JPH06314136A - Information processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the information processor which eliminates the need to adjust a visual angle at each time even when a display device is used at different angles. CONSTITUTION:This information processor is provided with a means which discriminates between two states wherein the display device 3 is raised and fallen down and a means which varies a resistance value for setting the visual angle by the means by a quantity corresponding to almost 45 deg. in terms of the visual angle. Therefore, even when the installation angle of the display device 3 of the information process is changed from the state where the display device is raised to the fallen state or vice versa, troublesome operation for adjusting the visual angle by rotating a variable resistor for visual angle adjustment at each time need not be performed, so the operability of the information processor is improved.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus using a display such as a liquid crystal display having a wide viewing angle as a display device, and more specifically, the installation angle of the display device according to the use condition. The present invention relates to an information processing device that can be changed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, a pen computer, which is capable of inputting data by an electronic pen using a display device in which display and data input are integrated, has been attracting attention. As one of such pen computers, there is a pen computer that has a keyboard in addition to an electronic pen and can input data from the keyboard. In this type of pen computer, when data is mainly input through a keyboard, it is more convenient to use the display device upright like a normal personal computer. On the other hand, in the case of mainly inputting data using an electronic pen, it is more convenient to lay the display device horizontally as in the case of ordinary paper and pencil. Therefore, as a pen computer capable of inputting not only from an electronic pen but also from a keyboard, there has been proposed one in which the installation angle of a display device can be changed.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned pen computer, since the liquid crystal display used as a display device has a viewing angle, the display device 14 is used upright as shown in FIG. When the person 17 inputs data, it is desirable to set the center of the viewing angle in a direction substantially vertical to the display surface of the display device 14 (FIG. 7A), while the display device 14 is laid down and data is input from the electronic pen 16. In this case, it is desirable to set the center of the viewing angle to a direction approximately 45 degrees before the vertical direction of the display surface of the display device 14 (FIG. 7B). For this reason, in the conventional pen computer, every time the installation angle of the display device is changed, the user has to perform a troublesome operation of rotating the viewing angle adjustment volume to readjust the viewing angle according to each case.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of the conventional information processing apparatus described above and to eliminate the need to adjust the viewing angle one by one even when the display apparatus of the information processing apparatus is used by changing the installation angle. To provide.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, in the first aspect of the invention, the display device can be used while standing in a substantially vertical direction, and the display device can be laid down in a substantially horizontal direction when used. It is also possible to provide a means for automatically setting the viewing angle by a predetermined angle in the front direction when the display device is laid down and used than when the display device is set upright. did.

Further, according to the second aspect of the invention, in the information processing device in which the orientation of the display device can be set to an arbitrary angle or a plurality of predetermined angles, the display device can be set in accordance with the use angle of the display device. A means for automatically changing the viewing angle is provided.

[0007]

