JPH11296259A - Portable personal computer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a portable personal computer constituted so that a keyboard and a display panel can be optionally arranged in accordance with an operating condition. SOLUTION: The portable personal computer is provided with a display panel 4 for displaying characters, graphics, etc., a body 2 connected to the panel 4 through hinges and including electronic parts and electronic circuits necessary for data processing, image processing and communication processing, and a data inputting keyboard 3 separable from the body 2, wherein the panel 4 can be turned back and forth around the body 2 more than 180 deg. and an inverted V shape is formed between the panel 4 and the body 2. A connection part 5 formed on the hinge part is provided with a sensor 6 for detecting whether the panel 4 is in a normal state or upside-down. The up and down of the contents of a screen on the panel 4 are inverted in accordance with the detection state of the sensor 6 so that the contents of the screen are always properly observed from the operator side.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a portable personal computer, and more particularly, to a portable personal computer having a structure in which a keyboard can be separated from a main unit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, portable personal computers referred to as notebook personal computers (hereinafter, referred to as "personal computers"), subnotebook personal computers, and palmtop personal computers have been reduced in weight and size due to technological innovation. I have. As a result, in contrast to the conventional mainstream usage in offices and homes, a personal computer can be easily carried around and used at a destination.

[0003]

However, in this type of portable personal computer, since a keyboard device is integrated into the personal computer main body, a keyboard and a display device like a general desktop personal computer are used by an operator. It could not be freely arranged according to the environment and was sometimes difficult to use.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when an operator 22 sitting on a chair 21 is installed in front of a desk 25 so as to easily operate a keyboard 24 of a portable personal computer 23, the operator 22 looking at a display panel 26 The head tilts forward, and the operation is performed with a strain on the neck. In order to view the display panel 26 in a natural state, it is necessary to install the portable personal computer 23 at a position away from the operator 22, as shown in FIG.
Therefore, there is a problem that the keyboard 24 becomes difficult to operate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a portable personal computer in which a keyboard and a main body can be freely arranged according to an operator's use environment.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display panel on which characters, graphics, and the like are displayed, and the display panel is hinged. A main body containing electronic components and electronic circuits necessary for data processing, image processing, and communication processing, and
In a portable personal computer comprising a keyboard for data input that can be separated from the main body,
A connecting portion provided on a hinge portion of the display panel, the display panel being mounted to be rotatable 180 degrees or more forward and backward with respect to the main body, and an installation state of the display panel in a normal use state A portable personal computer comprising: detecting means for detecting whether the position is inverted or upside down; and control means for inverting display contents displayed on the display panel upside down in accordance with the detected state of the detecting means. It is in.

According to this configuration, when the keyboard is separated from the main body, when the posture state of the main body and the display panel, that is, when the display panel is arranged to be turned upside down with respect to the normal use state, the display panel is turned upside down. Automatically reverses the screen content in response to. Therefore, even if the combination state of the portable personal computer is changed so that the operation is easy, the screen state is always set appropriately, so that the operability is improved. In addition, the main body and the keyboard can be freely placed (arranged), and the operability can be similarly improved. In particular, by setting the rotation range of the display panel to 180 degrees or more and installing it on a desk or the like in an inverted V shape, the angle and distance between the display panel and the keyboard can be freely arranged according to the operator's use environment. Can be operated as if using a desktop PC.

[0008] A specific configuration for realizing the object of the invention according to the present application is that, when the keyboard is separated from the main body, infrared light is transmitted to communication means with the main body when the keyboard is separated from the main body. A portable personal computer is characterized by using communication.

[0009] According to this configuration, since the signal accompanying the input operation of the keyboard is wirelessly transmitted to the main body, even if the keyboard is separated from the main body, the connection work becomes unnecessary and the usability is improved.

[0010] A specific configuration for realizing the object of the invention according to the present application is a portable personal computer characterized in that the keyboard has a built-in battery.

According to this configuration, the keyboard separated from the main unit needs to supply power to a circuit for transmitting data to the main unit. However, by incorporating a battery in the keyboard, power is supplied from the main unit. This eliminates the need to connect the power cable. Therefore, connection work is not required in any combination of portable personal computers, and operability is improved.

According to a specific configuration for realizing the object of the invention according to the present application, as described in claim 4, when the built-in battery is a secondary battery, the keyboard supplies power from the device main body. Receiving the battery and charging the battery.

According to this configuration, if the keyboard is used in a state where it is separated from the main body, the battery in the keyboard is consumed and becomes unusable after a predetermined time. Therefore, when the battery in the keyboard is a secondary battery, charging can be performed to prevent the battery from running out.

A specific configuration for realizing the object of the invention according to the present application is characterized in that, as set forth in claim 5, the keyboard uses a code as a connection means for communicating with the main body. In a portable personal computer.

According to this configuration, by transmitting data from the keyboard to the main body via the cable, it is not necessary to incorporate a battery in the keyboard. Further, the weight of the keyboard can be reduced.

[0016] A specific configuration for realizing the object of the invention according to the present application is as follows.
The portable personal computer is stored in a storage space provided in the main body when not in use.

