Patent Application
20070293316
Various embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the following figures in which:
An example of an electronic device according to the present invention is shown in
The device 100 has a rectangular flat front face 105 to be presented to a user during use. Again, although the particular embodiment is shown to have a flat front face 105, other embodiments of the device could have non-flat front faces (e.g. curved/spherical/hemispherical/angular/undulating projecting features). The rectangular front face 105 comprises a centrally located rectangular display 110, the display having two longitudinal sides 111, 112 and two lateral sides 113, 114. The longitundinal sides 101, 102 of the device 100 and the longitundinal sides 111, 112 of the display are aligned.
On either lateral side 113, 114 of the display 110 are respective input elements 121, 122 and 123, 124. The input elements 121-122 are sized and positioned to be adjacent and inbetween the respective lateral sides 103, 113. Similarly input elements 123-124 are sized and positioned to be adjacent and inbetween the respective lateral sides and 104, 114. In this case, the display 110 does not provide any user input functionality. However, in other embodiments, one or more parts of the display may be user actuated to control one or more functions of the device.
In this particular example, the device 100 is a computer gaming console, input elements 121, 122 being provided for user input by the left hand of a user and input elements 123, 124 being provided for input by the right hand of user. The games are displayed on the display 110, but in other embodiments, the games can additionally or alternatively be provided for display on another electronic device associated with the device. In the present case, the device 100 also allows the user to make radiotelephone calls (e.g. using cellular telephone functionality), take pictures (camera on reverse of device 100 is not shown), and play recorded/streamed audio (e.g. music/speech etc).
The exterior housing 99 of the electronic device comprises apertures on either lateral side 103, 104 of the device 100. The apertures are arranged to locate respective retractable handles 151, 152. The handles are slideable into and out of the housing 99 to define respective retracted and extended positions of the handles 151, 152. In the embodiment shown, the handles 151, 152 both do not fully retract to disappear into the housing 99, and the handles 151, 152 are slideable along the longitudinal axis of the device 100 (
Rubber elements 160 are provided along the mating edges of the parts 151a,b and 152a,b. The rubber elements 160 are provided to make a reliable seal between the mating edges which are rotatable.
The handle 152 has a user input element 180 which is revealed when the handle 152 is extended and shown facing the user when the part 152b is rotated into a user facing orientation.
The applicant hereby discloses in isolation each individual feature described herein and any combination of two or more such features, to the extent that such features or combinations are capable of being carried out based on the present specification as a whole in the light of the common general knowledge of a person skilled in the art, irrespective of whether such features or combinations of features solve any problems disclosed herein, and without limitation to the scope of the claims. The applicant indicates that aspects of the present invention may consist of any such individual feature or combination of features.
It will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments discussed. The device can be configured to only have one handle. Other shapes of devices (including oval, elliptical, square and combinations of these forms), and handles are within the scope of the invention. The handle could be repeatably bent into shape to provide the offset extended position. This can be done by a suitable choice of material. The handle could be foldable upon itself, the folded handle being slideable into the housing and the unfolded housing providing the offset extended position. The handle could be arranged to be telescopic to increase its length in the direction of the holding axis.
While there have been shown and described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices and methods described may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto. Furthermore, in the claims means-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents, but also equivalent structures. Thus although a nail and a screw may not be structural equivalents in that a nail employs a cylindrical surface to secure wooden parts together, whereas a screw employs a helical surface, in the environment of fastening wooden parts, a nail and a screw may be equivalent structures.
