JP2004029567A - State informing method of display panel and electronic instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a state informing method of a display panel applied to an electronic instrument realizing to appropriately inform users of the state of the display panel. <P>SOLUTION: In the electronic instrument, the display panel and a main body are connected to each other by a hinge mechanism having a turning shaft for raising the display panel from the main body and a pivot shaft for turning the display panel at its raised state. An opening and closing sensor 8b for detecting an opening and closing angle of the display panel with respect to the turning shaft and an opening and closing sensor 8b for detecting a horizontal rotation angle of the display panel with respect to the pivot shaft are provided in the hinge mechanism. In a microcomputer 9, information on the state of the display panel is displayed by using an LCD5 or vocally outputted by using speakers 7a and 7b based on the result of the detection of the two sensors. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electronic device, such as a notebook personal computer, which can fix a pair of housings folded at a hinge portion in an overlapped state, and a display panel status notification method applied to the electronic device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, various types of electronic devices such as notebook personal computers and desktop personal computers have been developed. In this type of electronic device, various ideas are made every day to improve the usability. For example, in a pen-input electronic device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-39058, a cover in which a display unit and a touch panel are incorporated and a main body case are connected by a hinge, and when the touch panel incorporated in the cover is operated, the cover is closed. After being turned upright on the main body case by the hinge, and then turned upside down, the touch panel can be returned on the main body case so that the touch panel faces outward.
[0003]
With such a configuration, when not in use, the cover can be stored on the main body case with the touch panel facing inward, so that the touch panel can be protected from an unexpected impact while being carried. At the time of use, the same operability as a touch panel provided in a general so-called PDA terminal can be ensured.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, when performing the work of raising the cover on the main body case, turning it upside down, and then returning it to the main body case, for example, in order to prevent damage to the hinge, the user must We had to pay attention to the following points.
[0005]
In other words, when turning over the cover, keep in mind that the cover is upright on the body case until it can be turned over, and when returning to the body case, the cover is turned over until it can be turned over. It was necessary to pay attention to whether
[0006]
However, it is difficult for the user to determine whether or not such a state exists, so if left to the user's discretion, even though the cover has not been raised upright on the main unit case until it can be turned over, Even though the cover was not turned upside down or the cover was not turned upside down, it was not possible to wipe the risk of breaking the hinge when trying to put the cover back on the main case. .
[0007]
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an electronic device realizing appropriate notification of a state of a display panel to a user and a method of notifying a state of a display panel applied to the electronic device have been proposed. The purpose is to provide.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a display panel and a main body which are pivoted in a state where the display panel is raised with respect to the main body and the display panel is rotated with the display panel raised with respect to the main body. A method for informing a state of a display panel applied to an electronic device connected by a hinge mechanism having a turning axis to be rotated, wherein an opening / closing angle of the display panel about the rotation axis is a predetermined angle. A first detection step of detecting whether or not a horizontal rotation angle of the display panel about the pivot axis is a predetermined angle; and A state notifying step of notifying the state of the display panel based on the detection results of the first and second detection steps.
[0009]
In the present invention, the open / close state of the display panel about the pivot axis of the hinge mechanism and the horizontal rotation state of the display panel about the pivot axis of the hinge mechanism are detected, and based on the detection result, for example, the display panel Or that the display panel is in a state where the display panel is being rotated horizontally.
[0010]
This allows the cover to be turned upside down even though the cover is not raised upright on the main body case until it can be turned over, or the cover is not turned upside down until it can be turned over. This prevents the hinge from being damaged when trying to return to the main body case.
[0011]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a first state of the electronic apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. This electronic device is a notebook personal computer. As shown in FIG. 1, a main body 1 and a display panel 2 are connected by a hinge mechanism 3, and can be fixed in a state where the main body 1 and the display panel 2 are folded and overlapped by the hinge mechanism 3. It has become. Further, it is possible to connect the mouse 4 as a pointing device as needed.
[0012]
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a second state of the electronic device, in which the display panel 2 is raised with respect to the main body 1 by the hinge mechanism 3. As shown in FIG. 2, a tablet-integrated LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) 5 is provided inside the display panel 2, while a keyboard 6 and speakers 7 a and 7 b are provided in the main body 1. .
