Small-sized portable information processing apparatus

• US 6,492,974 B1
• Filed: 04/08/1997
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Nobuchi, Atsunobu, Kamikakoi, Hideaki, Gotou, Katsuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Application Number:
  US08/832,184
• Time in Patent Office: 2,072 Days
• Field of Search: 345/104, 345/156, 345/168, 345/173, 345/901
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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 1/1677 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 1/1681 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/162 associated with a hinge of the closing member

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a body having a display panel pivotally attached to the body, the panel having a plural, selectable data display orientations. A detector detects a size of an angle between the display panel and the body and a selector selects a corresponding one of the data display orientations in accordance with the size of the detected angle, affording automatic change of the data display orientations in accordance with respective, different desired configurations of the apparatus.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

a body;

a display panel attached to said body and rotatably movable through an angle of up to substantially 360°

relatively to said apparatus body, said display panel having plural individually selectable data display orientations;

a detector detecting at least a predetermined size of the angle between said apparatus body and said display panel; and

a display orientation selector selecting a corresponding one of said data display orientations in accordance with the size of the angle detected by the detector, in such a manner that the data display orientation is changed automatically by approximately 90°

when the display panel is rotated by approximately 360°

with respect to the base.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said body further comprises an input unit.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a disabling unit selectively disabling operation of said input unit in accordance with said detector detecting an angle of a prescribed size between said display panel and said body.

4. An information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said input unit is a keyboard.

5. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display panel further comprises a touch sensitive input unit.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a disabling unit disabling operation of said touch sensitive input unit in accordance with said detector detecting the angle.

7. An information processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a disabling unit selectively disabling operation of said touch sensitive input unit of said body in accordance with said detector detecting the angle between said display panel and said body.

8. An information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said touch sensitive input unit is enabled for inputting information at least when the operation of said input unit of said body is disabled.

9. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a hinge comprising a first shaft connected to said body and a second shaft connected to said display panel, said hinge allowing the display panel to rotate relatively to the body through an angle of up to substantially 360°

.

10. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display panel displays at least letters and images and is touch responsive for inputting information.

11. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said display panel is rotatable through an angle of up to substantially 360°

relatively to said body by means of a pivot shaft provided therebetween; and

said detector comprises a switching mechanism performing an ON-OFF operation in accordance with respective, different angles between said display panel and said apparatus body, produced by relative rotation thereof about said pivot shaft.

12. An information processing apparatus accordingly to claim 11, wherein said switching mechanism performs the ON-OFF operation thereof in response to rotation of said display panel through an angle of substantially 360°

from a closed position thereof with respect to said body.

13. An information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said switching mechanism comprises a cam on one of two members respectively connected to the body and the display panel and which rotate therewith, and relatively to each other, about said pivot shaft and a cam follower positioned on the other member so as to always be in contact with said cam and so as to be axially moved in accordance with rotation of said cam relatively to the cam follower, said switching mechanism performing the ON-OFF operation thereof in accordance with the axial movement of said cam follower.

14. An information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said switching mechanism comprises a switching element, a cam provided on one of two members respectively connected to the body and the display panel and which rotate therewith, and relatively to each other, about said pivot shaft and a cam follower positioned on the other member so as to always be in contact with said cam and so as to be axially moved in accordance with rotation of said cam relatively to the cam follower, one of said cam and said cam follower having a concave surface and the other having a convex surface, so that relative rotation between said cam and said cam follower in a first direction causes, said cam follower to move in a first sense in the axial direction and come into contact with said switching element and an opposite direction of relative rotation between said cam and said cam follower causes said cam follower to move in the opposite sense in the axial direction, causing said cam follower to move away from said switching element.

15. An information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said switching mechanism comprises a projection on one of two members, respectively connected to the body and the display panel and which rotate relatively to each other about said pivot shaft, and a sensor switch on the other member, so as to perform an ON-OFF operation of said sensor switch in accordance with the rotational movement of said projection.

16. An information processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said sensor switch magnetically detects a position in the rotational movement of said display panel with respect to said apparatus body.

17. An information processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said sensor switch optically detects a position in the rotational movement of said display panel with respect to said apparatus body.

18. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display panel has a substantially rectangular shape, longer sides thereof being parallel to an axis around which said display panel is rotatable with respect to said apparatus body.

19. An information processing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the display panel has a further axis disposed centrally of and perpendicular to a plane of the substantially rectangular shape and the change of the data display orientation on the display panel comprises a rotation about the further axis by approximately 90°

from a first position in which top and bottom edges of the display are parallel to, to a second position in which the top and bottom edges of the display are perpendicular to, the long edges of the rectangular shape.

20. An information processing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the data display has selectable orientations parallel to and perpendicular to the longer sides of the substantially rectangular shape of the display panel and the data display orientation is changed therebetween when the display panel is rotated by approximately 360°

with respect to the base.

21. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a body having a keyboard;

a display panel attached to said body and rotatably movable through an angle of up to 360°

, encompassing plural selectable data display orientations of said display panel, relatively to said body;

a touch sensitive input unit;

a detector detecting at least a predetermined size of the angle between said apparatus body and said display panel; and

a disabling unit disabling operation of said touch sensitive input unit in accordance with said detector detecting the angle, in such a manner that the operation of said keyboard is disabled and the data display orientation is changed by approximately 90°

when the display panel is rotated by substantially approximately 360°

with respect to the body.

22. An information processing apparatus according to said claim 21, wherein input to said touch sensitive input unit is performed by a pen.

23. An information processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said touch sensitive input unit is disposed at said display panel.

24. An information processing apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising a hinge comprising a first shaft connected to said body and a second shaft connected to said display panel, said hinge allowing the display panel to rotate relatively to the body through an angle of up to substantially 360°

.

25. An information processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said display panel displays at least letters and images and is touch sensitive for inputting information.

26. An information processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said display panel has a substantially rectangular shape, longer sides thereof being parallel to an axis around which said display panel is rotatable with respect to said apparatus body.

27. An information processing apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the display panel has a further axis disposed centrally of and perpendicular to a plane of the substantially rectangular shape and the change of the data display orientation on the display panel comprises a rotation about the further axis by approximately 90°

from a first position in which top and bottom edges of the display are parallel to, to a second position in which the top and bottom edges of the display are perpendicular to, the long edges of the rectangular shape.

28. An information processing apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the data display has selectable orientations parallel to and perpendicular to the longer sides of the substantially rectangular shape of the display panel and the data display orientation is changed therebetween when the display panel is rotated by approximately 360°

with respect to the base.