Information processing apparatus

An information processing apparatus comprising:

• a main body including a key-control section;
• an input display section including data input means on a display screen thereof;
• a connecting member for connecting said input display section to said main body;
• first hinge means for rotatably connecting one end of said connecting member to said main body;
• and
• second hinge means for rotatably connecting the other end of said connecting member to said input display section, and
• variable efficiency braking force means for exerting a braking force on said connecting member being rotated and for changing the efficiency of said exerted braking force in accordance with a rotating direction of said connecting member with respect to said main body,
• said apparatus being arranged so as to take the following three positions:
• a stored position at which the display screen of said input display section is placed so as to face the key-control section of said main body;
• a first input control position at which the display screen of said input display section forms a predetermined angle to the key-control section of said main body so that key-input is permitted using the key-control section while observing the display screen of said input display section;
• and
• a second input control position at which the display screen of said input display section is placed facing upward and substantially flat above the key-control section of said main body so that data-input is permitted using said data input means.

An information processing apparatus comprising:

• a main body including a key-control section;
• an input display section including data input means on a display screen thereof;
• a connecting member for connecting said input display section to said main body;
• first hinge means for rotatably connecting one end of said connecting member to said main body;
• and
• second hinge means for rotatably connecting the other end of said connecting member to said input display section,
• said apparatus being arranged so as to take the following three positions:
• a stored position at which the display screen of said input display section is placed so as to face the key-control section of said main body;
• a first input control position at which the display screen of said input display section forms a predetermined angle to the key-control section of said main body so that key-input is permitted using the key-control section while observing the display screen of said input display section;
• and
• a second input control position at which the display screen of said input display section is placed facing upward and substantially flat above the key-control section of said main body so that data-input is permitted using said data input means, said apparatus further comprising:
• a rotatable range controlling member for controlling a rotatable range of said input display section with respect to said connecting member by contacting the back surface of said input display section, said rotatable range controlling member being provided on said connecting member so as to be capable of moving forward and backward;
• and
• drive means for moving said rotatable range controlling member along an orbit of rotation of said input display section when said connecting member is rotated in an "open" direction during a movement from said stored position to said first input control position and for moving said rotatable range controlling member so as to come off the orbit of rotation of said input display section when said connecting member is rotated in a "close" direction during a movement from said first input control position to said second input control position or to said stored position.

An information processing apparatus comprising:

• a main body including a key-control section;
• and
• an input display section including data input means on a display screen thereof;
• said apparatus being arranged so as to take the following three positions:
• a stored position at which the display screen of said input display section is placed so as to face the key-control section of said main body;
• a first input control position at which the display screen of said input display section forms a predetermined angle to the key-control section of said main body so that key-input is permitted using the key-control section while observing the display screen of said input display section;
• and
• a second input control position at which the display screen of said input display section is placed facing upward and substantially flat above the key-control section of said main body so that data-input is permitted using said data input means, said apparatus further comprising:
• display position detection means for detecting whether said input display section is in said first input control position or in said second input control position, and
• key input determination means for determining a key-input invalid when said display position detection means detects that said input display position is in said second input control position.

An information processing apparatus comprising:

• a main body including a key-control section;
• and
• an input display section including data input means on a display screen thereof;
• said apparatus being arranged so as to take the following three positions:
• a stored position at which the display screen of said input display section is placed so as to face the key-control section of said main body;
• a first input control position at which the display screen of said input display section forms a predetermined angle to the key-control section of said main body so that key-input is permitted using the key-control section while observing the display screen of said input display section;
• and
• a second input control position at which the display screen of said input display section is placed facing upward and substantially flat above the key-control section of said main body so that data-input is permitted by said data input means;
• said apparatus further comprising:
• display position detection means for detecting whether said input display position is in said first input control position or in said second input control position, said display position detection means providing a signal indicative of said input display section being disposed in either said first input control position or said second input control position;
• and
• display voltage control means for providing a first display voltage and a second display voltage to said input display section, said first display voltage differing from said second display voltage, and for altering between providing either said first display voltage or said second display voltage to said input display section in response to said signal generated by said display position detection means, wherein a change in display voltage alters the display screen contrast to compensate for a difference in angle of sight with respect to said display section between said first input control position and said second input control position.

An information processing apparatus comprising:

• a main body including a key-control section;
• and
• an input display section including data input means on a display screen thereof, coordinates on a surface of said data input means corresponding to coordinates on a surface of said display screen;
• said apparatus being arranged so as to take the following three positions:
• a stored position at which the display screen of said input display section is placed so as to face the key-control section of said main body;
• a first input control position at which the display screen of said input display section forms a predetermined angle to the key-control section of said main body so that key-input is permitted using the key-control section and data input is permitted by said data input means while observing the display screen of said input display section;
• and
• a second input control position at which the display screen of said input display section is placed facing upward and substantially flat above the key-control section of said main body so that data-input is permitted using said data input means;
• said apparatus further comprising:
• display position detection means for detecting whether said input display section is positioned in said first input control position or in said second input control position, said display position detection means providing a signal indicative of said input display section being disposed in either said first input control position or said second input control position;
• and
• coordinate adjusting means for eliminating coordinate errors associated with coordinates on said surface of the data input means and corresponding coordinates on said surface of the display screen, said coordinate adjusting means using a first set of coordinate adjusting data and a second set of coordinate adjusting data, wherein said coordinate adjusting means compensates for a difference in angle of sight with respect to said input display section between said first input control position and said second input control position by selecting between using either said first set of coordinate adjusting data or said second set of coordinate adjusting data in response to said signal generated by said display position detection means.

