Patent Application
20090312061
The present invention relates generally to portable communication devices, and more particularly, to a portable communication device and family of portable communication devices having a common core mechanical subassembly.
Portable communication devices, and in particular mobile telephones, are used for a wide variety of applications. For example, mobile phones are used not only for phone conversations and for sending/receiving messages, but also for browsing the internet, viewing multimedia content, such as movies or music, and for playing games, etc.
Mobile phones include a variety of different housings or form factors. For example, stick or block form factor mobile phones typically include a display and a keypad, e.g., a numeric keypad or a QWERTY keypad, with few, if any, moving parts or assemblies. In order to maximize the size of the display screen, some mobile devices are designed with a base and a display that is movable relative to the base. In these mobile phones, the keypad often is incorporated into the base and exposed only after opening/moving the display. Known mobile devices of this variety include clamshell devices, in which the display is connected to the base via a conventional rotational hinge, and slider devices, in which the display is slidable with respect to the base, for example, on a rail or a track.
To enhance functionality and versatility, as well as provide greater manufacturing flexibility and simplicity, a portable communication device includes a common core base assembly. The common core base assembly includes a metal frame at least partially covered by plastic depending upon the desired color and trim package. The common core base assembly is configured to support or otherwise house the device circuitry and to couple to a plurality of different upper assemblies corresponding to different form factors. The provision of a common core base assembly allows for a common element that houses most of the device components and is shared between varieties of form factors.
One aspect of the disclosed technology relates to a portable communication device that includes a common core base assembly having a metal frame and plastic formed at least partially over a portion of the metal frame, wherein the common core base assembly is configured to house portable communication device circuitry; an upper assembly coupled to the common core base assembly; and at least one end cap assembly coupled to the common core base assembly.
According to another aspect, the metal frame includes a top portion and a pair of side portions coupled to the top portion, wherein the top portion is configured to couple to the upper assembly.
According to another aspect, the common core base assembly defines a channel configured to receive a portion of the upper assembly.
According to another aspect, the common core base assembly is configured to couple to a variety of different upper assemblies having different form factors.
According to another aspect, the common core base assembly is configured to couple to a variety of different upper assemblies to define a stick form factor, a slider form factor or a clamshell form factor.
According to another aspect, the common core base assembly includes plastic insert molded at least partially over a portion of the metal frame.
According to another aspect, the metal frame is formed of extruded aluminum.
According to another aspect, the upper assembly comprises a slider assembly including a slider base coupled to the common core base assembly and a top portion slidingly engaging the slider base by a pair of rail assemblies.
According to another aspect, the slider assembly and common core base assembly cooperate to define a parting line on a top portion of the portable communication device.
According to another aspect, the slider assembly and the common core base assembly are coupled without defining a parting line on either side of the portable communication device.
According to another aspect, the upper assembly comprises a flip assembly coupled to the common core base assembly, wherein the flip assembly includes a support portion coupled to a top portion of the metal frame and a top portion hingedly coupled to the support portion such that the top portion is configured to rotate relative to the common core base assembly, wherein the flip assembly and the common core base assembly define a clamshell form factor.
According to another aspect, the upper assembly comprises a display and a keypad, wherein the upper assembly and the common core base assembly define a stick form factor.
According to another aspect, the end cap comprises a variable-length end cap.
According to another aspect, the length of the end cap is modified according an antenna volume or geometry required by an antenna housed within the common core base assembly.
According to another aspect, the portable communication device is a mobile telephone.
Another aspect of the disclosed technology relates to a method of fabricating a family of mobile phones having different form factors. The method includes forming a common core base assembly that includes a metal frame and plastic formed at least partially over a portion of the metal frame; and coupling the common core base assembly to a plurality of different upper assemblies having different form factors, thereby providing a plurality of mobile phones having a stick form factor, a clamshell form factor, and a slider form factor.
According to another aspect, coupling includes securing each upper assembly to an upper portion of the metal frame via at least one fastener.
According to another aspect, the method further includes providing mobile phone circuitry within a cavity defined by the common core base assembly; and providing an end cap over at least one end of the common core base assembly.