In the first aspect of the present invention, a mechanical device for distinguishing the two states when the display device is set up and when the display device is laid down, for example, the main body is provided only in one of these two states. The projection from the side is fitted with the recess provided in the display device, etc. By using this mechanical device, the projection from the body side that is fitted with the display device is connected to the variable viewing angle adjustment resistor. The viewing angle is automatically changed by controlling the connection of the resistors to change the resistance value for setting the viewing angle by an amount corresponding to a predetermined angle.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the view angle adjusting variable resistor or the view angle adjusting variable resistor is connected in parallel or in series depending on the installation angle of the display device at the joint between the main body side and the display device. The rotating type midpoint slider of the variable resistor is rotated to change the resistance value for setting the viewing angle and automatically change the viewing angle.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
1A and 1B are external views of a pen computer according to an embodiment of the first invention. FIG. 1A shows a case where the display device is used upright and FIG. 1B shows a case where the display device is laid down and used. However, FIG. 1A is a view seen from a slightly rear side of the pen computer, and the display surface of the display device 3 is not visible. In FIG. 1, 1 is a main body in which a processing device is stored, 2 is a keyboard, 3 is a display device in which display and data input are integrated, and 4 is a cable for connecting the main body 1 and the display device 3 together. Further, the arms 5 and 6 for supporting the display device 1 are auxiliary arms for supporting the display device 3,
Reference numeral 7 is a cut portion provided in the display device 3 and 8 is an arm 4
Is a protrusion provided at the tip of the. The electronic pen is omitted in FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of the display device 3 of the pen computer of FIG. 30 in FIG.
1 is a liquid crystal panel, 302 is a drive circuit of the liquid crystal panel 301, 303 is a data input tablet, 304 is an interface circuit of the data input tablet 303, 305 is a backlight, 306 is a power supply circuit for backlight, 30
7 is a viewing angle adjusting variable resistor, 308 is a fixed resistor, 30
Reference numeral 9 is a brightness adjustment variable resistor, 310 is a short-circuit switch, and other circuits and the like not directly related to the description of the present invention are omitted for simplicity. Here, among the components of the display device of FIG. 2, the liquid crystal panel 301, the drive circuit 302, the backlight 305, and the backlight power supply circuit 306 are usually integrated and sold as a liquid crystal display by a liquid crystal display manufacturer. Therefore, a computer manufacturer purchases this liquid crystal display and attaches a viewing angle adjustment variable resistor 307, a brightness adjustment variable resistor 309, and the like as necessary to make the display device 3. Therefore, a computer manufacturer usually does not know how to change the viewing angle of the liquid crystal panel 301 inside the driving circuit 302 when the resistance value of the viewing angle adjusting variable resistor 307 is changed, and simply to specify the specifications of the liquid crystal display. It is only necessary to know in which direction the viewing angle changes according to the magnitude of the resistance value of the viewing angle adjusting variable resistor 307. Therefore, in implementing the present invention, the drive circuit 30
There is no problem even if the specific operation for changing the viewing angle in 2 is not known, and in the description of the embodiment of the present invention, particularly in the drive circuit 302 connected to the viewing angle adjusting variable resistor 307. Details of the circuit for adjusting the viewing angle are not shown. Hereinafter, in the embodiment of FIG. 2, when the value of the viewing angle adjusting variable resistor 307 becomes small, the viewing angle changes to the upper direction of the display screen, and the viewing angle adjusting variable resistor 3
When the value of 07 becomes large, the viewing angle changes in the front direction as seen from the user under the display screen, that is, when the display device 3 is placed horizontally. Here, in the pen computer of the present invention shown in FIG. 2, the fixed resistor 308 is inserted in series with the view angle adjusting variable resistor 307, and the resistance value for setting the actual view angle is the view angle adjusting variable resistor 307. And the resistance value of the fixed resistor 308. Further, the fixed resistor 308 can take two states, that is, a state where both ends thereof are short-circuited by the short-circuit switch 310 and a state where the fixed resistor 308 is inserted as it is. FIG. 3 shows a conceptual diagram of the operation of the short circuit switch 310. The short-circuit switch 310 is used when the display device 3 is used upright as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3A, the protruding portion 8 of the arm 4 is formed in the cut portion 7 on the upper rear surface of the display device 3 (in the state of FIG. 3A, it is far from the cut portion 7 and appears in the figure). Is not inserted, the short-circuiting switch 310 is in a short-circuited state. On the other hand, when the display device 3 is laid down and used as shown in FIG. 1B, the arm 4 is moved as shown in FIG. 3B. The protrusion 8 of the short circuit switch 310 is fitted into the notch 7 on the upper rear surface of the display device 3.
Is an open state. In FIG. 3 (b), the arm 4 is shaded, but this is for the sake of easy understanding of the drawing and is not a cross section. Therefore, in this case, when the display device 3 is used upright, the resistance value that sets the viewing angle is only the viewing angle adjustment variable resistor 307. On the other hand, when the display device 3 is laid down and used, the resistance that sets the viewing angle is set. The fixed resistor 308 is connected in series to the viewing angle adjusting variable resistor 307. Therefore, when the display device 3 is laid down and used, the viewing angle is set by the amount corresponding to the resistance value of the fixed resistor 308. The viewing angle changes to the front because the resistance value of is increased. Therefore, if the resistance value of the fixed resistor 308 is selected to be a value equivalent to approximately 45 degrees in terms of viewing angle, the viewing angle when the display device 3 is laid down is about 45 than when the display device 3 is set up. Will be automatically set to the front.

