Palm, Incorporated

Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Qualcomm Incorporated

Palmsource Inc.

Mark Babella

Weiping Dou

Avi Kopelman

Troy Hulick

William Jean Noellert

Stephen Senatore

Grace Tseng

Bill Webb

Stephen Lee

Yomi Matsuoka

Zita Netzel

Mike Ryner

Dipti Vaghela

A mobile computing device is provided that includes a housing, a display screen, and a keypad. The housing includes a front face having a portion that has a contour. The contour may be is inwardly directed and be defined by at least a first gradient direction. The display screen is provided with the front face, apart from the portion that has the contour. The keypad includes a plurality of keycaps that extend outward from the front face. The keypad may be provided only on an occupied region of the portion of the front face that has the contour. A maximum angle formed by the occupied region of the front face relative to a horizontal reference that is coplanar with the display screen is greater than 20 degrees.

Keypad assembly for use on a contoured surface of a mobile computing device

Various embodiments of an audio receiver design for a mobile computing device are described. The mobile computing device may comprise an audio receiver structured and arranged to port to the rear of the mobile computing device. In some embodiments, the mobile computing device may be implemented as a dual-mode Global System for Mobile Communications/Universal Mobile Telephone System (GSM/UMTS) quad-band device. The mobile computing device also may comprise a Global Positioning System (GPS) antenna for providing positioning determination capabilities and location-based services. In various implementations, the audio receiver may be ported to an in-vehicle system, such as an onboard entertainment system, navigation system, and/or communications system. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Audio receiver design for a mobile computing device

A computing device includes a housing, a front housing segment, a keypad assembly and a rigid panel. The front housing segment includes a void. The keypad assembly includes a substrate and a key structure layer. The key structured layer includes a plurality of key structures. The keypad assembly is configured to extend the key structure layer at least partially through the void so as to enable user access to the individual key structures of the key structure layer. A rigid panel is structured to secure to the front housing segment so as to combine with the key structure layer. The panel includes an arrangement of cross-members that define openings, where each opening is dimensioned to fit around at least one key structure of the key structure layer.

Panel construction for housing keypads of mobile computing device

Various embodiments are directed to antenna designs that may improve the performance of a mobile computing device. Some embodiments are directed to a mobile computing device assembly comprising accessory incorporating a supplemental antenna designed to be adjacent to at least one internal antenna of a mobile computing device when the accessory is attached to the mobile computing device. The supplemental antenna and the internal antenna may cooperatively form an antenna system for the mobile computing device resulting in improved performance. In various implementations, the use of the supplemental antenna in conjunction with the internal antenna may enhance antenna performance and/or increase antenna efficiency. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Antenna design for an attached accessory

A key structure assembly is provided for a mobile computing device. The key structure assembly includes a keycap having at least a first segment and a second segment. A first actuation member extends inward into the housing from the first segment of the keycap, and a second actuation member extends inward from the second segment of the key cap. A substrate including a plurality of electrical connects, including a first electrical contact aligned underneath the first actuation member, and a second electrical contact aligned underneath the second actuation member. The keycap is moveable inward to direct either the first actuation member into contact with the first electrical contact, or the second actuation member into contact with the second electrical contact. One or more sections of material are positioned above the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact. The material for the one or more sections is formed from a material that deforms with inward movement of either the first segment or the second segment of the keycap. A layer formed by a thickness of the one or more sections of material extending over the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact is non-uniform in either dimension or amount of material.

Enhanced key structure with combined keycap for a mobile computing device

A handheld computer assembly for integrating an input device with a handheld computing device is disclosed. In one embodiment, the present invention is comprised of a handheld computer comprising: an integrated display screen; and an expansion slot. In addition, an input device for coupling to the handheld computer via connection with the expansion slot is communicatively coupled with the handheld computer. The input device comprises a first portion comprising keys and a second portion comprising cursor navigation implements and wherein the first portion and the second portion are disposed on opposite ends of the input device. The input device utilizes the expansion slot to provide the communicatively coupled connection with the handheld computer.

Growing community of inventors

Salida, CA, United States of America

Mark Babella