Combined keypad and protective cover

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG.
1 shows a personal intelligent communicator of the background art.
As shown in FIG.
1, the personal intelligent communicator (PIC) 100 possesses a touch-sensitive screen 110, a microphone 120, and a speaker 130.
The touch-sensitive screen serves as a graphical display and an input device for the PIC, providing an address-book capability.
The microphone and speaker together provide speaker-phone operation during telephone calls.
The full scope of capabilities of the PIC includes facsimile, electronic mail, and Internet access, in addition to telephone calls.
FIG.
2 shows a PIC with combined keyboard and protective cover, in accordance with the present invention, in open position.
As shown in FIG.
2, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a PIC 200 has a touch-sensitive screen 290, a microphone 210 and a speaker 220, which provide the same functions described for FIG.
1 in the paragraph above.
Additionally, a combined keyboard and protective cover 230 is attached to the body of the PIC by a hinge 240.
A clasp 250 on the protective cover is designed to grasp onto the indentation 260 on the body of the PIC, to keep the cover closed when it is shut.
A mechanical relay 270 is placed so that it is open when the cover is open, and closed when the cover is closed.
When the relay is open, as shown, the PIC is placed in "speaker-phone mode," in which the speaker volume and microphone sensitivity are appropriate to a speaker phone.
Another switch 275 allows the user to override the relay, so that the PIC can be placed in speaker-phone mode even when the cover is closed.
A control interface, such as shown in FIG.
2 as an electrical wire 280, connects the keyboard to the input interface of the PIC.
In a preferred embodiment, the wire is hidden within the interior structure of the cover and enters the interior of the PIC through the structure of the hinge.
FIG.
3 shows the device of FIG.
2 in closed position.
As shown in FIG.
3, the speaker 210, the microphone 220, the hinge 240, the clasp 250, and the override switch 275 are still visible, but the touch-sensitive screen is covered by the combined keyboard and protective cover 230, now seen from above