Dual keypad phone

Abstract

A telephone comprises a first body part with a first keypad and a second keypad located on opposite sides of the first body part, and a second body part having a display. As the first body part is swiveled to bring the second keypad to the front of the phone the processing circuitry may switch over to only accept input from the keypad that has been brought up. This input is used to control the applications currently running.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A telephone comprising a display, a first keypad, a second keypad and processing and communication circuitry, where:
 said first and second keypads are located on opposite sides of a first body part of the telephone and said display is located in a second body part of the telephone, 
 said first and second body parts are electrically and mechanically joined via a swivel hinge, 
 said hinge is configured to allow movement of said first and second body parts between at least a first and a second position relative to each other, 
 said first relative position is such that said first keypad is facing in a first direction, said second keypad is facing in a second direction substantially different from said first direction and the display is facing substantially in said first direction, 
 said second relative position is such that said second keypad is facing in said first direction, said first keypad is facing in said second direction and the display is facing substantially in said first direction 
 such that at least the first or the second keypad is active, and a controller of the telephone initiates a particular task depending upon which keypad is set to be active. 
 
     
     
       2. A telephone according to  claim 1 , where said hinge is further configured to actuate electric switching means connected to the circuitry in the telephone when allowing movement of the body parts between said first and second position relative to each other, and
 said processing and communication circuitry is configured to detect said actuation of said electric switching means. 
 
     
     
       3. A telephone according to  claim 1  in which said processing and communication circuitry is arranged to accept input from said first keypad while said body parts are in the first relative position, and in which said processing and communication circuitry is arranged not to receive input from said second keypad while said body parts are in the first relative position. 
     
     
       4. A telephone according to  claim 1  in which said processing and communication circuitry is arranged to accept input from said second keypad while said body parts are in the second relative position, and in which said processing and communication circuitry is arranged not to receive input from said first keypad while said body parts are in the second relative position. 
     
     
       5. A telephone according to  claim 1 , in which said processing and communication circuitry is arranged to accept input from said first keypad and said second keypad while said body parts are in the second relative position. 
     
     
       6. A telephone according to  claim 1 , in which said processing and communication circuitry is arranged not to receive input from any of the first and second keypad when said first and second body parts are in a position relative to each other, which is different from said first relative position and different from said second relative position. 
     
     
       7. A telephone comprising:
 processing and communication circuitry;   a display;   a second keypad that is movable with respect to the display between a first relative position and a second relative position, wherein in the first relative position the second keypad is substantially parallel to the display and wherein in the second relative position the second keypad is also substantially parallel to the display; and   a first keypad positioned with respect to the second keypad such that the first keypad is substantially parallel to the second keypad when the second keypad is in the first relative position, and the first keypad is also substantially parallel to the second keypad when the second keypad is in the second relative position;   wherein, when the second keypad is in the first relative position, the first keypad is operable but the second keypad is not operable, and   wherein, when the second keypad is in the second relative position, the first keypad is operable and the second keypad is also operable,   such that when the first or the second keypad is operable, a controller of the telephone initiates a particular task depending upon which keypad is set to be operable.    
     
     
       8. The telephone of claim 7, wherein the first keypad comprises a joystick.  
     
     
       9. The telephone of claim 7, wherein the second keypad comprises a joystick.  
     
     
       10. The telephone of claim 7, wherein the processing and communication circuitry are configured to run a game application.  
     
     
       11. The telephone of claim 7, wherein the processing and communication circuitry are configured to operate a music application in response to user input on the first keypad or the second keypad.  
     
     
       12. The telephone of claim 7 wherein only a subset of the first keypad is operable when the second keypad is in the second relative position.  
     
     
       13. The telephone of claim 12 wherein the subset of the first keypad is operable only during execution of a dedicated application.  
     
     
       14. A telephone comprising:
 processing and communication circuitry;   a display;   a second keypad that is movable with respect to the display between a first relative position and a second relative position, wherein in the first relative position the second keypad is substantially parallel to the display and wherein in the second relative position the second keypad is also substantially parallel to the display;   a first keypad positioned with respect to the second keypad such that the first keypad is substantially parallel to the second keypad when the second keypad is in the first relative position, and the first keypad is also substantially parallel to the second keypad when the second keypad is in the second relative position; and   a switch configured to convey information regarding the relative position of the second keypad with respect to the display;   wherein the processing and communication circuitry is configured to accept the information conveyed by the switch and (a) activate the first keypad and deactivate the second keypad when a determination is made, based on the information, that the second keypad is in the first relative position, and (b) activate the first keypad and activate the second keypad when a determination is made, based on the information, that the second keypad is in the second relative position,   such that when the first or the second keypad is activated, a controller of the telephone initiates a particular task depending upon which keypad is set to be active.    
     
