JPH04333958A - Information processor - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus having display section support means for holding an information display section for displaying information.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art There are various types of information processing devices such as computers, word processors, and image processing devices. Among the information processing devices, especially those that are portable, the display section support means that holds the information display section is folded and stored in the main body of the device, which has an input means such as a keyboard, in order to make it convenient to carry. Many are used that are integrally connected if possible. Further, in the case of a foldable type, the display support means is connected to the main body of the apparatus by an attachment mechanism that can hold it in an open position for easy viewing during use.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view illustrating a conventional attachment mechanism of a display support means to a main body of an apparatus. Figure 1
The attachment mechanism 6 utilizes the tightening torque and loosening torque of the torsion coil spring 52, and is configured so that a greater braking force is applied when the display section support means 51 is opened than when it is closed. When the opening reaches a predetermined position beyond this point, a stopper or the like between the opening and the main body 54 prevents further opening. The display section support means 51 includes an information display section (display surface) 5
3, and is rotatably (openable/closed) connected to the device main body 54 by the attachment mechanism. Note that the reference numeral 57 in FIG. 16 indicates a keyboard as an input means provided on the device main body 54.

[0004] With the advent of such portable personal computers and word processors, the range of users has expanded, but on personal computers (hereinafter referred to as personal computers), command input operations using the keyboard are difficult to understand. Moreover, it is necessary to memorize a large number of commands, which is an impediment to its widespread use. Therefore, in order to widen the range of users, it is necessary to eliminate difficult processing as much as possible, and as one way to do this, many modern computers use an operating environment that uses icons (illustrations). In this operating environment, when the device performs a certain process, the user selects an icon on the display screen instead of inputting symbols or characters using a keyboard or the like.

[0005] In the operating environment using the above icons,
A mouse or touch panel is used as a user interface. Here, the touch panel is attached to the front of the information display surface (information display section 53 in FIG. 16), and when the surface is pressed with a finger or pen, the coordinates of the pressed part are detected and predetermined information is displayed. It refers to the input means to be introduced. Touch panel methods include an optical type that uses a combination of a light emitting element and a light receiving element around the display surface, a membrane type that uses a transparent conductive film, and a pressure type that uses a pressure sensor, but the typical type is the pressure type. be.

FIG. 17 is a schematic perspective view showing the principle of the above-mentioned pressure type touch panel. In the same figure, pressure sensors 55 are attached at four locations around a glass plate mounted on the display surface of the information display means. It is configured to measure the partial pressure of the pressing force when the touch panel 56 formed on the surface of the glass plate is pressed, and calculate the coordinates of the pressed location based on the measured value.

On the other hand, if a mouse is used to implement an operation environment using icons (illustrations) on a portable personal computer, it is necessary to carry the mouse at all times in order to use the device (information processing device). The problem is that a sufficient area must be secured for operating the mouse.

On the other hand, the touch panel 56 has the advantage that it is built-in and does not take up much space, and is thin so that it does not affect the miniaturization of the device. Furthermore, since the touch panel 56 is generally transparent, the user can see the display surface through the touch panel even if it is attached to the front of the display surface 53 (FIG. 16). It also has the advantage of being easy to operate, as it allows input by directly pressing the icon. For these reasons, personal computers using touch panels have been commercialized.

[0009]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, when using a touch panel in a conventional information processing device, there are the following problems to be solved. That is, the first problem is that when the touch panel is pressed, a large moment acts on the above-mentioned holding mechanism using a spring, causing the display support means that holds the touch panel to move in the direction of the press. . Furthermore, even if the display section supporting means 51 is fully opened and held against the device main body 54 as shown in FIG. 18, when the upper part of the information display section (display surface) is pressed, the moment acting on the abutting section Because of the large size, the display part support means 5
1 structure is deformed. That is, in the conventional information processing device, when the touch panel is pressed, the display section support means 51
The problem was that the input device moved, making input operations unstable and difficult.

[0010] Also, secondly, the display section support means 5
When using the touch panel in an upright position, the user's arms are always suspended from the desk, which causes fatigue and is not suitable for long-term use. Note that as a solution to the first problem described above, there is a method of increasing the rigidity and strength of the support part of the display part support means 51.
With this method, the mechanism becomes large, which goes against the goal of making it smaller and lighter.
This increases costs and is therefore not a preferred solution.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned technical problems, and an object of the present invention is to prevent deformation of the display support means when using a touch panel, and improve operability and ease of inputting from the touch panel. To provide an information processing device that can improve the feeling of operation and reduce arm fatigue during operation.

