Electronic paper file

• US 7,249,324 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2001
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Tetsuroh, Tatekawa, Masaichiro, Matsuo, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl; Raymond J.
• Application Number:
  US10/451,735
• Publication Number:
  US 20040044682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,034 Days
• Field of Search: 715/776, 715/777, 715/751, 715/733, 715/748, 715/741, 715/743, 715/755, 715/758, 715/759, 715/761, 715/512, 715/526, 715/511, 345/1.1, 345/1.2, 345/1.3
• US Class Current: 715/776
• 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 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1654 the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An electronic paper file with an advantage like a book or a notebook can settle a conventional problem regarding the displaying that appears at a time of communicating by a portable information terminal. And the electronic paper file is provided with a receiving electronic paper displaying data sent from the other electronic paper and a sending electronic paper sending the display content to the other electronic paper.

Claims

1. An electronic paper file comprising an electronic paper with a display function and a main unit attachable with a plurality of said electronic papers, comprising:

communication means for sending and receiving data to and from a different electronic paper file; and

page management means for specifying one of the electronic papers to display the data received by the communication means and giving the received data to the specified electronic paper;

cursor drawing means for displaying a cursor indicating a specific region on the specified electronic paper, and sending cursor display data for displaying the cursor to the different electronic paper file through the communication means; and

display control means for restricting the cursor drawing means from drawing the cursor and sending the cursor display data to the different electronic paper file,

wherein, when two electronic paper files perform the communication, the electronic paper file, when it is on a slave side, sends a request to display the cursor to a master side electronic paper file through the communication means, and the display control means cancels the restriction on the cursor drawing means upon receipt of a display allowance signal from the master side electronic paper file in response to the request.

2. The electronic paper file according to claim 1, wherein the page management means is further provided with a function of specifying one of the electronic papers to input data thereto and giving the inputted data on the specified electronic paper to the communication means, and specifies different electronic papers as an electronic paper to display the received data and an electronic paper to input the data thereto, respectively.

3. The electronic paper file according to claim 2, wherein the page management means specifies two electronic papers covering two facing pages as an electronic paper to display the received data and another electronic paper to display the data to be sent.

4. The electronic paper file according to claim 1, wherein the page management means is further provided with a function of specifying one of the electronic papers to input data thereto and giving the inputted data on the specified electronic paper to the communication means, and specifies a same electronic paper as an electronic paper to display the received data and an electronic paper to input the data thereto.

5. The electronic paper file according to claim 4, wherein the page management means specifies two electronic papers covering two facing pages as an electronic paper to display both the received data and the data to be sent and an electronic paper provided with an input function respectively.

6. The electronic paper file according to either claim 3 or 5, wherein an electronic paper is attachable to the electronic paper file removably.

7. The electronic paper file according to claim 1, wherein the page management means is provided with a function control means for controlling functions of the respective electronic papers according to an instruction sent from a different electronic paper.

8. An electronic paper file comprising an electronic paper with a display function and a main unit attachable with a plurality of said electronic papers, comprising:

setting means for setting a group consisting of one or more electronic papers and giving the group a group name, according to ID numbers for identifying the electronic papers;

page management means for deciding data to be displayed on the electronic papers according to the ID numbers; and

communication means for giving the data decided by the page management means to, and giving the group name as data to be displayed on each electronic paper to, the electronic papers included in the group.

9. The electronic paper file according to claim 8, wherein the page management means decides data to be displayed by the electronic paper according to a page number given by a user.

10. The electronic paper file according to claim 8, which further comprising ID number obtaining means for obtaining the ID number from the electronic paper.

11. The electronic paper file according to claim 8, wherein the setting means sets display information in order to display on the electronic paper a mark specifying the group, and the communication means sends the display information to the electronic paper.

12. The electronic paper file according to claim 11, wherein the display information indicates a color, size and displaying method of the mark of the group.

13. The electronic paper file according to claim 8, wherein the electronic paper is attached to the main unit removably by providing the electronic paper with one of a pair of connecting terminals including both the electrical and physical connecting functions, as well as providing the main unit with the other connecting terminal.

14. The electronic paper file according to claim 13, wherein a position of the other connecting terminal arranged on the main unit is fixed.

15. The electronic paper file according to claim 13, comprising a jointed axis formed by arranging in an axis direction a plurality of rotatable axis parts provided with the other connecting terminal so as to rotate the rotatable axis part freely.

16. An electronic paper file comprising an electronic paper with a display function and a main unit attachable with a plurality of said electronic papers, comprising:

page management means for deciding a data to be displayed on an electronic paper according to an ID number for identifying the electronic paper; and

communication means for giving the data decided by the page management means to the electronic paper, wherein

the electronic paper is removably attached to the main unit with one of a pair of connecting terminals having both the electrical and physical connecting functions, and

the main unit has a jointed axis jointing a plurality of rotatable axis parts having the connecting terminal for a connecting terminal of an electronic paper, and being arranged in an axis direction so as to be rotatable freely.

17. An electronic paper file comprising an electronic paper with a display function and a main unit attachable with a plurality of said electronic papers, comprising:

communication means for sending and receiving data to and from a different electronic paper file;

page management means for specifying one of the electronic papers to display the data received by the communication means and giving the received data to the specified electronic paper;

cursor drawing means for displaying a cursor indicating a specific region on the electronic paper, and sending a cursor display data for displaying the cursor to the different electronic paper file through the communication means; and

display control means for restricting the cursor drawing means from drawing the cursor and sending the cursor display data to the different electronic paper file,

wherein, when two electronic paper files performs the communication, the electronic paper file, when it is on a master side, receives a request to display the cursor from a slave side electronic paper file through the communication means, and the display control means determines whether or not to return a display allowance signal for canceling the restriction on the cursor drawing means of the slave side electronic paper file.

18. An electronic paper file comprising an electronic paper with a display function and a main unit attachable with a plurality of said electronic papers, comprising:

communication means for sending and receiving data to and from a different electronic paper file;

page management means for specifying one of the electronic papers to display the data received by the communication means and giving the received data to the specified electronic paper;

cursor drawing means for displaying a cursor indicating a specific region on the electronic paper, and sending a cursor display data for displaying the cursor to the different electronic paper file through the communication means; and

display control means for restricting the cursor drawing means from drawing the cursor and sending the cursor display data to the different electronic paper file,

wherein, when two electronic paper files performs the communication, in case where the electronic paper file is on a master side, upon receipt of a request to display the cursor from a slave side electronic paper file through the communication means, the display control means determines whether or not to return a display allowance signal, and in case where the electronic paper file is on the slave side, the display control means cancels the restriction on the cursor drawing means upon receipt of the display allowance signal.