Portable computer comprising keyboard and coordinate input tablet connected by two perpendicularly arranged hinges

• US 5,410,447 A
• Filed: 08/31/1993
• Issued: 04/25/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Hiroyuki, Sato, Fumitaka, Kobayashi, Koichi, Miyagawa, Shigenori, Ishiura, Ryoichi, Kamio, Shizuo, Kunii, Shimpei
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Michael W.
• Application Number:
  US08/114,090
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 248/917-923, 364/708.1, 312/223.2, 362/680-682
• US Class Current: 361/679.09
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/087 with substantially axial friction, e.g. friction disks
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 15/582 with horizontal swinging axis E05D15/581 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2999/00 Subject-matter not otherwise provided for in this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1618 the display being foldable up to the back of the other housing with a single degree of freedom, e.g. by 360° rotation over the axis defined by the rear edge of the base enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/162 changing, e.g. reversing, the face orientation of the screen with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, e.g. for folding into tablet PC like position or orienting towards the direction opposite to the user to show to a second user
• 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 1/1679 for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA G06F1/1681 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode

Abstract

A main body case for storing a keyboard and an upper case for storing an integrated display/input device are coupled by two hinge units arranged perpendicularly to one another to be arbitrarily pivotal from a state wherein the keyboard faces the integrated display/input device to a state wherein the back surfaces of the keyboard and the integrated display/input device face each other.

Claims

1. A portable computer comprising:

a keyboard for inputting data;

a main body case encasing said keyboard;

an integrated display/input device, said integrated display/input device having a display and a coordinate input tablet, said display and said coordinate input tablet being overlapped, so as to form an integrated unit;

an upper cover encasing said integrated display/input device, said upper cover having a first face in which a display/input surface of said integrated display/input device is exposed, and a second face which is opposite to said first face;

a junction upper cover for connecting said upper cover to said main body case;

a first hinge mechanism rotatably coupling said junction upper cover to said main body case along a first axis, said first hinge mechanism being rotatable between a closed position at which said main body case and said upper cover face each other, and an open position at which said main body case and said upper cover do not face each other; and

a second hinge mechanism rotatably coupling said upper cover to said junction upper cover along a second axis perpendicular to said first axis, said second hinge mechanism being rotatable between a first position at which said first face of said upper cover is directed upward and a second position at which said second face of said upper cover is directed upward, at least when said main body case and said upper cover are at said closed position.

2. A portable computer according to claim 1, further comprising a rotational position holding mechanism for holding a rotational position of said upper cover rotated by said second hinge mechanism at one of said first and second positions.

3. A portable computer according to claim 1, further comprising:

mode designation means for designating one of first and second modes, said first mode being a mode in which said integrated display/input device performs a display/input operation with reference to a first coordinate system, and said second mode being a mode in which said integrated display/input device performs a display/input operation with reference to a second coordinate system, where said second coordinate system is reversed 180°

with reference to said first coordinate system; and

coordinate conversion means, operating when said second mode is designated by said mode designation means, for performing coordinate conversion such that said second coordinate system used in said second mode is reversed 180°

with reference to first said coordinate system used in said first mode.

4. A portable computer according to claim 1, further comprising:

detection means for detecting an angle through which said upper cover is rotated in reference to said junction upper cover;

determination means for determining whether said angle detected by the detection means has reached a predetermined angle; and

coordinate conversion means, operating when said determination means determines that said angle detected by said detection means has reached said predetermined angle, for performing coordinate conversion such that a display/input position at which data is displayed or input by said integrated display/input device is reversed 180°

with reference to a coordinate system.