WO2010090521A1

WO2010090521A1 - Ergonomic portable wireless terminal and method for operating the same

Info

Publication number: WO2010090521A1
Application number: PCT/NL2010/050050
Authority: WO
Inventors: Johannes Wilhelmus Paulus Te Maarssen
Original assignee: Johannes Wilhelmus Paulus Te Maarssen
Priority date: 2009-02-05
Filing date: 2010-02-04
Publication date: 2010-08-12

Abstract

A portable wireless terminal (1), comprising: - a first (100) housing part, a second (200) housing part and a third (300) housing part, each housing part having a front side (102, 202, 302) and a back side (104, 204, 304), said housing parts being moveably connected to each other so as to allow for different mutual arrangements; - a first and a second keyboard part (108, 208), respectively provided on the back side (104, 204) of the first and the second housing part; and - a display (310), provided on the front side (302) of the third housing part; wherein the housing parts are arrangeable in a work configuration wherein the first housing part is disposed left of the second housing part, such that both the first and the second keyboard part include an angle in the range of 60 to 120 degrees with a horizontal plane.

Description

Title: Ergonomic portable wireless terminal and method for operating the same

Field of the invention

The invention relates to a portable wireless terminal, such as a cellular phone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) or a mini-laptop, and more particularly, to a portable wireless terminal equipped with ergonomic input means.

Background

Portable wireless terminals have become ubiquitous in everyday live and may, for example, be encountered in the form of cellular phones, PDA's and (mini-)laptops. As a result of the ongoing process of technological convergence these seemingly different systems evolve towards each other. Voice and telephony features are already no longer the exclusive domain of the cellular phones, and the same holds true for data and productivity applications with respect to (mini-)laptop computers. It appears that the tendency is towards a single device that combines a variety of productivity and connectivity functions, and of which portability is a key feature.

Improving the portability of wireless terminals implies their miniaturization. The increasingly smaller scale, however, places a strain on the human body as it also becomes increasingly troublesome to interact with the terminals. Keyboards for inputting information are a good example. Though keyboards are still practically indispensable, in particular for productivity applications, they are typically crammed onto tiny areas that do not enable ergonomic operation. Their prolonged use may therefore lead to repetitive strain injuries (RSI), a syndrome that may manifest itself as pain or numbness in the arm, back and/or neck. Both from a personal and economic viewpoint, the costs of RSI are high and the illness is better prevented than cured. Summary

It is an object of the present invention to provide for a portable wireless terminal that combines a high degree of portability with ergonomic input means, which input means may reduce the chance of incurring RSI as a result of prolonged use.

To this end, the invention provides a portable wireless terminal, comprising a first, a second and a third housing part, each housing part having a front side and a back side. The housing parts are moveably connected to each other so as to allow for different mutual arrangements. The back side of the first housing part is provided with a first keyboard part configured to be operated by a left hand of an operator, and the back side of the second housing part is provided with a second keyboard part configured to be operated by a right hand of the operator. The front side of the third housing part is provided with a display. The housing parts are arrangeable in a work configuration wherein the first housing part is disposed left of the second housing part, and wherein each of the keyboard parts includes an angle in the range of 60 to 120 degrees with (a top side of) a horizontal plane.

The wireless terminal features a split keyboard, which may extend substantially vertically when it is set up in a work configuration. If the terminal is placed right in front of the operator, at a forearm's length, the two keyboard parts may be operated with relaxed, unbent forearms and wrists. This in turn may lead to a more natural work posture and prevent unnecessary tensions in the neck and shoulders. At the same time, the split keyboard configuration may allow for ten-finger touch typing as if it were an ordinary desktop keyboard. Thus, unlike known portable wireless terminals, the terminal according to the present invention allows portability, ergonomics and productivity to go hand in hand.

According to an elaboration of the invention, the work configuration is further characterized in that the third housing part is disposed above the first housing part and the second housing part, whereby (a front side of) the display includes an angle between 90 to 180 degrees with (a top side of) the horizontal plane.

In the work configuration, advantage may be taken of the fact that first and second housing part extend vertically, such that they may provide a support for the third housing part that holds a display. The higher, front central position and inclined orientation of the display may enable an operator to view the information presented thereon without having to strain his neck or shoulder muscles. In an extra advantageous embodiment, the inclination of the display may be adjusted so as to select the optimum viewing angle at any time. According to another elaboration of the invention, the housing parts are arrangeable in a stacked fashion, so as to minimize the size of the portable wireless terminal, and to promote the portability thereof.

