JP2001216141A - Liquid crystal display personal computer using input button for starting application program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a personal computer(PC) capable of enabling a use inexperienced in the operation of a computer to easily start a program. SOLUTION: The LCD PC is provided with at least one input button arranged on a casing and electrically connected to an I/O controller in order to generate a start signal and an input button or starting an application program(AP) capable of using an operating system(OS) for displaying a visible image on an LCD device by sending the start signal to a processor through the I/O controller when the input button is depressed so that the OS starts the AP.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an LCD PC (Liquid Crystal Display Personal Computer), and more particularly, to an LCD PC using an input button to start an application program.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Referring to FIG.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the CD PC 10. Prior art LCD P
C10 is a housing 12, a processor (not shown), LC
A D device (liquid crystal display device) 14, an LCD controller (not shown) provided inside the housing 12, a keyboard 16, a mouse 18, and an inside of the housing for supplying power to the LCD PC 10. A / C power supply (not shown) provided. The LCD controller of the prior art LCD PC 10 generates digital image signals upon command from the processor to control the LCD device 14 to display a corresponding visual image. LCD device 14
LCDs are thinner and flatter than traditional monitors,
PC 10 is very common today.

[0003] When the LCD PC 10 is activated, if the user desires to use an application program, such as an Internet browser or an e-mail application, a method of starting a prior art program is to use the mouse 16 to point the user at the pointer. It was necessary to move and then double-click on the program icon of the application program. Alternatively, the user has used the keyboard 16 to select a program icon for the application program. However, all of these prior art methods required the user to be proficient in computer operation, and thus could correctly start the desired application program. Such an operation is not always easy and obvious to a now user who is new to computer operation, especially when the program icons are not directly visible on the LCD device 14. Furthermore, the number of most frequently used application programs is small. Even a user accustomed to a computer finds it cumbersome and time consuming if the prior art methods had to be done each time the user wanted to start a frequently used application program.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an LCD PC which uses an input button to start an application program to solve the above problems.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object is to provide a housing; a memory for storing an operating system and at least one application program; a processor for executing the operating system and the application program; An LCD device provided on the housing for displaying an image; a processor for controlling display of a visible image on the LCD (liquid crystal) device according to a command from the processor; and an LCD controller electrically connected to the LCD device; An I / O (input / output) controller electrically connected to the processor for controlling I / O of data from the computer; and electrically connected to the I / O controller for inputting data. A keyboard outside the housing; an I / O control provided on the housing to generate a start signal At least one input button and is electrically connected to the vessel; A provided in the housing for powering the LCD PC (personal computer)
/ C power supply, when the computer is turned on,
The A / C power supply powers the LCD PC, the processor starts running the operating system to control the operation of the computer, and when the input button is pressed, a start signal causes the operating system to start the application program. To the processor through the I / O controller to cause the application program to use the operating system to display a visible image on the LCD device, the LCD PC to use the input buttons to launch the application program
Is achieved by

[0006]

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an LCD PC 40 according to the present invention. LCD PC
40 is a housing 42 and an LCD vertically provided on the upper surface thereof.
A device (liquid crystal display device) 44, a keyboard 46 connected to the outside of the housing 42 by a flexible cable 48 for inputting data, and two input buttons 52 and 53 provided on the housing 42. , An indicator 54 provided on the housing 42, and an A / C power supply (not shown) provided inside the housing for supplying power to the LCD PC 40. LCD device 44 receives the digital image signal,
Display the corresponding visual image.

The input button 52 generates an internet browser start signal to start an internet browser (not shown). The input button 53 generates an e-mail application start signal to start an e-mail application (not shown). The user can start an Internet browser or an email application by pressing the input buttons 52,53.
The indicator 54 includes two LEDs 55a and 55b indicating the control state of the e-mail application. The two LEDs 55a and 55b indicate mail-in and unread mail, respectively. When there is a new mail, LED
55a is turned on to indicate the mail-in state, and when there is an unread mail, the LED 55b is turned on,
Indicates unread mail status. The user can initiate the desired application program by pressing the corresponding input button without using a mouse or keyboard. The user may also determine the control state of the application program directly through the indicator 54. Therefore, the whole arrangement is very convenient for the user.

