The present invention relates to a mobile communication device, and more particularly to a mobile communication device with an ergonomic feature.
Following the constant progress in different technological fields, people living in the modern society require more and more information to satisfy the need in their work, daily life, and entertainment. Therefore, for many people, a mobile communication device capable of providing various kinds of real-time information has become a requisite for life. Meanwhile, all the mobile communication device manufacturers also engage themselves in improving or increasing the functions of various types of mobile communication devices to satisfy the demands of different types of users.
The arrangement of the keypad on the mobile communication devices has a great influence on the users' habit in operating the devices, particularly when the users frequently use the mobile communication devices to send and receive short messages. Generally, a conventional mobile communication device has a keypad located below a display screen. A user would usually stably hold the device with two hands, in order to input text by pushing the keys on the keypad. Since most of the mobile communication devices have a center of gravity located at the display screen and a very small keypad size, it is difficult for users to stably hold the mobile communication devices with only one hand. Further, when a user holds a mobile communication device with only one hand and uses the thumb of the same hand to push the keys on the keypad, it would be uneasy for the thumb to push the keys located closer to the hand, resulting in a slowed input speed or incorrect input via wrong keys. Since the other four fingers of the same hand are used to hold the mobile communication device at one side opposite to the thumb, they are not effectively used to operate the keys. Moreover, with the display screen located above the keypad, someone else around the user can easily peep the text input by the user and shown on the display screen, resulting in undesired disclosure of personal privacy.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a mobile communication device with an ergonomic feature, so that a user can more conveniently and more efficiently operate the keys on the mobile communication device.
To achieve the above and other objects, the mobile communication device with the ergonomic feature according to the present invention comprises a housing, a display unit, a first key module, and a second key module. The display unit is arranged on a lower part of one face of the housing, and the first key module is arranged on the housing on the same face as the display unit to locate closely above the display unit. The first key module comprises a plurality of upside keys, which are disposed in a laterally symmetric hexagonal configuration, allowing a user to conveniently operate the keys with a thumb. The second key module comprises a plurality of lateral keys located on one of two opposite lateral surfaces of the housing, allowing a user to operate these lateral keys with the other four fingers of the same hand.
The mobile communication device of the present invention can be any one of a mobile phone, a smartphone and a personal digital assistant.
Preferably, two of the six internal angles of the hexagonal configuration of the first key module that are closer to the two lateral surfaces respectively than the other four of the six internal angles are 90 degrees each, and the other four internal angles are 135 degrees each.
In the present invention, a sensor module is further disposed on the front surface of the housing, and a speaker module is further disposed on the front surface of the housing at a position adjacent to the first key module.
In an embodiment of the present invention designed for a right-handed user, the plurality of lateral keys of the second key module are provided on the left lateral surface of the housing and comprise a volume adjustment key, a key for answering a call, a hold key, and a key for hanging up; and a function menu key, a delete key, and a right navigation key are disposed in a right portion of the hexagonal configuration, and a return key, an enter key, and a left navigation key are disposed in a left portion of the hexagonal configuration.
In an embodiment of the present invention designed for a left-handed user, the plurality of lateral keys of the second key module are provided on the right lateral surface of the housing and comprise a volume adjustment key, a key for answering a call, a hold key, and a key for hanging up; and a return key, an enter key, and a right navigation key are disposed in a right portion of the hexagonal configuration, and a function menu key, a delete key, and a left navigation key are disposed in a left portion of the hexagonal configuration.
With the above arrangements, the mobile communication device with the ergonomic feature according to the present invention provides one or more of the following advantages:
(1) The mobile communication device can be held with one single hand and can therefore be easily and stably handled;
(2) The configuration of the first key module provides enlarged zones for convenient touch by the user's thumb, and therefore allows quick and correct input of text;
(3) The provision of the second key module on one lateral surface of the housing allows the user to efficiently operate the lateral keys with the other four fingers of the same hand holding the device; and
(4) Since the display unit is located below the first key module, information entered by the user and shown in the display unit is always located within the user's hand without being easily peered by other people.
The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein
Please refer to
The first key module 130 comprises a plurality of upside keys which are disposed in a hexagonal configuration. The term “upside key” used herein refers to the key located at the upper part of the front surface of the housing 110, and the term “key” is herein used as a generic term which may also be a button or a knob. Two of the six internal angles of the hexagonal configuration that are closer to the two lateral surfaces respectively than the other four of the six internal angles are denoted as angle A1 and angle A2, which are about 90 degrees each. Therefore, the first key module 130 satisfies the ergonomics for a user to correspondingly touch a right side or a left side of the hexagonal configuration of the first key module 130 with his or her left thumb or right thumb, respectively. The user can hold the mobile communication device 1 with one single hand and effectively operate the first key module with his or her right hand or left hand. The other four internal angles of the hexagonal configuration A3, A4, A5 and A6 are about 135 degrees each, so that the first key module 130 is laterally symmetrically arranged for both right-handed and left-handed users to conveniently operate the first key module 130.
In
The housing 110 is further provided with a speaker module 150 and a sensor module 160. The speaker module 150 is located near an upper right corner of the first key module 130 for a user to answer a call. The sensor module 160 is located near an upper left corner of the first key module 130. The sensor module 160 would emit a warning signal when the user's face approaches to the display unit 120, so that the user is reminded not to closely bear his or her face on the display unit 120 to leave undesirable oil or dirt on the display unit 120.
In
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It is understood the keys of the first key module 230 can be differently arranged without being restricted to the above-described manner. Other frequently used keys can be arranged at the right side of the first key module 230, and other function keys can be arranged between the key 243 for answering a call and the key 245 for hanging up without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention.
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The mobile communication device according to the present invention can be held with one single hand and can therefore be easily and stably handled. Further, the configuration of the first key module provides enlarged zones for convenient touch by the user's thumb, and therefore allows quick and correct input of characters.
Moreover, the mobile communication device according to the present invention provides the second key module on one lateral surface of the housing, allowing the user to efficiently operate the keys in the second key module with the other four fingers of the same hand holding the device. Further, in the present invention, since the display unit is located below the first key module, information entered by the user and shown in the display unit is always located within the user's hand without being easily peered by other people.
The present invention has been described with some preferred embodiments thereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications in the described embodiments can be carried out without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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098129593 | Sep 2009 | TW | national |