Data processor with wireless auxiliary input apparatus

• US 5,307,297 A
• Filed: 05/05/1992
• Issued: 04/26/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yano, Tomoyuki, Iguchi, Shigeki, Oka, Yoshiki, Shirasuka, Tokuyuki, Fukuma, Yoshitaka, Mitarai, Akira, Nishikawa, Hirofumi, Hara, Masashi, Satoh, Masaharu, Senoo, Seiichi, Ueno, Yukihiko, Kataoka, Yoshito, Yamanaka, Yasumasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Tan V.
• Application Number:
  US07/878,604
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 364/708, 364/709.11, 364/709.12, 364/709.01, 340/706, 340/711
• 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 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: G06F 3/0231 Cordless keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2207/048 Inductive or infrared coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/114 Indoor or close-range type systems

Abstract

In a data processor having a box type unit in which a keyboard and a folding display are incorporated, the data processor includes a main unit which has a receiver for wireless signals on an external side wall close to a supporter for pivotally supporting the folding display, and an auxiliary input apparatus having a case unit and a wireless signal transmitting unit at a corner of said case unit which is opposed to the receiving unit of said main unit when juxtaposed with said keyboard.

Claims

1. A data processor system comprising:

a main unit and an auxiliary input apparatus,

the auxiliary input apparatus including signal generating mean for generating wireless signals, a first transmitting means for transmitting the generated signals in one direction outward from the auxiliary input apparatus, and a second transmitting means for transmitting the generated signals in another direction outward from the auxiliary input apparatus,

the main unit including data processing means, a keyboard, a display and a wireless signal receiving means operatively connected with the data processing means together with the keyboard and the display,

the wireless signal receiving means being divided into a first segment positioned on the main unit for receiving the wireless signals from the first transmitting means and a second segment positioned on the main unit for receiving the wireless signals from the second transmitting means.

2. A data processor system of claim 1, in which the main unit further comprises selecting means for selectively allowing the first or second segment to receive the wireless signals.

3. A data processor system of claim 1, in which the wireless signals are optically communicated between the main unit and the input apparatus.

4. A data processor system of claim 3, in which the first and the second segments comprise a first and a second optical port, respectively, to receive optical signals from the input apparatus, and the main unit further comprises a light/electricity converter electrically connected with the data processing means and optical fibers for optically connecting the first and second optical ports with the light/electricity converter.

5. A data processor system comprising:

a main unit and an auxiliary input apparatus;

the auxiliary input apparatus including signal generating means for generating wireless signals, a first transmitting means for transmitting the generated signals in one direction outward from the auxiliary input apparatus, and a second transmitting means for transmitting the generated signals in another direction outward from the auxiliary input apparatus;

the main unit including a wireless signal receiving means for receiving wireless data signals, a data processing means, a keyboard, and a display, said data processing means being operatively connected with the keyboard and the display;

the main unit further including first and second data receptive ports in which the wireless signal receiving means is selectively mounted, said main unit further including means for transmitting the data signals from the wireless signal receiving means to the data processing means when the wireless signal receiving means is received in one of the first and second data receptive ports;

thereby providing a wide communications range between the main unit and the auxiliary input means by mounting the wireless signal receiving means in one of the first and second data ports in accordance with the positional relationship between the main unit and the auxiliary input means.

6. A data processor system as defined in claim 5, wherein the main unit further includes a dummy signal receiving means, and when the wireless signal receiving means is mounted in the first data receptive port the dummy signal receiving means is mounted in the second data receptive port.

7. A data processor system as defined in claim 5, wherein the first and second data receptive ports are located on two opposite sides of the main unit adjacent said keyboard.

8. A data processor system as defined in claim 5, wherein the auxiliary input apparatus further includes numeral keys for inputting numeral data, editor keys for instructing edition, a key for switching between the numeral keys and the editor keys, a code switching means for switching between codes from the numeral keys and codes from the editor keys in accordance with the key selection of the key for switching, thereby transmitting ht key codes inputted by the numeral keys and the editor keys in a form of wireless signals,

the main unit further including code processing means for extracting key codes from the wireless signals sent form the auxiliary input apparatus and for discriminating between the numeral codes and the editor codes;

said data processing means processing the wireless signal data based on the numeral codes and the editor codes discriminated.

9. A data processor system as defined in claim 5, wherein the auxiliary input apparatus further includes numeral keys for inputting data, arithmetic means for executing arithmetic operations based on data inputted by the numeral keys, a memory means for storing arithmetic results, and a display means for displaying the arithmetic results visually on the auxiliary input apparatus;

and

a selector key on the auxiliary input apparatus for selectively determining if inputted numeral data are transmitted in the form of the numeral data as the wireless signals or the arithmetic results are stored and transmitted as the wireless signals.

10. A data processor system as defined in claim 5, wherein the wireless signals are aerial transmission signals comprising infrared signals, wireless radio signals, or ultrasonic signals.

11. A data processor system as defined in claim 5, wherein the auxiliary input apparatus comprising a wireless input apparatus which includes an auxiliary keyboard, mouse, track ball, optical character reader, tablet for manual writing, or bar code reader, and the auxiliary input apparatus transmits an identification code for self-identification along with the data codes in a form of wireless signals.

12. A data processor system as defined in claim 5, 8 or 11, wherein, in the wireless signal receiving means receiving the wireless signals form the auxiliary input apparatus, the data processing means processes the data based on the code which the code processing means discriminates out of the wireless signals.