KR100470263B1 - Computer with illuminator for keyboard - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a portable computer 100 in which an LED holder 150 is installed on an upper portion of the LCD 109 and an LED is attached within the LED holder 150. The light emitted from the LED passes through an opening made at the bottom of the LED holder 150 to illuminate the keyboard 103.

Description

Computer with Illuminator for Keyboard {COMPUTER WITH ILLUMINATOR FOR KEYBOARD}

Portable computers are small, lightweight, and portable, and can be used anywhere in a computer independent of a commercial power source by mounting a battery charger inside the computer. Typically, portable computers have liquid crystal displays (LCDs), keyboards and pointing devices, and a number of devices have been fabricated to save battery power consumption. In recent years, computers have been widely used in locations far away from offices, so the use of computers in poorly lit environments, such as trains or living rooms, is increasing.

To use a computer, the user must operate the keyboard and pointing device while looking at the LCD. Most LCDs have a back light, so the user can see the screen even in low light. However, since the keyboard and pointing device cannot emit light unless they use fluorescent paint or fluorescent material, the user cannot visually recognize the key position or script on the key surface in the dark. Thus, a user who is not an expert in working with a computer without seeing a keyboard and pointing device may not be able to use the computer sufficiently in such an environment. Moreover, the backlight of the LCD does not provide enough illumination to operate the keyboard.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 59-4493 (Designers Suganuma and Yajima) discloses a technique for installing a illuminator in an electronic device such as an electronic register and illuminating the keyboard as shown in FIG. have. Since the illuminator is provided on the upper portion of the front display of the register, the keyboard can be illuminated when the register is used. However, these electronic resistors are installed rather than portable and are based on the assumption that commercial power supplies are available. Thus, the application does not disclose a way of placing the light source at the same location in the portable computer. That is, the specific method for arranging the light source above the LCD of the portable computer is not described. Moreover, the light source shown in FIG. 1 is considered to be an incandescent lamp.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-314598 (inventor Sugawara) discloses a technique for illuminating a keyboard of a personal computer (PC), as shown in FIG. The light source is installed between the keyboard and the display portion and attached to the main body of the PC. However, installing the light source in this position will cause some problems. First, in a portable computer, a large area is used on the side where the keyboard is located to secure a palm rest portion that supports the user's palm when the user operates the keyboard. For this reason, in many cases it is difficult to secure space for installing the light source in the position shown in FIG. Furthermore, in order to illuminate the entire keyboard from the position of the light source shown in FIG. 2, the light source must be made higher than the upper surface of the key of the keyboard and a cover must be installed. For this reason, when the cover containing the LCD is closed, the computer will be considerably thick. Moreover, since the entire keyboard is illuminated by a light source installed at the position shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of point light sources or line light sources must be provided, which causes problems related to power consumption of the battery.

Moreover, the light source is partially covered so that light does not radiate outside the keyboard. In addition, the specification of the above-mentioned Publication No. 8-314598 discloses, "In addition, when the light source is attached to the liquid crystal unit, the keyboard can be visually recognized in a dark place. A light source with a capacitance is required, and ii) in the case of a liquid crystal portion with a backlight, there is a problem that light enters the liquid crystal portion and disturbs the field of view. Accordingly, it can be seen from the specification of the above-mentioned Publication No. 8-314598 that there is a problem in terms of the capacity and the field of view of the light source, so that the method of attaching the light source to the liquid crystal part has been abandoned.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7-25415 (designers Shinomura and Sasaki) discloses a technique for illuminating a keyboard by installing a detachable light source in a notebook-sized PC. In this publication, the light source is installed as a separate (ie detachable) device without being attached to the main body of the PC. In this way, the light source must be carried separately from the computer, and thus does not complement the portability of the PC. Also, detachably attaching the light source will be cumbersome for the user.

The present invention relates to a battery-driven computer having a light source for illuminating a keyboard of the computer.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional register having an illuminator for a keyboard.

2 is a schematic view showing a conventional personal computer having a light source for a keyboard.

3 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of a portable computer according to the present invention.

Figure 4 is an exploded view showing the separated state of the back cover, LCD and LED holder shown in Figure 3 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a detailed view showing a preferred embodiment of the LED holder shown in FIG.

6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the LED holder is attached in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a view showing a distribution characteristic of light emitted from an LED included in an LED holder according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

8 illustrates light distribution characteristics in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

9 is a sectional view of an LED holder with a shutter in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

10 is a circuit diagram showing a preferred embodiment of a lighting control circuit for switching the LED holders on and off.

