JP2002278679A - Keyboard with extension bay and information processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a keyboard with an extension bay which makes it possible to operate a module or device at hand, save the space of the module or device using environment, simplify the mounting/connection of the module or device, alleviate the limit of the operability or shape/dimension of the mounted module or device and make system extension easier in function extension of an information processing system. SOLUTION: This information processing system is constituted of a mechanism part equipped with an opening to or from which a module or device with an extending function is attachable or detachable and an extension interface part to be used by mounting/connecting the module or device having the extending function on/to the opening.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a keyboard which is connected to information processing devices such as a personal computer and a work station and has an input function for the information processing devices, and a module or a module having an extended function as a part of the keyboard. A keyboard with an expansion bay that can be used by mounting / connecting a device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Hitherto, the following techniques have been used to expand the functions of information processing apparatuses such as personal computers and workstations. In the first conventional technique, a module or device having a necessary function is built in the information processing apparatus, or an external device is connected to the information processing apparatus for use. A second conventional technique is a device (IC, such as a keyboard or a monitor) having a module or device required for function expansion as a composite function as a function expansion means, which is always connected to an information processing apparatus.
A keyboard with a card reader / writer, a monitor with a speaker, etc.). As a third prior art, there is a keyboard in which a slot is provided in a keyboard and a peripheral device unit can be mounted. Such a technique is described in, for example, JP-A-11-312043.

[0003]

However, in the first prior art, when a module or a device is incorporated in an information processing apparatus, operability such as operation at hand cannot be performed depending on the installation location of the information processing apparatus. There is a problem that the connection is limited, and a space for installing the external device is required when the external device is connected to the information processing apparatus, and the connection of the cable is troublesome.

In the second prior art, there is a problem that usable functions are limited and there is no extensibility. In the third conventional technique, since the mounting portion of the module or device is a slot type, the operability and the shape / dimension of the mounted module or device are limited,
There was a problem that scalability was low.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to facilitate the mounting / connection of a module or a device when the functions of an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer and a workstation are expanded, and to improve the operability, shape and dimensions of the mounted module or the device. An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of reducing restrictions and improving scalability.

[0006]

According to the present invention, it is possible to mount and connect a module having an extended function to a part of a keyboard, to which a module or a device having an extended function can be attached and detached, and to use a module having an extended function to a keyboard part including the keyboard. And an opening portion having at least an upper surface opened in the mechanism portion.

According to the present invention, when a function of an information processing apparatus is expanded, a module or device having an expansion function is mounted in an opening of the keyboard with an expansion bay, and the module or device is fixed by a detachable mechanism, and an expansion interface is provided. The module or device can be used as a part of the function of the keyboard with an expansion bay by interfacing with the unit.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a keyboard with an extended bay showing one embodiment of the present invention. The keyboard 2 with an extended bay includes a keyboard interface unit 3 connected to the information processing apparatus 1 with a standard interface of the information processing apparatus 1 such as a personal computer, and a keyboard realizing a basic function as a keyboard used by an operator for key input. A function unit 4, a mechanism unit 7 to which a module or device 6 which is an expansion device having an expansion function can be attached and detached, and an expansion interface for mounting and connecting a module or device 6 having an expansion function such as an IC card reader or a digital camera to a keyboard part Unit 8 and keyboard function unit 4
And a control unit 9 for controlling the operation of the module or device 6 for the information processing apparatus 1 via the extension interface unit 8.

The keyboard interface unit 3 is used for signal transmission of the keyboard function unit 4 when the module or device 6 is not mounted on the keyboard 2, and is used when the module or device 6 is mounted on the keyboard 2. 4 and a module or device 6 for signal transmission. The interfaces include USB, IEEE1394, and Blue mounted on the information processing apparatus 1.
An interface such as a tooth is used.

As shown in FIG. 2, the mechanism section 7 has a configuration in which a part of the upper surface of the keyboard, a part of the upper surface and one side surface, or a part of the upper surface and two side surfaces is used as the opening 5.

As will be described later, the extension interface section 8 is used by a module or device 6 mounted on the mechanism section 7, and uses the same type of interface as the interface of the keyboard interface section 3. The control unit 9 has a HUB function such as a USB HUB controller, and controls the operation of the information processing apparatus 1 of the module or device 6 via the keyboard function unit 4 and the extension interface unit 8.

The key configuration of the keyboard function unit 4 is 1
The key arrangement may be a 09 key arrangement, a compact key arrangement, or a special key arrangement, to which a one-touch key is added.

FIG. 2 shows a mechanism section 7 showing an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is an image diagram of an opening 5. As shown in FIG. 2A, the mechanism unit 7 includes an opening 5 having a configuration in which a part of the upper surface of the keyboard and one side surface are opened, and has a structure in which modules or devices 6a and 6b can be mounted from the outside. ing. The mounted module or device can be mounted in the opening 5 from the keyboard upper surface like the module or device 6a.