Referring to FIG. 3, this is a functional block diagram of the LCD PC 40 shown in FIG. LCD P
C40 further includes a memory 58, a processor 64, a north bridge control chip 72,
It includes a south bridge control chip 74, a BIOS (basic input / output system) chip 76, and an I / O (input / output) controller 68. Memory 58 is used to store operating system 60, such as Windows 98, and application programs 62, such as Internet browsers and email applications. Processor 64 is used to execute operating system 60 and application programs 62. The north bridge control chip 72 is a high-speed bus controller for controlling hardware devices that require high-speed control. The north bridge control chip 72 is the LCD controller 6
6. Includes a memory controller 70. An LCD controller 66 controls the display of images on the LCD device 44 by commands from the processor 64 and the processor 64 and the LC
It is electrically connected to the D device 44. Memory controller 7
0 is electrically connected to processor 64 and memory 58 to control data transfer between them. The south bridge control chip 74 is a low-speed bus controller for controlling hardware devices that require only low-speed control. The south bridge control chip 74 is electrically connected to the processor 64 by pushing the north bridge control chip 72.

The BIOS chip 76 is electrically connected to the processor 64 through a north bridge control chip 72 and a south bridge control chip 74, and includes a BIOS program 78 executed by the processor 64. An I / O controller 68 is electrically connected to a processor 64 through a south bridge control chip 74 to control the I / O of data from the LCD PC 40. I / O controller 68 is also electrically connected to input buttons 52, 53, indicator 54, and flexible cable 48 of keyboard device 46. The input buttons 52, 53 are used to generate a start signal to start a corresponding application program 62, such as an Internet browser or an e-mail application. Indicator 54 is used to indicate the control status of a corresponding application program, such as an Internet browser or an email application.

As shown in FIG. 3, an LCD PC 40
Further includes a communication controller 82 provided on the housing 42 and electrically connected to the processor 64 through the south bridge control chip 74, and a communication module 84 electrically connected thereto. The communication module 84 is a modem or an Ethernet card. The processor 64 includes a communication controller 82
And control the modem or Ethernet card through the communication signal through the modem or Ethernet card and the LCD
Sent into or out of PC 40.

Referring to FIG. 4, this is a software functional block diagram of the LCD PC 40 shown in FIG. The software of the LCD PC 40 includes a BIOS program 78, an operating system 60, and an application program 62. BIOS program 78
Are stored in the BIOS chip 76 and are used to handle basic input / output events. An operating system 60 such as Windows 98 is used as a platform under which application programs run. Application programs 6 such as Internet browser and email application 62b
2 provides user interfaces and functionality specific to various applications. The operating system 60 comprises a pseudo device driver 80 that starts the Internet browser 62a or the e-mail application 62b when the input buttons 52, 53 are pressed. The pseudo device driver also provides a BIOS program 78 for setting the indicator 54 control status display of the email application 62b.
It is called. Internet browser 62a or email application 62b may establish a connection with another computer through a modem or Ethernet card.

When the LCD PC 40 is turned on, A
The / C power supply supplies power to the LCD PC 40, and the processor 64 starts executing the operating system 60 to control the operation of the LCD PC 40. When the input buttons 52, 53 are pressed, a start signal is sent to the northbridge control chip 72 through the I / O controller 68. Next, the north bridge control chip 72 sends an SMT (system management interrupt) signal to the processor 64. The SMT signal is used to notify the BIOS program 78 executed by the processor 64 that the input to the button 52 or 53 has been pressed. After receiving the SMT signal, the BIOS program 78 determines which input button 52 or 53 has been pressed, saves this button information in a buffer (not shown), and sends an IRQ (interrupt) to the south bridge control chip 74. Request signal). When the IRQ signal is detected by the pseudo device driver 80, the pseudo device driver determines the BIOS program 78 which determines which button has been pressed.
And then start a corresponding application program 62, such as an Internet browser 62a or an email application 62b. The newly started application program 62 is the LCD device 4
Operating system 60 to display the image on
Is used.

An indicator 54 indicates the control state of the corresponding application program 62 after it has been started. For example, after the e-mail application 62b is started by pressing the enter button 53, the e-mail application 62b establishes a connection with another computer through a modem or an Ethernet card, and the pseudo device driver 80 checks whether a new mail exists. Poll the host mail server to determine if it is not.
If there is a new mail, the pseudo device driver 80
Is the south bridge control chip 74 and the I / O controller 68
BI to turn on mail-in LED 55a through
The OS program 78 is called. If there is no new mail, the pseudo device driver 80 displays the mail-in LED.
Ensure that 55a is turned off through the same route. The pseudo device driver 80 also queries the email application 62b to determine if unread mail is present. If so, the pseudo device driver 80 calls the BIOS program 78 through the south bridge control chip 74 and the I / O controller 68 to turn on the unread mail LED 55b. If not, ensure that the pseudo device driver 80 is turned off through the same route.

