ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH AUTOMATIC SWITCHING INPUT INTERFACES AND SWITCHING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20090091537A1
• Filed: 07/10/2008
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yoojin Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Intentec Corporation
• Inventors: Huang, Yun-Liang, Hsu, Huan-Chung
• Granted Patent: US 8,059,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/169
• 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 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• 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 1/3218 of display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

An electronic device with automatic switching input interfaces and a switching method thereof. The electronic device supports an Advanced Configuration Power Interface (ACPI), and includes a display unit, a storage unit, a memory unit, and an embedded controller. The display unit can be changed to a first position or a second position, and sends a signal to an embedded control unit when the display unit is at different positions. A management program running in the electronic device queries the ACPI and the embedded control unit to check the position and state of the display unit, so as to automatically load and run a corresponding program of a virtual input interface or a physical input interface into the memory unit, and remove the other program from the memory unit at the same time.

Claims

1. An electronic device with automatic switching input interfaces, providing a physical input interface and a virtual input interface, the electronic device comprising:

a display unit, changeable to a first position or a second position, wherein the display unit sends a first trigger signal at the first position, and sends a second trigger signal at the second position;

a storage unit, for storing corresponding programs of the virtual input interface and the physical input interface;

a memory unit, for memorizing corresponding programs of the virtual input interface and the physical input interface;

an embedded control unit, electrically connected to the display unit, the storage unit, and the memory unit, for receiving the first or the second trigger signal sent by the display unit when changes to a corresponding position; and

a management program, determining whether or not to load/remove a corresponding program of the virtual input interface or the physical input interface into/from the memory unit according to the first or the second trigger signal, wherein when a corresponding program of the virtual input interface is loaded into the memory unit, the virtual input interface is displayed on the display unit, and a corresponding program of the physical input interface is removed from the memory unit.

2. The electronic device with automatic switching input interfaces as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet PC, a cell phone, or a notebook.

3. The electronic device with automatic switching input interfaces as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display unit is an LCD touch screen.

4. The electronic device with automatic switching input interfaces as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display unit further comprises a shaft for rotating the position of the display unit.

5. The electronic device with automatic switching input interfaces as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display unit further comprises a hinge for folding the position of the display unit.

6. The electronic device with automatic switching input interfaces as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display unit further comprises a slide rail for sliding the position of the display unit.

7. A switching method of automatic switching input interfaces of an electronic device, applicable to an electronic device having a display unit, wherein the display unit at least has a first position and a second position, and the electronic device selects a physical input interface or a virtual input interface as a user input interface, the switching method comprising:

executing a management program;

when the display unit is changed to the first position, sending a first trigger signal;

when the display unit is changed to the second position, sending a second trigger signal;

when the display switches to the first position, the management program executing a corresponding program of the virtual input interface according to the first trigger signal, displaying the virtual input interface on the display unit, and removing a corresponding program of the physical input interface from a memory of the electronic device; and

when the display unit switches to the second position, the management program loading a corresponding program of the physical input interface into the memory of the electronic device according to the second trigger signal, and removing a corresponding program of the virtual input interface from the memory of the electronic device.

8. The switching method of automatic switching input interfaces of an electronic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the electronic device switching a display layout mode of the display unit further comprises:

checking an Advanced Configuration Power Interface of the electronic device to check a current display layout mode of the electronic device.

9. The switching method of automatic switching input interfaces of an electronic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein when the display unit of the electronic device switches to the first/second position, the display unit sends a corresponding trigger signal of the display unit through a trigger switch.

10. The switching method of automatic switching input interfaces of an electronic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the electronic device is a PDA, a tablet PC, a cell phone, or a notebook.