JPH05158578A - Portable personal computer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the portability by containing a display function and a main memory in a display part, and also, to confirm data in the course of transport, and to resume it after transport. CONSTITUTION:In the portable personal computer for attaching importance to portability, a display part 3 into which a liquid crystal panel 15 is integrated, and a base part 4 provided with a CPU 5 and a keyboard 11, etc., are separable, and a display circuit 16 and a display memory 13 are contained in the display part 3 so that a display function is operated by the display part 3 singly. Also, a main memory 12 is contained so as to have a resuming function by the display part 3 only. Moreover, a backup circuit 17 for backing up these memories is also contained.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a portable small information device, and more particularly to an internal structure of a portable personal computer which is highly portable and has improved usability.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in the personal computer market, development of portable personal computers such as laptop personal computers and notebook personal computers with an emphasis on portability is active. U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,456 has been filed and licensed as a patent for the shape of these portable personal computers. The content of the content is centered on complaints about the shape and mechanism that are the mainstream of the current portable personal computers as shown in FIG. In other words, the main body is roughly divided into a display unit that also serves as an upper lid of the main body with a display panel, and a base unit that includes a keyboard and performs arithmetic processing and storage as a computer. The display unit is a base unit and movable with an arrow 41 as a fulcrum. It is supposed to be attached to the formula. Recently, by further applying this, the display part, which is the display part, is removed, and CR
There is also a product that can be used by connecting T.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned prior art, the display section is subordinate to the base section (base section), and the display section alone cannot function. Even if it can be separated from the base part, it is an obstacle and is only removed. There is no purpose to use the removed display part by itself. This does not take into consideration that a portable personal computer that emphasizes portability does not necessarily require a keyboard or an auxiliary storage device during transportation, but only increases volume and weight and impairs portability.
That is, unnecessary items should be removed as much as possible during transportation, but the conventional portable personal computer does not have such a structure.

[0004]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, since at least the processing data and display data are required for transportation, it is not necessary to carry a storage medium such as a floppy disk as an auxiliary storage device. Is enough. However, since the current portable personal computers require a resume function as an essential function, a means for enabling a quick start is required, and a function for confirming data and making some changes during transportation is also required. Therefore, the display panel and the display circuit are components during transportation, the display memory for storing display data and the main memory for storing processing data and programs,
Furthermore, a backup circuit that makes the data in these memories non-volatile is also a constituent element during transportation. Further, a data processing circuit capable of changing the content of the data in the memory is also added. The purpose can be achieved by incorporating these components into a display unit to which a display panel is attached. In addition, a cache memory is installed to cover the data delay caused by making the display unit and base unit separable.

[0005]

If the display section has the display panel, the display circuit, and the display memory, the display circuit can read the contents of the display memory and display them on the display panel. Furthermore, if there is a main memory, the processing state can be stored even after the operation is stopped, and the next operation can be restarted quickly. Further, by backing up the data in these memories by the backup circuit, the data will not be lost even if the power supply to the display unit is stopped. If there is a processing circuit for changing the contents of the display memory and the main memory, simple work can be performed only by the display section. And by providing a cache memory between the display unit and the base unit,
The speed of mutual data exchange becomes faster and the speed bottleneck of memory access is eliminated.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment for realizing the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram and an external view for realizing an embodiment of the present invention, in which 1 is a display unit of a main body in the external view, 2 is a main body base unit in the external view, and display unit 1 and base unit 2 are Normally integrated,
It can be separated. Further, 3 is an internal block diagram of the display unit 1, and 4 is an internal block diagram of the base unit. As respective internal configurations, 5 is a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as CPU) that performs arithmetic processing, 6 is a floppy disk drive controller (hereinafter referred to as FDC) that is an external storage device, and 7 is a hard disk controller that is an external storage device. (Hereinafter referred to as HDC), 8 is a keyboard controller (hereinafter referred to as KBDC) which is an input device, 9 is a floppy disk drive, 10 is a hard disk drive, 11 is a keyboard, 12 is a main memory for storing processing data and programs, 13 Is a display memory for storing display data, 14 is a memory control circuit for accessing the main memory 12 and the display memory 13 from the CPU 5, and 15 is a liquid crystal display panel for displaying characters and pictures (hereinafter referred to as L
(Referred to as CD), 16 is a display control circuit for reading and displaying the data in the display memory 13, and 17 is the main memory 12
It is also a memory backup circuit including a battery for backing up the data in the display memory 13, and it is possible to supply power to the display circuit 16 and the LCD 15. Next, the operation will be described. As described above, the display unit 1 and the base unit 2 are usually integrated with each other, and at this time, the internal block diagrams 3 and 4 are connected, so that the same operation as a general personal computer is performed. That is, the CPU 4 executes the program accessed from the main memory 12 by the memory control circuit 14 or performs arithmetic processing according to the data input from the keyboard 11, rewrites the display memory 13 and accesses the auxiliary storage devices 9 and 10. , Proceed with the work. It is assumed that the work is interrupted at a certain time, the display unit 1 and the base unit 2 are separated, and the CPU 5 and the memory control circuit 14 are separated. Since the display unit interior 3 is supplied with power by the backup circuit 17, the contents of the main memory 12 and the display memory 13 are saved. It is also possible to supply power to the display circuit 16 and the LCD 15 to display the contents of the display memory 13 on the LCD 15. Further, since the data on the main memory 12 is also stored, it is possible to return to the state before the work interruption. That is, even if the base unit 2 is a device different from that used in the previous work, the work can be restarted. If the contents of the I / O register existing in the base part is necessary to restore the work, it is transferred to the main memory when the work is interrupted, or a dedicated register group is installed in the display inside 3. It can be dealt with. According to this embodiment, the backup circuit also serves as a power supply circuit for the display unit when the display unit and the base unit are separated, which is effective in simplifying the circuit. In addition, since the main memory and the display memory are accessed by one memory control circuit, the control is put together and the circuit can be simplified.

