Portable electronic apparatus

• US 5,949,565 A
• Filed: 03/19/1997
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ishida, Tetsuro
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): SEDIGHIAN, REZA
• Application Number:
  US08/825,553
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 359/154, 359/172, 359/163, 359/152, 345/901, 345/903, 345/169, 361/680, 439/31
• US Class Current: 398/131
• 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 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1683 for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling

Abstract

A display unit is rotatably supported on an apparatus body of a portable electronic apparatus, by a hinge portion. The display unit has a hollow boss projecting into the apparatus body, and the boss is engaged with the apparatus body to be rotatable around the rotation center axis of the hinge portion. An inner hole in the boss communicates with the inside of the display unit and with the inside of the apparatus body, thereby forming a communication path coaxial with the rotation center axis. In the apparatus body, there is provided a light emission element for emitting image data to be transmitted to the display unit, in form of an optical signal into the communication path. In the display unit, there is provided a light receive element for receiving the optical signal from the light emission element through the communication path.

Claims

1. A portable electronic apparatus comprising:

a first unit;

a second unit rotatably connected with the first unit through a hinge portion;

a cylindrical joint member arranged to be coaxial with a rotation center axis of the hinge portion and rotatably supporting the second unit with respect to the first unit, the joint member having one end portion projecting into the first unit and another end portion projecting into the second unit, the joint member defining a communication path which extends to be coaxial with the rotation center axis of the hinge portion and has one end communicating with an inner space of the first unit and another end communicating with an inner space of the second unit;

a light emission element provided in the first unit for emitting an optical signal to the second unit through the communication path; and

a light receive element arranged in the second unit so as to face the light emission element through the communication path for receiving the optical signal from the light emission element.

2. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the joint member includes shield means for shielding the optical signal passing through the communication path from external noise.

3. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light emission element is provided so as to face one end of the communication path, and the light receive element is provided so as to face another end of the communication path.

4. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light emission element is fitted in the end of the joint member, and the light receive element is fitted in another end of the joint member.

14. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light emission element is fitted in the end of the projecting portion, and the light receive element is fitted in another end of the projecting portion.

5. A portable electronic apparatus comprising:

an apparatus body;

a display device rotatably connected with the apparatus body through a hinge portion, and including display means for displaying an image;

a cylindrical joint member arranged to be coaxial with a rotation center axis of the hinge portion and rotatably supporting the display device with respect to the apparatus body, the joint member having one end portion projecting into the apparatus body and another end portion projecting into the display means, the joint member defining a communication path which extends to be coaxial with the rotation center axis of the hinge portion and has one end communicating with an inner space of the apparatus body and another end communicating with an inner space of the display device;

a light emission element arranged in the apparatus body, for emitting an optical signal in the form of image data to the display device through the communication path; and

a light receive element arranged in the display device so as to face the light emission element through the communication path for receiving the optical signal from the light emission element.

6. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the display device has a hollow support leg, the apparatus body has a support portion for rotatably supporting the support leg, and the joint member is provided so as to bridge the support leg and the support portion.

7. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the display device has a hollow support leg, the apparatus body has a support portion for rotatably supporting the support leg, and the projecting portion projects from the support leg into the support portion and is rotatably engaged with the support portion around the rotation center axis.

8. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the joint member includes shield means for shielding the image signal passing through the communication path from external noise.

9. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising circuit means arranged in the apparatus body for supplying the image data to the light emission element, and

conversion circuit means provided in the display device for converting the optical signal received by the light receive element into the image signal and for supplying the image signal to the display means.

10. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising circuit means provided in the apparatus body for supplying the image data to the light emission element, and

conversion circuit means provided in the display device for converting the optical signal received by the light receive element into the image signal, and for supplying the image signal to the display means.

11. A portable electronic apparatus comprising:

a first unit;

a second unit rotatably connected with the first unit through a hinge portion;

a hollow projecting portion projecting into the first unit from the second unit and rotatably engaged with the first unit, the projecting portion extending to be coaxial with a rotation center axis of the hinge portion and rotatably supporting the second unit with respect to the first unit, the projecting portion defining a communication path which extends to be coaxial with the rotation center axis of the hinge portion and has one end communicating with an inner space of the first unit and another end communicating with an inner space of the second unit;

a light emission element provided in the first unit for emitting an optical signal to the second unit through the communication path; and

a light receive element arranged in the second unit so as to face the light emission element through the communication path for receiving the optical signal from the light emission element.

12. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the projecting portion includes shield means for shielding the optical signal passing through the communication path from external noise.

13. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the light emission element is provided so as to face one end of the communication path, and the light receive element is provided so as to face another end of the communication path.

15. A portable electronic apparatus comprising:

an apparatus body;

a display device rotatably connected with the apparatus body through a hinge portion, and including display means for displaying an image;

a hollow projecting portion projecting into the apparatus body from the display device and rotatably engaged with the apparatus body, the projecting portion extending to be coaxial with a rotation center axis of the hinge portion and rotatably supporting the display device with respect to the apparatus body, the projecting portion defining a communication path which extends to be coaxial with the rotation center axis of the hinge portion and has one end communicating with an inner space of the apparatus body and another end communicating with an inner space of the display device;

a light emission element arranged in the apparatus body for emitting an optical signal in the form of image data to the display device through the communication path; and

a light receive element arranged in the display device so as to face the light emission element through the communication path for receiving the optical signal from the light emission element.

16. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the projecting portion includes shield means for shielding the image signal passing through the communication path from external noise.

17. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising circuit means arranged in the apparatus body for supplying the image data to the light emission element, and conversion circuit means provided in the display device for converting the optical signal received by the light receive element into the image signal and for supplying the image signal to the display means.

18. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising circuit means provided in the apparatus body for supplying the image data to the light emission element, and conversion circuit means provided in the display device for converting the optical signal received by the light receive element into the image signal, and for supplying the image signal to the display means.