0012

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides an information processing device having a display section support means for holding an information display section for displaying information and a touch panel for inputting information, in which a rotatable connecting section is provided. A connecting member connects the lower end of the display support means and an intermediate portion of the apparatus main body through a connecting member, and the display support means can be installed approximately horizontally on the apparatus main body with the touch panel facing upward. By doing so, the above objective is achieved.

[0013]

[Function] According to the above configuration, it is possible to support the back side of the display unit support means with the device main body in a position where the information display unit is approximately horizontal, so it is possible to press the touch panel from above, and , it is possible to eliminate deformation of the display unit support means when the touch panel is pressed. Furthermore, it becomes possible to easily move between the position where input is made by pressing the touch panel and the position where input is made from the keyboard while looking at the information display section, thereby providing an optimal usage environment.

[0014]

Embodiment FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing an embodiment of an information processing device to which the present invention is applied. In the figure, a keyboard 4 for input operations is provided on the upper surface of the device body 3 near the front. The device main body 3 also includes an information display section for displaying information and a touch panel 5 as an input means.
A display unit support means 1 holding a display unit is rotatably connected via a connecting member 10. The touch panel 5 is incorporated in the front surface of the information display section (display surface) in an overlapping state. Further, the keyboard 4 is arranged at a position lower than the surface of the main body 3 of the apparatus. In each drawing showing an embodiment of the present invention, the same reference numerals indicate the same parts (or equivalent parts).

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the internal structure of the display section support means 1. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, a gap is minimized between the display means 6 such as a liquid crystal display and the touch panel 5 to prevent a shift between the display position and the touch position due to parallax, and the touch panel 5 is moved in front of the display means 6 by pressing force. A packing 7 is attached so as not to come into contact with the (display surface). In addition, since stress applied to the touch panel 5 may cause malfunction, the display unit support means 1 and the touch panel 5
A packing 8 is also installed between the two. Note that a surface 35 substantially parallel to the touch panel 5 is formed on the surface (back surface) opposite to the display surface (the surface on the touch panel 5 side) of the display section support means 1 .

FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway side view showing a schematic structure of a mechanism for attaching the display section support means 1 to the apparatus main body 3. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, when the information processing apparatus is carried or stored, the display section support means 1 is held on the apparatus main body 3 by hooks 9 and connecting members 10. 4 and 5 are partial longitudinal sectional views showing the detailed structure of the hook 9. FIG. 4 and 5, the hook 9 is rotatable in the directions of arrows a-b about a fulcrum A provided on the display unit support means 1, and furthermore, a hook 9 provided in the middle of the hook 9 It can be bent around point B in the direction of arrow c-d. The hook 9 also has a spring 12 whose both ends are fixed to a point C on the hook 9 and a point D in the display support means 1.
is always urged in the direction of arrow b. Device body 3
A recess 27 that can be engaged with the hook 9 is provided on the front surface of the display unit 1, and a recess 28 for housing the hook is provided in the display support means 1.

FIG. 6 is a partial side view showing the structure of the connecting member 10. Note that the connecting members 10 are provided on both the left and right sides of the information processing device, and have substantially the same structure on both sides. The connecting member 10 connects the lower end of the side surface of the display support means 1 (the lower side when the display support means 1 is opened (upright) as shown in FIG. 1) and the middle portion of the side surface of the device main body 3. (the central part of the side surface), and are rotatably connected to each other. In FIG. 6, connecting members 1 are provided at the left and right lower ends of the display unit support means 1.
A connecting shaft 13 with 0 is provided. This connection shaft 13 is supported by the display section support means 1 by a support member 14,
It is fixed within the connecting member 10 by a fixing member 15 . With such a connection structure, the display section support means 1 can be rotated in the direction of the arrow e-f with respect to the connecting member 10.

Similarly, a connecting shaft 16 with the connecting member 10 is also provided at the left and right intermediate portions of the main body 3 of the apparatus. This connection shaft 16 is supported by the device main body 3 by a support member 17,
It is fixed within the connecting member 10 by a fixing member 18 . Such a connection structure allows the connecting member 10 to rotate in the direction of the arrow gh with respect to the device main body 3. A braking mechanism that utilizes tightening torque and loosening torque, such as a torsion coil spring 52 shown in FIG. 16, may be provided on the rotating portion consisting of each of the connecting shafts 13 and 16. Further, the signal line 19 for electrically connecting the display means 6 and the device main body 3 is housed in the connecting member 10 and passes inside the connecting shafts 13 and 16, as shown in the figure.
The wires are wired in such a way that no twisting occurs even if 0 rotates.