Next, one embodiment of the second invention will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an internal circuit of a display unit according to an embodiment of the second invention. In the figure, 21 is an input device which is a port for receiving user input data, and 22 is data and display on a main memory according to user input. A processor 23 for processing data on the memory accesses the main memory 12 and the display memory 13 when it is accessed by the CPU 5 of the base unit, and a processor 22 when disconnected from the CPU 5 of the base unit.
1 is a bus of the CPU in the inside 4 of the base portion of FIG.
Exchange with 3 The other numbers already mentioned are the same as those in FIG. The input device 21 may be several keys or a touch panel on the display. As the processing processor, a processor capable of performing simple data processing such as a 4-bit 1-chip microcomputer is suitable, and a processing program is built in advance. The contents of the processing include, for example, saving the display data in the main memory, transferring it to the display memory, changing the text data in the display memory, and changing the stored data for table calculation in the main memory. It is possible to keep it. Memory control circuit 2
3 is CP for access from the CPU of the base unit.
Since it is connected to the U address bus and the data bus 24, general memory access is performed to send data to the CPU or write data from the CPU to the memory. When the bus is disconnected, the access is performed according to the access of the processor 22. However, since it is considered that the data width and the address value will be different from the bus of the CPU, another bus should be provided as in this embodiment. The power of the processor 22 is supplied from the backup circuit 17. According to the present embodiment, there is an effect that various processing can be performed by the program incorporated in the processing processor.

Next, one embodiment of the third invention will be described. FIG. 3 is an internal block diagram of the third invention.
Reference numeral 1 is a high-speed, relatively small-capacity memory which is a cache memory for buffering main memory data, and 32 is a controller of the cache memory 31. The other numbers already mentioned are the same as those in FIGS. 1 and 2. When the display unit interior 3 and the base unit 4 are integrated, the entire unit operates as a normal personal computer, and the cache memory 31 and the cache memory controller 32 perform normal functions. In other words, if there is a read access to the main memory 12,
First, search access data in the cache memory 31,
If there is no data, the main memory 12 is read-accessed and the cache memory 31 is written. Next, if there is the same access, data can be accessed from the high speed cache memory 31 without waiting for the access time to the main memory 12. On the other hand, when the display unit 3 and the base unit 4 are separated from each other, the cache memory 31 cannot function because the main memory 12 for which the effect is exerted does not exist. That is, the cache memory 31 functions only when the display unit 3 and the base unit 4 are integrated. According to the present embodiment, since the display unit and the base unit are separable from each other, there is an effect of preventing the access speed of the memory from being lowered and the performance of the device from being lowered.

[0009]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the display can be viewed only by carrying the display section of the portable personal computer, and the display functions as a paperless document. Also, if there is a base part at the destination, you can restart the work,
You can save the trouble of setting up auxiliary storage such as floppy disks. Of course, it is smaller and lighter than carrying the entire computer,
It is highly portable.

According to the second invention, in addition to the effect of the first invention, simple data processing can be performed without the base portion. You will be able to make corrections. Further, if the display data is also stored in the main memory and is transferred to the display memory when desired, it becomes possible to store many pages as a paperless document.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the display section and the base section can be separated from each other in the first aspect, it is considered that a factor such as a connector is provided in the data transfer section, which causes a delay. , It is effective in preventing the memory access from slowing down and degrading the performance of the device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an internal block and an external appearance in an embodiment of the first invention.

FIG. 2 is an internal block diagram of a display unit in an embodiment of the second invention.

FIG. 3 is an internal block diagram in an embodiment of the third invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Display part, 2 ... Base part, 3 ... Display part internal block diagram, 4 ... Base part internal block diagram, 12
... main memory, 13 ... display memory, 14 ... memory control circuit, 17 ... backup circuit, 21 ... input device, 22 ...
Processing processor, 23 ... Memory control, 24 ... CPU bus, 31 ... Cache memory, 32 ... Cache memory controller.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A portability in which a main body is divided into a display portion also serving as an upper lid and a base portion which is a base portion of the main body, and a liquid crystal panel is attached to the display portion as a display device.
In a portable personal computer with excellent portability, the display unit and the base unit are separable, the display unit has a display unit for displaying on the liquid crystal panel, a display storage device for storing display data, and an arithmetic unit. A main storage device for storing data, programs, etc .; a backup means for making the contents of the display storage device and the main storage device non-volatile;
A portable personal computer equipped with an auxiliary storage device and a central processing unit. 2. The portable personal computer according to claim 1, wherein the display section is provided with processing means capable of erasing and rewriting the contents of the display storage device and the main storage device. 3. The portable personal computer according to claim 1, wherein a cache memory and its controller are provided in the base portion, and the portable personal computer has a function of accessing data in the main storage device and the display storage device of the display portion at high speed. Portable personal computer.