The invention further provides a method, comprising providing a portable wireless terminal according to the present disclosure; and inputting data into the terminal. Information may be inputted manually in various ways, which ways may depend on the precise embodiment of the provided terminal as will be elucidated below.

The invention also provides for a portable wireless terminal comprising a first housing part, a second housing part and a third housing part, each housing part having a front side and a back side, said housing parts being moveably connected to each other so as to allow for different mutual arrangements; and a display, provided on the front side of the third housing part; wherein the housing parts are arrangeable in a work configuration. This latter terminal is only optionally equipped with keyboard parts on the back sides of the first and second housing parts. It generally provides for a higly compact and portable device that may be operated in a variety of ways. Input and display means of any suitable kind may be provided on any of the sides of any of the housing parts, as desired.

These and other features and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of certain embodiments of the invention, taken together with the accompanying drawings, which are meant to illustrate and not to limit the invention.

Brief description of the drawings Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a portable wireless terminal according to the present invention in a work configuration;

Fig. 2 is a schematic back side view of the portable wireless terminal in the same configuration as shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the portable wireless terminal of Figs. 1-2, now in a folded configuration;

Fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the portable wireless terminal of Figs. 1-3, now in a first partly unfolded configuration;

Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the portable wireless terminal of Figs. 1-4, now in a second partly unfolded configuration; and

Figs.6-9 form a sequence of perspective views, schematically illustrating how a second exemplary embodiment of a portable wireless terminal according to the present invention is gradually unfolded from the folded configuration of Fig. 6 to the work configuration of Fig. 9.

Detailed description

Fig. 1 is a schematic, front side perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the portable wireless terminal 1 according to the present invention. It shows the terminal 1 in a mini-laptoplike work configuration wherein it may be used ergonomically. Fig. 2 shows the terminal 1 in the same work configuration, this time in a back side view. The Figs. 3-5 show the portable wireless terminal of Figs. 1-2 in different configurations. All configurations will be expounded in some more detail below. First, however, attention is invited to the construction of the terminal 1, which will be elucidated with reference to Figs. 1-5 collectively. In one embodiment, the terminal 1 may include three housing parts 100, 200, 300 that are moveably connected to each other. Other embodiments may have a different, conceivably greater number of mutually connected housing parts, e.g. four or five. The housing parts 100, 200, 300 may be similar in shape, such as the substantially cuboidal housing parts in the depicted embodiment, but need not be. Each housing part 100, 200, 300 comprises a front side 102, 202, 302 and a back side 104, 204, 304, respectively. The designations 'front side' and 'back side' refer to the work configuration of Figs. 1 and 2, wherein an operator of the terminal 1 would face the front sides 102, 202, 302, while the back sides 104, 204, 304 would be not be directly visible to him.

The housing parts 100, 200, 300 may be moveably connected to each other so as to allow for different mutual arrangements. In the embodiment of Figs. 1-5, the first housing part 100 and the second housing part 200 are mutually connected by two hinges 400, which allows for relative pivotal motion. Accordingly, the first and second housing parts 100, 200 are arrangeable between a folded configuration wherein their front sides 102, 202 abut each other (see Figs. 3 and 4), and a configuration wherein they are positioned relative to each other much like the front and back cover of an open book. The type and number of the connections between the first and second housing parts 100, 200 may vary for different embodiments. For example, instead of two hinges 400 a single, continuous hinge that runs an entire side of the first and second housing parts 100, 200 may be used, and instead of simple pivot hinges, more advanced hinges that allow for greater freedom of relative movement, e.g. ball-and-socket joint hinges, may be employed.

A connection between the first housing part 100 and the third housing part 300 may be partly provided for by a ball-and-socket joint 402. A shaft that may be connected to the ball of the ball-and-socket joint 402 may be fixedly connected to (the back side 304 of) the third housing part 300, whereas the socket may be connected to the first housing part 100, preferably near a circumferential edge thereof. In order to allow the third housing part 300 to be 'swung around' the first housing part 100 (cf. the folded configuration of Fig. 3 and the work configuration of Figs. 1-2), the socket of the ball-and-socket joint 402 may itself be pivotally connected to first housing part 100 by a hinge 404. A hinged ball-and-socket joint 402, 404 may enable great flexibility in positioning the third housing part 300 relative to the first housing part 100, which may be to the benefit of the portability of the wireless terminal 1, as will be explained below.