FIG. 7 is a side view showing the arrangement of a holding mechanism for holding the connecting member 10 in the apparatus main body 3, and FIG. 8 shows the structure of one holding mechanism along line 8--8 in FIG. FIG. Holding mechanisms as shown in FIG. 8 are provided at four locations in total, two on each side of the left and right sides of the device main body 3. In FIG. 8, the holding hook 20 is supported by a guide 21 provided within the device main body 3 so as to be movable in the directions of arrows ij. Further, the holding hook 20 is always urged in the direction of arrow i by a spring 22, and by bringing the stoppers 23, 23 formed on the upper and lower sides of the hook 20 into contact with the end surface of the guide 21, the holding hook 20 is moved to the position shown in FIG. is maintained. The holding mechanism as shown in FIG. 8 is provided at two places, front and back, on both sides of the device main body 3, and as shown in FIG. Indicated by

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, each connecting member 10 has a recess 25 formed at a position where the rear holding hook 20 can engage, and a recess 25 formed at a position where the front holding hook 24 can engage. A formed recess 26 is provided. therefore,
The connecting member 10 has a holding hook 20 attached to the device main body 3.
The holding hook 24 is configured to be held in two positions: a first position where the holding hook 24 engages with the recess 25 and a second position where the holding hook 24 engages with the recess 26. The solid line in FIG. 8 indicates the engaged state of the rear holding mechanism, that is, the state in which the hook 20 is engaged with the recess 25, and the hook 20 indicated by the chain double-dashed line in the same figure is released by pushing the hook. Indicates the state in which the

FIG. 9 is a side view showing the state in which the display part support means 1 is rotated between the folded position (solid line) and the upright position (double-dashed line), and FIG. FIG.
FIG. 11 is a sectional view showing a state in which the front holding hook 24 is pushed in and removed from the recess 26, and FIG. 12 shows a state in which the front holding hook 24 is engaged into the recess 26 by the restoring force of the spring 22. 13 is a side view showing a state in which the display unit support means 1 moved forward is rotated from a standing position to a substantially horizontal touch panel input position (solid line), and FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the display unit support means 1 is stacked on the device main body 3 in a posture suitable for touch panel input.

Next, the operation when using the information processing apparatus to which the present invention is applied will be explained with reference to FIGS. 9 to 14. From the stored (folded) state of the display support means 1 shown by the solid line in FIG. 9, first rotate the hook 9 in the direction of arrow a to remove it from the recess 27 at the front of the device main body 3, and then 1 with the connection shaft 13 with the connecting member 10 as the center and the arrow e
3 to the open position (standing position) where the back surface 35 of the display unit support means 1 comes into contact with the inclined part 31 of the device main body 3. In this open position, the image display section (
This is the holding position where you use it while looking at the display screen. here,
When the holding hook 20 is pushed in the direction of arrow j shown in FIG.
The holding hook 20 is removed from the recess 25 of the connecting member 10, and the connecting member 10 becomes rotatable in the direction of the arrow gh about the connecting shaft 16 with the device main body 3.

Therefore, the display section supporting means 1 is moved in the direction of arrow k while being opened (upright) with respect to the main body 3 of the apparatus. That is, by rotating the connecting member 10 in the direction of the arrow h with respect to the main body 3 of the apparatus and rotating the display part supporting means 1 in the direction of the arrow e with respect to the connecting member 10, the display part supporting means 1 is Move to the front of the device main body 3. At this time, the connecting member 10 contacts the front holding hook 24 and pushes the holding hook 24 in the direction of arrow j, as shown in FIG.
When the holding hook 24 reaches the position of the holding hook 24, the holding hook 24 is moved (projected) in the direction of the arrow i by the restoring force of the spring 22, as shown in FIG.
It engages with the recess 26 of. Due to the engagement between the holding hook 24 and the recess 26, the connecting member 10 is held at the position indicated by the two-dot chain line 32 in FIG.

Next, the display section support means 1 is attached to the connecting member 10.
When the display section support means 1 is rotated in the direction of the arrow e about the connecting shaft 13 with the display section support means 1, the display section support means 1 is supported in an overlapping state on the apparatus main body 3 with its back surface 35. That is, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 13, the display section support means 1 is supported in a substantially horizontal position with the image display section (display surface) having the touch panel 5 facing upward, in an overlapping manner on the main body 3 of the apparatus. At this time, since the keyboard 4 is disposed lower than the surface of the device main body 3 as shown in FIG.
never come into contact with. Further, by rotating the portion near the tip of the hook 9 in the direction of arrow d about point B, the hook 9 can be inserted into the recess 28 provided in the display unit support means 1, as shown by the solid line in FIG. It can also be stored in.

