WO1998023077A1

WO1998023077A1 - Protective cover for portable radiotelephone

Info

Publication number: WO1998023077A1
Application number: PCT/US1997/020774
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gregory S. Mendolia
Original assignee: Ericsson Inc.
Priority date: 1996-11-20
Filing date: 1997-11-14
Publication date: 1998-05-28
Also published as: AU5355898A

Abstract

A movable cover for a portable radiotelephone extends over a keypad and display of the radiotelephone when placed in a closed position. The movable cover has a region which permits visibility of the display in both open and closed positions. The movable cover protects at least the keypad and display of the radiotelephone when placed in the closed position. In the open position, the display is accessible for cleaning, and the length of the movable cover is sufficient to enable a user to speak directly into the movable cover.

Description

PROTECTIVE COVER FOR PORTABLE RADIOTELEPHONE

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

This invention relates to portable radiotelephones having movable

protective cover members.

Hand-held portable radiotelephones are often subjected to unclean

environments causing dirt and other particles to collect on the phone,

specifically on the phone keypad. Furthermore, keypad keys can be

unintentionally activated by miscellaneous objects when placed in cluttered

environments such as a purse or toolbox. Movable covers have therefore

been attached to phones to cover at least the keypad portion of the phone

while not in use. While in use, the cover is positioned adjacent to the user's

mouth to function as a microphone extension or voice reflector.

To address a customer requirement for phones to be easily stored and

comfortably used, overall phone size has decreased. The decreased size of

phones has caused the phone to be located farther from the user's mouth

during communicative use (talking, listening). This presents two conflicts.

First of all, covers containing microphones, acoustic channels, or voice

reflection means must be located in close proximity to the user's mouth to

allow for adequate acoustic performance. Secondly, users naturally prefer to

speak directly into a microphone or other voice pick-up device. To address

these issues, covers are typically sized to extend as close to the mouth as

possible during use such that acoustic performance is not compromised and such that a user comfortably speaks into the cover part of the phone. The

smaller the phone, the more difficult it is to provide a sufficiently long cover.

To provide sufficient length on a small phone, the cover may be sized

to extend over the keypad, the display device, and even the earpiece

positioned above the keypad. (Display devices include LCD's, LED's, and

polymer displays.) This provides adequate length and a degree of protection

for the covered features but prevents the user from viewing the display until

the cover is opened as in use. Since it is desirable for the display to be

visible while the phone is not in use such that battery usage, signal strength,

etc. can still be seen, most covers extend from the bottom of the phone to a

region between the keypad and the display. With this configuration, the cover

protects the keypad but fails to protect the display device. The more

significant drawback of this configuration is that usability is impeded since, in

the open position, the cover length does not extend to a distance enabling the

user to speak directly into the cover.

For phones with covers over the keypad only, protection for the display

device may be provided by a separate inexpensive transparent window fixed

onto the phone housing over the display device. The window protects the

display device from impact damage while allowing the user visibility of the

display. Windows are much less expensive to replace than display devices,

and the exterior surface of a window is easily wiped free of particles.

However, particles entering the phone housing and becoming trapped

between the window and the display device are not easily removed by the

user. While continuous visibility of the display is an important feature for

phones of any size, maximization of cover length is an especially important

feature for phones of small size.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a cover of sufficient

length such that it extends in close proximity to a user's mouth when opened,

regardless of phone size.

It is another object of this invention to provide a cover that enables the

display to be visible when the cover is placed in both open and closed

positions.

It is another object of this invention to provide a cover that protects a

keypad and display device when placed in the closed position. Protection of

the keypad is provided to prevent damage and inadvertent activation.

Protection of the display device is provided to prevent damage and also to

prevent inadvertent activation for phones having touch-activated displays.

It is still another object of this invention to provide movable protection

for the display device to facilitate cleaning.

In accordance with the present invention, a cover is movably attached

to a phone body. The cover has a closed position for protection and storage

purposes and an open position for phone usage. The cover is rigid and has a

region permitting visibility of the display when placed in the closed position. The cover length is sufficient to extend in close proximity to the user's mouth

when placed in the open position.

The foregoing and other objects, features, and aspects of the present

invention will be apparent upon reference to the drawings, as follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a portable radiotelephone with the cover

in the closed position, visibility provided by a window.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment showing a

portable radiotelephone with visibility provided by an opening in the cover.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment showing a

portable radiotelephone with the cover completely comprised of a transparent

material.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a portable radiotelephone with the cover

in the open position, visibility provided by a window.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A portable radiotelephone 10 having a hinged cover 11 in a closed

position is shown in FIG.1. (Though the preferred embodiment has a hinged

cover, slidable or otherwise movable covers are anticipated by this invention.)

