Electronic paper file

• US 20040044682A1
• Filed: 06/25/2003
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsuo, Hiroyuki, Nakamura, Tetsuroh, Tatekawa, Masaichiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,249,324 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1654 the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An electronic paper file with an advantage like a book or a notebook can settle a conventional problem regarding the displaying that appears at a time of communicating by a portable information terminal. And the electronic paper file is provided with a receiving electronic paper displaying data sent from the other electronic paper and a sending electronic paper sending the display content to the other electronic paper.

Claims

1. An electronic paper file consisting of an electronic paper file provided with a display function and a main unit attachable with a plurality of said electronic papers, which comprising:

a communication means for sending and receiving data to and from a different electronic paper; and

a page management means provided with at least one of a function of specifying an electronic paper to send a data as well as sending the communication means the data inputted to the electronic paper and a function of specifying an electronic paper to display the data received by the communication means as well as sending the received data to an electronic paper to display the received data.

2. The electronic paper file according to claim 1, wherein the page management means specifies different electronic papers as an electronic paper to display the received data and an electronic paper to display the data to be sent respectively.

3. The electronic paper file according to claim 2, wherein the page management means specifies two electronic papers covering two facing pages as an electronic paper to display the received data and another electronic paper to display the data to be sent.

4. The electronic paper file according to claim 1, wherein the page management means specifies a same electronic paper as an electronic paper to display the received data and an electronic paper to display the data to be sent.

5. The electronic paper file according to claim 4, wherein the page management means specifies two electronic papers covering two facing pages as an electronic paper to display both the received data and the data to be sent and an electronic paper provided with an input function respectively.

6. The electronic paper file according to either claim 3 or 5, wherein an electronic paper is attachable to the electronic paper file removably

7. The electronic paper file according to claim 1, wherein the page management means is provided with a cursor drawing means for displaying on a specific region of the electronic paper a cursor indicating the region.

8. The electronic paper file according to either claim 1 or 7, wherein the page management means is provided with a display control means for selectively sending a data received by the communication means to an electronic paper to display the received data.

9. The electronic paper file according to claim 1, wherein the page management means is provided with a function control means for controlling functions of the respective electronic papers according to an instruction sent from a different electronic paper.

10. An electronic paper file consisting of an electronic paper provided with a display function and a main unit attachable with a plurality of said electronic papers, which comprising:

a page management means for deciding a data to be displayed by an electronic paper according to an ID number for identifying the electronic paper; and

a communication means for sending the data decided by the page management means to the electronic paper.

11. The electronic paper file according to claim 10, wherein the page management means decides a data to be displayed by the electronic paper according to a page number given by a user.

12. The electronic paper file according to claim 10, which further comprising an ID number obtaining means for obtaining the ID number from the electronic paper.

13. The electronic paper file according to claim 10, which is further provided with a setting means for setting a group consisting of one or a plurality of electronic papers and giving the set group a group name according to the ID number, and

wherein the communication means sends the group name to the electronic paper.

14. The electronic paper file according to claim 13, wherein the setting means sets display information in order to display on the electronic paper a mark specifying the group, and the communication means sends the display information to the electronic paper.

15. The electronic paper file according to claim 14, wherein the display information indicates a color, size and displaying method of the mark of the group.

16. The electronic paper file according to claim 10, wherein the electronic paper is attached to the main unit removably by providing the electronic paper with one of a pair of connecting terminals including both the electrical and physical connecting functions, as well as providing the main unit with the other connecting terminal.

17. The electronic paper file according to claim 16, wherein a position of the other connecting terminal arranged on the main unit is fixed.

18. The electronic paper file according to claim 16, which comprising a jointed axis formed by arranging in an axis direction a plurality of rotatable axis parts provided with the other connecting terminal so as to rotate the rotatable axis part freely.