Electronic apparatus having universal human interface

• US 20060034042A1
• Filed: 08/04/2005
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Mukai, Minoru, Hisano, Katsumi, Ozawa, Masanori, Furukawa, Ryo
• Granted Patent: US 7,433,179 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.40
• 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 1/162 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 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1649 the additional display being independently orientable, e.g. for presenting information to a second user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• 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 1/166 related to integrated arrangements for adjusting the position of the main body with respect to the supporting surface, e.g. legs for adjusting the tilt angle
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• 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: G09F 9/301 flexible foldable or roll-able electronic displays, e.g. thin LCD, OLED
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/905 Display device with housing structure

Abstract

An electronic apparatus includes first and second display devices having first and second display screens held in first and second housings, respectively. The second display screen is provided with a sensor which generates an output signal determining an input area in response to an external predetermined input to the second display screen. The first and second housings are connected together by a connecting mechanism so that an opening angle between the first and second housings can be adjusted. A first interface image is displayed on the second display screen. An instruction input to the interface image is determined on the basis of a sensor output signal. In response to the instruction input, a second display image is displayed in place of the first display image. In response to the instruction input, a second interface image is displayed in place of the first interface image.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a first display device comprising a first housing and a first display screen which is held in the first housing;

a second display device comprising a second housing and a second display screen which is held in the second housing, the second display screen comprising a sensor which generates a sensor output signal depending on an input on the second display screen;

a connecting mechanism configured to connect the first and second housings together and be able to adjust an opening angle of the first housing and the second housing;

a display processing section configured to display a first display image on the first display screen and a first interface image on the second display screen;

a determining section configured to determine an instruction to the first interface image on the basis of the sensor output signal; and

a control section configured to control the display processing section in response to the instruction to display a second display image in place of the first display image on the first display screen and display a second interface image in place of the first interface image on the second display screen.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connecting mechanism sets the opening angle of the first housing and the second housing so that the first and second display screens can be viewed from opposite sides of the electronic apparatus, and the first and second display screens display the second display image and the second interface image corresponding to substantially the same image or the second display image and second interface image which are in a mirrored relationship.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connecting mechanism sets the opening angle of the first housing and the second housing so that the first and second display screens can be viewed from one side of the electronic apparatus, and the display processing section substantially display a continuous image on the first and second display screens, the continuous image corresponding to a combination of the first display image and the second interface image.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connecting mechanism sets the opening angle of the first housing and the second housing so that the first and second display screens can be viewed from one side of the electronic apparatus, and the second display screen is switched between display of the second interface image on the first interface image and non-display of the second interface image on the first interface image, the display of the second interface image on the first interface image being displayed on top of the first interface image as a translucent or opaque image.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a touch panel configured to sense plural levels of input intensity on the basis of intensity of an electromagnetic wave or an input contact area on the second display, and the control section changes display of the first interface image depending on the input intensity level on the touch panel.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first display device further comprises a light source incorporated into the first housing to illuminate the first display screen, and the first housing comprises a structure configured to guide illumination light from the light source to the second display device as backlight illumination or a front-light illumination.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second display device further comprises a light source incorporated into the second housing to illuminate the second display screen, and the second housing comprises a structure configured to guide illumination light from the light source to the first display device as backlight illumination or a front-light illumination.

8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connecting mechanism comprises a hinge comprising a plurality of rotating shafts.

9. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second display screen comprises an LCD panel and an optical sensor element array provided on the LCD panel, which input an externally input image.

10. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second display screens forms one flexible and bendable display unit.

11. A foldable display device comprising:

a first device having a first display screen to display application images;

a second device having a second display screen to display interface images and an input sensor provided around the second display screen to sense an input position of touching or a movement on the second display screen;

a connecting mechanism configured to arbitrarily set an angle of the first display screen of the first device and the second display screen of the second device and to be capable to be folded;

an input processor to converting an input position sensed by the sensor into an input data to the display processor, and

a display processor to generate application images to be displayed on the first display screen and interface images to be displayed on the second display screen,

wherein the display processor generates a first interface image indicating distinctly displaying the input position after receiving the input data on the second display screen, and generates a first application image reflecting the input data on the first display screen.

12. The display device according to claim 11, wherein the interface image is a keyboard image having a plurality of key areas.

13. The display device according to claim 11, wherein the interface image is a mouse image.

14. The display device according to claim 12, wherein the first interface image is a first keyboard image wherein one of key area corresponding to the input data is displayed differently from other key areas.

15. The display device according to claim 13, wherein the first interface image is a first mouse image wherein one of clicked portion corresponding to the input data is displayed differently from other portions.

16. The display device according to claim 11, wherein the display processor comprising a memory storing a default interface image to be displayed first when the display device is activated.

17. The display device according to claim 11, wherein the display processor controls the second display screen and the second display screen so at to screen save images when input data is not detected for a predetermined period.

18. A portable computer, comprising:

a flat panel having a first display panel and a second display panel, that is foldable along a centerline and that a surface of the second display panel approaches to a surface of the first display panel when they are folded;

a touch panel sensor provided at least on a second display panel to detect a user'"'"'s input operation;

a display processor to supply display data to the first display panel and the second display panel; and

a display controller to control the display processor in at least two modes comprising,

a first mode where the display processor supplies an application image to the first display panel while supplying an interface image to the second display panel so as to use the second display panel as an input device, and

a second mode where an application image is divided into two part and one part of the application image is supplied to the second display panel and the other part of the application image is supplied to the first display panel so as to use the first and second display panels as a one extended screen.

19. The portable computer according to claim 18, wherein the interface image is an image of a keyboard or a mouse.