In addition to the pivot hinge 404/ball- and- socket hinge 402 combination, the connection between the first housing part 100 and the third housing part 300 may be partially provided for by means of a detachable hinge joint 410. The hinge joint 410 may, for example, comprise a hinge pin, connected to one of the two housing parts and running along a side thereof. It may further comprise an elongate, cylindrical cup, connected to the other housing part, and provided with an axial slit through which the hinge pin can be inserted into and removed from the cup. The hinge joint 410 may preferably be a little stiff, so as to provide enough friction for the two housing parts 100, 300 to be positioned securely in any mutual relation, such as the one shown in Fig. 4. Of course, the desired stiffness may also be incorporated in the pivot hinge 404/ball-and- socket joint 402 combination.

The back side 304 of the third housing part 300 may be provided with a connection bar 406 that is configured for cooperation with a connection bar clamp 408, which may be provided on the second housing part 200. When the connection bar 406 is fixed in the connection bar clamp 408, as shown in Fig. 1, the relative orientation of the first housing part 100 and the second housing part 200 is secured. Nevertheless, the third housing part 300 may still be pivoted around its supports 402, 406 and 408 relative to the first and second housing parts 100, 200.

It is understood that the roles of the first and second housing parts 100, 200 with regard to connections with the third housing part 300 are interchangeable. Accordingly, in some embodiments of the terminal 1 it may, for example, be the second housing part 200 instead of the first housing part 100 that is connected to the third housing part 300 by means of a pivotable ball-and-socket joint 402, 404; etc. A portable wireless terminal 1 according to the present invention may typically comprise a battery for providing electrical power, a transceiver for enabling wireless functionality, and a data processing unit for performing more general tasks. In addition it may accommodate various peripheral units, such as one or more input, output and storage devices. The functionality of the terminal can thus easily be modified and/or extended.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1-5, the back side 104 of the first housing part 100 is provided with a keyboard part 108 configured to be operated by a left hand of an operator, while the back side 204 of the second housing part 200 is provided with a keyboard part 208 configured to be operated by a right hand of the operator. Each keyboard part 108, 208 may correspond to about half of the layout of an ordinary desktop keyboard. The front side 302 of the third housing part 300 is provided with a display 310, which may incorporate touch screen functionality. In addition, the first 100 and/or second 200 housing part may be provided with a thumb-operable mouse or pointing stick 206, possibly supplemented with an integrated or separate scroll-wheel, and/or click button functionality.

With respect to terminology, it is noted that the term 'keyboard part' intends to include any input device that is capable of registering keystrokes. The term is therefore not to be construed narrowly as merely meaning a set of physical keys that can be pressed. Instead it also refers to, for example, touch screens that serve as a keyboard-like input device. Nevertheless, a real set of pressable keys is preferable in order to enable smooth touch typing.

The housing parts 100, 200, 300 of the portable wireless terminal 1 shown in Figs. 1-5 can be arranged in different configurations. When the terminal 1 is not in active use, and for example to be carried in a garment pocket or a bag, it may preferably be put in its folded configuration as shown in Fig. 3. In this configuration, the housing parts 100, 200, 300 are arranged in a stacked fashion so as to minimize the size of the terminal 1 and to increase its portability. Here, the term 'stacked' refers to neatly stacked, substantially overlapping parts, as demonstrated in Fig. 3. To enable such configuration, the housing parts 100, 200, 300 preferably have a substantially same shape and size. The folded configuration shown in Fig. 3 may quickly be turned into the opened position of Fig. 4, which conveniently allows the terminal 1 to be used as a cellular phone or PDA. It is noted that the key lettering of the keys on keyboard part 108 does not have to correspond to the use of the keys when they are used in the work configuration of Fig. 1. After all, in said work configuration the keys are invisible to an operator. Accordingly, the keys of keyboard part 108 may be provided with key lettering that is in agreement with their use as a cellphone keypad. From the configuration of Fig. 4, the terminal 1 may be unfolded further to the consecutive configurations shown in Figs. 5 and 1. Fig. 5 merely represents an intermediate configuration, whereas the configuration of Fig. 1 is the fully unfolded configuration that allows the terminal 1 to be used as a mini-laptop, featuring full and ergonomic keyboard functionality. For a better understanding of the invention, some uses and possibilities of the portable wireless terminal will now be exemplified briefly. In the work configuration of the terminal 1 shown in Fig. 1, the two keyboard parts 108, 208 provided on the back sides 104, 204 of the first and second housing parts are intended to serve as a single, yet midway split keyboard. The two keyboard parts face away from each other, and each of the keyboard parts includes an angle of about 90 degrees with a horizontal plane. The rotational position of display 310, which is provided at a vertical level above the two housing parts 100, 200 to improve the readability thereof, may be adjusted by the operator to enable a comfortable working posture. When operating the terminal 1, a user faces the display 310 while his arms extend towards the keyboard parts 108, 208 in much the same way as when holding a book. Since the keyboard parts 108, 208 extend vertically, instead of horizontally as with conventional keyboards, the operator is not required to bend his forearms and wrists to operate them. This results in lower muscular activity in especially finger extensor muscles, which are sensitive to repetitive strain injuries, and in an improved overall comfort. The work configuration thus prevents an operator from having to assume a potentially harmful position that, in the long run, may lead to RSI complaints. Still, the split keyboard allows for ten-finger-typing, and thus prevents the loss of input productivity that is commonly associated with known portable wireless terminals. Furthermore, when a pointing stick 206 is provided, the operator may have mouse functionality at his thumbtip from the same ergonomic posture.