Another aspect of the disclosed technology relates to a common core base assembly for use in connection with a plurality a mobile phones having different form factors. The common core base assembly includes a metal frame having a top portion and a pair of side portions, and a plastic body portion formed at least partially over the metal frame, wherein the common core base assembly is configured to house mobile phone circuitry, and wherein the common core base assembly is configured to couple to a plurality of different upper assemblies having different form factors.
According to another aspect, the common core base assembly is configured to couple a variety of different upper assemblies to define a stick form factor, a slider form factor or a clamshell form factor.
These and further features of the present invention will be apparent with reference to the following description and attached drawings. In the description and drawings, particular embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail as being indicative of some of the ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed, but it is understood that the invention is not limited correspondingly in scope. Rather, the invention includes all changes, modifications and equivalents coming within the spirit and terms of the claims appended thereto.
Features that are described and/or illustrated with respect to one embodiment may be used in the same way or in a similar way in one or more other embodiments and/or in combination with or instead of the features of the other embodiments.
It should be emphasized that the term “comprises/comprising” when used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.
Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. Likewise, elements and features depicted in one drawing may be combined with elements and features depicted in additional drawings. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
In the detailed description that follows, like components have been given the same reference numerals regardless of whether they are shown in different embodiments of the present invention. To illustrate the present invention in a clear and concise manner, the drawings may not necessarily be to scale and certain features may be shown in somewhat schematic form.
As referred to herein, the term “portable communication device” includes portable radio communication equipment. The term “portable radio communication equipment”, which herein after is referred to as a mobile phone, a mobile device, a mobile radio terminal or a mobile terminal, includes all electronic equipment, including, but not limited to, mobile telephones, pagers, communicators, i.e., electronic organizers, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), or the like.
In the context of the illustrated embodiments, the portable communication device is primarily referred to as a mobile telephone or a mobile phone. The description and illustrations of the mobile telephone, however, are intended to serve as a non-limiting exemplary environment for the inventive concepts described herein, and it will be appreciated that the invention is not intended to be limited to a mobile telephone, but rather can be any type of electronic equipment.
Mobile phone designs are constantly evolving as designers struggle with phone size over function, performance, e.g., radio frequency (RF) performance, Bluetooth performance and Advanced Global Positioning System (AGPS) performance, and convenience. In one respect, mobile phones having smaller footprints are desirable for their portability. Examples of such phones include phones having a clamshell form factor in which a top portion of the phone rotates between open and closed positions relative to the base, which typically includes a keypad. Another example of a phone having a smaller form factor is a “slider phone.” Mobile phones with slider hinges typically include a keypad on the base that is exposed by sliding the display vertically and/or horizontally relatively to the base.
There is pressure on research and development efficiency to provide quickly mobile phones with aesthetically pleasing designs and improved function and performance. Due to the differences in overall form factor between stick phones, slider phones and clamshell phones, development cycles for new mobile phones often are longer than manufacturers would like.
The present disclosure recognizes challenges with conventional mobile phone design processes and manufacturing for a variety of mobile phone configurations, such as stick phones, slider phones and clamshell phones, and provides a mobile phone and method of manufacturing a family of mobile phones including a common core base assembly. The common core base assembly includes a metal frame over which various plastic configurations may be molded, e.g., insert molded. The common core base assembly is configured to be mounted to a variety of upper assemblies depending upon the desired type of housing. For example, the common core base assembly may be mounted to a simple display top assembly to form a stick mobile phone, to a flip top assembly to form a clamshell mobile phone, or to a slider top assembly to form a slider mobile phone.
The provision of a mobile phone and method of manufacturing that includes a common core base assembly allows for a more streamlined development cycle and greater versatility in that the common core base assembly may be easily employed with stick, slider and clamshell form factors. Further, the common core base assembly provides other aesthetic and design benefits described more fully below.
