Moveable Housing of a Mobile Communications Device

Abstract

Mobile communications devices having movable housings are described. In an implementation, a mobile communications device includes a first housing and a second housing. At least one of the first or second housings are movable between a first configuration in which the first housing substantially covers the second housing so that an outer surface of the second housing is covered and an outer surface of the first housing is viewable, and a second configuration in which said outer surface of the second housing is exposed and positioned such that said outer surface of the second housing is positioned in a substantially similar plane to that of said outer surface of the first housing.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mobile communications device comprising:
 a first housing; and   a second housing movably attached to the first housing by a linkage, the linkage attached to the first housing via at least a channel, the second housing is movable between:
 a first configuration in which:
 the first housing substantially covers the second housing so that an outer surface of the second housing is covered and an outer surface of the first housing is viewable; and 
 
 a second configuration in which said outer surface of the second housing is exposed and positioned by sliding the first housing along the linkage. 
   
     
     
         2 . A mobile communications device as described in  claim 1 , wherein said outer surface of the second housing is not positioned along the plane to said outer surface of the first housing in the first configuration. 
     
     
         3 . A mobile communications device as described in  claim 1 , wherein the first housing is movable:
 to be positioned along the plane in the second configuration; and   is not positioned along the plane in the first configuration.   
     
     
         4 . A mobile communications device as described in  claim 1 , wherein the second housing is movable:
 to be positioned along the plane in the second configuration; and   is not positioned along the plane in the first configuration.   
     
     
         5 . A mobile communications device as described in  claim 1 , wherein movement of at least one of the first housing or the second housing includes sliding. 
     
     
         6 . A mobile communications device as described in  claim 1 , wherein movement of at least one of the first housing or the second housing includes pivoting. 
     
     
         7 . A mobile communications device as described in  claim 1 , wherein a bottom of the first housing contacts a top of the second housing in the second configuration. 
     
     
         8 . A mobile communications device as described in  claim 1 , wherein the first housing includes a display device and the second housing includes an input device. 
     
     
         9 . A mobile communications device as described in  claim 8 , wherein the display device is viewable in both the first and second configurations. 
     
     
         10 . A mobile communications device as described in  claim 8 , wherein the input device includes a keyboard having a plurality of keys arranged accordingly to a QWERTY configuration. 
     
     
         11 . A mobile communications device as described in  claim 1 , further comprising one or more modules that are configured to provide telephonic functionality. 
     
     
         12 . A mobile communications device as described in  claim 11 , wherein the telephonic functionality is configured to be accessed by a user when in the first configuration and when in the second configuration. 
     
     
         13 . A method comprising:
 moving at least one of a first housing or a second housing of a mobile communications device, the first housing movably attached to the second housing by a linkage via at least a channel, the moving including moving the first housing to slide over the second housing to arrange a first configuration in which:
 an outer surface of the first housing is viewable; and 
 an outer surface of the second housing is covered; and 
   moving both the first housing and the second housing of the mobile communications device to arrange a second configuration in which:
 said outer surface of the second housing is exposed and positioned such that said outer surface of the second housing is positioned along a matching plane to said outer surface of the first housing by sliding the linkage along the channel in the first housing; 
 said outer surface of the first housing is viewable; and 
 the first housing does not cover the second housing. 
   
     
     
         14 . A method of  claim 13 , wherein the second configuration is assumed by raising the second housing in relation to the first housing. 
     
     
         15 . A method of  claim 13 , wherein the second configuration is assumed by movement that includes sliding the first housing. 
     
     
         16 . A method of  claim 13 , wherein the second configuration is assumed by lowering the first housing in relation to the second housing. 
     
     
         17 . A mobile communications device comprising:
 a first housing that includes a display device;   a second housing that includes an input device;   the second housing movably attached to the first housing by a linkage, the linkage attached to the first housing via at least a channel; and   the first and second housings are movable between:
 a first configuration in which:
 the first housing substantially covers the second housing so the input device is covered; and 
 
 a second configuration in which the input device is exposed by:
 sliding the linkage along the channel in the first housing, such that an outer plane of the input device is positioned along a matching plane to that of an outer surface of the display device. 
 
   
     
     
         18 . A mobile communications device as described in  claim 17 , wherein the linkage causes the second housing to be raised in response to the sliding of the linkage. 
     
     
         19 . A mobile communications device as described in  claim 17 , wherein a bottom of the first housing contacts a top of the second housing in the second configuration. 
     
     
         20 . A mobile communications device as described in  claim 17 , wherein the outer plane of the input device is not positioned along the plane to that of the outer surface of the display device in the first configuration.