According to this configuration, the cable that is easily lost can be stored in the main body, and it is not necessary to carry or store the cable alone, and it is possible to prevent the cable from being lost.

A specific configuration for realizing the object of the invention according to the present application is characterized in that, as set forth in claim 7, the display panel has at least one flat speaker mounted on the back surface. In a portable personal computer.

According to this configuration, when the main body and the display panel are arranged in an inverted V-shape, the rear face of the main body is arranged at a predetermined angle facing the flat speaker when the main body and the display panel are arranged in an inverted V-shape. Therefore, the rear surface of the main body functions as an acoustic reflector, and the reproduced sound is easily reflected to the operator side, and the acoustic performance is improved.

[0020]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is an external view of a portable personal computer according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG.
The front and rear are connected via a main body 2, a keyboard 3 mounted on the upper surface of the main body 2, and a connecting portion 5 (provided with a light transmitting / receiving window 7 for infrared communication) on a rear side of the main body 2. A display panel 4 capable of rotating by 180 degrees or more, and a sensor (or switch) 6 for determining an installation state (upside-down direction) of the display panel 4
It is provided with. The sensor 6 is built in the display panel 4.

As shown in FIG. 1, the portable personal computer 1 has an angle between the keyboard 3 and the display panel 4 of about 100 degrees.
Is a general usage common to other portable personal computers. The battery 1 built in the keyboard 3
In the case where a secondary battery is used, power may be supplied from the main body 2 to enable charging.

Next, a method of using the keyboard with the keyboard separated, which is a feature of the present invention, will be described below.

FIGS. 2A and 2B show a first example of use when the keyboard is separated from the main body of the portable personal computer of FIG. 1, wherein FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing a state in which the keyboard is removed from the main body, and FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the state which bent the main body and the keyboard in the shape of an inverted V character. First, the keyboard 3 is completely separated from the main body 2 as shown in FIG. After that, when the display panel 4 is rotated backward and the display panel 4 and the main body 2 are installed in an inverted V shape as shown in FIG. 2B, the sensor 6 in the display panel 4 detects this change in posture. The screen control (executed by the control unit mainly including the CPU, the chipset, and the video accelerator in the main body 2) is performed so that the top and bottom of the screen display contents are reversed. Keyboard 3
Information transmission between the main body 2 and the main body 2 is executed by infrared light communication through a light transmitting / receiving window 7 and a light transmitting / receiving window 8 arranged on an end face of the keyboard. Therefore, the main body 2, the display panel 4, and the keyboard 3 can be freely combined with each other in accordance with the usage environment of the operator, so that the usability is improved as in a desktop personal computer.

Further, the portable personal computer 1 is constructed as shown in FIG.
In this case, the keyboard 3 can be used even when it is separated from the main body 2. In this case, the information transmission between the keyboard 3 and the main body 2 is performed by infrared light communication between the light transmitting / receiving window 7 and the light transmitting / receiving window 8. Done.

FIG. 3 shows a second example of a communication mode when the main body 2 and the keyboard 3 are separated from each other in the portable personal computer of the present invention. In the figure, (a) shows a state in which the keyboard 3 is removed from the main body 2 in the state of FIG.
(B) shows a state where the main body 2 and the keyboard 3 are bent in an inverted V-shape. In this example, communication between the main body 2 and the keyboard 3 is performed using a flexible cable 9. The cable 9 is connected to the main body 2 to prevent loss.
Keep a storage space inside, and store it in the storage space when not in use. (A) shows a configuration in which the cable 9 is connected to a connector 2a provided on a side surface of the main body 2 in an installation method according to a normal use mode.
(B) shows a configuration in which the keyboard 3 and the main body 2 are connected using the cable 9 when the main body 2 and the keyboard 3 are used in a state of being bent in an inverted V-shape. In any case, since the cable 9 includes a power lead, it is not necessary to incorporate the battery 11 in the keyboard 3.

(Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
An embodiment will be described.

FIG. 4 is an external view showing a second embodiment of the portable personal computer of the present invention. In the figure,
(A) is the figure seen from the front, (b) is the figure seen from the back. Note that, in the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the portable personal computer 1 is connected to the main body 2 via a main body 2, a keyboard 3 mounted on the main body 2 and having a built-in battery 11, and a connecting portion 5. The display panel 4 is connected to the display panel 4 so as to be rotatable (at least 180 degrees in the longitudinal direction), and a sensor (or a switch) 6 provided in the display panel 4 and configured to determine an installation state (upside-down direction) of the display panel 4. ing. The connection part 5 is provided with a transmission / reception window 7 for infrared communication. This transmission / reception window 7
Is not limited to the connecting portion 5 and may be anywhere near the display panel 4. Further, a flat speaker (flat speaker) 10 is built in the back surface of the display panel 4 as shown in FIG.

The portable personal computer 1 in the posture shown in FIG.
Can be used in the same way as a general portable personal computer. At this time, when a rechargeable storage battery 11 is built in the keyboard 3, power may be supplied from the main body 2 to enable charging.

The method of using the keyboard 3 separately from the main body 2 in the portable personal computer having the configuration shown in FIG. 4 is as described with reference to FIGS.
Therefore, duplicate description is omitted here. In addition,
In the present embodiment, when the display panel 4 and the main body 2 are installed in an inverted V-shape as shown in FIG. 3, the sound from the planar speaker 10 built in the back of the display panel 4 is reflected on the main body 2. There is an advantage that it can be easily reached to the operator. The flat speaker 10 can have a size equivalent to that of the display panel 4 and can incorporate the flat speaker 10 that is larger than any place other than the back of the display panel 4. Playback sound can be obtained.

[Correspondence between the Invention and the Embodiment] In the above embodiment, the sensor 6 serves as the detecting means and the C
A PU, a chipset, a video accelerator, and the like correspond to the control unit.

[0033]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the display panel is provided at the hinge portion of the display panel, and the display panel is moved forward and backward with respect to the main body.
A connecting portion that is mounted so as to be capable of rotating by 0 degrees or more, detecting means for detecting whether the installation state of the display panel is in a normal use state or a reversed state, and according to a detection state of the detecting means. Since the display device is provided with control means for inverting the display content displayed on the display panel, if the display panel is arranged upside down, the screen content of the display panel is automatically inverted, and the screen state is always properly adjusted. Since it is set, operability is improved. Further, the angle and distance between the display panel and the keyboard can be freely arranged according to the usage environment of the operator.

According to the invention as set forth in claim 2 of the present application, when the keyboard is separated from the main body, connection is made even when the keyboard is separated from the main body by using infrared light communication for communication from the keyboard to the main body. Work becomes unnecessary, and usability is improved.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the battery is built in the keyboard, it is not necessary to receive the power supply from the main body side, and it is necessary to connect the power supply cable, and the operability is improved. improves.

According to the invention described in claim 4 of the present application, when the built-in battery is a secondary battery, the keyboard is configured to receive power supply from the apparatus main body and charge the battery. The rechargeable battery inside the keyboard can be charged, preventing the battery from running out.

According to the invention described in claim 5 of the present application, since the code is used for the connection means at the time of communication between the keyboard and the main body, data transmission from the keyboard to the main body is performed via a cable. This eliminates the need to incorporate a battery in the keyboard. Further, the weight of the keyboard can be reduced.

According to the invention described in claim 6 of the present application, when the cable is not used, the cable is stored in the storage space provided in the main body. Therefore, it is necessary to transport or store the cable alone. Is lost, and loss can be prevented.

According to a specific structure for realizing the object of the invention according to the present application, at least one flat speaker is mounted on the display panel on the rear surface, so that the rear surface of the main body is mounted on the display panel. It can function as an acoustic reflector, and the acoustic performance (reproduction characteristics) is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view showing a first embodiment of a portable personal computer according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a first usage example when a keyboard is separated from the main body of the portable personal computer of FIG. 1,
(A) is a perspective view showing a state where the keyboard is removed from the main body, and (b) is a perspective view showing a state where the main body and the keyboard are bent in an inverted V shape.

3 shows a second example of use when the keyboard is separated from the main body of the portable personal computer of FIG. 1,
(A) is a perspective view showing a state where the keyboard is removed from the main body, and (b) is a perspective view showing a state where the main body and the keyboard are bent in an inverted V shape.

FIG. 4 is a second view of the portable personal computer of the present invention.
1A is a perspective view seen from the front, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view seen from the back.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a usage form of a conventional portable personal computer.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing that the operability of the keyboard deteriorates when the display panel is made easier to see in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Portable personal computer 2 Main body 3 Keyboard 4 Display panel 5 Connecting part 6 Sensor 7, 8 Light transmission / reception window 9 Flexible cable 10 Flat speaker 11 Battery

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A display panel on which characters, graphics, etc. are displayed, a main body in which the display panel is hinged, and in which electronic components and electronic circuits necessary for data processing, image processing, and communication processing are incorporated. A portable personal computer comprising a keyboard for data input that can be separated from the main body, wherein the portable personal computer is provided at a hinge portion of the display panel, and the display panel is at least 180 degrees forward and backward with respect to the main body. A connecting portion that is mounted so as to be rotatable, detection means for detecting whether the installation state of the display panel is in a normal use state or a position state in which the display panel is inverted, and the display panel according to the detection state of the detection means. A portable personal computer comprising: control means for inverting displayed contents upside down. 2. The portable personal computer according to claim 1, wherein when the keyboard is separated from the main body, infrared light communication is used for communication with the main body. 3. The portable personal computer according to claim 2, wherein the keyboard has a built-in battery. 4. The portable personal computer according to claim 1, wherein when the built-in battery is a secondary battery, the keyboard is supplied with power from the apparatus main body to charge the battery. 5. The portable personal computer according to claim 1, wherein the keyboard uses a cord as a connection means for communicating with the main body. 6. The portable personal computer according to claim 1, wherein said cable is stored in a storage space provided in said main body when not in use. 7. The display panel has at least one display panel on a back surface.
The portable personal computer according to claim 1, wherein two flat speakers are mounted.