The closed position is typically employed when a user has either turned the phone 10 off or has placed the phone 10 in a stand-by mode, ready to receive

a call. As seen from the drawing, the cover 11 is located over a front face 12

(FIG. 2) of the phone 10 when placed in the closed position. The cover 11 is

of sufficient length to protect both the keypad 13 (FIG. 2) and display device

14 from impact damage, contaminants (solid and liquid), and inadvertent

activation. Since this particular cover extends over the earpiece region 18,

the earpiece is protected from contaminants as well. The part of the cover 11

over the display 14 permits visibility of the display 14 when the cover 11 is in

the closed position.

In a preferred embodiment, a transparent window 15 mounted in the

cover 11 overlays the display device 14 such that the numbers and/or

characters on the display 14 are visible when the cover 11 is in the closed

position. A window 15 made of a rigid material such as plastic or glass or

composite is preferred to protect the display 14 as well as to allow for its

visibility. A low-cost flexible plastic material may be used for the window 15,

though the amount of protection from impact damage and inadvertent

activation of the display device 14 is reduced.

The window 15 may be permanently mounted to the cover 11 such as

by insert molding, ultrasonic welding, adhesive, etc. Alternatively, an easily

removable window may be desired, wherein an easily removable window is

characterized as a window that can be removed from its cover 11 without

permanently damaging the cover 11. With an easily removable window,

repair of a phone 10 with window damage requires only window replacement

and not replacement of the entire cover 11. Removable windows are especially suited for expensive covers such as those containing microphones

or complicated hinge mechanisms. Removability may be achieved by a snap-

fit, press-fit, or screwed on window 15, for example.

As shown in FIG. 2, the part of the cover 11 permitting visibility of the

display 14 in the closed position may merely consist of an opening 16 in the

cover 11 rather than a window 15. As illustrated, incorporating an opening 16

in the cover 11 does not compromise the effective length of the cover 11.

However, protection for the display device 14 is greatly reduced, although the

cover structure defining the opening 16 does provide some degree of

protection. Elimination of the window 15 in the cover 11 may be favored if a

separate window is fixedly attached to the phone 10 housing over the display

14 and beneath the cover 11.

FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment in which the entire cover 11 is

made of a transparent material and no separate window 15 or opening 16 is

required. In this embodiment, the keypad 13 and all front face 12 features of

the phone 10 are visible, including the display 14, when the cover 11 is in the

closed position.

A portable radiotelephone 10 with the cover 11 in an open position is

demonstrated in FIG. 4. The open position is naturally intended for key

activation and communication purposes. In the preferred embodiment, the

effective length of the cover 11 is measured from the hinge 17 to a location

above the display 14. This maximization of cover length allows the opened

cover 11 to project in close proximity to the mouth during communicative use. To this effect, even very small phones can provide a sufficiently long cover for

adequate acoustic performance and user comfortability.

The open position of a phone 10 using only the cover window 15 for

display 14 protection exposes the display 14 surface to facilitate cleaning of

debris collected on the display 14.

In summary, a cover 11 for a hand-held portable radiotelephone 10

has been illustrated and described. The cover 11 provides protection for the

phone keypad 13 when placed in a closed position and also allows for

visibility of the display 14. The preferred embodiment includes protection for

the display device 14, especially important for phones having no additional

display protection. In the open position, the maximized cover length permits

the cover 11 to extend in close proximity to a user's mouth even though the

phone body itself may be small. This invention is intended to apply to phones

of any size and is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed:

1. An apparatus for use with a portable radiotelephone having a

keypad and a display on a face of said radiotelephone, said face having a

predetermined surface area, said apparatus effectively extending the length

of the radiotelephone and comprising:

a movable cover extending over the keypad and display of the phone

when said movable cover is placed in a closed position, said movable cover

including means for permitting visibility of the display when said movable

cover is placed in the closed position;

wherein when placed in an open position, said movable cover exposes

the keypad and display and extends a sufficient distance to enable a user to

speak directly into said movable cover,

wherein said movable cover is hingedly connected to said

radiotelephone at a first end of said cover, and

wherein in said closed position said movable cover covers substantially

the entire surface area of the face of said radiotelephone.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said movable cover is entirely

comprised of a transparent material.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for permitting visibility

comprises an opening in said movable cover, said opening located over at least the display of the phone when said movable cover is in the closed

position.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for permitting visibility

comprises a transparent window mounted in said movable cover, said window

located over at least the display of the phone when said movable cover is in

the closed position.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said window is rigid.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said window is plastic.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said window is glass.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said window is flexible.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said window is plastic.

10. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said window is easily removable

from said movable cover to facilitate replacement.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said window is snapped onto

said movable cover.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said window is press-fit onto

said movable cover.