JPH0633513Y2 - Display selection controller - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of Invention] (Field of Industrial Use) The present invention relates to a display selection control device suitable for use in a portable device such as a laptop computer.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, as a display of a personal computer,
CRT displays were most commonly used. CRT displays are superior to other displays in terms of display quality such as brightness and contrast. However, it is heavy and large in size, and is not suitable for use in personal computers such as mobile phones. On the other hand, as a display other than the CRT display, there are flat panel displays such as a liquid crystal display (hereinafter abbreviated as LCD), a plasma display, and an EL display. These were initially used as displays for relatively small devices such as watches and calculators, but due to the trend toward larger size in recent years,
It can even display the same number of dots as a CRT display. Along with that, flat panel displays have come to be used instead of CRT displays mainly for portable personal computers.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) In many of the portable personal computers, the display device is attached to the main body by using a hinge mechanism so that the display device can be opened and closed. Recently, what is called a laptop computer falls into this category. In addition, in this type of computer, a CRT display and a keyboard unit are usually connectable externally, and can be used as a desktop computer. However, in this case, when the power is turned on, the data is always displayed on the built-in display, and in order to display the data on the externally connected display, switching work by key operation is required. Therefore, for a user who wants to use the laptop personal computer as a desktop personal computer, a switching operation is inevitably required for the display, which is a waste of work.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a display selection control device with improved operability by using a mechanism for automatically performing the above switching by the system.

[Constitution of device]

(Means for Solving Problems) The present invention provides a mechanism for automatically selecting a display in a system having a built-in display and capable of connecting an external display unit and a keyboard unit. The mechanism includes means for knowing the connection of the external keyboard unit and the open / closed state of the cover in which the built-in display is incorporated, and the microprocessor for instructing the display controller to generate a control signal according to the type of the connected display. Composed of.

(Operation) In the above configuration, data is displayed on the built-in display or the external display depending on the connection state of the external keyboard unit and the open / close state of the (built-in) cover in which the display device is incorporated. That is, it is possible to provide a system in which the user can automatically select the display by expressing the selection of the display by the type of the keyboard unit and the opening / closing of the cover. This is because the microprocessor refers to the data of the specific input / output port according to the built-in program and follows the data, and supplies the control signal to the external display or the built-in display to the display controller. It can be realized by notifying the other party.

This can further improve operability.

Embodiments Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a CRU that executes a program and controls the entire apparatus. Reference numeral 2 is a display controller (CRTC) that controls a built-in display or an external CRT, 3 is a plasma unit (PDP) that is a built-in display, and 4 is a video interface unit with an externally connected CRT display. Reference numeral 5 denotes an external CRT display, and 6 stores a program for controlling the display selection control device.
ROM. 7 is a keyboard controller for controlling the built-in keyboard unit # 1, 8 is a built-in keyboard unit, 9 is a keyboard controller for controlling an external keyboard unit # 2, 10 is an external keyboard unit, 11 is a cover open Or
It is a cover open / close detection switch that detects whether the cover is closed.

The display controller 2 can control only one of the plasma unit 3 and the CRT display 5 at a time.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart for explaining the flow of the display control operation in the present invention.

Hereinafter, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to a flowchart. When the power is turned on, the program in the ROM 6 runs and checks the keyboard controller # 2 (9) to determine whether or not the external keyboard unit 10 is present. If there is no external keyboard unit 10, the cover must be opened and the built-in keyboard unit 8 must be used in order to operate the keyboard. Therefore, the display controller 2 controls the display of the built-in plasma unit 3. Next, when it is determined that the external keyboard unit 10 is present when the power is turned on, the cover open / close detection switch 11 checks whether the cover is open or closed. When the cover is open, the display controller 2 is used because the built-in plasma unit is used.
Controls the display of the built-in plasma unit 3. Also, an external keyboard unit is checked when the power is turned on.
When it is determined that there is 10 and the cover is closed by the cover open / close detection switch 11, it is considered that the plasma unit 3 and the keyboard unit 8 with the built-in flap personal computer are not necessary as a display and input function. . Therefore, as an input function, the external keyboard unit 1
0: Since the external CRT display 5 is used as a display function, the display controller 2 controls the display of the external CRT display 5 through the video interface 4. In this way, the laptop personal computer can be easily used as a desktop personal computer by determining the presence / absence of the external keyboard unit, the state of the cover by the cover opening / closing detection switch 11, and switching the object controlled by the display controller 2.

[Effect of device]

As described above, according to the present invention, the user can select the display device to be used depending on the type of the keyboard unit used and the open / closed state of the cover, and the operability can be improved. This is an external keyboard unit, external CR
By connecting the T-display to a laptop computer, the laptop computer can be used as a desktop computer for maximum effect.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the operation of the embodiment of the present invention. 1 ... CRU, 2 ... Display controller, 3 ... Built-in plasma unit, 5 ... External CRT display, 6 ... ROM, 8 ... Built-in keyboard unit, 10 ... External keyboard unit, 11 ... Cover open / closed detection switch.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A portable device in which an external display unit and an external keyboard unit can be connected, and a cover incorporating a built-in display unit using a hinge mechanism is attached to a main body keyboard so as to be openable and closable. When ON, means for detecting the presence of the external keyboard unit and the open / closed state of the cover, and an instruction to generate control signals according to the type of display unit connected to the display controller by knowing these via the input / output ports. A display selection control device, comprising: