FOLDING COMPUTER

• US 20070242421A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gerhard Brunnbauer, Norbert Goschin
• Original Assignee: Gerhard Brunnbauer, Norbert Goschin
• Inventors: Goschin, Norbert, Brunnbauer, Gerhard
• Application Number:
  US11/536,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20070242421A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.270
• 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 1/1656 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 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 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1692 the I/O peripheral being a secondary touch screen used as control interface, e.g. virtual buttons or sliders
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1632 Pen holder integrated in the computer

Abstract

Mobile computer, comprising two casing parts, which are connected by a hinge, so that the casing parts can be opened and closed. Each of the casing parts has an input-sensitive flat screen. The casing parts are arranged in such a way as to enable at least two operating modes. As a result, this invention can be used in at least to different operating modes, which can be selected depending on the application. In the preferred embodiment, the invention can be locked in various open positions by way of a flap mechanism.

Claims

1. A mobile computer, comprising:

two casing parts connected by a hinge, so that the casing parts can be opened and closed;

each of the casing parts has an input-sensitive flat screen, which is arranged and controlled in such a way as to enable at least two operating modes, specifically;

a. a book mode in which the two flats screens stand in an upright position, and the information on the flat screen is turned in such a way as to be displayed on a left and right flat screen, in book format;

b. a laptop mode in which the display is transversely situated, just like a laptop that is opened, as a result of which the right/left flat screen becomes the upper display screen, and the left/right flat screen becomes the lower input screen, and the information are turned in such a way that they can be read on the upper and lower flat screen, like on a laptop.

2. The mobile computer according to claim 1, wherein the lower flat screen serves as an input surface in mode b.

3. The mobile computer according to claim 2, wherein a keyboard is displayed on the lower flat screen and serves as the input surface in mode b.

4. The mobile computer according to claim 1, wherein a tangible marking is placed on the lower flat screen as a reference mark for the keyboard.

5. The mobile computer according to claim 1, wherein the casing parts can be locked in various positions relative to each other.

6. The mobile computer according to claim 5, wherein it can be locked preferably in two positions for mode a, encompassing a 180 degree opening relative to the flat/planar condition, or approx. 135 degree opening for use as a book.

7. The mobile computer according to claim 1, wherein the two flat screens have different input technologies.

8. The mobile computer according to claim 7, wherein a flat screen has a technology suitable for input via the fingers, and a flat screen has a technology suitable for input via a pen.

9. The mobile computer according to claim 8, wherein the one technology is a resistive technology in 4, 5 or 8-wire configuration for input via the fingers or any other object, and the other is a capacitive technology for input via a pen.

10. The mobile computer according to claim 1, wherein means are provided for a preferably replaceable battery, in which the battery is inserted via a flip frame concept that makes it possible to operate any devices, such as optical or magnetic drives, as well as an additional battery.

11. The mobile computer according to claim 1, wherein the two displays can be controlled and adjusted independently of each other, wherein the control actions take place based on one or more of the following criteria:

horizontal orientation;

vertical orientation;

standby state;

on/off;

background setting;

contrast;

brightness.

12. The mobile computer according to claim 1, wherein an integrated system bus interface is provided for using a docking station with external devices or communication services.

13. The mobile computer according to claim 1, wherein means are provided integrated communication functions, which can be selected from among the following:

WLAN, WIMAX, GPRS, UMTS, GSM, Bluetooth, Ethernet, infrared, USB.

14. The mobile computer according to claim 1, wherein the internal computer components are distributed on the casing parts by space and weight criteria.

15. The mobile computer according to claim 14, wherein the heavy components are arranged in the lower casing side in the case of mode b, so that the computer does not tend to tilt.

16. The mobile computer according to claim 1, wherein the heavy components are arranged in the lower area in the case of mode a, so that the device stands or rests in the hands in a more stable manner.

17. The mobile computer according to claim 1, wherein the heavy components are batteries, hard disks and optical DVD drives.

18. The mobile computer according to claim 1, wherein a telephone is integrated in one of the casing parts, wherein the telephone is designed as a chip on the motherboard with an additional display in the cover, or is a mobile telephone inserted into the outer cover, which is connected by an insertion slot with the PC, and can be used for telecommunication services.

19. The mobile computer according to claim 18, wherein means are present to play back audio or video files in the display variant even without starting up the operating system, and to show them on the display, with a separate CPU, RAM, flash-RAM preferably being required.

20. The mobile computer according to claim 1, wherein means are present to effect control in such a way that new windows of an application are automatically opened in the second screen in mode a.

21. The mobile computer according to claim 1, wherein the hardware, in particular the graphics card, is configured in such a way that two logical computers can run, with each computer being assigned its own screen.