Granted Patent B2

US 9,253,294 · App. 13/061,175 · Granted Feb 2, 2016

Abstract

Claims (35)

1. An apparatus comprising a first and a second housing body and a display, said display comprising a first and a second display portion which are hingably connected to each other and each of the first and the second display portions having a front face, wherein said first housing body is hingably connected to said first display portion and hingably connected to said second housing body and said second housing body is hingably connected to said second display portion, and wherein said apparatus is configured to assume an open position and a closed position, and

wherein each of the first and second display portions comprise a first end and a second end and each of the first and second housing bodies comprise a first end and a second end,

the first and second display portions are hingably connected to each other by a first hinge at the first ends of the first and second display portions and the first and second housing bodies are hingably connected to each other by a second hinge at the first ends of the first and second housing bodies, and

the second end of the first display portion is hingably connected to the second end of the first housing body by a third hinge and the second end of the second display portion is hingably connected to the second end of the second housing body by a fourth hinge,

wherein axes of the first, second, third, and fourth hinges are all substantially parallel to each other.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said display portions are arranged side by side position so that normals to said front faces are substantially parallel.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said normals to said front faces are arranged at an angle being less than 5 degrees to one another.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the third hinge is configured to connect one of said display portions to said housing body said third hinge being movable in a direction parallel to a plane constituted by said housing body's main operating orientation.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the fourth hinge is configured to connect one of said display portions to said housing body said fourth hinge being movable in a direction perpendicular to a plane constituted by said housing body's main operating orientation.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said housing bodies comprises a recess configured to receive at least one display portion, said recess extending through a side adjacent to where said housing bodies are hingably connected.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said display portions are arranged in an angle with respect to one another in said open position, said angle being substantially different from 180 degrees so that normals to said front faces are not parallel.

8. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said display portions are arranged at an angle with respect to one another in a second open position, said angle being substantially different from 180 degrees so that normals to said front faces are not parallel.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said display portions is a touch display and wherein a virtual keyboard is arranged on said touch display in said open position.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is any of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, a games console, a MP3player, a personal organizer, and an internet tablet.

11. A method comprising starting in a closed position and rotating a first and a second housing body in a first rotational direction, rotating a first display portion relative a said second display portion in said first rotational direction, rotating said first display portion relative said first housing portion in said first rotational direction and in a rotational direction opposite said first rotational direction as a midway position of said first and second display portions is reached and rotating said second display portion relative said second housing portion in a rotational direction opposite said first rotational direction and in said first rotational direction as said midway position of said first and second display portions is reached,

wherein each of the first and second display portions comprise a first end and a second end and each of the first and second housing bodies comprise a first end and a second end,

the first and second display portions are hingably connected to each other by a first hinge at the first ends of the first and second display portions and the first and second housing bodies are hingably connected to each other by a second hinge at the first ends of the first and second housing bodies, and

the second end of the first display portion is hingably connected to the second end of the first housing body by a third hinge and the second end of the second display portion is hingably connected to the second end of the second housing body by a fourth hinge,

wherein axes of the first, second, third, and fourth hinges are all substantially parallel to each other.

12. The method according to claim 11 said rotations are performed simultaneously.

13. The method according to claim 11 wherein said midway position is reached as normals to said front faces are at an angle to each other of between 30 to 60 degrees.

14. The method according to claim 11 further comprising starting an application as said midway position is reached.

15. A method comprising starting in an open position wherein front faces of a first and a second display portion are not facing each other and normals to said front faces are not parallel and rotating a first and a second housing body in a second rotational direction, maintaining said first and second display portions in an end position relative to the first and second display portions and rotating said first display portion relative said second display portion in said second rotational direction when said first and second said end position is no longer maintained, rotating said first display portion relative said first housing portion in said second rotational direction while an end position of said first and second display portions is maintained and in a rotational direction opposite said second rotational direction and rotating said second display portion relative said second housing portion in a rotational direction opposite said second rotational direction while an end position of said first and second display portions is maintained and in said second rotational direction,

wherein each of the first and second display portions comprise a first end and a second end and each of the first and second housing bodies comprise a first end and a second end,

the first and second display portions are hingably connected to each other by a first hinge at the first ends of the first and second display portions and the first and second housing bodies are hingably connected to each other by a second hinge at the first ends of the first and second housing bodies, and

the second end of the first display portion is hingably connected to the second end of the first housing body by a third hinge and the second end of the second display portion is hingably connected to the second end of the second housing body by a fourth hinge,

wherein axes of the first, second, third, and fourth hinges are all substantially parallel to each other.

16. The method according to claim 15 said rotations are performed simultaneously.

17. The method according to claim 15 wherein said end position is maintained while normals to said front faces are substantially parallel to each other.

18. The method according to claim 15 wherein said end position is maintained as normals to said front faces are at an angle to each other of less than 5 degrees to one another.

19. An apparatus comprising a first and a second housing body and display, said display comprising a first and a second display portion comprising a first hinge configured to hingably connect said display portions to each other and each display portion having a front face, wherein said first housing body comprises a third hinge configured to hingably connect to said first display portion and a second hinge for hingably connecting to said second housing body and said second housing body comprises a fourth hinge for configured to hingably connect to said second display portion, wherein said apparatus is configured to arrange said apparatus in an open position and a closed position, wherein said front faces of said display portions are arranged adjacent and facing each other in said closed position, and

wherein each of the first and second display portions comprise a first end and a second end and each of the first and second housing bodies comprise a first end and a second end,

the first and second display portions are hingably connected to each other by the first hinge at the first ends of the first and second display portions and the first and second housing bodies are hingably connected to each other by the second hinge at the first ends of the first and second housing bodies, and

the second end of the first display portion is hingably connected to the second end of the first housing body by the third hinge and the second end of the second display portion is hingably connected to the second end of the second housing body by the fourth hinge,

wherein axes of the first, second, third, and fourth hinges are all substantially parallel to each other.

Assignments (9)