Referring initially to
In a preferred embodiment, the common core base assembly 10 includes a metal frame, e.g., an aluminum frame such as a frame made of extruded aluminum. Of course, the frame may be made of other metals or non-metal materials without departing from the scope of the present invention. The frame 12 includes a top portion 14 and a pair of side portions 16.
As shown in
As shown in
In one embodiment, the common core base assembly 10 may be configured to have dimensions that allow for a relatively small and convenient form factor, while still being large enough to house a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA), a Bluetooth antenna, an Advanced Global Positioning System (AGPS) antenna, a main antenna, a battery, a camera with associated flash electronics and the like. In one embodiment, the common core base assembly has a width of about forty-eight millimeters (48 mm), a length of about ninety-five millimeters (95 mm), and a height of about eight millimeters (8 mm). Of course, it will be appreciated that the common core base assembly 10 may have other dimensions (larger or smaller) without departing from the scope of the present invention. As will be understood from the following discussion, because the common core base assembly is configured to house or otherwise support virtually all of the mobile phone electronics, it facilitates easy manufacture in high volume due to the fact that virtually all of the flexes and connections are disposed within the common core base assembly below the top portion of the frame.
Turning now to
For example,
The slider upper assembly 42 may be fastened to the common core base assembly 10 using any suitable fastener, for example, simply screwing the slider upper assembly into the common core base assembly from the underside of the common core base assembly. In one exemplary embodiment, the slider assembly includes a slider frame that is an entire subassembly including guide rails (see, for example,
Turning now to
Further, the common core base assembly is configured to provide improved radio frequency (RF) performance, which is often determined by the antenna volume, e.g., volume or geometry of the main antenna 62. In this design, metallic components are kept away from the antenna assembly 62 while the printed circuit board assembly is kept in relatively close proximity, for example, so a long coaxial cable is not needed to connect the printed circuit board assembly to the antenna, etc. One added benefit of this configuration is that there is very little at this end of the phone other than the substantially plastic end cap 46. So, for example, if it is determined that the antenna volume provided by a common core base assembly of a given volume is not sufficient, extending the length of the phone, for example, by a millimeter at a time, to better the antenna performance may be as simple as just extending the plastic base and the end cap. For example, if it is determined that an additional millimeter of space is required to provide preferred antenna performance, the end cap 46 may be made one millimeter deeper to accommodate the extra millimeter of space required to increase the antenna volume. It will be appreciated that other simple design modifications may be employed without requiring a complete redesign of the phone. Further, as shown in
The provision of a mobile phone or a mobile phone family having a common core base assembly provides a number of design, development and manufacturing benefits. For example, the same common core base assembly may be used with a number of upper assemblies, thereby providing a number of form factors that include the same common core base assembly. As such, the same hardware components can be used for each form factor or variant, for example, the same printed circuit board assembly, camera and battery may be used in a slider form factor, a stick form factor and a clamshell form factor. Sharing of core parts across multiple form factors provides a number of design and cost benefits, such as ease of managing inventory and end of life considerations. Further, the simplistic design may reduce lifetime return rate and provide customer service with fewer unique parts to warehouse. In addition, the provision of a family of mobile phone assemblies provides an easier way to market a product line to multiple customers who may enjoy different form factors.
Further, other marketing possibilities exist, such as offering customers the ability to alter the form factor of their phone within a predetermined time after purchase. Because of the ease of assembling the upper assembly to the common core base assembly, this may be achieved without jeopardizing data that may already be stored in a phone's memory. Further, the provision of a common core base assembly having a metal frame and inserted molded plastic over a portion of the metal frame provides advantages such as overall strength and stability. As is discussed above, in the slider form factor embodiment, very clean surfaces and nearly nonexistent parting lines can be achieved on the device.
Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to a certain preferred embodiment or embodiments, it is obvious that equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification and the annexed drawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described elements (components, assemblies, devices, compositions, etc.), the terms (including a reference to a “means”) used to describe such elements are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any element which performs the specified function of the described element (i.e., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the herein illustrated exemplary embodiment or embodiments of the invention. In addition, while a particular feature of the invention may have been described above with respect to only one or more of several illustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other embodiments, as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application.
