JPH07248851A - Portable input device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] It is possible to switch between pen input and key input, or to switch between single use only by pen input, simply by changing the opening angle of the cover. A portable input device is provided. [Structure] Main body 9 having first input unit for pen input or the like
And a cover portion 11 having a second input portion such as a keyboard
When the main body portion 9 and the cover portion 11 are openably and closably coupled and the cover portion 11 is opened substantially horizontally with respect to the main body portion 9, the main body portion circuit board 14 in the main body portion 9 and the cover portion in the cover portion 11 A configuration including a connecting portion 13 that electrically connects the circuit board 15 and electrically cuts off the main body circuit board 14 and the cover circuit board 15 when the cover portion 11 is folded back to the back side of the main body portion 9. have.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a portable input device having a pen input function such as an electronic notebook and a pen input portable personal computer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the progress of information society and the development of microelectronics technology, a portable input device with a pen input function such as an electronic notebook, a pen input type portable personal computer, a word processor, etc. Is being developed.

A conventional portable input device will be described below. FIG. 8 is an overall perspective view showing a state in which a cover portion of a conventional portable input device is opened substantially horizontally, and FIG. 9 is a main body portion in which a cover portion of the conventional portable input device is opened substantially horizontally. It is a principal part sectional view which shows the mode of electrical connection of the circuit board of a cover part. Reference numeral 1 is a main body of a portable input device having a pen input function, 2 is a thin display unit with a touch panel for pen input provided in the main body 1, and 3 is a main body 1 which is opened and closed for convenient carrying. A cover part 5a, 5b freely connected to the inside and provided with a key input part 4 such as a keyboard is a main body part 1 for connecting the main body part 1 and the cover part 3 in an openable and closable manner.
The main body connecting portions 6a and 6b formed on the cover body 6a and 6b are formed on the cover portion 3 in order to openably and closably connect to the main body connecting portions 5a and 5b, and 6c indicates the main body portion 1 and the cover portion 3.
Is an end portion for electrically coupling the. In FIG.
Reference numeral 7 is a main body circuit board inside the main body portion 1, and 8 is a cover portion circuit board such as the key input portion 4 inside the cover portion 3.

Here, the main body circuit board 7 and the cover circuit board 8 are always electrically coupled via the end 6c by connector connection, soldering, or various other methods.

The operation of the portable input device configured as described above will be described below. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a portable input device, a cover unit 3 including a main body unit 1 and a key input unit 4 is openably and closably coupled by main body unit coupling units 5a and 5b and cover unit coupling units 6a and 6b for convenient carrying. In use, the cover section 3 is opened substantially horizontally as shown in FIG. 8 and the thin display section 2 is input with a pen or the key input section 4 is used to input characters and the like.

[0006]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional configuration, since the pen input and the key input can be used together when the cover portion is opened substantially horizontally, the pen input is performed on the thin display portion. If the key input portion is pressed by mistake while the user is in the middle, there is a problem that incorrect characters or the like will be input. Further, there is a problem that it is difficult to hold with one hand when the cover is opened, and it is unstable and lacks operability.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of the prior art. By changing the opening angle of the cover, it is possible to switch between pen input and key input, or pen input only, at a low cost. An object is to provide a portable input device with excellent operability and reliability.

[0008]

In order to achieve this object, a portable input device according to claim 1 of the present invention comprises a main body portion having a first input portion for pen input and the like, and a second portion such as a keyboard. When the cover part having the input part of, the main body part and the cover part are openably and closably coupled and the cover part is opened substantially horizontally with respect to the main body part, the main body circuit board in the main body part and the cover part circuit board in the cover part And a connecting portion for electrically disconnecting the main body circuit board and the cover circuit board when the cover section is folded back to the back side of the main body section. The portable input device according to claim 2, wherein the connecting portion has a contact portion electrically connected to the main body circuit board and the cover circuit board when the cover portion opens the cover portion substantially horizontally with respect to the main body portion. , When the cover is folded back to the back of the body It has a contact portion for blocking the substrate and electrically connected to the cover portion the circuit board and the electrical connection, a configuration having a circuit connection having.

Here, it is preferable to use a pressing means such as a leaf spring for each contact portion of the circuit connecting portion for electrically connecting the main body circuit board and / or the cover circuit board, because contact failure can be prevented.

[0010]

With this configuration, when the cover of the portable input device is opened substantially horizontally, it is possible to input data from either the key input section provided on the cover or the pen input section of the main body. Further, when the cover part is folded back to the back side of the main body part, only the pen input part can be used without erroneous input from the key input part.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view showing a state in which a cover portion of a portable input device according to an embodiment of the present invention is opened substantially horizontally, and FIG. 2 shows a cover portion of the portable input device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an overall perspective view showing a closed state, FIG. 3 is an overall perspective view showing a state in which the cover part of the portable input device in one embodiment of the present invention is folded back to the back side of the main body part, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion showing a state of electrical connection between the main body portion of the portable input device and the circuit board of the cover portion in one embodiment. 9 is a main body of the portable input device of the present invention, 10 is a thin display unit with a touch panel for pen input which is arranged in the main body unit, 11 is a key input unit such as a keyboard which is openably and closably coupled to the main body unit 9. A cover portion including 12; 13 a connecting portion that connects the main body portion 9 and the cover portion 11 so as to be openable and closable; 14 a main body circuit board provided inside the main body portion 9; and 15 a inside the cover portion 11. The cover circuit board is provided with 16, a circuit connecting portion for electrically connecting the main body circuit board 14 provided inside the connecting portion 13 and the cover circuit board 15, and 16a is a main body portion of the circuit connecting portion 16. The contact portion on the circuit board 14 side, 16b is the circuit connecting portion 1
6 is a contact portion on the cover circuit board 15 side.

