keys of the keypad when the telephone is in the user's pocket or in a carrying pouch.
When it is in its unfurled position, the flap forms a screen in front of the user's mouth, so as to afford the latter increased comfort and improve the acoustic environment in the vicinity of the microphone which is provided at the base of the body of the telephone in the vicinity of the axis of articulation of the flap.
Mobile telephones comprise a display screen on the face bearing the keypad. This screen is provided opposite the region of articulation of the flap. Under this screen are disposed several keys for access to the main functions of the telephone. These keys allow in particular the reception of a communication and access to electronic messaging.
The flaps of the mobile telephones of the prior art have reduced dimensions. Thus, when the flap is in the folded-down position, it does not cover over either the display screen, or the keys for access to the main functions, so as to allow their use without it being necessary to unfurl the flap.
The present trend is to reduce the proportions of mobile telephones, especially by reducing the length of the body.
Because the display screen and the keys for access to the main functions need to be kept accessible, the reduction in the length of the body leads to the further limiting of the length of the flap. The latter is then no longer able to accomplish its acoustic protection and comfort function during the use of the telephone, since its length is then insufficient for it to lie opposite the mouth.
The objective of the invention is to afford a solution to this problem by making it possible to retain an effective flap even on a mobile telephone of reduced size.
In addition, the size of the display screen is critical for the reduction of the size of the mobile telephones.
The objective of the invention is to provide a mobile telephone, the display screen of which can be reduced but enables the display of a lot of information.
For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a mobile telephone, of the aforesaid type, characterized in that it comprises means for the selective displaying on the same screen, of a digital clock and of an analogue clock, and means for switching between the displaying of the digital clock and the displaying of the analogue clock, the switching means being adapted so as to effect the switching between the displaying of the digital clock and the displaying of the analogue clock as a function of the position of the flap.
According to a particular embodiment, the mobile telephone comprises one or more of the following characteristics:
the keypad comprises a multiple selection device, and the flap comprises an access for controlling the multiple selection device, when the flap is in the covering position;
said control access comprises an access port;
said port is masked by a flexible film;
it comprises an articulation for linking the flap to one end of the body;
the dimensions of the flap are adapted so that, in the covering position, the flap covers all the elements of the keypad, with the exception of the multiple selection device;
the flap comprises a solid wall defining a continuous surface, devoid of any hole other than said port for access to the multiple selection device;
the multiple selection device comprises several directional control elements and at least one enabling element;
the length of the flap in its middle part is greater that half the corresponding length of the body;
the length of the flap in its middle part is between 55 and 85% of the corresponding length of the body;
the display screen is disposed directly in line with the keypad, the dimensions of the flap are adapted so that the flap extends over at least a part of the display screen, when the flap is in the covering position and the flap comprises a transparent window lying above the display screen when the flap is in its covering position; and
the surface area of the window is greater that the surface area of the display screen.
The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows, given solely by way of example and with reference to the appended drawings in which:
FIG. 1
is an elevational view of a mobile telephone according to the invention with the flap in its unfurled position; and
FIG. 2
is a view similar to that of
FIG. 1
of the telephone according to the invention with its flap in the folded-down position.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5257310 (1993-10-01), Takagi et al.
patent: 5384844 (1995-01-01), Rydbeck
patent: 5638441 (1997-06-01), Hattori et al.
patent: 5742912 (1998-04-01), Nishiyama et al.
patent: 5907615 (1999-05-01), Kaschke
patent: 5923752 (1999-07-01), McBride et al.

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