Information processing apparatus having switch for inputting key data

• US 7,684,176 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2008
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Client Solutions CO., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimamoto, Hajime, Araki, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi; Jayprakash N
• Assistant Examiner(s): WRIGHT, INGRID D
• Application Number:
  US11/969,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20080180893A1
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 361/681, 361/679.08, 361/679.3, 361/679.56, 361/679.02, 341/22
• US Class Current: 361/679.08
• 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 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1671 Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop G06F1/1666 takes precedence
• 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 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/021 using combined folding and rotation motions combined with translation movement H04M1/0235

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a housing with a top surface and a rear surface, a CPU (central processing unit) provided in the housing, a keyboard placed on the top surface of the housing and including a plurality of keys which input key data to the CPU, a display unit attached to the housing rotatably between a closed position in which the display unit covers the keyboard and an open position in which the keyboard is exposed, and at least one switch provided on the rear surface of the housing and configured to input key data to the CPU.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

a housing including a first rectangular-shaped unit and a second rectangular-shaped unit, an rear end portion of the first rectangular-shaped unit and an rear end portion of the second rectangular-shaped unit being joined together;

a touch screen device placed on a surface of the first rectangular-shaped unit and configured to recognize a position indicated by a stylus or a user'"'"'s finger;

a plurality of key switches arranged on both sides of the touch screen device, said plurality of key switches including;

(a) four arrow keys indicating four directions of up, down, right and left, and

(b) first and second push button switches serving as a cancel key and an enter key,

wherein the four arrow keys being arranged on one side of the touch screen device and the first and second push button switches being arranged on an other side of the touch screen device;

a system controller configured to change an orientation of a screen image displayed on the touch screen device between a first orientation in which a top-end portion and a bottom-end portion of the screen image are extended in a longitudinal direction of the first rectangular-shaped unit and a second orientation in which the tsp-end portion and the bottom-end portion of the screen image are extended in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction;

third and fourth push button switches provided at right-end and left-end side portions of a back surface of the housing and configured to input first and second key data items, the rear surface being exposed regardless of whether the first rectangular-shaped unit and the second rectangular-shaped unit are set in a closed position in which a top surface of the second rectangular-shaped unit is covered by the first rectangular-shaped unit; and

a control module configured to change a key data item to be assigned to each of the third push button switch and the fourth push button switch.

2. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a gravity sensor configured to sense an orientation of the touch screen device relative to force of gravity, wherein the system controller is configured to change the orientation of the screen image displayed on the touch screen device in accordance with the orientation of the touch screen device relative to the force of gravity sensed by the gravity sensor.