In a first aspect, the invention comprises a keyboard 103 and a display 109, an LED holder 150 having a wall formed with an opening 161 and installed near an upper edge of the display, and the LED holder. And a LED installed inside the wall, wherein the light emitted from the LED passes through the opening to illuminate the keyboard.

Preferably a light emitting diode (LED) is selected as the light source for keyboard illumination. Typically, LEDs have been used to indicate the operating status of electronic devices and have been used as status indicators rather than as lighting devices. However, in recent years, LEDs having relatively high brightness suitable for lighting have been developed, so that LEDs are used to illuminate the keyboard of a portable computer in a preferred embodiment to solve problems not solved in the prior art. Since LEDs are small and do not compromise the portability of the computer to which they are attached, LEDs are suitable as keyboard illuminators mounted on battery-powered computers. In addition, the LED's low power consumption rarely shortens battery operating time.

Moreover, the LED holder according to the preferred embodiment is installed near the upper edge of the display and the LED is installed in the LED holder. This position is perfect for attaching a light source, since there is no obstacle to illuminating the keyboard. Furthermore, by installing the light source here, it is possible to illuminate the entire keyboard even with a single point light source, so that there is no need to prepare a plurality of point light sources, line light sources or surface light sources. An opening is formed in the wall of the LED holder, and the light emitted from the LED passes through the opening to reach the keyboard. The distribution of light passing through the opening is preferably controlled by adjusting the position where the LED holder is attached and the size and position of the opening in the wall of the LED holder.

In a preferred embodiment, some of the light emitted from the LEDs is obscured by the walls of the LED holders and the remaining light through the openings does not directly illuminate the display. This can be realized, for example, by appropriately selecting the shape of the holder, the position to which the holder is attached, the position of the opening, the size of the opening, and the like. This overcomes the problems of the prior art, where the light emitted from the light source disturbs the visual perception of the display when the light source is installed on top of the display.

In a preferred embodiment, when the display is open to about 90 ° relative to the body, the light emitted from the LED passes through the opening to substantially illuminate only the keyboard. An angle of about 90 ° is considered to be the smallest angle for the user to use the computer. If the entire keyboard is illuminated at this angle, it is fully ensured that the entire keyboard is illuminated even if the back cover is opened further. This can also be realized, for example, by appropriately selecting the parameters related to the openings.

Preferably, the LED holder is provided with a shutter for adjusting the opening degree of the aperture. Thus, the user can manually adjust the position of the shutter to adjust the light distribution to match the tilted state of the display.

According to a preferred embodiment, the LCD is selected as the display and the portable computer is selected as the computer. In particular, the present invention is applicable to a portable computer, because keyboard lighting is often required as compared to an installed computer.

Preferably, the LED is switched off when the back cover is closed. In this way, closing the back cover without switching the LEDs off can prevent battery drain.

Thus, a battery-powered computer is preferably provided that provides LEDs on top of a display, such as an LCD, to realize good keyboard illumination. A computer that has low power consumption (even when the light is on), can be used as battery-powered operation without taking up a lot of space, and can effectively illuminate the keyboard without adversely affecting the visual recognition of the display. Is provided. In addition, portability does not fall.

The technology of illuminating the keyboard of a portable computer with a light source installed on top of the LCD has been difficult and not realized until now. However, when the LCD is unfolded to use a portable computer, there is no obstacle to block the light between the upper portion of the LCD and the keyboard, so the upper portion of the LCD is the most efficient position to illuminate the keyboard. However, since the distance from the light source to the keyboard becomes larger, it becomes important for the illuminator as the light source to have a large brightness and a lower energy consumption. Moreover, when the keyboard is illuminated from the top of the LCD, the plan should be adjusted so that the visual perception of the LCD is not disturbed by the direct light incident on the LCD. The present invention preferably solves these problems and realizes a technique of illuminating a keyboard of a portable computer that has not been achieved in the prior art.

3 illustrates a preferred embodiment of a notebook sized portable computer 100 in accordance with the present invention. The keyboard 103 is disposed on the upper surface of the main body 101, and the palm rest 111 that supports the user's hand when operating the keyboard is disposed on the side where the keyboard is located. One end of the back cover 105 is attached near one side of the main body 101 to open and close. The back cover 105 serves to cover both the keyboard 103 and the palm rest 111 when the computer is not in use. An LCD 109 is attached to the back cover 105, and a bezel 107 is also attached to the back cover 105 to cover the periphery of the LCD 109 and the periphery of the back cover. When using the computer 100, the back cover 105 is rotated 90 degrees or more with respect to the main body 101 to operate the keyboard 103 while looking at the LCD.

