ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20200135419A1
• Filed: 06/28/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dynabook Inc. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Dynabook Inc. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nakano, Masanori, Sato, Shigenobu
• Granted Patent: US 11,037,743 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1666 Arrangements for reducing the size of the integrated keyboard for transport, e.g. foldable keyboards, keyboards with collapsible keys G06F1/1664 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0213 Arrangements providing an integrated pointing device in a keyboard, e.g. trackball, mini-joystick for pointing devices integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/169; joysticks G05G9/047; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0221 Arrangements for reducing keyboard size for transport or storage, e.g. foldable keyboards, keyboards with collapsible keys G06F3/0216 takes precedence; for keyboards integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/1666
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/86 characterised by the casing, e.g. sealed casings or casings reducible in size
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2223/05 composed of hingedly connected sections

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a keyboard PC includes a processor, a foldable keyboard, a housing, and an output terminal. The foldable keyboard comprises a first keyboard part and a second keyboard part. The housing that encloses the processor comprises a first housing part and a second housing part. The first housing part comprises the first keyboard part. The second housing part comprises the second keyboard part. The first housing part and the second housing part are configured to be opened or closed relative to one another by folding the housing. The output terminal supplies an image signal output from the processor to a display device.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a processor;

a foldable keyboard comprising a first keyboard part and a second keyboard part;

a housing that encloses the processor, wherein the housing comprises a first housing part and a second housing part, the first housing part comprises the first keyboard part, the second housing part comprises the second keyboard part, and the first housing part and the second housing part are configured to be opened or closed relative to one another by folding the housing; and

an output terminal that supplies an image signal output from the processor to a display device.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

at least one of the first housing part or the second housing part comprises an operating section on an external surface in a state where the first housing part and the second housing part are closed, and

the operating section turns on or off the processor.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

the foldable keyboard comprises a touch pad.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

an antenna unit comprising an antenna element connected to the processor and configured to transmit or receive a radio wave, wherein

at least one of the first housing part or the second housing part retains the antenna element at positions separate from outermost sections of the at least one.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

at least one of the first housing part or the second housing part comprises an insertion port which is electrically connected to the processor and into which an external recording medium can be inserted in a counter surface to be opposed to the other of the first housing part and the second housing part in a state where the first housing part and the second housing part are opened, and to be exposed in a state where the first housing part and the second housing part are closed.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

at least one of the first housing part or the second housing part comprises a biometric sensor configured to start or stop the processor on the basis of authentication based at least in part on biological information of a user.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

an antenna unit comprising antenna elements connected to the processor and configured to transmit or receive a radio wave, wherein

at least one of the first housing part or the second housing part retains the antenna elements at positions of outer edges not overlapping with at least part of the processor.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a power-supply unit retained in one of the first housing part and the second housing part, that supplies electric power to the processor, wherein

the processor is retained in the other of the first housing part and the second housing part.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

one of the first housing part and the second housing part comprises a space key,

the other of the first housing part and the second housing part comprises a touch pad, and

the space key and the touch pad are positioned adjacent to each other with a connection section between the first housing part and the second housing part as a center of adjacency in a state where the first housing part and the second housing part are opened.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

at least one of the first housing part or the second housing part comprises an open/close sensor that detects an opened or closed state of the first housing part and the second housing part in a part of a side face to be opposed to a side face of the other of the first housing part and the second housing part in a state where the first housing part and the second housing part are opened, or in a part of a top surface to be opposed to a top surface of the other of the first housing part and the second housing part in a state where the first housing part and the second housing part are closed.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

at least one of the first housing part or the second housing part comprises a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) terminal in a side face at an inner side with respect to a position of a user at time of use, and comprises a terminal for sound in the side face at a front side with respect to the position of the user at time of use.

12. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

the first housing part and the second housing part are formed in such a manner that, in a state where the first housing part and the second housing part are opened, a thickness in a height direction at each of both ends of the first housing part and the second housing part is less than a thickness in the height direction at a center of the first housing part and the second housing part.

13. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

at least one of the first housing part or the second housing part comprises elastically-deformable shock-absorbing members at parts of a side face to be opposed to a side face of the other of the first housing part and the second housing part in a state where the first housing part and the second housing part are opened.

14. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a power-supply unit configured to supply electric power to the processor and retained in one of the first housing part and the second housing part, wherein

the one retaining the power-supply unit comprises a housing having a shape conformable to a size of the power-supply unit.

15. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

the first housing part and the second housing part are connected to each other in such a manner that the first housing part and the second housing part can be opened or closed by dividing the housing into at least two parts with a gap between a key configured to input a signal of G to the processor and a key configured to input a signal of H to the processor as a boundary of division and a pivot of opening/closing.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein

the first housing part and the second housing part are opened or closed with respect to a connection section between the first housing part and the second housing part without straddling any keys at the connection section.

17. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein

the first housing part and the second housing part are opened or closed with respect to a connection section between the first housing part and the second housing part with straddling any keys at the connection section.

18. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

the output terminal is compatible with a type-C Universal Serial Bus (USB).

19. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

the processor recognizes a configuration of the display device through the output terminal, and outputs the image signal in a form made conformable to electrical specifications of the display device.

20. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

the processor recognizes a configuration of the display device through the output terminal, and outputs the image signal in a form made conformable to an application corresponding to the display device.