Skilled touch typists are unlikely to experience problems operating the keyboard parts of the terminal 1. For less advanced typists, however, the front sides 102, 202 of the first and second housing parts 100, 200 may be provided with feedback representations of the keyboard parts present on their back sides 104, 204. When a keystroke is registered on either of the keyboard parts 108, 208 on the back sides 104, 204, a corresponding key representation may light up on the front side 102, 202 to notify the operator of where his fingers are placed, and which key has been pressed. A feedback representation of a keyboard part 108, 208 may, for example, take the form of an LED- illuminated picture board.

In an advantageous embodiment of the portable wireless terminal 1, at least one of the front sides 102, 202 of the first and second housing parts

100, 200 may be provided with an extra display. Extra displays may contribute to the functionality of the terminal 1. An extra display may, for example, facilitate multi-tasking such that, during a video-conference, a conversation partner can be shown on an extra display, while notes may be taken in an editor shown on display 310. In an advantageous embodiment, one or more of the extra displays provided on the front sides 102, 202 may be implemented as touch screens. The touch screens would open up new input possibilities, and for example allow the terminal 1 to be used in different orientations. Relative to the orientation shown in Fig. 1, for example, the terminal 1 might be rotated over 90 degrees in a clockwise direction. In the thus-obtained position, a touch screen on the front side 202 could display a keyboard capable of accepting input. The display provided on the front side 102 and display 310 could be used for any desired purpose.

Figs. 6-9 schematically illustrate a second exemplary embodiment of a portable wireless terminal 1 according to the present invention. This second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment of Figs. 1-5, but designed to be extra sturdy. To this end, each of the three housing parts 100, 200, 300 is permanently and directly connected to every other housing part.

In the second exemplary embodiment, the third housing part 300 may include a guide provision in the form of an elongate guide rail 416. The guide rail 416 may extend along a longitudinal end face or end side of the third housing part 300. The depicted guide provision 416 has a cylindrical rod-like shape, but in alternative embodiments it may take a different form, for example that of an elongate slot or groove provided in the third housing part 300.

The first housing part 100 is provided with first connecting means that permanently interconnect the first housing part 100 and the third housing part 300. The first connecting means include a guide runner 412. The guide runner 412 is both hingedly and rotatably connected to the first housing part. That is to say, the guide runner 412 may hinge (relative to the first housing part 100) between the orientation shown in Fig.6 and that shown in Fig. 7, while it may rotate (relative to the first housing part 100) between the orientation shown in Fig. 7 and that shown in Fig. 9. The guide runner 412 comprises an eye that extends around the guide rail 416. In alternative embodiments, the guide runner 412 may not surround but otherwise irreleasably, yet movably, engage the guide rail 416. The guide runner 412 may slidingly move along the guide rail 416 (see Fig. 8).

The second housing part is provided with second connecting means comprising an articulated hinge 414. The articulated hinge 414 permanently interconnects the third housing part 300, and more in particular an end of the guide rail 416, to the second housing part 200. The articulated hinge 414 is rotatably connected to the second housing part 200, allowing it to rotate (relative to the second housing part 200) between the orientation shown in Fig. 7 and that shown in Fig. 9. The sequence of perspective views shown in Figs.6-9 schematically illustrates how the second exemplary embodiment may be gradually unfolded from the folded configuration of Fig. 6 to the work configuration of Fig. 9. In the folded configuration of Fig. 6, the housing parts 100, 200, 300 are arranged in a stacked fashion. The stacked arrangement shown in Fig. 6 primarily differs from that shown in Fig. 3 in that the display 310 provided on the front side 302 of the third housing part 300 is positioned on the outside, allowing a user to view or inspect the display without having to (partly) unfold the terminal 1. This may enable the terminal 1 to be used in its stacked configuration, for example as a phone or PDA. Such use is, of couse, not excluded in the stacked configuration of the first embodiment of Fig. 3, but without an immediately accessible display the terminal 1 of the latter case may be considered less user-friendly.

