Electronic apparatus, display control method and recording medium

• US 7,907,979 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2007
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Nikawa, Susumu, Hori, Tetsuya, Katou, Yoshiaki, Nakakubo, Koji, Nonoyama, Shigeo, Sotodate, Manabu, Kojima, Takashi, Furuki, Kenetsu, Ono, Yoshihiro, Taniguchi, Hironobu, Itoh, Toshiyuki, Kobayashi, Hiroshi, Nagamine, Tomoyuki, Ishii, Yoshitomo, Yamaguchi, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TUAN
• Application Number:
  US11/859,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20080076492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575.1, 455/575.3, 455/575.4, 455/566
• US Class Current: 455/575.1
• 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 1/1622 with enclosures rotating around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define or with ball-joint coupling, e.g. PDA with display enclosure orientation changeable between portrait and landscape by rotation with respect to a coplanar body enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• 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 1/1679 for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA G06F1/1681 takes precedence
• 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: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0233 Including a rotatable display body part
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0241 using relative motion of the body parts to change the operational status of the telephone set, e.g. switching on/off, answering incoming call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

An electronic apparatus has a fixed case unit and a movable case unit, and the rotation operability of the movable case unit is improved. The electronic apparatus having the fixed case unit and movable case unit also includes a movable arm, which is fitted openably and closably to the fixed case unit via a hinge. The movable case unit is supported rotatably on the movable arm, and the rotation center of the movable case unit is set at a position near the hinge to be on or near the centerline of the movable case unit.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus having a fixed case unit and a movable case unit, comprising:

a movable arm fitted openably and closably to the fixed case unit via a hinge, wherein

the movable case unit is supported rotatably on the movable arm, with a rotation center of the movable case unit being positioned near the hinge,

the movable case unit has a display unit, and

at least a part of the display unit is exposed out of the fixed case unit by rotating the movable case unit while the movable arm and the fixed case unit are closed together.

2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the movable case unit has an edge that rotates close to the hinge.

3. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the rotation center of the movable case unit is positioned on or near a centerline of the movable case unit.

4. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the movable case unit is capable of rotating in both directions to the left and right of the centerline of the movable case unit.

5. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein

a distance between the rotation center of the movable case unit and a rotation center of the hinge is smaller than a width of the movable case unit and is larger than a half of the width.

6. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the movable case unit has the display unit on a face facing the fixed case unit.

8. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the fixed case unit has an input operation unit on a face facing the movable case unit.

9. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit disposed on the movable case unit;

a rotation sensor detecting a rotation angle of the movable case unit; and

a controlling unit changing a display form of a display screen on the display unit, the display form being changed on the basis of an angle detected by the rotation sensor.

10. The electronic apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

an opening/closing sensor detecting opening and closing of the movable arm, wherein

the controlling unit causes the display unit to display a display screen on the basis of rotation detected by the rotation sensor in case where the movable case unit is closed, the display screen being displayed in a display form different from a display form that is displayed in case where the movable case unit is opened.

11. The electronic apparatus of claim 9, wherein

the rotation sensor includes:

a rotation sensor detecting leftward rotation of the movable case unit; and

a rotation sensor detecting rightward rotation of the movable case unit.

12. The electronic apparatus of claim 10, wherein

the rotation sensor includes:

a rotation sensor detecting leftward rotation of the movable case unit; and

a rotation sensor detecting rightward rotation of the movable case unit.

7. An electronic apparatus having a fixed case unit and a movable case unit, comprising:

a movable arm fitted openably and closably to the fixed case unit via a hinge, wherein

the movable case unit is supported rotatably on the movable arm, with a rotation center of the movable case unit being positioned near the hinge, and

in case where the movable case unit is rotated while the movable arm and the fixed case unit are closed together, the movable case unit shifts relative to the fixed case unit to allow visual recognition of a part or the whole of a display area of a display unit on the movable case unit.