The operation of the portable input device configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of essential parts showing an electrical connection between the main body and the circuit board of the cover part in a state where the cover part of the portable input device according to the embodiment of the present invention is opened substantially horizontally, and FIG. FIG. 7 is a sectional view of an essential part showing a state of electrical connection between a main body part and a circuit board of the cover part in a state where the cover part of the portable input device in one embodiment of the present invention is closed, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a state of electrical connection between the main body and the circuit board of the cover in a state where the cover of the portable input device according to the embodiment is folded back to the back side of the main body. First, with the cover 11 of the portable input device opened substantially horizontally with respect to the main body 9 as shown in FIG. 1, the main body circuit board 14 and the cover circuit board 15 are connected as shown in FIG. The circuit connection portion 16 disposed in the portion 13 is electrically connected by the contact portions 16a and 16b. Therefore, the thin display unit 10
It is possible to perform a combined operation of a pen input from and a key input from the key input unit 12. Next, when the cover portion 11 is closed as shown in FIG. 2, the main body circuit board 14 and the cover circuit board 15 are contact points of the circuit connecting portion 16 arranged in the connecting portion 13 as shown in FIG. The portion 16b is the cover portion circuit board 15
However, the contact portion 16 a of the circuit connecting portion 16 is electrically disconnected from the main body circuit board 14. Therefore, even if the key input unit 12 is pressed by pressing the cover unit 11 or the like during storage, no malfunction occurs.

Next, when the cover portion 11 is folded back to the back side of the body portion 9 as shown in FIG. 3, the body portion circuit board 14 and the cover portion circuit board 15 are connected to each other as shown in FIG. The contact portion 16a of the circuit connecting portion 16 disposed inside is electrically connected to the main body circuit board 14, but the contact portion 16b and the cover circuit board 15 are electrically disconnected. Therefore, even if the folded back key input unit 12 is pressed, there is no erroneous input from the key input unit 12,
Only the pen input from the thin display unit 10 is possible.

As described above, according to this embodiment, when the cover portion 11 of the portable input device is opened substantially horizontally, the pen input of the main body portion 9 and the key input portion 12 inside the cover portion 11 and the like are performed. It is possible to input by using both of the two methods of key input, and when inputting only by pen input, by folding the cover part 11 to the back side of the main body part 9, it is easy to hold with one hand, and also the main body Since the partial circuit board 14 and the cover circuit board 15 are electrically disconnected from each other, erroneous input is not made even when the key input section 12 or the like is touched by a hand or a finger, and the operability is excellent.

[0015]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to switch between the combined use of the pen input and the key input and the single use only of the pen input depending on the opening angle of the cover portion with the main body portion of the portable input device. Therefore, a portable input device with excellent operability and reliability can be realized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view showing a state in which a cover portion of a portable input device according to an embodiment of the present invention is opened substantially horizontally.

FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view showing a state in which a cover portion of a portable input device according to an embodiment of the present invention is closed.

FIG. 3 is an overall perspective view showing a state in which the cover portion of the portable input device according to the embodiment of the present invention is folded back to the back side of the main body portion.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a state of electrical connection between a main body part and a circuit board of a cover part of a portable input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of essential parts showing a state of electrical connection between the main body and the circuit board of the cover part in a state where the cover part of the portable input device according to the embodiment of the present invention is opened substantially horizontally.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of essential parts showing a state of electrical connection between a main body portion and a circuit board of the cover portion in a state where the cover portion of the portable input device according to the embodiment of the present invention is closed.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of essential parts showing a state of electrical connection between the main body and the circuit board of the cover in a state where the cover of the portable input device according to the embodiment of the present invention is folded back to the back of the main body.

FIG. 8 is an overall perspective view showing a state in which a cover portion of a conventional portable input device is opened substantially horizontally.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of essential parts showing a state of electrical connection between the main body and the circuit board of the cover in a state where the cover of the conventional portable input device is opened substantially horizontally.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1,9 Body part 2,10 Thin display part 3,11 Cover part 4,12 Key input part 5a, 5b Body part coupling part 6a, 6b Cover part coupling part 6c End part 7,14 Body part circuit board 8,15 Cover Circuit board 13 connecting part 16 circuit connecting part 16a, 16b contact part

Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Office reference number FI Technical display location G06F 15/02 301 E

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A main body section having a first input section such as a pen input, and a cover section having a second input section such as a keyboard,
When the main body part and the cover part are openably and closably coupled and the cover part is opened substantially horizontally with respect to the main body part, the main body part circuit board in the main body part and the cover part circuit board in the cover part are electrically connected. Portable input device, comprising: a connection part that electrically disconnects the main body circuit board and the cover circuit board when the cover part is folded back to the back side of the main body part. apparatus. 2. A contact portion for electrically connecting the main body circuit board and the cover circuit board when the connecting portion opens the cover portion substantially horizontally with respect to the main body portion, and the cover portion. A circuit connecting portion having a contact portion that is electrically connected to the main body circuit board and cuts off electrical connection with the cover circuit board when folded back to the back side of the main body portion. The portable input device according to claim 1.