LED 5 of LCD PC 40 according to the present invention
5a, 55b can be replaced by LCD panels.
If another LCD panel controller is present, the pseudo device driver 80 on the LCD panel through the I / O controller 68 and the LCD panel controller will display the BIOS to indicate the corresponding message, such as a mail-in or mail-unread message. Call the program 78. In addition, the application program 62 may be another communication application program. When one of the input buttons 52, 53 is pressed, the operating system 60 starts the corresponding communication application program and establishes a connection with another computer.

Compared to the prior art LCD PC 10,
The LCD PC 40 according to the present invention uses the input buttons 52, 53 to generate a start signal to start the corresponding application program, and indicates the control state of the application program 62 on an indicator 54. Therefore, it can be used more easily than the LCD PC 10 of the prior art.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a prior art LCD PC.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an LCD PC according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the LCD PC shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows a software functional block diagram of the LCD PC shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10, 40 LCD PC 12, 42 Housing 14, 44 LCD device 16, 46 Keyboard 18 Mouse 48 Flexible cable 52, 53 Input button 54 Indicator 55a, 55b LED 58 Memory 60 Operating system 62 Application program 62a Internet browser 62b Electronic Mail application 64 Processor 66 LCD controller 68 I / O controller 70 Memory controller 72 Northbridge control chip 74 Southbridge control chip 76 BIOS chip 78 BIOS program 80 Pseudo device driver 82 Communication controller 84 Communication module

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Liu Chien Taiwan, Taipei, Naive, Jiquan Road 581 F-term (reference) 5B020 CC12 GG22 5B076 AB17 5E501 AA02 AC37 BA02 BA05 CA04 CB02 EA10 EB05 FA46

Claims (12)

[Claims] A housing for storing an operating system and at least one application program; a processor for executing the operating system and the application program; and a housing for receiving a digital image signal and displaying a visual image. LC provided
D device; LCD by command from processor
(Liquid Crystal) LC electrically connected to processor and LCD device to control display of visible image on device
A D controller; an I / O (input / output) controller electrically connected to the processor for controlling the I / O of data from the computer; and an electrical I / O controller for inputting data. A keyboard device externally connected to the housing;
At least one input button provided in the housing and electrically connected to the I / O controller for generating a start signal; and provided in the housing for supplying power to the LCD PC (personal computer). When the computer is turned on, the A / C power supply is LC
Powering the DPC, the processor starts executing the operating system to control the operation of the computer, and when the input button is pressed, a start signal causes the operating system to start the I / O so that the operating system starts the application program. An LCD PC that is sent to the processor through the O-controller, the application program uses the operating system to display a visible image on the LCD device, and an input button to start the application program. 2. A plurality of input buttons, each for starting a corresponding application program, and a basic input / output system (BIOS) electrically connected to the processor.
A BIOS signal that includes a BIOS program executable by the processor, wherein when one of the input buttons is pressed, a start signal is sent to the processor through the I / O controller, and the processor determines the state of the input button. Execute the BIOS program to obtain the same, save it in a buffer, generate an IRQ (interrupt request) signal, and when the IRQ signal is detected by the pseudo device driver, the pseudo device driver is saved in the buffer. 2. The LCD PC according to claim 1, wherein the state of the input button is obtained, and a corresponding application program is started according to the state of the input button. 3. The LCD PC according to claim 1, further comprising at least one indicator provided on the housing and electrically connected to the I / O controller to indicate a control state of the application program. 4. An indicator includes a plurality of light emitting diodes (L) for indicating a control state of an application program.
4. The LCD PC according to claim 3, comprising ED). 5. The LCD PC according to claim 3, wherein the indicator is an LCD panel provided on the housing to indicate a control state of the application program. 6. A communication controller provided in the housing and electrically connected to a processor, and a communication module electrically connected to the communication controller, wherein the processor controls the communication module through the communication controller. The LCD PC of claim 1, wherein the controlling and communication signals are sent to or from a computer through a communication module. 7. The communication module according to claim 6, wherein the communication module is a modem.
LCD PC as described. 8. The LCD PC according to claim 6, wherein the communication module is an Ethernet card. 9. The LCD PC according to claim 6, wherein the application program is a communication application program, and when the input button is pressed, the operating system starts the communication application program and establishes a connection with another computer. 10. The LCD device according to claim 9, wherein the communication application program is an Internet browser.
C. 11. The LCD according to claim 9, wherein the communication application program is an electronic mail application.
PC. 12. The LCD according to claim 1, wherein the housing is arranged horizontally, and the LCD device is provided vertically on the housing.
PC.