The computer 100 further includes an LED holder 150 and an LED switch 113 including an LED for keyboard lighting. With the back cover 105 open, when the user operates the LED switch 113 to turn on the LED, the light is illuminated on the keyboard 103.

4 illustrates a separated state of the back cover 105, LCD 109, rim 107 and LED holder 150 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The back cover 105 is provided with a protrusion 116 having a thread connected therein, and the LED holder 150 passes through the opening 117 of the rim 107 and is attached to the protrusion 116 by a screw 115. do. The back cover 105 is formed with a protrusion 120 for attaching the LCD 109 to the back cover 105. The switch 113 is installed in the edge 107.

5 shows an enlarged view of the LED holder 150 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 5A, the fixing part 151 of the LED holder 150 is attached to the protrusion 116. FIG. 5B shows a cross section along line A-A in FIG. 5A. FIG. 5C shows a bottom view of the protrusion 116 shown in FIG. 5B. FIG. 5B shows the LED fixture 159, which is preferably installed inwardly from the sidewall 157, and the central portion of the LED fixture 159 through which an opening can be formed to insert and secure the LED 155. . The LED 155 is inserted into this opening from the upper portion and fixed to the LED holder 150. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5C, an opening 161 is formed in the bottom portion 153 of the LED holder 150. Some of the light emitted from the LED 155 is blocked by the bottom portion 153, while the rest is emitted out of the LED holder 150 through the opening 161.

This preferred embodiment adopts LED as a light source. LED 155 may be used, such as NSPWF50BS (manufactured by Nicha Chemical Industries, Ltd.). This LED 155 has a brightness of 0.18 cd and a power consumption of 252 mW, and thus has characteristics of brightness and low power consumption sufficient to illuminate the keyboard. Moreover, the size of the portion where light is radiated is as small as 2 x 4 mm so that it can be accommodated in the LED holder size shown in FIG. In a preferred embodiment, the battery capacity of the computer 100 is 4800 mAh and the power consumption of the LED to that battery capacity is about 1.6%. Thus, the computer 100 with the LED 155 off may operate for 3 hours under standard operating conditions, and even if the LED 155 is on under the same conditions, the operating time of the computer 100 may be about Only three minutes will be shortened.

6 shows a state in which the LED holder 150 is attached to the back cover 105 in accordance with a preferred embodiment. The LED holder 150 and the LCD 109 are attached to the back cover 105 by the protrusion 116 and the protrusions 120, respectively. The edge 107 covers the periphery of the LCD 109 and the end of the back cover 105, and at the portion where the LED holder 150 is attached, an opening is formed in the edge 107 so that the bottom portion of the LED holder ( 153) out of the border.

In FIG. 6B, according to the preferred embodiment, the size of the opening 161, the spacing from the surface of the LCD 109 to the opening 161, and the angle of the bottom portion 153 relative to the LCD surface are important. This is because these parameters are an important factor in determining the distribution characteristic of light emitted downward from the LED holder 150. In a preferred embodiment, the size of the opening 161 is 4 mm x 2 mm, the distance from the LCD surface to the opening 161 is 5 mm, and the angle of the base 153 relative to the LCD surface is about 90 degrees. This light distribution prevents the light emitted from the LED 155 from directly illuminating the LCD surface, thereby preventing visual recognition of the LCD. Moreover, the light distribution characteristic is determined so that while using the computer, the entire keyboard is effectively illuminated within the range of the inclination angle of the predetermined back cover 105. The setting of the light distribution characteristic is described in detail below.

FIG. 7 illustrates light distribution characteristics emitted from the LED holder 150 containing the LEDs 155 in the portable computer 100, according to a preferred embodiment. FIG. 7A is a side view illustrating the body 101 being opened to maintain about 90 °. With the LCD tilted, the light ray 131 closest to the LCD 109 illuminates the end of the keyboard closest to the LCD. As shown in FIG. 6B, the light ray 131 is formed by the angle formed between the LCD surface and the bottom portion 153 of the LED holder 159, the size of the opening 161, and the gap between the LCD surface and the opening 161. Is determined. In FIG. 7A, the light ray 131 is shown to illuminate the portion of the keyboard 103 closest to the LCD 109, but it is not shown whether the light ray has sufficient illuminance to illuminate the keyboard. Indeed, weak light rays are emitted from the opening 161 toward the LCD 109.

