Portable information processor

• US 20020030816A1
• Filed: 09/11/2001
• Published: 03/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Yanagisawa, Takashi, Nakamura, Tetsuji, Nakamura, Fusanobu, Nakano, Masayoshi
• Granted Patent: US 6,800,840 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/399
• 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 1/1677 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 1/169 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 2200/1632 Pen holder integrated in the computer

Abstract

A portable information processor includes a computer main body and a digitizer connected by a flexible hinge defined in a cover. The hinge allows the computer main body and the digitizer to assume different superposed states by means of a flexible separable portion of the cover. In the superposed state of the computer main body and the digitizer, arbitrariness in folding back the separable portion causes runout between the computer main body and the digitizer. In spite of this runout, the superposed state can be accurately detected by means of an optical sensor, including an infrared radiator and an infrared-ray detector, disposed in the computer main body. A flexible reflection member is fixed to a predetermined surface of the separable portion of the leather cover, while assuring a predetermined area. If the computer main body and the digitizer assume a superposed state, light emitted from the infrared radiator is reflected by the flexible reflection member and is incident on the infrared-ray detector.

Claims

1. A portable information processor comprising:

first and second portions superposable in stacked form relative to each other;

a deformable member connecting said first and second portions so as to allow said first and second portions to be superposed in said stacked form;

a light-emitting device and a photodetector provided in one of said first and second portions;

a light reflection member, provided in either the other portion or said deformable member, for reflecting light emitted from said light-emitting device toward said photodetector when said first and second portions are disposed in a predetermined superposed state; and

a processing unit for determining, based on incidence of said emitted light on said photodetector, whether or not said first and second portions are in said superposed state, and for carrying out a predetermined process on a determination that said first and second portions are in said superposed state.

2. The portable information processor according to claim 1, wherein said first portion includes an upper surface and a lower surface, and the superposed state of said first and second portions includes a first superposed state, in which an upper surface of said first portion is disposed against a side of said second portion, and a second superposed state, in which a lower surface of said first portion is disposed against a side of said second portion;

wherein said deformable member allows both said first and second superposed states by deformation thereof and is connected at its lower surface to said first portion;

in said first superposed state, said deformable member is present between said first and second portions;

said light reflection member is provided in said deformable member; and

said light-emitting device and said photodetector are disposed in said second portion.

3. The portable information processor according to claim 2, wherein said deformable member is constructed of a flexible member which is deformable by flexion thereof.

4. The portable information processor according to claim 3, wherein said light reflection member is constructed of a flexible light reflection member rigidly attached to said flexible member.

5. The portable information processor according to claim 3, wherein said flexible member is also used as said light reflection member.

6. The portable information processor according to claim 1, wherein said light-emitting device generates light which has a predetermined blinking pattern, and a determination whether or not light incident on said photodetector is light emitted from said light-emitting device is made by determining whether a blinking pattern of said incident light on said photodetector coincides with said predetermined blinking pattern.

7. The portable information processor according to claim 1, wherein a distance from said light reflection member to said photodetector, on which determination of said superposed state is based, is varied by varying emission intensity of said light-emitting device, sensitivity of said photodetector, and/or a reflection coefficient of said light reflection member.

8. The portable information processor according to claim 1, wherein said first portion is a digitizer.

9. The portable information processor according to claim 8, wherein said second portion is a liquid crystal display with a back light;

in said superposed state of said first and second portions where said processing unit performs said predetermined process, the lower surface of said digitizer is superposed on the upper surface of said liquid crystal display with a back light; and

said processing unit turns off said back light when judging said first and second portion to be in a superposed state.

10. The portable information processor according to claim 8, wherein said second portion is a touch panel;

in said superposed state of said first and second portions where said processing unit performs said predetermined process, the lower surface of said digitizer is superposed on the upper surface of said touch panel; and

said processing unit causes said touch panel to be in a non-operative state when judging said first and second portion to be in a superposed state.

11. A portable information processor comprising:

first and second portions superposable in stacked form relative to one another;

a deformable member connecting said first and second portions, deformable so as to allow

said first and second portions to be superposed and to be separated in a predetermined range;

a supersonic wave transmitter provided in one of said first and second portions;

a supersonic wave receiver, provided in one of said first and second portions, for receiving supersonic waves, transmitted from said supersonic wave transmitter, and reflected by the other portion or deformable member when said first and second portions are disposed in a superposed state; and

a processing unit for determining, based on the reception of said supersonic waves at said supersonic wave receiver, whether or not said first and second portions are in said superposed state, and carrying out a predetermined process when judging said first and second portions to be in said superposed state.

12. A portable information processor comprising:

first and second portions which can be superposed in stacked form with each other;

a deformable member connecting said first and second portions, while allowing said first and second portions to be superposed and to be separated in a predetermined range by deforming;

a light-emitting device provided in one of said first and second portions;

a photodetector, provided in either the other portion or said deformable member, for receiving light emitted from said light-emitting device, when said first and second portions go to a predetermined superposed state; and

a processing unit for judging, based on incidence of light from said light-emitting device on said photodetector, whether or not said first and second portions are in said superposed state, and carrying out a predetermined process when judging said first and second portions to be in said superposed state.