An information processing apparatus comprising:

• a main body including a key-control section;
• an input display section allowing data input directly on a display screen whose length is different from width;
• a connecting member, said connecting member connecting said input display section to said main body;
• display moving arrangement comprising a first hinge member that rotatably connects one end of said connecting member to said main body, a second hinge member that rotatably connects an opposite end of said connecting member to a back surface of said input display section, said second hinge member having a rotation axis parallel to a rotation axis of said first hinge member, and a display orientation rotation mechanism connected to said second hinge member, said rotation mechanism permitting rotation of said input display section about an axis intersecting and orthogonal to said rotation axis of said second hinge member;
• wherein said display moving arrangement enables said input display section to assume at least the following four positions:
• a stored position at which the display screen of said input display section is placed so as to face the key-control section of said main body;
• a first input control position at which the display screen of said input display section forms a predetermined angle to said key-control section of said main body so that key-input is permitted using the key-control section while observing a horizontally placed display screen orientation;
• a second input control position at which the display screen of said input display section is placed facing upward and substantially flat above the key-control section of said main body so that data input can be made directly to the display screen while observing a horizontally placed display screen orientation;
• and
• a third input control position at which the display screen of said input display section forms a predetermined angle to the key-control section of the main body so that key-input is permitted using the key-control section while observing a vertically placed display screen orientation obtained by rotating said input display section by 90.degree. by said display orientation rotation mechanism.

An information processing apparatus comprising:

• a main body including a key-control section;
• an input display section allowing data input directly on a display screen whose length is different from width;
• a connecting member, said connecting member connecting said input display section to said main body;
• display moving arrangement comprising a first hinge member that rotatably connects one end of said connecting member to said main body, a second hinge member that rotatably connects an opposite end of said connecting member to a back surface of said input display section, said second hinge member having a rotation axis parallel to a rotation axis of said first hinge member, and a display orientation rotation mechanism comprising a shaft connected to said hinge member, said shaft permitting rotation of said input display section about an axis intersecting and orthogonal to said rotation axis of said second hinge member;
• wherein said display moving arrangement enables said input display section to assume at least the following five positions:
• a stored position at which the display screen of said input display section is placed so as to face the key-control section of said main body;
• a first input control position at which the display screen of said input display section forms a predetermined angle to said key-control section of said main body so that key-input is permitted using the key-control section while observing a horizontally placed display screen orientation;
• a second input control position at which the display screen of said input display section is placed facing upward and substantially flat above the key-control section of said main body so that data input can be made directly to the display screen while observing a horizontally placed display screen orientation;
• a third input control position at which the display screen of said input display section forms a predetermined angle to the key-control section of the main body so that key-input is permitted using the key-control section while observing a vertically placed display screen orientation obtained by rotating said input display section by 90.degree. by said display orientation rotation mechanism;
• and
• a fourth input control position at which the display screen of said input display section is placed facing upward and substantially flat above said key-control section of said main body so that data input can be made directly to the display screen while observing a vertically placed display screen orientation obtained by rotating said input display section by 90.degree. from said second input control position by said display orientation rotation mechanism.

An information processing apparatus comprising:

• a main body including a key-control section;
• an input display section including data input means on a display screen whose length is different from width;
• a connecting member for connecting said input display section to said main body;
• display rotating means for rotating said input display section by 90.degree.;
• and
• moving means which enables said input display section to take the following five positions:
• a stored position at which the display screen of said input display section is placed so as to face the key-control section of said main body;
• a first input control position at which the display screen of said input display section forms a predetermined angle to said key-control section of said main body so that key-input is permitted using the key-control section while observing a horizontally placed display screen;
• a second input control position at which the display screen of said input display section is placed facing upward and substantially flat above the key-control section of said main body so that data-input is permitted using the data input means while observing a horizontally placed display screen;
• a third input control position at which the display screen of said input display section forms a predetermined angle to the key-control section of the main body so that key-input is permitted using the key-control section while observing a vertically placed display screen obtained by rotating said input display section by 90.degree. by said display rotating means;
• and
• an inverted position at which said input display screen is inverted at the back of the main body,
• wherein said moving means includes a first hinge means for rotatably connecting one end of said connecting member to said main body and a second hinge means for rotatably connecting an opposite end of said connecting member to the back surface of said input display section, and said display rotating means rotates the input display section about an axis intersecting and orthogonal to a rotation axis of said second hinge means.

An information processing apparatus comprising:

• a main body including a key-control section;
• an input display section including data input means on a display screen whose length is different from width;
• a connecting member for connecting said input display section to said main body;
• and
• display rotating means for rotating said input display section;
• and
• moving means which enables said input display section to take the following six positions:
• a stored position at which the display screen of said input display section is placed so as to face the key-control section of said main body;
• a first input control position at which the display screen of said input display section forms a predetermined angle to said key-control section of said main body so that key-input is permitted using the key-control section while observing a horizontally placed display screen;
• a second input control position at which the display screen of said input display section is placed facing upward and substantially flat above the key-control section of said main body so that data-input is permitted using the data input means while observing a horizontally placed display screen;
• a third input control position at which the display screen of said input display section forms a predetermined angle to the key-control section of the main body so that key-input is permitted using the key-control section while observing a vertically placed display screen obtained by rotating said input display section by 90.degree. by said display rotating means;
• a fourth input control position at which the display screen of said input display section is placed facing upward and substantially flat above said key-control section of said main body so that data-input is permitted using said data input means while observing a vertically placed display screen obtained by rotating said input display section by 90.degree. from said second input control position by said display rotating means;
• and
• an inverted position at which said input display screen is inverted at the back of the main body,
• wherein said moving means includes a first hinge means for rotatably connecting one end of said connecting member to said main body and a second hinge means for rotatably connecting an opposite end of said connecting member to the back surface of said input display section, and said display rotating means rotates the input display section about an axis intersecting and orthogonal to a rotation axis of said second hinge means.