Patent · US Expired

Hand held computer with dual display screen orientation capability controlled by toggle switches having first and second non-momentary positions

US5661632A · kind A · utility

467Cited by
5References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateSep 29, 1995
Grant dateAug 26, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 29, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S345/905
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A handheld computer has a generally rectangular housing on a front side wall of which a display screen is operatively mounted. A row of toggle switches is also mounted on the front housing side wall, adjacent the display screen, the toggle switches being operatively connected to the computer circuitry within the housing. The toggle switches are manually depressible switch members having first and second non-momentary positions. The housing may be manually grasped in two perpendicular use orientations in each of which the user may reach and operate the toggle switches to control the operation of the computer. One of the toggle switches is operative, via the internal computer circuitry, to selectively rotate, through an angle of 90 degrees, the orientation of data generated on the screen so that in either of the first and second housing use orientations the screen data is in an upright viewing orientation relative to the user of the computer. Because the toggle switches are non-momentary, the orientation of the data generated on the screen is preserved while the handheld computer is turned off.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.