According to the embodiment described above, the connecting member 10 is provided between the display section supporting means 1 and the device main body 3, and the connecting portion 13 between the display section supporting means 1 and the connecting member 10 and the device main body 3 are connected to each other. Since the connection parts 16 with the connecting member 10 are made rotatable, the display part support means 1 can be mounted on the main body 3 of the apparatus with the display surface (image display part) having the touch panel 5 facing upward, as shown in FIG. It is now possible to stack them almost horizontally. Therefore, the touch panel 5 can be used as an input means while the display part support means 1 is stably supported in a substantially horizontal position on the device main body 3. Therefore, the user can press the touch panel 5 from above. Also, the display part support means 1 does not bend or move, and it is possible to improve the operability and feeling of operation during touch panel input, and to reduce the burden on the arm.

The display unit support means 1 is used in the positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 15, where keyboard input is performed while looking at the display surface (image display section), and in the position shown in FIG. 14, where touch panel input is performed while looking at the display surface. It is therefore possible to easily move between the usage positions of the keyboard 4 and the touch panel 5, and therefore it is possible to provide optimal usage environments for each of the cases where the keyboard 4 and the touch panel 5 are used. In addition, in the present invention, the holding hooks 20 and 24 are each located in the recess 2.
5 and 26, the connecting member 10 is connected to the main body 3.
However, this does not limit the structure of the holding mechanism.

FIG. 15 is an external perspective view showing another embodiment of an information processing apparatus to which the present invention is applied. In this embodiment, the connection parts 13 and 16 (FIGS. 6, 10, and 13) of the connecting member 10 with the display part support means 1 and the device main body 3 are located not on their sides, but on the display part support means 1. and is provided inside the device main body 3. In this embodiment, the connection part 1
3 and 16 are provided inside, but other parts have substantially the same configuration, corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanation thereof will be omitted. This embodiment also provides the same effects as those of the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0028]

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, an information processing apparatus having a display section supporting means holding an information display section for displaying information and a touch panel for inputting information. , a connecting member connects the lower end of the display support means and an intermediate part of the apparatus main body through a rotatable connection part, and the display support means is approximately mounted on the apparatus main body with the touch panel facing upward. Since the configuration allows for horizontal installation, it is possible to prevent deformation of the display support means when using the touch panel, improve operability and operational feeling when inputting from the touch panel, and moreover, it is possible to An information processing device that can reduce arm fatigue is provided.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a state suitable for keyboard input of an embodiment of an information processing apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the display section support means shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a closed (folded) state of the display section support means of one embodiment of the information processing device to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 4 is a partial vertical sectional view showing the detailed structure of the hook in FIG. 3;

5 is a partial vertical sectional view of another position showing the detailed structure of the hook in FIG. 3; FIG.

FIG. 6 is a partial side view showing the detailed structure of the connecting portion of the connecting member shown in FIGS. 1 and 3;

7 is a side view showing the configuration of a connecting member holding means for holding the connecting member of FIG. 6 in the apparatus main body; FIG.

8 is a partial cross-sectional view of a detail of the rear coupling member retention mechanism taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 7; FIG.

FIG. 9 is a side view showing a state in which the display portion support means is rotated from a closed position to an open position.

FIG. 10 is a side view showing a state in which the display section support means is moved forward while being opened.

FIG. 11 is a partial sectional view showing a state when the holding hook of the front connecting member holding mechanism is pushed in;

12 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which the holding hook of the connecting member holding mechanism of FIG. 11 moves to an engagement position by a spring force; FIG.

FIG. 13 is a side view showing a state in which the display unit support means is rotated to a substantially horizontal touch panel input position.

FIG. 14 is an external perspective view showing a state suitable for touch panel input of an embodiment of the information processing device to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 15 is an external perspective view showing a state suitable for keyboard input of another embodiment of the information processing apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 16 is a partially cutaway external perspective view showing a configuration example of a conventional information processing device.

FIG. 17 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the structure of a pressure-type touch panel.

FIG. 18 is a schematic side view showing a state of a conventional information processing device during touch panel input.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Display unit support means 3 Device body 4 Keyboard 5 Touch panel 6 Display means (image display means such as liquid crystal) 9
Hook 10 Connecting member 13 Connecting shaft (connecting part of the connecting member on the display unit support means side) 16 Connecting shaft (connecting part of the connecting member on the device main body side)
19 Signal line 20 Rear side holding hook 24 Front side holding hook 25 Recess (connection member) 26 Recess (connection member) 27 Recess (for hook engagement) 28 Recess (for hook storage) 31 Inclined portion (apparatus main body) 35 Display section Back side of support means

Claims (2)

[Claims] Claim 1. An information processing device having a display part support means holding an information display part for displaying information and a touch panel for inputting information, wherein the display part support means is attached via a rotatable connection part. An information processing device characterized in that a lower end portion of the means and an intermediate portion of the device main body are connected by a connecting member, and the display portion supporting means can be installed substantially horizontally on the device main body with the touch panel facing upward. . 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connecting member can be held at at least two positions on the apparatus main body.