[0013]
As shown in FIG. 3, the hinge mechanism 3 of the electronic device moves the display panel 2 with respect to the main body 1 in addition to a general rotation axis A for raising the display panel 2 with respect to the main body 1. This is a so-called double hinge having a pivot axis B for pivoting in the upright state. The two pivot axes A and B, as shown in FIG. Can be returned on the main body 1.
[0014]
In other words, the electronic device raises the display panel 2 with respect to the main body 1 when performing input using the keyboard 6, and faces the LCD 5 outward when performing pen input on the tablet-integrated LCD 5. Thus, an appropriate and flexible use environment such as returning the display panel 2 to the main body 1 can be provided. Further, the operation using the mouse 4 is possible in any of these use environments.
[0015]
By the way, as described above, when the rotation axis B is provided on the hinge mechanism 3 so that the display panel 2 can be returned on the main body 1 with the LCD 5 facing outward, for example, a reversible state is provided. If the user does not accurately grasp the state of the display panel 2 such as whether the display panel 2 is raised up on the main body 1, the hinge mechanism 3 may be damaged. Therefore, the electronic apparatus of the present embodiment is characterized in that a mechanism for appropriately notifying the user of the state of the display panel 2 is provided, and this point will be described in detail below.
[0016]
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the horizontal rotation sensor 8a and the open / close sensor 8b provided in the hinge mechanism 3 to appropriately notify the user of the state of the display panel 2.
[0017]
As shown in FIG. 5, the horizontal rotation angle of the display panel 2 about the pivot axis B is substantially 0 degree (in a state where the display panel 2 is not rotated at all) or substantially 180 degrees (in FIG. 5). The horizontal rotation sensor 8a for detecting whether or not the display panel 2 is completely inverted, and the opening / closing angle of the display panel 2 about the rotation axis A is substantially 90 degrees (in a state where the display panel 2 stands upright with respect to the main body 1). An opening / closing sensor 8b for detecting whether or not there is a switch is provided. The two sensors 8a and 8b are switch sensors that output an ON signal when pressed, and the horizontal rotation sensor 8a is pressed when the horizontal rotation angle of the display panel 2 is approximately 0 degrees or approximately 180 degrees. The open / close sensor 8b is installed so that the open / close sensor 8b is pressed when the open / close angle of the display panel 2 is approximately 90 degrees.
[0018]
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the electronic device relating to the notification of the state of the display panel 2.
[0019]
The outputs of the horizontal rotation sensor 8a and the open / close sensor 8b are supplied to the microcomputer 9 as shown in FIG. The microcomputer 9 includes, for example, a setting register 91 which is built in a keyboard controller (KBC) for transmitting operations of the keyboard 6 and the mouse 4 to the CPU and stores control information indicating whether or not to notify the state of the display panel 2. Have. The control information of the setting register 91 may be updated by preparing a dedicated utility program having a user interface, for example, and executing the utility program, or by using a predetermined key on the keyboard 6. May be updated such that the microcomputer 9 toggles each time a plurality of are pressed at the same time.
[0020]
The sound controller 10 outputs sounds from the speakers 7a and 7b, and the display controller 11 controls display of the LCD 5. Then, based on the outputs from the horizontal rotation sensor 8a and the open / close sensor 8b, the microcomputer 9 informs the user of the state of the display panel 2 by voice via the sound controller 10 or by display via the display controller 11. Notify properly.
[0021]
FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the transition of the state of the display panel 2.
As shown in FIG. 7, in this electronic device, the state of the display panel 2 is managed in five stages of state 1 to state 5. State 1 is a case where the opening / closing angle of the display panel 2 about the rotation axis A is substantially 0 to 89 degrees and the horizontal rotation angle of the display panel 2 about the rotation axis B is substantially 0 degrees. In this case, there is no output of an ON signal from the open / close sensor 8b, and an ON signal is output from the horizontal rotation sensor 8a.
[0022]
State 2 is a case where the opening and closing angle of the display panel 2 about the rotation axis A is substantially 90 degrees and the horizontal rotation angle of the display panel 2 about the rotation axis B is about 0 degrees. In this case, ON signals are output from both the open / close sensor 8b and the horizontal rotation sensor 8a. Hereinafter, similarly, in state 3, the opening / closing angle of the display panel 2 about the rotation axis A is substantially 90 degrees, and the horizontal rotation angle of the display panel 2 about the rotation axis B is about 1-179. In this case, an ON signal is output from the open / close sensor 8b, and there is no output of an ON signal from both the horizontal rotation sensors 8a. State 4 is a case where the opening and closing angle of the display panel 2 about the rotation axis A is substantially 90 degrees, and the horizontal rotation angle of the display panel 2 about the rotation axis B is about 180 degrees. In this case, ON signals are output from both the open / close sensor 8b and the horizontal rotation sensor 8a. In the state 5, the open / close angle of the display panel 2 about the rotation axis A is approximately 0 to 89 degrees and the horizontal rotation angle of the display panel 2 about the rotation axis B is approximately 180 degrees. In this case, there is no output of an ON signal from the open / close sensor 8b, and an ON signal is output from the horizontal rotation sensor 8a.
[0023]
In FIG. 7, X1 is an operation for raising the display panel 2 with respect to the main body 1, turning the display panel 2 with the LCD 5 facing outward, and returning the display panel 2 to the main body 1 with the LCD 5 facing outward. On the other hand, X2 is a flow of the operation when the display panel 2 is returned to the original state in the reverse order. Among the flows of the operations indicated by X1 and X2, there is a possibility that the hinge mechanism 3 may be damaged even though the display panel 2 is not raised up on the main body 1 until the display panel 2 can be turned over. This is a time when the display panel 2 is to be turned over, or the display panel 2 is to be returned to the main body 1 even though the display panel 2 is not inverted until the display panel 2 can be turned over. Therefore, when the ON signal is output from both the open / close sensor 8b and the horizontal rotation sensor 8a (state 2 and state 4), that is, when the display panel 2 is in a reversible state, the microcomputer 9 indicates that. (Display A), when the ON signal is output from the open / close sensor 8b and the ON signal is not output from the horizontal rotation sensor 8b (state 3), that is, when the display panel 2 is in the state of being inverted. Is displayed on the LCD 5 (display B). Further, the time when the display panel 2 is in the state of being inverted means the time when the display panel is in an unstable state, and therefore, the microcomputer 9 also outputs the sound from the speakers 7a and 7b.
[0024]
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a message displayed on the LCD 5 regarding the state of the display panel 2. When the state of the display panel 2 is the state 2 or the state 4, the microcomputer 9 states that “the rotatable state”. A message is displayed (display A), and when the state of the display panel 2 is state 3, the microcomputer 9 displays a message "rotating state" (display B).
[0025]
Next, with reference to FIG. 9, an operation procedure of a state notification of the display panel 2 in the electronic device will be described.
[0026]
When the control information indicating that the state of the display panel 2 is to be notified is stored in the setting register 91, the microcomputer 9 first checks whether an ON signal is output from the open / close sensor 8b (step A1). At this time, if an ON signal has been output (YES in step A1), the microcomputer 9 checks whether an ON signal has been output from the horizontal rotation sensor 8a (step A2). If the ON signal has been output (YES in step A2), the microcomputer 9 displays on the LCD 5 that the display panel 2 is in a reversible state (step A3). If not (NO in step A2), the fact that the display panel 2 is being inverted is displayed on the LCD 5 and sound is output from the speakers 7a, b (step A4).
As described above, in this electronic device, the state of the display panel 2 is properly notified to the user by the display on the LCD 5 and the sound output from the speakers 7a and 7b, so that the hinge mechanism 3 may be damaged. Prevent unreasonable handling.
[0027]
In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the state of the display panel 2 is notified using the LCD 5 has been described. However, the notifying means that appeals to the visual sense is not limited to this. For example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) may be turned on. It does not matter.
[0028]
That is, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be variously modified in an implementation stage without departing from the gist of the invention. Furthermore, the embodiments include inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriately combining a plurality of disclosed constituent elements. For example, even if some components are deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment, the problem described in the column of the problem to be solved by the invention can be solved, and the effects described in the column of the effect of the invention can be solved. Is obtained, a configuration from which this configuration requirement is deleted can be extracted as an invention.
[0029]
【The invention's effect】
As described above in detail, according to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately notify the user of the state of the display panel.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an exemplary view showing a first state of an electronic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exemplary view showing a second state of the electronic apparatus of the embodiment.
FIG. 3 is an exemplary first view illustrating a hinge mechanism of the electronic apparatus according to the embodiment.
FIG. 4 is an exemplary second view illustrating a hinge mechanism of the electronic apparatus according to the embodiment;
FIG. 5 is an exemplary view showing a horizontal rotation sensor and an open / close sensor provided in a hinge mechanism of the electronic apparatus of the embodiment.
FIG. 6 is an exemplary block diagram showing a schematic configuration related to notification of the state of the display panel in the electronic apparatus of the embodiment.
FIG. 7 is an exemplary view for explaining transition of the state of the display panel in the electronic apparatus of the embodiment.
FIG. 8 is an exemplary view showing an example of a message displayed on the LCD regarding the state of the display panel in the electronic apparatus of the embodiment.
FIG. 9 is an exemplary flowchart illustrating the operation procedure of notification of the state of the display panel in the electronic apparatus of the embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Main body 2 ... Display panel 3 ... Hinge mechanism 4 ... Mouse 5 ... LCD
6 Keyboard 7a, b Speaker 8a Horizontal rotation sensor 8b Open / close sensor 9 Microcomputer 10 Sound controller 11 Display controller A Rotating axis B Rotating axis

Claims (13)

An electronic device in which a display panel and a main body are connected by a hinge mechanism having a rotation axis that raises the display panel with respect to the main body and a rotation axis that turns the display panel with the display panel raised with respect to the main body. A method of notifying a state of a display panel applied to a device,
A first detection step of detecting whether or not the opening and closing angle of the display panel about the rotation axis is a predetermined angle;
A second detection step of detecting whether or not the horizontal rotation angle of the display panel about the rotation axis is a predetermined angle;
A state notifying step of notifying a state of the display panel based on a detection result of the first and second detection steps;
A state notification method for a display panel, comprising: The first detection step detects whether or not the opening and closing angle of the display panel is substantially 90 degrees,
The method according to claim 1, wherein the second detecting step detects whether a horizontal rotation angle of the display panel is substantially 0 degree or substantially 180 degrees. In the state notification step, it is detected that the opening and closing angle of the display panel is substantially 90 degrees in the first detection step, and the horizontal rotation angle of the display panel is substantially 0 degrees in the second detection step. 3. The display panel status notification method according to claim 2, wherein when it is detected that the display panel is substantially 180 degrees, the display panel is notified that the display panel is in a horizontally rotatable state. In the state notification step, it is detected that the opening and closing angle of the display panel is substantially 90 degrees in the first detection step, and the horizontal rotation angle of the display panel is substantially 0 degrees in the second detection step. 3. The display panel status notification method according to claim 2, wherein when it is detected that the display panel is not substantially 180 degrees, the display panel is notified that the display panel is rotating horizontally. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the status notifying step, the status notification of the display panel is performed by displaying. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of notifying the state of the display panel is performed by sound. An electronic device in which a display panel and a main body are connected by a hinge mechanism having a rotation axis that raises the display panel with respect to the main body and a rotation axis that turns the display panel with the display panel raised with respect to the main body. Equipment,
A first sensor for detecting whether or not the opening and closing angle of the display panel about the rotation axis is a predetermined angle;
A second sensor for detecting whether or not a horizontal rotation angle of the display panel about the rotation axis is a predetermined angle;
State notifying means for notifying the state of the display panel based on the detection results of the first and second sensors;
An electronic device comprising: The first sensor detects whether the opening and closing angle of the display panel is substantially 90 degrees,
8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the second sensor detects whether a horizontal rotation angle of the display panel is approximately 0 degrees or approximately 180 degrees. The state notification means detects that the opening and closing angle of the display panel is substantially 90 degrees by the first sensor, and that the horizontal rotation angle of the display panel is substantially 0 degrees or substantially by the second sensor. 9. The electronic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein when it is detected that the angle is 180 degrees, the display panel is notified that the display panel is in a horizontally rotatable state. The state notification means detects that the opening and closing angle of the display panel is substantially 90 degrees by the first sensor, and that the horizontal rotation angle of the display panel is substantially 0 degrees or substantially by the second sensor. 9. The electronic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, when it is detected that the angle is not 180 degrees, the display panel is notified that the display panel is rotating horizontally. 8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the status notification unit displays the status of the display panel by displaying. 8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the status notification unit performs status notification of the display panel by voice. 8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a setting unit that sets whether the state notification unit functions.

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