In unfolding the terminal 1, it passes through the successive stages shown in Figs. 7-9. First the third housing part 300 is hinged to a position above the first and second housing parts 100, 200; note that both the first 412 and second 414 connecting means enable this hinging motion. If desired, the first 412 and/or second 414 connecting means may include a (mechanical) spring or other drive mechanism that is configured to facilitate or drive this movement of the third housing part 300, and thus to drive a part of the process of unfolding the terminal 1 from a configuration wherein the housing parts are arranged in a stacked fashion to the work configuration. Subsequently the first and second housing parts 100, 200 may be hinged apart around hinges 400 that moveably interconnect these two housing parts. Like the connecting means 412, 414, hinges 400 may be provided with a pretensioned spring or other drive mechanism to gently drive their mutual separation. As the first and second housing parts 100, 200 open like a book, their mutual orientation changes while the distance between the first and second connecting means 412, 414 increases. At the same time, the orientation of the guide provision 416 relative to both the first and second housing parts 100, 200 changes too. Both the first and the second connecting means 412, 414 are rotatably connected to their respective housing parts 100, 200 to adjust to this reorientation and to enable the unfolding of the terminal 1. It is noted in particular that, during the separation of the first and second connecting means 412, 414, the guide runner 412 slides along the guide rail 416. Once the terminal 1 reaches its work configuration, as shown in Fig. 9, the third housing part 300 may lean backwards against the first and second housing parts 100, 200 for support. Alternatively, the connecting means 412, 414 may be set up a little stiff, to allow the third housing part to maintain any desired orientation relative to the first and second housing parts 100, 200. In yet another embodiment, the first and/or second connecting means 412, 414 may be provided with a separate locking mechanism that enables the third housing part 300 to be temporarily secured in a desired position relative to the first and second housing parts 100, 200. Such a locking mechanism may be of any conventional design, and for example include a locking pin and a series of locking holes corresponding to favourable, discretely selectable orientations of the third housing part 300 relative to the first and second housing parts 100, 200.

The permanent and immediate connection of each of the three housing parts 100, 200, 300 to the other two housing parts, which in a partly unfolded state gives rise to a stable triangular configuration as shown in Figs. 8-9, provides the terminal 1 with a pleasant feeling of sturdiness.

From the above description of several embodiments of the present invention, it will have become clear that the portable wireless terminal 1 according to the present invention may have many uses, and may fit many needs. As discussed, it may combine cellular phone, PDA and laptop functionality in a highly portable package. The substantially vertical orientation of the split keyboard and the optional thumb-operable pointing stick warrant ergonomic operation and help to prevent repetitive strain injuries. The practical usability and application possibilities of the terminal may easily be extended through the implementation of extra displays, possibly in the form of touch screens, for which ample space is available.

Although illustrative embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these embodiments. Variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, it is noted that the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. List of items

1 Portable wireless terminal

100 First (left) housing part 102 Front side of first housing part

104 Back side of first housing part

108 Keyboard part on back side of first housing part

200 Second (right) housing part 202 Front side of second housing part

204 Back side of second housing part

206 Thumb-operable pointing stick

208 Keyboard part on back side of second housing part

300 Third housing part

302 Front side of third housing part

304 Back side of third housing part

310 Display on front side of third housing part

400 Hinge connecting first and second housing parts

402 Ball-and-socket joint connecting first and third housing part

404 Hinge connecting the socket of the ball-and-socket joint to the first housing part

406 Connection bar 408 Connection bar clamp

410 Detachable hinge joint

412 Guide runner

414 Articulated hinge

416 Guide rail

Claims

ClaimsWe claim:

1. A portable wireless terminal (1), comprising:

- a first (100) housing part, a second (200) housing part and a third (300) housing part, each housing part having a front side (102, 202, 302) and a back side (104, 204, 304), said housing parts being moveably connected to each other so as to allow for different mutual arrangements;

- a first keyboard part (108), provided on the back side (104) of the first housing part and configured to be operated by a left hand of an operator; - a second keyboard part (208), provided on the back side (204) of the second housing part and configured to be operated by a right hand of an operator; and

- a display (310), provided on the front side (302) of the third housing part; wherein the housing parts are arrangeable in a work configuration wherein the first housing part is disposed left of the second housing part, such that both the first and the second keyboard part include an angle in the range of 60 to 120 degrees with a horizontal plane.