Note that the specification of a liquid crystal display does not usually show a quantitative relationship between the resistance value for setting the viewing angle and the viewing angle. Therefore, the resistance value corresponding to a viewing angle of about 45 degrees is actually determined experimentally. Further, in the above description or the description using FIG. 7 described above, the optimum difference between the centers of the viewing angles when the display device 3 is erected and when the display device 3 is laid down is about 45 degrees, but when the display device 3 is erected. Depending on the system, the difference in the center of the viewing angle is about 60, because there are various angles even when installed at a certain angle.
It goes without saying that some systems have an optimum degree of degree, and others have an optimal difference in the center of the viewing angle of about 30 degrees. Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the fitting of the projection 8 and the cut portion 7 is said to be fitted when the display device 3 is laid down, but it may be fitted when the display device 3 is stood up. It is obvious that the shape and position of the cut-and-cut portion 7 are not limited to the above. Further, the short-circuit switch 310 is assumed to be in the open state when the projection 8 and the cut-out portion 7 are fitted, but the circuit may be configured such that the short-circuit switch 310 is in the short-circuited state when the projection 8 and the cut-out portion 7 are fitted. It is clear that you can do it. Further, although the fixed resistor 308 is connected in series to the viewing angle adjusting variable resistor 307, it may be connected in parallel, or as a liquid crystal display.
It is not the type that connects and uses only two terminals of the viewing angle adjustment variable resistor as shown in Figure 3 but the type that is used by individually connecting the three terminals including the midpoint slider of the viewing angle adjustment variable resistor. For a liquid crystal display, a fixed resistor may be connected between the midpoint slider and one of the two ends, in which case the short-circuit switch 310 short-circuits both ends of the fixed resistor 308. View angle adjustment variable resistor 307
It is necessary to function as a switch that is connected in parallel with or is not connected because it is opened. It should be noted that the state in which the display device 3 is erected and the state in which the display device 3 is laid down are distinguished not only by the fitting of the protrusion and the cut portion as described above, but also by the weight of the display device 3 which is always oriented in the gravity direction regardless of the orientation of the display device 3. It is also possible to identify the state of the display device 3 based on the angle of the display device 3 with respect to the weight provided in the position 3 and to configure or control the short-circuit switch 310 using this, and the present invention can be implemented. it is obvious.

FIG. 4 is an external view of a portable pen computer according to another embodiment of the first invention and a coupling device for connecting and using the pen computer.
Is a pen computer, and (b) is a coupling device. In FIG. 4, 9 is a pen computer, 10 is a cutting part provided in the pen computer, 11 is a light emitting and receiving part for transmitting and receiving data by light, 12 is a coupling device, 13 is a keyboard,
Reference numeral 14 is a protrusion provided on the coupling device 12, and reference numeral 15 is a light emitting and receiving portion for transmitting and receiving data by light. However, the electronic pen is omitted in FIG. When the portable pen computer 9 is used alone, data is input only by the electronic pen, so that the pen computer 9 is used by lying down, and the keyboard 13 or the external storage device or the pen computer 9 is omitted in FIG. 4B. When it is used by connecting it to the coupling device 12 provided with the charging device, it is used like a desktop computer, and the pen computer 9 is connected upright as shown in FIG. Also in this case, as in the case of the first embodiment, when the pen computer 9 is connected to the coupling device 12, the protrusion 14 from the coupling device 12 is fitted into the slit 10 of the pen computer 9 so that As in the case of the first embodiment, by controlling the connection between the viewing angle adjusting variable resistor and the fixed resistor, the pen computer 9 can be laid alone and used by being connected to the coupling device 12 and used upright. It is possible to automatically change the center of the viewing angle by a desired angle. The detailed description of the operation in this case and the drawings therefor are basically the same as in the case of the first embodiment, and are therefore omitted.

