Patent Application
20050146506
A. Field of Invention
This invention relates to an electronic device that can be used as a reference guide by a person reading a book and more particularly to a device that can be easily carried within the book and serve as a bookmark without damaging the pages of the book nor be damaged itself.
B. Description of the Related Art
Certain electronic reference devices have been designed to be used when reading a book. A dictionary is one such device, useful when reading a book. These devices can also be proportionately sized so as to be able to fit inside a book so that it is readily accessible to the user while reading the book. These devices can also be of an appropriate weight so as to be carried with the book. It is important that these devices are of suitable size and weight not to cause damage to the pages of the book nor to the binding of book.
One such prior art device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,424,984, which issued to Zhi Yao. Yao describes an electronic dictionary that has a keyboard section and a display housing section. The keyboard section has a keypad with the keys incorporated onto the surface of the keypad. The display section is thicker than the keyboard section. The display section houses the display screen and the battery.
The relative difference in thickness between the keyboard section and the display section creates a ledge at the point where the two sections join. This ledge is used to keep the electronic dictionary from completely sliding into a book when the keyboard section is placed between pages of the book. In that case, the display section will stick out of the top of the book while the keypad section rests between the pages of the book.
This design has several disadvantages. One disadvantage exists because the thicker and heavier display section will rest on the top edges of the pages. Book pages can be damaged by the weight of the thicker display section weighing down on the top edges of the pages. The danger for damaging the pages is particularly acute when the pages that the electronic dictionary rests upon are few in number and/or do not include the more rigid book cover. In both of these situations, the pages would be more susceptible to the weight of the display section.
Another disadvantage to this design occurs when the book is carried by the user. When finished reading, the user can close the book with the device located in between pages of the book and carry the book and device together. In doing so, however, the display section is still exposed and not protected by the book. Thus, it will be subject to the wear and tear caused by contact with other objects. Damage to the display will effective render the device useless. In addition, the danger of damaging the pages increases due to the fact that the impact due to any contact will increase the pressure on the pages.
Another disadvantage exists if the user tries to protect the display by placing the entire device between the pages of a closed book. Given the thickness of the display section, the pages of the book and the binding of the book will be stressed and likely damaged when the book is closed containing the entire device.
The current invention involves a portable electronic reference device that is capable of being inserted in between pages of a book and used as a bookmark without causing damage to the pages of the book nor causing damage to the device itself. According to one aspect of the invention, the main body of the portable electronic reference device have a keyboard section and a display section. The keyboard section and the display section have the same thickness. Both sections will be thin enough to allow main body of the device to fit in between the pages of a book without damaging the pages or binding. The battery is located in a separate section that is attached to the device by an external wire. The wire is attached to the device through a conduit.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide an understanding of the invention and constitute a part of the specification.
The keyboard section 103 has various keys that allow the user to input data into the device 100. In one embodiment of the present invention, the keyboard section has a set of alphabetic keys 111. The user can use these keys to type in words to be processed by the device. Below the alphabetic keyboard, there is a set of four keys corresponding to the four directional arrows 113. These keys can be used by the user to navigate through different menus displayed on the screen. Next to the directional arrows are a set of keys 115 marked as (1) prev, (2) next, (3) back, and (4) enter. These keys are also available to allow the user to navigate various software menus displayed on the screen. To the left of the directional keys 113 are six miscellaneous keys 117.
Above the alphabetic keys, the device 100 has five menu keys 119 that allow the user to select different modes of operation for the device. As shown in this embodiment, the five modes are (1) dictionary, (2) time/date, (3) word games, (4) calculator, and (5) databank. Each mode allows the user to access different functions of the device. The number and type of keys can vary depending on the type and purpose of the device.
Above the keyboard section 103 is the display section 101. The display section 101 has a screen 121 to display data to the user. In one embodiment of the present invention, the display screen is an LCD screen, but it can be any screen suitable to displaying graphics and/or text to the user. Beside the display screen is a power button 123 that allows the user to turn the device on and off.
An electrical wire 109 extends from the display section 101 through the conduit 105 to a battery housing 107. The battery housing 107 will contain a battery that will supply power to the device 100. The battery housing 107 is made of a rigid and light material. The wire 109 is comprised of a flexible and durable insulation material.
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The exterior covering 205 of the display section 101 is composed of a hard durable material. In one embodiment of the present invention, metal is used. The metal covering 205 has appropriate openings to allow display of the screen and physical access to the power button.
The conduit 105 is located above the display section 101. The conduit 105 has an opening that allows an electrical connector to enter into the display section 101. The conduit 105 is a cylindrical tube that abuts the top of the display section 101, but it can be any shape that allows an electrical connector to enter the display section 101. The conduit 105 located above the display section 101 can also be made of metal and the conduit 105 and the display covering 205 can be composed of one integral piece. The hard metal of the covering 205 will protect the display screen and the circuit components beneath it. The rigidity of the covering 205 will also provide support and protection to the more flexible keyboard section 103.
The size of the device is proportional to the size of a typical paperback book. In one embodiment of the present invention, the height of the device is 144 millimeters and the width of the device is 92 mm. The thickness of the device is 2 millimeters.
The device can be made so thin because the battery unit is separated from the main body of the device. In addition, the thickness of the device is uniform for both the display section 101 and the keyboard section 103. As such, the entire main body of the device 100 will easily fit in between two pages of a closed book without causing any damage to the pages or to the binding of the book. The device can then act as a bookmark to designate the relevant page for the user. In addition, by having the entire device within the book, the display section and the flexible keyboard section are protected by the book.
The conduit is slightly bigger than the thickness of the device. In one embodiment, the diameter of the conduit is 4.25 mm. Since the conduit has a diameter slightly larger than the thickness of the display and keyboard sections, the conduit can either (1) be placed outside of the book while the main body is inside the device or (2) be placed inside the book along with the main body of the device.
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In this embodiment, the default operating mode corresponds to the first menu key which will be the dictionary mode. Under the dictionary mode, the user will be able to enter a word to look up. Upon typing the word using the keyboard and pressing the enter key, the device 100 will display the definition of the word. If the word is misspelled, then the device will display a list of words that are the potential word.
If the user selects the time/date key from the menu keys 119, the device 100 will display the current time and date. The user can change the date and time by using the setup keys 117 in the lower left hand side of the device.
If the user selects the word games key from the menu keys 119, the screen will display various word games that the user can use. Word games available in one embodiment include (a) hangman, (b) Jumble, (c) anagrams, and (d) tic tac toe. The user can use the directional arrow keys 113 located directly below the alphabetic keys 111 to select the appropriate game.
If the user selects the calculator key from the menu keys 119, the device will allow the user to perform various arithmetic functions. In the calculator mode of operation, the alphabetic keys 111 will now be used to input numbers and the arithmetic functions. The numeric values and arithmetic functions are printed above each corresponding key.
If the user selects the databank key from the menu keys 119, the device 100 allows the user to build a user list of words and store them in the device's memory. This user list can be used in conjunction with the games operating mode.
The present invention is not to be considered limited in scope by the preferred embodiments described in the specification. Additional advantages and modifications, which readily occur to those skilled in the art from consideration and specification and practice of this invention are intended to be within the scope and spirit of the following claims:
