Electronic device provided with an input means

• US 20020042853A1
• Filed: 10/02/2001
• Published: 04/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yoshimura, Akira, Konishi, Masayuki, Nakagawa, Hirohide, Chijiwa, Hideaki, Nagai, Katsuharu, Santoh, Yoshihisa
• Application Number:
  US09/967,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20020042853A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1671 Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop G06F1/1666 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1683 for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0237 Sliding mechanism with one degree of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/18 including more than one keyboard unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

In an electronic device, its main unit has a data processing function and has a first and a second input means. The first input means is coupled to the main unit so as to be movable relative thereto between a first position in which the first input means overlaps with the main unit and a second position in which the first input means protrudes from the main unit. The first input means permits input operation in both of the first and second positions. The second input means is arranged in the main unit so as not to be movable relative thereto. The second input means is hidden by the first input means when the first input means is in the first position, and is exposed when the first input means is in the second position. The second input means permits input operation when it is exposed. The first input means is interchangeable with a third input means.

Claims

1. An electronic device provided with input means, the electronic device comprising:

(a) a main unit of the electronic device which is provided with a data processing function;

(b) first and second input means that are arranged in the main unit, (c) the first input means being coupled to the main unit so as to be movable relative thereto between a first position in which the first input means overlaps with the main unit and a second position in which the first input means protrudes from the main unit, the first input means permitting input operation in both of the first and second positions,

(d) the second input means being arranged in the main unit so as not to be movable relative thereto in such a way that the second input means is hidden by the first input means when the first input means is in the first position and the second input means is exposed when the first input means is in the second position, the second input means permitting input operation when the second input means is exposed; and

(e) third input means that can be used interchangeably with the first input means.

2. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first input means slides between the first and second positions, and the first input means is assigned comparatively frequently used input functions, whereas the second input means is assigned comparatively infrequently used input functions.

3. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein exchange of signals between the first input means and the main unit is achieved through non-contact communication therebetween.

4. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein exchange of signals between the first input means and the main unit is achieved through physical contact therebetween.

5. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main unit further comprises checking means for checking whether the first input means is in the first or second position so as to switch an operation mode of the second input means according to a checking result of the checking means.