Next, an embodiment of the second invention will be described. Second
The external appearance of the pen computer, which is an embodiment of the present invention, is that the projection 8 of the arm 4 and the notch 7 of the display device 3 in FIG. 1 of the first invention are not the embodiments of the second invention. 1 is the same as that of FIG. 1 except for the above, and therefore, in the following description, FIG. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an outline of the display device 3 of the pen computer according to the second invention. In FIG. 6, reference numeral 311 is a variable resistor, and other reference numerals are the same as those in FIG.
Is the same as in. In the display device 3 of FIG. 6, the viewing angle adjusting variable resistor 307 is for the user to adjust by himself as in the case of the first invention.
Numeral 11 is embedded in a joint portion where the arm 4 and the display device 3 are joined, and the midpoint slider thereof changes as the display device 3 rotates about the joint portion with the arm 4 and changes its installation angle. The midpoint slider of the variable resistor 311 also rotates at the same time. Therefore, the resistance value that sets the viewing angle, which is determined by the parallel resistance value of the viewing angle adjustment variable resistor 307 and the variable resistor 311, changes according to the installation angle of the display device 3. Therefore, in the pen computer of the second invention, the viewing angle is automatically adjusted not only in the two states shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B but also at any installation angle between (a) and (b). Will be optimally set. The variable resistor 311 may be embedded not in the joint with the arm 4 but in the joint with the auxiliary arm 5 or 6. The variable resistor 311 may be connected in series with the viewing angle adjustment variable resistor 307.

Although a pen computer provided with a display device in which display and data input are integrated has been taken up as an embodiment of the first and second inventions, the present invention does not have a data input function by an electronic pen. A computer that uses a liquid crystal display as a display device, or a type in which the installation angle of the display device can be changed by a liquid crystal television receiver, for example, the display device is embedded in a desk and placed horizontally, and the display device is lifted upright. It goes without saying that it can be used in the same manner as in the above embodiment. Further, it goes without saying that the present invention can be similarly applied to a device provided with a display device having a wide viewing angle other than the liquid crystal display. In this case, the setting of the viewing angle is not the control of the resistance value from the outside as in the above-described embodiment, but there is a control method peculiar to each device, and the present invention is applied to any of those control methods. It is clear that you can do it.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, even when the display device of the information processing device is used by changing the installation angle, the viewing angle is adjusted again by rotating the viewing angle adjustment volume. Since it is not necessary to perform a troublesome operation, usability of the information processing device can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of a pen computer that is an embodiment of the first invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a display device in the embodiment of the first invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an operation of a short-circuit switch in the display device of the first invention.

FIG. 4 is an external view of a pen computer that is another embodiment of the first invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram when a pen computer and a coupling device are connected in another embodiment of the first invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a display device according to an embodiment of the second invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a viewing angle in a use state of the pen computer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Main body part, 3 ... Display device, 9 ... Pen computer, 12 ... Coupling device, 301 ... Liquid crystal panel, 302 ... Drive circuit, 303 ... Tablet, 307 ... Viewing angle adjustment variable resistor, 308 ... Fixed resistor, 310 … Short-circuit switch.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. In an information processing device, the display device can be used upright in a substantially vertical direction, and the display device can be used in a substantially horizontal direction. In the case of doing so, an information processing device comprising means for automatically setting the viewing angle by a predetermined angle in the front direction as compared with the case of using the display device upright. 2. The means for automatically setting the viewing angle in the front direction by a predetermined angle according to claim 1, wherein the means for distinguishing between the two states of the display device standing and the lying state are An information processing apparatus comprising: a resistance value for setting a viewing angle by means for distinguishing between two states, and a means for changing the resistance value by an amount corresponding to a predetermined angle in the viewing angle. 3. An information processing apparatus capable of setting the orientation of a display device at an arbitrary angle or at a plurality of predetermined angles, the viewing angle of the display device being automatically adjusted according to the use angle of the display device. An information processing apparatus comprising means for changing to. 4. The means for automatically changing a viewing angle of a display device according to a use angle of the display device according to claim 3,
An information processing device, characterized in that it is a means for determining a resistance value for setting a viewing angle with a variable resistor in which a midpoint slider rotates in accordance with a use angle of a display device.