2. A portable wireless terminal (1), comprising:

- a first (100) housing part, a second (200) housing part and a third (300) housing part, each housing part having a front side (102, 202, 302) and a back side (104, 204, 304), said housing parts being moveably connected to each other so as to allow for different mutual arrangements; and - a display (310), provided on the front side (302) of the third housing part; wherein the housing parts are arrangeable in a work configuration.

3. The portable wireless terminal according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the work configuration is further characterized in that the third housing part (300) is disposed above the first housing part (100) and the second housing part (200), whereby the display (310) includes an angle between 90 to 180 degrees with the horizontal plane.

4. The portable wireless terminal according to any of the claims 1-3, further comprising a connection element (406) and a connection element clamp (408), one of which is connected to the third housing part (300) while the other is connected to one of the first housing part (100) and the second housing part (200), and wherein the work configuration is further characterized in that the connection element clamp clamps the connection element, thereby fixing the relative orientation of the first and the second housing parts while still allowing adjustment of the orientation of the display (310) relative to the first and second housing parts.

5. The portable wireless terminal according to any of the claims 1-4, wherein the third housing part (300) is moveably connected to one of the first housing part (100) and the second housing part (200) by means of at least a ball-and-socket joint (402).

6. The portable wireless terminal according to claim 5, whereby at least one of the ball and the socket of the ball-and-socket joint (402) is itself pivotally connected to one of the housing parts connected by said joint.

7. The portable wireless terminal according to any of the claims 1-6, wherein the housing parts (100, 200, 300) have a substantially same shape and size, and are arrangeable in a stacked fashion.

8. The portable wireless terminal according to any of the claims 1-7, including a drive mechanism that is configured to drive at least part of a process of unfolding the terminal (1) from a configuration wherein the housing parts (100, 200, 300) are arranged in a stacked fashion to the work configuration.

9. The portable wireless terminal according to any of the claims 1-8, wherein the first housing part (100) and the second housing part (200) are moveably connected by at least one hinge (400).

10. The portable wireless terminal according to any of the claims 1-9, wherein at least one of the first, second and third housing part (100, 200, 300) is provided with a thumb-operable pointing stick (206) that is disposed such that it is within reach of a thumbtip of an operator's hand that operates one of the keyboard parts (108, 208).

11. The portable wireless terminal according to any of the claims 1-10, wherein the front side (102, 202) of at least one of the first housing part (100) and the second housing part (200) is provided with a display.

12. The portable wireless terminal according to claim 11, wherein the at least one display provided on a front side (102, 202) of the first or second housing part (100, 200) also serves as an input device capable of accepting input by touch.

13. The portable wireless terminal according to any of the claims 1-12, wherein:

- the third housing part (300) comprises an elongate guide provision (416); - the first housing part (100) is provided with first connecting means (412) that permanently interconnect the first housing part (100) and the third housing part (300); and wherein

- the second housing part (200) is provided with second connecting means (414) that permanently interconnect the second housing part (200) and the third housing part (300); wherein at least one of the first connecting means (412) and the second connecting means (414) comprises a guide runner that irreleasably engages the guide provision (416) of the third housing part (300) while enabling relative motion of the respective connecting means along the guide provision.

14. Method, comprising:

- providing a portable wireless terminal (1) according to any of the claims 1-13; and - inputting data into the terminal.

15. Method according to claim 14, further comprising:

- setting up the portable wireless terminal (1) in a configuration wherein the first housing part (100) is disposed left of the second housing part (200), such that both the first (108) and the second (208) keyboard part include an angle in the range of 60 to 120 degrees with a horizontal plane; and

- inputting data by means of operating the first keyboard part (108) with a left hand and/or operating the second keyboard part (208) with a right hand.

16. Method according to claim 14, wherein the provided terminal (1) is a terminal according to claim 12, the method further comprising:

- setting up the portable wireless terminal in a configuration wherein the at least one front side (102, 202) of the first (100) or second (200) housing part that is provided with a display that also serves as an input device extends substantially horizontally; and inputting data by means of manually operating said display by touching it.