In a preferred embodiment, this weak light distribution is illustrated in FIG. 8. Some of the light emitted from the LED holder 150 includes weak light that travels in the direction of the LCD 109, such as light 131. However, in this embodiment, the above-described parameters, such as the size of the opening 161, do not propagate the light beam 131 beyond the coupling portion 137 between the back cover 105 and the main body 101 to the LCD surface. Is determined not to. Thus, even when the back cover is used at any angle, there is no possibility that light will illuminate the LCD 109 directly, so there is no possibility that the visual perception of the LCD will be disturbed.

Returning to FIG. 7, the above-described parameters, such as the size of the opening 161, indicate that the farthest ray 133 farthest from the LCD 109 is farthest from the LCD when the back cover 109 is opened at 90 °. It is determined to illuminate the end of the remote keyboard 103.

7B shows a top view of the computer shown in FIG. 7A in accordance with a preferred embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7B, the light distribution characteristic is determined such that when the back cover is opened at 90 °, the entire keyboard is illuminated. Typically, computer 100 is used at 110 ° to 135 °. Thus, the computer is often used with the back cover open more than the position shown in FIG. 7A with respect to the body 101. In the case where the inclination angle of the back cover 105 gradually increases, the light ray 133 will move to the surface where the main body 101 is located and cross the main body 101. However, the entire keyboard 103 is still illuminated and there is no difficulty in operating the keyboard in a dark environment. Since the amount of movement of the end of the light ray 131 is very small, there is no difficulty in illuminating the end of the keyboard 103 near the LCD.

FIG. 9 shows a shutter installed in the LED holder to prevent the light beam 133 from crossing the main body 101 and illuminating unnecessary portions when the inclination of the back cover 105 gradually increases according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 163 is shown. The shutter 163 is installed in the LED holder 150 to be manually moved. The mechanism for manually moving the shutter 163 extends the shutter fixing shaft outward from the side wall 157 of the LED holder 150 (see FIG. 5B), and attaches a control dial to the shaft. This mechanism may be employed, or any other known mechanism may be employed. It is preferable to provide the slide shutter 163 with a locking mechanism for fixing the shutter 163 to an arbitrary position. The shutter 163 adjusts the opening degree of the opening 161 to match the inclination angle of the back cover 105.

According to a preferred embodiment, the control of the on and off switching of the LED is performed by the switch 113 shown in FIG. If the LED 155 is always in the on state when the switch 113 is in the on state, the case occurs in which the back cover 105 is closed with the LED 155 in the on state. In order to prevent such a case, as shown in FIG. 10, it is preferable that a second switch 114 connected to the opening / closing operation of the back cover 105 is added to the lighting control circuit. The LED 155, the switch 113, and the second switch are connected in series with the power source. The second switch 114 is turned on only when the back cover is open. In this state, the switch 113 may be switched on or off, whereby the LED 155 may be switched on or off.

Claims (6)

In a computer 100 having a keyboard 103 and a display 109 and operable on battery power, An LED holder 150 including a wall having an opening 161 formed therein, and mounted near an upper edge of the display; An LED attached inside the wall of the LED holder, Light emitted from the LED through the opening directly illuminates the keyboard. The method of claim 1, And the wall of the LED holder blocks some of the light emitted from the LED such that the emitted light does not directly illuminate the surface of the display. The method of claim 1, The wall of the LED holder is a portion of the light emitted from the LED so that the light emitted from the LED through the opening substantially illuminates the keyboard when the display is open to maintain about 90 ° relative to the keyboard. To block the computer. The method of claim 1, The LED holder further comprises a manually adjustable shutter (163) to obstruct a portion of the opening. The main body is equipped with a keyboard on the upper side, the rear cover is attached to the rear edge of the main body to be rotated to the rear edge of the main body when opened and the liquid crystal display device attached to the inner side of the rear cover In the driveable computer provided, An LED holder attached to the center of an upper edge of the cover when the cover is opened, the LED holder including a wall having an opening; An LED attached to the interior of the wall of the LED holder, And the LED holder is configured such that light emitted from the LED irradiates the keyboard through the opening and does not directly irradiate the surface of the liquid crystal display. The method of claim 5, And a switch (113) for switching said LED to an off state when said back cover is closed.