     
       15. The telephone of claim 14, wherein the first keypad comprises a joystick.  
     
     
       16. The telephone of claim 14, wherein the second keypad comprises a joystick.  
     
     
       17. The telephone of claim 14, wherein the processing and communication circuitry are configured to run a game application.  
     
     
       18. The telephone of claim 14, wherein the processing and communication circuitry are configured to operate a music application in response to user input on the first keypad or the second keypad.  
     
     
       19. A telephone comprising:
 processing and communication circuitry;   a display;   a second keypad that is movable with respect to the display between a first relative position and a second relative position, wherein in the first relative position the second keypad is substantially parallel to the display and wherein in the second relative position the second keypad is also substantially parallel to the display;   a first keypad positioned with respect to the second keypad such that the first keypad is substantially parallel to the second keypad when the second keypad is in the first relative position, and the first keypad is also substantially parallel to the second keypad when the second keypad is in the second relative position; and   switching means for detecting when the second keypad is in the first relative position and for detecting when the second keypad is in the second relative position,   wherein the processing and communication circuitry is configured to determine the position of the second keypad based on an input received from the switching means and to (a) accept input from the first keypad and ignore input from the second keypad when the second keypad is in the first relative position, and (b) accept input from the second keypad and accept input from the first keypad when the second keypad is in the second relative position,   such that a controller of the telephone initiates a particular task depending upon which keypad input is set to be accepted.    
     
     
       20. The telephone of claim 19, wherein the first keypad comprises a joystick.  
     
     
       21. The telephone of claim 19, wherein the second keypad comprises a joystick.  
     
     
       22. The telephone of claim 19, wherein the processing and communication circuitry are configured to run a game application.  
     
     
       23. The telephone of claim 19, wherein the processing and communication circuitry are configured to operate a music application in response to user input on the first keypad or the second keypad.  
     
     
       24. A method of controlling operation of a telephone that includes (a) processing and communication circuitry, (b) a display, (c) a second keypad that is movable with respect to the display between a first relative position and a second relative position, wherein in the first relative position the second keypad is substantially parallel to the display and wherein in the second relative position the second keypad is also substantially parallel to the display, (d) a first keypad positioned with respect to the second keypad such that the first keypad is substantially parallel to the second keypad when the second keypad is in the first relative position, and the first keypad is also substantially parallel to the second keypad when the second keypad is in the second relative position, and (e) a switch configured to convey information regarding the relative position of the second keypad with respect to the display, the method comprising the steps of:
 determining the position of the second keypad based on the information conveyed by the switch;   blocking input via the second keypad when the second keypad is in the first relative position;   accepting input via the second keypad when the second keypad is in the second relative position;   accepting input via the first keypad when the second keypad is in the first relative position and when the second keypad is in the second relative position; and   controlling the initiation of a particular task when input from the first or second keypads is accepted, the particular task determined based upon which keypad has input that is set to be accepted.    
     
     
       25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of running a game application.  
     
     
       26. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of operating a music application in response to user input on the first keypad or the second keypad.  
     
     
       27. A telephone comprising:
 processing and communication circuitry;   a controller,   a display;   a second keypad that is movable with respect to the display between a first relative position and a second relative position, wherein in the first relative position the second keypad is substantially parallel to the display and wherein in the second relative position the second keypad is also substantially parallel to the display; and   a first keypad positioned with respect to the second keypad such that the first keypad is substantially parallel to the second keypad when the second keypad is in the first relative position, and the first keypad is also substantially parallel to the second keypad when the second keypad is in the second relative position;   wherein, when the second keypad is in the first relative position, the first keypad is operable but the second keypad is not operable, and   wherein, when the second keypad is in the second relative position, the first keypad is operable and the second keypad is also operable   such that the controller is used to initiate a task based on which keypad is operable.    
     
     
       28. A telephone comprising:
 processing and communication circuitry;   a display;   a second keypad that is movable with respect to the display between a first relative position and a second relative position, wherein in the first relative position the second keypad is substantially parallel to the display and wherein in the second relative position the second keypad is also substantially parallel to the display;   a first keypad positioned with respect to the second keypad such that the first keypad is substantially parallel to the second keypad when the second keypad is in the first relative position, and the first keypad is also substantially parallel to the second keypad when the second keypad is in the second relative position; and   switching means for detecting when the second keypad is in the first relative position and for detecting when the second keypad is in the second relative position,   wherein the processing and communication circuitry is configured to determine the position of the second keypad based on an input received from the switching means and to (a) accept input from the first keypad and ignore input from the second keypad when the second keypad is in the first relative position, (b) accept input from the second keypad and accept input from the first keypad when the second keypad is in the second relative position, and (c) not to accept input from any of the first and second keypads when the second keypad is not in the first or second relative positions.