The A side 10 and the B side 1 of the opening 5
1 may be open or not open. If these are open, from the open side,
It becomes possible to adopt a structure in which the module or the device 6b is mounted on the opening 5 from the side of the keyboard. Furthermore, when the A side surface 10 is configured to be open, the limitation on the width of the module or device 6b when the B side surface is set as the insertion / removal direction can be relaxed. In addition, when the b side surface 11 is configured to be open, the restriction on the length of the module or the device 6b when the b side surface is the insertion / removal direction can be relaxed.

FIG. 2B shows a keyboard 12 on which modules or devices are mounted. Thus, the mechanism 7
The opening 5 opens a part of the upper surface of the keyboard, so that the module or the device 6a, 6b can be operated at hand, and the module or the device 6a, 6b
The use environment can be reduced in space and their mounting and connection can be facilitated.

Further, since the opening 5 opens a part of the upper surface of the keyboard, it is possible to protrude the upper surface of the module or device 6 like the keyboard 12 with the expansion bay in which the module or device is mounted, The shape and size restrictions of the mounted module or device can be reduced, and expandability can be expanded. Furthermore, the restriction on the operability of the modules or devices 6a and 6b which need to have the operation unit at the top can be reduced. The modules or devices 6a and 6b that need to have an operation unit at the top include a fingerprint authentication device, a camera, a simple printer, a simple scanner, a sub monitor, a pointing device, and the like.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a mechanism section and an extension interface section showing an embodiment of a keyboard with an expansion bay according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3A, a rail 14a is provided on a side surface of the opening 5 in the mechanism section 7, and the mechanism section 7,
A slit 15a is provided on the side surface of the module or device 6. When the module or device 6 is mounted on the keyboard 1, the slit 15 a is connected to the rail 14 of the mechanism 7.
By engaging with a, the module or device 6 can be easily mounted and fixed.

FIG. 3B shows the details of the extension interface unit 8. The extension interface unit 8 is a USB or IE that can be commonly used by the module or device 6 to be mounted.
It is an interface such as EE1394 or the like and includes a bay-side interface connector 16 and a module or device-side interface connector 17. The bay-side interface connector 16 and the module or device-side interface connector 17 are configured to be plugged in when the module or device 6 is mounted on the keyboard with an expansion bay by the mechanical unit 7. A module or device 6 is interface-connected to 9.

As described above, by providing the slit and the rail, when the module or the device 6 is mounted or removed, the interface connectors 16 and 17 are provided.
Can be prevented from being applied with excessive stress.

Furthermore, by connecting the module or device mounting mechanism of the rails 14a, 14b and the slits 15a, 15b with a dedicated cable to the module or device 6, a special structure is not required for the module or device 6, so that a single unit can be used. It can also be used as an external device.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3 (3), the rails or slits may be configured as rails 14b and slits 15b. In the configuration shown in FIG. 3C, the bay-side interface connector 16 is
It is provided on the bottom surface of the mechanism section in (3). The module or device interface connector 17 is provided on the bottom surface of the module or device 6. With such a configuration, the module or device 6 can be viewed from above.
It is possible to easily carry out the work even when the device is mounted.

FIG. 4 shows an opening 5 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the opening 5 can be opened on a surface including a part of the upper surface of the keyboard (for example, the opening position 13 a, the opening position 13 b, and the opening position 13 c) in accordance with the usability of the mounted module or device. , Opening position 13d, opening position 13e).

[0024]

According to the present invention, when the functions of an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer and a workstation are expanded, the module or device can be operated at hand, the environment for using the module or device can be saved, and the module can be saved. Or facilitate the mounting / connection of devices, and the operability and shape /
It is possible to reduce dimensional limitations and improve expandability.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual view of a keyboard with an extended bay showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an image diagram of an opening showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an image diagram of a mechanism unit and an extension interface unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of an opening showing one embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Information processing device, 2 ... Keyboard with expansion bay, 3
... keyboard interface unit, 4 ... keyboard function unit, 5 ... opening, 6, 6a, 6b ... module or device, 7 ... mechanical unit, 8 ... expansion interface unit, 9
... Control part, 10 ... A side, 11 ... B side,
12... Keyboard with expansion bay on which module or device is mounted, 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, 13e
... Opening position, 14a, 14b ... Rail, 15a, 1
5b: slit, 16: bay-side interface connector, 17: module or device-side interface connector.

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Harumi Sato 810 Shimoimaizumi, Ebina-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture F-term in the Internet Platform Division of Hitachi, Ltd. 5B020 CC01 DD51 KK03 KK14

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A keyboard for inputting information to an information processing apparatus, comprising a mechanism for mounting an expansion device having an expansion function, wherein the mechanism has an opening on the upper surface of a keyboard housing. And keyboard. 2. The keyboard according to claim 1, wherein the mechanism further includes an opening on a side surface of the keyboard housing. 3. An information processing system comprising: an information processing device; and a keyboard having an input function for performing input to the information processing device, wherein the keyboard is a mechanism unit on which an expansion device having an expansion function is mounted. An information processing system, wherein the mechanism unit has an opening on an upper surface of a keyboard housing.